Andy & Ari On3 - Ohio State OUTCLASSES Indiana; Florida SHOCKS Ole Miss in The Swamp, knocking the Rebels out of the College Football Playoff

Episode Date: November 23, 2024

You’ve had Wendy’s Nuggs dipped in sauce. But have you had them covered in sauce? Wendy’s New Saucy Nuggs take the Crispy and Spicy Nuggs you love and turn them up to 11. Choose between flavors like Buffalo. Honey BBQ. Garlic Parm. Or, if you’re a real heat seeker, try Spicy Ghost Pepper, only on Wendy’s signature Spicy Nuggs.(0:00-10:38) Indiana at Ohio State(10:39-20:45) Ole Miss at Florida Andy and Ari react live to Ohio State's win against Indiana. The Buckeyes are a win against Michigan away from making the Big Ten title game. The Hoosiers, meanwhile, will be judged for the College Football Playoff against teams with much tougher schedules. Did they way Indiana lost change the selection committee's opinion of the Hoosiers?Florida stunned Ole Miss in The Swamp on Saturday, effectively eliminating the Rebels from the College Football Playoff and opening a precious at-large spot. Andy and Ari try to make sense of what happens now.Watch us on YouTube instead! https://www.youtube.com/@On3sportsHosts: Andy Staples, Ari WassermanProducer: River Bailey

Well, instant reaction edition of Andy and Ari on three presented by Wendy's Ari. We don't know if that's going to be the final score. Ohio state has the ball. It's 31 15, but we're pretty sure Ohio state's going to win the Guts first and goal now. So Ohio state is going to win this game. They have, uh, they have seriously outclassed Indiana. They are way better than Indiana. It seems to her rat. So Andy, just let me listen because this is what just cut the crap. I don't need to break down the game. Ohio state is a much better football team. Can you tell me what you learned today? Go ahead. Ari, did you not hear what I said? Okay. No, I mean, I, for those who

don't know, I'm at the Florida Ole Miss game, so it is very loud here. And very loud. He is doing a really good job of doing the best that he can to be covering that game and talking about this with me, so I appreciate he's here. We learned today that Ohio State is really good at football and that Indiana is not as good as Ohio State at football. Yeah, we did learn that, but that really wasn't the question, was it? Because we assumed that Ohio State would win this game. The question we had was how does Indiana stack up against the other teams that it might be an at-large candidate against? Now, the game I'm watching will affect potentially what happens to Indiana because this whole Indiana Tennessee argument kind of goes out the window if

Florida wins this game Yeah, well the thing that is interesting is is that like Indiana, you know I don't know that we're gonna sit here and pretend like they are as good as Ohio State or Georgia or whoever else is built like Ohio State is But what I think is interesting is that because Indiana's schedule did not have a marquee matchup Coming into the year We're coming into this game because Washington and Michigan turned out to be not very good this year We have put the onus on a team that's probably going to finish 11 and one on the season to play

Ohio State down to the wire But there was a play in this game Andy that stood that stood out to me. And it was the punt return touchdown, the 79 yard punt return touchdown that Caleb Downs had in the third quarter where he did not even need to sprint. It was a leisurely jog all the way to the end zone. And it dawned on me. And not that I forgot, but Ohio state has 40 players on its team that are going to have long NFL careers. No matter what Kurt Signetti could do in a one year period to flip this program,

there's nothing that even Nick Saban and his prime could have done in that one year in Indiana to make Indiana an equal to Ohio state. So Indiana goes on the road to Ohio state and gets beaten pretty good in the rain and Ohio stadium. And now we're supposed to take away from this that Indiana is not a playoff team. And like, I get it. Like maybe they aren't, but at the same time,

are we certain that Miami wouldn't get blown out in Ohio Stadium? Are we certain that Penn State wouldn't under the same circumstances? Are we certain that A&M wouldn't or that Ole Miss wouldn't or any other teams that they're gonna get in because of it with the worst record? Like that's the thing that bothers me.

It's like Indiana did not show up and play as good as it probably needed to to be in the playoff. And I think they're going to miss it now as a result of this depending on what happens in this Ole Miss game or in the remainder of the year. Right now they can't feel pretty good. But we learned that they aren't as good as Ohio State today. Wow. Awesome. Awesome revelation there for them. So here's the thing. the punter dropping the snap at the end of the first half, cost them a touchdown. It would have been a seven-seven game in half time.

I'm not sure Indiana would have won if it played a clean game on special teams, but it would have been closer. So I'm with you, but this does open up, the way this game shook out, does open up the argument. And we'll see Ole Miss is driving right now. So we'll see if Ole Miss can win this. And then that would reinstate your Tennessee-Indiana argument. But you just mentioned Miami. Like Miami and SMU seem to be on a collision course to play in the ACC Championship game at 11

and 1, both of them. The loser of that game is going to say, Hey, guess what? I deserve to be in the playoff more than Indiana. And that's gonna that might be the bigger question. That might be the bigger question. The thing that that's the other is everybody else that bugs me about this scenario is that Indiana is going to potentially be left out of the playoff in favor of a team that would also get their doors blown off in the road in November at Ohio Stadium. Because they got blown out in a road game at Ohio Stadium. So like I'm not even here to like defend and say that Indiana is unquestionably the ninth best team in college football this year. We're going to land on hypotheticals or whatever we do at the end of the year to kind of figure this out. What I'm saying is, is them losing by 25 or whatever it's going to end up being in Ohio Stadium is not a litmus test for making the playoff. It was in the 14 field. You had to be as good as Ohio State in the 14 field to make the playoff. You certainly do not have to be Ohio State. But Ari, Ari, the committee has to decide who's better. A 10 and 2 Tennessee

or 11 and 1 Indiana. And they're probably going to have to pick a team that didn't have to go on the road to Ohio State to get to that point. Or an 11 and 2 SMU or an 11 and 2 Miami. Like who is it? Yeah, so pick the teams that lost more but also didn't have to play at Ohio Stadium because Indiana got blown out of Ohio State. Is that not frustrating to you? Yeah, but how else? It doesn't matter. If we're going to say they got to play the schedule, they play and we respect the wins

they have because they didn't lose against the schedule they played. But we don't anymore. That's the problem. We don't respect the one time they played somebody great, they got their doors blown off but we don't respect their wins anymore. They are defined by what just happened there because they have the fortune of having to play at Ohio State. Ari, we respect their wins as much as we respect Miami's wins or SMU's wins. How much do we respect them?

It's the same. Yeah, no, I know. But I respect Miami and SMU too. The thing that I guess is bothering me is that we are going... What this is going to do is just going to result in another SEC team getting in. If Ole Miss is able to win this game, we're just opening up the door to Ohio, to another team because Indiana lost. To Tennessee is who you're opening up the door to. Tennessee is the beneficiary of not having to play at Ohio State. So good for them.

Tennessee had to play at Georgia against Alabama. Like, they had to play a team like that on the road. And they didn't lose like that. And they played another one of those teams at home, and then they beat them. So that's the thing. They have beaten a playoff team. Indiana has not. Do you think that Ohio State would be the best team

in the SEC? I'm just curious. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. So, you know, it's like Alabama. You think Alabama could be the best team in the SEC? Because Tennessee beat them. I think that they are really good. Yeah. Um, and like, listen, like I'm not, I hate that I've gotten to the point now where like, I'm like Indiana's biggest defender. Like, you know, it is what it is. Like they're not, they had an opportunity to play a close game and they didn't.

If they get left out, then we, you know, it's on them for not playing a closer game or not being good enough. But I just like, but it bothers me that they have had a remarkable season and now they're just going to be defined by losing to the deepest, most talented team in college football.

As if like everybody else would it. Here's the deal Ari. Well, it was always going to be defined by this because they didn't play anybody else. But here's the deal. They are Well, it was always gonna be defined by this because they didn't play anybody else. But here's the deal. They are big Gators fans right now. As we speak, there's a minute 56 left. Ole Miss has the ball down, a touchdown.

If Florida wins, I think Indiana is still probably in a good spot. Now, I guarantee you that- But hey, I will say this though, Andy. I just tell you- The runner-up is gonna have a question about that. I told you a month ago that 11 and one Indiana is not just walking in. I was right about that.

I think I was definitively right about that. Yeah, I said they probably would. I think if Florida wins this game, I think they probably do. Well, let me ask you this because we are talking about Indiana in the playoff because the entire country, I feel like, was watching this with the playoff in mind. Did your thoughts on Ohio State change at all, or do you feel more likely or more? We got an interception, Florida, by the way. So they now have the ball with a minute 32.

Florida's probably going to end up winning the game there. So Ole Miss is going to be out of the playoff discussion. But, but did you, do you change your mind or does your viewpoint of what Ohio state change? I always thought Ohio state was good. Yeah. They lost by one to Oregon. Yeah. So, I mean, it'll be interesting. The cool thing about the live video that we're doing here is that it will serve a purpose. and then later on tonight we'll have the full context of what it actually means and we'll get to break it down again. So I am so sorry by the way to the people whose TV viewing experience I spoiled. I did not realize I was that far ahead of you. Yeah. Sorry. Well, we heard the crowd Andy here live from the swamp. That's true. There's not much I can do about the crowd cheering. I can't make them stop. But no, all right. But what I think is interesting,

this is something that I'm glad we're doing these videos because this has gotten me thinking about it. I was not thinking about till we started talking what this really means. And you're talking about how unfair it is. And I don't think it's unfair to Indiana. Indiana got the benefit of playing a not so tough schedule. And yes, you will be judged on the hard team you had to play. But I don't think, especially given what's going on in front of me in Gainesville, I don't think that it's going to come down to Indiana, Tennessee now. I think it's more going be Indiana ACC runner-up, which by the way, one of those teams could lose next week, so we don't know.

Yeah, yeah. I guess there's a minute and a half left, Andy, and there's probably a lot for you to go view. Do you wanna go view that, and then we'll come back in 30 seconds or? That's right, I'm gonna view it. So we're gonna send out a separate YouTube link, and you can watch that. It'll be me and Ari talking about Florida and Ole Miss and what

I just saw and then what happens next. You folks who are watching to see what happened with Indiana, you come to that one too because the Hoosiers will play prominently into that as well because all of this is interconnected now. This whole ecosystem is now interconnected. So man, we knew it was gonna be wild. I came in today, I did not expect to see this. I'll talk you through. Welcome to another Andy and Ariane 3 Instant Reaction presented by Wendy's.

I'm at the swamp. Last time you saw me at the swamp, we were talking about what happened in the Indiana Ohio State game. Now we're going to talk about what happened at the swamp. Ari, Florida has stunned Ole Miss. Ole Miss is probably out of the college football playoff. Billy Napier, if you didn't think he had saved his job before, has definitively saved his job now. I don't think Lane Kiffin is a candidate for Florida's job anymore.

What else? I'm just going to sit here in the studio all day, Andy. I think it might be one of those days today. I don't know if you're feeling that. There's just a lot of moving parts here, but I did not see that. This is the weekend. I feel like such an idiot because I spent all week talking about how Ole Miss to me was the best place to put your money if you wanted an SEC long shot to win the national championship

and they go down to Gainesville and lose. They just did not play well. Florida played really well. DJ Lagway I think is today the day he became a star, Andy. I don't know what your view point of that is. I think he was already a star. Let's have a look down there. They're down there singing the alma mater. It's kind of sunny and bright, but it's hard to see. But I think he's been a star. But yes, this was DJ Lagway against a really good defense. I said this before the game, I was talking to people. I said, if he takes a couple early sacks, maybe you go with the Yalie and just keep him healthy

for Florida State. Boy, did I underestimate, it's not DJ Lagway underestimated, it's the rest of the Gators that I underestimated because they went toe to toe with that same Ole Miss team, Ari, that we saw in Oxford, pounding Georgia. and they won. Like this was not flukey. There was nothing strange about this. Florida actually ran the ball really well. Lagway made some incredible plays, but I think this was Florida just beating Ole Miss.

Like it wasn't a weird result other than we didn't see it coming. I did not see that coming. No, I think that Florida is obviously a much improved program or team. I shouldn't say program. They got a long way to go before they do that. They got a coach that's got to do something before that. But yeah, I did not see this coming. If you looked at everything that Ole Miss is and was coming into the game, I liked everything about them in terms of the key points, right? I liked their lines, their defensive line, obviously,

it goes without saying how good they are. Their running back is very good, or one of the best receiving cores in the country and a quarterback. It's like to me, you have a complete team and you go into Florida and they lose. So you were absolutely right about how November upsets do happen. I see that on the screen there and obviously every year they do happen but I do not see this coming and it doesn't make it any less surprising when it does. No it doesn't and look I picked Ole Miss to cover in this game. I didn't know this was going to

happen. I thought this would be the same Florida team that got shelled by Texas two weeks ago Yeah, like they beat LSU, but LSU is in a downward spiral It feels like Ole Miss was riding high coming off an open date had just beat Georgia like this was this was different and look a Lot of it is a special quarterback there There were a couple, there was a touchdown drive in the first half where DJ Lagway, like there were rebels wrapped around his waist. They were sacking him and he threw out of the sack and made first downs. Like that stuff happened.

Trey Harris getting hurt like that probably affected the game a lot because Trey Harris came back. He scored a touchdown. He got hurt on that weird play down the left sideline that they reviewed and said it was a complete pass. If he's healthy, does the game turn out differently? I don't know. But you know, that's the thing Ole Miss, they built this team to make the playoff. They were in contention in the last, you know, next to last week of the season. So they were, they got what they wanted. They got a playoff contender, but I don't think they got a playoff team, unfortunately. Well, let's talk about this. And I don't know. Maybe it's too early in the day to go down this road, but who's the biggest beneficiary

of this loss? Indiana, Indiana, because if Indiana beats, or you know, if Indiana loses to Ohio State in a different fashion, maybe it doesn't matter, Ohio State hammered Indiana. If you watch that game, Ohio State hammered Indiana. And so you were going to go, okay, now is it going to be Indiana or Tennessee for that last, that large spot? Ole Miss losing means you do not have to differentiate that. You don't have to worry about that. Another beneficiary probably then too in turn is Tennessee, right? Because they were a team that was in my first round and now they seem to be firmly in at, you know, 2.45 Central Time. I guess we'll see. Like I keep seeing that the GameCox path is getting clearer.

I don't know if that's a joke or not. Is there a path that you've seen? I think it is, but like some more weird stuff today and next week, who knows? Yeah. If you get four or five more results like the one we just saw, then yeah, 9-3 South Carolina suddenly looks very attractive for the playoff. The other teams, I will say, that did benefit from this

is if Miami and SMU keep winning and both of them won today, they're already done. SMU beat Virginia, Miami beat Wake Forest. So if they both win next week, then the loser of the ACC Championship game, particularly if it's very close, suddenly gets thrown into that conversation for that last at large spot. Yeah. I mean, I guess I will tell you, Andy, I just, I got Ole Miss wrong. Got it wrong. So, you know, that's, that's on me. And if it makes the people who are making fun of me feel any better, just know that I also paid financially for it. So, like, yeah, Florida, Florida took a lead. And Ari's like, ah, this will be easy. Yeah. I thought that Ole Miss minus three and a half was going to be an easy route to some fun this afternoon.

And it's a one way ticket to heartbreak. But hey, you know what? Good for Florida. I mean, also good for Billy Napier. Like I am just like genuinely feel juiced a little bit about like what Florida would be able to do. Like if they get really active in the portal and they have DJ Lagway back in the fold, those young running backs are back in charge, they improve their lines, who I thought played really well in the Ole Miss game,

like maybe Florida could be legit next year. So it's so crazy how much things change with what this Florida team was at the beginning of the year when we were together in the swamp, when we were in Wisconsin watching them lose to now, I did not see that coming. But, you know, man, that was, Lane Kiffin, you're gonna have to get down there soon.

He's probably gonna have a pretty rough afternoon down there. So like it's- Yeah, we got a couple more minutes to talk and then I'm heading down to try to get Lane Kiffin. Yeah, this is devastating for them, devastating. And the thing is, what is this is devastating for them devastating and and the thing is What makes this so fascinating is Lane kiffin was the number one choice? not only of Florida fans when they thought Billy Napier was fired but also Florida money people who

Had decided they didn't want to write checks for Billy Napier anymore so the fact that Billy beat Lane kiffin here and knocks Lane Kiffin out of the playoff, like, there's kind of a completed circle there. Yeah, well, it's also really, really interesting, like, how you have to look at Lane Kiffin and the job that he's done in general this year, Andy, because, you know, the roster, I think, was where it needs to be. I still believe that, you know. Right, and that's the thing. Just because they didn't make it doesn't mean they didn't do it the way they should have tried to do it like they were right there.

They didn't get it done, but they were right there. They needed to win this game and they didn't win this game. Yeah, but but also put you in a position where you have to you know start to analyze whether or not the coaching was good enough, you know, and that's not something that we've been doing a lot with Lane Kiffin in the past. You know, he gets that Georgia win, and it feels like he finally got the monkey off his back. And then two weeks later, we're here, and it's just like, Andy, we were in Oxford. Those were not the two same teams. And I don't know who Ole Miss is. Is Ole Miss the team that beat up on Georgia, or is Ole Miss the team that lost to Kentucky and what we saw out there today? Like I just it's very confusing to me. And the other thing I'm going to start questioning here and I know that this is like sacrilegious and like this is the the SEC is the almighty and all that stuff. But it's like, is the SEC even good? Like, are we

sure they're good? Like the team, I don't think I don't think that's a sacrilegious question. I don't think this is a sacrilegious question at all. I think it's a legitimate question. And it's something we should talk about when we reconvene tonight, 1130 Eastern, when all these games are over, because it's a question the committee has to ask. This is exactly the thing they need to be talking about

as they parse all of these teams. Is the SEC great? I don't think so. Are the top teams of the SEC better than Ohio State, better than Oregon? No, they're not. We just keep like rewarding these SEC teams for big time wins on the road and all and it's like no one is questioning the mediocrity of the losses. And like if the losses keep piling up at a certain point, you just gotta go, is this a bunch of average teams beating

each other because there wasn't enough data in the non-conference for us to really get to the bottom of whether or not these teams are actually legit. So there you go. And like also there's going to be other teams from other conferences that are firmly compared against these teams with similar resumes in terms of record and you know strength of schedule and all this stuff and it's like we maybe the answer isn't Indiana lost by 100 and and get it I don't know we We'll talk about it tonight, but it's something to ponder between now and the afternoon. Yeah. They're playing party like a rock star here at the swamp. They used to play that all the big wins. Haven't played that much lately, but they're playing it now. Let's go see what Lane has to say. Talk to you later.