Andy & Ari On3 - Texas A&M’s CASE to be No. 1 in the CFP Rankings | Brian Kelly's Lawsuit with LSU | Pat Narduzzi before Notre Dame-Pitt

Episode Date: November 11, 2025

Happy Veterans Day! As week 12 is right around the corner, the Texas A&M Aggies are sitting atop the SEC standings and currently ranked 3rd in the College Football Playoff rankings. Join us here as Billy Liucci from TexAgs.com joins the show to discuss what is really different in College Station this year with the Aggies, Mike Elko’s impact, and Marcel Reed’s emergence. (0:00) On Today’s Episode(1:01) BetMGM(3:40) Intro: CFP Reveal Tonight(4:50) Academy Sports + Outdoors(5:43) Billy Liucci joins the show(6:10) What Kiffin said about A&M(9:00) Ohio State or Texas A&M?(13:35) How different is it for A&M this year?(20:50) Re-visiting hiring Elko from Duke(26:24) Texas A&M at Texas implications(31:38) Heisman Race(36:00) Playoff Race(41:18) Closing out with Billy Liucci(42:39) Gametime(44:08) Brian Kelly files a Lawsuit against LSU(48:56) Contract Ideas(55:55) Incentive Based Contract Examples(1:01:08) Pitt-Notre Dame: What Pat Narduzzi said(1:11:35) YouTube TV $20 Credit(1:13:00) Closing Out: See you tonight! Afterwards, the guys head on down to Baton Rouge to dive into Brian Kelly filing a lawsuit against LSU on his firing. What will be the resolution down in the bayou? Andy & Ari discuss To wrap, the fellas go to Pittsburgh, where Pat Narduzzi’s Panthers are set to host Notre Dame this weekend. Andy & Ari picked this game on Monday, and they are both thankful they picked the Irish after they heard what Coach Narduzzi said at his press conference. Our show is presented by BetMGM! If you haven’t signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code CFB and you will get up to a $1500 First Bet Offer on your first wager with BetMGM! Here’s how it works: 1. Download the BetMGM app and sign-up using bonus code CFB.2. Deposit at least $10 and place your first wager on any game.3. You will receive up to $1500 in bonus bets if your bet loses! Just make sureyou use bonus code CFB when you sign up! Make this college football season one for the history books. Make it legendary. See BetMGM.com for Terms. 21+ only. US promotional offers not available in New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US). Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). First Bet Offer for new customers only. Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 7 days. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This show is also brought to you by Gametime! Take the guesswork out of buying college football tickets with Gametime.Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code STAPLES for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Swipe. Tap. Ticket. Go. Download the Gametime app today! Visit Gametime.co. Our show is sponsored by Academy Sports + Outdoors! https://www.academy.com/discount Join On3 today and get one full year of access to The Athletic included! https://www.on3.com/subscribe/C Watch our show on YouTube! https://youtu.be/Rbw3LxfyQcw Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari WassermanProducer: River Bailey Interested in partnering with the show? Email [e-mail] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today's episode of Andy and Ari on 3, Billy Lucci, the founder of TechSags.com, joins us to talk Aggies in a very, very different place than usual, mathematically impossible to finish 8 and 4. Now the Aggies are eyeing an SEC title, a college football playoff berth, a potential national title. All of the possibilities are out there for him. We'll talk to Billy about how different that feels and about what he expects to happen the rest of the way for Texas A&M. and also for the SEC and some of the other college football playoff contenders. Plus, Brian Kelly is suing LSU to get the entirety of his buyout. It's getting really juicy in Baton Rouge's if it wasn't juicy enough already. And Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi had something very interesting to say about this weekend's Notre Dame game.

One of those things that is true, but maybe you shouldn't say it out loud. We'll talk about all that on today's edition of Andy and Arion 3 presented. by betmgm. We are presented by betmgm, all the lines and totals that we talk about on the show come from betmgm, and you can very easily join up with betmgm with a very special offer. It's very easy. Download the betmgm app, sign up using the bonus code CFB, that CFB is in college football, deposit at least $10 and place your first wager on any game,

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Big Day. It's a Tuesday, Ari, so we've got a college football playoff live ranking reveal. We will have a show tonight. If you are shut out because you're a YouTube TV subscriber, don't worry. You just watch with us. It's 7 p.m. Eastern time, and we will watch it live presented by Modelo and Ari. We'll see what happens. We'll see where Texas A&M winds up.

We're going to talk to Billy Lucie today about the Aggies. Does Texas A&M maybe jump Indiana after Indiana got a scare at Penn State? Yeah. I don't know how much intrigue there is in terms of like things that will frustrate us, but it will be a revelatory day. It will. It will. So come see us 7 p.m. Eastern time.

You can be in the chat, you can heckle us, you can heckle these selections, you can heckle the committee, heckle anybody you want. And we will have a lot of fun breaking down the rankings, 7 p.m. Eastern Time. I know it's weird because it jumps around. We're not waiting on a basketball game to end this time. So 7 p.m. Eastern time. Also, it is Veterans Day. So I do want to point out our friends at Academy Sports and Outdoors, proudly honoring brave military and first responders for everything they do to protect our nation and serve our local community. We appreciate your unmatched dedication and countless sacrifices.

So through the end of Veterans Day, through November 11th, Tuesday, we're giving you our salute with 10% off your sports and outdoors purchases at your local academy store and online at academy.com slash discount. Exclusions apply. But if you go to an academy store on Tuesday or you're shopping online at academy.com, use the address academy.com slash discount to get that discount. And thank you, if you served, thank you so much for your service. We appreciate it. And the folks at Academy appreciate it as well. So academy.com slash discount that goes through the end of Veterans Day on Tuesday. Ari, let us chat with our man, Billy Lucie. It's a heady time for the Aggies right now.

It's a very different time. And he's looking at the world differently now. Honor to be joined by Billy Lucci, founder of texaggs.com. We've got to talk to me and, but Billy, before we let you talk, we're going to let Lane Kiffin talk because he had something to say about the Aggies on Monday. Here's Lane Kiffin. I asked you last week, so I'm just a little curious now that the first CFP rankings are out, where you guys were, where the league was, were you encouraged by that? I think in some ways a little bit, but, you know,

I think that some other people have pointed out, in other ways, no, like, you know, Texas A&M being three, you know, well, what more do you want them to do to be one? You know, like I said, when people want to schedule and they say, okay, man, we need you to schedule hard teams. You're going to have nine SEC and then play another hard one. Well, they went up to Notre Dame and won. So those people that say, man, those schedules are worth it to play that? What if they didn't play Notre Dame? If they just played whoever and just had an easy win, they'd be ranked in the same spot. So what good did that do if that's not rewarded?

So they got the highest metrics of everybody, and they're not number one. So I don't know. Again, you talk about those two teams right there, put them on a neutral site, ask Vegas who would win, what's the spread? And that to me shows more than people sitting around a room just guess them. lane kiffin thinks the ag should be number one billy luci what say you well first of all lane kiffin complimenting a and m i almost feel like he just said man i'm really going to screw with uh the a nm fan base here and just take it for on a whole other direction because of the history between

you know lane and jimbo and and all that i think that was a lot more lane i mean jimbo focused than it was A&M, but when Lane Kiffin's stumping for the Aggies to be number one, you know times have changed in College Station, but look, if you're going just off resume, I think you can make a real argument. And I don't, you know, somebody will say, well, look at A&M, they've played all these teams towards the bottom of the SEC. Well, five of those losses, six of them, have come at the hands of A&M. But secondly, go do that to Indiana, go do that to Ohio State and their resumes and their wins and their strongest win, yada, yada, yada, I think A&M's resume could be worthy of number one.

Yeah, but I know there's more that goes into it than that. I think there is anyway. I get confused sometimes. I just looked it up. Our friend Parker Fleming, Stats of War, has this great site, CFBGraphs.com, where you can match up any team, and it uses advanced. stats to do a predictive, you know, here's what the spread would be. So the spread for A&M, Ohio State at a neutral site, Ari and Billy, I want you to guess. What do you think it's going to be?

I'll let Billy go first. He's the guest. Just under a touchdown. Five and a half. Yeah, I was going to say six, six and a half, seven. You don't have enough faith, guys. Really? It would be between three and a half and four Ohio State favored.

Yeah, look, if you wanted to really dive in and go deep into my thoughts here on the, I do, I think Ohio State, it's hard because they haven't been tested since Texas. And even that game, I felt like they had nice game control, you know, particularly from halftime on. but they haven't played anyone but they've destroyed everyone and A&M has destroyed some teams they've done it a little more methodically that the teams they haven't destroyed they've really you know they dominated that Auburn game statistically never felt like they were going to lose that game I think they outgained them three to one had 14 penalties a touchdown callback and then against Arkansas Arkansas never had the ball with a chance to tie

or take the lead. And if Marcel Reed's touchdown doesn't get called back with five minutes left, they're going up 17 there on a 50-yard touchdown. So I think the Aggies are actually really close on the field to being looked at completely differently by the people that are going, oh, they played close against Arkansas. They have been, you know, they've been blowing teams out. LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri. They went and won at Notre Dame, which I think is still one of the three.

most impressive wounds of the year along with Indiana at Oregon and Alabama at Georgia look if you looked at Ohio State and said what team would be a team that could be the biggest challenge

for them let's just put it that way so I don't get all the Ohio State truthers after me like the Notre Dame ones did to Ari this week I think A&M is the most interesting matchup just because The Aggies have a great O-line, and Ohio State will destroy you if you don't.

They've got a mobile quarterback. They've got skill position talent if you take it in the aggregate. That's probably, if we're being real, it might be second to only Ohio State. Concepcion Craver Reed. They'll have Levion Moss back and that Ruben Owens and that backfield stable, not to mention quality tight ends. And then defensively, with the way they pressure the court, quarterback, right? I'm not saying that Julian saying wouldn't have a big game and wouldn't be able to connect with those receivers and let them make plays. But I think it would be the most pressure, like physical pressure, that a defense can put on saying in Ohio State where you make him speed up and make gross. That's why I think that spread is what it is, Andy, because I actually think it's an interesting matchup if those two play more so than other teams Ohio State could meet in the postseason.

Of course, you want to, if you're A&M or anybody, put that matchup off as long as possible. For A&M, it's about Lenora Sellers. It's about Texas because I personally, this is a personal opinion, I would love to see A&M in Atlanta for the first time ever. And I think the Aggies actually would have an excellent chance to win that game. And there's still something to be said for having a chance to win, you know, in the Southeastern Conference. And, again, something you've never done. And it gives you that you don't play football again until New Year's.

I do think that there is a case because Andy and I actually talked about this last week where Ohio State is kind of number one for vibes. And I got mad about Notre Dame's ranking for vibes. You know, I think that you could make the case or it's a fact that at the moment, Indiana and Texas. Texas A&M both have a better or the best quality win in the three head-to-head matchup for who should be number one. I don't really get as wound up about who should be number one because when you're undefeated, all those teams are going to have plenty of opportunity. Like, I only get fired up about teams that could get screwed and missed the thing. But I do think that A&M definitely has a shot. Now, this is a really different year for A&M.

The way things are going is different. You know, I talked to Mike Elko on September 23rd about battered Aggie syndrome and putting that to an end. Is that gone and what do you think is the biggest difference from this team that now mathematically cannot go eight and four in previous iterations of very talented Aggies teams that couldn't get it done? Like, what's the different? You have those guys coming through your building every day, Billy. Yeah. Like, what do you think is the biggest difference about this A&M and past A&M? I think it starts with Elko and when you sat down with him and Andy I know you've talked to him to like everybody that's started to really get to know him throughout this knows what I knew when A&M was trying to hire him what I knew when he first got here but it can't happen overnight but it starts with him just the culture is overused but just the the toughness the mental toughness the desire

to be physically to impose your will on the opponent, the desire to go out every week and, you know, he creates this, this feel in that locker room

like those guys are entering the Coliseum to go to battle in ancient Rome, you know, like old football coaches used to do, and he's allowing them

to embrace that. You know, you ain't in my jersey, F you. Armagee Reed Adams with the steel chair before the game, him going in at halftime and telling his team and knowing it's on camera, you're better than these guys. If you go out and play, you know, like, just there's an old

school element where we go, at the end of the day, this is still football. And to see Cassius Howell just go off on the LSU offensive lineman, that wasn't at the end of the game when you're up 30. That was in the first quarter after the first drive telling a young old lineman, it's going to be a long day and I ain't going anywhere. And you know that guy felt that. And that's not, it's usually the other way around. You guys know that when A&M plays, the LSUs, the Bamas. It's been a long road to get there. And so it starts with Elko.

I think the other difference, the biggest difference are, is just, it's explosive playmaking ability. And it's having star players across the board. I was talking to Coach Sumlin actually last week. And it's like, he talked about like, we had Miles Garrett and we had Christian Kirk and, you know, that first year, obviously they had a lot of them. And that's, that was a top five team. But after that, they'd have guys here and there, but they never had enough of them when the teams you're playing in this league and you're competing for for titles had a bunch of them. So you see Cassius Howell on defense, but really what I'm talking about is the ability to score points and score points quickly. and Marcel is that dude

and he's the third thing would be his improvement in year one to year two it's been pretty remarkable if you really look at it but Marcel Concepcion Craver portal ads Bethel Roman is starting to emerge and that backfield stable I don't think people talk about it enough guys

like you're going to bring back a running back that I think was as good as anybody in the SEC in Levyon Moss he's a pro and you're bringing him back rested and healthy, whether it be for Texas or for the postseason, to go along with now Rubin Owens, E.J. Smith, Amari Daniels, and an emerging freshman in Jamari and Marr.

So I think, Ari, on field, that's as big a difference as anything, is they have game-changing players, plural, and on both sides of the ball. It's interesting because I remember having conversations with Kevin Sumlin. I honestly, it was 2013 or 2014. And he said, you know, we've got these first round guys and we've had these first round guys. But the problem is we need the second, third, fourth, and fifth, and sixth round guys. Because it would be like a couple first rounders, some undrafted guys. Yeah.

And you're right. You look at this roster and it is kind of top to bottom. Now they're not all first round dudes, but there's a bunch of NFL dudes. And I go back to Mike Elko and Destin and he said, we're better at every position. group and I remember kind of making a mental note of that and going that sounds I don't is that could that be true and then you watched him play this year and they're like oh yeah no he's right i would have said it was true at that time at every position my question would have been d-line and and I did say all summer I thought their pass rush would be a lot better now I didn't think

they'd be contending to be the best pass rushing defense in the country and that's where they're at through nine and they've got you know the SEC sack leader and Howell, but they've also been really good up the middle. I know they've had lapses and run defense, and that would be your concern, like, in an individual game. Like, when it does, whatever, if it doesn't end in a championship, I would assume it would probably be a game where a team figures out how, you know, to gash them running the ball.

But they've also been at times really good against the run. It's just when they're not, they tend to give up some big plays, even against Missou, they give up like three long ones, and then they eat up all the, it's just, it's just when they're not good, they're not terrible. It's just a here or there. But that would be the one spot, but those inside guys have been really good. Hicks, Anyedem, and Albert Regis, that D-Line is noticeably better after losing a first and two second rounders.

So that, yeah, when you talk about someone, we had that conversation, you and I, we've had it. He and I had it after A&M played LSU in 2012, where he said he went up to Les Miles and said, you guys are what we want to look like one day. And here's the deal. I had an interesting thought when they're playing LSU because I was down on that field a few years ago when number nine was throwing to, you know, he was throwing to Jefferson and Chase and Clyde Edwards E-Lair, and it was just no competition. And Elko was the decontority that day.

He saw that 2019 LSU team. live and in person. And I'm not saying the main comparison I'll make between this A&M team and that team is just

and even like Ohio State they seem to be getting better at the right time and you mentioned it before we went on. You guys mentioned it. They're a fun team. They're really having fun playing

and they're really in a nice flow as a football team, offense, defense, special teams. That's the comparison. But watching that LSU game and remembering what I saw in Baton Rouge in 19 and it was just interesting

to me to go, man, it's wild to see A&M with the QB, the wide receivers and the running game, even without Moss, that LSU can't handle. And the guys on the field that are making play after play after play

are in Maroon and White. And again, it's not the 2019 LSU team, but you guys know what I'm getting at there. It just kind of shows you how far and how quickly this is turned. Well, and let's go back to less than two years. So Thanksgiving weekend two years ago. So, you know, basically a hundred two weeks ago, there was a movement that they were going to hire Mark Stoops.

That was who Ross B.ork, their AD had ID'd. That's who they were going to hire. And then the board revolts. And within hours, they've hired Mike Elko. How many times have you allowed yourself to imagine what the Mark Stoops era at Texas A&M would look like over the last two years? None. I honestly have never. It was just like that was just like a bad dream maybe.

And nothing, look, I don't, Mark Stoops probably hates me because probably thinks that I torpedoed it. That was not the attempt at all. I was literally reporting facts that A&M was set to make that higher. And there's differing stories about whether that online riot help push, you know, push them to not make that decision. I think the bigger problem with it than anything was, I think there was kind of a thing like, hey, we're not going to spend all that in light, in wake of firing Jimbo, unless it's like, I don't know, like Lanning or DeBoer maybe at that time. And then they trot in, you know, I don't know if it would have passed anyway because you trot Mark Stoops in there.

And like what I was told is, hey, we're going to get him for less than he's making it Kentucky. He's going to make, but it was still over $9 million a year for Mark Stoops. And it kind of went against all the parameters of kind of what was kind of in bounds there. The funniest thing about it all, without saying too much, I'll just say the funniest thing about it all is I did wake up on that Sunday with a text from Elko saying, what in the heck's going on at Texas A&M? In other words, he went to bed, and he's told this story.

So I'm not, he went to bed, you know, thinking Texas A&M was hiring Mark Stoops and went to bed pretty early that night and woke up the next day, I think, to an MOU. So from A&M. So can you imagine like that whole emotional? swing in 12 hours you think the A&M fan days had it bad imagine Mike Elko because he was very happy at Duke I just think you know this was a job that he knew what he what he could do here and I give him a hell of a lot of credit because he has come in because of that knowledge of the place before like he probably sat here every day and said if I had that job I know exactly what I would do and then when he went to Duke he was probably like learning even more, obviously, as a first-time head coach going, man, if I could apply this one day at a place like A&M, we could build a monster. And that's what I think, you know, regardless of what happens the rest of the way this year, that's what he's doing.

If you look at Portal, NIL, he is not afraid to kind of push for change around here in ways that I think this place needs it. and he does it in a wonderful way where he's made literally zero enemies in two years. He just gets it on all levels. And just little things like deciding to ride with Marcel as your starter, you know, to not muddy up that room when you had Connor and Marcel and say, okay, we're going to go with this when there's so much out there in NIL, deciding to hire Colin Klein over Denbrock and the LSU fans didn't believe me at the time.

now they realize Denbrock was trying to sprint away from Brian Kelly. And he chose Colin Klein. And last year at the beginning, people go, oh, no, and now they're realizing that was a tremendous hire. And the goal will be obviously to try to hang on to him because he's such a hot commodity. And Ari, you touched on in a minute ago, I just wanted to say, bringing back in those, that depth of that third to six round pick type guy, Mike Elko did a lot in terms of NIL of committing to keeping that group. In other words, don't go pro.

Don't go pro early, Cassatel. Don't go pro Willey. Don't go pro-Lavion. Hey, Tray Zune, come back. You can play some center and tackle. Demetrius Crown over. It's too early for you to go. Let's get you in.

And he loaded up on bringing back guys like that. those veterans that a lot of times around college football especially at A&M were going pro to be a fifth round pick or something and to bring all those guys back that's the nucleus in the heart of this team and I don't think it was the most exciting thing to talk about. I think Noah Thomas leaving

for Georgia got the attention of the A&M fans in some ways more than the guys coming back and he had a plan the whole time and it was the right one. I have to ask this, Billy, because it wouldn't be an A&M segment without talking about your friends in Austin. This is a different year where a lot of firsts could come about. Try to contextualize for us and our audience how important it is that A&M wins that game this year. Well, a lot of it depends, right?

You're probably, hopefully, you know, beat Sellers in South Carolina, and I think they will, but I think that's a tricky one, bi-week, new coordinator, Sellers, Stewart, Harbor. I mean, you know, you got to win it. But I think, you know, they should win that game at home if they do. To beat Texas and, A, not let them ruin your, look, and if that's the case, they have a chance to ruin your perfect season

and a chance to keep you out of Atlanta. The Aggies would have gone to Atlanta at 9 and 3 last year. They will probably not go at 11 and 1 this year. They probably wouldn't go, barring some upsets, right? So there's that. Then there's the fact of if Texas beats Georgia and A&M win gets them in the playoffs, if they don't beat Georgia, they'll have hope at 9 and 3. We could get all the way into that for a damn hour.

I know you guys spend a lot of time talking about it. And then it's just the fact that this is like last year, guys. Like everybody's talking about Texas as a playoff team and are they, back, and I'm just sitting here going, did you watch the Vandy defense against Auburn this week? Like, I don't want to go too far. I'm not want to negate what Texas has done, because winning four games in a row in the SEC is hard, and they'll use a quality team. But Kentucky and overtime, they were a personal foul away from getting run out of Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville. They likely would have gone down 24 there with a few minutes left. And then the Vandy

thing. I'm just watching Vandy's defense against Auburn this weekend. I'm going, Texas, you know, just show us that you're back as a contender in Athens this weekend, and we can believe you. And it would be fair. It would be like, okay. And so to me, I'm not jumping on board because Texas could easily be Texas eight and four themselves this year, right?

I mean, they got them win a top five. You've been waiting so long to say that. I have. And they could also be a three-year-in-row playoff team. I acknowledge that. Like, they're a wild card for sure. But I'm just not buying all the way in based on what I've seen on the field from them against Kentucky, Mississippi State.

And they have to have that win no matter who they are, though. I agree. Well, especially, Ari, like, golly, man. Like, if it's going to be to preserve your first undefeated. regular season since, what is it, 92, if you're going to roll in there, and there's a lot at stake for A&M in addition to, like you said, the pride thing. And it reminds me of last year, if Texas loses to Georgia, if it will remind me so much of last year's meeting where you have one team cruising into this postseason with a top three, if not number two ranking. And the other

one that you'd acknowledge, man, they're dangerous. And you've got, you have to go to their house. And what did Texas do? They came in here and, you know, kept A&M out of the end zone and won that game 17-7, built a 17-0 lead and silence Kyle. Like A&M has to go down there and return the favor if, you know, if possible. And yeah, it's a massive game, though, for a lot of reasons. And I'm telling you, that's why this two-verse-three thing I do think matters. And everybody, a lot of people don't think it matters in the fan base. And I'm like, no, A&M should really move up to number two, because if they do lose a game, you'd want at least a chance to creep back into that four spot.

And you have a lot better chance of doing that if you were to lose at number two. But the odds are, if you don't beat Texas, you're probably, you know, you're falling out of not only the SEC title game, but probably out of having a playoff buy. So it's an important game on so many fronts. But like you said, just the bragging rights, the pride thing, and really looking forward. Just A&M possessing something. Can't A&M have anything? Right?

So I would say, like, let them have something one year. Because they're not going to let you. You got to go take it. You got to take it from them and then say, hey, not only did we just beat you, but we're in a better position than y'all were. year ago. We were undefeated and we're going to go try to actually win the SEC, which you guys didn't do. And we damn sure want to do that before y'all because that would be a whole other issue. So yeah, there's a lot, not to mention my Twitter livelihood. Like I need it. I need it. We need

it. But no, I think it's going to be a really big game because I think regardless, Texas is going to be clinging to postseason hopes. Here's a question for you, Ari. We talk about these, or I got two things. Number one, the Heisman race, no one's talking about Marcel, and I'm not going to bang a drum that, hey, you have to be doing that right now. I'm just going to say an interesting thing to watch. Sayan, Jeremiah Smith, Mendoza, Ty Simpson,

and then maybe Reed, maybe Gunner Stockton. Like, of those six guys, five of them are going to be playing almost certainly championship weekend, right? It's going to be really interesting because one guy has a chance to make, I think, the loudest statement.

When Sayans on a team with four or five of the top ten players in college football, I'm not buying this thing that they have all five of them. With, you know, If Mendoza goes and beats Ohio State, then, man, he's going to be tough to beat, right? But if Ohio State wins that game and A&M and Marcel Reed, and this is the opportunity that Reed has that I don't, if he goes back to back weeks and beats Texas in Austin with the whole country watching on a Friday night, especially if Texas has a lot to play for, and if he goes into Atlanta and out duels Ty Simpson and beats Alabama and has like one of the, he'd have to have one of those games, right? So I think it's possible.

If he goes back to back, Texas and Bama with the whole world watching, and then you throw in, oh, by the way, this guy beat Notre Dame on the last second play, I think there's a chance for a steal. And there's a chance for a lot of guys to kind of steal it, but I think it's going to be one that Saturday, but it's just something to kind of file away. Well, let me just jump in on that. Marcel Reed is currently the fourth highest favorite in the Heisman race. And I think that a lot of people reacted to Mendoza's final minute touchdown pass on Saturday as a Heisman moment.

And I think it was. But the thing that we always have to acknowledge about this award is, and I think you just stated it perfectly, this is a award that can be stolen at the end of the year. And I think that who wins the award, trying to pick that now, is based on who you think, is going to have the moments in those Saturdays leading up to championship weekend and in championship weekend. So I think that Marcel Reed, even if you believe that he hasn't gotten the hype that he deserves, the kid has plenty of opportunity to steal it in my head. It's like Derek Henry in 2015. We weren't really talking about Derek Henry as the

Heisman winner at this point in 2015. It was the Auburn game in the SEC championship game that cemented it for him. And I think I think you're right, Billy, with all, with potential it might be it might even be the top four guys all maybe playing championship Saturday and it just comes down to who has the best day. Andy and I disagree on this portion of it with the voting and I drive it. It's an annual tradition. I drive them nuts every year when I say it. But I think that the Heisman is also like what story did you tell? Like if you do something for A&M that A&M has never accomplished and you do it at a place that everybody just says is going to finish eight and four.

like that moves me as a voter. I agree with that. And I also, look, like Mendoza just had his Heisman moment against a Penn State team that's probably not, I don't look at their schedule, but maybe they'll go to a ball. Maybe they won't. When he played not great the whole game until the very end, Marcel's Heisman moment came on the road against a top 10 team where he threw a touchdown pass kind of like Mendoza, fourth and 11, 13 seconds left.

left, and he had 400 yards of offense in that game against a team that's still in the top 10, and whether Ari likes it or not, probably going to the playoffs. So, but it happened in mid-September. So that leads me to what I wanted to ask you, Ari and Andy, like, here's a hypothetical, has nothing to do with A&M, but maybe it does because I saw that little one of those brackets, that Tech versus Texas in the winter playing A&M, which would cause this state, I think, to just, and but it doesn't really have to do with so let's say i don't know what would have to happen but let's say that texas for sake of my sanity beat georgia lost to a and m and finished nine

and three with with wins over vandy oh u and georgia um their two losses would come to let's say a nm beats texas they move up to number two right their losses would come against two of their three against the number one and number two team in the country. Okay. And then let's say this. And let's say it comes down to a spot where BYU or Cincinnati, whoever, beats Texas Tech in a big 12 title game. And Texas Tech is 11 and 2.

But look where they're ranked right now. And remember, they won't have, they won't lose again until December 6th or 7th, whatever it is. And there's one spot left who gets it or who should get it. Or who should get it? Who should get that? Texas will get it. You think they should?

I don't know. I think they'll do the who'd win on the neutral field between Texas and Texas Tech. Because I think they're voting like that this year. The SEC and the Big Ten said, use these predictive power rankings. Okay. That's why Notre Dame is where they are right now. I think it's why. And the thing is, I think that may favor Texas Tech.

Well, Andy, I think that, like, these metrics are all. all in place to favor the SEC. So, like, I feel, but in this weird case, because Texas Tech is super talented and dominant defensively, like, they're very highly ranked in these rankings. I just think that you need to transport your brain to where Texas will go if they beat George on Saturday. Yeah, that's probably true. Like, that's probably true.

That would do. You're right about that. Here's my thing with it. I watch tech, and I don't want, I've actually been a big fan of Joey McGuire since he was at Cedar Hill. You know, he was so helpful. with my young recruiting guys. Great dude.

Anybody that knows him knows that. I think it's cool what tech's doing. I do think people should not be scared to point out their schedule and that their two best wins of the year, no matter what. Maybe all three of them are going to come against Utah and BYU in some form or fashion and nothing else of any meat or substance. And their loss came to a team that lost to Mississippi State. But no one will say that anytime. People are saying that, Billy.

Lots of people are saying that. The SEC is never going to lose a head-to-head battle where there's a one-game difference and top 10 wins to spare. It's just not going to happen. It wouldn't happen. Yeah, I tend to agree, but here's where take it away from the SEC and I'll bring it to the Big Ten.

I think the reason, and you know how much it pains me to say, but I think the reason Texas should go in that scenario would be the only reason we're even having the discussion is because Texas traveled up to the horseshoes. Because they scheduled Ohio State challenge themselves yeah yeah so that that was just that's where i think that one kind of going along in uh ari with your notre dame and that whole deal which by the way has been a lot of fun to watch in your face when it when it dropped like incredulous ari is great yeah over there just going

like this oh yeah here we go yeah the and wheels turn in and you can see you're exploding but i think and i were both on the same page with that one that was just a bizarre because it's like I hear you talking about A&M's resume and the reason why they should be number one, and then we're touting the Notre Dame win. And it's like, there's another team that beat Notre Dame too, guys. You know, not even on the same continent right now. So, yeah, that's a topic for another day. But I do think that A&M actually, you know, I watched them play Notre Dame,

and I felt like in that moment that the way that A&M won that game would have been a way that A&M would have lost in past years. For sure. Like, you know, I felt like they took an extra opportunity on a bobbled extra point hold. And something that they might have done in the past. And then not only did that, went all the way down the field and then won a game. And, you know, this is probably going to make your head explode and a lot of your, but, like, also got away with a pretty blatant hold at the end to win.

Yeah, like, I'm good with that. Like, people act like, not you, but like around the country. They're like, well, and I'm going. Man, I watched A&M play seven straight SEC games last year without one hold being called on the opponent. So, like, I think they were just saying, chill out, guys, we got. Yeah, and it doesn't matter whether they won or lost the game because of the hold. That's not the point. I'm just saying they got the break.

Like, and when your team starts getting the breaks, yeah. Like, I feel like A&M has definitely done enough in their history and their program to, like, earn that break. You know, like, and so if that's happening this year, I actually believe that this is a team that can make a deep playoff run. I'm hoping for you and that fan base, you know, being married to one, too. I've got a pretty front-low seat to the plight of the Aggies. And I'm kind of all for, like, I'm like a communist college football personality. I like want everybody to have their moment. And I think that A&M should have their moment.

You want to go back to show champions, don't you? Oh, yeah. You can hand Art Riles the trophy and he can yell at you because he knows you handed it to somebody else earlier in the day. The part of that story you just told R2 that's so interesting is I'm sitting down there on the sideline of that Notre Dame game and don't forget the Aggies, Terry Bussie ran a kickback like 100 yards to give them that lead right after that bottled snap and it got called back. Now, I'm not saying it wasn't a hold. It's fine. They could have called it. They could not have.

But in some weird way, you know, even when he returned it, I was like, God, now we got to get a stop. Like, I think the offense would have gone down and scored, but I didn't know. So let's go ahead and take it. But now we got to stop car and love and all of the, you know, so even in when you talk about catching breaks, even that one, the way it worked out at the time, it felt like, oh, my God, are they really going to do this? They just, this is one of the most exciting plays ever. There's like, no, hold on. We got a more exciting one coming like three minutes. It's like it's been a season that you would expect from A&M.

Yeah. But go ahead, Andy. I say it has been a season of exciting plays for Texas A&M. Now they've got to put a few more together. Got to beat South Carolina this weekend. Got to beat Sanford, which would set up that game against Texas. It's going to be a lot of fun. It's going to be a magical ride.

Billy Lucci, thank you. much for joining us all right i'll see you tomorrow we'll go do some shopping yeah yeah give me a call when you're down here yeah all right see you thank you to billy lucci from tech sags you want to go to the texanum south carolina game tickets are on game time if you want to go to the notre dame pit game tickets are on game time you get a really good deal on notre dame pit tickets this week and 130 bucks gets you 50 yard line seats a little bit higher but not terrible way, way, way down from what you'd expect for a game of this magnitude. And if you want to go to the 300s, you can get 50-yard-line seats just a few rows up.

Lots of good seats available on game time for that game. Also, plenty of good seats available for Georgia, Texas, which is where we're going to be in Athens, Georgia, Texas coming to visit Sanford Stadium for the first time. You can get in their high 200s, low 300s. Remember, on game time, the price you see is the price you pay. There's not a bunch of hidden fees at the checkout. Also, when you check out, remember being the code Staples for $20 off your first purchase, terms apply, of course, $20 off your first purchase with the code Staples.

That's STAP, L-E-S. So go to GameTime, find your event, find your ticket. You'll see exactly what you're using it'll look like in the stadium. Use that code Staples, get your $20 off, terms apply, of course, and swipe, tap, ticket, go with game time. Ari, somebody who's not going to the Arkansas LSU game, at least we don't think, is Brian Kelly. Now, I know what you're thinking. You guys told us Brian Kelly got fired. He did.

So why are we talking about Brian Kelly didn't actually get terminated by LSU? Well, that is what a lawsuit by Brian Kelly against LSU alleges. And what Brian Kelly is hoping is that a judge will say that LSU just owes him his buyout. The lawsuit point basically lays out, and I'm going to point out that we have not heard LSU's response to this lawsuit yet, Ari. So take all this with a grain of salt because this is coming from Brian Kelly's attorneys, ESPN, Dan Wetzel, got a copy of the lawsuit reported on it on Monday night. So basically, the lawsuit alleges that LSU now wants to fire Brian Kelly for cause, which means they don't want to pay his buyout. So they're going to say there's a reason he violated his contract. he's getting fired for that.

But Ari, correct me if I'm wrong. Didn't it sure seem like Scott Woodward, the AD at the time, fired him for losing right before Scott Woodward got fired? That's the operating impression that I was going under. I don't know about you. It does, like, I think that like as you get older, people reference sitcoms that like were aired in the 90s, that like younger generations like never watched. But like, is this not that George Costanza shows up to work on Monday after?

quitting episode like just pretend nothing's wrong if i'm brian kelly if this is really true and again i will point out you can write whatever you want in a legal filing i would like to hear lsu's response to this but if i'm brian kelly i show up to the office today then if i've not been terminated that means i'm i'm coaching it like you show up to practice like hey let's get ready for Arkansas, boys. Yeah, I mean, I'm not a lawyer, and I don't know how this stuff works, and I'm assuming that LSU will prudently respond to this. But if he ever went to court later on, because LSU found a way to fire him for cause down the road after pulling whatever scam they think they're pulling, like, wouldn't it be like really hard to defend, like,

well, then why wasn't he on the sideline for the three weeks while you were looking all this up? Where was he at the Alabama game? Yeah, like, exactly. I don't, I don't really see how, LSU could win this now? Like, I don't know. Again, I'm going to point out again, this is Brian Kelly's lawsuit. So this is then his attorney's version of events. I would like to hear LSU's version of events.

Now, if LSU comes back and says, Scott Woodward, the AD that we fired, didn't actually have the authority to fire Brian Kelly, then it's game on. And they can argue about this in court. Now, I would argue that Scott Woodward did have the authority to fire Brian Kelly right up until the moment Scott Woodward was fired, which was several days after he fired Ryan Kelly.

Yeah. And if LSU was trying to scheme up a way to figure out how to fire him for cause to skirt buyout exposure, then wouldn't they do so while keeping him employed to avoid something like this? Like that to me is like there was no rush to fire him anyway. It's not like they needed to fire him in that moment, I think they did that eyes wide open with the understanding that they were going to be, you know, exposed to that. So if they were going to, I have a potential theory. Can I give you my theory? I'd love to hear it. That Scott Woodward, who is a career political operator, came up as a lobbyist, you know, very, very plugged in politically, happened to get on the wrong side of the wrong politician this time, which is the sitting governor of Louisiana.

I wonder if Scott Woodward realized the winds were starting to blow against him and was like, oh, I'm going to fire Brian Kelly now so I can save myself. And then fired him and was like, see, I fired him. I'm on your side, guys. And they're like, no, no, no, no, no. You got us into this mess, buddy. Yeah. You're also fired.

And it sounds like to me that the governor's number one gripe is the amount of money that would be owed, dead money would be owed after firing him, which would make, that would perfectly illustrate the reason why they're angry, which is why would you do this? Like, you fired him, and now we owe him all this money, and you're an idiot for giving him a fully guaranteed contract when he didn't accomplish anything. Like, there was no getting out of it for Woodward. Yes. Yes, but that's an interesting theory, too.

By the way, this brings up a column I have out at On Three right now, if you want to read it, we've published it on Monday. I talked to some agents about what you could do going forward to offer contracts to coaches. The coaches would actually sign. This is not like, just don't pay them that much. That's not a solution. That won't actually work when you're negotiating with people who actually have leverage. So just don't pay them that much won't work.

The schools should collude to pay them less. Won't work because that'll get them sued. Just don't give them a buyout won't work. Because you have to, if you're going to reduce the buyout, you have to give them something else on top of it. That's how negotiations work. So I got a couple ideas. One, I've mentioned a few times. And this is, we've got a loyal listener who represents actors in Hollywood, who we talked about this years ago.

He explained to me how they had to change the way they paid actors because they would do these deals and you would assume back in money. Like if you did a movie deal, you'd assume, oh, this movie's going to run on TBS a billion times and that's just mailbox money. Or you do a TV show, this is getting sold into something. indication so that's huge money down the road well now if you do a deal with netflix or hbo max or somebody like that they just they pay you to make the show and then they own the show forever there's no back-in money and so what they had to do was they had to start getting more up front so the total deal would probably be fairly similar but it would be paid mostly up front and so this person who is a very – it's a show a lot.

So as an avid college football fan, said with the coach's contracts, the way you would do this is you'd have to give them what seems like an obscene annual salary because that's the only way they'd say yes. But you then reduce the term and you get – you fully guarantee it, but it's just over. It just ends and you don't have dead money. And so I use the example of Billy Napier at Florida. Florida gave Billy Napier a seven-year contract.

started at $7.1 million a year, escalated after that. I think the total payout on Billy Napier's contract had he fulfilled it was like $53 million. When they finished paying his buyout in 2029, yeah, 20209, he will have made about $47 million from Florida. And so using this model, you would go, okay, we will give you $10 million a year. which is $3 million more than they gave him at the outset, $10 million a year for three years fully guaranteed. In his situation as the coach at Louisiana Lafayette,

he was not going to say no to that. Jimmy Sexton, his agent, would have known what was going on, but also would have had a difficult time talking his client out of saying yes to that. And then if you did that, you get to the end of year three, and you have to decide, are we going to extend him or not? and the answer would be, no, they're not going to extend him. You would have paid him $30 million. He'd be done, and that would be the end of it.

Yeah. And so. Now the question I have for that, though, is if you're trying to make a hiring of somebody who is not at Louisiana, Lafayette. Okay. Well, you have to go up in price. Right. The other part with this, the reason you can do this now

where you probably couldn't do this 10 years ago is it used to be you had to have four or five years left on your contractor. You couldn't recruit. Other schools would use it against you. The coach's agent would come in and say, you're kneecapping my guy. It doesn't work that way anymore because the players aren't going, expecting to spend four years at the school. And the players all have agents. And the agents know the coaches aren't going to be there four or five years in most cases. And also the players and their parents aren't stupid. So they know that the coaches aren't going to be there four or five years in most cases. So you can do a three-year deal now whereas you couldn't before or you can have a coach working on an expiring deal

whereas you couldn't before it's a lot more similar to the NFL but let me ask you that's head coaches what's that you i want you to give me agent lessons right now but i'm gonna i'm gonna poke poke at it a little bit go for it yeah yeah let's say you do that with billy napier and then billy napier exceeds all expectations that you could have possibly had for him during that term does it mean you give him another deal I know, but does it make it easier for him to leave? Well, sure, but if you're going to pay him, okay, so we're, we've, we've hired Billy Napier to a three year, $30 million guaranteed deal, $10 million a year.

Yeah. He has two great first years. Then we're going to give him a five year deal at $13 million a year, fully guaranteed. Okay. He's already had two great years. Yeah. So now we're on the hook for a lot of. of money but but he's already got proof of concept so we're probably at the very worst going to get

three or four more good years out of it yes and i think that this is all really smart and like i'm with you on it but i wonder an application if we need to transport ourselves to where programs typically are when they are making hires which is not even considering that it's not going to work nobody goes into and that's the problem because jimmy sexton and trace armstrong and clint dattle that the guys they're negotiating against are considering that it's not going to work they're not telling their clients that but that's the only thing they are considering what is the largest guaranteed number i can get my client because that's my job right and they're so gung-ho all the time i mean think about what lane kiffin's going to be earning now lane kiffin is is a unicorn

here because none of this applies to lane kiffin he can dictate the terms to whoever wants to hire him, whether that's Ole Miss keeping him or Florida trying to hire him or else you're trying to hire him. He's in the position where he has all the leverage can completely dictate the terms. And I think- Most people aren't like that. I think that this would work most cases when the coach that is being hired isn't in that position or doesn't have all the leverage. Like Bill and Napier coming out of Louisiana, you know, coming out of the Sunbelt, doesn't have a lot of leverage to be like, that's not working for me. Even if you're hiring someone from an ACC school or a down,

what you might consider a down the chain SEC or Big Ten school. Well, let's use Mike Elko, for example. Mike Elko now, no. Michael now has all. Mike Elko leaving Duke. Yes, correct. Bingo. Yep.

And so here's the other potential method of contract. And this comes from an agent who represents coaches. and this person said they would actually consider letting their client sign this. And it's interesting because the example they gave me was LSU because I think LSU would just open where we're talking about it. And so here's what they propose. Five million a year for five years, 100% guaranteed. That is the base salary.

That's the only guarantee. So you've guaranteed $25 million total. Per win bonus of $500,000. Now, I added this and then ran it by the person, and they said, this sounds good. For the SEC championship game, you get a million dollars to make it and lose. You get $2 million if you win it. College football playoff, you get $2 million for making it, $500,000 for each additional round reached, and $100 million in addition if you win the national title.

So essentially, if this coach, this hypothetical coach who goes to LSU, if they went 15 and 1, and won the SEC and national titles that season they would make $19 million and they'd be worth every penny

but if they went 8 and 4 they would make $9 million how much do you get if you win the national title again?

$19 million now what's the national title bonus though in your contract $1 million but you've already made $2 million

for making the playoff you said 100 I think and I like had exploded no no no no I might have missed for you or you might have

said it, but I thought you said a hundred million. I'm reading it off my story. One million. No, no, not a hundred million. No. But yeah, the coach would make $19 million in that, in that particular instance, which would be worth it. I think I would stagger it a little bit differently. Because like, you can't just make twice more for winning the national title as you do beating a non-conference opponent, right? Like maybe you would do. Well, no, no, but remember, that's part of the whole playoff bonus structure. You're making about five million dollars from your playoff, right? Yeah.

Winning the national title should have a little pop on the end because then it doesn't matter. Hey, listen, we're pie in the sky here. Yeah, yeah. Let's make the national title bonus five million dollars. I don't know if the cat's out of the bag, but I think every single athletics contract in the world should be incentive based. I agree. I think every player contract should be in the NFL and pro sports. I think every coaching should.

And then I think that that keeps people locked in in a good faith. The agents don't agree. Rightfully so, because they're worried their clients won't meet those incentives. But this is one where if you make the incentives juicy enough, someone will probably say yes. Someone you actually want might say yes. I personally think that incentives, whether you be a coach or a regular person, is a nice little reason to have a little extra pepping your step in the morning when you go to work. I would agree.

Because let's look at Jimbo Fisher and Brian Kelly. Their contracts, I'm not saying, I'm not accusing them of anything, but their contracts at Texas A&M and LSU respectively encouraged laziness. I know. There was no positive incentive that they were getting paid the same no matter what happened. And I think that like the truth is that coaches for the most part try because it's in their DNA to want to win and they're competitive. I don't think you become the head coach of Texas A&M without. being competitive.

So I don't know that people ever slack off, but I do wonder if the foot to the fire, fear of being firing makes you stay up an extra hour on a Wednesday night or makes you make that extra recruiting call or whatever, because if you live in fear of being fired, you're clearly going to be more attentive to the daily tasks that need to be done because you go to bed every night fearing unemployment. Or if you do a great job and you can make $5 million more than you would have made. that's all i i find positive incentives work more work better than negative incentives it that's why now as the parent of teenagers that's what i'm learning yeah positive incentives seem to motivate better

than negative ones i agree i mean i think back at my time at the athletic i had certain incentives when i first started there it was a startup company and you know it every single time we sold a subscription or every single time we did something successful as a unit it felt better because we were incentivize to do so contractually like i and it made me want to write better stories it made me want and i always want to write good stories i always want to do good shows but having a little extra umph in it is always a nice motivating factor i mean i don't know it's everybody wants to lift weights to be healthy but when you get nice muscles that makes you want to do the extra rep i mean it's not rocket science you know um i'm with you i'm with you yeah and every coach goes into every job thinking

they're going to be successful anyway. So telling them if and when you hit these goals, you'll get an X number of dollars in their minds. No one's signing the contract going, I'm going to suck here. Like, everybody signs their contract thinking they're going to be awesome. Yeah. And everybody who gets fired thinks it's someone else's fault.

Yep. While we're on the subject to motivation, Ari, let's talk about something a coach said ahead of a game this week. This is a good segue. Did you plan this, Andy? Not the kind of motivation. I think he thought he'd be giving his players this week. It's one of those things that is 100% true,

but maybe you should never let it leave your lips. Absolutely not. You know, it is not an ACC game. I'm glad you brought that up. It's not an ACC game. You know, I gladly get beat 103 or 110 to 10 in that game. They can put 100 up on us as long as we win the next two after that. But again, our focus is on Notre Dame and getting as many wins as we can.

okay he said the right thing at the end there but you can't say that that was the best part that was the best part it doesn't matter no one cares but we're focused on them though and yes it's it's going to be a tough game there's a reason notre dame's a double digit favorite in this game even on the road but yeah Pittsburgh by the way is not coming into this game as some sort of poor shrinking desert flower Pittsburgh's won five in a row since they switched to Mason Heinzschele quarterback, they've played really well. Their average margin of victory

in those five games are is 19 points. So this is a team that is as hot as anybody in the country. I don't want to hear my coach saying that he doesn't care if we get beat by 100 this week. I just don't want to hear that. It's like telling your wife that quality of intimacy doesn't matter unless you're trying to make a baby.

Would you say that? I don't think the man's ever said that once. it's like yeah maybe the other direction that conversation goes but yeah yeah i'm just saying like it's just so bizarre because like you should be feeling really good about yourself and also there are other things and i can't believe i'm the one who has to say this that matter besides the playoff like if you're trying to build a program if you're trying to sustain success at a program beating notre dame in your home stadium should be almost even more important than an ACC game at this point.

Like, I understand the sentiment, and I understand that their only chance of getting into the CFP is if they win the ACC and nothing that occurs in Pittsburgh on Saturday can change that. Like, I understand that. But the message that should be sent, in my opinion, to your team, to your fans, to your staff, everybody who is listening to you is, we're good, we're getting a great top 10 team at home on the road, or, you know, at home, they're going to be on the road. let's go beat their ass and let's go show everybody that this isn't just we're going to try to

you know back door our way into the ACC title game we're going to go take it and we're going to take it in games that don't matter like and I don't know if like I'm being overly dramatic I just feel like Pat Narduzzi says like one insane thing every season well this is one of those things that this went viral on Monday afternoon there's no way every pit player on the roster didn't hear this or see this in some shape you know some form or fashion And you know what it makes me feel, honestly? If I were to it on Monday, if I would have taken pits and the points at home in our pick show, I would use my Mulligan on this shit.

Yeah. Because I don't know. Is that like a coach warning the fan base that they're going to get their ass kicked and trying to like pre-exuse like what I think is happening on? I'm glad you mentioned that because as I was listening to it again, that was the thought that the phrase managing expectations was was rumbling through my head. Now, I want to point out, by the way, Ari, that those, he mentions they got two ACC games after that. They might be the hardest ACC games you can have. Yeah. They play at Georgia Tech, and then they host Miami.

Like, that's tougher than anybody has left in ACC play. And maybe you could make the case that Pitt is in this position because their schedule was so backloaded. And Florida State obviously didn't turn out to be what we thought they would be. But, you know, you still have a lot in front of you. And I think that the vibes heading into those two tough games will largely be taken into account with what happens on Saturday. You don't think that your team is going to be more fired up or more willing to believe in its ability to win the ACC by being competitive and maybe beating Notre Dame. Now, can I can offer an alternative theory? Please, give me anything to try to make this shit make sense.

I'm trying here. This is the best I can do. You ready? You ready? He wanted the Notre Dame players to see it and be like, oh, they're going to lay down for us. Oh, yeah, that's what happened. They're waiting to play Georgia Tech next week. You know what he should do?

And so the Notre Dame players are like, oh, we got it this week. You should bench his entire starting lineup and just like preserve them for the stretch run of the ACC. It doesn't matter. Don't even put your team out there. Just put your walk-ons out there. And then let them actually lose 110 to nothing as long as you win your last two. you know you talked about it in the terms of marriage dynamics you tried that an analogy in the term of marriage dynamics i think it's one of those it's more like this and i'm not going to assign this to to the husband or the wife this is this could go either way

one partner in the marriage has put on a considerable amount of weight last that's never happened in my marriage no everybody knows it it's the truth but if you bring it up whichever one of you didn't do it if you bring it up

and you're like hey you're getting kind of tubby it's not going to go well it's not going to land and it doesn't matter if it's true or not it's not going to land I really really it was 100% true and it didn't land I really appreciate you trying to make that like a gender neutral scenario I think you go both ways I am well that the man is certainly not is oh you can never say that ever ever ever tell you a quick story river story well not before before you go I do want to point out that the only time it happened in my marriage is me gaining away so yeah no I think I think that I would categorically push back with all of my might

saying that women cannot say that to their husbands I think they do quite frequently now one time I was laying on the couch minding my own business and this was like in the middle of the weight loss journey okay because I've like lost a hundred pounds I still get called fat all the time

but like I am much smaller than I was a year ago but I was laying on the couch watching Monday night football my wife came home and as you guys know if you listen to the show I'm a tarp off at home guy so I always have my shirt off whether I'm 500 pounds or 180 or whatever I'm always going to have no shirt on and she walked in and I was just laying there minding my own business watching a football game with my shirt off

and she comes up to me and she goes Ari I just want to let you know that like I'm really proud of you like for taking you know the bull by the horn to you're losing this weight and doing and then she walked up to me and she took her hand her left hand and her right hand and she put her left hand on my throat and her right hand right at my waist. And she goes, but you need to work on this area right here, which was my entire torso. Did you imagine if I did that to her or you did that? Not so much here, but here. This is your problem area, right here. It's like, why did just go to my feet? You literally just took my entire torso and just said, this is a problem. problem for me. Yeah. No, if you had said something in a similar vein, not that she's ever given

you a reason to say that. But if you had, you'd be giving her half your salary for the rest of your life. Yeah. She's 103 pounds soaking wet. So I don't think we're ever going to have to worry about that. But I do think it is funny in the marriage dynamics of like, you know, there are certain things that may be true. And there are certain things that, you know, you think you shouldn't always say him patner because he like let's be honest it's a very long way of saying that but yes don't just because it's true doesn't mean it has to leave your lips with the camera rolling it didn't just leave his lips it left it at a press conference with everybody watching like he didn't even say it internally he said it to everyone which i do think if you did take the points

this week and you've put that bet in already, I would maybe bet out of that. I think Notre Dame is going to kick their ass because of that. And I don't think. And I don't think it's only because he's telling us they're going to. I think that if they had a mental edge at all, if you're a player in the locker room, you might eat that extra donut.

You might end your workout early. You might not get that extra rep in the weight room because guess what, guys, this game doesn't matter. One more time. And just imagine a coach sending his team out now after saying this. Like this is a must win for this team when it comes to something? Absolutely not. You know, it is not an ACC game.

I'm glad you brought that up. It's not an ACC game. You know, I gladly get beat 103 or 110 to 10 in that game. They can put 100 up on us as long as we win the next two after that. But again, our focus is on Notre Dame and get as many wins as we can. Go get them boys! Even if he would have said it's not a must win for our playoff aspirations. We are certainly locked in on trying to win the ACC and doing everything

that we can to get into the playoff. But in terms of how we feel about our program and our kids and what we're building here, this is an absolutely massive game for us. And we want to win this game just as bad as any of the other ones. Game day is coming for this. What if game day just packed it up and says we're going to go to a game that matters? Never mind. We're going to go to one that matters. You're right. This was a mistake. We'll see in Athens, Georgia. And we'll see you in Athens, Georgia, because that's where we'll be. Yeah. But we're going to watch this game anyway.

Even if Pat Narduzzi's not that excited about it, we are. We'll talk to you guys at 7 p.m. Eastern Time as they reveal the rankings, even if you're shut up by YouTube TV and you can't watch, come see us. Oh, and by the way, if you are a YouTube TV subscriber, I just got the email for my $20 credit. Hey. Oh, yeah. Yeah. just giving it to me. I have to fill out some forms. By the way, it shouldn't just be a

$20 credit. You should be crediting my entire bill for the time that you've not had it because the only reason I subscribe is for sports. It's a real scumbag move that they're making you take a step and they're not just automatically doing it. So if you do have a YouTube TV account and you have not canceled it with the hopes of them unlocking this freeze, there are emails that you have to look out for to the account, the email used for your account. They send you an email notifying you that you need to take action. And there's an email afterward that makes you opt into the discount or the credit as if that's not something they could have just done automatically. Right.

And I just got mine early Tuesday afternoon. So look in your email box. Yeah, I did it today. You go in and just click a link that says I want the credit, which is, again, a completely unreasonable and crazy step. But we just want you to know that we are the friends of the people. We know how much college football matters to you. And I just want you to know that for a better. better business bureau standpoint that might be worth a complaint make sure you claim your credit

because you're entitled to both parties that are at war in this suck you the consumer who's paying the money you're the victim here go get your 20 bucks suck go get it don't forget and if you can't watch it just watch us at 7 p.m. Easter time Tuesday night Hey,