Andy & Ari On3 - Is Sam Leavitt Overrated? Does Auburn or Michigan Have A Better Year 1? | Dear Crain & Cone Mailbag
Episode Date: June 19, 2026Crain & Cone take over and fill in for Andy & Ari again on Friday for their own mailbag, answering questions about everything like if Sam Leavitt is the most overrated quarterback in the country, the ...state of the Big 12 outside of Texas Tech and the ACC outside of Miami, and whether Auburn or Michigan will have a better year one under new head coaches in 2026. 0:00 Intro 2:48 Is Sam Leavitt the most over-hyped quarterback in college football? 6:10 Which coach is most in need of a 'good season'? 11:30 Is Texas Tech still the runaway favorite in the Big 12? 15:41 Who's the most under-discussed player this offseason? 20:47 Which program needs to pick up the slack in the ACC? 24:30 Change your mind on any team so far this offseason? 28:23 Better Year 1 - Golesh at Auburn or Whittingham at Michigan? 31:25 Best food you've had around college football? 33:55 Wrapping up - Thanks for watching! This show is also presented by BetMGM! If you haven’t signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code CFB and you will get up to a $1500 First Bet Offer on your first wager with BetMGM! Here’s how it works: 1. Download the BetMGM app and sign-up using bonus code CFB. 2. Deposit at least $10 and place your first wager on any game. 3. You will receive up to $1500 in bonus bets if your bet loses! Just make sure you use bonus code CFB when you sign up! Make this college football season one for the history books. Make it legendary. See BetMGM.com for Terms. 21+ only. This promotional offer is not available in DC, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET (Available in the US) . 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). First Bet Offer for new customers only (if applicable). Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 7 days. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel Join On3 today! https://www.on3.com/join Subscribe to On3! ⬇️ youtube.com/on3sports/?sub_confirmation=1 Welcome to On3 | The best of college football and recruiting https://www.on3.com/ Listen to Andy & Ari On3 on podcast! Spotify 🎧: https://open.spotify.com/show/5AhQ4d2... Apple 🍎: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Follow Andy & Ari On3 on X! https://x.com/AndyAriOn3 Follow Andy Staples on Twitter: / andy_staples Follow Andy Staples on Instagram: / andy_staples Follow Ari Wasserman on Twitter: https://x.com/AriWasserman Follow us on Twitter / on3sports Follow us on Instagram / on3 Like/Follow us on Facebook / on3sports Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari Wasserman Producer: River Bailey Interested in partnering with the show? Email advertise@on3.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcript
Discussion (0)
This show is brought to you by BetMGM and no college football going on right now,
but the world's biggest soccer tournament is here in the U.S.
Games every single day.
It matches every single day.
Plenty of action on BetMGM.
If you're not already signed up, download the app now,
sign up using the bonus code CFB.
That CFB is in college football.
Get up to $1,500 in bonus bets if you don't win your first bet.
Sign up now and you can take advantage of all BetMGM has to offer.
We'll get you ready for college football season as this comes because we've got media days coming up.
We got all sorts of fun stuff and soccer for the next few weeks as far as the eye can see.
So sign up for BetMGM today.
Make it legendary with BedmGM.
See Betmgm.com for terms 21 plus only this promotional offer is not available in D.C., Mississippi, New York,
to Ontario or Puerto Rico.
Gambling problem call 1 800 Gambler or 1 800 My Reset,
available in the US.
8778 Hope N.
or text Hope in Y, 4667369 in New York.
1,800 327 5050 in Massachusetts.
1,800 bets off in Iowa, 1,8001-00-0-023 in Puerto Rico.
First bet offer for new customers only if applicable,
subject to eligibility requirements.
Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in seven days.
In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel.
What's up everybody?
Welcome to Anne.
Andy and Ari. We really appreciate you joining us. I'm Andy Staples. I'm Ari Wasserman.
I'm Andy Wasserman Staples.
No, obviously we are not those people. We are from Crane and Cone. We're standing in again for Andy and Ari here today. If you missed our first episode, we did a full college football program draft.
AD to stadium with players and coaches in between. You need to check that out. Make sure you're locked in here. Two on three. Andy and Arri.
and make sure you go check out Craning Code,
make sure you're subbed over there.
If you want to be a ball in nowhere,
if you want to just wander in the abyss,
you can keep doing that.
That's your prerogative.
But we really would love for you to subscribe.
But today, we've commandeered the ship once again,
and we're doing the mailbag segment.
A little mailbag.
A little mailbag.
And we don't do a mailback,
so this is fun to me.
I'm excited to see what questions
are getting thrown out there.
Connie, are you mentally, emotionally,
and spiritually prepared to answer these questions
because we don't know them.
We haven't seen them.
I've never been more ready for anything in my life.
Wow, and you've had some major stuff.
You've got three kids, too.
That's pretty impressive.
But all right, let's put the first question up.
Here we go.
Is Sam Levitt the most over-hyped quarterback in the country this season?
He was obviously good at Arizona State, but coming off that foot injury, it feels like the buzz around him is based on playing for Lane Kiffin at LSU.
David, you're the former quarterback at Michigan.
We've talked about how much we love Trinidad, Chambliss.
We talk Arch, we talk Julian, all these guys.
Sam Levitt, to me, is a really, really good football player.
The fact that I think some people speak down about how talented he is,
like he had this amazing supporting cast around him at Arizona State.
Jordan Tyson was great.
Wasn't there for the playoff run they had a couple years ago
when they really should have beat Texas.
Scada Bow is incredible.
He's now playing for the New York Giants.
But my question is, what is Sam Levitt bad at?
He may not be the most consistent passer of all time,
but with his legs, play-extending ability,
scramble ability, keeping plays alive, and really threatening you in multiple points on defense.
I don't know how you could think this guy's going to go to LSU and be bad, unless that foot is a problem, which we really still don't know yet.
Well, yeah, but of course, Sam Levitt's most overhyped quarterback this off season.
And you know that because if he were still at Arizona State, he wouldn't be getting as much hype.
And that's just the nature of playing for Lane Kiffin.
And it's not even necessarily a bad thing.
But a couple points like you talked about, his best season two years ago, he did have Cam Scada,
on that team who was really a game changer in every way that a football player can be one.
And then last year he had an injury. So he's coming off of an injury. So those things alone
would already lead to some natural question marks. But to me, this is more about playing for
Lane Kiffin. I mean, and that is like I said, not necessarily a bad thing. He has such a
great track record that when you get recruited to play quarterback for him, the expectation is
that you are going to be great. And also because the question is, is he the most hype
quarter over hype quarterback this off season.
A couple other quarterbacks that would naturally take that place are someone like
Arch Manning, but I think we've seen enough now to know that he could be great.
He could be elite, but also people are coming back down to earth saying maybe at the end
of the day, Arch Manning is just good or just average, right?
A couple others like Bryce Underwood or John Mateer could have had this mantle a season ago.
The stock has kind of fallen through the floor on those guys.
I think right now is a great time to buy stock in Bryce Underwood or John.
Mateer. What Cohn says, this is more about Lane Kiffin to me than it is about Sam Levin.
Whatever quarterback you would have put in this position, he's going to get overhyped.
Put Byron Brown in the position in Auburn. He'd be overhyped more than anybody in the country.
It's about Lane Kiffin. Really not about Sam Levitt, but if you watch Sam at Arizona State was
banged up last year, and only thing I'm hearing that the foot's fine.
He's dunking on and told him he's dunking on goals. He's running 21 miles per hour. He's close to solving
cancer, like everything he's doing is working right now.
So this is more about Lane Kiffin and what's surrounding Sam and the tools that he's
going to have at LSU in a quarterback friendly offense where everything he does is based
on what the quarterback can do.
So no, I don't think Sam's overhyped.
If anything, most overhyped quarterback to me is Archmanning because it doesn't matter
if Archmanian was at Texas, Western Kentucky are sitting in my living room with that last name.
The hype is going to come with it.
Yeah.
All right.
Let's get to the next question here.
Which coach is most in need of a good season?
Not necessarily a playoff or bust example
are someone who will not be on the hot seat
if they don't have a winning record.
Just a coach who needs to find his program
with eight or nine wins to feel good coming out of 20.
26.
Go ahead.
It's Mike Norville.
Dude, I'm going to be honest.
Does eight wins keep Mike Norvelle?
I think, I mean, I don't think he gets him fired.
It's got to be the right eight.
I don't think he gets him fired.
I don't know.
If he wins eight and Miami beats their ass and they don't win a bunch of big games
and Alabama drowns him, I think they're going to fire this dude.
Like to me, I think the coach that probably needs it the most.
And if we're talking about eight or nine wins, I feel like it's Pete Golding.
I feel like it's Pete Golden.
In his first year?
In his first full year with what he did last year in the playoff.
Not that, again, they would fire him.
That's not the question.
It's would they like instantly be on the hot seat.
If Pete Golding comes out and they go six and six, and I know this schedule is rough,
and I don't think they're going to go six and six.
All that equity that he built up with the playoff wins over Kirby and how they look,
I think it's going to be gone and the questions are going to start to be asked.
Is this really the guy or did this guy get hot a couple games in big moments?
And we've seen that before.
We've seen it not exactly like the way it happened in Ole Miss,
but we've seen interim coaches come in and do some things and then it falls apart.
But Pete's afforded another year.
And again, but that's the question was not.
They're going to fire them if they don't win eight or nine.
It was about who's really, really going to be on the hot seat.
Who needs to come out?
And you can argue some other guys, Cohn.
I mean, you can argue some first year guys, I think.
I mean, Lincoln Riley needs a good year.
Matt Ruhl needs a good year.
Dave Iranda needs a good year.
But Mike Norvelle at Florida State needs a really good year.
Because remember, he had that 10-win season,
then follows it up with a 13-win season when they're undefeated.
They don't get in that last 14 college football playoff.
They go and get blown out by Georgia.
But that says 23 wins.
in two seasons, but it's sandwiched between four losing seasons, two losing seasons on the front end
of that, which you can make a case for COVID and 2020 and all that. But then now two losing seasons
on the back end of those two incredible years. And I just think there's a lot of question marks with
Florida State fans like, man, how can we be so bipolar? And which one is the real Mike Norville? Can
we get back to winning 10, 11, 12, 13 games a season, especially now that the college football playoff
has tripled in size.
And so look, I'm still pulling for the guy
and I'm pulling for Florida State
and hopefully they can get back to that position.
Well, let me, can I give you two more names real quick?
Sure.
How about Luke Fickle at Wisconsin?
I know he just, he got that extension,
but at some point, you're going to have to show proof of concept.
And Wisconsin isn't Eastern Kentucky.
I know we're for some reason picking on the smaller schools in Kentucky.
I don't know why that's the theme today.
But Luke Fickle's got to show some promise.
And I love Coach Fickle.
I think the players love Coach Fickle.
But you've got to start winning because Camp Randall, they've got some pretty good tradition there.
They expect to win and they haven't done it.
And then another guy, what about Josh Heiple?
And I'm not saying it's right.
But after what happened last year, we know Nico, you bring in Aguilar, it wasn't a terrible year.
It just feels like there's starting to be some questions around Heipel.
And again, I'm not saying they're warranted.
But if he goes out and goes six and six, and this is now going to be three years removed from going in the playoff where we know what happening at Ohio State, do we start hearing some hot seat talk for Josh Hill?
I don't know why, but that's still, Tennessee making the playoffs still fresh on my mind.
I don't know why.
It doesn't seem three years ago.
But I will say, I could see that, especially with the quarterback, the way the things went down with the quarterback.
You have nobody really this year.
But I think Matt rules probably second to me.
I would argue it to be first.
Not only have this, the builder, he builds, you know, the dynasty.
It's coming.
You get Dylan Riola, who's supposed to be the next big thing.
Yeah.
The next big thing.
He's at Nebraska.
He's a failure, not only transfers, but transfers to go be a backup at Oregon.
He's not even going somewhere to start.
So my top two would be Mike Norvell and then Matt Rule.
And I do want to say this, and I'm going to say this the whole offseason.
I like Calandria, though.
I like Calandria a lot.
I think he's got some motion, to be honest.
And last year at UNLV, they couldn't stop an offensive.
They had 18 guys out on the field.
Dan did a great job in this first year, but I like Calandria who came over from Virginia.
I think he has a chance to really, really elevate his profile.
And it's super.
Another thing that hurts Mike Norvell is one, Miami's back.
Yep.
Florida.
Sumrah.
Some raw.
Some raw. A lot of hype there.
Yeah.
And three, damn, you beat Alabama last year.
Yeah.
You know, you beat Alabama.
Then you see the peak.
And then you just absolutely, absolutely crumble throughout the season.
So, yeah.
All right.
I actually really like that.
I really love the Luke Fickle pick.
Because at least with Lincoln Riley, you have a Heisman trophy winner.
At least with Josh Hepole,
you made a college football playoff, at least with Mike Norvell, you have an undefeated season in a conference championship game.
But Luke Fickle, I mean, Wisconsin is a proud football program.
There's nothing really to hang your hat on just yet.
And I'm going to be honest.
If Lincoln Riley wins eight or nine games, I think a lot of USC fans are going to be pissed.
All 13 of them.
No, look, USC, they're sneaky.
They're sneaky fan base.
There's a lot of them.
They're just, like, mostly rich.
All right, let's get to the next question.
How firmly is Texas Tech really the favorite in the Big 12?
Everyone's still taking the Red Raiders, even though Sorsby, they've obviously moved on from each other.
But expecting the unexpected is usually the way to go in the Big 12.
Again, it's a great question.
It's obviously, and this is, again, everybody knows this, without Sorsby.
And I think Hammond does some good things.
I'm not 100% sold.
Talking about coming off an injury, I've got to see the way he moves around.
Texas Tech is still pretty much the favorite from a betting standpoint to win the Big 12.
But now I'm looking at BYU, who doesn't play Texas Tech in the United.
regular season. And there's always going to be a sneaky team, Houston with Willie Fritz.
It's going to be interesting to watch them with Wegman coming back as well. And we know what Arizona
State did, speaking to Sam Levitt a couple years ago, picked to finish last, and they ended up
first in the class. I don't worry as much about the regular season with Texas Tech because I think
they're going to be better than most of the teams, if not all the teams they play up front.
We know how athletic they are, how much they've spent on that roster. But to me, David,
this question is going to be,
can Texas Tech win a national title
with Will Hammond at quarterback?
And I don't think so.
I think it's going to look somewhat similar
to the way it looked last year.
You're going to shove the short kids into the locker
and when finally someone fights you that your size,
it's going to be a crapshoot,
and I don't know, and you probably haven't seen it all year.
So I would still take them to go 12 and O
and win the regular season or tie it with BYU,
but without SORSB, I don't think they can win it.
Yeah, I mean, it's understandable why why they're still the favorite in the Big 12.
I mean, they were minus 1.15 to make the college football playoff,
even without Sores be playing.
So everything you're saying is right about the college football playoff.
But this question, I guess, specifically just deals with the Big 12.
There's a lot to love about BYU.
Like you said, Texas Tech doesn't have to play them in the regular season.
So that would be a conference championship foe.
There's a lot to like about Houston.
One of my favorite coaching and quarterback combinations with Willie Fritz out there.
And, and, uh, and, uh,
Weggman with Connor Wegman coming back.
This is a year two for him at Houston, right?
Yeah, I believe.
And so there's a lot to like, but Texas Tech gets them at home.
So again, everything seems pretty favorable for Texas Tech.
I'm just wondering how will they deal with the public adversity now that
Brendan Sorgeby is not going to play, but you're still like you've embraced this villain role.
That to me is going to be very interesting as the season builds.
It just feels like Texas Tech is a small town 10 who goes to.
to college and now solidate.
Okay. You know what I'm saying? Oklahoma Smokeshow kind of thing. Yeah, yeah, you know,
small town, prettiest girl, prom queen, you know, dad was the manager at the bank. Then you go to
college and, you know, you're probably batting seventh, you know, something like that.
Yeah, I mean, a couple things with me. One, do I think Texas Tech can win a national
championship with Will Hammond? No. Did I think Texas Tech can win a national championship with
Brennan Swordsby? No. You have stayed pretty consistent. No, I don't, but I do think Texas
Tech even, hell, put me at quarterback, and I think they'll still run through the Big 12.
I don't know.
You're sure.
I mean, right now, I mean, your biggest competitor is BYU.
And I will say this about BYU, a lot of returning experience.
Do we trust bare?
You know, I mean, what was it, a freshman last year?
He's like 11.
So the one thing I worried about BYU when they play Texas Tech in the shows is athleticism.
Are they athletic enough to beat Texas Tech?
I don't think so, because even with Will Hammond being a quarterback, look what one they're
bringing back, especially on the offensive side.
of the ball and two what they got through the portal.
I mean, right now, and we bring up Houston, I mean, that spreads already out.
Texas, Texas, Texas is minus 14.5.
So I think Texas is going to run through the regular season.
I end up think they'll beating maybe drop one in the regular season, maybe.
Maybe yours down the state has something to say about it, though.
That would probably, I mean, because Utah this year, Dan Pier, Kyle Whittingham's gone, though.
I don't think this is the year they're just going to absolutely make a run.
So I think it's a big 12s.
I mean, Texas Tech's conference to lose, but I do think they're going to do that.
Then get in the playoffs and get their ass wax wax by somebody just like they did last year.
So it's something new to me.
You usually got to pay double for that.
Triples sometimes.
Yeah, it depends on where you're at.
All right, let's get to the next question.
Talking season.
It's here, buddy.
Yeah, nearly here.
It's here.
But a lot of the same people in programs around college football have been discussed.
Who is the best player or the biggest name this offseason that no one is talking about?
I've already said them.
I've already said them.
I think it's Calandria in Nebraska.
I really believe that.
And look, Nebraska, we know, has great tradition,
unbelievable fan base.
I've been out to Lincoln, been to the College World Series twice,
absolutely love Omaha.
They are football addicted, and I love it.
They fit right in.
But I look at Calandria,
and if we're talking about somebody
that can really take a big step nationally,
he was known, he was known at Virginia,
UNLV, made a run last year,
got close to making the playoff,
they ended up not making it,
they would have gotten absolutely destroyed.
if they would have got in.
But I think Calandria, with what Nebraska brings back,
you look at some of the personnel they have with that run game,
I just feel like by the end of the season,
we're going to hear that name a ton more.
I think he's going to be a big difference maker for Nebraska,
and I don't think he's getting the type run or the type talk
that his potential deserves.
It's a good pick.
My would be on a team that surprised everybody last year,
probably so not used to seeing win,
had a quarterback, I believe maybe when I drafted.
It'd be Jared Curtis for me at Vanderbilt, the true freshman.
I mean, if you watch them in the spring game,
and I know you can only take a spring game so far,
I think this kid's going to be legitimate
and the offense assistant that gets run there.
You see Diego Pavia Lee.
Vanderbilt's coming up as a program with Clark Lee
on both sides of the ball, in my opinion.
And I know this kid's going to be a true freshman walking in.
It ends up being the starter, which I think he's going to be.
This kid is the absolute real deal.
an absolute canon for an arm. He's smart for a freshman when it comes to seeing the field,
going through progressions, big, can run a little bit. So I don't think people are talking about,
one, Vanderbilt enough. This isn't going to be a one-off thing for Vanderbilt, actually winning
football games. And two, I know he's a freshman, but Jared Curtis is a dog. Yeah, what,
Cody, you got one? I got a couple more. Yeah, I mean, I really like the Calendria pick.
He was a lot of fun to watch at UNLV should fit in nicely there at Nebraska. But I want to go back
to the Big 12. One quarterback, no one's been talking about is Bear Bachmeyer. And if BYU is
to win this conference. It's going to be because he takes that next step. I mean, just as a true
freshman, he threw for over 3,000 yards, over 64, 65% completion percentage. And that's as a true
freshman. And so he will go, a BYU will go as he goes. I'm expecting him to put up another good year.
And it just, you know, not a lot of people talk about him across the country. I'll give you two more
names. I think Austin Simmons at Missouri. I think he's been forgotten about because of what Trinidad
did and all credit to Trinidad and Ole Miss made the right move. But Austin,
Simmons is really talented. I think this guy's a chance with a fresh start. We know how smart
he is, but when you look at the arm talent, he could go out there on the mound and do it too if
you wanted to. I just think he's such a natural passer of the ball. I like how quick he makes
decisions. I like the way he gets the ball out. I think with Drinkwits, who just finds ways to
win at Missouri, you can see Austin Simmons make a move. And I'll give you one more. I'll stay in the
SEC. Camario Taylor at Mississippi State. If this guy can just throw it okay, just be okay,
asking you to be Drew Brees or Dan Marino or Joe Montana. If you can just make the mid-range
jump shots and layups, Camario Taylor is a freak of nature. He is massive. He can run. He's a long
strider and he's not one of those thinly built quarterbacks at tall. We're not talking about,
you know, one of the glens at quarterback here. I mean, this dude is put together. And Jeff Levy,
you talk about quarterback development. This guy can get a dude ready to play. If it clicks for
Camario Taylor, they're going to score a lot of points at Mississippi State.
for sure. And we saw him in the Egg Bowl last year get that start. One more point on Bear Bachmeier at
BYU, though, L.J. Martin in that backfield, 1,300 yards rushing a year ago. Not a lot of people
are talking about him either. Sneakily, one of the best backfields in the country with those two guys at
BYU. I got one more. I'd say DJ Lagway at Baylor. Really? I mean, I think we've seen.
DJ Lagway at his best, I think he's one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
For sure, it's just he's rarely.
Can he be consistent?
And I think one thing that's going to help him with that is Jake Spavitol.
I mean, in that offense, especially with that coordinator, the way it's built, the way they spread people out, a lot of things in the RPO.
That Jake's Spavital has always been great.
If somebody's hot, he's going to find them.
Yeah.
Right.
Go back.
I mean, Trigg.
Last year, they always have guys a receiver.
And I think if DJ Lagway can become more consistent, I mean, we saw the peaks for DJ last year, especially in the SEC.
And you put him against a Big 12 schedule.
I think DJ is has room.
to be a breakout guy.
I hope so for him.
I can't pick DJ Lagway because he gets talked about in my household all the time
since my wife helps run the Affleck kickoff game.
Yeah, the Auburn Baylor.
I feel like there's an overrepresentation of DJ Lagway talk just in my household.
Yeah.
No, with our luck, DJ Lagway will have the game of his life.
Sure.
Oh, yeah.
600 yards.
All right, next question.
The ACC has felt like a one-team league for a while now from the run that Clemson had
to Florida State, now Miami.
who needs to be the second
they didn't even win the conference last year.
How about Duke?
Who needs to be the second or third
consistent team in that league
to make it more viable as part of the power for?
This is a great question
because again, at least the way I judge leagues
is based on depth, not just how good you are
at the top. You look at how good Miami
was, especially at the end of last year. You just thought
the ACC was like trying to fight
the Avengers. I would say to me
for the ACC, for me,
for it to get to a point
where I'm like, all right, the ACC is back.
You need your big dogs to eat, which includes Florida State, which includes Clemson.
They need to bounce back.
Obviously, Miami with the run they're on.
But when I think about the ACC, I think about Virginia Tech, James Franklin, trying to get that thing going.
Duke, I think, is just extra add-on because of what they do in basketball.
I'm never going to sit here and expect Duke to carry the mantle consistently for the ACC in football.
But really, I mean, outside of that, and David, I'll start with you, you just need some of these teams to kind of
to be sneaky good. You need Wake Forest to be sneaky good and bowl eligible good is what I mean by
that. You look at a team like Wake Forest, Syracuse and Fran Brown, can they take that next step?
We saw flashes early and I know their quarterback was hurt and that was absolutely brutal.
But Cohn, is there some others that I'm missing here? Pittsburgh with Narduzi. We know they're
always somewhat of a problem. It's just they need more meat and not just potatoes.
I love this question because it's so true. I mean, first off, Miami and Florida State should
be really great football programs year in and year out. And then with Clemson, with what they
proved in the 2010s, they proved that, hey, we are a staple of this conference. So that should give you
Clemson, Miami, and Florida State at the top, being good at the same time instead of one every
couple years, the way that this question was phrased. And then after that, that leaves you room to
put together like a really solid next tier. I'm thinking about like the Louisville's of the world,
right? Like Louisville should be able at any time to beat anyone in the country on any given Saturday,
league doesn't necessarily need them to be that every year. SMU with what they've been able to do.
Duke, like you said, the reigning champs right now are Duke. And all of this goes without even
talking about James Franklin coming over to Virginia Tech and one of the greatest NFL head
coaches in history coaching in Chapel Hill. And so all of that combined should, that should result
in depth for the ACC. And a team I don't think gets enough love is Virginia and what Tony Elliott's
been able to do. I feel like the ACC has actually is kind of a sneaky good.
second tier. I mean, if you really look at it, I mean, obviously in the first tier,
Clemson's still there for me. Okay, it's Clemson, Miami, Florida State. One bad year, dot the
career. Right. See, then let's really kind of dive into this second tier here. I mean, Georgia Tech.
Yeah, Godly. How do I'm thinking about Georgia Tech? With Brent Key, I mean,
going to be pretty damn good this year. I think Fran Brown and Syracuse are slowly going to
find their way figuring out. Virginia Tech with James Franklin. Tony Franklin at Virginia.
I mean, Tony Elliott. Tony Elliott. At Virginia had a pretty damn good year.
year last year almost won the ACC C.J. Bailey and NC State.
Yeah. Don't get talked about enough. Pretty good programs. I'm shocked he stayed.
Jeff Brom at Louisville. I think that their second tier and Cal's not an awful team this year.
I just can't get up here. She had the quarterback and running back position.
Hey, Notre Dame. Yeah, Notre Dame. Hey, what about Rhett Latchley and SMU? Kevin Jenny is coming back.
All the production they're returning on that defense. So I think the second tier for the ACC actually doesn't get enough.
I think the ACC is better than the Big 12 overall. I agree.
I would agree with that.
I actually really believe that.
All right, let's move on.
Next question.
Get another brain buster.
Saw you guys have done a few season previews on your channel.
What's one team you feel better or worse about now to this point after those videos?
Texas Tech?
Feel worse about it.
God, I would say to me, for some reason, I just keep feeling better and better about Florida.
And, like, it's all instinctual.
I know you've got the Philo
Junior quarterback battle
I just like Sumerall and Buster
a lot. We haven't done a season preview for Florida
yet. Yes, we've talked about Florida.
Okay. We haven't done one, but I'll over your heads out. Please continue.
We're going to do one. Yeah, there you go. We're going to, and I'm telling you,
I feel better and better about it. I would say, again,
I mean, really not much has changed for me with
somebody's outside of Texas Tech.
The Bama one's interesting to me because I just worry about the mix of an
inexperienced quarterback and an offensive line that struggled last year to run the ball,
which it could all be fixed and it couldn't be a problem. But that back to back, it's just
worrisome to me. But you started out of the gate with somewhat of an easier schedule to kind
of figure it out. I'd probably for me, and it'd be kind of cut up in a weird way when it comes to
worse that I feel worse because maybe I didn't give them enough credit.
So my Bama? And I'm talking about Alabama. It's weird, one, seeing their win total in eight and a half.
Very weird. So doesn't sit right with me. I know you don't have a starting, technically a
in quarterback, but I feel like you have two viable options.
There's no way you can be worse than the run game last year, almost impossible.
And I think you have one of the best secondaries in the country.
And I don't know why.
I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that Bama's not going to be good in the front seven on defense.
So I think for me, I'd feel worse and not getting them enough credit and be out of them.
Cohn, I'm trying not to take all my money and bet it on Ole Miss to win more than seven games
because their win totals at seven and a half.
But like, it's kind of freaking me out.
I mean, where do you stand on?
Is there a team you feel better than worse about?
Previewed?
Ole Miss and Oklahoma, to be honest, well, I think both of their win loss totals were at
seven and a half and even with the schedules, I like the overs on those.
You know, a lot has been made about Bryce Underwood's performance in the spring game, especially
when you had Eric Wettle's comments.
And a lot of that was understandable.
And so I think people are really selling the stock right now on Michigan and their win
totals at eight and a half, which I really think is right.
And you talk about the schedule so much more difficult than it was a season ago.
I'm still going to be bullish on them.
Obviously, I'm biased, but we're going to find out early.
They host Oklahoma in week two, even though that will be at home.
And they don't have to leave Ann Arbor for the first four weeks of that season.
Another one that we kind of talked about a little bit ago is Tennessee.
Not that there's been that much new information since spring practice,
but it's just there's not a lot to feel great about.
And I don't think Chas Coleman is with the team right now.
You guys correct me if there's been some update in the last week or so.
So I don't know.
I think Tennessee is one that.
I understand why there's some pessimism.
But I think that that's going to open up a lot of opportunity for fall camp leading into the season for some of these teams to kind of fly under the radar, get a couple wins under their belt early, and maybe surprise some people.
Well, it's weird with Tennessee because, again, I am worried about Tennessee, but then I look and I'm like, God, the offensive line's going to be good.
Deshaun Bishop's a good back.
The way this offense is built, I think it's, I say easier.
but it's more conducive for a new quarterback to be able to operate it
because I think it's just quick, simple math.
You look at the defense.
I know Chas Coleman isn't there.
They brought over some good pieces from Penn State.
It feels like the surrounding cast in Tennessee is good enough to do something.
It's the quarterback.
Is it going to be Faison Branden?
Is it going to be George McIntyre?
That's the part that worries me.
But now, we're going to preview Tennessee as well coming up soon.
Make sure you check out all the previews that we have on our channel over at Cranon.
We've pumped a bunch of them out.
We're going to keep pumping them out.
All right, you're ready to get to the next question?
Let's do it.
Crane and cone?
No, Crane's verse cone.
Sounds like us when we're playing Yon-Eve.
Who do you think has a better first season at their new school?
Alex Golish at Auburn or Kyle Whittingham at Michigan can argue better tenure if that makes more sense.
Let's keep it first year.
Kyle Whittingham in Michigan.
You're just that easy.
Yeah.
I mean, have you seen Auburn's schedule?
Yeah.
I mean, I mean, I'll be right.
The one, I think they have one night conference game.
at home, maybe one, if that.
And, I mean, everything's new for Alice Gold.
She can only fix it so much.
I understand you bring over Byron Brown,
who I think is going to be a hell of a player
and some pieces from USF,
and that defense is going to be solid.
But in your first year, rolling through the SEC
with nothing that's been proven,
I'm sorry, it's going to be tough to live that way.
And I can go look at Kyle Whittingham.
Say what you want about Bryce Underwood,
but there's enough tape out there
to see what he can do.
And I still, I still can't believe
that Bryce Underwood's gotten worse
throughout the year. And you bring in Kyle Winningham, who's a phenomenal fit to what Michigan's
identity is anyway. They're going to turn around, run the ball, build play action off of it,
and play damn good defense. I know Michigan's schedule is a little bit harder, but there's a reason
why Auburn's win total is six and a half and Michigan's is eight and a half. Well, you know,
I think the schedules are both difficult. I would say Auburn's is probably more difficult,
in my opinion. I'm sure all the Big Ten fans will 100% agree with me on that. Even though,
again, Michigan is playing Oklahoma. I've got to give him credit for that done the past two seasons.
I think it's simply to me, David, that Kyle Winningham walked into a more stable situation with more depth and more talent than what Golish walked into at Auburn.
I think it's that simple in this first year.
And Kyle Whittingham's been doing this for 85 years.
So it's not like he's going to just freak out going to a new place.
He's been in the Big 12.
He's been in the Pac-12.
He understands how this works, Golish.
Moving up to Power 4 for the first time, I think you'd be crazy not to say Michigan.
Yeah, I think Michigan and Kyle Whittingham will have a better year this season.
than Auburn. And look at the end of day, it's still Michigan. You need to be competing for a
national championship every year. I don't care what the roster's like or what you think your
expectations are, first year head coach or not. If they're going to invite 12 teams to play in the
college football playoff, you need to find a way to go at least 10 and two and to be a part of that.
Now, the schedule, like we said, is certainly more difficult than it was a year ago.
So you could have a situation where Michigan's better on the football field still goes,
let's just say, nine and three, which would overperform the win-loss total
expectation by the hook there. And you say, like, well, they went nine and three a year ago,
but this schedule is so much more difficult. To me, it comes down to those big six. So you got
Oklahoma, you got Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State. And the first four of those
six, they are in the big house. And to me, you have to win some combination out of four of those
six to be able to make the college football playoff. And if you win two out of those six, then you're
potentially talking about eight and four. Yeah, seems like Cohen won this one. Yeah, I feel like we all
won this one. Well, I'd like your optimism. All right, next question. What's the best food you've
eaten are the best bar you've been to traveling around college? Oh, gosh, that's Skybar.
Oh, God. Skybar? That was on there. The picture. Oh, Skybar was the picture. Best food.
Best food that I've eaten. I got one. When I was coaching, we went and played Idaho at the Kibby Dome.
Okay, if you haven't seen the Kiwi Dome, it's an old school airplane hanger.
It is awesome.
And our pregame meal, it was chicken and four different types of potato dishes.
Like different ones.
Best, all four of them were immaculate.
There was like a twice-stuff-baked potato, then like a three-times kidnapping stuff-baked potato.
They have like French fries and scow potatoes.
And this is the night before.
So it wasn't before we went and played.
But I mean, I would go
Idaho, believe it or not,
and when we landed into Moscow, we actually,
Moscow, Idaho, you don't want to know about the time
I went to Moscow, Russia.
They didn't have potatoes.
Speaking of Golish.
Yeah, speaking of Golish.
We flew in and landed on a golf course.
Like, we were taxing as somebody who was trying to make an eight-footer.
Best food I've eaten.
It has to be a college town?
You know what?
I'm just going to, I'm going to keep my roots here.
I still think some of the best food,
and this might be a cliche.
Say Mama Goldberg.
I'm no, mid.
Mama Goldbergs.
It's Niffers.
Niffer's.
In Auburn.
95% of people I have no idea with that.
If you're ever in Auburn, go to Niffords, right?
There's a couple apps on there.
I can't remember these things.
The corn nuggets at Niffords are S-T.
They'd stop a war.
If we sent over boxes and Nippers corn nuggets, nobody would ever go to war.
So free promo for Niffers here in Auburn.
If you go in there telling Blaine Crane sent you from Crane and Cone.
Kenny, what about when then burgers Harbaugh gave you?
Was that your best?
You will never have a better burger in your life.
It'll come with a lot of trouble later.
You'll get in a lot of trouble.
But I won't pick anything from my hometown here.
I'm going to say the best food that I've had around the country going to football games
has got to be in Louisiana out there in Baton Rouge.
That's a great call.
Just all of the Cajun food.
I mean, I just, I love it.
I love oysters and gumbo and jambalai and et tufe, the boudan, bignets.
I even had rabbit stew out there one time.
And I was like, how is this amazing?
But it was.
Yeah, that's a good question.
All right.
I'm glad we saved that one.
Good job, Andy.
Hey, great job, Ari.
Appreciate it.
And hey, Andy Wasserman Staples.
We thought you did great, too.
Thank you.
Well, we appreciate you guys.
Let us know.
You can answer the question in the comments.
We've loved coming in here for Andy and Ari.
Make sure you keep checking them out.
They do a great job.
Everything at On 3.
Go over to Crane and Cone.
If you like this, then do it.
If you didn't, then just go over there anyway.
We'd appreciate it.
it. We love arguing. Descent moves us forward.
We appreciate you guys. Andy and Ari
will be back next week. We'll see you then.
