Andy & Ari On3 - Oklahoma LB Owen Heinecke RETURNING: 2026 expectations for Brent Venables and the Sooners | Top College Football Uniforms

Episode Date: April 17, 2026

As this offseason has been full of court cases and injunctions, there was more news out of a courtroom on Thursday. Oklahoma LB Owen Heinecke is set to return to the Sooners after being granted an injunction. What does this mean for Oklahoma’s football team in the fall? Watch here as Andy & Ari break down this news in today’s Dear Andy & Ari show.   (0:00) On Today’s Episode (0:54) Presenting Sponsor (2:08) Intro: Owen Heinecke set to return to Oklahoma (13:33) Oklahoma’s 2026 Expectations (18:00) FBS Oversight: Week 0 to Week 1? (25:44) Dear Andy & Ari: Pick Your School for a Dynasty (37:04) 3-Loss CFP team? (41:23) Which former head coach would’ve benefitted from CFP era (53:40) Random Ranking: Top College Football Uniforms (1:11:48) Top CFB uniforms: Honorable Mention (1:17:50) Luther Davis story (1:20:38) A Million Bees in Knoxville? (1:24:00) Thanks! See you Monday   After the Oklahoma news, it’s time to get to more of your great questions…   Pick your dynasty to be the next Indiana.   Will this year be the first of a 3-loss playoff team?   Which former head coach would benefit from CFP era?   After that, it’s time to rank our top college football uniforms. Do you agree with our list?   To close, Andy & Ari cover some wild news including the Luther Davis story and a million bees being released in Knoxville.     Send your questions to: [e-mail] [e-mail]   Our show is also presented by BetMGM!   If you haven’t signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code CFB and you will get up to a $1500 First Bet Offer on your first wager with BetMGM! Here’s how it works:   1. Download the BetMGM app and sign-up using bonus code CFB. 2. Deposit at least $10 and place your first wager on any game. 3. You will receive up to $1500 in bonus bets if your bet loses! Just make sure you use bonus code CFB when you sign up!   Make this college football season one for the history books. Make it legendary.   See BetMGM.com for Terms. 21+ only. This promotional offer is not available in DC, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET (Available in the US) . 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). First Bet Offer for new customers only (if applicable). Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 7 days. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel   Watch our show on YouTube! https://youtu.be/pkIfms7vk3E   Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari Wasserman Producer: River Bailey   Interested in partnering with the show? Email [e-mail] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today is Andy and Ari on 3 presented by BetMGM, your questions answered and right out of the gate. We got a question about some of the big news from yesterday. Owen Heineke, Oklahoma linebacker granted another year of eligibility. He had been going through the draft process, wasn't sure if he's going to get to play for Oklahoma. He now is going to get to play for Oklahoma. What does that mean for the Sooners? Plus, it's looking like week zero is going to be week one starting in 2007. Also, more of your great questions, including what school would you pick if you wanted to build a new dynasty in college football and somebody just wrote you a check?

Also, are we going to see a three-loss playoff team this year? We'll talk about all that and more on today's Andy and Ari on 3, presented by BEDMGM. We are brought to you by BEDMGM, and if you're not signed up for BEDMGM, here's how you do it with a code that will get you up to a $1,500 first bet offer. You download the app from BetMGM. You sign up using the code CFB. That CFB is in college football. You deposit at least $10 and place your first wager on any game.

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That means my favorite day, your questions answered. Dear Andy, dear Ari, and Ari right out of the shoot, we got one based on the news. Nathan tweeted at us last night, does Owen Heineke coming back for another year guarantee Oklahoma a judge? championship. Yes. By the way, I mean, no, but I was like, wow, that is a hot date. I think that just the person who asked the question was pumped.

And I wanted to share, I don't want to be a Debbie Downer. Yeah, absolutely guarantees. First of all, Andy, my favorite thing in the entire world when Oklahoma is involved in any national story, whether it's involving a certain hand surgery last year or, of course, case is Eddie Radosovich reporting live from these places that you see his video yesterday? Eddie Rodolfich. Where he said that Owen Heineke had been sentenced to 30 years for drug trafficking and he's like, oops, wrong case. They just went to lunch.

Come back. It guys is hilarious. I just, I can't get enough of him. Eddie Radosovich reporting live, Cleveland County Courthouse, Owen Heineke. Looks like the word that I'm getting has been sentenced to 30 years drug trafficking. they're taking a little bit of a wrong case they're taking a lunch though i know that tale of good and evil right and wrong owen heinecke versus the NCAA but huge break anytime you can get somebody who is going through the NFL draft process to reinsert himself onto your roster and be a

college football player i think is an important thing and obviously we know Oklahoma's defenses are always going to be good under brent venables adding one of your better players back into your roster is a huge, a huge gift, and I think they made the right call, don't you? Well, this,

this scope takes them from being a pretty good linebacker core to a very good deep linebacker core. You know, Heineke's going to play alongside the most terrifying Kip in the universe, Kip Lewis. Like, there's no scarier person named Kip than Kip Lewis. Usually people named Kipp are like not scary.

Yeah, but this is very scary. Yeah. Yeah. We met a yell leader named Kip once, remember him? He wasn't scary, but that dude is a badass. He wasn't scary, but he could stop your heart if he wanted to.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's the thing that I learned about, yell. So maybe it's, maybe all Kipps are secretly scary. Yeah. I guess like if like somebody was after you and his name was Kip, that would be a little bit more terrified than I think Steve was coming after you. Well, all right.

So let's let's talk about Owen, though, because he's the, the one who was trying to get the extra year of eligibility. He's got such an interesting story. general. His freshman year, he was at Ohio State as a lacrosse player, which if you've not delved into the world of lacrosse, the fact that he was on the team at Ohio State as a freshman tells you what kind of athlete this guy is, and then he turned into a badass football player. But the argument was because of COVID, because walk-on tryouts got canceled all over the country and because the recruiting process was sort of shut down when Owen Heineke was a senior in high school that he deserved to get an extra year. He didn't play football or he didn't play

in 2002. And that was, so his clock started in 21 when he was at Ohio State. He goes to Oklahoma and 22 doesn't play. And then so the argument was he only got three years of competition in football. I don't think he would have won this except there was a case that they unearthed involving a women's basketball player where the circumstances were fairly close, where they granted eligibility to her. That wasn't the part of it, I think, that swayed the judge, though. The part that swayed the judge was they didn't upload that case into the NCAA database so that anybody looking for a precedent wouldn't be able to find it.

Was that like an oversight or a sneaky move? I always assume stupidity when it comes to the NCAA, so that's what I'm going to continue to assume. But the judge, I think, viewed it as a little bit of chicanery and said, no, he's got another. And so for those of you saying, well, this has got to stop. When is this? No, the only ones these people are winning, Trinidad's Hamless. Well, not just the COVID ones, but the ones where the rule is applied unevenly. That's it.

That's it. I also think that COVID was such a weird time that it also turned into. to varied results, which made it murkyer. So, like, I think that, like, once we're probably what, in the final year where we're going to hear the word COVID in these cases? Because, like, we're going into, what was like six years ago now? So, like, it's, we're about out of that whole thing. So when we get, we're going to 27, somebody who's trying to get a fifth year of eligibility

will have started college in 2003. Right. So, like, we're past. 22 if they're registered. Yeah. So. But it didn't. It did make, but you're right, Andy.

I think that what everybody wants, and I think what judges want, is there to be a clear and identifiable rubric of how to grade these things. Here's what happens when you get that extra year. Here's what doesn't. And when it's inconsistent, it makes it tough. And I think people resent the toughness. Well, and that's why the NCAA is trying to change the rule now to make it just five to play five. And their Division I cabinet actually met about that this week.

they haven't decided what they're going to do yet. Who's against this? It seems so easy. It's not a matter of who's against it. It's now a matter of when to apply it. I think that's the argument. Do you apply it right now where you could have a lot of confusion with people who just finished playing four years who are going to want a fifth?

And then you might actually have an extra transfer portal window for those people. Or do you wait and apply it at the beginning of the 2012? 27, 28 school year and give it time. And then that way everybody who's grandfathered in knows they've been grandfathered in. The problem with that is everybody who played in the NIL era, who only got four years to play, is going to sue you. You're going to have to write them a check. And so that's the other piece of it that they're trying to figure out.

Yeah. And just like it always does with college sports, Andy, the most simplest reasonable answer is also ultra complicated. Well, and I would love if this thing goes through just because, like, I know coaches are sick of this. I don't like it either. Like these players coming down with the case of fifth gameitis in football? Yeah.

Oh, I'm suddenly, my toe hurts. And now I can't play anymore. I need a red shirt so I can cash it again next year. Like that is no good. calls behind the scenes that we're taking about people wondering after the first month of the season, if it's going to come up, like coach is not knowing, well, if my best player is, you know, we're not going anywhere. My best player is. Yeah, or is this freshman going to say, hey, I need to limit this to four games.

There's a lot of this. There's a lot of this with DJ Lagway last year. Let's just be honest. Like, people were wondering whether that was going to happen, right? I wasn't really wondering about him shutting it down. Okay. I thought that there was like a after the U.S. I think there was a concern with Florida in general because Billy Napier was on the hot seat.

Right. A large group of players might decide to shut it down. Okay. You know, book after four games, but that didn't happen. So that is a concern. And it's a concern everywhere where you have a coach on the hot seat, especially if you make a move early. So that wouldn't be an issue anymore.

Cases like this wouldn't pop up because the rules would be pretty close. clear like the there are waivers you can get in the new version but it's for maternity leave mission work military service that's it yeah well and in the five to five which sounds like a wendy's deal but um yeah um andy even if you have the worst luck ever and you get injured four years in a row there's nothing that's done it's just it's cut and dry just yeah and that sucks for that person. But the thing is, if you get injured four years in a row, even if they give you eight years of eligibility,

you're probably not going to be able to play at the way you need to be able to play. Yeah. But things happen. I think that like taking, there's enough subjectivity in the game and who makes the playoff and how we rank teams and all these things. Like I think any administrative subjectivity that we can resolve would be better.

Yes. And so for Oklahoma, specifically, they're getting Owen Heineke back. Owen Heineke was going to be in the NFL. And it's interesting because Owen Heineke was probably going to be underdrafted because really all they got to see was him last year. Oklahoma didn't even know what they had, I think, in Owen Heineke until last year. And they realized, oh, my God, this is a superior plus athlete who has great instincts,

who has not gotten to play that much. And I think, you know, he would have been underdrafted and probably would have overperformed his draft position because he seems like a very smart player. He's clearly a great athlete. Correct me here, Andy, and I'm not sure, but is this the furthest anyone's got into the NFL draft process and then returned? There was anybody done this. I think so. I can't think of another one because, I mean, the draft is next week. It's literally Thursday.

Yeah. Yeah. Owen Heineke probably would have been selected either in the back end of Friday night or early Saturday. So, but he, that's how close it was. There is a question here to be had and good for him that teams have at least interviewed him or aware of him, had him on a board and now have the opportunity to watch him play another college year for more evaluation. I wonder if this will ultimately, like this will be an interesting story a year from now. He'll be a great case study for agents and players who are trying to decide whether they want to leave for the NFL or not. because all the dollars and cents on that have changed.

You know, our guy David Ubin had that story in the athletic that there are going to be college players who have to take a pay cut going to the NFL. It's true. If you're a quality power five starter who's only going to be a six-round draft pick in the NFL, you're probably taking a pay cut. Yeah. And that's why some people are coming back. I think that being a pro football player would be amazing if I could get drafted on Friday night

and even if I got paid a little bit less, the lifestyle of that and all that. but I think that there's something, there's more to this that I think is going to apply to a future question. So I, on the show today. So I don't want to go too deep into it. Well, let's, but let's talk Oklahoma in general because we've talked about how we feel it. When the wind totals came out on Ben MGM, I felt like Oklahoma's was low. At Oklahoma at seven and a half. And I think the way the juice was set up, Vegas also thinks seven and a half is a little low, but they didn't make it eight and a half.

And I would have probably said over at eight and a half with Oklahoma this year. Because I think they're going to be better than the 10-win team they had last year. They should be pretty good, right? Now, obviously, I think that what you do need to take into account here, Andy, is that the SEC is also kind of inconsistent in how it plays out when you have so many teams who perceive or believe that they should be winning 10 games. it's probably harder now to be consistently a playoff team every year. Like some things bounced Oklahoma's way last year.

They might not bounce their way next year. You know, and I think it's incredibly hard to pick because as you go through the schedules and you look, you know, they're all fairly similar, but like it's kind of hard to account for like how good is South Carolina going to be? Is Kentucky going to be harder than they were? How many of the games are actually winnable, easy, their Ws just for showing up games, or how many games are trickier than you thought. And I think that it's more, correct me if you think that.

My perception is that who is really good in the SEC or who emerges from the SEC is more fluid than in other conferences. I would agree with that. I would agree with that. And then throw the schedule up there again. This is a hard schedule. Now, last year, we said the same thing about Oklahoma schedule. What did I say that the hardest seven-game stretch in college football history?

Yeah. Did it end up being that? I don't know. It still ended up being a really hard schedule. Yes, at Michigan and at Georgia in the first four weeks, and then you play Texas after your open date. Yeah. It's a pretty rough start.

And then you go to Florida, you get Ole Miss, Texas, and that Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M stretch in November is, and Missouri, too. I mean, Missouri's no slouch either. So that last four games is pretty rough. Yeah, and it's on the road. Mizzou, Kentucky, Florida, and South Carolina, and maybe even to a certain extent, Mississippi State are all teams.

That's a road game, yeah. But I think those are all teams, too, Andy, that could be much better than we think. Yeah. So, like, I think that it's very, like, your conventional wisdom of, like, they were good last year. Yeah, and we probably need to throw that out. And I think it makes sense what you're saying, though. I don't disagree with that. But the way that it plays out with the schedule is a completely different ball game.

But my thing, the reason I'm confident in saying that about Oklahoma is I think we can all agree their schedule was incredibly difficult last year. And they still ended up 10 and 2. And I think their offense is going to be better. Now, this presumes John Matera stays healthy. And this presumes they have a running game, which they did not have last year. I think they're receiving cores better than it was last year. And the defense might take a tiny step back, but it's probably still going to be really good. And Owen Heineke coming back makes that even better.

Last year, Oklahoma beat Michigan 24 to 13. They beat Auburn 2417. they beat Tennessee 33 to 27. I remember watching that game with O'Roe. Sorry about that, River. They beat Alabama 23 to 21. They beat Mizzou 17 to 6, and they beat LSU 1713.

That's a lot of winning close games. And I don't remember the circumstances of all of them. Some of them might have been not as close as the scoreboard indicates. But I think that like when you roll the dice like that, if you're rolling the dice like that again next year, it might be harder to get the 10 wins. That's all I'm saying. Yeah, no, I understand that.

I just, I think they're going to be a better team than they were last year. So they may not have to be rolling the dice. Yeah, like Jammatir should be better. They get Heineke back. I mean, the receivers, I think should be pretty good. Like, I mean, we know they're going to have a good defense. I can buy into the height. I think that seven and a half, though, is, is low because you think that even if there are eight wins,

they hit and it's a regression from last year. Yeah. So, like, Oklahoma fans are still pissed if they're eight and four. Yeah. They're one of the teams that threads the needle of can hit the over on their season win total while also. devastating the fan base. Yeah, yeah.

And that's why I think it's too low. Like if you put it at eight and a half, I understand that a little better. I'd still probably pick the over on it. Yeah. So congratulations to Owen Heineke. One other piece of news yesterday, it was recommended by the football oversight committee

that starting in 2027, week zero becomes week one. We expect this to pass. Now, this does not change the end of the season. What this does is it sets up, everybody can have two open dates during the season, you're allowed to start your schedule in what we now consider to be week zero. So that would be the last,

usually the last Saturday and August and then Labor Day weekends, where week one was. But it's a nice step in the right direction for those hopeful. I was sitting this morning. This morning before we recorded this, Andy, I went to what's called Grand Friends Day, where our daughter at daycare grandparents could come. and visit. Then I was sitting with a

grandparent who lived in Pasadena, and we were talking and they're big UCLA fans. And I was just like, A, living in Pasadena might be the greatest thing in the entire history. But we got into this long discussion about how the season should end in the Roseball on January 1st. And I think this is like a, what, a quarter of a step towards that? Like if you just... I'd say so. Yeah.

You know, and are there going to be a new week zero? I don't think so. I don't think they're going to add it. Like, if you play in Ireland, I think you just got to go play in Ireland. Yeah. And then fly back. But you could build in, because you know, you can have two open dates now. So you could have the open date in week two. I just think that regulate, like normalizing playing in late August makes it easier to play in mid-August.

Yeah. If we ever get to that point. But I think that I'd be fine with that. I'd find out. And more games before the NFL season kicks off is fine too. Like, give yourself a chance to get a. a good foothold and and everybody loves you two money night windows would be cool like the ACC take another money night window that would be awesome thinking about this andy like i'm really

on board and i don't know if it's ever going to happen but i am very on board with first game of the week or first game of the season is mid to semi early august ending january one you want to know why because it gives more of a isolated window for college football and it also extends football's calendar another month that we get football because like most college football fans also enjoy watching the NFL. And if you get to extend our season two weeks earlier, that's you bring that earlier. I get you. Yeah, we're all watching more. Yeah, we're all watching football longer because the NFL is going to go to Valentine's Day or President's Day weekend. Yeah, right. So, and I get that people are kind of upset that college football is extended. I like that it's

extended because that means more college football. I'm not one of these people that says, oh, God, we're playing college football in January 25th. It's like, I don't get, it's awesome. We get college football on January 25th. But if we could make it the same amount of games, but start it earlier so that the total amount of football we get around the calendar is more. I'm all more. And you lessen times where you have competition between college football on the NFL

because they really should not be competing. They should be working together. Which means more viewership for us because we aren't losing inventory by overlapping games at the same time. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And this is not one of those shows where it's like, college football is so much better than the NFL. You should not watch the NFL. No, of course.

I felt the NFL. Like, it's fun. It's football. Yeah, I love watching the NFL. And I don't like, there was one night last year where you and I were in Waco, Texas. After, I believe it was. It was a playoff. First round of the playoffs.

We were watching the first run of the playoffs and the Chicago Bears were playing somebody and Caleb Williams had this awesome comeback. And I was like, we were not loved into that at all. The Bears, the Bears game that night was spectacular. The ending was going to play the Viking or something. It was either the Vikings, the Packers. It was a division game. It was a Packer's game.

Yeah. Yeah. And it happened simultaneously with the Oregon James Madison playoff game, which people tuned out after the first quarter. So that's, you don't want to have that. You don't want that situation where they're rubbing up against each other like that. Yeah. The more isolated windows, I think, the better too, because it makes it for a better viewing

experience and I understand that everybody is like, can I make a hot take? Sure. I am thankful for my job that their multi-view exists and that you can watch multiple things at the same time. But like I don't really love it. I have a hard time like really sinking my teeth into whatever. Yeah, I like to lock in on a game. That's why I love weeknight college games so much.

Because you can sit there and watch that game. And I like, and I know that we're just, there's so much inventory you have to do it. And I know people enjoy having nine games on at the same time. But if you can expand the schedule to a point where you get the same number of total games, but the total game, but the number of isolated windows we get is more. And the number of weeks on the calendar that's taken up by actual competitive football that's not preseason, I think is a net positive for everybody in America. And here's another thing that this is something they can do with the making week zero,

week one. But if they were going to go a week earlier, your idea. if you have that where you're not competing with the NFL on Thursday night and Monday night, those early, you can really feature some teams that don't normally get featured. And they can get their shine. They can get a chance to really show what they are early in the season. And you and I like watching Louisville and Florida Trade on Thursday night.

If the Packers and the Vikings are playing on Thursday night, everyone's watching the Packers and Vikings. Like that's the. Yeah, I will do the bigger number. Yeah. So, you know, and there's people like you and I and a lot of the people who listen to the show probably have an iPad or two TVs in their setup or whatever who are watching both. But I just, I feel like with fantasy football and the NFL gambling and all the things that have come into play, like NFL, like, we're not like gatekeeping.

It's a bigger, more popular product than college football. So the least amount of time that like, or the less that we have to like lose viewership on Florida State and Louisville because people are watching Caleb Williams on, on. Thursday night, I think the better. So don't try to fight the bear if you don't have to. Yeah. Yeah. I like it. I like it.

I think this is a good step in the right direction. And I think your idea is really good. It's not my idea. It's Joey McGuire's idea. But like that's not, that wasn't Joey McGuire's idea. You're adding to Joey McGuire's idea. You're enhancing it. I thought his was start the season earlier end January 1.

No? It was, but not as early as you said. I honestly think they should start the college football season on August 1st. I would love that. It's not going to happen. I don't know why they, I don't understand why it can't happen. Well,

my son's high school season starts like August 14th. And it's great because they are done by Thanksgiving. Yeah. Yeah. And like because the, the playoff is expanding and it's going to continue expand. So like in the moment you can try to fit it in. But the more we expand the playoff,

the longer the system is going to be. So like I'm trying to think what's it going to be in 2035 when it's a 2014 playoff because that's going to happen. Like you're going to have, you're going to have to start. started earlier than mid-August in order to fit it in for if you ever wanted the season to actually end on January 1st. I don't know that they actually do.

I think they really wanted to end on like January 8th, but. Which is fine. And that's the way it used to end, right? And during the, what was the national title game in the 14th? Like on the 8th, right? Usually 8th, 7th, 8th, 9th, yes. Mm-hmm. Yep.

Yeah. So it's doable. It's doable. All right. Let's hit some of these questions. We got some really good questions. We had to save a bunch for future weeks. They really left night when you put the prompt out on Twitter and I was watching them come in.

I was like, damn, dude. I know. People are on them. Yeah. On one. All right, here's, this is my favorite. This was from Ryan. Pick your random NCAA football dynasty team that you would love to take a stud coach and $20 million in NIL and make the next Indiana.

Consider fan base poor performance in the past and shock level of each program being good. Ryan would go with Washington State, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech. So when we say 20 million in NIL, I think we're saying above the revenue share cap. So this would put you where you are spending alongside Texas and Oregon and Ohio State. Yeah, that's the way I took the question too. Yeah. So we've already said Kentucky's the one we'd pick for this. Because we did it without the question.

When Willstein got hired and we watched where they were, because I think Kentucky's kind of spending that way. Like if you look at what Willisdine was able to do in the portal, Kentucky may not be. spending as much as Ohio State or Georgia or Texas, but it's not that far off probably. And so I think that's one. That's one. When you were going through the question in your head before we recorded, were you ever, did your mind wander to anybody outside of the power conferences? Not really.

Okay. But could you, I mean, I suppose you could do that because there's still a, and the bigger the play, they make the playoff, the better chance of getting into the playoff. I don't know. This isn't probably feasible, but you know what I think would be awesome? It's like Wyoming or Montana were awesome. Like if you, if like that, those people. Well, Montana is awesome in the FCS.

Like in the Montana state's even better than the national champs. Yeah. But like a Wyoming, a Wyoming dynasty would be pretty sick. But I don't know. It's not, it's like not feasible. So I don't want to go. That would be like real life the video game. Because in the video game, we all pick a Mac team or a Sunbelt team or a Mountain West team to turn into a powerhouse.

Yeah. That's our instinct. So, but I think it's more your perennial part on their luck teams in our conference. Because I don't think that even Texas Tech being good or as good as they are right now is nearly as shocking as Indiana. So if we're doing shocking factor, you know it would be a really good one. Hmm. Maryland. Yes.

And that's one that feels realistic because if you, if you ever, and we've said, this a million times if you were ever able to keep the best players in the DMV home and get them in Maryland you would have a very competitive team. And you could do some of things with their uniforms. I think that the area of the country is underrepresented in terms of really good college football success. Am I wrong about that?

Maybe James Frank. You're not wrong. There's another one, by the way, that kind of goes hand in hand with this, that has good players in the backyard that perennially underachives, that is considered a really hard job. Rutgers. Yes, but I would want to change it to New Jersey State. The University of New Jersey. No, New Jersey State.

University of New Jersey. No, New Jersey State hits, dude. And then they're black and red and, I mean, we're playing Jersey State. All I know for sure is that the first thing is. You want to play Jersey or you want to play Jersey State? I want to play Jersey State. Sounds sick.

The Jersey State dirtbags? What I do know is, that if I were ever in charge of Rutgers football, the outline of the state of New Jersey would be on the helmet the first day I got there. I'm going to put this poll on Twitter, but we also, I just want you guys to randomly chime in on social media at us and answer this question. Would you rather Rutgers be called the University of New Jersey or New Jersey State? I think that, or no, the question should be phrased. would Rutgers be more successful if their name was New Jersey State,

the University of New Jersey or Rutgers? Put that poll up and see what that. I like it. Okay, yes. Yeah, you can keep Rutgers if you want it. If you asked a general fan, and I'm not, maybe I'm just underestimating, like, people's knowledge. I'm just going based on how I am in life, which is I don't know anything about anything.

But do you think that most people, most high school prospects, if you were to ask like a four-star kid in Austin, Texas, where Rutgers is located if they would know it's in New Jersey? not if they don't live in the Northeast. If they live in the Northeast, absolutely. Because like Walker has actually done some cool things. Like they've done like Tony Soprano night or Sopranos night. Oh, yeah.

Like totally like like like Greg. Greg Shiano I think has done as well as anybody can do there. Yeah. I'm saying and look, their, their issues financially have been well documented. So this question says if we could just give you the resources and you could just spend like one of the big boys.

I mean, Greg Shiano, Ohio State's payroll. How good's records? Is there, but is there a program in the Power 4 that the answer to that question is not like they're much better? Like there's nobody in the Power 4 that if they spent like Ohio State or Texas wouldn't be better. Everybody would be.

Oh yeah. Well, but, but the, the question, you know, what Ryan wants is like how, Indiana actually happening, I still think is the most shocking one because like you can say Purdue. but if you're my age, you remember when Purdue was really good. Yeah. I mean, Drew Breeze played there.

You know, like, Joe Tiller was an incredible coach. And it's also like not that far away from Indiana. The thing that I think is so funny about Indiana winning the title is that this question were asked, but a year ago in Indiana or two years ago, even before Indiana was even good. And you said,

if you could take any power program and turn them into a national power that wins a championship based on shock. value like Indiana would have been the answer like it already but we would immediately dismissed it we're like no there's no way it's not possible if there are people out there that like are good at finding things um we did have a segment I think when we were at the athletic about most dead end job it's it's it's been found yeah our guy Jeff the Indiana fan found it researched it oh yeah and it's like okay well were we wrong you know I want to go for a few because like there's a few the thing that I think is so interesting about this

question is that there are a few very fascinating places that are different that are actually trying it. Like Texas Tech is trying it and doing it. Colorado, though I don't know, has as much momentum as it did a few years. It's going to happen, but they tried something. For a minute there, Colorado did have that. I think Cal is kind of cool. They're trying something with Tosh Lepoy up there, right?

Can I give you one that they had the briefest taste of success and they were so much fun when they were having it? Who? I would love if they became one of these teams. Mississippi State. Remember when Mississippi State was number one in the initial college football playoff rankings in 14? Of course I remember.

That place was unhinged that year. It was incredible. So you give, it could be Jeff Leby or if you decide it's not Jeff Leby and you want to go higher, try to find your version of Kurt Signetti and give that person the resources of all of the biggest schools in the SEC.

I would love to see that. I think that would be hysterical. There are two answers to this question that I've been sitting on. Okay. The beginning of this that were my answers. I don't know. Is it the two sleeping giants? No.

These are the ones that are kind of on the hopeless scale. The sleeping giants, by the way, North Carolina, Arizona State. Yeah, Arizona State is trying something. Like, I don't want it like Vanderbilt is trying things. Like, there are teams that are actually trying to do it right now. teams that have won double-digit games or been in the playoff and won their conference recently. They don't count.

Yeah. Yeah. A team that took Texas to the final play of overtime is not on my you suck list. Okay. Yeah. But Wake Forest would be the most surprising. Yes. I think of the power teams, like if another team were to do it, Wake, because they're-

And we've seen them be good. Like Jim Grobe won the ACC there. I thought Jake Dickard had a hell of the first year. They also have the most terrifying mascot. Their color scheme is sick. I think gold is the best. is the best accent color in college football, and we might get to that later.

But here's one that I would love to be really cool, and if I were in charge, just based on my childhood and based on what I think is cool, I would choose West Virginia. Yes, that's great. And by the way, before we talk West Virginia, Wake Forest, Jake Dickert, scheduled to join the show on Monday.

They're coach. And like the thing about it is the segment's fun. because there is nobody in the power conferences that, like if we would have this segment five years ago, we would be like, oh, that's impossible. Like literally anybody can do it now, anyone. Yeah, West Virginia is a great answer because their fans are as passionate as any of these big time.

It's a smaller fan base, but they are equally passionate to, say, Ohio State, to Georgia, to Alabama. Like on the passion scale, they're off the charts. But their uniforms are sick. they have a cool history that you could fall back on. Now, I don't know if this would be as surprising as Indiana because West Virginia, for a large age, they've seen be awesome.

And actually, like, you can make a case that West Virginia was the birthplace of the way football is played right now. So, like, it wouldn't be that far out there. Wake Forest, I think, would be the shocking one. West Virginia would be the, like, if I had 20 mil and I could be, like, in charge, I would make West Virginia awesome again. I love it.

I love it. So, well, we'll get you on the horn with folks in Morgantown. Rich Rod, call Ari. Morgantown's sick, too. They've got good food there. Appalachia's awesome. It's like sneaky, beautiful. Beautiful.

Yeah. I think that West Virginia is a very underappreciated place in America. I think you're right. And I think that's a fan base that deserves it. I don't know. It just feels like you want them to be, you want, they've suffered. some, especially since they got in the Big 12. They were so excited they got in the Big 12.

And it has been such a just load of bricks on top of them since they got there. You watched, I'm assuming you've seen this, but I've watched it recently, but Rand University, the Rand, Virginia about Randy Moss. Like this documentary, there's a lot of people

in this documentary that are impoverished, right? And like the people in those towns still love and care about football and like to the the the pride that they have for sports and stuff like that area of the country like west virginia obviously ultimately wasn't randy moss's destination i think he actually had an aversion to going there for some reason right like he did not want to go there right but i i do feel like west virginia being badass would be just be for a lack of about a word badass.

It would be awesome. I love that answer. I think that's the answer right there. Next question from Nate. With this being the first year of the SEC 9 game schedule, tough Big 10 schedules, and the ACC and Big 12 heavy favorites of Miami and Texas Tech, will it be the first year of a three-loss playoff team?

Andy, you can't just say win all your games. It's April. We need something to discuss. Okay, Nate. One, I've said there's going to be a three-loss playoff team. eventually. Both of us have been very adamant about it. When they make it bigger, like, because they actually look at the schedules and decide

that this 9 and 3 team is better than this 10 and 2 team. It's going to happen, and I thought it was going to happen last year. It might not. Like, that's why my head explodes every single time anybody brings up the 10 and 2 schedule week. That talking point comes up. It drives me crazy. I think of all the things that have driven me crazy covering the sport.

Like, you know, you know how it goes. in college football, especially in the off season where like things become trendy to debate. Like the thing that is the trendy thing to debate the last 12 months has been should you cancel all your tough non-conference games and play a weak schedule on purpose? Drives me insane. And my- But the thing is we need to see the committee punish the teams that do that and reward the teams that schedule harder, even if their record's not as good.

But there haven't been any to happen or it will just continue. But there hasn't been a team that's 10 and 2 within. Indiana schedule two years ago that is on the cusp that has got, it just hasn't materialized. Indiana in 2024, not last year's team, not last year's team, 22, Indiana had they lost a second regular season game, would not have made the playoff.

And one of the nine and three SEC teams would have made it instead. One game away from it two years ago. It's going to happen eventually. And when it does, like my hope is, and I don't, and I'm not going to assign it to a team because I don't want people to think I'm Rudy.

My hope is that if there is a team, team out there that has consciously scheduled crappy games or even canceled games that they go 10 and two and are left out. Like I want that to happen. Yes, I want them to be punished and I want the committee to say we did this because you intentionally

scheduled crappy non-conference games. There are teams. I want them to say it out loud. I want when Hunter Eurocheck gets up there talking to Reese Davis, I want him to say, we left them out because they scheduled crappy games and it was a disservice to the college football fans. It would a disservice

to their team and they shouldn't have done that. And we could have really used that extra bullet point for evaluation on them. Yep. I think last year's Texas team, their resume will be ultimately good enough to make the playoff in some year. It wasn't good enough last year because the circumstances didn't manifest that way or didn't turn out that way. But eventually there will be a team that has Texas's resume from last year that is

sitting on the cusp of the playoff and we'll get in because a 10 and 2 team didn't play anybody it's going to happen yeah no i i i'm with you i and and again i want to see it i want to see that i i don't care like i'm not i just follow the lost column kind of person i think you need to examine everything critically and there will be nine and three teams that are better than 10 and two teams it's like if i'm not to pick on you guys i know you had a rough year but if you're 10 and 2 next year buddy you're a deep shit like yeah and and part of that what part of it that sucks for notre dame is they had a really good non-conference scale. Well, it's not non-conference for their opponent.

They had a really good game on their schedule. And USC bailed. Like, it's not their fault. But yes, you want to see the stronger schedule. Like, you want to reward the stronger schedule. And like the question was, you know, outlined in the question. By the way, Notre Dame did go out and get BYU, which they got the best thing they could to replace USC. Yeah.

But Miami and Texas Tech, kind of being the clear favorites in their conference, I think that the ACC and the Big 12 aren't going to have a hard time getting multiple teams in for the foreseeable future. Because I think that these other teams in the tougher conferences with more robust schedules are going to, you know, lead the way. But that's not a news flash to anybody. People know how the sport works already. Here comes another fun question from Cole. which former head coach's legacy would have been different had he coached his entire career under the current college football playoff format. I say Mack Brown.

He went at least 10 and 2 every year from 1999 to 09 and would have had more opportunities to win more national titles. I think that's a great question. Mack Brown is a great example. I will argue that his nemesis, Bob Stoops, during that period would also have benefited. Bob Stoops has a national title, obviously, played in more national. title games than Mack did by one because Oklahoma played in the 03 and 08 ones. This is a 04 one, I guess. But so by two, but they would have been in the playoff.

Texas and Oklahoma would have been in the playoff every single year in the 12 team. Who else would have benefited from this, Ari? There's one answer to this question that is clearly the answer. Okay. I don't know if you want me to just give it to you and I'll go at the end or if you want to work through it. Oh, I think I know. Well, if it's not the one you're thinking, this is definitely an answer. Okay, do yours first. And then I'll go to my time. So Bobby Bowden had a team that finished in the top four of the AP poll for 14 consecutive years. Florida State would have had, would have made the

playoff every single year and they probably would have more national titles than they have now. And Bobby, but they don't know why that's not the answer? It's a great answer. Oh, it's not. Oh, wow. It's not my answer. Okay. Go ahead. Why? Because Bobby Bowden right now is remembered as one of the greatest coaches of all time already. Like he already has that. Yeah. John Cooper. Oh, that's a good one.

Because John Cooper is viewed as a loser who couldn't beat his rival. And what if, what if in the 12-team playoff, they'd played Michigan just like once and beaten him under John Cooper. They would have been in the playoff every year. They were awesome. and they didn't go to the, they don't have any championships. They were the first program in college football to create super teams and they never won anything because they couldn't beat Michigan during his time. But they would have lost the Michigan or Michigan State or whatever in the 95, 96,

97, 98 years and gone to the playoff and kicked everyone's ass. Yeah, including possibly Michigan in some of those years. Probably would have won, honestly, I don't know if I'm overstating this, but I think they would have won three national titles with the teams that he had. That's a great one. Want to hear a more recent one? Yeah. That I think it would have changed his coaching trajectory.

Dan Mullen. Yeah, that's a good one. So Dan Mullen, I think would have made, I think you would have made the playoffs three times, at least twice at Florida. Yeah. So now, if the 2021 season had gone as badly as it did, I think if you're coming off a couple of playoff appearances,

they're probably not firing you at that point. And now, ultimately it may have fallen apart for the same reason it did, that they were worried he didn't want to recruit the kind of the kind of players that you need to win the national title. So yeah, he would have won, yeah, he would have been the playoff in 18, 19, and 20. So that's, yeah, well, maybe not 18, but he definitely in 19 and 20 that would have made the playoff. I think I'm kind of thinking about this differently than you, though.

You're thinking of how many times coaches would get into the playoff. I'm thinking of how many coaches blew teams that could have won the national title who didn't have the chance to. I think both of those things are legitimate reasons. I've got another one for you. Okay. You ready? Yep.

And I don't know because this person is very beloved and he's retired. But what about Chris Peterson? Yes, because Boise State would have been in the playoff. They would have been the four or five times. I mean, like he, they won the whack four times under his. Would he have left for Washington in that scenario? And I don't know, but I think it's possible that Boise State would be, I mean, and Boise State clearly is still one of the most consistent, most recognized group of five programs in the country. But I do wonder if, like, you were able to rewrite history.

And like, unlike when Boise State made the playoff a few years ago with Ashton Genty, like Boise State teams in the 12-team era, like in 2008, might have won the title or at least competed for it. The 2009 Boise State team was really good. That was the year Alabama played Texas for the national title. I don't know that it would have been able to compete with either of those two, but it would have been great to see him try. Would have been great to see a game. Also led a different program in the 14th playoff. Yes.

Yeah, he got Washington there. And I think that people view Chris Peterson as a great coach. So I'm not. Oh, yeah. Like the reason why I think John Cooper is the answer is because I don't think that people remember him as a Hall of Fame coach, as like one of the greatest coaches of all time. No, I think you're right.

John Cooper. Those rosters in the 90s of what they had. John Cooper would definitely won a national title at some point. Like Orlando Pace, Eddie Joel, I mean, all these guys that were Terry Glenn, Andy Katzenmoyer, like all these guys that were just, how do you not win a title with those guys? It's insane. You don't, in that area, you don't beat Michigan. And that's what gets you.

It's wild. I'm trying to think of other coaches that had really good teams that never broke through, but that's the one. And that's obviously because of my background. I know the man. So, but I'm trying to think, like, I mean, even if you go back to maybe some of the Michigan teams, it worked on the other end too. Well, yeah, Harbaugh's early Michigan teams would have made the playoff. Like, they would have been 16, they would have made the playoff?

Or what how many times would, like, Lloyd Carr's team have made the playoff when they were going head to head with Ohio State and the final, like, I think that teams that are ultimately very good and have a rival that's also ultimately very good is a good place to start because back in 2010. If you lost the last game of the year, you were cooked. How many teams like ran the table or only lost one game before they played their rival? Yeah, I would say, I would name an Auburn coach, but that's not how that's not how Auburn works. No, no, Auburn. You're either really good or really bad. So like, I'm sure there's Miami, Florida State examples from your childhood that you can come up with. Oh, yeah, all the, well, that, that's why I said Bowden because it, like, remember

Bowden was forever the guy that couldn't get over the hump. Yeah, you, you might have found Osborne actually is another one. Tom Osborne did, I mean, took him, you know, a long time to win a national title where he was dominant for decades before he actually won one. Yeah. Bouten might have been like Nick Saban, if this could accept, like before saying. That would have been Nick Saban, yeah. Which I guess would have been a, obviously a secondary like turbo boost to his already impressive resume. I was to say they were already really good. Yeah. But yeah, I mean, those teams were, we're, we're, terrifying. Like those Florida State teams, and they, even if they dropped a game, you knew they were going to come back and just roll the rest of the way. Like that's just how good they were. And then, of course, I think you can't get through the segment without at least acknowledging

James Franklin, right? I mean, Penn State. Yes. Was the 10-of-10 win team for most of his 10 years. How about Philip Fulmer? In the years where he and Steve Spurrier went back and fourth, but Spurrier won most of them. Yeah. Because Tennessee was the second best team in the SEC in all of those years. And would have been very competitive on the national stage. It's just that's not how things work then. Yeah.

I mean, there's a few West Virginia teams to date back. I mean, like, what if Rich Rod teams would have gotten in? Yeah. Yeah. So this is, that is such a fun question. That's a great exercise. The most uncomfortable thing. thing, Andy, about this new era is, it opens, like, for the entirety of college football's

history up until recently, the entire sport has been defined by what ifs. What if this team would have been able to play this game or what if this team would have had that extra week? And it's like, we have been living in a world where we could have had this system for 100 years. And I think the entirety of college football history would be different. Because the truth is that it's like, maybe the playoff has revealed this one thing. Maybe we've gotten the national championship, national champion wrong 50% of the time.

Possibly. When you're only picking two teams to play for it or you're just voting on it. And those two teams, not having the best teams play each other at the end. How many times if you had to estimate has the national championship game occurred in college football history on a percentage basis where one of the best two teams in the country wasn't participating? I mean, at least 50%, right? Yeah, at least. Yeah. There would be a lot.

It's wild. It's a wild. It's a crazy sport. forward, Andy. It is. The one positive that I am thinking, like I have always been reluctant in

the expansion of this, but the one thing I know for sure is that at least in a playoff system, the teams that are good enough to win the championship get a seat at the table and they get to decide their fate on the field where so many great teams of the past didn't have an opportunity to do something.

And look at the path of the two teams that have won in the 12-team era. like they had to earn it. Ohio State had to absolutely earn it the first year. And Indiana had to earn it last year. It wasn't because they got an easy path. It was because they earned it. Yeah. I'm trying to think.

I like Googled. So here's just a list of 25 teams that were really good in college football that was done by ESPN back in 2020 during the COVID years where we had to come up with. With Connolly. Yeah. Bill Connolly wrote it and I'm stealing it from him. Sorry, Bill. but our top college football teams that failed to win a national championship. 1947, Michigan, they were undefeated.

I don't know what happened that year. 2011, LSU, 1980. That best regular season resume of all time and then lost Alabama in the- -D-S-O. Andy, I think that this also resonates with what you said about Bobby Bowden. 23, 1980, Florida State. 22, 1987, Florida State. 2021-1921, 1992-192, Florida State.

Yeah. 1958, Oklahoma. I'm not going to read out the ones from like the black and white days, but I'm thinking like, 1940 Tennessee. I'm sorry, Riv. I'm sorry, bud. 2005 USC, 2008 USC. What about Pete Carroll?

I mean, but they all, those actual, those are in the national title games. I think there's a world where, like, there's a 12-team playoff in 2005, and USC and Texas still meet for the national title, and it's still just as awesome. Yeah, you would like to think that that the teams that won it in the past still would have found ways to do it. That's the year I feel like they had the best teams. Like they had the best two right there. Yeah. But it's just there are there is a lot of what if in history.

There are a lot of teams that, what was the year that Auburn got left out? Was there a year that? 2004. Yeah, that's a team. Yeah, it would have been great to see the Cadillac, you know, Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown, Jason Campbell, that crew in the playoff. You know what it kind of feels like, Andy? It feels like you know, you know, I'm a big crime junkie.

I like watching. Yeah, yeah. I don't like watching a documentary for five hours or five episodes of one hour each about a high profile crime case or a crime instance and cold case, where at the end they're like, we don't know what happened. It's like, okay, like I spent all this time and I like don't know the answer. And, like, that's kind of how so many college football seasons have ended. Now, you've had a resolution, but a lot of times a resolution isn't as,

it's not complete because you're not 100% sir, what would have happened, had another team that wasn't included were to be included. So I guess part of it, too, is if you leave it up to somebody else, then you weren't good enough to win the national championship and all those things. And I guess there are some truth to that, but I am at least happy that we have a system now where we get to settle it on the field instead of a boardroom for the most part. I agree.

agree. Now, let's do something entirely subjective that people are going to argue about, like the old days. It's time for the random ranking. We haven't been doing these nearly enough. The River Boy. Producer Rivers here, we are now going to rank our top five college football uniforms. And the way this is working is you must pick, you must designate road or home. So we're talking about one particular kit as the people across. the pond might say as your favorites and it's it's top five will start at number five for everybody who wants to go first uh why don't you go ahead and break the glass here andy okay my number five your ucLA home uniform that beautiful blue the gold helmet the gold pants shoulder yokes

this is going to be a theme for me love shoulder yokes huge shoulder yoke fan god i love that uniform uh a beautiful uniform. And I don't want to, I mean, I guess like just for the sake of time, if we have, this is our only overlap. I had UCLA's home uniforms at number four on my list. So I'm pretty good.

And I just think that it's possible that it might, like now I'm looking at my list, I might even put them higher. It's beautiful. And like, I think that they're going to find a theme in my lists, guys. I like vibrant, beautiful colors. You like gold member? I love gold. You love gold.

But gold is, like, I think the most beautiful uniform in all of sports is the 49ers. Like the red and gold combination is just perfect. And this is an alternate of that. And I love it. I think it's beautiful. So what is your number five, Ari? My number five, and I'm always with my random rankings a little bit weird. But I picked the purple Clemson alternate home uniforms when they wear those once a year.

That's the worst choice you could possibly make. I love them. Clemson has such great normal uniforms. What are you doing? I really like when a team has a secondary color that's not usually used in their day-to-day uniforms that is a good color pop. I love those uniforms. And I know that that is a controversial take because a lot of people don't like those uniforms. But I think they're awesome.

And I love the paw on the shoulder pads. I'm a big shoulder pad graphic guy. I love those uniforms. They're beautiful. And number five, don't come out here and give me shit right under eight. The standard Clemson Home uniform with the orange helmet, orange jersey in either white or orange pants is perfect why what's with this purple i like the

accent color being and i almost i didn't put this on the list and maybe one of you did but i also very much like the notre dame green alternates too because it's so bad at this river what's your number five great all right my number five i'm going to go ahead and get it out of the way it's my pander pick i'm going to good old rocky top give me the orange on white just giving it to me give me the balls I'll call her. Andy, you didn't see his list yet. His picks are Tennessee one through five. I was to say, are they all Tennessee uniforms? Smoky gray number one. Oh, lights, yeah. But, you know, iconic orange on white in Neeland. Checker Neeland in the back. It's the best.

You guys can now do your fours because I already reveal my four. Yes, Ari's number four is UCLA home. My number four is the Notre Dame home uniform. Not the green, not any of the special editions. Gold helmet, painted freshly every week, Navy, jersey, gold pants. Best college football right there, baby. It's a beautiful uniform. Now, I'm going to maybe spoil a little of mine, but here's why I had a hard time with this, is that if you picked Penn State or Alabama or Notre Dame or one of the places that doesn't really have a lot going on,

then how did you decipher between those and is it purely color scheme and if you include it Notre Dame then like are you going to include the note the paint on the helmet makes a difference the shiny the shine of the helmet yeah and gold is the best accent color so like I you the helmet does so much work you don't really want the jersey or the pants doing more work like it's doing everything is balanced here yeah yeah and like what we were saying before the list too it's like there are so many beautiful uniforms and we're only picking five um but like Notre Dame is it's a beautiful uniform and it's iconic because it also like mirrors the golden dome and all that stuff so like I get it all right my number four is Ohio State's classic homes get you all the stickers on there you know this is just clean I like the

When Ari sent a picture of this? I didn't. I guess River sent a picture of this in our group chat before I started. Ari said the playoff jersey. I sent the reason why Ohio State will not appear on my list because Ohio State does not even wear their best uniforms on a day-to-day basis. The uniforms that they typically wear in the playoff, they did it this past year with the gray and white checkered sleeves and the black numbers on the shoulder pads. are the most beautiful uniform that they have. I like their standard home uniform.

Yeah, that's what I like. The shiny helmet with the Buckeye stickers. They have... I'm going to spoil something later. I like silver pants. And these are some elite silver pants. I know what that means. Silver pants, you SEC Home.

All right. Is it my turn? Our number threes, because you have UCLA at four, Ari. My number three is Arizona State's home uniform with the maroon jerseys. the gold pants and the sparky on the helmet yeah yes and i don't know if you do this anymore every week but back when i was a kid they used to have the arizona state name across the chess plate and i don't know if they do that right now the pat tilman era yeah the pat tillman one but i still think

that maroon and gold um is a very amazing combo and any time they get away from this or they put the weird sparky logo or the fork on the helmet they've done a disservice to the entire city of tempi like that's the beautiful football uniform. Yeah, the sparky logo just makes this whole thing. It's so awesome. And maroon is a very underutilized color in college football. Like there aren't a lot of maroon teams, are there? Like that's a&M.

Minnesota and A&M are the only other two, so that I can remember. And see, like my Clemson pick might have been, I'm not that bad at this. Those are sick, right? Like, do you agree with these? Oh, I love this. So, yeah, yeah, this is a good one. My number three is the,

Georgia home uniform. Red helmet, red jersey, silver bridges. The silver bridges make it. I also love Georgia's road uniforms. I love the red, white, silver is incredible. But the home uniform is great. I was highly offended along with everyone else when they wore the black jersey in the 2008 Alabama game.

I agreed with Scott Cochran, then Alabama strength coach. You know, why don't wear a black? Is it going on a funeral? And if they'd worn this uniform, the red one, maybe they would have had a chance. This is a beautiful uniform. Never deviate from this. You get, I don't know, like,

they have the road uniforms where they'll wear the red pants as an homage to like when Herschel was a, was a freshman. The silver bridges are the best part of the uniform. But I love, love Georgia's uniforms. Got a few criticisms here. Okay. One.

And they're pretty. You get nagged if you share a logo with another college and pro team to me. it's the same exact logo as two other things. Two, I think that they're- You're talking about the Packers and Grambling? And I also think that the helmet stripe should also have an accent of black or silver in it instead of it just being plain white.

Oh, no, I like the plain white. I like the plain white. I like it. Do you like the collar on the jersey too, the black collar? Yeah. Yeah, it kind of is cool because they're the bulldogs too. The bull, yeah, they were a collar. Exactly. River, what's you got for number three?

All right. For my number three, I have the all-white, Texas jerseys. Those are sick. This is a picture of Vince Young here, and this was like the first memory of college football I have engraved in my brain, and these whites are just nice. They're clean. Yeah. Clean is all white.

Okay, because River, you went to a school that has a pretty iconic all white road uniform. Yeah. But I think this is the best all white uniform in college. Yeah. It is. And it wasn't gimmicky either. Like, that's just what it is. and I think that burnt orange, and I don't know what it is, I'm not a, I don't know if I can even

articulate this, but burnt orange, um, is a color that I believe epitomizes the vibe of the place and the logo and what they are more than any other color in college football epitomizes who they are. And it like orange white. Like it, it's, I, I like their home uniforms fine. I love their road uniforms because like you, the burnt orange has a bigger effect when it's on the field of white. Yeah.

And I also am a sucker for name plate across chest plate. Yeah. Play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back, right? The cliche said me. All right. Yes. Yeah, what's your number two, Ari?

My number two is North Carolina's alternate where they have the baby blue jerseys, but the navy blue accent shadows on the letter boxes and pants. Those are pretty uniforms. I like those. They've not worn these. This is a picture from the 21 orange bowl against Texas A&M. This is Josh Downs.

This is Josh Downs. I don't know if they haven't worn them since. But if Bill Belichick is gatekeeping these because it reminds him of Mac Brown or a previous regime, like that's a that's a travesty because like I almost even went the Navy blue jerseys with the with the baby blue accents. But I think that the Navy blue baby blue color combination is beautiful. and of course they get a huge bonus for being a football jersey with the Jordan logo on it where it actually makes sense because he went there. Like I think that like the Jordan. North Carolina also has a great helmet.

Yeah, and their logo is iconic. Yeah, but the interlocking NC, so their interlocking NC is bigger than most places would make that helmet logo. And it really works with them. Yeah. I love that helmet for some reason. I think you could make the case. that the North Carolina collection of swag that you can buy,

if you're just a fan, is the most elite of any school in the country. Of course, it's Jordan, you got the plaid, like all of it. The plaid, the Jordan, the color combination, the navy blue is a very good color. And I think that that baby blue is a great accent color. You mean Carolina blue? Carolina blue, which some people would say is Columbia blue, but whatever blue.

It's baby blue to me. It's a boy. Okay, okay. Carolina blue. All right, River, what is your, uh... My number two is LSU's classic white on gold. Oh, that's a good one. The block letter LSU over the tiger.

And it's like the helmet's even cooler in person because you see how big the letters are. Yeah. Yeah. Massive. No, this is, uh, this is just a great color combination. And it's, it's kind of funny because LSU doesn't always wear their primary color purple at home.

It's like this is... Well, no. Yeah, they want to wear white. Yeah. Especially for big games. They only wear the purple ones. Yeah. When they know they're going to win.

Yeah. So, so like these, to have just the jerseys that you wear on the road and at home is just, I don't know, it's kind of bad. I've never noticed that. I never noticed that. Steve Sprier used to mess with them because the home team has to give you permission to wear that. And so he would try to make it where they couldn't wear the white jerseys when they wanted to. It's like a Tennessee war. Why do they?

He's only wear purple when they know they're going to win. I didn't know what the reason is for it, but they prefer the white jerseys. Yeah, the white jerseys are sick. And LSU's got one of the most iconic helmets in the sport. Yeah. All right, Andy. And the shoulder yokes. Don't forget shoulder.

Okay. Paul Dietzel in 1958 when they won the national championship. That's where the tradition dates back to. Okay. There you go. So my number two is the Michigan home uniform. The winged helmet is incredible. My son got mad at me.

He's like, why don't you just say Delaware? They got a winged helmet too. Princeton has a wing helmet. No, this is an iconic college football uniform. The winged helmet and the simple jersey, simple pants, I don't need more than this. This is perfect. When you look at this picture, do you ever, like, get re-frustrated about how bad Adidas messed up their uniforms for that period of time?

They didn't have access to maize. So it was just a, Nike owns maze. What they were, where they were dropping out there, though? Like, go like Google Adidas, Michigan football uniforms. It looks like something that you would see in any given Sunday. It was awful.

There were some, there were some abominations in the, in the Donard Robinson era for sure. And I think obviously the most iconic helmet football, right? Outside of, you know, they're in the, in at least the top five of most iconic helmet. And in my list, I had a hard time with this because I love Ohio State's uniform.

I love Michigan's uniform. I like Notre Dame's uniform. I like Bama's uniform. I had a hard time differentiating the classic symbols. Like that with the numbers is really cool. It is very good. Because it's old school and just nobody does that anymore. It is very cool.

But I had a hard time differentiating which ones I like the most because they're all kind of like in the same pot to me. I'm like, oh, those are just classic. They've never changed. They're iconic. And obviously they're all beautiful. But to your point, Andy. Navy blue and yellow maze is a very good color

combination. It's so beautiful and the winged helmet is just, it's perfect. And they've done a really good job accentuating the Jordan aspect of it too with the wristbands that they wear and stuff. Yeah. And I'm fine when they wear the Navy pants at home, it looks good too, but I'd

rather than be in the classic maze pants. Okay. Andy, why don't you snake us back around and give us your one now? All right. My number one. USC Road, Cardinal helmet, white jersey with cardinal numbers and shoulder yokes. There's my shoulder yokes. Now, normally, I'm not striped down the pants.

Like, I want something a little simpler, but the stripe down the pants works, the three stripes. This is just a gorgeous uniform. Like, this is perfect right here. This is everything you want in a college football uniform. You know exactly who they are. You don't have to guess. That's USC. And it is, it's beautiful.

Yeah. I wish I would have done a better job of deciding home and away. But we'll get to that later. Go ahead, Andy. River, what's yours? All right. My number one. Tennessee?

No. My number one is Ole Misses Powder Blue jerseys. Oh, that's a good one. Yeah. That was one of the ones that I regretted leaving off. Yeah, I mean, the way, and I think it comes with the swagger of Trinidad Chambliss, honestly. But like, these powder blues are awesome. And I love how clean.

Is it an anti-powder blue? Was he anti-powder blue jersey or anti-powder blue helmet? And then they decided to wear them in the playoff because he wasn't in charge anymore. That's wild. I didn't know that if that's true. Well, there were some uniform combination that he disliked that they decided we're going to wear because he disliked it. Yeah.

Well, it has to be that because that's what they wore in the playoff, right? Well, they only wore this jersey against Miami in the playoff because they beat Georgia and the other, their first round game. Tulane. Yeah, they wore Navy against Tulane and they wore white against Georgia. I think the Navy, the cool, having Navy and Powder Blue is cool. But I really like those uniforms. That's a good thing.

Yeah, the powder blues are just, I think they're cloned. Yeah, I can't remember if it was the helmet or what was it, but yeah, it was, I love that powder blue. When they brought the powder blue helmet out, and this was in the Hugh Freeze era, because they were wearing, you know, they were just wearing the Navy helmets before that. I was like, how could you ever lose in this helmet?

Yeah, that's just nice. Yeah. All right. And Ari, your number one. My number one is done, dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun. USC home. Oh, it's just iconic. I mean, it's just iconic.

It's funny because you're laughing at me and you're like, you suck at rankings. And it's like, we like literally agreed on like a lot of things. I say number one. I picked the road because I like the contrast, but it's obviously I think the home uniform is amazing too. Yeah. And I just like love. I just like, and part of it too is you got to remember when I was a kid.

I mean, these guys were the king shit, man. Like I mean, this was this is Pete Carroll uniforms here. Like I mean, this is the epitome of college football. all this is the team that was badass to me. And I just like love their, that's the closest uniform combination color-wise that you would find at the 49ers, which I've got an adversion to.

So I just always loved USC's. And I agree with you, the home and the away ones are sick. They've got amazing uniforms. And like UCLA, and that's part of like thing too. It's like UCLA, USC,

both being on both of our lists is also the epitome of why every rivalry game should be played with both home uniforms. If they, like Ohio State, Michigan should both wear blue and red, scarlet and maize or whatever, I don't know, blue and red. Yeah.

Everybody's got a black and white TV anymore. Yeah. We don't need, yeah, we need the, because of the color pop, uniform pop of that game is something like. We have a few honorable mentions. One of mine, the Navy 250th anniversary, ones that they were against Army last year. One I have to put in here, my alma mater,

University of Florida. Those are sick. Orange, orange helmet, white jersey. blue pants. The real ones know why. 52 to 20, baby, in the Sugar Bowl. Originally, the plan was white pants.

Took the team photo in white pants. Team emerged in blue pants. It's wild. My honorable mention is 2013 Navy. Agree again, Andy. I suck at this, right? I don't know if you have the picture, River, but they had a

gold stripe up and it has the Naval Academy logo. Like an Army Navy always have great uniforms for this specific game. But if you go back to the 2013, I remember when they had failed these uniforms back when Twitter was just starting. And I was just like, holy crap, those are gorgeous. And also another honorable mention, and I don't know if I have a specific school,

I do like anytime anybody incorporates Rose Bowl things into their logo, the way that Utah did with the Rose. Oh, the Rose helmet. Yes. So beautiful. And then any team. Arizona State did this too, and I didn't want to pick just specific uniforms, but when Arizona State and the 97 Rose Bowl had roses on their shoulder pads,

anybody who had roses on their, Wisconsin, I think, did it once. Anybody who accentuates the rose aspect into their uniform, God, like, inject it into my vein. I am, I know it's cliche, but I am the number one Rose Bowl sucker, dude. Like anything, I have Rose Bowl memorabilia. I buy Rose Bowl, like, T-shirts. Like, I love the Rose Bowl. River, you got any alternate Tennessee uniforms as your honorable mentions? No, no, but I do have two.

One of mine is Kansas State's home uniforms. Oh, that is a beautiful uniform. That's a silver pants, Andy. Silver pants. Yeah. And then I was also considering another powder blue jersey with two lanes. Two lanes. Yeah.

Let me throw one more of my honorable mentions. So I found this one more recently, but. We have to talk about Oregon because you can't really pick Oregon for one of these because what is an Oregon uniform? I picked the ones they wore against Michigan in 2024 because it's the silver chrome helmet with the wings and then white on white. Anytime they wear the silver chrome helmet with a white jersey and either the gray or silver or white pants, I'm in. I'm sold. It's funny because my favorite Oregon uniform is like the yellow helmet throwback look. with puddles on it.

I like the throwback, but when they came out in the chrome helmets, when they played the Russell Wilson Wisconsin team in the Rose Bowl, I was like, that's the coolest helmet I've ever seen in my life.

And so when they wear their silver chrome helmets, I mean, I don't like it as much when they wear it with the green jerseys, which that Rose Bowl, they were wearing the green jerseys, but I like it better

when they were white. Yeah. The thing that I, I, because Oregon obviously is swaggy, right? Like, there's nobody's going to act

like they're not. sometimes Oregon has uniform combinations that make you stop in your tracks and go holy crap that's awesome and then sometimes they miss like sometimes the eggshell ones are terrible like they should never wear this one but you know what man and I don't know

if this is just me being old and thinking that dude the Dennis Dixon years when they had that like deep forest green helmet with the yellow O and they wore those with the black accents and like what are those the steel marks that's the what is it you know what I'm talking about like where you

I know what you're talking about. Yeah. Those are cool. Those are sick. And like, I don't even think they wear those anymore. Like, I'm not a huge, like, those ones right there are way better. Those are my favorite. Those are my favorite Oregon jerseys right here.

These are their mighty Oregon throwback. This is Bo Nix when he was playing. Yeah. This is like mid-90s early Mike Belmont, or late Rich Brooks early Mike Belotti era, Oregon. I like it. But I am am used by the fact that they have done all this research in Nike, Nike uniform combinations and like most people just like the classic ones

the best which like is just because football uniforms in general even if you go look at the NFL there isn't a single NFL uniform that exists today that's I don't know you throw puddles a puddles helmet and a chrome helmet in front of a 17 year old recruit I think I know which one he's making I don't think that there's a single NFL uniform that's modern

day that's better than it was in 1994 so like their logos have all gotten worse and their uniforms have all gotten worse Yeah, well, you're talking to the number one, the number one put the helmet back on the dolphin, dolphins, truth. Yeah. So, yeah. The, dude, the 90s dolphins uniforms are the most iconic uniforms ever. They don't, like, and when they wear them now with today's technology, with the jerseys that fit tighter and like, they look amazing.

They should wear them every week, but they don't because they're stupid. Exactly. All right. Modern day, Denver Broncos wearing the old Broncos. wearing the old Broncos D with Oh yeah Like I think But see the Broncos things different though

Just like Bucco Bruce with the Buccaneers I think it's because they felt like they couldn't get over the hump in those Because remember the Broncos finally win two Super Bowls When they switched to the Navy uniforms With a different Bronco By the way I wanted to get out of here without Before I said this there was one mother honorable mention When I did not send the picture to River so it's on me

But I think that we need to acknowledge them because they're beautiful. Florida State has amazing uniforms. Yes. The arrow on the helmet, the gold and maroon acts, it's beautiful. And that almost.

Yes. So, yeah. We've had some good Florida State photos in this show. Like, we were talking about Bobby Vodden. Like, we've gotten,

people have gotten a good look at that uniform. We got a couple of news stories before we go that I just wanted to run by you. Ari, we were both fascinated by this Luther Davis story. According to the Guardian, Luther Davis has been accused. of impersonating multiple NFL players, including his former Alabama teammate,

Xavier McKinney. Luther Davis was a defensive lineman in Alabama a few years ago. He's accused of impersonating Xavier McKinney, Michael Pennix, Jr. I'm missing one. Basically, going in and getting loans as these people. Like, when he got the loan as Michael Pennix Jr., now he had a forged driver's license that said his name was Michael Pinnock Jr.

But he just wore a du rag. and was like, whoever was doing the loan, it's like, yep, checks out. Yeah. Luther Davis was a defensive lineman. He's a massive. The other person was David and Choku. Oh, we did. Yeah, the tight end.

Yes. And like, listen, there are certain things that I'll, like, watch on television. There was this show, and I think you watched this, too, Andy, about, was her name, Anna Delphi? What was the name? Yes. Yeah, inventing Anna is the Netflix show. and the girl from Ozark is in it. You'll tell me.

Ruth, she's the main character. And they show these, like I watch these shows of people who do financial schemes. And it's unbelievable to me. I don't understand how anybody could get a loan out without a social security number. And I'm not a financial genius, but like I've gone around the globe of, you know, I mean, around the sun 35 times. And I don't know how you would ever secure. a loan for any amount of money without personally confirming your assets and your in your social security number and being bound to repaying it like I don't understand like

you can just dress up like D.B. Cooper going to a bank and say you're Chris Peterson and like you get the loan. That's not how it works. Like how do people do this? How do you check into a hotel for a month and then leave without paying for it? I've never been able to get into a fair field in without giving them a credit card clear. How do you do it? How do people do this stuff? I'm still just amazed at the du rag thing that that worked. Because I, now I don't know if Luther Davis has lost weight since he played, but he played it like 275. So anybody, this was in Georgia.

Like, how do you not know that Michael Pinnock's is not that big? Yeah. I don't know. They look nothing alike. Yeah. Like, David Joku, I get because he's bigger. Xavier McKinney's a safety. Like, there's no way.

Xavier McKinney have dreads? I thought he did. I believe he does. Yeah, I don't know. Maybe he put a wig. Was there a wig involved? In the story, they said he wore wigs. Okay, I eagerly await the Netflix series about this.

Also, producer River just sent this from WATE, one of the TV channels in Knoxville. A tractor trailer that was hauling bees. crashed dear downtown Knoxville on I-40 and apparently released all the bees. Okay. Like lots, like thousands of bees. You know how you like live your life? Like I live an ordinary life.

Like after this, I'll go to the grocery store, pick some things up, maybe grab some lunch. Come home. Like you just exist. You know how many crazy, bad shit crazy things are just happening. around you at all times without you're like even knowing it like why who's hauling bees and why the article says approximately one million bees a million bees it's like a honey operation is that what this is

i have no idea how many times are you been driving on the highway and a truck will drive by you and you think a million yes and they're like oh well there's nothing in the cargo area but a million bees and that's that's the ramp to henley street so that's like right near campus yes it is like downtown nox So do they like have to like close things down and stuff? Like that's a lot of bees. It would certainly seem so. Like they've got video of guys walking around in the beekeeper. It's like it is a million bees.

Have you ever been stung by a bee? I have not, believe it or not. Yes, I didn't sung by bees. Yeah, I've never. Does that hurt? Yes. That's so good. Never happened.

Listen, if I'm driving along and a million bees get spilled out of the road, I am turning my car around and I am driving home and I'm locking the door and I'm not coming out for a day or two. Because it's just, I'm assuming when a million bees get dropped on you, it's not your day. So just go home and let's try again tomorrow. Like my understanding is if you're stung by enough of them at the same time, you could die. Like it's not like a joke. Yeah. Yes.

And shout out to all of you people who have very atypical jobs because there are people. Like it was someone's job that day to transport the bees. It was someone's job that day to load the bees into the. So whatever that's happening with the bees. Somebody's job to emergently deal with the bees. Like if you are photographed in a beekeeper suit, that means that your job that day was to get a phone call and go rescue people or clear an area where a million bees, like that's your job.

Bees. You always think like, most people I know, it's like, are you a lawyer? I'm an accountant. I do this. I do that. Like, I run a plumbing company or whatever. There's people out there that like have to go deal with a million bees. So shout out to you.

I hope none of you have to deal with a million bees today. But if you're in Knoxville, you're probably dealing with a million bees. And good luck to you. Keep your head down, Chris Lowe. There's a video of a beekeeper. I'll put it here. But it says, unless you are wearing. this B suit, please stay in your vehicles.

Well, because you know the advice. Everybody just go home. When there's a million bees on the interstate, it's not your day. Go home. Driving around, listening to the beach boys and all of a sudden like nine bees come through your air conditioning vent. Yeah, like, yeah. We'll talk to you Monday.