Andy & Ari On3 - Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry SOUNDS OFF on the LSU Head Coaching Search

Episode Date: October 30, 2025

It's a Dear Andy & Ari episode, but first, the fellas have to cover some news. Out of the state of Louisiana, Governor Jeff Landry stated that current LSU AD Scott Woodward would NOT be hiring the next head coach in Baton Rouge. Andy & Ari break this whole piece of news down and what it means for the LSU Tigers football program.(0:00) On Today's Episode(1:04) BetMGM(2:49) Intro: Previewing Mulligans(3:40) Louisiana Governor and the LSU Coaching Search(7:05) What Jeff Landry Said(11:59) Would LSU go for Jon Sumrall?(15:56) Wrapping up on LSU(21:48) Buyouts = Rewarding Failure?(25:27) Modelo(27:30) Panini(30:18) Matt Rhule's 2 year extension at Nebraska(43:30) Mulligans of the week: Vanderbilt at Texas(49:42) Miami at SMU(52:18) Dear Andy & Ari: Huge Buyouts?(58:30) Restaurant recommendations(1:01:44) South Carolina's Outlook(1:11:53) Dabo Swinney at Clemson(1:19:16) Dan Mullen's comments from his end at Florida(1:22:39) Are we following our rules for life?(1:26:43) Kent State names Mark Carney as head coach(1:28:48) Conclusion - See you Saturday!Before we get to our listeners' incredible questions, Andy & Ari go to Lincoln, Nebraska, where Matt Rhule just signed a 2-year extension with the Huskers. What does this mean for Nebraska and Penn State? Watch here as the fellas break it all down.Later, Andy & Ari introduce a new segment: Mulligan of the Week. Watch as Andy & Ari take a look at the updated spreads on BetMGM and pick their one mulligan of the week. Do you agree with their picks? Let us know!Afterwards, it's time for Dear Andy & Ari, and we have some incredible questions...How should coaches like James Franklin handle a huge buyout?South Carolina Fans' view on Shane Beamer?Where's Dabo Swinney in all this coaching mayhem?Dan Mullen's Comments on the end of his tenure at Florida?Are we really following the rules for life?To close, Andy. & Ari break down the latest head coach hire coming out of Kent State.Our show is 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. US promotional offers not available in New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US). Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). First Bet Offer for new customers only. Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 7 days. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This show is also sponsored by Modelo! Some things in life are just made for each other. Peanut Butter and jelly. Macaroni and cheese. Modelo and college football. If you’re watching this, it means you live and breathe football. All season long. You know what that makes you? A Full-Time Fan. Which means you deserve a Modelo. Because football wouldn’t be the same without you. Modelo is the official beer sponsor of The College Football Playoff. We’re also brought to you by Panini! Panini delivers the most collectible sports cards and memorabilia on the planet. Check out the new exclusive Arch Manning collection or the Panini Prizm Draft Picks College Football series. Visit PaniniAmerica.net to start your collection today. Watch our show on YouTube! https://youtu.be/r5V_Hsd7PfQHosts: Andy Staples, Ari WassermanProducer: River BaileyInterested 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 Andy Noreon 3 presented by BetMGM, the governor of Louisiana, makes a bold statement and basically drops a bomb on the head of the LSU Athletic Director. And now the governor is part of the coaching search because, hey, it's Louisiana. Also, some big breaking news. Matt Ruhl has a new extension at Nebraska. Was he actually going to get hired by Penn State? We don't know. We'll talk about that one. Also, new segment, bet MGM Mulligans.

Because the bet MGM lines change as the week goes on. Ari and I reserve the right to change our minds on one pick and one pick only. You'll see what our Mulligans are this week. Then, dear Andy, dear Ari, great questions. We got one about Shane Beamer, one about Davosweeney, one about James Franklin. and what about Ari's Rules for Life? All on today's Andy and Ari on 3, presented by BedMGM. We are presented by BedMGM.

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First-bed offer for new customers only, subject to eligibility requirements, rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in seven days in partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Don't forget, if you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use the bonus code CFB and get your $1,500 first bet offer today. Welcome to Andy and Ari on 3 presented by BetMGM. And soon, we will be looking back at those bed-MGM lines that have adjusted as the week has gone on. And we'll decide which games deserve our mulligan of the week.

Ari, I have my eye on one where I feel like I've gotten a couple more points. The people have given me more points. They don't believe in my pick, but I do. I'm excited to be the first person in show history to change their pick and then be right originally. It's going to be great. I can't wait. You already know you're going to be wrong. So why are you changing it?

it doesn't matter what I do. I'm just going to be wrong this year. I'm having a rough year, Andy. And it's okay. It happened. Well, we will get to that. But first, we have to talk about something wild that happened on Wednesday. So the governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry is giving a regularly scheduled press conference. And he gets a couple questions about LSU football. As you know, LSU just fired Brian Kelly at great expense to the university. LSU is looking for a new. football coach. LSU is also looking for a new president, which means anytime there's a presidential change, if you're the athletic director, you're not necessarily safe. Well, I, and we've talked about this, Ari. We've said we don't know exactly how to handicap the LSU coaching search because we don't know if Scott Woodward, the athletic director, will be the one making the hire. We can now unequivocally say that he will not be the one making the higher because the governor of the state has said he will not be the one making the hire. Can you explain to me like I'm 12 why the governor of the state has any input or rule over

what goes on at LSU? Well, LSU is run by the board of supervisors. That is the board that runs everything in LSU that picks the president that decides what happens and when and the governor appoints the members of the board of supervisors. Is that unique to Louisiana? Nope. That is the same everywhere. What is unique to Louisiana is it is the only big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big time football program among the state universities. For example, Rhonda Sanis in Florida is not going to jump in on the Florida coaching search because he's not going to jump in on the Florida state coaching search either for the same reason because he jumps in on one, the other schools will be like, what about us? How come you're not, how come you don't care about us? I covered a team.

similarly situated and i never had to even once think about the governor at ohio state yeah yeah because they're good and they're always good when i was covering them they had some issues uh don't ohio state politicians frequently draft stupid laws when ohio state loses yeah i mean i guess like that that but i just like i've never had to think like what does the governor of ohio think of like whether luke fickle should keep the job when he's an interim who's the lieutenant governor of ohio I don't know. You don't know? I don't know anything.

Is it a Jim Tressel? Oh, is it? I thought he pulled out of politics. Oh, maybe he did. He was up for lieutenant governor. Yeah, no. If we want to do a rehash of how little I know about politics, we could do it. But like, I don't even know who the governor of my own state is.

Yeah, no, he's the lieutenant governor of Ohio. Jim Tressel is. So Jim Tressel. So, no, no, football has nothing to do with the politics in Ohio at all. No, no, I'm saying, like, I never, it was hard to me that the governor was the one breaking the news on who would be making the hire. I've never heard. The governor's the one who's making that decision because the governor's the one picking the next president of LSU, which probably will be the McNeese state

president. But let me tell you, it's a good rule of thumb, and I've actually used this during my journalism career. If I don't understand something most people listening don't, like, right? Because I'm not a smart person by any stretch of the imagination, but I am familiar with how the sport works. Like if I'm confused by this, then a large portion of our audiences. So I'm happy we cleared it up. Well, let's watch. the press conference. Let's watch Jeff Landry because, well, this is maybe

the most Louisiana thing you'll ever see that doesn't involve Gumba or Jambalaya. And it's spectacular. The first question is absolutely correct. We are not going down a failed path. And I wanted to tell you something.

This is a pattern. The guy that's here now that wrote that contract cost Texas A&M, 70-something million dollars. Right now we got a $53 million liability. We are not doing that again. And you know what? I believe that we're going to find a great coach.

Maybe we'll let President Trump pick it. He loves winners. You know, I'm not going to be picking the next coach. But I can promise you, we're going to pick a coach, and we're going to make sure that that coach is successful, and we're going to make sure that he's compensated properly, and we're going to put metrics on it. because I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country

and then leaving the taxpayers on the foot, you know, to foot the bill. So, yeah, absolutely. Who's that? No, I can tell you right now, Scott Woodward is not selecting the next coach. Hell, I'll let Donald Trump selected before I let him do it. I don't know, but the Board of Supervisor is going to come up with a committee and they're going to go find us a coach. Because, wait, wait, I want to, hold on, hold on, one real quick thing on that.

Because here's what y'all reporters need to do. I don't need to start looking at who represents all these people, like these agents. You know what's interesting? If I'm not mistaken, Woodard's agent, Kelly's agent, the Texas A&M, they're all the same agent. Like you realize if I would be, I don't know how you else, how many sports riders we got here today. Just you. We should have a bunch. Okay.

Like this is ridiculous. Lawyers would be disbarred for the way these agents act and the way they're able to represent. In fact, they may, there's no doubt, they may even represent some of the players now. Like, it's really time for the NCAA to put on some guardrails in college sports. Because, and it's fine. We don't need the guardrails. Big billionaires want to spend all that kind of money? No problem.

But if I got to go find $53 million from Kevin, it's not going to be a pleasant conversation. I'm just telling you, like I know. And I think that that's important as well. You all should start looking into that. Okay. Well, we know, Governor, we know how incestuous it is. We know the agencies that represent the coaches and the A.Ds also represent the players. We're aware.

Should we just play that clip on loop for the next 45 minutes and then... I love the sign language interpreter. The sign language interpreter is... And the sign language interpreter is like, where, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. This sport is a literal cartoon. It is. Well, how would you feel about Donald Trump picking the president, uh, picking the, the head coach of LHU? I mean, it would be cronyism probably. I think it'd be just one of his buddies. He probably picked Tommy Tuberville.

He would. He would like, what, what football coach do I know? Tommy Topperville. Tommy, you're in. You coached in the SEC before, right? You beat Alabama a bunch of times. Let's go. That's a pretty good resume piece. Are you doing five in a row against Alabama? We're flirting too close to getting another review that says I'm canceling because you said his name on the show. So, but like it is very, you're talking about the, the email I got where the person decided to stop listening because you accurately said that people were divided in this country about what political beliefs they had. Yeah. Yeah. And then they left a one-star review on the show because I made a notion that either you like Donald or you don't, which I think is like saying people need to breathe to live. but it's okay um yeah i just like i know people get really fired up about it and i don't want to do

that to anybody i do think though that like what he's saying is true like the idea of rewarding failure is true but he's not wrong but here's the problem if you take him literally are he if you take him literally they ain't getting lane kiffin yeah if you think that if you're not going to engage in what you're saying is the problem, then you're going to have a hard time getting the coach that's going to be responsible for the largest bidding war in college football history. Yep. On top of the issue not to engage in that, there are other good coaches. Shout out of the other show I do College Football Enquirer on the Yahoo Sports Network. Ross Delinger, who knows Louisiana politics and LSU football better than anybody because

he covered LSU as a beat writer. His wife was one of the best political reporters in the state of Louisiana before she decided to start covering national politics. Ross made an interesting point in the show that's coming out today. What Jeff Landry described sounds like a way to hire John Sumral as LSU's head coach, which I would have said politically is difficult because LSU people don't want to be seen as hiring Tulane's coach. But I can see that. And I also think John Summerall would do a great job there. Now, he's not going to be cheap because you're probably going to have to be

Alibb, Auburn, Kentucky. Other teams in the SEC want him. So it's not like you're going to get him for $6 million a year. Yeah. So, you know, I think that like, it's kind of, you know what, I was talking to my dad on the phone and my dad is a avid Browns fan. Okay. And this will wrap around it.

always does. And he goes, you know what they need to do? They need to collectively stop buying tickets so they don't support this thing. Like everybody just needs to stop going to the game and stop buying Brown stuff. And they need to have an agreement amongst Browns fans to never support the team until they put a functional team on the field. And it's like, in theory, that would work. If everybody stopped going, it would work. But you have to get everybody to agree to stop going, which is the hard part. I think everybody in college athletics wants to rein in the expense of buyouts, the expense of guaranteed contracts, the expense of the annual salaries, these coaches are commanding, especially now in a world

where you have to pay the players. Like, I think everybody's collusion is harder to pull off than people think, which is amazing that the school's pulled off colluding against the players for as long as they did. Yeah. Well, because everybody benefited in the same way in that regard. Like in this regard, if everybody stopped, if everybody colluded, then that means that Kentucky he would also have to take part in colluding, which then would mean that they couldn't get a coach that they need.

Like the only reason why the salaries are getting this out of hand is because programs who are in a position. You could argue that the schools that chose not to collude as much with the players had an advantage too. Yeah. But you're never going to have a tier B, tier C, tier D team, not overspend to try to compete with the big boys, which then forces the big boys to overspend and it all like as a scale.

Right. There's no way that you could ever convince Kentucky not to give John Summerall $8 million a year. These are emotional hires being made by people who aren't really profit sharing. So they have a salary and they don't get a bonus for operating the organization efficiently. No. They keep their jobs if the people who write checks are happy and the people who donate money are happy. and so they only care about keeping them happy and they'll spend everybody else's money as much as they can to keep them happy.

Scott Woodward is great at spending other people's money. Has historically been incredible at spending other people until he did it wrong. Yeah, I mean, like I would be a hard thing to hear too like that you're personally responsible. You know, I was actually, one of our listeners was telling me this story when I'm, met him at an event that I was at and he said that he worked at a company. I'm not going to

tell you what the company is, but that they had a person in real estate who worked there, who expanded the company too much, picked terrible real estate spots, spent all the company's money to expand into less advantageous areas. Those stores are predictably not doing well. And then he left for another job before those stores failed. And it's like, it would be a really weird position to be in to like be responsible for that much money or to be the person who made the decision to do something that wasn't advantageous for your for your entity and then to cost them as much money as you have cost them without being personally responsible for those funds like it's like a really really like i mean i can't imagine he feels good about it it's got to be embarrassing

do you feel like there's remorse there like i don't know scott i don't think there's any remorse at all from him he's going to be like i took a big swing and it didn't work yeah and like the thing you have to you have to also take into account too is that there isn't a more important public figure in the state of Louisiana than the head coach of LSU. So if you think about the salary and how much they're taking those swings and how much money is on the table with these guaranteed contracts that like if it works, you have to make those swings because it's important to the people there. And I guess I could get on board with that too.

Well, the last national championship they won, they hired an interim coach. So are you? That's the part where they're looking at it a little bit differently. But I just, it's funny. because I've seen a lot of knee-jerk reactions of this saying, this is why LSU isn't the best job because the governor is going to meddle. No, this is why the LSU job is the best job

because if you're the right hire and he likes you, you go to the governor and you're like, we need this law change, we need this done, we need this done. They'll give you whatever you want. Again, they can't, the governor of Alabama can't do that. The governor of Florida can't do that. The governor of Mississippi can't do that. The governor of Louisiana can because LSU.

you is all that matters. That's wild, though. That's crazy. I feel like Robbie Anderson when he figured out Sir Per was a Panther. That's wild. That's crazy. Yeah, yeah.

I just, I always, I understand that, like, there is, like, the public university aspect of it, like, also has to coexist in the same world as politicians and politics because of the government funding and all that. But I never really know how they actually do it. I probably need to, like, read about that. Well, it's different in different states. Every state operates differently.

Louisiana historically famously corrupt in the government. How much is the percentage of a coach's salary who works at a state institution ever funded partially by taxpayer money? Or is it always private money? It depends on the school. The LSU coach is probably getting all private money. Okay. Most of the biggest places get all private money. In fact, like, for example, and this has come up quite a bit during this everybody wants laying

Kiffin thing. I was on PMT the other day and I was trying to explain that there's a law in Mississippi where you're only allowed to do a four-year deal max with a state institution. But Ole Miss Ole Miss and Mississippi State have figured out ways around that. I couldn't remember as I was doing the interview what the way they figured out was. The way they figured it out is they do the contracts through the foundation. That's why Chris Beard, the basketball coach at Oleness, is a six-year deal. That's why Lane's deal, I believe is six years, but rolls over automatically if he hits a certain wind threshold to stay at six years. It's done through the foundation,

which was the thing that was paying them all the money anyway. So they weren't going to get money from the university. Sometimes you see it they'll have like a $200,000 base salary that comes from the university, but it just depends on the school. And in most cases, it's like in the schools we cover for the most part, it's private money.

I went to the grocery store yesterday and I bought three 12 packs of diet soda, some shredded cheese, a bag of chips that my daughter likes in her lunches, peanut butter and a loaf of bread, and it was like $80. I feel bad for people who live in places where you are partially paying the coach's buyout with your taxpayer money. That's not that many places. The big buyouts are being paid by schools where private money is what funds them. So now, I would feel bad going back. to the millionaires who I keep

and I guess billionaires sometimes who are writing me checks being like hey can we have a little more because we screwed this one up I don't ever feel bad for a billionaire I don't feel bad for a billionaire millionaires maybe yeah maybe some millionaires I mean I don't feel bad for them because they could always say no

I saw a YouTube video no more money for you you don't spend it very wisely yeah I saw a Instagram reel the other day about Mark Zuckerberg and he has a yacht that like was hundreds of millions of dollars and it's this massive yacht that's bigger than like our houses times three

and then there's like a companion yacht that goes behind it that keeps like all the extra boats and jet skis like a little baby yacht it's a baby yacht that like is like a companion boat like it's a backup yacht that he has to make sure that like they have all the like cool little things there's like a gym on the backup yacht like it's a new life goal

I want to be backup yacht rich it was called support yacht and I found that to be funny Anyway, I think it costs like $279,000 a day to operate that whole operation. And I think he spent like seven days on the boat last year. Like it's just like that is how. So like it's kind of hard to like feel bad. Like if Cody Campbell's like team stinks this year, like he'll be fine. You know, like it'll be okay.

But it will be interesting to what happens next in this search. Because I think Jeff Landry is a politician and he's going to say what he wants to say in the moment that he believes will get him support in the moment. And right now, saying, I don't want Scott Woodward to make this hire, I don't want LSU to spend, to guarantee all this money, it's going to do him good in the moment. Scott Woodward's not going to make this higher. Like, they're about to announce a new president at LSU. It's probably going to be the guy at McNeese State.

One of his first duties will probably be to fire Scott Woodward. So, like, if you're Scott Woodward, maybe take some days off if you got some PTO, or just go in and, you know, put your feet up and watch some shows. Yeah. One thing before we move on, because this is so fascinating to me, I feel like this could be the whole show, but I wanted to ask you. The governor's notion that buyouts are rewarding failure. Do you think that that is true, or do you think that buyouts are the byproduct of trying to guarantee success? they are the byproduct of panicky emotional hires like i don't know if brian kelly has been rewarded he's paying he's definitely being right what's what is my dream i've said it many

times on the show what is my dream is right the greatest thing in the world would be paid to not work i actually feel like if you lived in that environment and like let me tell you something you know this about me but but when i came to on three from the athletic um and maybe it was the worst possible month for this but i had a one month period where i was done at the athletic but i could not start because of contract garden leave yeah garden leave whatever that's called and it was in the month of august and i was like this is going to be the best month of my life i literally get a month as an adult to not have to do anything for work not have to think about work i can go on trips i can clean up the house i can try to do man things

and like after four days of it like it was miserable for me but the athletic wasn't giving you $50 million to not work there anymore and that's the difference like you knew you're going to have to eventually go back to work yeah Brian Kelly never has to go back to work Jim O'Fisher never has to go back to work but the thing about it wasn't that the thing that I struggle with about it wasn't the money thing it wasn't it was like ego of watching my colleagues, like own stories or talk about stories and podcasts and write about them and having nowhere to do that. And I kind of feel like a coach's feeling would probably mirror that. If you give me $50 million to not work, I will monologue to myself in the bathroom and not care

one day. The thing that you're losing track of, because everything's a scale, is that he already had $50 million. Like, it's not like he, it's not like he, he's getting a big deal to him like it he lives in his own world and like for me it's like i got more money to come to on three i was sad that i wasn't able to do the job like you think ed orgeron what's oh ed orgeron doing he's sitting in his 36 story uh condo in miami looking out at jalo's and what's he on the show i'm not talking out of school here this was reported on like his ex-wife got a lot of his buyout so it's not the same thing I don't think that Ed Orgeron is going to ever have to go to a homeless shelter

if he never works again though true true like he's fine like and given the setting he was in but like what was he wanting to I don't know I coaches try to get why is Jimbo Fisher these guys are all wired differently we said that a million times like the difference between you and me and them is they can't help like Jimbo Fisher never has to work again but he really wants to coach you think if you ask Jimbo Fisher

if he had to give back 85% of his buyout that's being paid currently by Texas A&M to have the SEC head coaching job, he would do it. I do. Yes, 100%. I'm glad you said SEC head coaching job because I think there are a few he would not say that for. But yes, if you were to say you can be the next so-and-so head coach in the SEC,

yeah, he'd do it. So how much of it a reward is it really? Like Jimbo Fisher doesn't get to do what he loves, but now he has all the money that he already had. I don't know. It's just a thought. It's a thought exercise. We're just guys being dudes on the show, you know?

Yep, that's exactly right. Before we get to our mulligan of the week, you guys need to come see us. If you are headed out to the Penn State, Ohio State game this weekend, Crack of Modelo, stay game day ready. We will be with Modelo at their activation in the tailgate lots before the Penn State game. We will be in the Panera lot at 300 West Lane Avenue in Columbus.

come join us. We're doing a pregame show from there. We're going to hang out. We're going to have a lot of fun. Madela will be there. Lord knows what they're bringing. It's going to be a ton of fun. I believe big new kickoff is setting up right near there. So we may have a, maybe an Urban Meyer siding or Mark Ingraham signing. Who knows? Who knows? But yeah, drive yourself, Madela, say game day ready all season long and be game day ready with us if you are going to the Penn State. Ohio State game, by coming by and visiting with us, we'll be there probably 8 to 11-e-eem-ish, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.ish, and then we've got to go cover the game. But it'll be a lot of fun. So come on by and say hi and support the folks at Modelo. I'm very much looking forward to this. Me too. I really enjoy these activations. I really enjoy it. We have another one coming up in a couple of weeks, by the way, in the SEC.

We cannot be fun too yet, but it'll be good. And I hope we get a good game, And if you have read my stuff, because Andy, I want to take another second. But like, a lot of people in Columbus, like, is like probably a large portion of my following because that's where I started my career. So if you're somebody who has read my stuff or listened to my show, I would love to see you. I'd love to meet you. So if you're one of the ladies who met Ari on the apps before he met his lovely wife, I know there's a few of the few of you in Columbus, come on by. That would be what you could have had. All of them but one are welcome.

all right well we did this for everybody even that one even that one we got a medella for you too that'd be a real bad deal let's also talk a little pinini since we're talking to ohio state uh these ohio state blaster boxes are awesome so they have it's it's so cool and they're going to do this with other teams as well but it's all ohio state and so it's it's a box of these packs each one has four cards in it and they've got ohio state athletes of different different sports, but there's also all-time great how I say football and basketball players. And there are some pretty big time polls from different series here. So you can get, you know, a Julian Sayin, NIL card.

You get a Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs, the on-campus card that we're showing there. So I'm going to, I'm going to open this pack right here. And let's see what we can get. I got a, I got a Tavian St. Clair a little while ago. So that was big. The quarterback of the future. That's an IOU. You might want to hold on to that one.

That's right. That's right. All right. So we got Davis Burnside from the hockey team. Madi Paz from the lacrosse team. Mila Nikonorov from the swim team. And Blaine Wink from the baseball team with a prism one. Let's open one more pack.

I want to get a football player in here. Yeah, you got to open up. Yeah. We got a football. We've gotten a football player in every pack with that one. So I want to see if we're getting anybody who's playing on Saturday in this game. Oh, yes we are. All right.

We got a legendary contenders, Quinchon Judkins. Uh-oh, Ari. Do we have something? Do we have something? This dude's playing on Saturday. Oh, boy. School colors Jeremiah Smith. I'll get a top load for that one.

Yeah, you might want to do that. College ticket, Caleb Downs. This one was all football, by the way. Love that. Then Demerian Witten. Prism. So here's a card that I pulled out of that product when they sent me it. And this one's a big one.

This is a Jeremiah Smith, green, camo, shimmer, fearless. It's a beautiful card. Got that one in a top loader, but that one, that one's really beautiful. So you can get, and here's another one. I got basketball. I don't know much about basketball, but Bruce Thornton, I think, is an important player for them.

Green Shimmer autograph out of that product that Andy just opened. So keep her head on a swivel, keep ripping packs. And, you know, it's pretty cool. If you're an Ohio State fan or if you're any, if you're a football fan in general, just hunting Jeremiah Smith, Carnell, Tate, Julian Sand. We've got some pretty big cards in those products. Check them out.

It's a really cool thing to rip. Visit pininiamerica.net to start your collection today. Ari, we got a little news coming in here on a Thursday afternoon. Matt Rule has agreed to a two-year extension with Nebraska. This includes a $15 million buyout this season if he would go to another school. I think that probably effectively removes him from any sort of coaching searches anywhere else. Now, question I have, was he seriously a candidate for Penn State? I think he was when James Franklin was fired, and then the Minnesota game happened,

and then that changes things a little bit, right? I don't know. Penn State's going to have a heck of a time finding a guy that is more accomplished at the college level, I think. You know, if that's what you're working for, than James Franklin, but even Matt Rule, like, if you want to, like, go use his entire collegiate resume, because, like, the thing that's so funny to me about, like, the hiring of jobs, it's like, well, he lost a game to Minnesota

and now he's a completely different human than he was two months ago. It's like, okay. Right. If that's how we analyze things, that's fine. But like, if Matt Rule is no longer somebody that Penn State would be interested as a result of what happened against Minnesota, then show me who you're going to go get instead.

I don't necessarily think it was a result of what happened against Minnesota. Like, I think what happens against USC this week will be pretty telling. Like, if they beat USC, then Nebraska's going to feel great about this. and Penn State's going to be like, dang, we missed out because we could have, you know, maybe we could have had this guy. What if USC blows their doors off? Like, that's going to be a totally different discussion. So it's a very fluid situation. All these are fluid situations.

And Nebraska felt like they had the guy they wanted. So I pushed back on the validity of things. I was actually, it's funny that this happened because I was on the radio for an appearance this morning on an Omaha radio station. and they asked me about mat rule and i was thinking about like if you came into the year a Nebraska fan's wish would be to go nine and three and to show real signs of improvement as he tries to modernize the program yes and i think what happens is they got off to a hot start and this happened too at oklahoma you know you get off to a hot start and people get really excited and they start to allow themselves to dream about something bigger they

They started to think, oh, crap, the Matt Rule year three thing is about to happen again. We're about to make the playoff. And then you lose focus of what would have been a success this year because of the hot start. Where I'm trying to zoom out is like, yeah, Nebraska can go lose to USC by 17. But if they finish nine and three, the season as a whole was a success. And we're not in the business of making hirings and firings based on a one game or two game sample size. we need to zoom out at what he's done at the place in the given year. And I think that that would be a successful season for Nebraska.

So like when you say, well, what happens to U.S. It's like, yeah, I'm with you. If USC beats them 49 to 10 or does something to them like Minnesota did, like that's going to leave a sour taste in the mouth. But what if they lose to USC, excuse me, and then go undefeated for the rest of the year and finish nine and three. Oh, yeah, nine and three would be great. Yeah.

I think even eight and four represents improvement over last year. And then you have a chance. chance to go into the portal, get Dylan Raola another year of off-season training to to be the best version of himself, come into year three with your five-star quarterback, surrounded by some good players and have a shot to do it again. You know, what I do think is interesting is that the Penn State game and the USC game have now flipped. Like now the Penn State game is considered a win.

Before the year started, we were breaking down the schedule and the same graphic was on the screen. In August, we were like, well, if they lose to Michigan and lose to Penn State, I don't know that Penn State is definitely a win. But I'm saying we're viewing it as a game that they could and maybe should win in the moment. Yes, I agree. And it flipped. But like if you actually go back to the schedule graphic and play some of the clips from our August appearance, you know, we had USC as a win.

It might not be a win because USC is better than we thought. But now Penn State's, but they might do exactly what we said would be a success, even if they lose to USC by 20 on Saturday. No, I think I think you're right about this. And I think probably the evaluating it week to week game to game. is not the greatest way to do that. Especially when you're talking about how much money in the decision you're made. Now, the question that I think is a good one, Andy,

is, was nine and three. And what Matt Rule has done at Penn State good enough for what Penn State wants. Because remember, Penn State is trying to improve off of annual 10 win seasons and they're trying to win a national title. I think Matt Rule has already unequivocally proven that he's a great program builder. But we're not building Penn State. We're decking the thing out. now we're renovating that thing we're we're we're adding new countertops and new cupboards and

we're making a house like we're hiring an interior designer not an architect and if you think that matt rule is a great architect does that make him a great interior designer i think is a completely different discussion of whether they beat USC on saturday that's a that's a good way to do it like who's an architect who's an interior designer like yeah because that you're right is the interior designer is the coach who can take you to that next higher level like if you just need a structure and some shelter you don't worry about an interior designer you need somebody who can build you a foundation and put a roof over your head love i love our house yeah bones are beautiful architecture is amazing it's a unique place

we need to design it better i'm not going to go call the guy who laid concrete to do that yeah now i think that's that's a i've not thought about it that way but that's a really great way to look at it Now, Nebraska is still in the build-it-up, get the foundation, the frame, the roof, the hardy board, all that. You're going to get all that straight. Then you worry about the other parts, which Matt Rule may be able to do. Yeah, but there are a lot of talented people that can design or to build a home and then design it beautifully where you don't have to do anything to it. Is Matt Rule that person? What happens against USC on Saturday doesn't tell me.

that. That's true. That's true. Now, if they wind up seven and five at the end of the season, we can have a different discussion. But we think, foundation. Yes. We think this is going to wind up being a better Nebraska season than last year was, which was better than the year before. And if that rule is continually improving them, that's what you asked for. This contract, I'd be curious to see the specifics of this contract extension. I think that it sounds like it's it's pretty incentive-based, which I think if you're a Nebraska fan, you're fine with that.

Like, don't put yourself on the hook for too much extra money, but if Matt Rule does meet certain benchmarks, then absolutely reward him for him. That would seem like the fairest way to do this. I think that everybody's contract should be incentive-based. You know what the best one was? Remember when they reduced Jim Harbaugh's salary after the pandemic?

Remember the incentives for that that would essentially get him back up to where he was? where it was like $2 million if you play for the national championship. Like, yeah. Now, most coaches' agents are not going to want them to agree to that because they want guaranteed money. Yeah, because you have super agents negotiating with gym teachers, as I saw somebody read. But if you could get to a point where that was acceptable,

a coach would lovingly open up their wallet and throw cash at your face for you to do by reaching those incentives because it's what money well spent. National championships and college football playoff appearances are money well spent. Yeah. Like, I think, and again, we haven't seen the specifics of this one yet as we record this on Thursday afternoon. But like you throw a million dollar or $2 million incentive on reaching the college football playoff. Like that's perfectly fair.

It's worth way more than that to your school. If you do that. Way more to the school, and you'll be, you don't think that that's everybody's personal incentive. Why not make it a financial one? You don't think it's bad rules, like goal in life to bring Nebraska to the playoff? Yeah. Probably what do you think so? 85% of the time he's awake.

So I'll be curious. I did hit the Huster Online message boards, right, as this news was breaking, just to see how the fan base feels about it. It feels like it's split a little bit. You've got your people who are very happy about it. You got some people who don't know that he should get an extension at this time because they don't feel like he's he's gotten them where he needs to be yet i don't think there's anybody i would say the minority is the one that's like no this is stupid blah blah blah but i do think there are people that are you know saying very politely are we sure we need to extend this guy yet

because he's just doing the job that he was paid to do yeah yeah the bidding against yourself thing is interesting. But like at the same time, Matt Rule's name has been swirled around. So yeah, whether it's real or not, the, the idea of him being taken away by Penn State is out there. And if you're Troy Dan and the athletic director, as long as you're not committing too much, putting yourself on the hook for too much, you're probably okay here. And I would be remiss to not point this out. And then you can explain the difference. But Matt Rule did sign an extension at Baylor and then take the Panthers. their shop three months later. Yeah. Well, there's probably no buyout to go to the NFL.

Yeah. So I don't know what the contractual. The Panthers and their billionaire owner were happy to pay it. No NFL is trying to hire him right now. Making it more expensive to hire him makes it more likely that you're going to keep him because the place that is theoretically might be after him is on the hook for a lot of money. Yeah, $15 million just to get him out of Nebraska is pretty. pretty prohibitive for most colleges.

They're not going to mess with that. They're going to look for somebody who is a little bit easier to uproot. Although I do find it funny that that total is prohibitive, but firing the person isn't. Well, but when you add it on top of that, that's

when it gets difficult. Because it's compounding incidences, yep. So that's why they did this. And, you know, look, Matt Rule's getting something for that. because that's giving up leverage if you're Matt rule. So he's getting something for that. He's going to get something financially for that.

And now it's up to him because the expectations do rise. When you get something financially more, your expectations go up. So you may disagree and I may disagree about the idea of criticizing if he loses the USC game. But I guarantee you if we go to the message boards on Saturday night, if they've lost to USC, it will be a flame. It will be a river of flame. George, if they finish nine and three,

will be an oasis for the next six months. Exactly. If they're nine and three, even if they're eight and four, I think. I think. But I guess if you're Matt rule, you'd be happy to sign this now before and,

you know, move forward. Yeah, it's, I like the Schrodinger's cat thing. Like, we're not going to open the box. We're not opening the USC box right now.

I actually think that this played out perfectly for both sides. Like Penn State might not need, Matt Rule and Matt Rule might not need Penn State. I think that he gets paid more money. And they don't have pressure to hire somebody who maybe they weren't going to hire in the first place. Right. Because of personal connections to the place.

Yeah. There you go. Because the question is if Matt Rule went to college at New Mexico State, would he be a candidate for Penn State at all? That's a good question. That's a legitimate question. Yeah. anyway so yeah everybody probably wins here the only way you don't want if you're nebraska is if you extended him and put yourself on the hook for more money and he doesn't continue

to get better but he's gotten better every year so far so so far so good it'll be really cool to see what he can do long term because all the other places he built up he bolted after he did it he never has been at a place that long so it'll be cool and this this situation now he's going to be there So you will get to see what he can do as an interior designer when he's done putting the roof on top. I think they're at the roof level right now. They're working on the roof line. Well, they're testing the foundation on Saturday.

We've tortured that analogy to death. Ari, it is time for our new segment. Bet MGM Mulligans. The lines have changed. Have our opinions changed? now it's time to go back to the bed mGM app take a look at how those lines have moved during the week this is a new segment we should have been doing this all year don't worry it's going to become a fixture on the show the mulligan of the week so we made our picks on monday we do our pick show every monday

but the lines do adjust you know as you get up toward the game so they've moved in different directions or perhaps there's a situation where some material changes have happened during the week or some other things have happened during the week and you feel differently about the outcome of the game. So you have the opportunity to take an adjusted line. You could take a different team. Ari, what is your mulligan of the week?

So there are ways that you could do this because you could just like, everybody's going to take a mulligan every week because if your line improved, you're just going to take a better line. I'm going to just get kind of froggy with it. going to switch aside. All right. And don't ask me why.

I don't have analysis. I'm going to take the better line and I'm going to lay Texas points this week. And I don't know if I can quit them. I am on record yelling into this microphone that they stink. I'm fully aware of how moronic this may feel and sound.

Texas, by the way, now a two and a half point favorite against Vanderbilt. I'm a little surprised this hasn't dropped to a pickum. When we picked it, Vandy was a three-point underdog. I was on Vandy to cover. Ari was on Vandy to cover, but now Ari is on Texas to cover two and a half.

And I am fully aware of all the things that you're going to say because I agreed with them earlier in the week. And I am actively choosing to ignore all the things that you could say. Well, can we talk about the at least the bit of news we got? Sure, absolutely. The availability report came out on Wednesday night. So this is the initial availability report. Arch Manning listed as questionable.

I am looking at that as it is strongly possible that Arch Manning is going to play in this game. They feel like that he can clear concussion protocol and be ready to play in this game. So I am treating that information as if Arch Manning is going to start this game. Yeah. Although I am definitely here for Caldwell coming in and throwing for 427 yards and what that would do to our show. I mean, every time he comes in, he throws a dot. I know. I'm just like, trust me. I think Texas fans have noticed that, too. I'm just here for like what that would mean for our show and college football discourse in general.

Think about how many columns that births. Oh, a lot. And you know, I'm here for labor pains on those columns either. They come right out. Obviously not rooting for Arch to not be healthy. I want him to have a speedy and healthy recovery and be 100% himself. You just wanted to get beat out by the backup fair and square. That's what you want. I don't know if I don't root for those things. I root for stories, and that would be a hell of a story, dude. The thing that I think is interesting.

And, Andy, I want you to go on your quick 30-second diatribe about why you picked Vanderbilt in this game. Vanderbilt's better. Vanderbilt is better than Texas. It has been better than Texas. We just watched Texas go to overtime with Kentucky and Mississippi State. Vanderbilt is significantly better than those teams. significantly.

Vanderbilt is well coached. Vanderbilt has a quarterback who is dynamic, who makes things happen. Now, perhaps the athleticism of the front seven players, your Colin Simmons's, your Aunt Hills at Texas

will keep Diego Pavia in check. But I worry about Texas being able to move the ball against Vanderbilt. I worry about Texas being able to block Vanderbilt. These are all concerns that Texas's offense has provided us with, you know, throughout the season. So I'm still taking Vandy. I still can't believe I'm getting points.

Mm-hmm. College football is about spots as much as it is about the teams. Mm-hmm. I really like the spot here. And maybe I've got a few long. Yeah. Being at home. Okay. Vandy is coming off two very tough games in a row in terms of.

in terms of the kind of athletes you're playing against the level of team you're playing against last week against Missouri. And the energy required to win those games. Okay. I understand that. And Texas is at home. I get it. Yeah.

I think that like this is kind of a, I wish gambling was as easy as picking the better team to cover sometimes. Like it's not, you know, your analysis and my analysis of who's on whose team and which defensive. is going to blow up their left tackle and all those things are all well and good. It does nothing for you as a gambler.

Unfortunately, no. If it did, we would be really good at this, or I would be much better at it. You've done quite well, actually. I'm just going to, like, take a blind leap of faith here, and maybe this is stupid. And I'm willing to, like, put my hand up and say this is stupid. But if you want me to give you a reason for why I believe Texas will win from a tactical, like, analysis standpoint, can't do it. I'm just picking a spot, and I'm throwing a dart at it.

I'm going to take Texas at home. and it would not surprise me if they won the game and certainly if they won it by three. They keep finding ways to win. So. They have found ways to win the last couple of times. They also lost to Florida, which fired it. That would surprise me as if they won convincingly.

I don't think they're going to win convincingly. I think it's on the table. I love the spot here. Oh, I don't, yeah. Listen, would I be shocked if Texas eeks out of win here? No, but I do think Vandy's probably the better team. So I'm going to stick with them. Texas wins this game by even one point.

I wonder what the narrative does to like what we think about them because they're still technically alive in the SEC race. It doesn't change a thing for me. If they win it by if they beat a good team by a point at home. No. I still don't think they'll beat Texas A&M. Let's just get to the game and watch it. What are you changing?

Mine's not changing much. But the the people have given me two extra points. in the SMU Miami game because I had SMU plus 10 and a half against Miami. I don't necessarily think SMU is going to win. I do think they'll keep it close. SMU is number one in the nation

at forcing turnovers. The one time Miami lost, Carson back through four interceptions. SMU got gut punched last week at Wake Forest. They need to bounce back in a big way. So I think Miami will get SMU's best shot. And thanks to the way the line is moved, I get two more points now.

So it is now SMU plus 12 and a half against Miami. So it almost 1 by 11, wouldn't it? We both win? We would both win, yes. It would be the first time in show history. We both win on different sides. That'd be fun. The first middle.

It would be a good middle. They used to call me the middler on the roof back in the day when I was really good at it. I think you're allowed to say that. I don't think I'm allowed to say that. Was that offensive? No. Okay. I don't think it's offensive.

Would it be offensive? I wouldn't take offense to it. maybe someone out there would we get a bad review on our show how could the non-jewish guy say fiddler on the roof on air i'm not listening exactly and you're a guy that's all i hear whenever people leave a review like that all i hear is yeah we get a lot of that we we inspire a lot of murr yeah guys like if you think about like the actual shows that are super popular and the highly offensive things that are set on the like we are pretty tame like if we offend you more offensive i think that's what you're trying to say

yeah but like somebody said i was offensive when i said the trump thing about like how some people like them some don't it's like if you are offended by us like on a personal level it's just a basic fact i know like if we like listen we might offend you with a football opinion because it doesn't jive with what you root for or what you hope or what you think that's totally fine but if we offend you on this show on a personal level like when it comes to politics or like like human emotion past what your favorite football team is. I perfectly understand if a person is offended because someone gave a political opinion that is the opposite side of theirs.

Yeah. They were mad about it. I agree. But stating a basic fact is not that. That's a different thing. If we have gotten to the point where we offend you on a personal level outside of football, you're the problem. Like we don't, we try really hard not to provide opinions about anything that's real.

outside of football so like if i've ever said something to you that like doesn't jive with your personal views like that's a you problem because i don't i think i piss people enough piss people off enough with the football opinions yeah so me too me too but if you're offended for if i have offended you over politics on this show then you have no governor whatsoever to exist in society yeah yeah well just wait i don't know if i i sent you the well no the guy sent you the question so if you read it you saw it. Your rules for life will be attacked later in the show, Ari. I'm ready. Okay. All right. Let's start, dear Andy and dear Ari. My Mulligan.

40 minutes in. We're like, we're going to have a longer, a longer Q&A today. We got some good questions. Should we do two mailbag episodes a week moving forward just so we can get to everyone? Offseason, we can do plenty, but we get less questions in the offseason. All right. Well, first question goes from Aikos. So, hey, Hey, guys, I've been listening to your show for quite a while and really enjoy it. By the way, I might be your only listener from Hungary and quite possibly the only college football fan in Hungary. My question that I would love for you guys to discuss on the show is, what's stopping a coach with a huge buyout like James Franklin from joining a school like Virginia Tech

for a $1 annual contract getting paid the same as he got at Penn State and also sticking it to them since they have to pay a salary and using all the cash schools not have to pay him to construct an elite roster and take a shot at the playoffs. Thanks, and keep up to good work from Akos, a Gators fan who lately kind of wishes he wasn't won. That would be a fair, like a real breach of your mitigation clause. Right. And the reason I mean, we've kind of answered this before, but I get this question a ton. So I realize that there's a lot of people who have it.

So I want to make sure we make this clear. The reason is because if you did that, let's say James Franklin got hired by Virginia Tech for a dollar a year. Penn State would sue James Franklin immediately. Penn State would sue James Franklin for violating the spirit of his contract, if not the letter. Because when you have a duty to mitigate, you're supposed to get a market value job. You're not supposed to give somebody a deep discount. And the reason I learned about this is because one day I opened my door and there was a subpoena sitting in the door handle. And I was like, what the hell is this?

And it was in a case involving the University of Arkansas and Brett Bilema. Because after Brett Bilema got fired, the Arkansas, and I don't know if the university itself or the foundation, whoever was paying his buyout, basically, they thought that he had given the Patriots a sweetheart deal, that he was taking below market from the Patriots. And so, therefore, they did not owe him as much money as he was claiming. and that's that's the deal like market value is not necessarily an easily pinned down thing but if you're James Franklin or if you're somebody else and you take a dollar salary when the other place owes you eight million a year which is what Penn State owes James Franklin they're going to sue you like they will sue you and it'll go to it actually probably wouldn't even go to court I think usually those contracts

force it to arbitration. It would go to arbitration and you, the coach will lose. How much could the coach reasonably take off to give his place a break? I'm glad you asked that because I think you can give him a discount. Like a million a year? Like what do you think? If James Franklin were just a free agent was not getting money from Penn State, what would he command at Virginia Tech? I would guess six million a year. That's what I was going to say to, six.

or six and a half million. So if you go to Virginia Tech as James Franklin, getting $8 million a year from Penn State, I think you can probably take it for like four and a half or five. Right. And then that's, that's, you just be like that.

Because Virginia Tech's going to go, here's where we've historically paid within the ACC hierarchy. Here's where we are now. And this is very much in line with the way we've paid coaches in the past. And Penn State can't say boo. Yeah. Like, if I were James Franklin in this made-up scenario, I would say I will take as little as you think you can pay me without me getting sued. That's how I would start the negotiation.

I would also backload my contract a little bit so that when my buyout runs out, my contract automatically surges ahead. Yeah, that would be smart. It would also give Virginia Tech a break at the beginning. And then, of course, you'll make a whole at the end after you're already. done being paid right which is great for james franklin it's great for everybody except penn state yep so that that's why and and i realize a lot of people had that question that's why i included it and also we've got a hungarian listener how awesome is that funny because i'm always podcasting hungry i see what you did there yeah i was i was going to work a goulash reference in

there but that's okay i love goulash yeah all right i would love to go on If I were a billionaire, I think I would like sail on my yacht and I'd put you on the companion yacht, sorry, the support yacht. It would be cool to like the back of yacht. It would be cool to travel the world and eat dinner at the best place in every country in the world? Yes. Like really try that like they're like what is Hungary's best foot forward in like a dinner scene scenario and just smash that and let's do it every night? That would be incredible. We got we got to when we get backup yacht rich, we're doing.

that you know i will say this as somebody who has gained a ton of weight lost a ton of weight gained a ton of weight and then lost a ton of weight again um i've eaten my way through the country and i know that like you're going to just jump in here and call me a trash panda a raccoon that likes trash and that's true but like nine times out of ten if i am like recommended something of like you have to go to this place and try this thing in america eight or nine times out of ten i'm disappointed. I think if you have the right people recommending them, you just have to learn her to trust. I think that's the key.

And that's why I get so nervous when I make a restaurant recommendation for somebody that they're going to hate it and then my reputation will be ruined. Yeah. Yeah. You're good. I would trust you. And I feel like places are good. But when you think about the hype that a lot of restaurants get and like,

the line like for instance a prince street pizza just opened up here in dallas okay i love prince street pizza the original it is really good yeah it is really good and they do very different types of crusts they have like pepperoni cups yeah yeah they do all sorts of good stuff but if some if i had never eaten prince street pizza before and somebody said this is the best pizza you've ever had your entire life and you should go wait in a line around the block for three hours to eat it And then I got to the front of the line, I'd be like, I wouldn't have done that again. Well, that's also crazy because, like, if you want to go to Prince Street, Peach, in New York, you just order online or you call in an order and go pick it up.

There's one, you don't wait three hours with Durango Casino in Las Vegas. And there's no line half the time. Yeah. Like, and it's just like, that's the one thing I don't understand about people. The, the amount of reward that some people get for waiting in an obnoxiously long line is just never worth the squeeze. If you see people outside waiting in a long line, 90% of the time, there's like, why are you doing that?

That's why I go insane when I see a long line at the Starbucks drive-through because I see people who don't value their own time. But if you think about- They can just order on the app, park and walk in and be out in 30 seconds, but they sit in line for 30 minutes. Yeah. Because their time is not valuable to them. I don't know.

Yeah, like the Black Friday thing. And that hardly happens anymore. But would you spend the night? I did wait overnight and lying outside of a circuit city to buy a $200 laptop because I was broke, my computer was broken, and I needed a laptop. And that was the only way of that laptop. How much was that laptop if you bought it on any other day? $800.

I did not have an additional $600. Was there only like three of them at that price or something? There were like eight of them at that price. Okay. All right. That makes sense. Like if you're broke and you can save $600 on something inherently valuable to your life, then sure.

But a lot of times I spent the night in the Walmart parking lot and I got $28 off of a Magnavox. It's like, is $28 worth just like, I don't know, I don't know. Yeah. No, I'm with you on that, especially now. We have all these technological ways to not waste our time in line. So, or online as our pal Ralph Russo would say. And you know me, like my number one, like the, if like hell exists,

and hell is just reliving something you can't stand over and over again for eternity. Me being in line at the post office would be my hell. All right. We got another question from Matt. On Tuesday's show, Ari said regression is the enemy of employment, which was a great quote. Great quote. We were talking about Jonathan Smith and Michigan State, by the way.

As a lifelong South Carolina fan, to say I'm disappointed with the regression of this season would be an understatement. Despite being preseason number 11 with playoff aspirations and a Heisman trophy contender at QB, my Gamecox seem to be headed toward not even making a bowl game. To make matters worse, the offense is just as putrid as they rank in the bottom 10 in the country in total offense and points per game.

This is statistically the worst South Carolina offense since the 1999-O-N-11 season, shout-out Lou Holtz. This, however, is a trend and not an anomaly. The time he's been at South Carolina, Shane Beamer's offense has been on average the worst in the SEC over a five-year span, and that's with Spencer Rattler and Eleanor Sellers at QB. If you peruse the Gamecock's central message boards, you'll see a fan base split on the future of the program and their coach.

Half want to give Beamer another chance to hire a good O.C. While the other half thing, to Ari's point, that it's time for him to go as they are worse in year five than they were in year one. My question is this. For a program like South Carolina, what is a risk of your move? Letting a head coach hire technically his fifth OC because Mike Bobo left before spring practice in year one. One, when he hasn't been able, when he hasn't proven capable of that task, or is it worse getting into potentially the busiest coaching carousel in history

when you perhaps be the sixth to eighth the best job on the market? That's a really good question from Matt. Now, here's what I'll say about South Carolina. If they fire Shane Beamer, it would be incredibly stupid because you just extended him for no reason. Why did you extend him last off-season? He wasn't going anywhere. You didn't have to worry about it.

And this is the part with all these extensions that drives me nuts. Like, unless your coach is one foot out of the door and you're desperate to keep him, do not extend him for no reason. Shane Beamer had a good season. It's his job to have good seasons. You were already paying him for that. So I don't think they should fire Shane Beamer because they'd be incredibly stupid and wasting money because why did you send him in the first? place. Yeah. Also, at the time of firing him, you would not be as high in the hierarchy of hireable coaches as you think. This is not the right time to do it. Now, I don't know if every year

there's just going to be 30 openings and you're just going to have to do it eventually. But like right now, too, it's like the seventh best quarterback in the draft entering the draft when he has a year of eligibility left. So financially it would be stupid and I think timing would be stupid. That said, I think that the regression is the enemy of employment line is clever. But I also, I also, also have to try to put things in perspective too. Like if your coach greatly overachives in a year and then you go back down to like what you typically are, is that a regression or did you? I think what Matt is worried about is how much of it was Dow Loggins being good at running

an offense and then Dow Loggins went and got a head coaching job at App State. And now Mike Shul is not good at running an offense. And maybe Shane Beaver's not good at picking off. of coordinators. You know, you could do, I'm going to write this column. I've been thinking about doing it next week. 10 most disappointing teams of 2025. And I think that you obviously know, like, Texas and Penn State and those teams

would be under. South Carolina is definitely one of them, yeah. But like, the second step to that of not just pointing out, they're disappointing, is like, why do they suck? Like, why does South Carolina suck this year? Their offensive line is not good. kind of the same reason Texas is having trouble, but in South Carolina, it's even worse. Bad offensive line is one part of it.

The offensive coordinator situation, we've just mentioned. Also, there's a bit of regression to the mean. They're not as talented as they were last year playing in a league that is tough, where their schedule is very hard. Yeah, I have a hard time conflating the two things. I'm not even struggling with that with Texas. It's like, does Texas have a coordinator problem on offense or is their offensive lines suck? And how good of a coordinator can you be if you can't block anyone? It's just like that's awful, too.

It's like Shane B. Mer is not a higher officer. But that also comes back to the head coach, because it's your job to make sure the personnel is where it needs to be. Who's ever had a good offense, a bad offensive line with a good offense? Has that ever happened? You can gimmicky. There are gimmicky ways to get away with it in like group of five league. but if you tried to do that in the big turn in the SEC you're just to get your head beat in

yeah so you know I don't know I think Shane Beamer has been a net positive for South Carolina and I think firing him now would be stupid yeah also South Carolina is not going to be really good every year yeah historically speaking

and I and I feel I feel for South Carolina fans though because you you aren't going to be good every year so you don't want to suck in the years you're supposed to be good. Yeah. And that's the thing. Having a quarterback that played so well last year

and you won nine games with, it's very frustrating to see this. And he's done, right? Like, this is it for him. No, he has another year if he wants it. No, I know, but he's, the expectation at this point is that he'll go to the NFL, though, right? I, maybe.

I'm not sure how that's all going to shake out for everybody in the NIL era. Yeah, I don't know that. But my understanding, and this could be changing, because it's not going well this year is that he's a first round pick right now. So I, and I wonder if first round picks... Not based on production.

No, certainly not. Neither was Anthony Richardson. That's true. And look how well that worked out. Yeah. And I think that you could put him in that level of category of athlete. Like,

he's going to make people drool at the combine. Yeah, but hopefully Anthony Richardson was an instructive case. And like for Lenora... Now, Lenora Sellers was better last year than Anthony Richardson ever was in college. I agree. There are seeds of what you hope you can get out of Lenore Sellers.

I would draft Lenora Sellers in the first round with what we saw this year. I think there have been way worse quarterbacks taken in the first round. I would want to see him produce more. Yeah. So maybe the hope is that. Let's kind of flip this thing, though, Ari. Because we don't know, and we don't know this for a fact. We're just supposing that maybe Shane Beamer could be in line to get the Virginia Tech job.

Virginia Tech alum, son of Frank, would you leave if you were him if that job was available to you to reset your clock? Do I get to know if I get my quarterback back? Yeah, you know, let's say Lenores has told you one way the other what's going to happen. Okay, well, I'm going to say he's coming back in this scenario and then I would not leave. Okay. I don't think that the Virginia Tech job is a job that he won't be able to get again. I also feel like if you just gave me this extension for no reason and you owe. me all this money, fire my ass. Like, I'm making you fire me. I'm not, I'm not leaving.

I'm not letting you off the hook for that. I don't know if James Franklin is going to end up at Virginia Tech. I have no idea where they're going to end up. But if you're, I don't know that it is his dream. I don't either. And knowing Shane a little bit, I do know he worked very hard early in his career to go work for other people and to show that it wasn't, like he wasn't Nepo baby. He worked for Philip Fulmer. He worked for Steve Spurrier. He did work for his dad for a little bit, but then he also worked for Kirby Smart and Lincoln Riley. So, like,

he worked his way up to this point. It wasn't a hand of this job because of his last name. Can I say the unpopular thing? Go for it. There's a high likelihood that the Virginia Tech job is reopened again in four years. Right? Maybe.

Also, if Shane Beamer wants to work at Virginia Tech, that opportunity will likely arise at some point in the next decade and he's still a relatively young man he's a young guy you're right so if this is your dream which we just said we're not sure that it is but if it were his dream which would be the pool to go back there why not get paid all this money that south carolina has promised you try to turn things around at south carolina and then reevaluate it in 2029 when that job is open again because even if james franklin takes it and virginia tech wins big james franklin will

then get hired by an SEC school or something. Like, whoever is that the next head coach there is either going to be fired or is going to do so well there that they get offered a bigger job in one of the two safe conferences. Like, it will be open again in 2030. So, like, you have no reason to jump at it right now unless you think you're going to get fired. And here's the other thing, too, that Shane Beamer also has to take into account.

He's a certain sweetheart, or he was last year a sweetheart of coaching. And we still view his college. trajectory as is upward at the moment if you jump right now to reset your clock at your dad's school and then you suck there like that is it for you like Virginia Tech if like the motivation to go to Virginia Tech is based solely on resetting the clock and giving yourself a more stable circumstance which isn't even true because they just extended him then you can do that later on at the twilight of your career if things don't go the way of plan I think there's far more to gain staying at South Carolina than there is to go to Virginia Tech right now if I

Yeah. No. Agreed. So I say stay. You say stay. Not sure Matt's going to be happy with that, but that's the move. I say do not fire. Was he, did he strike you as on the fire site? A little bit. A little bit. I say do not fire. I think you can be disappointed without wanting to fire your coach, though. I think those fans do exist. Let's stay in the Palmetto State with a question from Nathan. Dear Andy and Ari, follow up from the hot seat episode. Where is Dabo? Even though he went to the playoffs last year

and certainly been underperforming for several seasons and this year his team is much worse than a number of teams that have already fired coaches or at least definitely will. Is there a reason no one brings his name up in the hot seat conversation? Yeah, the reason is Clemson would owe him a ton of money and he's one of the people, the rare people,

who has done so much for the place that, yo, you shouldn't fire him. you owe him a chance to turn it around. If you found out that Shannon Terry, like, resented you or wasn't thankful for your work, you might want to leave. Is Shannon Terry paying me $11 million a year? I mean, you keep getting back to that, but the other her school. Because it matters.

I know, but Andy, the other school that's going to pay you will pay you commens. it with what you're the other school will not who's going to hire dabble for 11 million dollars a year i don't know somebody might hire them for nine and a half who name a school i don't know that's the problem i had that when i spoke to the the quarterback club the other night somebody said why not dabble at florida i'm like because the idea is to win you don't think that do you think some like desperate big 10 school would pay him 10 million no i'm trying to think I'm trying to think of one. You can't name a school, and this is why he shouldn't put himself on the market.

Do you think Purdue would pay him $10 million a year? Nope. Do you think Michigan State would? Nope. Jay Bat, who was just in the ACC, who just left Georgia Tech, which just beat Clemson. That's the AD at Michigan State right now. so no i don't like places that like could be fooled into paying a ton of money for a sexy name it happens all the time you can't act like that doesn't happen it doesn't happen as much as you think

i mean it happened in north carolina this year but that's a different conversation anyway from should he be fired like i'm wondering if there should not be fired under any circumstances i wonder but my my question is i wonder if because like i don't know about you but i have picked up an underlying error of resentment in some of the comments that he's made. Sure, he resents Clemson fans for expecting him to continue earning his paycheck. And that's a dabbo problem.

That's not a Clemson problem. It's not an anybody else problem. It's a debable decision too. He needs to get over that. But if the person who has the problem is the resentful one and the person who is the resentful one. Then he can leave and go see what he can get elsewhere.

It won't be great. Great. And I wonder if you're Dabo Sweeney, if you would be willing to overcome that resentment, or if that resentment is strong enough for you to overcome a salary decrease. I would swallow my pride and keep hammering those $11 million year checks. And you know what I would try to do is win more. I would look at what I'm doing and say, what am I doing wrong? And let's try. And I think that's what Davo will do. really interesting column from Larry Williams and Tiger Illustrated our Clemson site this week about how the portal strategy

of Clemson needs to change but if I'm Davo I look at all of it I look at my portal strategy I look at my high school recruiting strategy I look at my hiring strategy because clearly something's not working so are we back this is a talented team that's not good

are we back at the portals the problem I don't think that's all the problem I think his hiring practices need examination? They have good players. That's the problem. It's like you could, it was so easy to analyze Clemson the last two years of like,

oh, they're not going to win the national title. It's not easy to figure out what the problem, like what's wrong now? Because they've got like, TJ Parker and Peter Woods are going to be very high draft picks. Like I, there's no excuse for this team to be this bad.

That had four Clemson players in the first round. I don't think that Kate Lubbnik's the first rounder anymore. No. Um, yeah it's a it's a complicated situation for sure because on one hand you're saying at the risk of turning the show into a four four hour show on one hand you're saying he's it's his problem that he's resentful that people aren't thankful for what he's done but on the other hand you're saying that they should not fire him because they should be

no i'm saying clemson i don't clemson and clemson fans are different entities yeah clemson the thing that the entity that has the power to not to fire him should not fire him. But if Clemson and fans are like to think whatever they want. What if Clemson

and the entity is upset behind the scenes though? That's totally on the table. Sure. But they can also go to him and say

we would like you to work on this and he can say yes or no. And if he says no, you just let it go one more year and then if he keeps

falling, then you do fire him. Because is he, is he stubborn? Is water wet? and stubbornness is all i want to try to come up with another like uh cool sexy quote but stubbornness is the enemy of evolution well yes i don't think that's a i don't think i'm putting that on a quote card like i did the other one i was trying to recreate magic and i the other one's a t-shirt

yeah the other one is a t-shirt i don't know i'm like it's confusing it is a confusing situation for sure, to me. Well, I would not fire Davosweeney. If I were Davosweeney, I wouldn't go anywhere or I wouldn't try to go anywhere because I don't think you're going to get what you want. Do you believe Davosweeney can turn it around at Clemson, yes or no?

Yes. Okay. I haven't given up on him yet. There's a few coaches that you're done or not coaching anymore that if they came back, I don't think they could do it. I think the game might have passed him by. I do wonder if there's just a general,

expiration date on 10 years. It doesn't matter how good you are. It doesn't matter how much you've done. Like there's only a certain amount of time of- Steve Spurrier always said that. Yeah. Steve Spurrier always said that there was. Don't say anywhere too long.

Is it 15 years? I think he's probably shorter than that. But even if you're successful, 15 years seems like too long. He's been remarkably successful there over that time. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know. I think he can. I have not give it up on him yet. Which is why it always amuses me when people are agest in their hiring practices. It's like all you need is seven years from a guy. You're not going to get 20 years out of everybody. Like you can hire a 61 year old man. Yeah, Kurtzignati is 64. And if you get seven great years, that's money well spent. Exactly. I think it's five. I think if you can get five good years out of somebody. Yeah. That's all you need. Yeah. You've made a good hire if you get five good years. Yeah.

All right. This was from Alex. How do you feel about Dan Mullen's recent comments about the end of his time at Florida? Seems like he's trying to unload some of the responsibilities on the lack of recruiting when he was at Florida. I'm sure Scott Strickland gave Billy some things Dan didn't get, but the optics and the way Dan Mullen talked about recruiting were so bad at the time. Curious to hear your thoughts on the matter and if there's anything there. So he's talking about what Dan Mullen said to Dan Wolkin from Yahoo about, you know,

what resources he was given at Florida. Dan Mullen is 100% correct about this. Billy Napier got everything he wanted. Dan Mullen got told no a lot. Jim McElwain got told no a lot. Well, Mustamp got told no a lot. Urban Meyer got told no a lot. And so if I were Dan Mullen, I would be resentful of the fact that Billy Napier got all that money to have all that staff. Now, would it have changed anything for Dan Mullen? I don't think so. Because here's the thing, Dan Mullen is a really good coach.

Like on game day, X's and O's wise, in terms of figuring out what your talent does best and how best to deploy it, he's awesome at it. Awesome. Would I hire him

to coach a program that I expect to win national titles? No. Because he doesn't want to recruit at that level. Now, maybe in the NIL, era that's different because you can have your GM do it but he was not willing to compete with

Kirby Smart for recruits and that's not good enough at a place like Florida that's what you're paid to do too right it's part of the job so like here's the thing I think there are big 10 and SEC jobs where Dan Mullen would kill it like if Kentucky opens up Dan Mullen would be great at Kentucky. He'd be great at the greatest job in the world. He'd win you eight games a year. He'd have the occasional 10-win year. Is he going to be UNLV's coach next year? I don't know. Because there'll be a lot of openings. And again, he's a really good coach.

Yeah, he strikes me as somebody who would like land at Kentucky. Oh, he'd be perfect there. They'd build him a freaking statue. You think? They're not going to build Stoops one. Well, that's because of the way it ended. Wait, do you think they will build him one? No. he deserves one i mean he deserves one at the bank he does so i'd love but no i think and i do like if i'm dan mullen if i'm jim mackleyn if i'm will must champ like i just watched the entirety

the last four years at florida and and just gnash my teeth because billy napier got everything that those guys had asked for and were told they couldn't get so it is i'm sure it's frustrating I mean, I'm sure Dan thinks that if he'd had all that stuff, his tenure at Florida would have gone differently. But I still think the attitude toward trying to land the best of the best players was what was always going to be his undoing. So that said, I would hire him if I had a, if I had certain SEC or Big Ten jobs open, I would absolutely hire him because I think he can succeed at that level. For sure. So one more. From Mark, dear Andy and Ari, Ari, you said your rule for life is not to dine at a restaurant

that specializes in more than one cuisine. However, you said on Thanksgiving weekend, you are going to any place where you can get egg rolls, pizza, and chicken parm on the same plate is a friend of mine. Seems like these rules aren't followed, L.O.L. Andy, do you skip leg day too? I think Ari is the culprit in the kitchen pub story now and only through River under the bus to get the office off his tail unintended. That'd be a really long pub.

Yeah, it stretches all the way from Dallas to Nashville. No, Mark God. That's an impossibility. Ari has an alibi. But I do, it's interesting because when Ari has talked about his one rule for life, I have thought often about Ari's fantasy of going to, the mall food court and getting bourbon chicken and getting the fresh cut fries from the steakery and what happens at the mall food court though a bunch of crappy food is sold you are

buying i'm not buying bourbon chicken from burger king oh i know i know but you are talking about the buffet at the casino where you can get all those things on your one plate now that buffet does not specialize in everything that does open up a really important question to you which is do you view a casino buffet the same way you would a restaurant no no sometimes you just want to just sometimes you just want the trough yeah like on the cruise ship like is that eating at a restaurant no cruise ship is a floating golden corral like golden corral doesn't uh specify specialize in anyone given cuisine yeah i wouldn't i don't go to golden corral uh you Why not? Like, it is made for you.

It is. I like, do you remember hometown buffet? I do. I didn't go to those. We had Barn Hills Buffet and Ryan's and Quincy's in the South. Yeah. When I was in my 20s, hometown buffet was like my dream. I would go there and it was a little bit more expensive than Golden Corral because the food was better. The problem with Golden Corral is I don't think any of it's particularly good. Like the first plate at Golden Corral is like, I'm starving. This is great. And then the second plate is like, oh, this all sucks. So like the thing that I like about the casino buffet is that the casino buffet is usually like $37 and the food is good.

So like, you know, he did kind of get me in like a well actually moment here. Oh, and by the way, Mark, I don't skip leg day. Andy, do you think he got me in a well actually moment or do you think I'm safe here? No, he got it. I don't think he did. I think you got you. The thing that I love about the mall buffet that I create is that all the things that you get are from restaurants that specialize in that type of cuisine. Are that restaurant specialty?

I can live with that. Because that's what you want. Specializes in pizza. I'm not buying sushi at Savaro. And I think that like if you want, I think there is an exception. If you have a really good high class buffet, then that can be an exception to the rule. But, like, I won't go to a place that I'm driving by that says burgers and something else. I think I sent you a picture from a place in Palakka, Florida.

I believe it's pizza and sushi. It's bizarre. That's a bizarre business plan. Like, when they were writing the-belts. Did anybody, whenever the person who opened that business was writing the business plan, did nobody just be like, what are you doing? I'm sure plenty of people didn't. I'm sure they're like, this will definitely work.

This is going to hit. Yeah, no. No, I don't think he got me. But, you know, I'll let the listeners decide that. I think he got you. One more thing. One more thing. Ari, we keep talking about how many jobs are going to be open this cycle.

One is off the market. There are now only 11 job openings in the FBS because Kent State has removed the interim tag from Mark Carney. For those who don't know, Mark Carney has already won two games in the Mac at Kent State. I thought they might go 0 and 12. And they've won three games this year. And so if you've won two games in the Mac by this point, given the situation Mark Carney was handed, he deserves the full-time job. So here is the video of him getting the full-time job.

All right, when I met with you all this past ball, I said, everything that you wanted to realize is still right here in front of you. There were six programs that had turned over. year before and there were six new head coaches in the league and i told you all that time you had the best one we agree and we're going to remove the interim tag welcome your new head coach again so congratulations to mark carney good luck this weekend has anyone ever has anyone ever I never pointed out that he has the same exact name as a Prime Minister of Canada? No, I thought you didn't know anything about politics.

How do you know what the Prime Minister of Canada's name is if you don't? Speld the same way, just so you know. I know. But I'm just shocked that you know this. Or did you just Google Mark Carney to look up to Kent State Coach and saw that it was also the name of the Prime Minister of Canada? I knew that. That was institutional knowledge that I've gained in the last few months. Look at that.

I was going to call you a ballroom. You know that? You do that, right? Yeah. Yeah. Listen, I go all the way back to Brian Mulroney. Do you know what I had to look up, though? Canadian prime ministers.

If we're being honest, I had to look up. Do they have a president or a prime minister? Yeah, I didn't know that. I had to look up like what they call that person. I knew he was their president. Civics with Andy and Harvey. Please enjoy the games. Friday night, we got Syracuse, North Carolina.

That's going to be a fun one. And then Saturday, We got Vandy, Texas. We got the game we'll be at. You can come see us. Hang out with the Modelo folks. We'll be at Penn State, Ohio State. You've got Georgian, Florida, and Jacksonville.

You've got Oklahoma, Tennessee, and USC Nebraska in playoff elimination games. Late, late at night, you got Cincinnati at Utah. Brennan Sorsby, who was on the show this week, trying to get a big win on the road. cannot wait, Ari, cannot wait to see everybody after the games on Saturday. We'll talk to you then.