Andy & Ari On3 - Lane Kiffin goes OFFLINE: Is it a GOOD thing for LSU’s head coach to stay off social media?

Episode Date: July 23, 2026

On Thursday morning, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin took center stage at SEC Media Days in Tampa, Florida. With all eyes on Kiffin, LSU’s newest head coach has kept his eyes off social media. Revealing that his son challenged him to stay off his social media apps, Lane Kiffin suggests his life is for the better with the removal of social media. Is it necessary for the LSU head coach to stay offline and off social media? Andy & Ari discuss the necessity of social media for head coaches in today’s age.   (0:00) On Today’s Episode (1:03) Presenting Sponsor (2:32) Intro: Kiffin goes offline (13:09) Why LSU is different (17:25) Making noise at new stops (18:36) Pete Golding at SEC Media Days (24:43) Pete Golding’s keeping Trinidad Chambliss & Kewan Lacy (30:40) Golding on Tampering (37:48) Mike Elko on A&M’s trophy case (41:35) Billy Liucci joins (44:08) Marcel Reed at A&M (48:10) The LSU game for Texas A&M (52:43) A&M’s 2026 Football Roster (56:54) What must A&M improve? (59:20) Closing out with Liucci (1:02:35) Recapping Liucci (1:05:40) Closing Out   Once the fellas close out on Lane Kiffin, the guys take a visit to Ole Miss, where Pete Golding steps in for his first full season as the head coach of the Rebels. Taking the stage on SEC Media Days Wednesday afternoon, Golding made some fireworks in Tampa. Watch here as Andy & Ari dissect Golding’s comments on Lane Kiffin and tampering.   To close, Andy & Ari head to College Station, where Mike Elko says the trophy case is rather bare. Watch here as the guys discuss A&M before being joined by TexAgs.com’s Billy Liucci. Andy & Billy run through all things Texas A&M before the 2026 season. Should the Aggies expect a repeat trip to the CFP?   Our 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   Check out Zen AI here: http://bit.ly/zenAI_bpp_itf   Join On3 today! https://www.on3.com/join   Watch our show on YouTube! https://youtu.be/Pw4OkRjoq-4   Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari Wasserman Producer: River Bailey   Interested in partnering with the show? Email [e-mail]     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today's episode of Andy and Ari on 3 presented by BetMGM, Lane Kiffin takes the stage at SEC Media Days. He's off social media, he says. So does he see the clips from the show? Or does he not? Or does he have a burner? He might. Plus, Pete Golding from Ole Miss.

Tried to be polite. Tried to give the answers he was coached up to give. Just couldn't stop himself, couldn't help himself. And that's the kind of Pete Golding we want to see. over and over again makes it very, very interesting. And Ole Miss, it's one of the more interesting teams in the SEC that I don't know that we're talking about enough. Plus, Texas A&M made the playoff last year.

How do you not be satisfied? Well, Mike Elko told us the answer to that. You look at the trophy case, it's empty. We talk to Billy Lucci from Tex-Ags about the Aggies and what they need to do to make the college football playoff for a second consecutive year. All on today is Andy and our. on three presented by bedmgm this show is brought to you by a bed mgm all the spreads all the

wind totals we discuss come from bedmgm we're going to talk about that oklahoma win total today we're probably going to talk about that tennessee one this week maybe that auburn one when they come on tuesday of this week it's cc media day so we are talking about the future in college football but there is plenty going on in the present the all-star breaks over baseball getting hot and heavy and you get a little bonus from betmgm a no sweat home run token did your home round bet come up short thanks to this MLB no sweat home run token you don't have to worry if your bet didn't clear the fences just activate your token when you bet on any player to hit a home run in a major league baseball game if that player fails to go yard you will get your stake back in bonus bets that is

bet mgm make it legendary this week with betmgm see betmgm.com for terms 21 plus Plus, only this promotional offer is not available in D.C., Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem called 1-800 Gambler or 1-800 My Reset, available in the U.S. 87788-1-6-3 in New York, 1-800-3-0-0-1-800-5-0 in Massachusetts, 1-800-1-80-23 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. Welcome to Andy and Ari on 3 presented by BetMGM and Ari. I have not quit social media.

You definitely have not quit social media. But Lane Kiffin, he's off. He's ghosted us. Worst case scenario for us, I think. You know, he would see a lot of clips from this show when he was trolling Twitter heavily. And I think, you know, maybe we haven't gotten as much interaction and response from him over the last few months because he says the apps are not even on his phone anymore. Oh, man, I thought he would be subscribed to the channel. Who am I, you know?

Well, now he has to subscribe to the channel. Right. Yeah. Yeah, he just subscribe to the channel and he'll get the push notification on his phone every day on YouTube, which by the way, if you're not subscribed to the On Three Sports YouTube channel, now is the best time to do that. So just click that button, click like. If you're in podcast form, click subscribe, throw a five-star review on there if you feel that's necessary. We'd love if you did. But yeah, Lane says his son Knox, he's going to be a junior in high school,

basically saw him dooms scrolling one day and he's like, hey, dad, how about you not be on social media all the time? And then he goes, I bet you can't give it up. And Lane, of course, goes, if you want me to do something, tell me I can't do it. And so far, it seems like he has been able to win that bet against young Knox Kiffin. Yeah, are we 100% sure we believe that's what happened?

Do I believe Knox Kiffin said? I absolutely believe that. So Knox is the same age as my son, and then my daughter's, you know, two years younger, they used to constantly be on me about my social media usage because I was a bit of an addict, Ariya. You still are. But I was one of those people who'd scroll and scroll and scroll,

and then I'd pick a fight with somebody on Twitter, and I just get really mad, and I just sit there to type it away. And my wife actually got really mad at me about that at one point. And my kids got mad at me about it. And basically I stopped. I don't think a wife that hasn't, honestly. Yeah.

But now I look at it like, okay, I'm going to go on Twitter here for this next 15, 20 minutes. I will still interact with people. I'll try to be nicer. But once I'm done with that time period, I'm moving on. I'm putting the phone down and disconnecting. Because I do feel like if you keep looking, there is an addictive part. of it where you just can't stop. Yeah.

Well, I mean, if you notice on my Twitter feed, and I'm not perfect at it, but not a lot of tweeting going on between the hours of 5 and 7 p.m. central time. I've tried really hard to be present with my daughter when she comes home from daycare and to be, you know, around and, you know, my wife and I used to fight about it. But, you know, I think I've improved on it. I'm not going to ever stop, you know, feeding the trolls because that's just who I am as a person. But I do try to like carve out time where I'm truly not just there.

but present. But here, Andy, is the thing that I think is really interesting is that a lot of what Lane Kiffin is, like who he is as a human,

is kind of predicated on these jabs and tweets and, you know, he is a troll. Like, you talk about feeding the trolls. You're a troll too. And so is Lane. Like,

it is, it feels like we're losing one of the parts of his personality that's actually one of the more fun things that we get to enjoy in college football. But look, it's his life. He can do what he wants. So here's Lane. this morning talking about how the bet with Knox came to be

and what's changed in the two months that he's not been on social media. Really, it just started. Knox, my son one day was sitting there and he's like, he's like, you're on social media all the time. I bet you couldn't get off. And if you kind of follow me, if you tell me I can't do something, that's really a good way to give me to do it. My dad used to tell the staff as an assistant coach,

Like if you want something done, late talk after the head coach's workout, so he's in a good place, and then tell him he can't do it. And he'll do whatever it is. So he just said, I bet you can't do it. So I said, yeah, I can't watch. And so I just got off of everything. Got off of it. Don't even have that. So it's not even like I read it either.

And it wasn't a plan for very long. I just wanted to show him I could do it. And it's been really interesting. I think as I look back over my life and my journey that a lot of great things have come when I've subtracted things out of my life and I've eliminated them. And that wasn't the plan to do, but then I did it. Now it's been a couple months. It's been really refreshing. And I've talked to a lot of family, friends, even players, and encourage them to take a break.

Because what happens is when you're on it, this is what I found, it you don't really realize until you're off of it. How many people, I mean, I had to work out this morning at 5 o'clock at Camp Tampa. And I just watched like afterwards, how many people just can't get out fast enough to get on their phone and scroll away. That it's really taken over what we used to say we were worried about our kids doing. The adults are just as bad. And so it's been really freeing because what you do at the end of the day is you don't compare anything. Kevin Lokey to speak to our team and you always say, comparisons to the thief of joy. And I realized that, okay, think about it.

you're scrolling all day long, you see things, people that do that, okay, you start to compare your job, your city, your vacation, your car, your clothes, your significant other, all those things that happen throughout the day. And then when you're completely off of it, you're much more present in the moment you're in because you're not seeing all the stuff all day and seeing everybody paint how perfect their life is. So it's been pretty refreshing. It's been an interesting experience for me to see because I think whenever I ever move something, whether that was bad habits, whether that was food, whether that was alcohol, whether that was toxic relationships, now social media. Anything that I've removed throughout, like, once you remove it, you start to notice how many people are dependent on it, but you didn't really realize before. I think that is a good point. Like when you remove bad things or things that are kind of a drain on you, things get better. And Kiffin has talked about this with alcohol. The toxic relationships thing seems like a fairly loaded statement. I'd love to delve into that one a little more if we could give them some truth serum.

But the question is, can you keep this up, Ari? Because just from a practical standpoint, if you're a college football coach, certain recruits only communicate via Twitter DM or Instagram DM or, you know, so I don't know that practically he can do it. So that was the first thing I thought of when I saw this this morning. When you sent this clip over, I thought, is it even, is it malpractice for a coach not to have it? Because of the communication necessary to prospective athletes. And then I started to think, well, you know, if he would have said I'm off of social media in 2020 or 2019, I might have like lost my mind.

But now that gruding has changed. Yeah, Billy Glasscock, his GM is on social media and he can say, hey, bud, want to have a contract negotiation. They can talk about it. Yeah, and Billy Glasscock can also set the table for a texting conversation with Lane that isn't in DMs. Like so, and then, and of course, what it comes down to is how, how quickly did the coach send you a Twitter DM on your birthday saying, happy birthday anymore? It's, you know, how competitive are your offers and what are you offering me? So I think that, like, from that standpoint, I think that a coach can get away with not being as present or not having it at all on social media. So, like, I don't know that that's necessarily something that I would like neg him for.

The thing that I would be very curious, and you know this about me, Andy. I like status updates. I like being aware. I like knowing what people are saying. I like knowing what our competition is writing and talking about. I also like keeping up with my friends and their stories and all these things. And I find that our podcast is better because having social social. social media allows me to have a pulse on what's going on in college football.

It allows me to see other people's opinions. It allows me to create my own opinion by seeing what other people are saying. Do I agree with this? Do I disagree with that? And I think it's an integral piece of what we do for a living. That's not the case in college football, but I do think that college football's culture in general has been such a widespread conversation on hot button topics.

What should the playoff be? How many out of conference games against power? opponents should you have. Who's the best conference? What coach said this? I mean, they're jabbing each other nonstop in Tampa. You've got a front row seat to it. Like, I would find it really hard, not just from a recruiting standpoint, but just from a pulse of my industry standpoint, to be ignorant to it. Now, coaches have support staffs who say, hey, Brian, he's got people who could like, yeah, yeah, Michael Bunnan, his sports administration director will, will print out stuff that he thinks Lane will find interesting and leave it on his desk. So maybe he's still

fully aware and it's not necessary. I don't know. But also, it's interesting you brought this up, though, because the job at Ole Miss probably requires you to get a little more attention for Ole Miss because historically, they are not one of the teams in the SEC that everybody pays attention to. LSU is. You don't need to get attention for LSU. The attention's already there. The job at LSU is to win the national title. And nothing about being on social media helps you win a national title. Like winning a national title is having the best players and then putting them in the best position on the field to win because they practiced right, because they trained right. Like,

that's the job. And it's funny because think about how much, if you cruise the LSU message boards this time last year, how much were they crucifying Brian Kelly for playing golf? Like, yeah. So Lane Kiffin is saying, hey, I'm all ball right now. That's all I'm thinking about. And I'm sure that is music to the ears of the fans of the LSU Tigers. And whether that's true or not, again, it's Lane. You take it with a little bit of a grain of salt. But if he is locked in and focused, I'm sure the LSU people are thrilled about that because LSU is different.

Producer River, you have a clip of Lane talking about how LSU is different. I believed in taking this, that all that was going to play into this building this elite program. You have the branding of LSU, you have the history of LSU, you have the history of LSU, you have the Tiger Stadium, most iconic place to play college football, the cathedral. And then you put that with us with our systems and I don't like to talk about myself, whatever you call the Lane Kiffin Factor. And you bring that in as you allude to and you combine that. I think that all goes into that.

Now you have 12 players with Nike and IAL deals, the first offensive alignment ever. No other schools above eight. We didn't say like 12, 11. We didn't say just SEC schools. So it's a big reason why we're here When I said that first press conference, like it's just different. We're going to make this thing different than anywhere else to go when you combine LSU and us, then you're seeing it.

You know, we just on stage had that question in the Vanity Fair and all that, whatever, and as I walked off and I didn't really want to say it, but, you know, when you talk about the changes of places, somebody said it the other day. They said, like a month ago or whatever, they were like, he's been here six months and he's had more five-star signies and commits than he did in the previous six years combined. You know, that's kind of proof to me of the decision and of the combination of the two us and LSU. So, by the way, Jordan Seton is the offensive lineman who has the Nike deal.

And I thought that was a pretty eye-popping number. And that's one of those. We'll have to fact-check that one because I'm not entirely sure if it's accurate. if it is accurate, if it's, if it's, LSU has 12 and nobody else has more than eight, that is a pretty big deal. That is something you can hang your hat on. And obviously we've seen, you know, the shoe company wars, like, we were joking with, with DG, the running back who just committed to Tennessee.

Like his high school just became an Adidas school yesterday. And Adidas is now, you know, Tennessee is now in Adidas school. So all of this stuff matters, Ari. I was kind of amused by everybody. doing hat science with him, you know, the hat, where the hat placement. It's like, there's an Adido's logo on the, on the tarp there. Like, you know, I think we have an idea. But I think you nailed it right on the head.

And it sparked a memory of mine, and I know that you already know this, but I'm not sure the listeners do. But Lane Kiffin has been very frank in the past about saying things and doing things at Ole Miss to get attention on Ole Miss. Like part of his job description at Ole Miss was to shake it up, a little bit to create controversy, to say interesting things, and to get people talking about Ole Miss. That was a necessity for his job description. Now that he is at LSU, that is no longer a necessity, so maybe the man doesn't necessarily feel like he has to do it anymore. And here's the other

thing with Lane Kiffin. You and I have spent time with him, you more than me, Chris Lowe, more than both of us, behind the scenes with him with the cameras off. And he's not what you would expect in terms of like, well, he's funny on Twitter. And we've always joked about his online persona and his normal persona are kind of different. And I think that his online persona, although certainly him to a certain extent, is also a byproduct of his need or his, his thought of the necessity of being interesting and being a lightning rod. LSU, and the reason why he took this job, which he just alluded to in the clip that you just played,

is a place that can recruit itself, has a history of itself, is a brand for itself. LSU is the lightning rod. Yes, it doesn't have to come from, the coach doesn't have to say something funny on Twitter for people to know or to consider LSU as a place on the Mount Rushmore

of college football institutions. It's just not necessary. So from that standpoint, which I should have thought of on my own, but I'm happy you brought up, I think that's the entire answer. Well, and it's interesting because he's done this before, Like when he was at Tennessee, he took over Tennessee in a down period and felt like he had to shake things up.

And this is obviously social media was infancy when all this was happening. But he said some just patently outrageous things as the Tennessee head coach. He then gets the USC job and stops that immediately because he didn't feel like USC needed that. And so I did. I mean, it's true. Like, FAU needed it more than Ole Miss did. Ole Miss needed it more than LSU does. LSU doesn't really need it at all.

Have you noticed something at SEC Media Day, by the way? I've noticed something. Coaches at places that aren't typical powers or places that need to be built saying very strong borderline lightning rod things. Will Stein did it? I think did we see Ryan Sommel. He'll make a joke about John Summerall today about throwing the podium. and his record against other SEC coaches and winning.

John Summerall did it. I even think Mike Elko to a certain extent has done it, although I think that's just who he is as a human. Ari, this is the perfect transition because Pete Golding, the man who replaced Ole Miss, replaced Lane Kiff and Ole Miss, came to SEC Media days. And I was told the day, the day before Ole Miss got here,

hey, don't expect much. He's going to be boring. He's been coached up. And he started off that way. He's on the big stage and he's answering the questions the way, in a way that I'm sure everybody who talked to him beforehand was like, you need to answer it this way and you need to not say anything that's going to make a headline. 17 minutes is all it lasted. And then Pete Golding's like, you know what?

Screw it. Let's go. So interestingly enough, it was a question about his relationship with Lane Kiffin. So let's talk Pete Golding. Let's talk Ole Miss because I think Ole Miss is one of the most interesting programs. in the country because they might actually be better than they were last year, and they made the semis last year. But let's start with Pete Golding answering that Lane Kiffin question and the switch going off like, you know what? I'm just going to be who I am.

Pete, Michael Cass with the Daily Journal. This one might have a complicated answer, but what is your relationship like with Lane right now? Look, you know, I get this everywhere we go. So we're on our caravan tour right now with Ole Miss. So we go every Tuesday. Thursday and take a couple of players and go around the country. So we go to Q&A with everybody. So it's everybody to tell me how you really feel about them. You know, they're like this intimate environment. But Lane and I are good.

Like, like, so, you know, I did not know Coach Kiffin prior to taking the Ole Miss job. I think everybody just assumes Alabama, Alabama. I wasn't at Alabama when Coach Kiffin was, you know. So I didn't come to Ole Miss because of Coach Kiffin. I came to Ole Miss to be at Ole Miss to raise three kids. So, you know, our relationship really grew in those three and a half years. And he did a lot for me, and I was very, very appreciative of how he treated me and my family and learned a lot from them. So I have no ill will towards Coach Kiffin.

He texts me on a regular basis, and there's certain things that we'll talk about, and there are certain things that we don't talk about. He's very competitive, just like I'm very competitive, right? And so obviously a lot of this went a different direction when now he had a new job with new responsibilities, and he's going to be super competitive to be the best that he can at that job, right, which is his job. And so I can separate the two. I know some people can't. So, you know, I tell a lot of these people, and I probably shouldn't say this, but I don't care.

All right, like, I told an Ole Miss group the other day at 21. I said, all right, in 2021, if you said you can look in 2025 and you're about to be 11 and 1 to go to the playoff, would you take it if your coach was leaving. Hell yeah. I was like, you would. Everybody won from it. It's okay.

Keith, like you made a great hire. He did a great job. Every place isn't for everybody. That's coaches, that's players. That's your job. everything and that's okay you know and so throughout the process I'll be the first one to tell you I told him I was thinking he was dumb if he was to leave I wanted to stay that was a selfish decision because I love being the D.C. where I was at right but he decided what was better for him and

his family and that's for him to decide so I have no ill will towards him at all right wish him the best of luck we play him like every other SEC team and we're going to both show up and spot the ball and play so I talked to him on a regular basis but no ill will at all right and really appreciative of how he treated me and my family. And then this created an unbelievable opportunity for me as well on top that I really wasn't looking for, but so appreciative of that. Well, once you get that, once you get that, I probably shouldn't say this, but I don't care.

Yeah. You know you're in for a good time. I am kind of amused by it. And I think that Ole Miss fans are probably craving some sort of feud between Golding and Kiffin because they want their coach and their program to, you know, to mirror how they feel. But Pete Golding's life is much better because Lane Kiffin did this. It's like if somebody left and then all of a sudden I made more money and had a more important job,

like I wouldn't hate that person for leaving. You know, I think that, you know, what are you trying to tell me, Ari? Well, no, because we're attached. If you left, that'd be very upset. You've done it once, though, Andy. Let's not forget. Oh, yeah, there was that one time. No, but no, I think you're right.

He wasn't mad at you then. But like I think that he is saying the right things. But like if you're trying to get him to manufacture a hatred towards him, I just don't think that that's there. But I do love the candidness. I do love the realness. Yeah, because I think what he said is true, which Keith, he was talking about Keith Carter,

who was the AD who hired Lane Kiffin, who also managed the situation last year with Lane leaving and elevating Pete Golding. And did it work out better for everybody? Yes. Was the Lane Kiff in time at Ole Miss a bad thing? No, it was better. Ole Miss was better off when he left it.

The end was awful. The end was complicated and messy, and you're going to be mad. And I wouldn't blame a fan for being mad at all. Pete Golding, you have to understand, also is a coach. It's a very cut-throat world. He knows you're one step away from being fired

pretty much all the time. So he's not going to be as proud. precious about the job and the allegiance to school and all that stuff. But I think it's really, it's interesting, though, because like the other thing, as far as a grudge goes, I actually do think that there's reason that Pete Golding might have somewhat of a grudge against Lane Kiffin because Lane Kiffin tried very hard to get the best players off Pete Golding's roster. And that would piss me off.

Even, even though I know that's his job and I know he's supposed to do that, it's still piss me off because now I got to deal with this. I got to keep my own players. I got to fight to keep the guys you're trying to get. I'm also trying to get other guys that you want to get. So it's interesting that he went to the ESPN room after the main room. Pete Golding did. And he was talking to David Hale and Mark Slabaw from ESPN.

And he told them the story of bringing Trinidad Shambliss and Kiwan Lacey into his office during the portal period and basically saying, I want you guys to Google Lane Kiffin. Google him. The same guy they would have built a statue of three days ago, they wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire right now. Pete Golding is telling this story on the record, by the way. This is what he said to those two guys.

And basically he said, you can have a legacy here or you can be viewed as mercenaries for your entire lives. And obviously, they wrote as big of a check as Trinidad, Chambliss, and Keywon Lacey wanted. but I think that that sales pitch probably also helped make that decision for those guys to stay. Yeah, but going back to the thing about being bitter about stealing players or attempting to steal players,

it's also like, I have a job to do and you have a job to do. If Lane Kiffin has a responsibility to upgrade certain positions at LSU and he has relationships prior with people that he think can upgrade those, what do you think he's going to do? And the funny thing about it is, I think if Pete Golding left and was hired to be, be the LSU coach at the D.C. He would do the same exact thing. Like these guys are all the same. Now, some of them are different in when they would do it.

Like, I believe John Summerall when he said, if Tulane wouldn't have allowed him to coach in the playoff or whatever, he wouldn't have done it. Like, I understand that, like, the way that he went about it isn't typical. I don't like normalizing abnormal behavior. And I think it was kind of abnormal behavior. But in the true. What Lane Kiff did, yeah. Yeah, but what it's, it was different.

It was a different thing to do. do, but I think that the actions of what he did when he got there is no different than Kurt Signetti taking JMU players and whatever. Everybody's taking players now. So I don't even think that there should be anger towards that. I think that if you want to be a head coach in the SEC, if that makes you angry, then you're going to have a long road ahead. So now here's the interesting thing to me, Andy.

He said that all parties are better off and it worked out better for everybody, right? Yep. It's his responsibility to make that a true statement because there's no. I think he's confident he will make that true statement. In three years, if Ole Miss is back in the playoff and doing really well, then that will be true. If he stinks, I don't think that this will be the case, but if he does, then they are not better off. Like, Ole Miss is upset because it perceives and views that it lost one of the better coaches in college football. Lane Kiffin should be regarded as one of the better head coaches in college football right now.

They lost that person. So I think it's too early to say that Ole Miss is better off. I think his job is to prove that they're better off. Well, no, they're better off than they were when Lane Kiffin got hired. That was the point he was making. Okay. And they definitely are better off than when Lane Kiff got hired. But they're not better off yet from what happened with Lane.

No. But that's the next part I wanted to talk about because we only have a limited sample size from Pete Golding as a head coach. He's coached three games. He was two and one. They beat Tulane. They beat Georgia. They lose by four in the semis to Miami. Pete Golding acquitted himself very.

well in a very high pressure, high leverage situation as a head coach and his first experience as a head coach. There's a chance this guy is really good at this job. For sure. Keeping Trinidad Chamble's and Keywater and Lacey is obviously huge. If you look at Ole Miss top to bottom, they could be as good or better than last year. Like this is a team. And it's funny because we talk about LSU, obviously, because Lane's there.

We talk about Oklahoma. They made the playoff last year. We think they can do it again. Alabama, we don't know if they can make it again, but certainly seems like they have the talent, if they put it all together, right, Georgia, Texas. I don't think we've talked a lot about Ole Misses, hey, this is a team that should make the playoff.

It made it last year. They made the semis. They're probably the same or better. I know their schedule's a little bit harder, but they really should be in the mix for this thing. Yeah, no, they should. They have two players that I think you would see on most people's top 15 in college football lists.

Correct. Yeah. One's the quarterback. So certainly, you know, being able to retain them, I think as those two players, Kiwan Lacey and Trinidad Chambliss are huge. And I also love the sales pitch because it's true. Now, the part of the sales pitch about the,

they wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire quote, which by the way was probably the quote of the event. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Is that if you go to LSU and win championships there, you're celebrated somewhere else. I mean, like there's something. a gain from that, but I think it's a powerful message.

They'll be happy to find a bucket. Not, I mean, you won't find a bucket as you don't own one, but they'll be happy to find a bucket of water to put your fire out. But yes, that's true. And it's, but it's just fascinating to me, this scolding thing because we don't know. And he comes off as kind of rough around the edges,

like typical DC. And a lot of times, when those guys become head coaches, it doesn't always work. Summerall, you've seen at two different stops, because he's kind of like that too. It's been good so far. Will Must champ was like that did not work at two SEC stops.

So I think it just depends on the person. But I think what Golding is done. He's just like football guy, Andy. Don't you just get like football dude from him? Absolutely. Absolutely. And look, he had a role in the roster building under Lane Kiffin. He had a big role.

And I noticed, you know, the way he handled roster building this offseason, it wasn't any different. It felt like they got, you know, they were going after the same kind of players in the portal they always did. and they were very competitive at that. Now, obviously, Davosweeney took offense because you've got Luke Varelli, the linebacker transfer from Cal, who he takes a visit to Ole Miss. Ole Miss is like, hey, we love you, but we don't have a spot for you.

He goes to Clemson on a visit. He ends up enrolling at Clemson. And then Ole Miss, while the portal is still open, basically recruits him off Clemson's campus. And Davosweeney had all the receipts, accused Pete Golding of tampering, turned him into the NCAA. they're waiting on an investigation to see what happens. But Pete Golding got asked about tampering once in the big room yesterday,

and he said, they said, what are your feelings on tampering? He's like, I don't really get into my feelings, and we got a compliance department. It was the stock pat answer that he'd been coached to give. He got asked again about it, and then he really let loose. Hey, Pete, Dan Wolkin Yahoo Sports right over here. Sorry to picket this again, but how would you fix Tamer? or is it something that cannot be fixed in this environment?

Let me put it to you this way, okay? Like it would be, so obviously you're a porter, right? Would you quit your job before interviewing for another job or being offered another job? No, no, nobody would. But right, but we have a portal that you can go in with a do not contact. I'm going to quit my job where I'm getting paid and I'm going to go in saying I need a new job,

but nobody can call me to interview. Like, what have we created? So we've created it on top of representation for these players, right? That is their responsibility to make sure they get paid really well, and they also have opportunities. So by design, it's put a lot of people in bad positions. And let's not act like recruiting in college football for the last hundred years is the most moral thing, right, that's ever been existed. I mean, like, what are we talking about here? So I'm really not going to get into my feelings.

I know how I've been educated to answer this question, right? Does that make sense? It's where we have a great, great compliance department, right, and all those type of things. But no, I mean, the model obviously has been broken, and I'm all for everybody being on the same playing field and doing the same things. I get it.

But I think that's in any job, right? Like coaches, we're under contract. You don't think other ADs are calling us during the year? Same ones that are bitching about all this stuff are the same ones calling coaches, right, to come to other schools, right, and everything. So it's everywhere. It's in every profession.

So I'm not saying I've got all the answers. I'm not saying that at all, right? Does that make sense? So we go within the rules of the program, right, and how the flow, just like when you're on the interstate and people are flying by you, what do you start doing? You're damn right. You're going to get hit, right?

Is that makes sense? In this profession, you're going to get fire. Right? So I'm not saying that. But I think there are a lot of people that are doing an unbelievable job, Greg being one, right, to make sure that everything's catching up. College football is constantly changing all those type of things. So hopefully we'll all, you know, decide on what's fair for everybody.

You're damn right. You're going to get in this position. You're going to get fired. It's electric. Love it. I love it. And I actually like I feel like I came up with a plan to fix it. And even that.

But I don't really know what the answer to the question is. Like what do you think Dan Wolkin was hoping for there? Like does anybody have like a real concrete way of, I think he got what he was hoping for. But yeah. He got what he was hoping for. Yes. No, but what is the. The, you know, tampering has been something we talked about this off season, but I'm just, I'm willing to just say that like, he's right about that.

Like, when you leave a job, you usually have another job lined up. People don't willingly walk into unemployment. And the other thing that he was mentioning to with the do not tag, that means that they already have a job lined up. So I also think that players should be in a position to make educated decisions about where they end up. If you enter the portal without, and is it like, is that, is that. just even to like expect players to blindly enter the portal and hope it works out. Maybe that's supposed to be a deterrent to stay where you are. But like I think that people should all be given the opportunity to make the most

impactful decision or profitable or prosperous decision for themselves. And I think that even with tampering, I mean, tampering exists because people are going to better opportunities. Like I don't even know if I actually even hate it that much. I don't know what's how to feel. Yeah, the NFL, well, the NFL has a quote unquote legal tampering period. where it's part of the deal. And I don't see a problem with that.

Before the portal opens, just have a tampering period. Have a week or two tampering period where people can reach out and you reach out to anybody you want to and let them know you're interested. Because they're going to do it anyway. You're not stopping anybody from doing it.

It's human nature to say, there's a guy I think would be perfect for us. Oh, I've got his agent's phone number. Why don't I just hit his agent up? Yeah. And that way coaches can also be prepared that during that week, your team is going to try to get picked apart.

you have to do your best to, you know, retain people. You know who you're going to have to defend against. You know who you're going to have to pay. And look, it's just, it's more information. And it's doing it in a way that just acknowledges the reality of the situation. And I think that's been one of the major problems in college sports for the entirety of its existence is the people in charge refuse to acknowledge the reality of the situation. They won't meet reality on reality's terms.

And they come up with these stupid things. that don't make any sense where, like he said, would you leave a job, never having interviewed for or been offered another job? Of course you would. So people are going to get that information one way or the other. It's just all it. But now,

the question is, will Pete Golding get any sort of punishment for what happened with Luke Farrelli from Clinton? And one thing I left out when I was talking about the situation, Forelli takes the visit to Ole Miss. They don't really have a spot. They thought they might, but then they didn't. He goes to Clemson.

The reason they had a spot open up is because T.J. Daugtery, who was an Ole Miss linebacker last year, went to LSU with Lane Kiffin. Like, that's the way, that's how the spot opened up. Yeah. Also, it's interesting because if you are going with the flow of traffic, sometimes people do get speeding tickets. Yes. You know, when you get a speeding ticket and then like later on in the week or day or whatever, you see some guy going 120 miles an hour and you go, where are the cops and you need them? Yeah, come on. Yeah.

Yeah, like, that's life too. So, you know, I don't know who's going to get a speeding ticket or if it's even enforceable. But I see, if I were them, if I were all in this, I would just unload on everybody who tampered with my players. Because think about that, that roster was probably tampered with as much as anybody else's roster in America. So it's right for the picking at the time. Yeah. So, I mean, that's what I would do. And I know, like, I don't think Pete Golding wants to be viewed as a snitch.

I know he didn't like the idea that it was characterized. he was characterized coming out of the spring meetings and Destin that that he he you know basically tell on everybody if if they tried to punish him but if i were his athletic director keith carter i absolutely would threaten that like i would threaten to expose the receipts on every single person if you single out my guy yeah i'm gonna make i'm gonna make you suspend everybody else too i'm gonna sing like a canary and a coal mind yeah exactly exactly I and I know like the football coaches have this Omerta they don't they don't like that but you know if you're the guy's boss if you're trying to protect your guy I think that's something you might want to think about so Ari it was quite a day you know between Thursday with Lane Kiffin Wednesday with Pete Golding but also on Wednesday Mike Elko from Texas A&M came we talked about this after he talked in Destin like he's he's the adult in the room he always says the right thing and He said the most right thing.

And it's one of those things that like if somebody who's not an Aggie says this, they are getting absolutely destroyed. But because he's an Aggie, he can say this. Roll it, River. After last year's playoff run, how do you keep this team from becoming satisfied? I show them our trophy case and it's empty. And I think they're all very aware of that. And so, you know, I think, you know, listen, we live in a lot of world.

And so we're obviously happy with the things that we accomplished. We're happy with the direction of our program. But it's also not lost on us that we haven't won the hardware that we're searching for. And so, you know, that gets us into a mindset of growth and getting back to work to go finish this thing a little bit better than we did last year and put ourselves in a better position maybe to compete for some trophies. I show them our trophy case and it's empty. What a bar. I would vote for this man for president. I would hire him to run a daycare system that my daughter goes to.

I would let him watch her. This man is, I know that we're not supposed to have favorite people, but he is by far my favorite coach when it comes to just telling it like it is, man. And like, I don't know, like, listen, like, I don't know how the general fan feels about him. I know A&M is often an easy place to pile on. but it kind of reminds me of the final scene of eight mile. It's like, yeah, I am a bum. Yeah, I live in a trailer with my mom.

Tell them something I don't know about me. Like, he's just like, he is saying it. Like, he is acknowledging that even though they made the playoff last year, their trophy cases empty. And they want to fill their trophies. And like, I feel like an A&M fan, like, would probably have a harder time with this. No, they loved it. But it's like the no nonsense personality, though, is also the thing that

makes you feel like A&M's program is healing. Like it's like that attitude, that the results, everything is there like, is there any single person on earth who analyzes a sport who thinks that A&M is headed in the wrong direction? So when you're headed in the right direction and you say those things and you keep it real, it makes those goals more tangible.

It makes those things more real that he's not going to be satisfied by being the lovable loser Aggie that made the playoff one year. They want trophies. They want hardware. They want to get what every SEC team is fighting for, and I like respect the hell out of this guy, man. I really do. Everything he says about scheduling, everything he says about the way that the CFP

committee works, I never disagreed with anything he's ever said. Well, we're going to have to have him on the show. The next time he comes on the show, the challenge will be say something Ari disagrees with. Say something that makes Ari not want to vote for you for president. I think it's an absolute travesty that we haven't had. I've exchanged some texts with him and I've had a call with him for a story in the not so distant pass. And maybe I dropped the ball by not inviting him on.

But he would be a tremendous podcast guest. And hopefully, you know, we're getting into that area where it's harder to get coaches on your show because camp is starting and the season's approaching. But it's a huge misstep on our part for not having him on. We will reach out. We'll make that happen. Right now, let's dive even deeper into Texas A&M with a guy who is more plugged in with the Aggies than anybody on Earth, our friend Billy Lucci from Texags.

honored to be joined by the godfather of college station. Billy Lucy, the publisher of Texags.com. Let's talk a little Texas A&M. Mike Elko, we call him the grown-up in the room on our show. And he certainly seems very in control and very happy with the way things are going at Texas A&M. They make the playoff last year. I think they feel like they can do it again this year.

What is the optimism like in college station going into the year? I would call it. guarded optimism. Like, I think Elko knows, I know he knows the fine line between 10 and 2 and 8 4. Right. You know, I think he knows. But I think his players learned last year how tenuous that grip is on being comfortable. They almost let it go in a matter of 30 minutes against South Carolina.

Yep. then they, you know, took a nod on the head in Austin. And then I think they went into Miami supremely confident, not overconfident. I think they played it. You know, I think both those teams went in for a fifth flight. I mean, yeah. They're tied with a team that ended up playing for the national title late in the fourth quarter. They have a shot, you know, throwing in the end zone to, to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.

And I guess I get so annoyed by like the people that think because they scored three points, it was some kind of like Miami also had three with Miami yeah my only had three up until the very very end so yeah but like it's like that game if you think about your A and M and you you're rolling along the season yep and then you do okay we lost to Texas we're going to regroup we're better than this and you're playing Miami and you they get the ball it's three three and you get the ball back you're going to have the ball last to win it right and all of a sudden there goes Fletcher for 65 yards and it's like oh damn And then a few minutes later, okay, we're right back to the five-yard line.

Boom, errant throw, interception, season's over. So I love hearing the players say this and a couple of them have told me this. We haven't done anything. Somebody asked Mike Elko, as A&M arrived, he goes, not at all, no. Like, so I like, I do believe they think they have the pieces to get there. Yeah. And I have the experience to get there. And I didn't think they have the quarterback to get there.

But I think they also know how hard it is to get there. Yeah. Maybe more so than most. Well, and Marcel Reed is when I think through the pre-draft process, he became kind of a controversial figure because you had all those draftnicks that were watching Casey Concepcion going. I'm not so sure about this quarterback. But then you hear, you know, Elko and everybody else, they'll, they'll defend him with their life. So what is it about Marcel Reed that these guys, you know, make, make them believe he's the guy? Yeah.

I think, first of all, he's come a long way in terms of leadership and just maturity. And I think people are going to catch that today. I also think, like, the dude made some incredible plays and throws last year. Yeah. And these couple of draft people, I just didn't understand the need for them. Like, I saw it. Yeah. Early in the year, Marcel missed Concepcion on about six deep balls that he, Casey might have won the

bulletinikoff. But I also saw Marcel make incredible strides as a deep ball thrower. Right. Right up until that Miami game where he hit Craver for 55 yards in that win. He's got to get more accurate as a passer. And that's on him. And it's on Wiggins and Joey Lynch. Yeah, Holman Wiggins is taking over as the O.C. for Colin Klein.

Yeah. And a big decision by Elko to go that route, right? It showed a lot of faith, put a lot on the line with Wiggins. But I think they got to move Marcel. around let him let him throw on the run let him do some r pos move the pocket for him so it's a it's a combined effort damn man he had a really really good season yeah it's not just the two games by the way against they did go to norder dame and win and you're really good game there 400 yards in that yeah and a game winner on the road with Arkansas i know it's arkansas but here's my deal

Andy go look at his numbers versus Missouri Arkansas Auburn Notre Dame you'd only compare him to Carson Beck because they don't play anyone yeah but like look at him even against Texas like look at his numbers LSU and look at the Mateers and the Ty Simpsons and the Archmanning and Trinidad and just look and like he's fine he had two rough games at the and he's got to protect the football better. Yeah. And I think outside of that, it's just normal QB progression. We were talking earlier.

You mentioned a really interesting stretch in A&M schedule. I think with the nine game SEC schedule coming in this year, we're gonna see this from different teams. Everybody's gonna have a stretch like this. The A&M, though, is fascinating to me. What's the three that jump out to you? I used to think, Annie, that it was Tennessee at OU and Texas to end it, which is really rough.

Normally that's, yeah, yeah. But two of those three are at home. It's still really rough. I think I've changed my mind. That's the toughest three. Yeah. But I think the one that will define where they end up, you're at Bama, at South Carolina,

home against Tennessee. Yeah. You could easily see A&M winning all three of those. They could lose any of those. those three individually, which means you can lose all three of them. Yep. And you can see them, you know, anywhere in between. But I think if this team's in the playoff, A&M's got to be at least two and one.

And probably three and oh, and you roll into OU, Texas. Because you've got LSU before. We're doing this like every team. You have to assume some wins that we know aren't given. Well, right. It's just, I have to assume. The LSU game for A&M is so interesting because one, they're going back to bat and for the second year in a row that is that is a strange situation yeah but to a and m goes to baton

rouge a place they emptied out and and chased brian kelly out last year well they go right after a lot of my twitter fans off yeah but they go right after lane and ls u.s you go to olmiss so they're going to have this huge game that everybody's going to be considered that we've all been talking about that game since lane kiff and left yeah this is the first word i've uttered about the texas a and m lsue the next week that's what it's going to be like in like everybody i've been looking at yeah and it is it is a big for a i think it's good for a and m either way because the ls u's either coming off the high of winning that yeah or they lose to omiss and then all of a sudden yeah it's a rough week for lane and the team yeah people are going to build that game up to be the biggest game in the world

and then that's the the challenge of some of these schedules is you do have to turn around in the next week play somebody really good yeah and then the aggies have that too yeah Oh, you might be like that might, the winner or loser that game, that might be for a playoff. Yeah. We're big on people are sleeping on OU on this show. See, I think you're saying you say that because I don't feel like people are. My vibe is it like. I think they've come around, but like the initial totals, the win totals,

seven and a half blew my mind. I couldn't understand that at all. I will bet that. I'm not even a big gambler. I will bet that. My thing is, I think everyone's given material. way more better than they are Marcel, which is interesting to me, because he had the same issue,

which is interceptions. I know he had the hand injury, but that wasn't... There wasn't the entire season. A lot of those throws were decision-making base. And I think Mateer has a chance to be really damn good. Yeah. But even at the beginning of last year, and people are going, oh, he's a Heisman front runner,

I think he should have thrown six interceptions against Auburn and Michigan combined. They were dropping balls. Both these guys need to make a jump. And I think whichever guy plays the best in Norman in late November might be the guy that takes his team to the playoff. That's going to be such a fun game. And you're right. I do think the series of elimination games in late October, early November, and the SEC are going to be insane. Yeah, I mean, I look at Texas.

And I have no problem with them being picked one or two in the league along with Georgia. Yeah. I think the gap, I was talking to Damien Harris here. Nobody plays defense like y'all did and what Georgia did. and Pete Kirby because you can't anymore. Yeah. Portal and you got to play younger guys where they leave, you know. Yep.

It doesn't exist. So the gap is so much smaller. Yeah. But you look at Texas. If they lose to Ohio State, they got to go seven and two in the southeastern conference, playing at A&M, playing at LSU, at Tennessee, Ole Miss at home, oh, you in Dallas. And you've got to go seven and two. just to even be in the mix

and you may have to go 8 and 1 that's crazy and that I mean that is insane what is what does A&M have to do to beat Texas because last year it was just a case of that Texas defense was as that might have been as well as they played all season

that game which is which you know I give them credit but at the same time you go hey man I saw Mississippi State shred that defense for a lot of the game I saw Vandy do it and I know Pavia was great I saw Florida ran against them well. They threw against them.

Yeah. Remember the catches that? Oh, yeah. Is it Dallas Wilson? Yeah, but by the end of the season, it felt like Texas defense, the Texas defense figured some stuff out.

And they did. And they figured A&M. Yeah. I think to, to beat Texas at that game this year, A&M, they should have been up 133 at halftime. They had a field goal block

that was about a, I think he was kicking it from about the 12th. year line or the they were snapped about the 12 yard line um and then they were getting the ball to start the third quarter and then it just it was just shut off they couldn't run the ball A&M's got to Texas and in year one you know you understand it they were a superior team that year A&M was in year one but Texas over a two year span they've been the more physical football team yeah and that can't be the case at Kyle field if they're going to be to

So the simple thing to me will be this. The Aggies have to run the football and they have to stop the run. And they have not done that against Texas in two years. Yeah. And that was the struggle against Miami too. It was kind of the same experience in both those games. Yeah, it was. So Texas A&M revamping the offensive line a little bit like Wilken Form B comes in from Alabama,

which, you know, that it's unusual to see someone like an offensive line, know, starting offensive line and go from, from one kind of premium SEC program to another. But that's what you're seeing. And they've got other guys from other SEC schools coming in on the line as well. How is that group going to look? By the way, it's funny. I have a picture that popped up. You know, it comes up on your feed.

And it was me and L.T. Overton and Cam Dewberry at the Texas Ex-Studor interview. Two eventual Alabama starters. Yes. Now I've got Wilkins for me and Isaiah Horton in the same studio. Coming from Alabama, yeah. It's wild. You've got Ricky Gibson who covered Mario Craver at Mississippi State, and he's in Tennessee, and you got Gibson and Hort.

It's a crazy, you've got, you know, Michael Riley, the tight end, has played in two Iron Bowls. And now, so the whole thing's nuts. But with that said, I think the old line, what's interesting to me, Andy, more than anything. Okay, they got four guys with SEC starting experience. extensive really cohen eccles tyree adams from lSU and then travon ball south carolina who by the way had a really good spring i think to me that was kind of i was like okay it was an eye i think you'll start yeah personally um with that said they kept every second and third year guy that to me is as big they didn't transfer they got dudes that yeah i'm not saying you because you're

on top of it like nobody else but say wasserman Sorry, Ari. They got dudes that like Ari and people that I respect that know their stuff don't know about. In a normal world, those guys would be stepping in and they're ready to start. Guys like Blake Ivy, Robbie Borda, former five star. But they're competing for jobs. And it's interesting that we were talking to the Florida people here at SEC Media Days. And John Somerall was talking about, you know, the number of offensive line.

They have that are quote unquote above the line. It's basically like who would you feel comfortable playing in a game? game. And I don't know that like with Florida, I'm not sure if they're if they're above the line number is above five yet. Yeah. And it sounds like A&Ms might be seven or eight, nine, which would be very I would say. I would say it's at like nine. That's, that's incredible. And I'm not saying nine starter. Yeah. I'm saying nine ready for the nine that you feel very comfortable if you had to play in the game. Yeah. I can think it's nine. It might even be 10. Wow. They kept good because again, like you got third year dudes that.

in not even in our era, but four years ago. Yeah. Would be starting you go, okay, I feel good. They redshirted. They played a little. And now they start. But you've also got the four portals. So Andy, to me, the run game is the key to this A&M season.

Um, I really love their secondary. I think they reloaded, not rebuilt on the D line. And they got Hicks and TJ Searcy's. And I did came into my office a day, six, five. 260. Oh, yeah. And he's played a lot of SEC football. He might not start. Florida had some very deep edge rooms. Yeah, they did for a few years. And T.J. seriously was it was part of that. Yeah. So, I mean, and he might it might be Marco Jones and Anto Saka, the Northwestern transfer. Yeah. Seriously. So, you know, Ricky Gibson is going

to battle with Julio Humphrey. Humphrey started 10 games at Georgia two years ago. He just had a tremendous spring. He was a forgotten man last year. Yeah. So they got some really interesting to feet Byard from Colorado, who I really like. Yeah. Well, two of the captains are ahead of him in Dalton Brooks and Marcus Ratcliffe, but Byrd's a freaking NFL safety. Yeah. So there's a lot to love. My thing is, can they run the football and take heat off of Marcel and let those receivers be as productive as they can? And you saw like against Notre Dame, you saw what that looks like.

Yeah. And against Texas and Miami, you saw what happens when they can't. Yeah. And that's, yeah, that's really what it came down to. And you go back, we started talking about that Miami game. When we finished there, like Miami could run the ball. Yeah. And knew it that when they needed to, it would be there for them.

Yeah. And A&M didn't have that. And so yeah, if A&M can add that, it really is. That's the one missing ingredient that makes them, it takes them from playoff team or maybe makes the playoff to goes deep in the playoff i do i do a podcast with aggie longhorn podcast oh yeah oh i love that one it's funny we and she she's usually going to win because she's just a better lawyer style arguer than me yep and she sits there in her computer and looks up stats and texas is one the last two but yeah that that helps that help but it doesn't help my life

but it helps her argument but you know and my take would be well a and them had the better year last sure yeah i don't know yeah they did because of andy's florida gators that's why that's right but uh but no fired their coach but beat texas it it's it's crazy to me as we sit there and we we have these debates and stuff and i i just think a and m it's it's they're so close to if they can just if they can get in back to back yeah you know this you've covered this program really closely since what 2010 yeah if they can get back back to back years. That's what's been so elusive. Consistency has never been.

Never. A&M Strong suit. And their valleys aren't very low. Right. You know, since joining the SEC, they have the one, five, and seven season. Their valleys aren't very low. Their peaks are pretty high. You know how many teams have had three or more top 10 finishes since 2012 since A&M joined the league?

In the conference. Alabama. LSU. No. No. No. Okay. Two for LSU.

Okay. Georgia, obviously. There's four. There's two more. These get trickier, but you. Let's see. Since, okay. Yeah, who else is it?

Well, you know one of them, I wouldn't be asking. It's A&M. A&M. Yes. So three top 10 finishes. And the other one, and they kind of get an asterisk. It's Ole Miss. I also think they have like an 11 and 12 in there.

Right. Yeah, the 2015 year. That's right. So anyway, they've had some good peaks. Yep. But no hardware. You know, and like you said, they haven't done the back-to-back. And with the way Elko's recruiting and his field for the program and just everything you see in here, the NFL draft picks,

get into the playoffs in year two, the recruiting, if they can get back, they might get back and sign a number one class. Yeah. This thing could roll. Well, that's the thing. I think it's really interesting because I don't think A&M gets the credit for that because they never have really got. hardware. They've never gotten to, they've never won an SEC championship and they've, they've not, they made the playoff the one time, but they weren't in the playoff in the 14 era.

I think you're right. I think it has more to do with that. I think if they had, you know, let's say in 2012, like, let's say they'd won the SEC. If they had a playoff. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, if there'd been a 12 team playoffs, they would have done really well. We'd be looking at this different. It's so tough that they didn't get in a playoff this year and they went seven and one in the SEC.

Or they didn't get to Atlanta. Yeah. Four team tie, right? Yeah. It's insane the one time A&M, but they have nothing one to blame but themselves because they couldn't beat their rival. Exactly. So, man, I'll tell you what, it'll be what a missed opportunity this past season to lose at Miami and not get to go to Dallas, New Year's Eve, to play Ohio State, which I think they would have been a pretty decent matchup. I mean, they were basically dead even with Miami.

Yeah. So they would have probably been very competitive against Ohio State as well. Like, yeah, it is. But that's a lot of teams. You're in Aggie. You've got a lot of what ifs in your life. I do. King of what ifs.

Maybe, maybe this is the year they stop. Well, so that was what I was getting at. We were talking on that podcast, and she was like, like, I think she, fairness, she picked A&M to get back in the playoffs and maybe win a game. I don't think they can compete for a national title when you've never even won a game in the playoffs. and I go, okay, but I'll just say, I agree, there's like a progression. Indiana had never won a playoff game. Miami had never won a playoff game.

So Ole Miss had never won't play. This was one play away from getting there. Exactly. So it's going back to what you said, I think there's like eight SEC teams that can legitimately get to the playoffs this year. Yeah. And as you know, despite what so many. people are saying big ten like if any SEC team gets there they can make a run yeah i think the rosters are built in a way that the eight you talk that eight we're talking about can win

games you're you're right it's not just like oh they might just make it especially if it's matier manning marcel levitt uh stockton lenore sellers hell seller like yeah the the i think this is the year that the quarterbacks bounce back in the league last year. It was such a disappointing year. Yeah, well, last year. But last year, there were some first year starters. Injuries.

I mean, the guy who ended up being the best was in D2 the year before. Came out of nowhere. So we were big awesome Simmons guys. That's exactly right. And he's a, he's starting the SEC two at lefty. Willie Lucci. Thank you so much. All right.

Any great stuff. Appreciate you, as always. That is Billy Lucci. Quietly confident. Little scarred from losing to Texas a couple years in a row. He's got a podcast where he represents the A&M side. His co-host represents the Texas side. And he's had trouble because she's been able to call scoreboard on him a lot.

But I don't know. It's a really good concept for that, for that those two fan markets. Yes, absolutely. You know, like the idea that you would talk about college football, but you would also do it with the enemy, I think is clever. and they have two robust fan bases that really, I think, think about each other almost as much as they think about themselves. So, you know, he's Billy Lucie and I go back quite some time now,

and I know that you go back further, but he's a really cool dude and somebody that is plugged in and was a pleasure to have him on the show. Yeah, it was awesome and glad to hear, you know, that they're feeling pretty good in College Station because, you know, It's one thing like Mike Elko saying it. I think the fan base might get a little bit satisfied with, hey, we made the playoff.

We should do it again. But you do have to earn it every time. Texas A&M, let's be real, had the easiest SEC schedule draw last year. Now, I know they did go to Notre Dame and win, but they had the easiest SEC schedule draw. They don't have the easiest SEC schedule draw this year. You just heard Billy talking about that three-game stretch, which, by the way,

then leads into Oklahoma and Texas to close the season. Like it's, it's going to get nasty. Absolutely nasty. Yeah. If A&M makes the playoff this year, then no one's going to be telling them their schedule merchants. That's for sure.

So I don't know exactly what to think, you know, about their chances of making the playoff again. I trust Mike Elko. I think that Marcel Reed is one of the more interesting guys because he's been fun and electric at times, but he's been infuriating and others. He has a big,

big season to prove himself. But, you know, A&M kind of came out of nowhere last year. I wonder if the consistency is here to stay. So we'll see where it goes. But, you know, Mike Elko, I think, is doing a tremendous job. And I love the hire the second they made it. Three really interesting SEC coaches today, which I think tomorrow we need to talk about, like, the personalities in this sport feel like they're coming around. Yes.

It's about to get real fun. It's about to get very, very fun. The Andy Staples Show archives. before we both came to On 3, we did have a long segment about personality crisis when Jim Harbaugh and Nick Saban left the sport in a two-week period. So it's something to reanalyze,

but I do think that watching this, we were at Big 12 and people are interesting and engaging at Big 12, but like SEC people are out here like shooting their shot and I love it. Yeah, and then we got Big Ten next week, so we're going to have Brett Beelima and Kurt Sigdetti and I think, you know,

there'll be some others that really get interesting. And I think they see that they need to be interesting. Tomorrow's show, we'll start with this prompt. Is Kurt Signetti the godfather of teaching people how to call their own shot? Well, Stein will probably say yes. That's a great question. It's a great question. Speaking of questions,

Dear Andy, dear Ari tomorrow, Andy Stapleson3 at gmail.com, Ari.com, dot waserman at on three.com send us your questions we got plenty on that super league lots of lots of thoughts for you guys i'm glad to hear it any other college football questions you got send them our way we will do our best to answer them tomorrow on dear any and dear are we'll talk to you then