Andy & Ari On3 - PICKING College Football Week Two: Oklahoma at Michigan, Ohio State at Texas, Alabama at Kentucky

Episode Date: September 7, 2026

With one more game remaining on the week one slate in SMU at Florida State, Andy & Ari turn their attention to the week two slate in college football. Which teams are Andy & Ari going to pick? Will Andy keep his hot streak in his picks, or will Ari start to close the gap in the standings? Watch here as the guys pick the biggest games across this weekend’s slate.(0:00) On Today’s Episode(0:38) Presenting Sponsor(1:45) Intro: Week Two(2:07) Rhoback Payoff - Clemson at LSU(4:07) Slate(5:25) Records - Week One(7:38) Overall Records(8:58) Missouri at Kansas(13:17) Gametime(14:49) Oklahoma at Michigan(22:11) Oregon at Oklahoma State(26:46) Arizona State at Texas A&M(33:10) Alabama at Kentucky(42:16) Mississippi State at Minnesota(47:47) Arizona at BYU(51:13) Tennessee at Georgia Tech(56:45) Memphis at Boise State(1:00:53) Ohio State at Texas(1:10:35) Closing out picksThanks for watching!Send your questions to:[e-mail]@on3.comOur show is presented by Polymarket!New User Offer: Deposit $10, get $50 upon sign uphttps://app.polymarket.us/S8ac/ON3Trade on College Football games every week on Polymarket. Download the Polymarket App with code ON3 for a $20 bonus upon sign up.18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirement apply. Not available in all jurisdictions. Trading is risky. 100% loss can occur.Watch our show on YouTube! https://youtu.be/CmOJYIOKuak Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari WassermanProducer: River BaileyInterested in partnering with the show? Email [e-mail]  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today's Andy Iron 3 presented by Polymarket, it is a pick show. We have some incredible games to pick. Oklahoma is headed to Michigan. How's Bryce Underwood's Job Security looking? Well, Kyle Winningham had some very interesting things to say about that. Ohio State is headed to Texas. Holy crap. Feels like the game of the year already, and it's just week two.

Plus, Arizona State, Texas, A&M, Kentucky, Alabama. and more. We're picking them all today on Andy and Arion 3 presented by Polymarket. We are sponsored by Polymarket. That's right, the world's largest prediction market. All the point spreads and the totals come from Polymarket where you can stake out a position on your team. If you've got a belief that they're going to win, well, you just say yes to that position. You think they're going to win by three and a half points. You say yes to that position. You're not working against the house with Polymarket. You are working against other folks who have staked out a different position than you.

That's why you want to get in the chat. You might want to talk a little trash to them during the game. But it will seem very familiar and it's an awful lot of fun. If you sign up for Polymarket today using the bonus code on three, new users can deposit $10 and get $50 upon sign up. So sign up for Polymarketing today, bonus code on three. New Year's deposit 10, get $50 upon sign up and start trading today. 18 plus only restrictions and eligibility requirements apply, not available in all jurisdictions.

Trading is risky. 100% loss can occur. Welcome to Andy Norion 3 presented by Polymarket, and it is a picks show, and we are paying off. Paying it off. The Roback game of the week last week was L.S. you in Clemson. And so, look at that. Look at that beautiful hezy hoodie. Look at that. The purple strings. Oh, yeah. That is a thing of beauty. So that's what happens. You win your game. I'm wearing your rowback year or Ari's wearing your rowback year. And I mean, I look good in this.

you are an attractive man maybe modeling's in your in your future no that's a that's a beautiful looking hoodie and i think it's a hoodie it's not me yeah it's it's it's the rowback but good for form fitting but just so you know this is what i would have been wearing had clemson maybe even if clemson stayed within 40 but 41's a little bit too much but this is a wonderfully soft fabric and a great game day polo uh that i would have been wearing had it gone another direction but things are being a model today. A lucky listener or viewer is going to get that Clemson Polo, by the way. So it'll make them feel better about not necessarily getting it done there in Baton Rouge.

And a lucky LSU viewer listener is going to get this game worn hoodie. But I may have to wear it again. So next week, a little preview, we already know what the week three Roeback game of the week is going to be. That would be LSU Ole Miss. So I've got this in case Ole Miss were to win, although after we saw their defense last night, I'm a little worried about that. But I've got this one,

so I may have to wear this LSU one again. We shall see. But Roeback is the place for ho, pull his Q Zips and more. R-H-O-B-A-C-K.com. The code is Andy Ari-20. So A-N-D-Y, A-R-I, number two, number zero, Andy-R-E-20 for 20% off. off your first order.

rowback.com, R-H-O-B-A-C-K.com. All right, that's why I'm wearing this. We're going to pick some games. We're not picking an LSU game this week because the Tigers, well, they're going to get a warm-up for the Rebs. But this slate considerably more interesting

than last week. We have Oklahoma going to Michigan. We have a lot to talk about with that game. We have Oregon heading to Oklahoma State. and very tough game against Boise State did not look as good as they could have. Now, I think if you look at the advanced stats, they played probably a little better than it looked. Arizona State going to Texas A&M, Alabama going to Kentucky, Arizona, BYU, really interesting game in the Big 12. Tennessee visiting Georgia Tech.

And of course, in primetime, the Buckeyes headed to Austin, Ohio State, Texas. Ari, this is going to be a barn burner. Was that a preview? Was that a little hand signal preview? I don't know. He'll have to wait until the end of the show to find out. That's right. We're picking these in order, so that one's late.

Okay, here we go. I love picking Ohio State Texas games because nobody knows who to accuse me of being a homer for. It's wild. Yes. You want to go through records before we go into the games, Andy? I know that your favorite part of every Monday. We should do our records. Okay.

So currently I'm 5 and 3 for the week. River, this is last week's record. We got to do the cumulative record. Yeah, this is last week. 5.3, 3 and 5. We've not got the Florida State SMU game yet. Yep, yeah, that's tonight. I am headed to Tallahassee as soon as we finish this show.

And if Florida State covers, it's Florida State plus two and a half. If Florida State covers, Ari's got to run a mile. Probably the next time we're together because I want to strap the GoPro to my head and just run alongside. You know, I don't know if you know this about me, Andy, but one of my good buddies here in town is a guy named Logan, and Logan won the Dallas Marathon is like the king of like running club.

Oh, he can strap the GoPro to his head. He comes and runs at the lake that's near where I live every weekend. And I might just call him and be like, hey, why don't you just, I mean, he would love to run behind. I mean, the guy runs like 27 miles in like 20 minutes. So, like, it would be nothing for him to stand behind me and, and capture it and, like, encourage me because he's, like, actually, like, a really legitimate runner. And, you know, part of it is the Dallas Marathon?

Yeah, he probably runs for 26 miles as fast as I can sprint, which is amazing. Yeah, he's one of those people. I think he ran track and field at Texas A&M. So, like, this is a guy who, you know, would be a good encouragement, too, because part of the reason why I even agreed to do this bet is A, you know, you know, I am afraid of the five-mile payoff. I have to start running a little bit if I'm even going to risk what's going to happen with Arch Manning at the end of the year. But it would be a good, he's like the nicest human being ever met my entire life too.

So it'd be a good to have somebody encourage me. But maybe the best encourage it would be you calling me a loser while I can't make it. I don't know what we'd have called you a loser. But I would, listen, the commentary would be excellent. Because I feel like your mile pace, I would be able to breathe and talk very comfortably if we were going at your mile pace. So SMU at Florida State tonight, Dope Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.

I know. You're right, but it just still kind of sounded mean. It hurts, doesn't it? Yeah, I know. I'm 13 minutes. Your buddy can say the same thing about me. Like, he would laugh at my mile pace too. Doesn't matter how bigger houses, Andy.

Someone always has a bigger one. That's exactly right. Exactly right. All right. So overall records, I'm 7 and 4 against the spread. Ari is three and eight. I have a feeling you got a really good chance to flip it this week because I'm going to be real with you, Ari. I don't feel much more confident this week than I did last week, and I didn't feel confident at all last week.

Yeah. You know, we'll see how it goes, but I'm also might just have to look in the mirror and be like, hey, R, you suck at this. So, you know, if I can continually be under 500 week after week after week, it might be. be a really helpful strategy for people to fade me, you know, because it doesn't matter as long as you're a consistent result getter, you know, it's just as impressive to go under 500 every week as does go over 500 every week. It's the people who fluctuate back and forth that give you the problem. So we'll see. Basically, what you're saying is you need to establish that you suck so people know to fade you. Yeah, right. Like as long as I can give you reliable information, how you apply it,

it's up to you, you know? Yeah. Well, this is going to be a lot of fun. Let us, start picking some games. We'll start with the border war. Friday night, Missouri at Kansas. Missouri is a six and a half point favorite on the road. This sucker's in Lawrence, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Fox. I don't know how to feel about this one, Ari.

I don't know how to feel about this one either. You know, Missouri won by 100 in their opener. But Kansas is a tricky team always, man. Always. Well, this game, the last time they played it was very competitive. And it's a little hard to see, because we've heaped praise on Lance Leipold for working a miracle at Kansas, because what he took over was so awful, and he made them competitive again. But there's more to it than that. Once you make them competitive, and then they've really invested in this program, like it's time to start showing how good you can be.

be. So now the question is, can Kansas upset an SEC team? And again, I don't know if it's that big of an upset. You know, we don't think, like, Amad Hardy, because of the unfortunate incident this offseason where he got shot. So we're not expecting him to play for Missouri. So I would think this feels more. like a pickum to me than an almost one touchdown spread, which leads me to lean toward taking Kansas. You know, we did get a lot of games in the first week of the season that were against lopsided opponents. And I think that at times we lose track of how big of a gap there sometimes is between teams that aren't in the power conferences. Like somehow, like you look at a team like Western Michigan and you would view them similarly to Arkansas.

Pine Bluff, even though there's a massive difference between those two programs. And like, I just don't know how much there is to take from a 54-14 win. Well, and both of these teams played that sort of game. Right. Missouri played Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Kansas played Long Island. So I don't think we know any, like Isaiah Marshall looked really good for Kansas, but I don't think we know anything yet. We don't. We don't.

I thought Austin Simmons looked very good, 17 of 19 completions for 252 yards, but you're thrown on air when the town discrepancy is that big. So, you know, we're going to find out here, Andy, but, you know, I thought the spread would be a little bit closer here as well. Although I know Mizzou has been dying to get out of that second tier, you know, very good team, but not quite as good as the elites of the SEC, kind of territory they've been having in their conference for a long time. But, you know, this seems like a bigger spread than I would have thought it would be.

Yeah, I'm going to take Kansas to cover here just because they're at home. I don't know, I don't really know if it's going to be that different. Like if Mizzou's fully at like Amad Harri's definitely playing. Caden Green missed the first game too. And obviously they're trying to make sure that he's healthy for the bigger games. But I'm not sure that these two teams are all that different. And Missouri may prove me wrong. Missouri can come in and there and blow them out.

if you're going to give me that many points with Kansas at home, this is a big deal for both these teams. This is still a big rivalry, even though they don't play in the same league anymore. This rivalry goes back into your American history textbooks. Yeah. A town got burned down. They don't like each other.

So I'm going to take Kansas to cover here. Yeah, I'm going to take Kansas to cover too. So we're on the same side here to start things off. But, you know, I would just, you know, be scared of that if I were you because I can't win any games ever. So I should just fade you. Just let me go first. That worked for me with Louisville and Ole Miss last week.

I was going to take Ole Miss and then I took Louisville just to fade you and I'm very glad I did. So when Ole Miss was lining up for that game winning field goal, I'm like, thank God I faded hard. Yeah, sorry I didn't see these seven coverage busts coming. I wish I was better at this. All right. Before we get to Big Noon kickoff on Saturday,

well, maybe you want to go to that game. You can get into the big house for as little as $107 right now. If you go to the GameTime app, use to go to Staples. You get $20 off your first purchase, terms of apply. But GameTime allows you to get tickets to any sporting event, any concert, any comedy show you need, and they have tickets for everything.

You've got tickets to Oklahoma, Michigan in the big house this week. Like I said, get in price right now on Monday as we're recording this is $107. If you'd like to go to the other big SEC Big 10 matchup, well, that was in Austin. That's Ohio State, Texas. A little more expensive. The get in price there is $451. But it's going to be a hell of a game. On game time, the price you see is the price you pay.

The view you see is the view you'll get. from that particular ticket. It's a beautiful app, well-designed, very easy to use. We used it. My wife and I did. We got Megan Moroni tickets for my daughter for her birthday this year. The tickets were amazing. And the view was exactly what I saw on the GameTime app when I bought the tickets.

So download the GameTime app now. Redeem the Code Staples, $20 off your first purchase terms apply. Ari Let us head to the big house on Polly Market as we speak. Michigan is a six and a half point underdog at home. We played guess the line on Sunday. Mm-hmm. You nailed it. But given what we saw, is this where it should be?

Yeah, I don't think it's done moving either. I mean, we do the challenging thing about the pick show is we do it early in the week. Things change as the week goes on and, you know, action comes in and, you know, you see how people are feeling. and I think that this is still moving in the other direction. And if Michigan would have just beaten Western Michigan 34 to 10 like everyone expected, like I think that this would have been less than a field goal or Michigan might have been even slightly favored given where the game is being played. But Andy, I know that we just got done doing a video,

which you can go find on the On 3 YouTube feed about Bryce Underwin's job security and the interesting thing that Kyle Woodingham said about it on Monday. I don't think that their problems offensively are fixable in three days. Like if you're an Ole Miss fan and you're kind of down about just Bryce Underwood. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like you're down on some of the coverage busts.

I think you can clean things up from week one. I think Oregon can clean up some things. Like that wasn't something that you clean up in a film session. That was, I hate to say, it was just awful. It was just an awful game. And I don't know if that. You're about to play David Stone and Owen Heineke.

And this is a great defense. about to see that is designed to confuse your quarterback and confuse your offensive line like that deception is a key part of the Brent Venables defense confusion is a key part of it and obviously every defensive coordinator wants to do that but brent Venables is one of the most historically successful DCs at doing that and I say DC because he does call the defenses even though he's the head coach yeah Andy even if Michigan would have won easily in week one I still would have been worried that they going to score a ton of points on Oklahoma. Oklahoma's defense is legitimately one of the best

defenses in the entire country. So you're compounding that with what we saw the other night. I mean, I can't question. The question here is, do you have enough faith in Oklahoma's offense? Yes. It's Michigan's defense. Oh, you do. Okay. Because I think they could score 24 points. They don't have to light it on fire. Like, you know, you see the over, the over under number is sitting there at 43 and a half. I mean, they don't think this is going to be a high scoring game anyway, because I know that Michigan's defense is probably still very good, although Western Michigan also ran down the field in a very critical moment there in the second half.

So I just give me the quick television pitch for why you would take Michigan after that. Well, let me, okay, I don't mean to be suggesting to the polymarket market makers what they need to do, but let's say you and I were making a market here. The market is, will we see Tommy Carr at quarterback for Michigan on Saturday? Yes or no?

What's the percentage for yes on do we see Tommy Carr at QB for Michigan? I would say somewhere in the mid-40s or 50s. I think there's a very good chance of it. You know, maybe I would have said 20s or 30s, but as markets move, Andy, Kyle Woodingham moved the market this morning.

I mean, like, he... Producer River, play the clip. Like, play this clip. How early in season, I think we're going to get up now. How firmly is he QB long? He's our QB right now. And, you know, it's not something that's infinite. I mean, at some point, you know, we've got to turn a corner.

And we've got to see improvement as we do with a bunch of stuff. We don't see improving out of the coaches. And so it's not just on Bryce. And it's not just Bryce's job that is not absolutely set and contrary. Nobody is. And we've got to perform week in and week out. and become, you know, somebody that we feel like it's playing the level we can win with.

And that goes far beyond Bryce. It goes throughout the whole team. And so it's what you've done lately is, it's been important for... Yeah, I got that Janet Jackson song in my head now. What have you done for me lately? Ooh, okay. This is a tough spot for Kyle winning him.

But, okay, maybe it's not that. tough because he's the new coach he's not the one who signed bryce underwood he's not the one who authorized the investment in a brys underwood so i don't think he's tied to the investment like because they're spending a bunch of money on brys underwood doesn't mean he has to play him if he doesn't think he's the right guy so brys underwood has a chance to prove that he's the guy against one of the best defenses in the country so this is his shot and the question i ask you are is do you think he can do that? Or do you think Tommy Carr can come in if he has to?

And Michigan can be competitive against Oklahoma in this game. You know, it would be a very top spot for Tommy Carr to make his college debut. I was amused a little bit because I saw an interview with Tommy Carr's parents. You know, I'm sure people know this by now. But if you don't, he's C.J. Carr's his little brother. And C.J. Carr is the starting quarterback in Notre Dame. And the parents are like, one parent is going to go to the Notre Dame. game and one parent's going to go to the Michigan game.

I was like, well, if I were the younger brother, uh, and I wasn't playing, I would understand if both of my parents went to my Heisman trophy candidates, brothers games for the time being. But like, now there's a chance that like he's actually going to play. Mom and Daddy car need to divide and conquer, I think, this week. Yeah. And they got to go to both because Notre Dame played on Sunday night this past weekend, but like now there's an actual opportunity for you to play.

So, you know, this is, this is like when my son has a football game. my daughter has a belly recital. Like it's pure divide and conquer. Like you're going to have to do it. So this is six and a half feels fine. I realize that is a, that is a, when you look at the helmets,

that's a big spread for the road team to be favored by. But in this situation, like Ari, I got to take Oklahoma to cover here. Yeah, I'm taking Oklahoma too. I, you know,

now I'm worried. We do talk a lot about how things change week to week and maybe not necessarily. I mean, we'll find out this evening, Andy, when SMU plays Florida State, right? But I don't know if Michigan's issues are fixable, man, in a short amount of time. And they're playing too good of a defense.

I think that Oklahoma is going to win the game by seven or more. And they play too many good defenses going forward to let it fester. Yeah. Is the other problem. So that's why I think you're right. I think it's really hard to pick Michigan in this game. So good luck to whoever plays quarterback for Michigan against this defense because you're going to need it. This is a really good defense.

I'll pick first next time, Andy. Okay. I kind of feel like we may. We might be on the same page on this one too. But I will address the duck in the room. So we're going to know Oklahoma State. Oregon is a 22 and a half point favorite on the road in Stillwater. Preseason hype-wise, if you'd have given me this spread, I was like, Oklahoma State will cover that, no problem.

But Oregon's still going to win. After I watched Oklahoma State play Tulsa in week one, oh no, I'm worried about Oklahoma State. That was bad, bad. But to the point, like the Oregon fans probably have already turned this off. They hate me. I left Oregon out of my projected playoff. I had them the first team out. To add insult to injury,

I put Boise State the team they beat in the playoff, which if you understand how the playoff rules work, you know why I did that, because I'm saying Boise State will be the... Still confused by that at this point? That's not. People are. People are.

There's a tweet immediately under it and said, having Boise State above the four teams below, and the four teams below are like Oregon. Ole Miss, Louisville, Alabama. Well, if you don't understand the rules, yeah, it's wild that Boise State would be above them. If you do understand the rules, you know exactly why. Boise State, I wouldn't have Boise State above any of those teams, especially not Oregon. Yeah.

Rules were different. But my issue with Oregon is if they play the way they played against Boise State, they're going nine and three. That is where that will wind up. So they got to play better than they did. Now, I think Boise State's good, which is why I had Boise State. projecting the playoff, it means I think they're going to beat Memphis. It means I think they're going to beat Western Michigan, and it means I think they're going to win the Pac-12.

But again, it's one week, small sample size. That may have been the worst Oregon plays all year. We saw Oregon two years ago struggle with Boise State in week two, go on to win the Big Ten, go 13 and O. So I may be completely wrong on this. And the thing is, if Oregon goes and just torches Oklahoma State in Stillwater, I'll probably have them in the project playoff again next week. but I need, I want to see it.

Yeah, I mean, everything at this time of year is fluid. Now, the thing that's interesting about Oregon two years ago is that they struggled in week one. I don't remember who they played. Idaho. Idaho. Jason Eck and Idaho. And that was a kind of a rough thing for them because like conventional wisdom would be like, oh, Oregon had a tough first week.

They played a really good team and they almost lost. They're going to come out angry and wanting to take it out on, take it out on whoever they're playing. But like Oklahoma State. Like, it would be one thing if they just lost at Tulsa. You watched the game, Andy. You know. They got dominated by Tulsa. They didn't look like they were in any position to win at any point in that game.

And I think that that's alarming. Oregon still, like you said with the efficiency numbers and stuff, didn't play a terrible, terrible game against Boise. We might find out that Boise's just awesome, too. And that was a thing two years ago. Like, Oregon struggled with them, but they were playing a playoff team. Like, and they won. Also, if Oregon wins by 24, that's still marketable.

market improvement from what Oklahoma State was last year. Didn't they win by like 60th year? Oh, I mean, Oregon. Oregon could have scored 200 points last year if they didn't want it to. Yeah. So I'm leaning towards Oregon here just because, you know, I still believe them to be a national championship contender. And I still, you, I know you do too.

And I think Oklahoma State's a little bit further away than we thought they were from just the night and day. I apologize for the offseason hype for Oklahoma State. because that's that's on me. That's my fault. I just assumed that Eric Morris and Drew Mestamaker would pick up right where they left off at North Texas. And that was not the case. The offense looked very discombobulated.

They couldn't move the ball on Tulsa, which is in the same league that these guys just left. So I don't know. I'm going to take Oregon to cover here. Because I think Oregon too good of a roster. and even if Oklahoma State is better, I think the way Oregon had to work to beat Boise State, Dan Lanning is going to make sure those guys are ready too.

I have a lot of faith in Dan Laining to get them ready. So I'm going to take Oregon to cover here. Yep. So we're on the same side on all three now? I know. I swear we're going to pick some different ones. We have because obviously our records aren't the same. Yeah, this isn't on purpose.

All right. we go to college station Arizona State at Texas A&M Arizona State has played an SEC team last couple years that was Mississippi State. They went to Starkville and lost. Now they go into a considerably tougher environment at Kyle Field

and we get to see how good the cutter bowley-led version of the Sun Devils are as they play Marcel Reed and the Aggies. This is a Super Bowl-ish type game for Arizona State and the Big 12. The Big 12 specifically, because the Big 12 fell about two inches short in Baylor

Auburn, and it needs something like this. Yes. So I don't know if it's Arizona State's responsibility to prop up its conference, but, you know, this is the new world of college football. This is conference supremacy debates. This is when you find out whether your team belongs. You know that Kenny Dillingham is really, really fired up for this one. So it's a pretty big spread.

Texas A&M is a team that you had a big playoff run-ish-type team. What is your confidence level in Arizona State's ability to keep this game close? It's so hard. Because remember, they played Morgan State, the first game. Bowley looked incredible. They had 300-yard receivers in this game. Yeah. But you can't tell anything from this.

and this is going to be, you know, this is going to probably be the best defense they play all year. Yeah. It's six huddies, though. I know. I know. It's going to be difficult. I mean, they play Texas Tech, so maybe Texas Tech will be the best defense they play all year. But I think it's probably, you know, 1A, 1B kind of situation here.

And it certainly will be the most raucous atmosphere they play in all season. And then Mike Elko, you and I, we call them the growing. up in the room. We wanted to be commissioner college football if he wants to stop coaching. I suspect he will have them ready. This will not be like Arizona State last year going into Starkville where they weren't necessarily ready to play Mississippi State.

Yeah, I am leaning towards Arizona State here. And I know that Texas A&M just came off of a 50 to zero win against Missouri State. But I also am not forgetting that they were winning 9-0 at the end of the first quarter. Is it the size of the spread that leads you toward Arizona State? Yes. Yes. I don't think that Arizona State's going to win, but I think that if we can learn anything for the last time Arizona State played in SEC school from the state of Texas, that, you know, they are a team that can sneak up on you and they play pretty tough. This is a three possession game, Andy. I'm going to take the points

and I'm going to have Marcel Reed and Texas A&M show me that they are three possessions better than maybe a top four team in the Big 12 at this point. Everything you say makes complete sense. It sounds completely logical. Producer River, can you show me the records again? There they are. Okay. Okay, I'm going to fade you.

Give me the Aggies. Yeah. Give me the Aggies to cover. Everything I say sounds great. It doesn't mean it's right. That's the skill. No, I like, yeah, I get it. But this is one of those where you're making too much sense.

So I'm just going to fade you because you're not, you're not demonstrated. you're very good at this at this point. I don't know. Maybe I should just go against you. I know. But also, I do trust Mike Elko quite a bit. I love Kenny Dillingham too. But Elko's got a lot of talent.

And look, if Texas A&M wants to do what they did last year, they got to be able to win a game like this because the schedule gets considerably more difficult after this. You know, Andy, we didn't do this in the offseason, the coaching rankings. I don't think that Elko and Kenny Dillingham would be that far apart from each other on that list. I think they would be very high on the list, both of them.

And it's interesting because they're different, they're stylistically very different, but you talk to either one of them for 10 minutes, and you're like, I trust this guy to run this program. I trust this guy to do, like Kenny, the flip he did at Arizona State, people don't understand how dire the circumstances were when he got there. And then he wins the big 12 in year two.

If Sam Levitt doesn't get hurt last year, there's a good chance they might have won it again. So I think this is going to be a lot of fun this game. But again, Texas A&M does have the talent level where if they decide to turn or if they're just getting after Carter Bowley. Yeah. It's going to be, it could get up. Yeah. So I'm going to take A&M here. Interesting note about this game.

Arizona State is flying to England right after this game because they got to play Kansas at Wembley Stadium next week. Imagine the party on the plane if they win, but imagine how awful that flight's going to be if I'm right in A&M covers. Where they've got to be flying out of Houston, right? I don't think the A&M runway is long enough for this, Andy. It's a pretty big runway.

They don't play around in college station. They don't play around in college station. You're right. That was a stupid comment on my part. Please don't get mad of me. You're right. I don't know the exact length of the runway, but if you watch the most recent episode of Lioness on Paramount Plus,

Taylor Sheridan Show, runway length in the area in and around Houston, primary plot point of that episode. I know that I did not pick Texas A&M to cover, but it's a new season and I kind of just have to get one out of my says, go get him, eggs. No, I get to say that now.

I get to say it. And you know what? instead of saying that, I'm going to say what they actually say, gig them. They actually say, go get them, eggs. You actually see that. They don't. Stop trying to make fetch a thing. Stop trying to make fetch happen.

I try to like, I get one really angry email from an Aggie every time I do it. And I want to see if the street continues into the 2026 season. It certainly will. It certainly will. From College Station, we head to the bluegrass. Alabama visits Kentucky, our friend Nick Roush from Kentucky Sports Radio, predicted in early summer that Kentucky's going to shock the world in this game. Look at it, Polly Market.

Doesn't seem like the market believes they're going to shock the world. They are a 10.5 point underdog at home with the Crimson Tide coming in. We got to watch Keelan Russell play a full game against East Carolina. I like him. lot. I like the fact that he is escapable but keeps his eyes downfield. And he doesn't make a lot of huge mistakes. He doesn't take a lot of risks.

He probably doesn't need to take as many hits as he's taken. But I love that when he escapes, there's a danger that he can go 30 yards. And that makes him exceptionally scary. Yeah, Andy, I'm picking Kentucky to win. or not to win, sorry. Whoa! Give me the headline there.

I wish I, if we did it for, if you ever accuse us for doing things for headlines, just know that was a moment of we don't do them for headlines. Because if I wanted to headline, that would have just kept going. Yeah, I don't think it's straight up. I don't think it is out of the question that Kentucky wins the game.

I'll put it that way. I'm going to take the points. I've made up my mind on what I was going to take in this game before the spread was ever released. I have been thinking about this game quite a bit in the offseason. And while I was very impressed with Keelan Russell, who wasn't watching that game, he's a really good quarterback, I also am buying Kentucky stock.

And we talk about like Super Bowls. Like, are you telling me that this team hasn't been salivating for the opportunity to announce the Will Stein arrival in a pretty emphatic way? Like I think that Alabama is a good team. Don't get me wrong. I don't know if Alabama. is a national championship contender this year. So if Kentucky's ever going to make a statement on its home field,

like this is a pretty good opportunity for them to get off to a good start against the team that, you know, is very good, but might not be elite of the elite, like we have become accustomed to knowing or thinking about them every time we look at that A on their hats. So, like, tell me if you think I'm nuts. Kentucky's more athletic than people give them credit for. I thought Kenny Minchie looked good in his first game.

Their lines are much better than they. they were a year ago. Like if there is a, like, chink in the armor for Alabama, like, I think that this is the game that it shows up in, honestly. Well, that's the thing. Like, Alabama tried really hard to show us they can run the ball with their backs against East Carolina, which I think they did look good doing that. This is a significant upgrade in talent that they'll be playing out.

Yeah. If you did want to pick Kentucky straight up, Ari, I'm looking at the market for Kentucky. yes to just win on polymarket. A $10 trade could get you $4340 if Kentucky were to win. Sounds about right. I'm happy I got you to look at that. Yeah, 78% right now on Alabama to win straight up. Do you think I'm insane?

I don't think you're insane. And this is one I've circled and I've mentioned if you listen to all the offseason shows, watch the offseason shows, you know. I've mentioned this game over and over again as a game where we're going to learn a lot. The math, I feel like, changed when Kalyn DeBork picked Keel and Russell to be the starting quarterback. Okay. If Keel and Russell weren't special enough to definitively beat out Austin Mac, and we were just looking at a less dynamic Alabama quarterback,

then I would be more apt to go where you're going here. Yeah. But I think Keel and Russell changes the math for Alabama. So I am going to take Alabama to cover in this game. And I think there's a chance Alabama could be really good. Now, maybe I'm proven completely wrong. Maybe this was like the Florida State game last year, and they're just getting pushed around.

But, you know, the improvements on the offensive line, the, well, I say improvements. We don't really know how improved it is. We'll know more now that they're. playing a conference game. The changes they made along the offensive line. They brought a new offensive line coach. They brought in more players, different players, different body types.

This was the move away from the Nick Saban preferred body type on the offensive line, which is giant to a little bit smaller and leaner. They're still huge people. They're all 300 pounds. But if you look at when Caitlin the board took Washington, to the national title, it was a much leaner offensive line than the ones that Nick Saban would trot out at Alabama. And I think to run what they want to run, especially in the run game, like if you want to run a stretch play, if you want to run outside zone, that sort of stuff,

you need that body type. So maybe this is something that Kaelin Bore and Ryan Grubber are more comfortable with. We're going to find out. I just want to put it on your radar and you know this because you've covered this for a long time, but we are in the window of finding out still. Week one and all. But we don't know. We think we know. We think we know if Alabama covers the spread, then my mind will be changed. I'm still in, show me what you can do mode with Alabama.

Because, you know, I'm not picking them because of their uniforms. Now, their uniforms might be an indication that nothing's changed. But I want to, like the Michigan situation that happened this past weekend. It's absolutely insane, right? No one ever saw that coming. But we are in the. period of time on the calendar where we're going to be watching games in the third quarter on Saturday and being confused by it. I think there's a chance that this is one of them.

Yeah. Well, let's look at this in the grand scheme because it comes at a strange time in the schedule. This is the first SEC game of the season. Yep. This is the first conference game in SEC play in the first year of the nine game conference schedule. So let's look at what Alabama has the rest of the way. they got Florida State next week and then South Carolina Mississippi State Georgia Tennessee Texas A&M. Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, A&M

that's a three-week stretch. They then get a bi-week and they play LSU. If you can't beat Kentucky, it's going to be a long season for Alabama. Yeah. A long season. It is not going to live up to their expectations probably.

Now, I say that. They did lose to Florida State. last year and ended up going 10 and 0, or 10 and 2. So perhaps I'm being a little dramatic. But I think the chances are, if you cannot go up to Lexington and be Kentucky, that you are going to struggle with Georgia, you were going to struggle with LSU, you're probably going to struggle with Tennessee, you're probably going to struggle with Texas A&M,

South Carolina is no gimmie. You're in Star, like we saw Mario Taylor, like, they need to be able to be Kentucky. they need to. Let's look at the Kentucky schedule now. They're going to Kyle Field next week. They got to go to Columbia. They get LSU at home. They got to go to Norman.

They got to go to Knoxville. That Louisville team that was shredding Ole Misses' defense, they played them at the end of the season. Like, you got to win one of these at some point. Yeah. I don't know. Maybe I'm just nuts, but I'm a Will Stein believer. I am too.

He's the. reason. I just don't know that it's time yet. It's only week too. It's only week too. I imagine the Will Stein hire will prove out to be a good one over time. Yeah. It's week too. If Oklahoma State taught us anything, maybe this is the year where we all realize that Kurt Signetti's an alien again. When all these hot shot first year coaches that came from other places, it takes a little

bit longer for people to flip. Yeah. It used to. It is not as easy as he has made it look. Yeah. That's the gist of this. That's the bones of it. Not as easy as Cignetti has made it look. So, yeah, this is going to be a fantastic game, and it's going to be one of those that whoever wins,

we're going to have a freak out a little bit. If Kentucky wins, the Alabama fan base, oh boy. It's going to be something. Ari, let us move to the Big Ten SEC game. that hardly anybody's talking about. But this is like the narrative bull right here. Narrative bowl.

Mississippi State at Minnesota. Minnesota is a half-point favorite at home, so it's basically a pick-em. Okay. What do we always say about the bottom of the Big Ten? And I'm not saying Minnesota's in the bottom of the Big Ten. But the middle in the bottom of the Big Ten, we tend to say is not as good as the middle

in the bottom of the SEC because the schools don't care as much as the ones in, like, Mississippi State and Arkansas still care deeply, deeply, deeply about college football. We're not sure how much Rutgers cares. This is a chance to test that theory out.

Mississippi State is considered one of the bottom teams in the SEC. Minnesota is a middle-tier team in the Big Ten. So Minnesota should win this game. Did you see Camaro Taylor on Saturday, though? I did, yes. Yes. That's the thing.

Yeah. God, that was electric. And I don't know, you know, what that means, but it does change your math a little bit on this, I think, doesn't it? It does. I think. Because it, look, I mean, now, granted, that also could have just been competition. That could have just been, you're just not, you're not playing anybody. yet so you don't know.

Yeah. Maybe it's different when you've got Anthony Smith coming after you. Yeah. I mean, it is going to be different, but I still think that Mississippi State is going to be in a position this year to be a little bit more competitive in the SEC than they've been previously. So, you know, I do think that if you are Minnesota, if you are the Big Ten, you come into this game feeling like this is a must win, you know, the narrative bull thing is real.

But I also think that if you talk to people in Minnesota, and I, I've had the pleasure of doing so in the offseason and stuff, that they feel like this is a really good roster and one of the best teams that they've put together in the last few years. And they've been fairly consistent. And I think that they've done a good job. PJ Fleck has managed to keep some really good players on his roster that could have tested the NIL market and gone in the portal and left.

Like Minnesota, if they want to take the next step, like this is the type of game you have to win, man. Like this is Big Ten SEC stuff aside, you know, for program trajectory reasons, Minnesota is not going to get dropped at home or can't get dropped at home by the worst team in the SEC. Now, maybe they won't be. It's a new year, but that's the perception right now. So what do you think happens? I think Minnesota is going to win.

Like I'm still, I still very much into the Big Ten is better than people think at the bottom. But the thing that I think is wrong is that people mistakenly, group Minnesota in with Rutgers in Maryland. And they're not those teams. They're not like, yeah. They've been consistently good, just not consistently great. Yeah. So I think consistently good is enough at home against Mississippi State.

Now I might be watching this game on Saturday and Camaro Taylor's looking like Michael Vic out there. I don't know. Here's the question I'm asking. Camaro Taylor or Drake Lindsay, who you got? I got Camaro Taylor. I'm going to take Mississippi State. I've also been very much poisoned by the NFL draft group think of Drake Lindsay's

undervalued NFL prospect all summer. So like I don't know if that's a snap call in terms of who you would pick. I mean, I like Drake Lindsey, but I do think those NFL draft guys, and we've had Nate Tyson and next time he comes on, we'll ask him this. I'm like, does something happen in your body when you see a 6,5, 230 pound person taking a snap from under center? Like is that? Well, he put his hands up on the center's butt.

But, yeah, something does happen. It's tingling now. Something does happen. You're right about that. But he does a really good job of playing within Minnesota's offense. They play hard-nosed-run football, but he's really got to play action. And I think that Camario Taylor is obviously a more entertaining product to watch. But in terms of efficiency and who's going to get you over the hump in a game that has a half of a point spread,

do you kind of go with the guy that is getting NFL draft buzz who's been playing for a while, or do you go with the new fun toy? I don't know. I'm going to go with the guy who can flick his wrists and throw it 50 yards. down the field and who's also faster than most of the people on the field. Yeah. Well, I actually think that this is an appropriate way for this pick to go because you're the SEC guy and I'm the Big Ten guy.

I don't know if you want to do a fun bet on this, but I'm, I'm game. I don't know. I'm already on some stakes for that. Yeah. So now, I'm glad you pointed that out, SEC versus Big Ten. This is an SEC team that's going to get the da-da-da-da-da-da-da-for-the-the-first time in a long time. and for the first time for a long time, the CBS theme song will be playing before an SEC team plays.

It's been a couple years now. So that'll be a nice little dose of nostalgia for the Mississippi State fans when they tune in. This is the big deal for both conferences. If you're a team that you think is going to be on the bubble in either conference, you know you're going to be using this game later on in the season to justify yourself.

So we'll see how it goes. All right. Let us move to Provo. Let's do it. Arizona at BYU. BYU is a seven and a half point favorite. This is one of the better games in the Big 12. It is.

This is a measuring stick. Test where we are in the Big 12. I don't know if I want to be playing, if I'm either one of these teams that I want to be playing this game early in the season. I would not want to be playing this game very early in the season. but man Arizona might be pretty good

they might be pretty good we talked to both of these coaches at Big 12 Media Day earlier on in the offseason or late in the late off season and Brent Brennan was pretty confident and I think that a lot goes into having a veteran quarterback who has played multiple

years on your team coming into what should be the best year of his career I don't know like who you would take like Bear Bachmeyer or Noah Fafita but in terms of just being a productive college quarterback in the Big 12, I think I would take Noah Fafita. I think Arizona has a quarterback advantage in this game. Now, Barrett Bucmeyer is awesome.

Don't get me wrong. But I would still take Arizona's guy. And this isn't just Homer U of A. North Fafita has been doing it longer. I mean, like other than the year his redshirt sophomore season when they just couldn't block for him, no Fita has been lights out as Arizona's starting quarterback. You know, and I think this might be one of the two or three

toughest games on BYU's entire schedule, honestly. So, you know, I don't know how it's going to play out. But if Arizona wants to break through and be something more than a lovable eight-win team that, you know, can surprise you every now and then. And, you know, he wants people in Tucson to show up to the games. Like, this is the game that you have to go out and win. So I don't know if I think that Arizona is going to win the game, but I'm going to take Arizona to cover the game. I'm going to take BYU to cover here. I, you know, the scene's going to be awesome in Provo.

That's a great atmosphere. And this is, if you plan to be, and it's been an interesting offseason for VYU, because they keep Kalani Sataki, he doesn't go to Penn State. He then doesn't seem happy with the way things worked out and maybe didn't feel like he was getting everything he was promised. Power struggle ensues. Kalani Sataki wins. He no longer reports to the athletic director, so he won that power struggle.

Now is the time to prove. that you are what you say you are, that you are one of the best teams in the Big 12, that you belong in that conversation every single year. This is the type of game you got to win. Now, it's a big spread. It's a seven and a half point spread. So I could pick Arizona to cover

and still think BYU is going to win. But I think BYU is going to make a point here. So yeah, give me the Cougars to cover. Well, BYU is also in a position where it has to make a point. It views itself as a team that's going to be on the fringe of the college football playoff discussion again. And, you know, they felt like they were the one team that was most wronged in the deliberations last year. So if you want to put yourself in a position where you might win an argument over a team later on in the season that is from a different conference, then you got to do your part.

And that's beating Arizona by more than seven and a half. And this one, this one's important to just be in the Big 12 race. Like, you got to win this. You don't want to be one game back of a team that might be competing for a spot in the Big 12 championship game like you. Yep. I'm with you. On to Atlanta, Tennessee, Georgia Tech. And this game will begin the funniest subplot of the college football season.

Ari, we talked at length about the NCAA suspending Tennessee linebacker, Ariane Carter. Yeah. Taking a $427 flight from an agent while he was preparing for the draft. And then he was suspended for two games. That was reduced to one game. So he will make his debut against Georgia Tech. the best part of this is he has announced he is going to donate $427 to charity for every tackle he makes this season. What an awesome way to flip the bird, right?

I mean, you make a statement, you get people talking, but also the people who are getting the money can absolutely use it. So I don't know about you. And I'm going to say this to River, too, as we're talking about Tennessee. Ariant Carter is my favorite player this season. I want him to win the Heisman Trophy now. Yes. River, pop up here. I think that Tennessee is like really riding high on good vibes this year. And I know that Dolly Parton passed away. And that's like not a good thing for, you know, anyone because she's an amazing beloved American icon.

But don't you kind of feel like Tennessee's got like really good vibes right now? Like between like what they're doing in the stadium and the way that they're hyping up their videos, Phazon Brandon's start. Like, yeah. I mean, the video department has always been. top tier. But Phazon Brandon, just the hype, the optimism you have going into this season. I mean, vibes are good on Rocky

Top. Vives are really good right now. And you know I'm a big vibes guy. I don't know if you guys know this. We're aware. Also, likely a big presence of orange down here in Bobby Dodd's. A lot of people I've been talking to are making the trip down to Atlanta.

So it could be a lot of... How far is Atlanta as a drive from Nashville? four hours less, depending on traffic, but. So he's going to be donating the $427 to a cancer research charity. So it would be the national area cancer treatments

at Sisters Network Nashville. And also Carter cut his hair in the off season to honor his girlfriend, Mariah Bryant, who is currently battling breast cancer. This is according to Austin Price from VolQuest. So again, I mean, you've got to love what Arion Carter's doing here.

Imagine suspending that human being. Yeah. Well, I mean, it definitely makes the NCAA look even worse. But if something good comes of it, that's, that's incredible. So it didn't need him versus Herman, that's for sure. I'm taking Tennessee here, Andy. You how do you let me get into it? The reason.

I just want people to think that I'm with George Tech. I'm trading. Go ahead. Go on. Well, we watched the Georgia. Tech, Colorado, we all did. That was, we were locked in on that game on Thursday. You and I had an interesting discussion after that.

Yeah. I am worried about Georgia Tech. Like the way Colorado shut them down in the run game was, it should not have been that easy to shut them down in the run game. Georgia Tech, I believe ran for 17 yards in the final three quarters of the Colorado game. Colorado had a massive play advantage because Georgia Tech could not move the ball at all. Yeah. And it wasn't like Alberto Mendoza looked terrible.

It was they couldn't run the ball. And I know that makes Brent Key absolutely want to vomit because this is a guy as a former offensive lineman, former offensive line coach. They had a tough, hard-nosed team that would move the line of scrimmage in the run game. Ari, I do think Colorado is better than they were last year. I don't think Colorado's defensive front is as talented as Tennessee's. And if you can't run against Colorado, you're going to struggle against Tennessee. Yeah, second that.

So I assume you're on the same side then? I am going to take Tennessee to cover as well. Again, I hope like Tennessee players just pass ball carriers off to Arian Carter and let him finish him so that he can rack up like a hundred tackles a game. I would love if Aaron Carter had 150 tackles this season. Like, it would be incredible. Yeah, I mean, he's scratching a lot of itches there. I mean, like doing right by his girlfriend, doing right by Tennessee,

flipping the NCAA off with the nice middle finger there. Like, he's really easy to root for. And I just think Tennessee is in a fun position this year, Andy. They are. And this is, look, this is one that Tennessee needs to win this. one too. And it looked probably like a little bit tougher game last season. When we were looking at this, the future schedule, Georgia Tech, I think is a little bit different. We'll see. Maybe we're wrong. Maybe that was a fluky game and Georgia Tech comes out much better and they make some

changes on offense that allow them to run the ball better. But I don't, like you've said about other teams on this show, I think you said it about Michigan. What we saw against Georgia Tech did not, or Georgia against Colorado did not look like something you're going to fix in nine days. Yeah. Yeah. And Tennessee is probably going to be pretty good. So, yeah. All right.

Tennessee to cover. All right. Let's move to the group of six because we've got a few really interesting group of six games this season. Memphis, we're about to talk about, already played in one of those. They played UNLV in week zero, beat them in Vegas. Huge win for the Tigers. and now they are headed on the road again to the blue in Boise to play Boise State. Boise State coming off a very tough loss at Oregon,

seven and a half point favorites in a game that may help determine who the group of six participant in the playoff is. Yeah, man, it's kind of a tough game. Honestly, like Boise State should be viewed as the, crown jewel of CFP candidacy from the G6, but Memphis is another one. You know, and I feel like this could, you know, if Memphis wins this game and then wins the American,

I think they'll be the favorite to make the playoff. Yeah, and Charles Huff knows how to coach, ma'am. You know, do you think that, you know, Boise State is just really a team that's going to be able to go toe to toe with a national championship contender, or do you think there's a chance that there was a letdown a little bit with Oregon, they're going to be emotionally exhausted from going to Eugene. Like, how do you handicap this?

I don't think it's a letdown from Oregon. I don't think that's what it was. I think Boise State was playing really well in that game. Yeah. I think Boise State's probably pretty good. But the trick is, like, Memphis has a lot of good athletes too. Marcus Stokes. We talked about, you know, him as a quarterback.

I don't think Memphis played as well as it could have against Arkansas State, but that's also a situation where that's a sandwich. game between two two games that are critically important for memphis to win so i i don't i don't know that i'm going to kill memphis for not you know because like they were up 2117 at the half on arkansas state and there's a little it's looking somewhat somewhat dicey yeah but i don't and i mean i guess it was it was 2824 actually um in the third quarter but I don't know. I think Memphis is probably better than that, but Boise State, nothing fluky about what Boise State did against Oregon.

And the fact that when Oregon appeared to shut the door on Boise State, Boise State kept coming back. Yeah. Like that settled. I thought Maddox Maddoxon played great in that game. And I thought Boise State held its own on both sides of the line of scrimmage against a team that is just loaded with NFL players. Yeah. So I'm going to take the Broncos to cover here.

I think that piece of it right there is why I have faith in them to do this. And if they win this game, now they're not done yet because they still have to play Western Michigan, which is your defending Mack champ that should have beaten Michigan on Saturday. But Boise State would kind of complete the tour of some of the better group of six programs and come out, if they were come out on top in those two games and then go win the Pack 12, I think there's a very good chance there in the playoffs. I think in the past I've really got myself into trouble in thinking like, you know,

there are a lot of really good G6 teams. This is a critical matchup. I remember even last year with UNLV and Boise, like struggling with that or was that two years ago? I can't remember when it was. Yeah, it was two years ago. Two years ago. And I was like, yeah, UNLV is going to win this game.

And then Boise just comes out and is a cut above. Like, I think that Boise State is clearly the best team in the G6 in the current moment. I'm not going to overthink it. I'm going to go, Boise State with you. Yeah, Charles Huff's clipping this, by the way. Yeah, that's okay. He's a good coach. He's going to show it to the team before they come out of the blue.

Charles, if you do cut it, though, make sure to cut out the part at the beginning where we said you're an awesome coach and I believe in you. And the second part where I said, you know, you never know if Memphis because Charles Huff is good. So cut that part out. Just do the part where I'm being. Make sure we only motivate you. No glazing there. Ari, it's time.

Let us head to Austin. checking Polly Market right now. Texas, a one and a half point favorite hosting the Ohio State University Buckeyes. This feels like everything you want in an early season non-conference game. You have two hyped quarterbacks. One was a Heisman finalist last year. One has the big name. And while he's not a Heisman finalist this year, you're going to run five miles.

You have elite wide receiver ones. One established. The other played for a team with a bad offense for two years, but now plays for a team with a good offense, but also an alien. Jeremiah Smith versus Cam Coleman. Everything about this screams big time. This is an incredible matchup.

I am so excited for this. And it is our Roeback game of the week. Look at this. Oh, look that. That's the Texas Hesi hoodie. A little two-tone, little black and burn orange. That's a beautiful thing right there. Look what I got here, Andy. Oh, ho.

The red block Ohio State logo. That's a beauty right there. Beautiful, beautiful hoodie. You know, this is the game of the week, man. And, you know, we'll see who's going to be wearing what. but I'm curious because I know how you felt about Texas all off season. I know that you throw up a hook him every time I even mention the Longhorns. Is this going to be like a hoodie bet game where if I lose,

I have to wear a Texas hoodie and if you lose, you have to wear an Ohio State hoodie? Oh, no. If I wear an Ohio State hoodie on the show, that's going to get clipped for the rest of my life, but I'm willing to be friends at Roeback. But like the, okay, so you know where I'm going with this. Like I have a really hard time with this, Andy, because I, as you know, covered Ohio State for a very long time.

I, as you know, I'm obsessed with Jeremiah Smith. And I, as you know, know what Ohio State is in terms of a consistent, you know, team that has better players usually than other teams. If Texas doesn't win on Saturday, like, when are they ever going to win? Like, honestly, like we're at a point. And I'm at an inflection point with Texas, too, because if you remember, you know, back in the. the early days of you and I doing podcasts together, how much it became a running joke that I kept getting burned by Texas by picking them because of their players. And this was pre-Stefisian. Like I was like, why is Texas stinking? We'd argue about what was a better job between that

and Oklahoma and all these different things that feels like an eternity ago. But when you talk about a team that might have four players taken in the top 10 of the NFL draft, getting the Buckeyes at home, and what everybody knows is a important. season for them in terms of narrative, in terms of return on investment on the roster, all these different things. Like if you can't do it now, like, I get it. It's September and you might lose this game and go on to win it again when you play in January.

That's possible. But like, I'm at the point now where I'm just like tired of talking about how good Texas is going to be. And I'm at the point where I'm expecting them to actually be good. And if they don't win, there to be consequences for that. No more moral victories, no more getting, you know, hey, they, They almost won. Like all that stuff's out the window.

Where's too far into the investment structure of this team's roster to give them any molligans? I'm picking Texas to cover this game. And I think it's about time that they do it. I'm taking the Buckeyes, baby. Yeah. When we were up there in Columbus, those guys are just like, you talk about a program that understands how to win. A program that understands how to play in big games that does not duck big games, does not shy away from big games.

And again, I want to praise both these teams for playing this game, for scheduling this game, because we need more of this in college football, not less. And I love that this game is happening. But you talk to Ryan Day, you talk to Julian Say, and you talk to Jeremiah Smith, you just get the sense that these guys know the assignment, understand the mission, and they're not going to be intimidated when they show up in an environment like this. They are going to be ready to play.

And look, Ohio State went a perfect team last year. You saw against Indiana and against Miami that they needed work up front on offense in the run game. They're probably going to need some contribution from the run game to win this game. I'm not going to lie, Ari. Watching Legend Bay run around a little bit early, who's from Texas, by the way.

That set things to tingling a little bit. That's a, Ron Boyd, the freshman receiver for Ohio State, coming back home to Texas. Yeah. Jeremiah Smith, Chris Henry Jr. Like, this is going to be an electric atmosphere with elite talent all over the field. I mean, I don't even know how many first-round draft picks

are going to be playing in this game. Yeah. But it is a lot. You know, Andy, I think that everything that you're saying, about Ohio State, I'm generally, like, genuinely aware of. And I know you are. Part of the reason why I'm picking Texas is because Texas is supposed to be the same thing. Like, we've gotten to the point now where Texas is supposed to be the battle-tested team

with the freaks walking around on the practice field and the coach that can win a big game and all these different things. And, you know, I think that it's possible that Texas is kind of in that same year that Ryan Day was in two years ago, where it was like, okay, you've been here for a while, you've been very successful, you have a high winning percentage, you've been on the cusp of doing some things, but, you know, it's time to maybe break through. And like, I'll be honest with you, if Texas loses this game or isn't competitive, which I don't think is going to happen, but, you know, and it sets up another disappointing season for the Longhorns. Like, I think we have

to have a real conversation about whether Steve Sarkesian is doing enough. You know, I, you know, I think that he has certainly done a good job. I wrote a call him about how awesome he's been, you know, a month ago. But there is a transition period that goes from, wow, this place is much different than it used to be to, holy crap, you need to go over and get over the top. And I just don't think that getting over the top means, you know, beating A&M. I think getting over the top means beating Ohio State in your building when they come to town, especially when you're a one and a half point favorite. Well, I kind of, I think back to what our friend George Reister said when he was on the show a couple weeks ago. He thinks the loser of this game is going to really struggle to make the playoff.

And it's because of what they have to play afterward. It's not necessarily that, oh, you're definitely going to go nine and three if you lose this game. But both teams have really rugged schedules in conference. So, Professor River, can you please pop up the Ohio State schedule? Because this thing is probably the gnarliest Big Ten schedule they've gotten in decades. Yeah, no, it might be the hardest schedule they've had over 20 years. On the road, this is the on the road part, at Iowa, at Indiana, at USC, at Nebraska. They also have to play Oregon and Michigan at home.

We'll see about Michigan. We don't know about Michigan right now. But even if Michigan winds up not being great, all of that other stuff I just mentioned, that is a very challenging Big Ten schedule. Now let's look at Texas. They opened the SEC play at Tennessee. They've got Oklahoma and Dallas. Florida comes to them.

Florida beat them last year and then fired their coach. Ole Miss, we know what that offense can do. We'll see what we'll see about the defense. Texas has to go to Baton Rouge. Yeah. Texas has to go to college station. If you don't win this game, the rest of the way becomes very challenging. So I am picking the team that is the thing.

You're picking the team that's supposed to be the thing. Yeah. I'll take the team that is the thing. Yeah. Texas has got to prove something. Ohio State has been proving it over and over again. So I'll take the Buckeyes to keep doing it, but I am fascinated to see what happens in Austin on Saturday.

You're going to be there. I'm excited to go. Yeah. I'm jealous. I'm jealous. And it's going to be a high-level football game. And I actually think that, you know, what George was saying about the loser, I think that like whoever loses is.

it's probably still going to be one of the top four teams in America. But, you know, I just think that Texas is just, it's, you know, part of my French, but it's shud or get off the pot time. It is that time. It's that time to see if you can get off the Schneide with the picks. You've seen them. Now you have to decide, are you going to fade Ari? You're going to fade me.

Also, we're only a few hours away from kickoff in Tallahassee. Florida State plus two and a half. I'm on the Knowles. Ari's on the Mustangs. Is already going to be lacing up his shoes? Going to have to get up like that logo or what? Is the War Chant message board going to be melting down? We will find out.

We'll talk to you after that game.