Andy & Ari On3 - Penn State at No. 1? The post-spring top 25 debate continues...

Episode Date: May 14, 2025

We’re sponsored by Rhoback, the makers of the most comfortable and stylish hoodies, polos, q-zips, shorts and joggers. Use the code ANDY on Rhoback.com for 20 percent off for all new customers. That’s spelled RHOBACK.com. That’s 20 percent off all performance hoodies, polos and shorts with code ANDY.(0:00-3:21) Intro: Arkansas Passing Game(3:22-14:30) Jackson Cantwell Commits to Miami(14:31-15:32) Rhoback, Code: ANDY(15:33-19:09) Ryder Lyons Callback, join the chat!(19:10-23:09) Introducing Ari's Top 25 List(23:10-31:19) Penn State at Number 1(31:20-39:29) LSU rounds out the top 5(39:30-43:59) Clemson's expectations(44:00-48:27) Looking at Ohio State(48:28-53:29) Where the Big 12 Stacks Up(53:30-56:24) Oklahoma at 17(56:25-1:03:19) Wrapping Up the top 25(1:03:20-1:06:48) Conclusion: Kickoff Times Announced Ari's Top 25 List:1. Penn State2. Texas3. Clemson4. Ohio State5. LSU6. Georgia7. Notre Dame8. Alabama9. Oregon10. Illinois11. Florida12. BYU13. Arizona State14. South Carolina15. Auburn16. Texas Tech 17. Oklahoma 18. Michigan19. Ole Miss20. Miami21. SMU22. Louisville23. Kansas State24. Tennessee 25. Texas A&M  Ari’s post-spring top 25 is out, and he’s got a controversial choice at No. 1. Is Penn State ready to compete for a national title? The Nittany Lions bring back a lot of talent, but can they improve their passing game. Ari also has LSU at No. 5, 10 spots ahead of where Andy has LSU. What does one see that the other doesn’t? Let’s hash it out. Whose top 25 do you prefer? Or are Andy and Ari both wrong?  Watch our show LIVE on YouTube, M-F at 9:30 am et! https://youtube.com/live/oSQ9H319tzY Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari WassermanProducer: River Bailey Want to partner with the show? E-mail [e-mail]

Welcome to Andy and Ariane three. Happy hump day. We are taking on Ari's top 25, the post spring post portal top 25, which is pretty different than mine and definitely a different team at number one. And one that I think is probably going to be a fairly controversial choice. Penn State at number one and Ari, we're going to get deep into that one. Already got sailor Joe asking in the chat, how was Penn State number one when they're the same exact team as last year and all he did was swap out a Titan for

a wide receiver and even then I would still take that tight end. We will discuss all of that. Cause Ari, you have, you have some very solid reasoning behind the way you constructed your top 25 and I am excited for people to hear about it. Yeah, it's how many good players are on your team. So like that, I didn't really have a very intense formula, but you know, the thing too, we'll get into it. We'll get it. Oh yeah, we get it now. Sailor Joe is not considering the fact

that being the same as a team that finished in the top four last year. When everybody else lost more is not a bad thing. So also was a drive away from the national title game. Sure. Yeah, yeah, I'll take him as last year with a with a receiver who catches a lot of passes. Yeah, well, we'll talk about that. But we got to dig deep into that. Before we get started, I want to talk about something Colin Wilson said on the show when he was a guest, Colin Wilson from the Action Network. So we were talking about Arkansas. He gave an anecdote about receivers meeting with coaches about quarterback Taylor Green, and I will, I've talked to

somebody at Arkansas since then. They say that didn't happen. So I wanted to point that out, that the Arkansas response to that is, that's not what happened. So it's one of those situations where in the middle of an interview, it's hard to bring the interview to a screeching halt on that. If you're writing a story, you would call Arkansas and say, OK, here's what this person said. Is that what happened? And then in the story, you say, here's what this person said. Here's what Arkansas said. A little bit different in the show environment.

So I did want to bring that up and explain that at Arkansas, they're saying that's not what the situation was. We'll see. We'll see, because yes, their best receivers from last year are gone for various reasons. Transfers, NFL, you name it. Now they're working with a new bunch of receivers. But Taylor Green is still there. I just want you to know too that Colin texted me yesterday and said he double checked with his source and he still feels comfortable with what he said. So we'll let you decide. You

know, I'm not saying that we're not here attacking Colin. We're just giving you the other side because that's our I want to give Arkansas a chance to respond to that and they have. So there you go. Now. We let's move on to your. Your top 25 plus. What's the news from yesterday because because I think the team that you have at number 20 in your top 25 is really really

interesting that of course is the you now we're about to talk about somebody who's not going to play for Miami this year he won't be there till next year but Jackson Cantwell the number one recruit in the country, announced yesterday that he's going to Miami. And you would think that was a good thing. I mean the Miami people think it's a very good thing. I would think the Georgia people don't think it's a good thing because there's another finalist. About yesterday and can I just

unload the clip here for a second I got a lot and I'm sure you did too Andy I know that you and I were not all the same things but we shared a clip from yesterday's show talking about Cantwell and I wanted to aim some constructive criticism at both the Miami fan base and just fans in general about this. How much time, Andy, did we spend yesterday discussing Cantwell going to Miami in hypothetical terms? 30 minutes. Why do you think we spent 30 minutes on Miami and not so much on Georgia?

Because it's a much bigger deal that he's going to Miami than if he'd gone to Georgia. And we had an inclination that that's where it was trending. That's true. That too. And we tend to, I don't know, give you dirty secrets, but if we're leaning into something, a lot of times it's because, you know, believe it or not, there's reporting being done. You might know something. Yeah. And I just wanted to say to Miami fans, I saw a lot of, why are you guys making this only about money? Why are

you only talking about Miami in terms of NIL? He did not only go there because of money. I got a message from a former Miami quarterback, Malik Rozier, basically saying the same thing. And I wanted to address, it's a lot to unpack, but I want to address that. One, neither Andy or me ever once said, even for a split second, that the only reason he was going to Miami was for money. Yes, I believe I sang the praises of Alex Mirabal,

their offensive line coach, and Mario Cristobal as a developer of offensive linemen. We mentioned a lot about that. I think you heard the name Sewell together. But we have to stop this fantasy land crap where money doesn't play a factor. Think about yourself in your own personal life. If you get offered 50% more money

to go somewhere to do the same job, nine times, if not 99 times out of 109 times out of 10 to be conservative, you are taking the other job. Now, when you take the new job, even if they are offering you more money, that doesn't mean the opportunity that they're offering you is shit. It means they're offering you more. It means they're offering you more. So the implication or the reporting that goes into us saying that Miami won out and that NIL leveled the playing field is 100% accurate, but that doesn't mean that Miami doesn't develop linemen. No one ever said that. I left the athletic for on three.

On three paid me more money. That doesn't mean that on three is a worse job. It means it was a great opportunity for me because I got to do a job that I love for more money. We have to stop this, this, this clinging to the past where it's family atmosphere. And this is an entirely different ballgame. When Pete Nacos is putting out a crystal ball, he's a business reporter. It's not recruiting from 2005 anymore. Okay. So you should be celebrating that Miami has deployed NIL effectively.

You should be celebrating that Miami has done something to level the playing field. And I saw a lot of discussion about Miami being a powerhouse, and Miami should be beating Georgia for prospects. Well, let me tell you something, if you're not willing to acknowledge it, I will. They have not been good since I was in high school. They haven't had a truly elite team since I was in high school. That is a full generation.

If NIL didn't play a factor in this, then Miami would have signed a lot more players for the last 20 years in Jackson Cantwell's situation than they did, okay? So if you are a Miami fan, look into the camera and give me eye contact here. We are not criticizing Miami. We are not saying that Cantwell made a bad decision

by going to Miami. We are reporting that Miami offered an NIL package that was attractive enough to rip him away from the school that he traditionally would have gone to in the past. And if you don't want to acknowledge that, that's a you problem. We're doing facts here, okay? And if you're not a Miami fan and your team gets a five-star prospect they otherwise probably wouldn't have gotten away from a traditional recruiting powerhouse as a result of NIL,

be happy. It's good when your program is functional enough to offer the type of money that is attractive to a player that can help you win a league title It's not criticism. It's not Did I do good there we're not this isn't Candyland, okay So if you want it to be about Rudy and you want it to be about, you know How they love your program and your place the way that you did like it was was, I got news for you. That's not college football anymore. It's a business. Okay. Wasn't college football before, by the way, even if it wasn't college football before and you missed the days of the shadows, it's fine. Miami wasn't as good in the shadows.

Maybe I mean, Nevin Shapiro at times, it seems like he had a lot of fun on a yacht, but it wasn't going the same exact way that you think it should have been going. And you might think that Miami is a powerhouse. Sure, it is one of the most storied programs in the country and it has 30 for 30s about them. Everybody knows that you, it was a bad ass program when I was growing up. It's can't even sniff George's jockstrap for the last 10 years. It's not even in the same galaxy. So if you want to play that game with yourself, go ahead. But they might be able to get into that galaxy now because NIL leveled the playing field you can accept it or you can tweet nonsense at us but

the facts are the facts and I just wanted to say it because it just drove me crazy last night it drove me insane why were people mad because who's mad there was a hundred years of brainwashing that said choosing a college for financial reasons was immoral. Which if you think about it, with even just the slightest little tiny sliver of common sense, you realize the real world doesn't work that way. Everything in the real world includes a financial consideration. What do they do with the clapping? It is not bad to factor money into decisions.

It's not bad. Right. Good. Well, you have a program that is able to do it. That is good. Miami is going to be better because of NIL in the future. That is good. It's good.

Okay, are we done with this? I I want to I want to extend this a little bit because the myth of people wanting. Players to choose their alma mater because they love their alma mater as much as the fan does. The fan probably didn't pick that school out of love. The fan probably chose that school at least with a financial consideration in mind. I'll give you an example. You mentioned, you know, your decision to leave the athletic and go to on three, which by the way, mine was the same. They gave me a lot more money to do a job I already loved at a place that I believed was going

to be successful. We love all three. Now we love it. Yeah. Funny how that works, but let's go to my college decision. I went to the university of Florida. Did I grow up a huge Florida fan? Absolutely not. I grew up a South Carolina fan. Florida, of the big three in the state, when I was growing up there, was my least favorite of the schools from a football standpoint. Why did I go to Florida already? Because I applied to six schools.

I got into all six. Five of them were going gonna charge me money. Florida was gonna pay me to go there. Which one do you think I picked? You picked the one that was most financially responsible. Correct. It's not complicated. And I imagine most people pick their colleges

with some financial consideration in mind. If your mommy and daddy were rich and you got to pick whatever one you want, God bless you. But I don't think that's most people. Have you seen that meme that says, me, here's school, take all my money. Cool. You got to be in geometry when you were 14. No, thanks.

Me. Okay. That's kind of funny how it works. But that's the other thing too. He might go to Miami when he otherwise in the past wouldn't have as a result of NIL considerations. He might go there, fall in love with it and be the best hurricane that you've ever seen. He's not even a transfer. This is a high school kid who's going to spend

hopefully three years of productive football there. How do you think he's going to feel about Miami when he walks across the stage in four years or three years as a first round draft pick? He's going to say that you on he walks across the stage in four years or three years as a first round draft pick. He's gonna say that you on Monday Night Football when they show him as the starting left tackle the Vikings and he's gonna wreck your school. But just because things are different now doesn't mean it's bad. It's not an attack. And the fact that like I wrote a column yesterday and we spoke about this.

Like I thought Miami fans reactions would be like hell yeah man. The super team's dead. Miami is a thorn in the side, not we're already Georgia. And we did it because we're better at developing lineman than Georgia. That's not, both things can be true. NIL tipped the scales. And you're good at developing lineman. Just because I would think if Miami wasn't good, if the coaching staff at Miami,

we're talking about Mario Chris, while the head coach, former offensive line coach and Alex Mirabal, the offensive line coach, who is one of the best in the country at it. If they were not as good as they are at it, it would not have mattered what Miami offered from an NIL standpoint. They would not even have been in the conversation. You didn't go to NIU. It both matter. He didn't go to San Jose State. He went to a good place because the whole package was good, but the package was bolstered by money. And if you don't want to acknowledge that, then go find a new sport because you're not with it.

You're not with it. And I, and like, I poor Pete Nacos gets beaten over the head. And, and that's the other thing too. The kid was interviewed and he was asked about why he went there. And he said, because Miami worked harder with the relationship and he, what don't you think he's going to say? And it, and it's even true. Maybe Miami did work harder and he felt closer to them. They still offered him a compensation package that made him want to go there.

It's not a disproof of anything. And if we learned anything from Nico Iyamalyava's dad, it's that the guy knows what he's doing. Okay. So just, it's not hard. Not Nico's dad, but Pete. No, not Nico's dad doesn't know what he's doing. Pete knows what he's doing. And like we are like in the NIL space as a company. We report this, we care about it. We give ratings, we give estimations of what people's doing. And like we are like in the NIL space as a company, we report this we care about it, we give ratings, we give estimations of what people are worth. We're not making it up. Speaking of compensation and paying some bills. It's time to

talk about Roeback. That's right. I'm more in the performance video right now. The single most comfortable garment I own. I got about seven of these. Three of them have been stolen by my daughter permanently. I'm telling you right now, when you order your Roeback, when you order your performance hoodies, your joggers, your polos, get a couple of these because someone is going to steal one.

But polos, Q-zips, joggers, T-shirts, shorts, they got it all ready for summer, ready for the bar, ready for the golf course, ready for the office, you name it. So go to roback.com. That's R-H-O-B-A-C-K.com. Use the code ANDY for 20% off your first order. That's a hell of a deal. RHOBAKK.com code Andy 20% off load up it's time. All right, Ari, let's play a clip from Rider Lions, who's a top 2026 quarterback recruit. You talked to him at a seven on seven tournament a few months ago and You asked about this and he had what I think is probably the best answer. I've heard about why It's difficult to discuss this when you're the player

Why do you think people are so bashful so shy so nervous to talk about money because if you do you get? Labeled as someone who's chasing money. I mean, if you were to say they're offering me, which the thing is, 99% of the world, if you offered $150,000 more to take this job, most people are taking it. Yeah, right. But I think people don't want to talk about it because you, you get bashed online, you get bashed on social media, but for me, they think that you're

not focused. I guess the whole thing for me about the NIL space is how much they believe in you, you know, because they're going to invest all this money into you then that's also a sign of trust. Yeah, trust like I believe in you Like you're our guy, you know, so that's that's the biggest part to me So I think it's changing and I think The more this evolves the the more honest people will want to have a conversation about it. And look, it's okay I don't I'm not as mad as you are Ari at people who it's okay. I don't I'm not as mad as you are Ari at people who want the fantasy because I understand

you want to believe that the players on the field love the school as much as you do and fact of the matter is most of them probably do most of them might love it more but I would have loved Arizona more if they would have paid me a million dollars to go there But I would love Arizona more if they would have paid me a million dollars to go there Exactly Exactly. Hey By the way, if you're watching on Twitter right now, it is time to move to YouTube jump in this chat The chat is popping off right now It's gonna get crazier when we start going over Ari's top 25 and he starts yelling at me about where I put LSU I'm actually super down. You know, I'm simmering down now, but we got some hot takes

Yeah, you're gonna throttle back up because you did this to me the other day too. So that's fine, I get it. I love fired up Ari. So come on to YouTube, join the chat. Heckle fired up Ari in the chat. Sailor Joe says, breathe Ari, I can see your blood pressure rising.

Yeah, I had a blood pressure issue a year ago and now I'm back into the normal range feels good. But I'm I appreciate that. That was a that was a hell of a rant. It was beautiful. Do you think it was effective? I hope that we can clip it so I can just refuse it to reply to people that are we're gonna we're gonna clip it and we're gonna put it out on the internet. We're gonna put it out on social media. And the people who are mad at you yesterday will be even madder at you today. You will not change any of their minds. Ours will be more than anything is when people get mad

and don't know why they're mad. Like that's the thing that really irks me more than anything. I think they know why they're mad. It's just that they're, it's not a good reason. That's, they know why, but the reason's bad. Well, I mean, there was just a lot of people saying yesterday on the internet that we said the only reason he went there for money. And that's like not what we like.

I don't like people get mad all the time at me for being wrong. And I'm wrong all the time. Like, I get it. Can't be right all the time. I don't like when people like Scott and Daddy. We're all bored. That's why we're mad. Like, can we get some games?

Yeah, I love it. I love it. Alright, let's talk top 25 because I. Love this debate that we're about to have. Because you got Penn State number one. I have Penn State in my top four, so I I clearly like Penn State too, but you you said and you said you told me this when Trevor Paney went into portal from Syracuse, the receiver, you said if Penn State gets him, I'm putting Penn State number one because the feeling is

and I like when we had James Franklin on the show. He did we didn't even prompt him on the receiver thing, right? He just sort of said it. I don't recall, but he was he acknowledged it. Yeah, and I don't remember even bringing it up before he did. So clearly he knows that that was the biggest issue they had. I think if they've hit on the big three transfer receivers. That they could have a really good year as you point out.

They bring back a lot of elite players at different positions like denied Dennis Sutton, you know you lose Abdul Carter, but you bring back denied in a sudden like most teams when they lose a player the caliber of Abdul Carter don't have somebody just waiting in the wings to just jump in. And Penn State's got that this year. Yeah. So like, here's the thing we kind of discussed this yesterday to a certain degree. But how many elite players do we estimate that you need on your roster to be good enough to win a national title?

Like, this is kind of like the, I think that this is a benchmark conversation that we should have before we dive into it, because like, I think that this is a benchmark conversation that we should have before we dive into it Because like I think that that number used to be somewhere between 12 and 15 During the Super League Super team and you're when you say elite you're talking about like first or second round draft pick Or just a kind of all-american type college player First team all-conference. Yeah, there's a lot of players on the Ohio States, Alabamas and Georges that were all American type players that didn't do much in the NFL. Like I don't mean that you've got to go be a pro bowler,

but you are a productive, reliable and explosive player. Do we think it is, is it cut in half? Even if we don't want to say the number, did it go from 15 to 8? No. I think that's fair. I, it's, it's hard because people are going to look at last year's Ohio State team and just point to that. We've been telling you the entire time, that's the dinosaur that just got hit by the meteor. Like, you're not going to be able to create that that sort of team anymore.

For a lot of the reasons we just talked about, but you can't stack talent like that. So I think you're right, Ari. I think it is, it is dropped dramatically, which is why, let's put your top 25 up there. I would not be shocked if any of the top nine in your top 25 won the national title. Right. And also making a distinction between one and two is a hair and the distinction between three and seven is a hair like you. It used to be the drop off from two to three or three to four was massive. Like the drop off was from 4 to 5 was two different sports.

And like that's not and I don't think the drop off from 1 to 5 is two different sports this year. I agree. I don't. Penn State. That's what I'm saying. So and then and then I would say there are teams that you have between 10 and 20 that their talent level suggests they could be in this mix as well. We're just not sure about how it all comes together. If 19 beat one in week five, it would not be shocking. No Ole Miss.

You got Ole Miss at 19. Yeah. And what I meant to say though, because Michigan would play them. But yes, either Ole Miss or any of the teams, but beneath Penn State, beating them is not shocking. So like the reason why I put Penn State number one is because A, it is a team that returns a large chunk of its roster last year that was already good enough to contend and push for a national championship appearance.

And they did so in a game in which a receiver did not register a reception. Like that to me is one of the craziest stats. Such a mind blowing stat. In a national semi-final that they had the ball with two minutes to go and a chance to win the freaking game. Like it's mind blowing. Without a receiver catching a pass,

which means that they were a well-built team. Their lines are always good. They never lose games. As much as you want to say Franklin is a choke artist in big games, they never lose games they shouldn't. They're very consistent and that's a very hard thing to do because a lot of coaches- When's the last time Penn State lost a game it shouldn't?

Was the nine overtime game against Illinois? Maybe, yeah. I think it was that one, which was a long time ago. It was like four years ago. Yeah, 20. It was 21. 21? Yeah, I can't believe it's 25 now.

And on top of it, they addressed their number one weakness beautifully. And their number one weakness was at the receiver position. And that is a position that is supposed to be the hardest to supplement or repair or improve in the portal. Also, I got some pushback with where I had Penn State. And I remember one particular emailer, and I'm sorry I don't have the name because it is someone in the audience, maybe even someone in the chat.

So, but they emailed me with are you sure drew hours good? And I was like, but the Big Ten Championship game and then I went and looked at his game log from last year. Have you looked at his stats from the Big Ten Championship game recently? I remember the throw that he made across his body in the Big Ten Championship game that looked like something that Patrick Mahomes would do.

It's beautiful. Beautiful. I don't I don't remember. I don't remember the throw that he made across his body in the Big 10 championship game that looked like something that Patrick Mahomes would do. It's beautiful. Beautiful. I don't remember. I don't remember the actual stats. No. 20 of 39 for 226 yards, three TDs and two picks. That's a 5.8 yards per attempt. 5.8 is poor. It's not even average. He didn't average more than 7 yards per attempt at any point over Penn State's last five games now. We can we going to explain why? The receivers that's in this. This is the question was that him or was that the receivers or was it both? If KJ Handler was on the team,

do you think those were been in stats? I don't think so. They would have been able to hit deep balls against bad teams. Like it wouldn't, I'm not saying they would go light up Georgia tomorrow, but they wouldn't have been stagnant in the passing game. So like, here's the thing about Drew Aller.

I don't think he stinks. I think that people think he stinks. And I think that he is definitely a very- Oh, there's definitely that group. And I certainly don't think he stinks. I think that people think he stinks. And I think that he is definitely a very good player. Oh, there's definitely that group. And I certainly don't think he stinks. I am still wondering if he's really good. All I know is, every single draft analyst has him as a top five pick for next year. Right now. Whether he plays into that or not remains to be seen.

But I thought he was good enough last year, obviously, to put them on the doorstep of the national title game without any help from the receiving group. And if you want to say that he was aided by the running backs, guess what guys, they're back. You know, so like they're both. So, like, to me, if you have the best running back combination in college football, you have a quarterback that people believe will be a top five pick, whether or not you want to accept that or not, that's a fact. You have Luke Reynolds at tight end, who is not gonna be nearly as good as Tyler Warren,

because no one is, but still is gonna be a very proficient pass catcher, and I think he's gonna blow people away this year. And then you add the three receivers that they brought in, Devonte Ross from Troy, who I believe was a leading receiver, and Kyron Hudson from the UFC, who was very explosive. and then Trevor Pena

The the jewel of that which is a productive innings eater first down You know stick mover Who well and that's the part like I this is where I think you're right, especially they don't pain you more right, especially the Trevor Pena part The I because there was a was a comment in the chat earlier about, but they still had Tyler Warren. One scary person can be managed by a really good defense. But two people who can get open and you're cooking.

Two people, three people who can get open and you're cooking two people, three people who can get open. And you've really got problems if you're the defense. I really do think that the state runs out at you. Like if they just had Jeremiah Smith last year, it would have been difficult to defend. But you combine Jeremiah Smith, Emeka, Bucca and Colonel Tate and you can't do anything. So and I also think that there's a planet out there where the addition of explosive offensive playmakers who can get open and make things easier for him puts him in a position to have his best year yet.

Like if you are. We're going to talk about number three, I'm assuming in Clemson, like Kate Clubnick has had a huge turnaround and like Drew Aller has the physical tools and by the way, found himself as a runner in the second half of last year So I think their defense is gonna be good They did lose a top three draft pick at defensive end and at dual Carter But again, you said they have denied that a son and they've got Zaki Wheatley at safety AJ Harris at corner both running backs

Kate Ron Allen and Nick Singleton and they got you know, an eye white and a defensive end from Texas A&M in the portal. They got Owen Waffle from Michigan is anytime you get a Michigan defensive lineman, you probably feel pretty good about that in a safety from Alabama. Like they got guys coming in. They returned a lot and they supplemented their roster very well in the portal.

So like do I think they're going to go in the national title? No, right now probably wouldn't be my prediction, but at the same time I think they're going to be in the playoff in a team that could do it. And I think that in and here's the other thing too, when you're ranking teams in the

offseason. You you I don't know you have more self control than me, but when on three posts the graphic from the main account, do you go read what people are saying or do you ignore it? I I let it I let it roll for several hours before I jump in. I look, I don't always respond, but I look and I read. I read the comments, people know that about me. And like, there's a lot of people who just, you know, my buddy Bill Landish just texted me,

they have the best offensive line in the country, which you might push back on because you think Notre Dame does. Miss Notre Dame. You know, Penn State's gonna be really good this year. Like, and I know that people- but it's not like I have Penn State at number nine on that list, like Penn State's a top top three group. Probably.

Here's the thing that you'll have to. Acknowledge to is I give zero weight in the off season, none at narrative. OK, so if you are a person who is James Franklin can't win the big game they're gonna blow it, just know that when I'm putting together my rankings I give zero thought into that. The same way I gave zero thought two years ago when people said that Sarkeesian never won ten games in a season and I had Texas at number two, they made the playoff that year. You want to know why? Because their roster is out in public information.

You can look at who's got, they've had a lot of good players this year. And I think that Penn State for the first time, in combination with the fact that the teams at the top aren't as deep as they used to be, and the fact that they might be deeper than they usually are, Penn State has risen to the top. So will it play out that way?

I don't know. Will James Franklin lose every top five matchup he has? I don't know. But guess what, Andy? It's my favorite line that I love to say on the show. Nothing happens for the first time until it happens. So like, I don't know. Everybody wants to use last year as the metric for how we rank forward.

I am constantly everything I do quarterback lists, projections, rankings, anything that has a list in the off season is 1000% aimed to project forward. I don't look back. I look at what a team has and I look at what I think that that team can do. And I think that Penn State can win the big 10 this year. Fair enough? Absolutely fair. Absolutely fair. Let's let's move to your number five because you were yelling at me about this via text the other day day because I have LSU down at 15 and you have them at five and you're you're you're ready to believe in LSU is a playoff team. I'm saying I think they did well in the portal, but I need to see that the defense is better on the field before I can believe it.

So what makes you believe? on the field before I can believe it. So what makes you believe? Well, first of all, a team this loaded from a talent perspective who might actually have the best quarterback in the country. We don't talk about it because it's not as sexy as DJ Lagway and Lenore Sellers and Cade Klubnik and all the other names out there.

But like Garrett Nussmeyer, in theory, could be the number one quarterback taking a next year's draft, no? Oh, that's definitely possible and Garrett Nussmaier is coming off a good year and we've seen several examples specifically at LSU of quarterbacks who had pretty good first years at starter and then jumped to amazing in year two as a starter.

Yeah, and they did the thing that I thought that they were slow to do, which is go all in on the portal. So when you actually look pound for pound, what LSU is from a physical standpoint in the recruiting aspect, they do really well. Like Brian Kelly has done a good job in keeping the Louisiana players home. They've recruited very well and they've supplemented their roster in a way they have not done yet. And the hope is for them that they're figure out their defense because their defense was terrible two years ago, much better last year. And it takes

another step forward. And by all accounts, Brian Kelly is a good football coach. You might not like them, but they're productive. So like to me, like where do people think that LSU should be like 14? That's insane. They have the fifth best roster probably in college football right now. Are you sure about their offensive line as they lose a first round tackle, a three-year starter at tackle, multiple year starters at guard? Like are you sure? I don't know that I'm absolutely sure but they also brought in a few guys to help supplement that position. So well you know what's interesting to but they also brought in a few guys to help supplement that position. So, you know, what's interesting to me is they brought in some guys, but it might be

the homegrown guys that went out and win the jobs. And the other thing too, is that you have to acknowledge too, that we're not talking about a team that doesn't traditionally load its roster. We're talking about a team that still is predominantly heavy in high school recruiting. And when LSU has high school recruits coming up, there are players on this team that might not make the Athlon magazine that are going to be really good this year because they have been good in their... Well, and this is where I might be wrong because DJ Pickett is a good example of this.

Five Star Corner, Zephyrh Hills, Florida. It used to be that LSU had a guy like this in the freshman class every single year. Some freak who was going to start day one at corner and was going to play there for three years and be a first round draft pick. They've not had that in the Brian Kelly era at all. DJ Pickett may be the first of that. If they're back to that, then I will believe. And then if you want to have another one I need to see. You have him join in the secondary with AJ Halsey, who was an all big 12 safety at Houston last year. Correct.

Like they have just got their number one weaknesses, which is stopping the ball. So like, I just think that from a talent perspective, a coaching pedigree perspective, and listen, I know that he's not the most likeable person in the world, but I trust that he'll have his team ready. And the fact that this is one of the few, this is one of the what, how many of the teams in the top 10 are even trust that he'll have his team ready. And the fact that this is one of the few, this is one of the what,

how many of the teams in the top 10 are even homegrown high school recruiting outfits? I guess half. But like they are really, really, really talented. And like, I don't know, LSU has been down the last few years, but are we in the camp that LSU doesn't have in the tank to be in the SEC Championship hunt this year? No, they can't.

Like, they can't have them at five? Like, people went freaking out about it. Where should they be? They can, but here's the thing. There's a good chance that by week four, the sky's falling there. Because you've got another team that they play, well, you've got two teams they play.

One you have ranked above them, and one you have ranked not far below them. That's Clemson and Florida. So it's a razor's edge here for LSU because the schedule is very hard. They've got Clemson, they've got Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina, who you and I both think are going to be very good. Alabama, obviously. Texas A&M, the agents of chaos, and you think Oklahoma is going to be good too. So it's not just that these that they've got to be talented. That talent has to be deployed correctly. A lot of the time, like they are going to have very few games where they can just roll their helmets out and be better than the other team. There's also not a single game on that schedule, including Clemson, who I think is a kind of a good dark horse

odds wise to win the national title this year, like where they're not going to be able to win. And so this is and this is where I'm at on Florida and Auburn too, by the way. That's why I'm so high on Florida and Auburn because I feel the same way about that. Yeah. Um, I think that they got a little boned on the schedule. They have helped you did. Yeah, yeah, I think that they got a little boned on the schedule. They, they have helped us. You did? Yeah. Yeah. I'd say so. I mean, their, their biggest games, uh, are all on the road. I mean, Ole Miss,

Alabama, Oklahoma and Clemson are all on the road. They get Florida home. They do get Florida home. Like I'm not viewing Florida in the same light. Um, and I, maybe I should because I have them pretty high up on my list as like, um, I was going to say you haven't ranked ahead of Ole Miss. Yeah. And you haven't ranked ahead of South Carolina or below South Carolina? I need to like revert my brain back to Florida. Yeah, but it's a tough schedule and they might,

but I think LSU could be 10 and two and number five at the end of the year too. Like it's a new world guys. Like it's not 10 and two against that schedule is a bona fide playoff team and maybe a team that's playing for this. Yeah, 10 and two against that schedule. We're notide playoff team and maybe a team that's playing for this. Yeah, 10 and two against that schedule. We're not arguing about whether you're getting in.

It doesn't matter. Like, I have an LSU buddy who texted me, he was like, I cannot believe we finally are going to be good for the first time in four years and we got to open on the road at Clemson. I'm like, well, it's fun. It doesn't matter. This is a regular season. Isn't this high stakes anymore? You can lose the Clemson game.

But if you lose the Clemson game, don't lose the Florida game I think you're in a pretty good spot and like I just I put them high up on the list because I wanted to have a paper trail of Buying into a team that I think might be lightning in a bottle, but sure I Think that's if you're going to make that, if you're going to decide that's the one I'm gonna put up there, I think you went with one of the safer bets. I just think that they've got a good roster. How it comes together, I don't know,

but I really do think that the real path in the cooking of a great team is homegrown high school talent supplemented by awesome portal pickups that you can plug in weaknesses. And I think that's what LSU has done. Like LSU doesn't have, they're not quite Ohio State last year, but it's the same type of idea. And I like that about them. Except they don't have a bunch of guys coming back who would be starters in the NFL this

year. Yeah, they don't have all the, they don't have Jack Sawyer coming back. I get it. I'm saying- Or JT Tuyen Millau or Denzel Burke. Huge. Or- I said it's not quite a while. I know it's highly Williams that they they have. I could go on. Oh, by the way, can we have a 30 second off conversation about this too? What are our expectations for Harold

Perkins? That's a great question, because that I think could make a huge difference if Harold Perkins is the Harold Perkins he was as a freshman. Good question. How about a bunch of Harold Perkins cars? I'm excited to see what they do with him because if they just make it see ball get ball he was a terror his freshman year. I thought he was a player in college football potentially his freshman his freshman year. I don't know what happened. Injury and miss. He got hurt last year, but they also were messing around with the role and weren't sure exactly how best to use him.

I don't know. I think they've decided. Let him cook. I didn't go to medical school, but I would just be like, what did he do freshman year? Let's just do that again. Yeah, that that that part where he single handily won the Arkansas game. Do that, please. Yeah. Um, the ice in the chat, Clemson over Ohio State is crazy.

Ari, would you rather have a Clemson conversation or an Ohio State conversation? First, we can do both. Let's just do both. We'll start with Clemson because they're number they're ranked a spot ahead. By the way, I know that we're transparent with bets. I absolutely hammered Clemson to win the national title of 22 to 1. That is an insane number. 22 to 1? It's huge for a team that feels like it has a realistic chance. It's huge for a team that is definitely going to make the playoff.

We're going to be sitting on a 22 to one ticket in December, and they're going to depending on their path. Right. You may have a pretty great hedging opportunity if they can get two wins on the postseason. They are really good on paper. This is the best Clemson has been on paper since like Trevor Lawrence was in school, right? Yes. Oh yeah. Yeah. Probably since the team that made the, they made the national title game in 2019. They made the playoff in 2020. I'd say that the team

that lost to Ohio State in 2020, probably about. About like that, maybe like the 19 team 2020 probably would have won the national championship a few of these past few years. So like that, that was a really good team. Yeah, my point is, when you think about balance and good players, Clemson definitely has the Penn State litmus test of enough good players. And like that, that's the number one thing that I struggle with with Penn State, because I think you might make the case that Texas has more good players than Penn State. Texas, I think, would be my pick to win the national title so maybe I should have put them one. I don't even know if we have to relitigate Texas. Everybody knows they're stacked everywhere.

But if you look at Clemson, they have a really good player at basically every position. And their best position, their deepest position, their most explosive position, I think is the most important position to be explosive at and that's defensive line. They have by far the best defensive line in the country. Um, and in the ACC, that's gonna, that's gonna make some hay for you. Um, I also love obviously that Cade Clubnick took, um, a huge step forward again, found himself as a runner, you know, crazy legs Clubnick, but like he is the best that he's probably not probably he is the best that he's been in college. They also for the first time have some explosive receivers and Antonio Williams and Bryant Wetzko. And also

to what's the best thing about having the best defensive line in the country when you have awesome linebackers like they are going to cook on defense next year. Well, you know, it makes that better. And this is I obviously have Clemson very high too in my rankings. Tom Allen to put those good players on defense in the correct places, which is not something that was happening last year. That's a coordinator hire outside of the trust tree of Clemson shows more growth and more, you know, evolution on Davos Sweeney's part to do things in a new type of way.

And I thought that was a home run in the hiring department. So like, I don't know if you look at Clemson, you know, on both sides of the ball at every level, they have playmakers, they have talent and they have depth. And I think that they are going to terrorize teams upfront. And going back to LSU for a second, I think that the number one thing with them is that, are they going to be able to run the ball consistently?

That's the number one thing I would be afraid of with them. And having to play Clemson's defensive line in week one is going to be a real test. We're going to find out real quickly how good LSU is right out of the gate because if LSU was able to move the football and score on Clemson, they're going to fare quite well in the SEC, I think. So, like the idea that, again, if you are shocked to see Clemson this high on the list, you are living in 2023 and 2024 and you're not living in 2025. Like these rankings are supposed to grab you by the collar and thrust you into the current present day. Quit living by narrative, live by talent.

Clemson is as talented and as deep and as diverse as anybody in college football. And if you put them number one, I would not argue with you. I like in the chat. It's the only future. Are there any teams that have 2024 Ohio State's Blueprint? What team has a roster that can run the same playoff gauntlet? None. None.

That's what makes this so interesting. Like we said, that was the last super team. None of these teams. Are that deep? Probably. If we had to pick who's that deep? Texas and Alabama, maybe. Texas would be the one that I think would be the closest, but I also think I think Alabama is pretty talented all over the field. We have questions at quarterback, obviously. Like if Penn State would have brought back Abdul Carter or like players that I mean, and none of the Ohio State players that came back would have been top five picks. So maybe

that's a bad example. Ohio State had what seven players who could have been drafted the year before on their team coming back. Well, before, before the chat goes nuts. You're saying that because Jeremiah Smith is not eligible for the dream next year. He will be a Jeremiah Smith is in college. So it doesn't even occur and Caleb down Caleb downs is not eligible or he wouldn't be back. He will downs will be a top five pick when he leaves. Oh, so like they they so we can shift over to Ohio State right now. Ohio State's loaded as always, but like I don't think you lose 14 draft picks and then just reassert yourself as number one

the following year, and especially in this era, maybe in 2018 you can do it, but they just had their entire team for the most part taken. Now they do have the best offensive player in the country and they've got the best defensive player in the country, which puts you in a pretty good position. And they have a lot of talent across the board.

Ohio State is always Ohio State, but I think four is a reasonable place to have them. Sure. You're gonna make the playoff, you're gonna be in the mix. You can possibly put them, right? Right, because they have, like you said, the best returning offensive player and the best returning defensive player. It's just the line of scrimmage people, for the most part,

are in new roles. That doesn't mean they're bad. It just means they're new. I mean, they have a lot of really good players, Andy. Jeremiah Smith is all we talk about, but they also have Carnell Tate and Brandon Innis coming back. Their receiving corps is going to be the best receiving corps in college carnell tate could have gone and been wide receiver one somewhere else he decided he wanted to stay at ohio state they have like a really good secondary to with caleb downs and davis igbin nocen and germaine matthew jr is coming back linebackers are good line. They had to rely on some pretty young players last year in office Yeah, my duty when Josh Simmons went down who are coming back like they and when Seth McLaughlin went down

So yeah So they they have they have dudes and they will probably be a 10 or 11 win team this year like always And they will have a chance to win a national championship and as as the Wolverine scoop points out here, they lost offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly. So, uh, and defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, Jim Knowles. So that Patricia is Ohio State's defensive coordinator. Remember? Remember that? That I have, we need to have. This is an idea Ari.

Sometime the next few weeks, we need to have a show where we just throw out things like, Oh yeah, this is happening. Like Matt Patricia is Ohio state's defensive coordinator. Yeah. Or things are just like Detroit lions, head coach Patriots, DC. Like, yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of weird things happening on the sport, but I also think too that like you can always count on Ohio States going to be a top five team and whether or not they

catch lightning in a bottle and make a run in the postseason. That's certainly on the table, but they are just their baseline in a rebuilding year is five like they don't go down to 11 ever like they are five. You know, so this is the ultimate respect to put like how many teams in college football can endure what Ohio State lost and be number four. Like they, I mean, that's a compliment. So I do have questions and very excited to see what happens at the quarterback position. We have spoken about Julian Sann for four total minutes this year. And if you look at the quarterbacks- Because we don't know anything. I mean, look at the quarterbacks in the top five.

Drew Aller and Arch Banning. We have Cade Klubnick and Garrett Nussmeyer. Not to mention that the other quarterbacks that are on this list, between DJ Lagway and Lenora Sellers and other teams that are lower down on the rankings. Like Ohio State, like Julian Sane was a five-star player. And I saw him at the Elite 11 and he was

dialed. Like he is a really good player who might be the never left would have been maybe Alabama starting quarterback this year, right? So like, we'll see where they go. But I think that with some reasonable questions, while also respecting the talent and the two best players in college football, for is a very reasonable spot to have Ohio State. I want to move a little bit down the rankings into a conference that brings back a ton of good productive veteran quarterbacks. I am fascinated by where you have the top teams in the Big 12. I am fascinated by where you have the top teams in the big 12. You have BYU is your highest ranked big 12 team at number 12. You have defending champion Arizona State at number 13. Now, both of those are in the club of.

Incredibly productive quarterbacks coming back. Jake Retzlaff for BYU, Sam Levitt for Arizona State. Another member of that club is Texas Tech with Baron Morton, but Texas Tech also spending spree in the transfer portal where they're beating teams that the Texas Tech normally can't compete against for transfers. So you got those three in your top 16. How do you even parse what's gonna happen to the Big 12?

Because we always joke about our 3 1? Point point. Yeah, the best that I could. The Big 12 is a complete and utter abyss of insanity. Like I don't know what's going to happen there, and if anybody acts like they know, then they're lying to you. I like that. Yeah, and by the way, someone I don't know that Utah is going to.

When Brett in the chat says Utah is going to win it all. Devin Dampier from New Mexico, the quarterback transfer will be fun to watch. I don't hate Utah in the top 25. Like I gave it to some consideration. Like I think that they are going to be back to Utah being Utah. And then you add in a sizzle reel of a quarterback. Have you gone back? I'm sure you have obviously, but like yeah, nice highlights.

This guy is a psychopath in the best most beautiful way. How about if somebody like a quarterback comes out of the state of New Mexico for the second consecutive year and shakes up a league? Yeah, like Diego Pavi did in the SEC last year. I mean he might make some mistakes,

but he's going to. He's going to throw the ball around and he's going to do some things. He's he's the epitome of no no no no yes right like that's who he is but I just like you was a team. That was in the college football playoff mix wire to wire and just ran out of gas at the end of the year they won a lot of games and very thrilling fashion And like they have who I think would be, you know, one of two of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league between, you know, Sam Levitt at Arizona State and Jake Retzlaff at BYU.

That's why those two are in the top 15. But I also love that they brought back the running back LJ Martin, who's a really good runner. And I think was the leading rusher last year, you know, Chase Roberts and Keelan Marion at Receiver. I think was the leading rusher last year. You know, Chase Roberts and Keelan Marion at Receiver. I think- Keelan Marion's at Miami now, so. Is he?

Yeah. When did that happen? Couple weeks ago. I'm Googling this. Yeah, Keelan Marion probably gonna be in the Receiver Mix and returning kicks at Miami. You know what this means, Producer River? Mark this down.

I know our friend Cody Bollair, one of On3's national scouts, is probably watching this right now. Cody, we're gonna be calling you. It's time to play another game of whose team is it anyway? I honestly had no, I never saw that. And like, I'm not too proud to admit that I made a mistake. It's okay. It's, it's very difficult with all this flying around, but yes, he'll marry. It was a spring portal departure. It's just happened.

Wow. Sorry. Well, we had a little uncle anyway without him that that hurts a little bit maybe flop Arizona State and BYU. I think they're going to be very good. I'm worried about their offensive line. They lost three offensive linemen unless that changed in the last five minutes. And it did not line. I think could use some depth. They brought some guys in the portal to help with that and their linebackers are awesome. I just and I also think that Kalani Satake, which is a discussion that we had, you know, a few months ago about being a top five, top 10 top 12 coach in college. I think he's very underrated as a coach.

I'm so fascinated by the big 12 and what it could be like the Utah thing. Now I'm regretting not putting Utah in my post spring top 25 because I feel like if I had done that now it's gonna if I do it again if I do it in the preseason it's gonna look like I'm jumping on the bandwagon like I wanted to be in the lead on one of these and that one, that one may be the one. Cause you just talked about Kalani Satake, but if we're talking about coaches we trust, Kyle Whittingham is a coach we trust, right? For sure. Yeah. All right, one more.

And this is a team you really like. I did not have them in my top 25 because while I do think they're gonna be much better quarterback, I kind of need to see it. I feel like with the offensive line and the receivers, but you've got Oklahoma. Oh yeah. At number 17. You were gonna rip that band-aid off. You were probably salivating to get to Oklahoma, weren't you? I, but it's weird because I feel the same way you feel about John Mateer coming Oklahoma.

I feel like he's going to make it much better for them. I trust Brett Brit Venables as a defensive coach like what world are we living in where Oklahoma at 17 is a massive overrank like is that one or Oklahoma was kind of bad last year. No, I know, but like it's Oklahoma and they had like 27 injuries last year. Like I don't even know. The thing that's so crazy to me about Oklahoma is like, how much can you actually even take away from last year?

It's like not even a fair evaluation because their team was dismembered by injuries. And then they, they bring, I mean, they bring back what I would assume would be a better offensive line. They use that in the portal. They got better in the portal there. They have the best, most impactful transfer at the most important position. Their defense is going to be awesome. I think their receivers are better and their offensive line is better. Like, I think that they are, I don't't know they have the hardest schedule in America So I could be right about Oklahoma being much better, but it might not materialize into better results But I do think that I really can I read it

Let me let me read the last seven games that for the for the podcast listeners. These are these are Oklahoma's final seven games It's Texas and Dallas At South Carolina Ole Miss at, at Tennessee, at Alabama, Missouri, LSU. Holy crap. Sorry. I'm also very high on the Dion Burks train. I think he's going to be good this year.

So and Cole Kublick talked me into that. He's obsessed with Dion Burks. I've been buying his cars because of coal. Um, I just think that the combination of improving the most important position, during up the thing that tanked your whole season, which was your offensive line, having healthy receivers and having a new offensive coordinator and quarterback puts them in the 17 range. Like, it's not too much to ask Oklahoma to be number 17, is it? I don't think it is.

ask Oklahoma to be number 17, is it? I don't think it is. Nor do I think it's too much to ask for Michigan. Sure, I had them close, but listen, nobody ever wants to hear this. But the truth of the matter is, usually, and maybe it's different now, maybe where the tiers separate is different. But 15 through 35, the differences are not as big

as everybody thinks they are. Yeah. And also too, we will be incredibly wrong about teams on this list and we will have missed teams that are awesome. The same way we didn't have BYU in the top 15 last year at this time. And they- Somebody earlier in the chat asked who in the top 10

is most likely to not finish ranked at all. Like Illinois, we're taking a chance here because you and I both have them in the top 10 is most likely to not finish ranked at all. Like Illinois, we're taking a chance here because you and I both have them in the top 10 because they bring back a ton. They won 10 games last year that the core of that team is back. We like Brett Bielma as a coach, I, but their schedule has some spots on it where if things start to go bad, like they don't wind up in there. Yeah. I mean, neither of us has Indiana in the top 25. There's a really good chance Indiana is a top 10 team again.

Yeah, we in the past, if you rank the team in the top 10 at the beginning of the year, it seemed highly unlikely that a team would fall out of the top 25 completely. And I think that Illinois is probably the answer to that question just because it's the team that we're of the top 25 completely. And I think that Illinois is probably the answer to that question just because it's the team that we're taking the biggest risk on. But I'm also on high alert for being wrong

on Georgia or Alabama. I don't think both of them are gonna be good this year. I think one of them is gonna be like bad for their standard. I don't... Right, not bad, period, but not what they want. Nine and three, eight and four type years potentially. I don't know which one it's gonna be. I think that Georgia is a carbon copy

of what they were a year ago. Did they get much better with their offensive skill? I know they've got really good running backs, but like, do they have a receiver that can pop off a defense now? Noah Thomas comes in from Texas A&M. You got Zachariah Branch coming in from USC now. USC fans are going to say that Zach Branch did not. Zach Branch was a dynamic kick

returner, but was not a super dynamic receiver at USC. Yeah, I mean, I think Noah Thomas was a pretty consistent producer for A&M. Yeah, I mean, Zach Branch is a sensational player. Like he's the type of receiver that they just did not have last year. And like, Dominic Lovett was pretty good. So I just, Georgia's going to maul people and they're going to be Georgia, but like, I don't know, they don't scare me right now.

They're not scary. They came into last year as scary because I don't think people were looking around. And then when they became who they were, it was kind of what their roster told you they were gonna be. And I don't know if their roster screams national championship this year, but we'll see about that. It's that you don't make a lot of money betting against Georgia. So yeah, and I'm very on high alert for Michigan.

I wonder if they are over-ranked or under-ranked. It could be either of those two things. Like it could turn out that Michigan's a top 10 team this year and we're just under ranking them. Or it's possible that they need another year before they're ready to compete at a high level. I didn't know what to do with them. I just wanted to admit.

It seems like their plan is not happening because I think the plan was that you're gonna bring in Mikey Keene, he's gonna start for you, and Underwood is going to have a chance to study under him, and maybe he comes in in the mid-year, and Underwood is going to have a chance to study under him and maybe he comes in in the mid year or maybe sits the whole year.

But with Mikey Keene injured and missing all his spring practice, I don't know if that's necessarily the plan now. The plan may be that Bryce Underwood's your starter, but that's starting a true freshman. And even though it was the number one recruiting country last year, that's still a true freshman and you don't really know what to expect. I will say I could hear a case for Michigan being 28 and I could hear a case for Michigan being number 14.

So I kind of put them somewhere like I just I didn't really know what to do with them. Yeah, it's gonna be fascinating to watch them because I think the bowl game was really interesting because Alabama had most of its roster in that bowl game and Michigan was playing with mostly backups who are now probably gonna be starters this year and they held up very well against Alabama roster that I think is gonna be one of the more talented ones in the country this year. Right. So I'm really intrigued to see. Yeah, I mean, I, it's really, really hard to project. And I don't know where, when this happened, maybe it was the internet era

where reporters jobs became about being the expert of the future, but we do the best that we can with the context of what we know to give the most educated guests. But like, I'll be the first to admit, like, I don't know what the hell I'm going, what's going to go on here. If I knew what was going to go on here, I'd be you know, I'd be we would not do these jobs. We would be living on an island somewhere and private jetting back and forth to Vegas to place our bets. Jordan Belfort yacht. It's a good spot to be. I could live there. They're growing

lobsters at FBI agents. Yeah. Out of respect. Sorry. Yeah. Now I look the fun of this is we don't know what the hell is going to happen, but market down producer river. Next few weeks we're doing. Whose team is it anyway? It's one of my favorite games. The off season. It's really's really hard. We have Cody Blair on here. I'm sorry for making, I'm usually pretty good about that.

He names a player and we try to say where they were and where they are. And it's increasingly difficult each year. I'm gonna be very, very bad at that game, yeah. Yeah, it's gonna be, I think it's gonna be really tough this year, I was thinking about that today. I was like, I, I don't know that there's an amount of homework I could even do that would have me prepared for that. I don't want to play the game because you're gonna make us look like we don't know what we're talking about. Listen, listen, Cody, Cody knows he'll put us over on a few. He. He's going to serve up John Mattier so we can talk about John Mattier.

Yeah, yeah. We're, we're at a job at. Yeah. Where do you go again? Oh yeah. Washington state. Do it didn't code. Cody threw out Sam Levitt last year because Cody was so high on Sam Levitt.

He's like, this is, this is a dude. And we were like, yeah, whatever. Yeah. I mean, I would like love to hear like Cody come on and just give us as evaluations of players that he thinks are undervalued in the portal. That'd be good. Well, I think we can sneak him in. We can sneak that conversation into whose team is it anyway with us getting embarrassed by not being able to get all of them right. But if you have me get a whiteboard, I won't forget this time. I think you will, but that's okay.

But then we should do that with the whiteboard where we write our answers and then present. I like it. I like it a lot. Sailor Joe with another one that yeah, Cody will bring up. We'll know that one. Devin Dampier, New Mexico to Utah. Got that one. All right, Ari.

Tomorrow, very interesting guest, Britten Marion, former UNLV offensive coordinator, former Texas and Pitt receivers coach. First year as a head coach at Sacramento State. You know who's quarterback's gonna be this year? Here's your, whose team is it anyway? Question. Tell me why is it escaping me? Jayden Rashada.

Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I knew it was somebody interesting. Yeah. All right. Before we go though, we got some kickoff times for week one. We love the kickoff times. So Thomas Castellanos, the, uh, the new starting quarterback at Florida state was upset because his team's gonna be playing Bama in the afternoon in Tallahassee and not in prime time. The prime time game Saturday night that week one is going to be LSU at Clemson. That's going to be the 730 PM Eastern time kickoff. That's going to be a fun one.

So let's, I guess we'll just start with Thursday night, since he had Nebraska from, from Kansas city. So a good first look at Dylan, the, the 2025 version of Dylan Raiola Friday night, we got a fun one, Georgia Tech at Colorado. 8 p.m. Friday night. Also that night is going to be Baylor in Auburn. I don't know that we have an exact kickoff time on that yet. Saturday, August 30th at noon, Syracuse, Tennessee from Atlanta, Alabama at Florida state from Tallahassee at three 30 LSU at Clemson seven 30

Sunday night, actually, well, Sunday afternoon, South Carolina Virginia Tech. Sunday night, Notre Dame at Miami. And then of course, Labor Day. TCU at North Carolina in Bill Belichick's debut as a college coach. We got some games, man. Oh, yeah. Carolina and Bill Belichick's debut as a college coach. We got some games, man. Oh yeah. No.

Okay. Notable by its absence here is Texas, Ohio state, which is going to be broadcast on Fox. They have announced that yet. They have announced that they announced noon. Then evidence of that announcement went away. I still suspect that's gonna be noon. The Ohio State fans are freaking out about it. They hate it.

They want their AD, Ross Bjork, to do something about it. I'm not sure there's anything he can do about it. But I do think conversations may continue and then ultimately Fox will be like, no, we want that game at noon and it'll play at noon. That'll be good for the schedule though. Pop in Friday night. Columbus will, you know, I'll take you through the Ari tour of the short North on my old Tinder. We'll cover the game.

Then we have a beautiful buffet of football to cover after that. And then hell of a Saturday night show. Andy, I know that we've been on the road, uh, you know, covering a game together, but buddy, we're in mid May right now. We're right around the corner. We're not far. Like I was kind of afraid of the off season.

I was like, how are we going to do a show every day for six months without any football? And we're humming right now. We're humming. Thanks, Nico. Thank you, Nico. I couldn't have done it without you. We appreciate it. Tomorrow, Brendan Mayer and on the show, we'll see how everybody

reacts to Ari's rant. I'm fascinated when that hits social media to see what the reaction to that will be. Because it's a hell of a rant. It's a beautiful thing. You all saw it. We'll talk to you tomorrow.