Andy & Ari On3 - Penn State ANNIHILATES SMU to advance | Should we just expect snoozers?

Episode Date: December 21, 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.   Penn State hammered SMU 38-10 to advance to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. That’s two snoozers in two games. Is this what we should expect from the 12-team CFP? Watch us on YouTube! https://youtube.com/live/4PFQAnsgbTA Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari WassermanProducer: River Bailey

Welcome to Andy and Ari on three presented by Wendy's a special instant reaction edition to Ari. As it was a terrible game, unless you're a Penn State fan, let's be real here. That was a just God awful game. We're all dumber for having seen it. Could the committee not have predicted these blowouts? Could they have just made some more interesting games? We've had a really nice one. I'm playing devil's advocate here. We've had a really nice 24 hours together. We're going to Ohio Stadium after we're done with this. Like I don't want to fight with you, right? I don't want to fight about it. I just it's funny because everybody's like, Oh, see, this is this is why we should have stayed before. No, I was

at the first. That's not it. Four team playoff game. And was a blowout too, but that's not it though. But well, it's it's it's Alabama should have been in. Ole Miss should have been in. That's what people are saying, but I also think Andy. That if you like the system. Then you should have been smart enough or at least on the ball enough when listening to us to realize that this was coming. And that's what annoys me. Like I don't want to get here and be like, oh I was right about the 14 field. You can

prefer the 12 or the 4. I just want interesting games. All I want are interesting games. Okay, so if you are a person who wants interesting games that you might need to ask yourself in the mirror what format you preferred, because I spent all year talking to you about this, and all year we get- Would the game have not been more interesting if Alabama had been playing Penn State?

I don't know the answer to that question. Do you? No, and I am playing Devil's Attic here, because there's this distinct possibility, because we saw Alabama get beat that way, that Alabama could have gone up and lost the same way. But there's also a possibility it would have been a more competitive game.

So here's the thing about the 12 team playoff that offers us some solace, okay? Indiana got to prove it on the field last night. SMU got to prove it on the field. In a world where this sport has forever been decided by people in a boardroom. The one awesome thing that the committee does in the 12 team field is allows teams who have earned it, whether you like it or not on the field to

prove whether they're worthy. Yeah. When we get the answer to that question, don't be upset. It is the system working. Like that's the thing. It's like if you thought SMU sucked and you congratulations, yeah, like you were right, but now SMU gets to go into the off season without any questions of what they could have done and all it's going to take is for Clemson to win or for SMU

to win a game like that. If Kevin Jennings didn't donate 21 points to the Penn state in the first half or Indiana to make a comeback and win the game before this all changes. So there are going to be blowouts. And guess what? There could have been a blowout. Maybe it seems with hypotheticals that could have been a blowout with any of the teams that were in the mix for that last one. Hypothetically, I understand if you are a person who thinks that Alabama or Ole Miss would have played better, they have better players and I'm with you. But that is the reason why I've always

wanted the 14 field because I knew when we got to 12 there wouldn't be 12 worthy teams and you have to make decisions. And the thing that drives me absolutely fricking nuts is that if you are a person, listen to me, if you are a person who thinks that Alabama, Ole Miss or South Carolina should be in Paul Feinbaum, then what are you saying about the sport? Are you saying that SMU should not play the schedule? Are you saying that Indiana, a Big 10 team should not play the... like you can't just live in a world where the teams who get into the playoffs are the ones that we have a preconceived notion are good because then you are sending a message that the games they play do not matter. You cannot say you cannot say that Paul Feinbaum. What channel does Paul Feinbaum work for? I understand. But

it's not just Paul Feinbaum. It's the entire South, bro. Like it's the entire South. And I understand, again, that people are going to root for their best interests. But there is a huge like misunderstanding here of like, you cannot say all of SMU's wins and lack of losses don't matter while also saying South Carolina's losses don't matter. Let me ask you this, Ari. It's nuts. Let me ask you this. If you're a committee member, it's not supposed to affect your decision because you're supposed to go year by year and only use the year that you're in But if you're a committee member and you're faced with a similar decision next year to lost loser of the ACC Championship game three lost SEC team

Do you potentially? Tweak how you rank it. I mean, I hope not If they do then they're sending a message that you know, you want to talk about preserving the regular season? If they do that, if they would have put Alabama or Ole Miss or South Carolina in, that is a blatant disregard for the games that we watch. What's a blatant disregard for the ACC's regular season? And that's the part I think you're missing with the people who are complaining about this. The people who wanted to see an SEC team in there. They don't respect the ACC. They don't respect the ACC schedule. They don't believe that going, you know, 11 and two in the ACC is as meaningful as going nine and three in the SEC. Oh, it's not? No. So Alabama should have been in your mind. Well, the difference between two, like I don't, I've never said that going through the SEC schedule

is not harder. Right. One time. Right. I've never said that one time. But that is the the crux of this argument here. The crux of the argument that always gets left out is that the teams in the SEC were afforded extra leeway in their record and they still got worse than even that. If Alabama would have been 10 and 2 there would have been... there was no discussion. And like this assumption that Alabama is a great team because they're Alabama while we completely totally disregard that they went to Oklahoma and lost 24 to three as if it wasn't worse.

But we just watched, it's nuts, it's nuts. The game that got Alabama knocked out was as bad or worse than what SMU just put up at Penn State. And Alabama might have played Penn State closer, but Alabama also could have gotten its doors blown off by Penn State. Right, because Penn State is better than Oklahoma. So the thing that I'm saying is,

I prefer the 14 field, you know that. You prefer the 12 team, but if you prefer the 12 team field, then you have to accept that this is part of it because the season has to matter, it has to. Whether you like the 14 or the 12 team, you have to care about the regular season. You don't have to do anything. You can go out you can want what you want and But here's the thing I will warn everybody The all of you saying Alabama and Ole Miss should have been in

If you if you that's true if that's how you really feel you want a Super League Yeah, you want to play you want this repeat. You want this to mirror the NFL. You want just the big 10 of the SEC and you want balanced schedules and and look, I at this point, I don't care if that's what you want. That's what you want. Yeah. But just understand that's understand what you want. And that's the thing that drives me nuts. And you always get mad at me for getting nuts about it. But like, I don't even think people realize what they want. And that's what, that's what blows my mind because like, I have been screaming on this podcast, on Twitter, in columns for a freaking year about what this was going to be and we're here today and people are like, they're upset, they're blowouts, you're upset. What you want. System. You have to respect the system.

If you don't respect the system, then there's no reason nobody's ever respected the system. Ari. So it's like you have to reward teams who don't lose because that's part of settling it on the field. If you want it to be settled on the field, then Alabama season was settled on the field. SMU season was set. Like what do you fucking want? I don't get it. I just do not get it. I love when you get is Alabama to get in no matter what how's that even fun to be an Alabama fan? You don't want your games to matter you want to go pay money to go to Bryant Denny to watch a game or the result understand the psyche of like what it's entertainment It's like gambling on a sport for a dollar. It's like do you want to do it or not? All right, I understand I don't get it. It's like, do you want to do it or not? Ari. I don't understand.

I don't get it. They would like their team to win the national title. I don't particularly care how it happens. They don't particularly care how it happens. They don't particularly care how it happens. They don't particularly care how it happens. They don't particularly care how it happens. They don't particularly care how it happens.

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They don't particularly care how it happens. They don't particularly care how it happens. They don't particularly care how it happens. They don't particularly care how it happens. They don't particularly care claim it too. I don't know. I just like it's so stupid to me. It is so stupid. I love when Oregon's wound up about this because it's stupid. It's nonsense. It doesn't matter what system is it doesn't matter. Doesn't even matter what the results of the games are. Somebody's always gonna complain. So you just I love the time. I don't like nonsense. I don't like a

rational thought. Well, you're in the wrong prison, buddy. It's nonsense. So here's the thing. There will be blowouts in any system. Any format you have will have blowout. I sincerely hope as we wait for this Clemson Texas game to start, and I realize I am the one who said, this is the one I see potentially being a blowout, blowout, because I think Texas, there's a very big window where Texas wins this game by a lot. But I want to see a good game.

So I hope Clemson shows up. Like, SMU didn't show up. Indiana didn't show up. And I don't know if that's going to affect how the committee chooses down the road. I think Brandon makes a good point in the chat. He says, don't worry guys, we're expanding to 16 soon and we can argue about what eight and four teams are left out. You know, it's, it's possible. Just so you guys know, none of the teams outside of the top six,

they're good enough, whether they're in or out. There's probably like five teams that can do it actually. I love it. That's not when you get up there like that. Do it again, do it again. Look at that. Wow. So whether Alabama might've been in

and they might've had a better game, they are not good enough to win the national championship this year, which is why they're not playing. All right. Come sit down. Come sit down. We're on the love seat in the old courtyard by Marriott. So that's the bigger point, I think.

And I hear Alabama Ole Miss might be South Carolina. Have shown enough flaws throughout the regular season. They would not have won the national title. Yeah. I mean, maybe. It's about finding out who should be the national champion. And with more information about whether or not Alabama, South Carolina, and Ole Miss could win the national title than we did about SMU.

Now that might be an unfair statement in your mind because they didn't play in the big bad SEC, but SEC played better than you played yours. Yeah. It's's a fact. It's not. And then they got Molly want by Penn State, which maybe like, and guess what? Now you guys are all back together. But here's the other piece of this. Before we go too crazy about this result. Remember, we think Oregon's the best team in the country so far. Right? I mean, that's the most people seem to agree on that because they're the only ones that haven't been embarrassed yet. Yeah. And Penn State gave Oregon a hell of a game. Yeah. In the big 10 championship game. Is it possible that Penn State is just very good

and could be destined for a deep run here? Now I know, and I've said this too, I don't like the way the field is delivering deliberately misceded because I think it rewarded Penn State for losing the Big Ten Championship game and punished Oregon for winning it. But Penn State will run into, like they played Boise State next. If they beat Boise State, they will run into some big dog. Are we sure they won't beat them? Here's the other- Penn State could be very, very good.

Here's the other best kept secret. Penn State could beat the crap out of Boise and then Penn State could play Oregon again and get their doors blown off. Could Penn State might play Ohio State again and blow their doors off. Right. Like teams in the Final Four are probably going to be blown out too. You want to know why? Because in the Final Four there were blowouts. There were blowouts. You want to know why? Because it's really hard to win a national title. In the BCS title era there were blowouts. In one versus two there were blowouts. What if Oregon is the only great team in the country this year? Or what if they're not? So here's the thing about the 12 team is we want good game.

Want to be, I want to be, but it's all prefers the full of a clear soul. Because we're playing these games and getting results and we have fact now right like the one benefit of this to me is that we always nobody has to wonder yeah nobody has to wonder we got it but I think it sucks now we know they but it and I'll ask this again because hadn't thought it in it through that lens but I'm glad you mentioned it that way. We don't have to wonder now. But the next time around,

because these guys throw up all over themselves, is the committee gonna go, well, we don't have to wonder now. Yeah, we don't have to wonder because a new team next year will have to carry the burdens of the teams from this year. And I don't think that's right either. Oh, it's not, but it may be in the back of the teams from this year. And I don't think that's right either. Oh, it's not, but also too,

I guess it's like create a regular, but like that's the thing to me. If you are on the committee, it's like, what did, it's like Paul Feinbaum tweeted. And again, I know he's an Alabama guy. I know we're networking with him. You don't have to explain. It's actually a Tennessee grad, but I guess.

I get what I'm saying. That he said, Bravo committee, take a bow. We got two blowouts, right? Yeah, it's like so Your your resolution to this problem is put Alabama in no matter what it's not. It's not it's not you got ten bones Where's this? Yeah. Well, it's a it's a it's an interesting one We actually we were talking about this with David Ubbin from the athletic as we were watching this game So a Francis carts his thoughts at four games on Thursday, Friday, of conference championship week with teams not playing. Everyone has the 13th game.

It's not an autobiography, just more data and supports. Oh, autobiography, yeah, yeah. Well, I like the auto-correct autobiography. But we were actually talking about this. Remember in 2020. That's an expanded playoff, isn't it? It is. And I also don't know that people

are going to go in for one more regular season game. But remember in 2020 what the Big Ten tried to do. It didn't work out because of COVID stuff. But they were trying to set up a bunch of matchups that last week of the season. Because there was going to be a championship game, but everybody was trying to get as many games as they could. So they tried to set up some regular season match between teams that hadn't gotten to play each other.

Like, I think that would be a lot of fun if you took one conference game off the schedule for each conference. And the last week of the season, you just- Did a challenge, like a FDC- Did a challenge, right. And maybe you don't have your conference championship game anymore because you don't need it.

I don't know if this would have to obviously replace the money lost to not doing the conference championship game because that's the only way they would do it. But I think that would be fun and you could almost do kind of a bracket busters kind of thing like set up some matchups that give you some more clear data as the committee goes to make a decision. I don't think that's a bad idea at all. I actually think that would be fun. And especially in situations like Ari, how much would that have helped by giving Indiana

another good Big Ten opponent? Which Big Ten opponent would you have matched Indiana against? Who's that? Penn State. So you would get an Indiana Penn State game Penn State probably wins that game right which reinforces their case and then you you have an easier decision with Indiana We're also talking about the Penn State team. That was up 14

Nothing after two pick six as it went forward on fourth and I know So like that's the thing it's like oh do I think Penn State will ensure Yeah, but you don't know but yeah, you don't know we we haven't analyzed that game very much You haven't analyzed that game very much. But yes there you think about the the Jennings Incompletion on fourth and one when he could have just this was their first series in there in the red zone He could have just gotten the first down and lived to fight another day And then the the picks, that game could have been really competitive 14, seven SMU in the first quarter.

So in Penn State's good, I'm not trying to, but I'm saying SMU shot themselves in the foot with a machine gun today. Yeah. I think Penn State still would have won, but that was everything that could go wrong, went wrong. But yes, I actually think that would be a fun idea. I don't know that something they would do. And the thing is

With this format we have this soft launch. This is just what this is this is this is like when a restaurant isn't officially open yet, but there they are open and serving and basic We know the format change We know the format change dramatically in 2026 if they want to. They want to change everything. So we think we're going to go to 14. We don't know. Yeah, or create a system where the teams that you don't think are worthy all play each other first. They weed each other out and then the team that emerges from that.

Right. I don't know. There's ways to do it. There's ways to have fun with it. Do people who watch the NCAA tournament want to eliminate the 16-1 games? That's the thing that I just don't know. It's like, these are the 16-1 games. Right. Well, the problem is they're the 6-11 games and the 6-11 games in the NCAA tournament are more interesting, but that's also a potential basketball, football argument that you could have where it's it's easier for a Basketball team that has one or two good players to compete with one that has well if it's Properly in one place 12 and two plays 11 and all that then you have the first round games that will most assuredly be

Blowouts, but we also have more football and you give the teams at the bottom of the bracket a chance to prove it on the Field yeah, and maybe once every five years one of these teams like SMU actually beats Georgia. Here's the other part, Ari. I don't think it's once out of every five years. I think there, there are going to be situations where teams like that can win. Like, I don't know. I don't know, man. Well, that's the sport keeps flattening. But that's the other discussion too, of like, has it hasn't flattened as much as we thought? Yeah. Or is it because, you know, like I'm very curious

to see what goes on because Clemson is a quote unquote blue blood that's recruited well and all that stuff. And Ohio State, Tennessee. Clemson maybe doesn't recruit to the level of Texas, but the level Clemson recruits to is much closer to Texas. And if Texas blows out Clemson, and Ohio State blows out Tennessee tonight, then what you're gonna have here are all the teams

that have recruited in the top eight still kicking the crap out of everybody. So like that's, you know. And look, that's fine. Because the more I think about it, I go back to something you said about five minutes ago. And this is the part that I don't think I had thought about until you said it.

And now I'm looking at this in a different way. Now we know. So what what the purpose of this is. Nobody has to do it or declare themselves. When the Rams play the whoever a wild card game and they get their doors blown off to people go out they didn't deserve to be in. Yeah this is an expanded playoff. There's more teams in there. You get you get blowouts in the NFL playoffs too so it's it's gonna happen but now we know now we know and and whether that is a now we know just with this season or a now we know and that influences further selection I don't know but now we know and then it does influence further selection Andy

the sports broken the sports no I know it's like ruined No, never we still watch it and we'll still talk about it, but it will just be like at that point There will be no point for us to go live on the playoff selection show on Tuesday, they'll be in the point of There's no point of the selection playoff show on Tuesday. Anyway, other than it's Next year the same situation happens and they put Alabama in over next year's SMU Mm-hmm and talking about resume at all and moving forward then it just we're picking whoever we think looks the best We can have a 10 minute discussion every Tuesday night about eye tests. We all know what direction we're headed. Okay, we all know it

Like so we spend time on who did you beat who did you lose to? What was the margin of victory? How hard was your schedule all these these metrics. If it gets to that point, then the only thing that we should talk about on a given week is who do we think would win? And isn't that the exact and that's the antithesis of what people who wanted the 12 team playoff to want or wanted. So I just wanted interesting games. Okay. Well, I don't care how you get a good teams play the good teams. That's when you're going to get well. And the thing is we got two more games today. You and I are about to head to the horseshoe to watch Tennessee and Ohio State. Texas is about to kick off in Austin against Clemson. I'm hopeful. Maybe I'm being Pollyanna. We'll tell Ari what that means after the show, but I'm hopeful. I'm super excited to figure out that Clemson stinks again. Like we didn't know it already. Hey, we're on the 12th. I am trying to speak it into a competitive game. Texas wins this game by 30. We're going to know. I'm the one

who said that would happen. You're the one who picked Clemson against the spread. No, I'm fucked. I regret it. I regret nothing. We'll talk to you after the Texas Clemson game.