Andy & Ari On3 - The Cowboys need a coach. Deion Sanders is a coach. CLICK CLICK CLICK | How wrong was Andy in 2024?

Episode Date: January 14, 2025

You’ve had Wendy’s Nuggs dipped in sauce. But have you had them covered in sauce? Wendy’s New Saucy Nuggs take the Crispy and Spicy Nuggs you love and turn them up to 11. Choose between flavors like Buffalo. Honey BBQ. Garlic Parm. Or, if you’re a real heat seeker, try Spicy Ghost Pepper, only on Wendy’s signature Spicy Nuggs. State and Liberty makes modern athletic fit clothing for men who want to look great and be comfortable at the same time. Whether you’re looking for an athletic fit suit or your new favorite hoodie, State and Liberty has what you need. New customers get 10 percent off when they use the code STAPLES, or you can visit this link: https://tidd.ly/3BY2Amh   Axia Time is the offical timepiece for both the College Football Playoff and the Heisman trophy and probably the best kept secret in college football. Their timepieces are heirloom quality and among the coolest designs in the college space. Axia Time has created a series of limited-edition timepieces for all 12 teams in the college football playoff.  each design is limited to only 100 pieces. Check out your team’s CFP designs at axiatime.com, but you better act fast because they will sell out. Use the code ARI&ANDY to get 10 percent off a CFP commemorative timepiece. This show is also sponsored by PrizePicks, America’s most fun daily fantasy game. Use the code STAPLES to play $5 and get $50 instantly.https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/STAPLES(0:00-1:51) Intro(1:52-22:20) Could Deion Sanders be the next head coach for the Dallas Cowboys?(22:21-24:52) State & Liberty(24:53-30:35) Will Howard vs Riley Leonard(30:36-33:56) Riley Leonard vs Ohio State, Presented by PrizePicks(33:57-38:27) Penn State Running backs returning(38:28-39:31) AxiaTime.Com(39:32-48:41) Did the expanded playoff hinder rivalries?(48:42-53:37) Mario Cristobal explains the Pop-Tarts Bowl(53:38-57:13) Andy & Ari on David Ubben(57:14-1:16:31) Looking back at pre-season predictions(1:16:32-1:19:26) Conclusion; Toledo Kicker announcement The Cowboys fired Mike McCarthy and of course Deion Sanders’ name has been thrown around for the opening. Should Colorado be worried? If Coach Prime got an NFL job, would it even be possible for him to wind up with the team that lands his son Shedeur? Or is this all a plot to drive YouTube numbers (for shows like ours; Coach Prime’s numbers are great as-is) and give the morning debate shows something to talk about?   Miami coach Mario Cristobal finally explained the second half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Monday. Had he said in his postgame press conference what he said Monday, it probably would have kept Cam Ward’s name from getting dragged for two weeks by people who don’t understand how football works.   Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are returning to Penn State, which is going to run for a lot of yards next season.   Finally, we revisit Andy’s 2024 season predictions from July to see just how badly he missed. Ari wasn’t working at On3 yet, so he’ll be spared this time. But all his 2025 predictions will be catalogued.   Watch us on YouTube instead! https://youtube.com/live/z9eLjhvyUO8 Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari Wasserman Producer: River Bailey

Welcome to Annie and Ariane 3. It's a happy, happy day for everybody, but me, because we're going to talk about how wrong I was about the 2024 season later in the show. We're going to go back over my bold predictions that I put out in July Ari. And you're lucky you didn't work here at that point. So we don't have yours to reference, but I have one bonus one. I have one bonus one. I have one bonus one. Okay, I want to read discuss the expanded playoff now that it's over for a minute.

Okay, we can definitely do that because that was that that feeds into one of the ones I had and we can because I actually think Andy that there were takes about the playoff while it was happening that are wrong. It's not even just like takes season or when the change made, everyone knows where I stood when the change was made, but like there were a lot of people saying a lot of things about the first round that I think are just. Platently and patently false.

So I think that like, if we want to get to it, then we'll get to it. Well, I was one of the people who made all the same joke this weekend when the NFL had, they had six games and five of them were fairly lopsided and fairly boring. So, yeah, we all made that joke. It's not about the SEC stuff. I just mean like from a did it work standpoint, like the system. No, I'm not talking about, I'm sorry, that wasn't the SEC stuff. That's the blowout stuff.

So. But the blowout stuff was the SEC stuff. It's the blowout stuff. But the blowout stuff was the SEC stuff, it's the same thing, those are the same thing. I guess, I guess, I don't know. But we will talk about that because I had multiple, I had 10 predictions, we think I went 60%, you guys can be the judge of that. I was way wrong on a few.

So we'll get into that. But first we have to talk about the gift from the YouTube slash content gods that fell from the sky this week. The Dallas Cowboys fired Mike McCarthy on Monday. Jerry Jones has already called Deion Sanders. Is Deion Sanders a candidate for the Cowboys? Deon has told Adam Schefter, I love Boulder, but that's what they all say. They all say they love. He didn't say I'm not leaving. He just said, I love it here. So we've got the whole like every cliche in the coaching search we have. And of course it's the Cowboys and Deon. Like Stephen A. Smith had to be so aroused this morning. Oh yeah, I mean, that'll carry them all week. And you know, we have to talk about it,

but I think we want to talk about it because I think it's important because there is a relevant program that exists right now as a result of Deion Sanders existence that will immediately go back to being irrelevant if he leaves, right? Like, and I think that is, if that is Deion Sanders working, then I'm with you, right? Like, we've had extensive discussions about Deion Sanders, whether he's been a prudent coach in terms of recruiting and what he's done.

I think that, like, as we sit here right now after two years of this, that the experiment didn't just pass from a interest standpoint, the experiment with Deion Sanders has passed from a football standpoint, right? Like where they were in year two, you know, a few days went away maybe from being in the college football playoff. Like you definitively have to give Deion Sanders his flowers for the work that he's done there. The thing that I... And the year, the year he had this year, like you don't have to have that year every year at Colorado. As long as you're doing that every few years,

they're gonna be happy campers. But I also think you saw how much Coach Prime learned year over year. Yeah. What he learned the first year versus what they were the second year. Now look, he had the best player in the country in Travis Hunter, and one of the best quarterbacks in the country and Sridhar Sanders. So he doesn't have

those guys anymore. It's a different world next year. But can I can I make a bold can offer a bold take? It's not it's not a Wendy's saucy take Wednesday, but I'm going to give you a bonus saucy take here. Let's not it's not a Wendy's saucy take Wednesday, but I'm going to give you a bonus saucy take here. Let's hear it. It's probably more wise to stay at Colorado than to go to the Cowboys. If you are offered the job because the Cowboys job is not going to work. Whoever the Cowboys hire is not going to work, not through the fault of the coach, but because

of the way everything's set up there. Colorado is set up for success in the future. Like if Deion continues to bring in talent at the rate he's bringing it in, and they coach them like they coached them last year, Colorado will break through in the Big 12. They will be one of the better teams in the Big 12 a lot of years.

through in the Big 12. They will be one of the better teams in the Big 12 a lot of years. The Cowboys are not set up for success. They overpaid to keep Dak Prescott and you're not going to get there with Dak Prescott. Most of their salary cap is tied up in Dak Prescott and CD Lamb. They're going to have to pay to keep Michael Parsons, who's the one guy they should have paid. I don't think the coach who Dallas hires is going to succeed. Because Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones have hamstrung them. So if I'm beyond, even if I was offered this job, and I don't know if he's going to be offered the job, this is an NFL coaching service. These things take weeks. I would stay at Colorado.

Well, there are two, two aspects of this, um, that I think are important because like, I am a fan of the NFL, but I don't, I don't know like the inner workings of the debt, the cat Dallas Cowboys outside of like what the cliches are, which is like Jerry Jones is an over-cont controlling person and he's a GM, but not necessarily very good at it. You saw Jerry Jones give the speech on Landman, where he basically says, the Cowboys are my family business. I let my kids run it. I know, but when you-

This is how I spend time with my kids. When you talk about Jerry Jones as a NFL fan, the number one thing that people will say is that he's not very good at being a Talk about Jerry Jones as a NFL fan. The number one thing that people will say is that he's not very good at being a GM, right? Or that there's a reason it's been 30 years since the, or what is it? 30 years since the 95s. When Jimmy Johnson was the one making the personnel decisions, they made really good ones like Fleecing the Vikings in the greatest trade of all

time, the Herschel Walker trade. But there are two aspects I think that are more pertinent to this show, which is one, do you think he would take it if we're offered? Right, do you think that that's what he wants? I don't know, I don't know. I mean, look, I would think most coaches would take it because you want to challenge yourself at the highest level. There's a lot, all the same competitive reasons.

So I think. There's a good chance he would. I just don't think he should. Um, because Dion Sanders has a really good thing going like I am like here's the thing with this. Like for me and you. You know, I think we have really great jobs, right? Like what a blessing it is that we get to do what we do. Yeah, Food Network calls. I'm out of here. Yeah, we know. I told everybody upfront. But at the same time too, like I look at the Colorado job and I say, well, he's

making millions of dollars. He's in a beautiful setting and he has all the things that he needs from a, from a competitive standpoint to put his team in the playoff and like for me and where I sit, staying at Colorado for 15 years and trying to build the biggest monster you possibly could make and become the greatest coach in Colorado history seems very attractive. But when you are somebody who is like Dion Sanders, who's been, who's been an achieved greatness, every single place he's ever been in his life, it always seems like, well, what if Florida State calls or what if Alabama calls or what if Auburn calls? Like it's always the next thing with him. And I don't know if that's him or if it's just what we do. But like, I get the sense that Deion

Sanders is trying to climb the coaching ladder to some degree. And I don't know if that's fair or not. is trying to climb the coaching ladder to some degree. And I don't know if that's fair or not. Well, I mean, he went from Jackson State to Colorado. So yeah, I think that makes sense. So like if Florida State called, is he just... By the way, there's nothing wrong with that. All the other coaches do that too. Nate in the chat with a good point.

Feels like a leverage move. Cowboys get beat in the headlines without playing. And Deon is going to use the leverage to get a raise at Colorado. Yeah, I don't even know that he needs a raise at Colorado, Feels like a leverage move. Cowboys get beat in the headlines without playing. And Deion is gonna use the leverage to get a raise at Colorado. Yeah, I don't even know that he needs a raise at Colorado, but sure, I mean, who wouldn't want more money? You know what Deion Sanders leverages at Colorado?

I'm gonna leave. Right, right. You might not have me, and you might not sell all these tickets. Yeah. But from the Jerry Jones point of view, Nate's exactly right. Like, Jerry Jones point of view, Nate's exactly right. Jerry Jones is a master at keeping the Cowboys in the conversation when they're not playing.

And think about this, your division rivals, the Eagles and the Commanders are playing this week in the playoffs. The Commanders just beat the Bucs, They upset them like they're still playing so If you can steal some of their thunder There you go Vance in the chat. We're about to see a team Led by either Jared Goff or Jalen hurts go to the Super Bowl again It ain't the QB that is the problem But it is Vance because in the NFL when you put that many resources into your QB

You can't have a good everything else when you put that many resources into your QB, you can't have a good everything else. The best the Cowboys have been in the Dak Prescott era, when Zeke was young and they had that incredible offensive line where Zach Martin was in his prime and they were just five wide great, that's when they were really good. They don't have the money to have that now. when they were really good. They don't have the money to have that now. Yeah well also too like Jared Goff has played very well and Jalen Hurts is better than all of them right? So like I don't know like is Jalen Hurts... I would take Jalen Hurts now because as college fans I think we're kind of wired to think of Jalen Hurts as the guy at Alabama or maybe even the guy at Oklahoma, he

has evolved as a quarterback. So, but the, the, the Dion piece of this, I do think like anybody he'd like, cause why would then this has been my, my assertion all along when, when the Colorado fans came at us for criticizing Dion Sanders, they say, how come you don't criticize other coaches like this? And my answer was, we do. We do. They're just not, they're just not your favorite coach and your Deion fans who didn't pay attention to this before. So this may be new to you. But by the same token, we should judge Deion,

just like any other coach in terms of is Colorado the be-all-end-all of college coaching jobs or coaching jobs in general? No, I just think that from my position if Dion Sanders were to turn Colorado into a juggernaut Which I think is within the realm of possibility in this new world That would be like amongst some of the coolest coaching accomplishments ever Like I know that Nick Saban won a bunch of titles, and I know Kirby Smart's doing, could you imagine, imagine if they played in the national title game at Colorado, how cool that would be? You could probably make the case that would be one of the greatest single-handed, so like, you're in a beautiful place. You're in a place that has money to pay you and you have the persona and the ability to bring players there to win a conference

That's winnable every year from a pressure standpoint You're not getting your heat your feet held to the fire every single week every single time things aren't going your way This is like the mark suits like Kentucky great job in the country argument right here. He's already rich I see Dion Sanders on boost mobile. Oh Yeah, crap all over down Money's not the problem. Yeah. But it's not, it's not, it's not about the money. It's about being the best coach. Like this is a, a seriously competitive human being, one of the most competitive

human beings on the planet. Yeah. So here's the, here's, here's the part that's going to make people upset, but we have to say it, okay. Or I'm going to say it and then you can go. Okay. You say it. Okay. Or I'm going to say it and then you can go. Okay. You say it. What has Deion Sanders done in his coaching career that makes him

qualified to be an NFL head coach? Okay. This is the question, cause this is the conversation we had yesterday where I said, I don't know why when the NFL jobs open, they call the college coaches who are competing for national titles every year, because those coaches' top skill is talent accumulation, and that's a worthless skill in the NFL. Dion Sanders' best skill thus far has been talent accumulation. It's getting Travis Hunter to plan his team. has been talent accumulation. It's getting Travis Hunter to plan his team.

Yeah, which is still really useful in college, like getting Julian Lewis to come, getting Kayden Salter to come as a transfer. Very useful in college, completely worthless in the NFL. The NFL, everybody is restricted to the same guidelines and rules. You have a draft, you have free agency, and you have to you have to evaluate talent and make great picks. And I don't know, I haven't done any studies on this because I don't cover the NFL, but it's my understanding that the teams that draft the most proficiently are the ones that are consistently good. And the teams that draft poorly are the ones that are consistently bad, and the ones that don't have a quarterback. So if you have a quarterback, that's fine. don't have a quarterback. So if you have a core and Dion, I actually trust his personnel evaluations, like, basically

given a look at, look at what they learned. Doing redoing the roster through the portal the first time, redoing the second time around, they did so much better the second time. But if you go to the Cowboys, you're not in control of that. You don't get those choices. Steven and Jerry Jones make those choices. And that's, like that would be a problem

for me if I were him. Yeah, yeah. Unless being the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and getting back to Texas is like a vanity thing too. Because there's an element of that. Let's talk about the other pieces. Cause I see a lot of, I saw a Daddy Ball comment in the chat. This isn't Daddy Ball.

This wouldn't be Daddy Ball. Like, cause I saw this with the Raiders, with their opening. He's not gonna get to coach Chedure in the NFL. None of these teams are gonna be able to get Chidor. Like Chidor is going to be gone. Well, here's the thing that I think is going to be selected. I think that people are, it's like you want to put on your, oh yeah, it's Tuesday conspiracy theory, tin hat, tin foil hat.

It is tin foil hat Tuesday. Let's go. That like Dion Sanders is going to have his kid like,, like you saw the headline yesterday of like, he is forbidden from playing for the Browns. And it's like, by the way, totally get it. Um, you know, I would not want my son to blame him around either. That's just good parenting. How much, how much pool do you believe?

And again, don't cover the NFL. Don't know a co a person like Dion Sanders could eat like he convinced the Browns not to draft him just because they don't want to deal with the headache. Like if he's like my son will not play for the Browns. Archie Manning did it. I know Archie Manning did it with Eli that but that's that's really the only example. It was like John Elway who had a legitimate draft slot in MLB and said, I'm not gonna play for the Colts, I'll just go play baseball. That's the only other time you've seen that.

So do you think that that Deon Sanders has enough pool to alter or change where he's taken? And also too, if he's a head coach in the NFL and does that, isn't that like a rule breaking? Well, right, you wouldn't be able to do it as a head coach in the NFL, but here's, here's the draft order. Tennessee, Cleveland, Giants, Patriots, Jaguars, Raiders, Jets. Five of those teams need quarterbacks, assuming the Jets and Aaron Rodgers are through. Like now Tennessee's got an opening. Maybe, maybe

they hire Dion, but that's the only scenario I could see where they end up together because the Giants didn't fire Dable. Cleveland didn't fire Stefanski. The Patriots have a quarterback and they just hired a coach in Mike Grable. The Jags need a coach, but they don't need a quarterback. They're fine with Trevor Lawrence. And then you got the Raiders. He's going to be gone by the Raiders.

Tell them the stat that you told me on the phone yesterday, Andy, tell them the stat about dads in the NFL and kids. Oh yeah. Yeah. How many times has a father coached his son in the NFL once? And it's a very, you'd never guess if you didn't know, you'd never guess. It was Doug Peterson who is just fired as the Jags coach. His son was like a third string tight end for a few months. That's it. That's the only time it's ever happened.

Yeah. Yeah. That's crazy. It's a crazy world out there. I hope selfishly that he stays. I think he's gonna stay. Now I think if he's good at Colorado, it's very possible that other colleges come calling as it goes forward. Like if he has another year at Colorado as good as the past year or better, then other colleges are gonna want him. Because that that think about what Colorado was when he got there If you can make Colorado that much better and

Keep it up and keep it that way after losing your two best players Then that makes you pretty marketable everywhere else now. He has to do that But I find it interesting you You look at Colorado's portal. Leaving coming and going right now. They're not nearly. As big of a turnover. Year to year this year as they were last year, like they've got a little foundation now.

It looks like. That's good, so yeah, that's good. Julian Lewis is a big time quarterback recruit, but he's also a freshman. That's a lot to ask. So they bring in Caden Salter, who's a three year starter at Liberty led Liberty to a 12 and a record in 2023. Like that feels like the kind of guy you'd want your stud freshmen to learn under for a year. Like I didn't see starting to see the building blocks of what could it be in year four and

five, which a year ago I didn't see a year three. So- And another guy, they got Jaheem Otis out of the portal, the Alabama defensive tackle. Jaheem Otis, good student, good player when he's played, but has had injury problems. If you get a healthy version of him, though, which is that's that's the risk. That's why he's available to you. But if you do wind up getting a healthy version of him, there ain't nobody like that in the Big 12. Yeah, I think he's got a nice little runway here and he proved me wrong. Yeah, now I want to see too.

So I still wonder in question. Like, here's the thing too. It's like, yeah, I still like wonder like what Colorado would look like if he went completely bananas in the high school ranks and like just really went for it. He's not going to do that and I have to accept that. But like when you lose Travis Hunter and Shadrur Sanders and you bring in Caden Salter, like that's good. I mean, you're doing the best that you can to replace those guys. But I'm very curious too, like from a star standpoint, if you lose two players

were going to be taken in the top 15 in the NFL draft at Colorado, which by the way, you feel those players more in the big 12 than you do in the SEC big 10, right? Because 100% those are the only those are the two best players in the league, right? And they're on both sides of the football and yeah, and sometimes two on the same side when Travis Hunter was playing offense. Like this plan, I think it'd be, I I've written, I've written this about Mike Norvell last year. This isn't a Dion thing. It's like, how much can you sustain year over year success in the portal? And like, we're going to find this out.

Like, cause Colorado goes back to. You know 5 and 7 next year, then it's kind of just like well what the hell are we doing right? You go right back to that so like I think that like there's always been this expectation that OK is year 1 Dion then it was year 2 Dion and I think that year 2 Dion. Performed so well that like no matter what happens next year it might be a disappointment right? Unless I make the playoff because I think as long as they're in the. that like no matter what happens next year, it might be a disappointment, right? Unless they make the playoff.

Because this year- I think as long as they're in the mix for the big 12 title, which that's gonna be a lot. There's gonna be, I think every year, a big group of teams in the big 12 in the mix for the title. I think, remember, going into the final week of the season, Ari, there were what?

Five, there were, I think six teams that had a mathematical shot of making the title game. Colorado was one of them. And one of the games that they lost this year, um, they lost Travis Hunter and that would have been the case state. Yeah. Yeah. So I mean, they had a great year. They had a, they couldn't, they couldn't DJ. Giddens that like that not being able to tackle DJ Givens and Devin Neil was the

downfall of that team this year. Cause if they could, if they stop either of those two guys, they are playing for the big 12 title. Yep. Yeah. So, but yeah, I'm excited to track this. I don't know if like the cowboy search is anything like the bear search or there was interviewing everybody, but they might. And that's the thing to remember about these NFL searches that is not like the ones we're used to covering in college. Like in college, there's always some sort of date looming where you got to have a coach by whether it's signing day or the portal opening or something. I've got to have a coach, got in place. Gotta get gotta get it done. Gotta get it done.

It's not like that in the pros. As long as they got somebody. With a reasonable run up to the draft, they're fine, so if they hire somebody the week before the Super Bowl. No biggie like so this may take awhile. Yeah. Yeah. Alright, we gotta talk some some pure college football news.

Some guys not going to the NFL, coming back. But first, I wanna tell you about State and Liberty. One of my favorite clothing brands, so this is a State and Liberty polo, this is the Ott. This is the black on black polo. Probably about half to two thirds of our shows I am wearing something from state Liberty because it fits me the best. It is the most comfortable. It holds up in the

wash. It is comfortable athletic clothing. You don't have to sacrifice comfort for fit. You know, if you're somebody who goes to the gym who takes care of yourself, they're they're what you need because these are athletic fit shirts, pants, suits. I also own two State Liberty suits. And they're not made for the dude with the giant plot belly. They're made for people who have been taking care

of themselves and wanna look great, but also wanna be able to throw their clothes in the washing machine and not have to deal with the dry cleaner all the time. So dress shirts, polos, sweaters, some of my favorite hoodies are from State Liberty. So right now, use the code staples or you click the link in our show notes. You get 10% off for new customers.

And I'm telling you right now as someone who has bought a lot of stuff from there, they don't have anything on sale very often. Like to get 10% off is a big deal because they know how good this stuff is. So use that code staples, 10% off for new customers at State and Liberty, stateliberty.com. I'm telling you, you're all going to look great. How'd you finagle that one? Because you actually like love that store. How'd you get that going? I know, well probably cause I've spent so much money there. Are you behind this? We're gonna help you out here, buddy.

You're giving us your entire paycheck. When we were in Nashville for championship weekend, Andy, we had to take a special trip there before they were sponsors. So that's not. Yeah, so yeah, I got a Navy long, like a Navy crew neck sweater that I've wear on the show probably once a week.

Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Before we go to the next segment, can I just talk to you about something? Because I took a lot of. Let me let me help Ferris con who's a Michigan fan and I because I think I think he may be getting his 10% off using the code staples of state and Liberty State Liberty is in University

of Michigan streets in Ann Arbor. That is correct. They are actually based in Ann Arbor. I didn't know that. Fun fact. Yeah. Um, there you go. Andy, I took a lot of flack for this on Twitter. Okay. I'm getting it here. This is our guy dot. He's in here a lot. He says, by the way, oh yeah, you were doing a really Ohio State man. Completely correct about Ohio State in the playoff. Completely correct. By the way, Ari, you were doing a really good job. You know Ohio State, man, completely correct about Ohio State in the playoff. Completely correct. By the way, Ari, you were doing a good job of not saying dumb things, but then you said Riley Leonard is a better quarterback than Will Howard, which may be the

dumbest thing you've said this season. Um, a lot of people were upset about this, that I said that that Notre Dame had a quarterback advantage and like, listen, I feel like if you say something like that then that automatically diverts to people thinking that you think Will Howard sucks and that's not at all what I think I just have been really really impressed by Riley Leonard this year and like this is the the lead into the national championship game and we might not talk about it as much today but I do think we're talking about this we were scheduled to talk about this sorry so I'm glad you brought this up but like am, am I, am I nuts?

Like, help me out here. I I'll admit that I don't think the separation is as big as you're making it out to be. Me. I think if you put Will Howard on Notre Dame, he's got to do more things than he has to do at Ohio state and I think he's capable. Yeah, sure. Sure. But we've seen Riley Leonard do them. So like, I don't know, like, it's, it's not that Will Howard stinks or hasn't had a great season. They wouldn't be here right now if

he had been playing well. But like, and both through really bad picks in their last games, right? Like Riley Leonard through an interception in the second half against Penn State that could have cost Notre Dame the entire game. Sure have. And Will Howard threw a pick in the beginning of the second half that could have, you know, swung that game the other way. So like, you know, they make mistakes. Neither of them are NFL guys, but like, in terms of like first round picks or anything, but like, I think Riley Leonard has been more of a truck for his team this year

than Will Howard has had to be. Does that mean that Will Howard can't? No. But I don't think it's an asinine thing to think, do you? I don't know, like save me here. Well here's the thing, like Dot's different. Dot's a massive Ohio State fan, true believer. Dot's going to take offense when you pick the Notre Dame guy over the Ohio State guy every time. My thing, and I noticed it when we were doing the show yesterday, I didn't really bring it up, but I'm glad we're bringing it up now, was how quickly you dismissed the idea of Will Howard being as good or better than Riley Leonard and just automatically said, if I had the choice, I'm taking Riley Leonard, which is your prerogative

I just don't think it's that cut and dry. I Also think too that you could switch the quarterbacks in this game and both would still be here Who plays a great question? I got to know that like you think that Riley Leonard would have had a great year with that Ohio State offense around him and I and Absolutely to this one here. Yeah. Steve, Steve in the chat, if he says Kyle accord, or Kyle McCord, if Kyle McCord was still quarterback at, at Ohio state, are they in the title game? Yes.

Yes, they are. So here's the thing that it's like really funny. Did we talk about it on the show when he went on the interview and was asked about like vindication after Ohio State lost to Michigan? Did you see that clip? I did see that clip. We didn't talk about it. Talked about it.

Um, like to a certain extent, like I go back last year to Ohio State's lost to Michigan, the third one, and I go back to the column that I wrote after that game. And my column was that Ryan Day picked the wrong quarterback. And people have been JJ McCarthy. Now I'm not arguing with you that JJ McCarthy is not better than Kyle McCord or Riley Leonard or Will Howard. JJ McCarthy unequivocally is because that's the column you're writing. Because JJ McCarthy was an Ohio State fan who wanted an offer from them. Like, I don't know if people remember, like, JJ

McCarthy was like the ultimate anti-hero for Ohio State who went there, thought he was getting an offer. Ohio State took McCord instead and then he went to Michigan with like a chip on his shoulder and then like ruined Ohio State's existence, right? Like that is like, JJ McCarthy from a collegiate career standpoint had the perfect career. Like he is a Michigan hero. He did it with a chip on his shoulder against the rival, beat the rival multiple times and then won the national title. Like, I mean, like, could anybody have a better college career? But the thing that I think is interesting is if you go back to last year's Ohio State loss to Michigan, like how much of that do you put on McCord? And I think that there was probably a little bit more put on him than than he deserved. And then he goes out and leads college football with passing this year. And it's like, well, if you put the number one passer in

college football into this offense, he probably would have had a pretty good year. Ohio State lose to Michigan last year because Kyle McCord sucks. That's probably not true either given what we saw this year. So like, I do like wonder if Ohio State would have just stuck with him and not gone to Will Howard, Not that it didn't work out because it certainly did. If Kyle McCord would be viewed right now as the next great Ohio State quarterback or the next in line from all the other. But listen to this this from Nick which is also true with a win Will Howard will have beaten half the playoff field. Yeah. That is in front because remember they also beat Indiana and Penn State in the regular season. All right.

Will Howard. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Before we do that, Will Howard is one of our favorite people this week because our friends at PrizePix have made Will Howard your free square this week. So you download PricePix, use code staples when you sign up for the app, play five, you get $50 instantly. The way it works is you're picking squares. So you're picking a lineup at least two. And the more you pick, the higher the potential payout. If you pick Will Howard this week and he throws for a yard in the national title game, you're going to win that square.

0.5 yards or more gets you a win for Will Howard. So if he throws for a yard, you're going to win that square. Now let's look at Riley Leonard's numbers though, because this is what I wanted to talk to Ari about. And I'm really glad he brought up the comments that dot made because Riley Leonard sitting about the same place he was sitting going to the Penn State game, 170 and a half passing yards more or less. I said he didn't have to throw for that many to beat Penn State. He did throw for more than he threw for 223.

That Jayden Greathouse touchdown is really what put him over the top. But I do think in this game, he's going to have to have a game fairly similar to his Penn State game, minus the crippling interception. If they're going to have a chance to win. Yeah, and also to like his numbers were certainly based. There are boosted greatly by that one play, right? And gatehouse was wide open. So like, I don't know. Well, he was open, but then he makes the move, breaks his ankles, and then he gets goes the rest of the way.

Great individual effort for sure. But like, yeah, for him to get there, I think they're gonna need some big plays in the passing game. And we, we've seen it. So, you know, I don't know, like, I think Ohio State's defense is just nasty, nasty, nasty. And like, I think that if Notre Dame is in this game, like, it's going to be a score like yours, where it's 21-17-ish or 14-14 in the third quarter type of a deal. And I think that in a game like that, his legs are going to win. Like I think that like how much he rushes for is the story here, not how much he throws for.

Yeah. So he's, you look at the numbers for their receivers for Great House for Jayden Baw, Jordan Faison, and for Mitchell Evans, like 23 and a half for Great House, 41 and a half for Faison, 34 and a half for Mitchell Evans. I don't have the Smith and Abouka ones for Mitchell Evans, like 23 and a half for great house, 41 and a half for phase on 34 and a half for Mitchell Evans. I don't have the Smith and Abouka ones for the screen, but I can tell you right now, like Abouka's is 53 and a half. Jeremiah's is 85 and a half. So the expectation is that Ohio State's gonna do more

through the year than Notre Dame. Really Riley Leonard on the ground, dude rushed for 80 yards against Georgia. That was one of the big differences in the Georgia game. I think if Riley Leonard is the on the ground. Dude rush for 80 yards against Georgia. That was one of the big differences in the Georgia game. I think if Riley Leonard is running well, it also helps Jordan. It also helps Jeremiah love. Jeremiah love, by the way, got his wish. I didn't really got to talk about that, but Jeremiah love wished

wished for days like this. It's coming. He wanted Ohio state. He's getting Ohio state. So the quarterback. Comparison here is really interesting. So thank you dot for bringing that up. I'm glad you did You want to play prize picks download the app use the code staples play $5 get $50 instantly when you sign up Will Howard is giving you the freebie this week

But Riley Leonard is the one that I'm probably the most intrigued by this week. Ari Riley Leonard sent Penn State home last week. But they're getting some big big big news. K-Tron Allen and Nick Singleton are coming back. So the lawn boys staying together. Listen, Penn State could be good for a while. Just get some receivers. Yeah.

I guess it's too much to ask. Yeah. I mean, they're bringing back a bulk of the team. And drew Allard didn't have a great game in the semis, but. It's a net positive that he's coming back in a big way. Right. So, um, you know, I, uh, I am pretty cautiously optimistic about Penn State's move into the future here. Like I know that Penn State fans

are probably disappointed and rightfully so, cause especially it felt like they were, they won the game for two and a half quarters, right? Or two quarters. Then they came back and took the lead again late. Like it, they, they had that game. Um, and maybe you don't want it. If it doesn't throw an interception, it's probably going to overtime or maybe they drive for a game winning field goal and regulation, but those two kids ran their asses off in that game. I mean, they are so good. Uh, Singleton especially was just incredible.

Um, and Penn state has had really good running backs in the past. So if Aller takes the jump that he went back to school to take, they get a receiver to help them out a little bit. Cause listen, like, they know it's so easy to criticize players. Like even Riley Leonard catches flack for not being able to throw well. And maybe he doesn't have a stronger arm than Will Howard, but like throwing is certainly easier when you have guys who are open, you know, I don't think that you could say that Penn State had that a lot this year.

In fact, they would have beaten Ohio state when they played, had they had somebody that could get open. And the fact that they were playing in games with really good teams without that ability is remarkable. I mean, that's how good they were. in games with really good teams without that ability is remarkable. I mean, that's how good they were. So go get somebody, James. I don't know who it is.

I don't know who's even left, but there has to be somebody out there that you can rely on to be an 80 to say tamper, but you might want to tamper. Go tamper. Yeah. But big, I mean, Penn State's going to be really good next year. And I think depending on how Ohio State shoulders the burden of losing their entire team in the offseason, you might be able to make a case that

going into next year that Penn State's the number two team in the Big 10. Got to replace the defensive coordinator now. Maybe we wait till after this game to see how that goes. And at and a defensive end who may have had one of the best individual performances we've seen in the playoff. Yeah, Abdul Carter was awesome. Now that's one place where they've they've been fairly good at reloading over the years. Let's pick up another Mike Parsons and just drop him into the team. Yeah,

just just just say how do you feel about the number 11? What's yeah, does the number 11? What's yeah, does the number 11 look good on you? Okay, come on. Like if you are an edge rusher and Penn State comes to you and says we'd like you to wear number 11 for us like do you this is sort of like when Brian Hartline the Ohio State receivers coach comes to you and offers you a spot in their receiver. It's a no-brainer. You take it. Yeah. Penn State, I think, with this news, we're doing another top 25, and we have some national championship odds that have been released for next year that are going to help guide mine, but we're going to assemble another one that doesn't stop at the top 10 of top 25 for

over the weekend, I think. And I'm excited about it. So Penn State's going to be in a pretty good position on my board. I don't know about you. Yeah, I feel very good about that. I just, I just need them to develop either develop some receivers or go just go get somebody because that's what's holding you back. And remember, we keep saying the era of the super team is over. Penn state is talented enough. If there are no super teams to win the national title.

So it's possible. They got this far this year. Uh, they can do it again. So, uh, Andy, I got, could do it again. So Andy. I got I got. Okay. Hold on. Gotta pay some bills.

We're gonna pay some bills here. If you'd like to celebrate your team's trip to the college football playoff, Axia time is the way to do it. The official timepiece of the college football playoff and the Heisman Trophy, probably the best kept secret in college football and watches in general. I am wearing my Odysseus II. You are looking on the screen at the Odysseus II as a college football playoff commemorative watch with the logos of the teams that made the playoffs. There's a beautiful Notre Dame one, the Penn State one, the Texas one, the Ohio State one looks amazing. They are Swiss made, automatic, self winding. They're beautiful, I love mine, I wear it everywhere. If you wanna get one of those commemoratives,

use the code, RE&ANDY, so A-R-I, ampersand symbol, A-N-D-Y. It'll get you 10% off at checkout. I'm telling you right now, it's a great way to celebrate your team, to celebrate a trip to the college football playoff, to celebrate a great season. Axie at time.com, check them out. Okay, Ari, you were saying. I just wanted to put facts first feelings up here because we're paying the bills this

way too. He paid and we didn't put it up there. He has to pay. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. We want you to feel like we're going to show your comments. So, Baxter's feeling says, do you think if Notre Dame comes out in Michigan uniforms, Ohio State will crap themselves and Notre Dame will have a better chance? This is a joke that Tennessee started. The Tennessee, I don't know, it wasn't Tennessee,

the school, it was a Tennessee fan that was, it was hysterical because they took a Tennessee uniform reveal video and then changed the end. So there's just a Michigan uniform. Uh, I think Ohio State's over that. I really do. Can I, I think we've moved past it. I think maybe it'll never stop being funny to Michigan people. It is interesting. And we're going to have to have an off season conversation about this. But the only people talking about Ohio State losing to Michigan are Michigan people.

And rightfully so. That's what they should. It's a rivalry. Oh, absolutely. Talk your trash for the rest of eternity. Yeah, how Ohio State fans are like if they win like how they are going to celebrate their ass off and celebrate as you should when you win a national title. But that Michigan thorn how I think I don't think the country cares, but that rivalry they do. No sure, but that's what the Michigan people have.

Because if Ohio State's the national champ, then they're enjoying all the spoils that Michigan enjoyed last year. Yeah. They get to ride high for an off season. They get to be the Kings. So that's all the Michigan people have. Cause they, they, yes, they ended the season really well, but it's not a five loss season.

They got a ways to go. The difference is when, when Michigan won the championship last year, Ohio State fans had to shut up. Like there was nothing to say. Yeah. I mean, I guess they were doing the cheating stuff, but that just came across as lose. But the thing is, like, if Ohio State goes and beats Michigan next year,

neither one of them wins the national title. Then Ohio State fans will just be they'll be insufferable when it comes to the Michigan fans and they'll be rightfully insufferable. They will have earned it. They will enjoy it. See, I love it. That's what I love. Like the best part about college football rivalries is giving your friends who are fans of the other team crap for an entire year. That's the best part. I think this is a good word for it, Andy. Display Sports Guy, Ohio State fan here. It will be awesome to win an adi, but there will be still a hollowness to it, especially since we can't even

claim the conference this year. Like I think a hollowness. Is a good word. Yeah, I you know, I have to go ask the members of the 2017 Alabama team if their national title ring shine any less because they didn't win the SEC. I don't think I bet you it's

probably their least favorite one. Uh, well, for some of them, it's their only one, so it's probably their favorite one. I'm not talking about Alabama fans. I'm talking about the players on the team. Yeah, you think that when they want on second and 26 and overtime is one of their least favorite national titles. I doubt that very seriously when they put two in the middle of the game. I just feel like it like actually makes me angry. Like when you're like this about this, cause it's like, I don't want to be a part

of us. I don't want to be a part of a sport where rivalries don't matter. Like it's not fun to me. It doesn't mean the iron bowl doesn't matter. It just means they've won in a really cool way in the national title game and wrong like that. But I think that you're wrong that if you ask the player on the championship team, if they were upset, they lost the Auburn or if it bothers them and they would say no, then what the hell is the

Iron Bowl for? It's all that year. Was it for much in 2013? It was for a lot. What was it for this year? I still think it needs to matter internally. Well, Auburn fans gave Alabama fans shit for an entire year after that. It mattered. Alabama fans like, whatever, second to 26 don't care. You should have beaten Jordan the SEC Championship game. Like that.

That's it. Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's just like organic. Like there was, you just see this story that Dennis Dodd wrote. About Ryan Day, about Ryan Day. Did you read it? Yeah, I did. We didn't talk about it on the show.

Uh, and I liked Dennis, but there was a comment in the story about, um, that I read and I like, like rubbed me the wrong way. And he basically just asserted that the game doesn't matter or like that. And it's just like, if you think that then there's a fundamental misunderstanding of like what the sport's about to me. No, it matters. But there are degrees to it. If I'm an Ohio State fan, I don't really give a shit what a Michigan fan says if my team wins the national title. I'm gonna laugh at them. And if I'm a Michigan fan, I'm gonna laugh at the Ohio

State fan because my team beats your national title team. Like, everybody wins. Yeah. So, like, again, I just don't want to, you're only looking at it from your perspective. You're not looking at it from anybody else's perspective. But like my, the last thing I'm gonna say, and we're gonna talk about this later maybe, is that like the thing that I was most afraid of when it came to conference, or I mean,

playoff expansion was the taking the regular season and removing some of its importance. And I think that we know what's going to happen one day. This is going to happen. Okay, Ohio State and Michigan are going to play one day. And there's going to be a winner or loser. Those two teams are going to play again in the playoff one day, it's going to happen. And the team that lost the first time is going to win the second one. And at that point that it's going to just be like, to me, it's going to just be like, it almost happened two years ago.

And like, it's not going to feel like, it's going to feel like two teams that hate each other. They're going to play another game and that'll be electric. But you, as our producer, river Bailey says, Ari, but like this entire game, so, okay, when we were sitting at Texas roadhouse and college station, and then did the video on the street afterward, right. Did the game not matter? It sure seemed like game mattered a lot, but now that game is like NIU for Notre Dame, it's like, oh, OK, well, OK, it doesn't matter now.

Whatever it matters on the day it happens. I know, but I want it to feel like the the expansion of the playoff. You want you want you want too much. I guess enjoy the feeling you had when you're like, holy crap, that just happened. What was your what was your favorite part of Rudy last night? Did you watch it? I did not watch Rudy, but I have memorized Rudy because I memorized Rudy. My favorite part of Rudy is always the same part. It is when they say as the guys are about to warm up for their tryout,

your main value to this team is we don't care if you get hurt. Because I was given that speech by Jamie Speronis, who was Steve Spurrier's right hand man who administered Florida's walk on program. Jamie put it in nicer terms than that. But that is generally what they tell you. And so when they say that it's like, yeah, I remember that feeling. And then, and then watching Rudy just get battered, like that brings back some memories. Yeah, it does bother me to a certain extent. I guess a lot of things bother me Andy, that when you watch Rudy, you know who he is as a human.

Just like, yeah. I will say when the movie came out outside of the people who are really in deep with Notre Dame, they wouldn't, we didn't know that. Like I was in high school when the movie came out. Nobody knew that. But it's a fictional film. I mean, there are parts that are true.

He did get into the game against Georgia Tech. He did get credited with a sack. He probably was off sides. But they never laid their jerseys down. Archer, he did get into the game against Georgia Tech. He did get credited with a sack. He probably was offsides. But they never laid their jerseys down like Dan Devine, Dan Devine got screwed in that movie, like Dan Devine was was very supportive of the guy and they made him in the villain in the movie.

Like, we're not going to play him. But also there was a team revolt that like when they carried carried him off the field that they were making fun of him. Sure. But I think he knew that at the time. I don't think any like having been like the pitiful walk-on. You know where your place in the world is. You have no illusions about that. Yeah. We need to do a fight song ranking too, because I think Notre Dame is

number one or number two. Notre Dame, Michigan and USC, they're fighting it out for the top three. Yeah, all three of those. They're fighting it out. All right. One quick thing. We don't need to talk long about this. Mario Cristobal finally said what happened in the second half of the Pop Tarts poll, which is what we told you happened. It was planned all along.

Cam Ward did not go in there and quit at halftime. If you believe that, you're stupid. Like, if you wrote that, if you said that on your show, you're an idiot. We know that. You don't understand how sports work. Mario Cristobal could have said that after the game and it would have saved a lot of trouble. Yeah, he said it was bullshit. They

planned on playing cam more to half and they planned on playing Emory Williams a half to see what they had. Now you know what had now carsten beck's going to miami it's the circle of life bullshit so that's it like you answer that question in the press conference the same way you answered it yesterday none of that discourse ever happens and again None of that discourse ever happens. And again, listen to your old pals, Andy and Ari, because we told you like that day, if you think he just quit in the middle of the game, you are stupid.

Like that doesn't make any sense. Yeah. And I also think too that like from a coaching perspective, uh, Mario Cristobal's perspective, like if you are at all annoyed by the online narrative that took off about your quarterback, you have to be savvy enough from a media standpoint to realize you got to say it because it's like, you can't come back. You may not feel like you owe anyone an explanation and you may feel like the the people who created this narrative

should be more responsible but they're not responsible and you could have eliminated this entirely and with a 30 second quote. Is that there's nothing to gain by being coy about something like that. It's the freaking Pop Tarts Bowl, dude. Just like, yeah. To say what happened. We talked about it before the game. We wanted to see him replay. We wanted to celebrate Cam. Done. Done. And like to, you have to also know as a coach

at what's gonna happen if you do act like that and don't act surprised a month later when people are saying things. Yeah. So. Because the reason why people ask you questions in press conferences is to get context, to provide context of what people don't know.

Like that's the entire purpose of a press conference. Yeah. When I open my PR consulting firm and they're probably not getting hired because I'm going to give people like one sentence of advice and that's going to be the entire thing and then I'm going to ask for a check. If it's not going to get you arrested or fired, just say, just tell the truth. Everything will be easier. Yeah. Yeah. And I also have like a, like a college football media take is just like, I also feel like a college football media take. It's just like, I also feel like there's a correlation between more access, better coverage.

The more access you give to the media, the more favorable your coverage is going to be. And I think that that's something that like PR people in college football have a misunderstanding of. I think, well, I don't, PR people in college football usually are working under the marketing orders of the coach. And coaches tend to be paranoid. And coaches don't understand that. Yeah, but the more access you give, the more relationships the media. Pete Carroll was the best example of this.

Pete Carroll was like, come watch practice. Do whatever you want. Don't care. Yeah, like the secretive, like I told you once, I went to an SEC school for a recruiting story. And that SEC player personnel person Was convinced at some point that a rival SEC school had bugged the office of their recruiting operation And I just wanted to be like bro. You need to go see somebody like that's insane like that if that happened

What is this Watergate? I don't even know what happened there are some Didn't their royal accused Barry Switzer that at one point. If you were to bug the other team's building, would you pick the personnel office? No, I feel like I feel like the head coach's office would get you more of the good stuff. Like, yeah, like it's not just personnel Vance in the chat wants me to add, and I'm glad Vance, I owe you, when I start my PR consulting firm, I owe you a cut. Probably a third, because this, again,

this will be the entire advice, and then I'm just gonna walk away. If you're not, if it's not gonna get you arrested, fired, or divorced, tell the truth. Vance, your baby's really cute, congratulations. divorce is a key key addition there. So that's the part as a married man, Andy Mm-hmm. I never know what's gonna lead to divorce. That's a slippery slope. Okay So you're just gonna see you're gonna lie about everything cuz it you spent you don't know football cards

Oh because you spent you don't know what's going to set her off. Any football cards? Oh my God. Yeah, they don't. I got you. I understand. So we'll have to have a wider wider lens with with you when I'm consulting when you when you're you know, when you realize that if you drop me you will become a much more famous podcaster. I'll come in as your PR consultant.

I don't know if that's true, but I appreciate the compliment, but so alright. Do you spend how much on 7-eleven slurpees? You Uber eats the slurpee to the house twice in the same day? Because that's that's like the that's the double whammy. That's irresponsible spending, but also terrible health habits. But before we get into my before we get into my picks, my and how wrong they were we do need to talk about what I realized We're going off the rails here, but we're allow us another minute off the rails our friend David oven from the athletic

psychopath one of the hosts of the until Saturday podcast Yesterday we get a text from our friend Ralph Russo, who works with David, they're all together in Charlotte covering the coaches convention. David is ordering Korean wings from a place in Charlotte to be delivered to him. There is food in this venue, like there's a food court, there's a chick filet, there's the all the game, I get maybe you want what you want. Not only does he order chicken

wings to be delivered to a place that already has food, the pickup spot he chooses is right next door to the convention center in front of a Buffalo Wild Wings. So he had chicken wings delivered to a chicken wing place that he could have walked to. He uh I tried to tell you people when I was hosting the show with him last year this guy is disturbed he's a touched individual like there's something off there and you know the more that comes out the more the world will see but you know Dave I'm talking to you man go get help get it quick because this is not headed in the right direction. That's not normal. Like it's just not. This is a man who's door dashed Benihana before. So he door dashed Korean wings in New York City to the New York Times building.

Did you know that? Well, I mean, look, it's midtown. You never know where you don't know what you can walk to. There's a lot of places in that general area for good food, and we all walk to lunch and went to one of the places or whatever. Like, do you need to get Korean wings right now? But to you, well, apparently, we did yesterday. So into eating it like we were in the New York Times building eating lunch in the cafeteria at the New York Times. And he was like sitting there. Everybody had like Katz's deli and stuff York Times and he was like sitting there everybody had like cats

as deli and stuff and like he was like eating Korean wings. So psychopath psychopath. And I'm sure they were good. I'm not even saying they're not good. It's like time and place pal. We're in New York. Okay. Korean wings are delicious. Checking to see if this place is still open. It is. Oh no, it's closed. Oh boo. There was a place called Dock,

which is next to Loyola Chicago's campus, near Northwestern's campus. Had incredible Korean wings, but unfortunately I believe it did not survive the pandemic. So the Korean wing is just like breaded differently and has sweeter sauce? Is that the same thing? Yes, they're usually like double fried, so they're a little crispier and they usually have like

a sweet and spicy type sauce on them. Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good. Yeah. So, all right, let's do predictions. Well, look back at my preseason predictions. I had calling my shot 10 bold predictions in July. And I'd say I was about 60% right.

So, yeah, I kicked off and this is, we can get into the discussion you wanna get into right now. Cause I kicked off with, this will be the most electrifying college football season since 2007. And my thought was the difference in format would cause a crazier end of the season and I feel like I was right now It wasn't crazy in 2007, but I don't think anything ever will be

But I do feel like we got really good games meaningful games down the stretch and to my point about the Michigan, Ohio State game, which You'd think because the new format wouldn't mean anything on that day while it was happening it was the most meaningful event in the sport Ari's mad now because it doesn't mean as much two months later who cares it hurts me that our sport is losing one of the best things about it to a certain extent. It's not your sport.

You don't own it. It's an entertainment product. It's our sport. Hey, I got a counterpoint to that though, bud. Go for it. Go for it. Could you imagine if this season played out all the same and there were only four teams in how much of a freaking

dumpster fire that would have been? It would have been it would have sucked because Notre Dame would be out of playoff Ohio State we had a playoff you would have had a rematch we never had this before but you would have had a rematch of the SEC title game and in one semi and a rematch of the Big 10 title game and another semi which I actually think if you kept the 14 format in this era of the 16 team SEC and 18 team Big 10, that would probably be a fairly common occurrence. Just because of the way the power is consolidated now. But like there would have been like a lot of debates. Like usually in the 14 field all but last year with Florida State debacle, it was pretty clear cut and dry who should be in and who should be out, right? Like

2014 you had Ohio State TCU and Baylor. And then last year, 14 and 17 were the two that were probably the most controversial. I think. This year, it's like, well, again, I think that we have a fundamental, I don't know if me and Ralph Russo changed your mind, but I don't think that the final rankings in the four team era would have been the same as the ones that we got. I think they would have been. I think you guys were thinking way too hard about that. was the ones that we got. I think they would have been. I think you guys were thinking way too hard about that.

No, I think that they, in this year's rankings, were able to prioritize playing in your conference championship game more than they ever have in the past because they knew that everybody, it was about getting in. They drew a line in the sand. But you know who had the right rankings, Ari? You know who had the right ones? Us.

We did that projection that all of you guys laughed at the morning of the playoff reveal, and you're like, you guys are stupid. Why don't you have Ohio State so high? Like, because we did it the way they're supposed to do it based on resume, and we had Ohio State number three, we had to move them to five because of the rules,

but they were our third ranked team. Which is why I'm surprised you don't agree with me because they changed the way they operated and they changed it because of... I don't think they would have done that for Ohio State I think they would have looked at the Ohio State Michigan game you would have gotten your way with Ohio State Michigan kicking Ohio State in the knackers. You don't think that Ohio State would have gotten taken over Penn State in that scenario when they know head to head oh you're wrong oh you're wrong that maybe maybe you know like in the four team era. You have to rank them based like when you're ranking the teams then you had to rank them based on who was in and who was out and who was in and who was out was obviously now they were even away. In the divisional

era you would have had a Penn State Michigan game to kind of be the more of also a tie breaker there. You didn't have that this time. So you're I think you may be right. You may be right. They might have said the way that we ranked them. I don't know if we can go back how long it'll take you to find it, but I bet you are top four in terms of what the top four would have been would have been the teams that got in and it would have been different than their rankings. I guarantee it. I don't know. It would have been because we had Ohio State in and it would have been right. So

I say would have been a receipt for us. How do we even get into this tangent again? Oh, my point is, is that it would have been a disaster either way, because then you would have been a disaster either way, because then you would have been like, well, they lost to Michigan and Penn Station. Exactly. All that stuff would have happened. And in terms of craziness, the results from this year in a system where you had to fit eight teams into a four-four team spot, which had really never happened before, would have been an absolute chaotic disaster. So I think you were right,

but I think that it also all played out in a way that 2007 didn't give us the ability to have. So like, that's one of the positives to this system. Okay. All right. Number two, I got this one very, very wrong. I don't know if River made a lower throw. Oh, he did.

Oh crap. Five SEC teams will make the CFP. Hand up, SEC Homer here. I was very wrong. Very wrong. And they did not deserve to make it and the committee was correct on that one. I understand why you did it though. Very wrong. Very wrong. I thought that that was probably one of your least bold takes at the beginning of the year.

You didn't know that the SEC was going to turn out the stink. You thought that the SEC would have a bunch of really good teams that would get in at 10 and 2, and that just didn't play out that way. But I don't think you were that close to being. Right. I mean, if Ole Miss beats Florida, they get four in. Like you're probably two upsets away from being right. Her three.

Yeah. Yeah. But I will not be going into this coming season thinking that way. Because the way I'm going to look at it is there probably aren't going to be the super teams anymore. Like, even Ohio State, when this Ohio State group goes, it might be the end of that era.

So in the SEC and the Big Ten, now the schedules matter because you can get an easy draw on either one. But in the SEC or the Big Ten, you are going to have probably too many difficult games to have that many teams get it. So plus I think there are going to be good ACC teams most years. I just think it's mathematically really hard to have five teams be ten and two or better also. Yeah, yep. So number three, Nebraska will be 7-0 entering the Ohio State game. This is me missing the two big, big 10 teams that came, they come out of nowhere.

We knew Kurt Signetti was good. We knew Brett Bielma was a good coach. But it's me, it's me missing, missing on Illinois and Indiana, not understanding how good they would be. I was with you on that, though. You remember we were shooting videos outside of Ohio Stadium on the way back from wherever we were. And, you know, we were drinking the Raola Kool-Aid at the beginning of the year. And there were two teams that were really, really good that we didn't talk about at all at that point. So that is, it's like, well, my thing with Illinois is I didn't see this coming because they had lost over the past couple off seasons, some really good players like first round talents. And what I wasn't sure, like, do they have first round talent come into the pipeline? It didn't seem that way. Like I was, I was really looking at, okay, who'd be going to the NFL from this team? Now, as we came to find out, there's several

players who could be going to the NFL from this team who have decided to stay for next year. And it now changes the way I feel about Illinois going into next year. I think they could be one of the, one of the better teams in the country again, this coming season. So number four. Colorado will make a bowl game. I was correct, but wrong here. Yes, they made a bowl game, but the way I wrote this is I think they'll be incrementally better.

I think they'll be either 6 and 6 or 7 and 5. They were much better than I predicted they would be. Yeah, and I was wrong on that one too, obviously. Number five, Miami will play in the ACC title game. I didn't know their defense would be as bad as it was. I was thinking that Cam Ward would make the offense better and not even really. I didn't know that Cam Ward would be this good. I just thought they've got a good offensive line. They've got some good receivers. They've got good backs like Damian Martinez. I figured would be a big addition. I did. I thought the defense would be better. So I guess I thought the season would look a little different. And look, if they'd beaten Syracuse, they would have been in them in the ACC title game.

Yeah. I don't think it's weird. Yeah. I think that was a good prediction. I was with you on that. Vance, darn you Kyle McCord, you're right. You're right. And hey, I did say that. I didn't put this in the predictions, but I did say I thought Fran Brown would have a good year one at Syracuse, and he sure did. Like, you guys who've been with the show for a while, like you remember when Fran Brown came on this show, how many of you were ready to suit up for Fran Brown? Yeah. That dude is awesome. So I'm excited about that. Fran Brown and Manny Diaz having such great year ones

in the ACC as first year coaches, and then SMU having such a great season in year one as a conference member. I'm excited about it. And I think Bill O'Brien did a good job at Boston College, given the circumstances. So I actually think the ACC could be kind of fun next year. Yeah, it will be for sure. Number six, Arch Manning will start at least one game for Texas, but Quinn yours will remain QB one. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, You were right about that. You were right about that one, my friend.

I just think Arch Manning should have played a little bit more in the Ohio State game. I'm gonna lie on that hill forever. Especially on third and goal from the two? Third, it was second and goal from the two. Yes, that's a toss. All you could put it on third and goal instead of instead of what they ran. If you put Arch Manning in the game for four straight plays when you get the first and goal from the two yards line, do they go to overtime? I think there's a good chance. I don't know that defense is really good and you're telegraphing what you're going to do with our well, you're

actually not telegraphing what you're going to do with the Archies. You can run the whole offense. So it's a good point. Good point. Just a thought there. Maybe telegraph it on the first two plays, but you got two more to play with. I realize I this next one. I should have looked this up.

The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner was start season with a plus 2000 or larger betting line. I think I got that right. You did get that right. It was Travis Hunter. Okay. I think it was 33 to 1 at the beginning of the year. Okay. All right. I knew it was high. I wasn't sure how high it was because he was like of all the guys that were not quarterbacks or running backs, he was the most interesting. But but it's just there wasn't that obvious person. There just wasn't somebody who you're like, this guy's going to put up massive numbers. Like we just didn't know.

Like I've got Avery Johnson mentioned in this prediction. Yeah. So well, Avery Johnson was like a, was definitely like a trendy, if K-State's really good and he's like Johnny football, like that's, I mean, the thing that bothers me is, is that I should have, we should have, I don't know if it's just hindsight,

but I just feel like at 33 to one, like everybody should have had a Travis Hunter ticket. Those were just wrong odds. Cause it wasn't like Hannah Williams existed or Jalen Hertz or somebody that our friend big cat did Yeah, he cashed it. So he made Dollars on that. Yeah, they became the number one Travis hunter podcast in America. Yeah, but They weren't wrong. I mean we we said all along

And I you can go back and there's me saying this is the beginning of the season like if Travis hunter Can pull this off for an entire season because that was the question was could he pull it off? Yeah, and He did he got anyone still want it. Yeah, right, right, but he didn't he didn't miss Extended time like he did before so but yeah producer river points this out after the North Dakota State game Which was the season opener that Thursday night game. I said that on the show. So, but yeah, producer river points this out after the North Dakota state game, which was the season opener, that Thursday night game, I said that on the show. So that's, I I'm glad I, because I didn't think it took a while, but I didn't have faith in the other Heisman voters to not pick a quarterback. Now it turns out there wasn't real. It came mainstream enough for them to not, I think that like the, the

traditional voters that just vote for the quarterback who has the best stats. Um, where I think that that's like, I think Dion helped him in that. Like I thought that Travis Hunter wouldn't win it because people didn't like Dion. But I actually think that Dion being in in the news cycle 24 7 actually created a Travis Hunter mainstream talking point that might not have existed otherwise. Right. People pay more attention. Yeah, right. Rocky Top Tom, Andy, how wrong were you about trying to ridicule me when I said Miami's toughest opponent would be Duke this year and you said it was FSU? Hmm, I enjoy thinking about that one. It's gratifying. We were both wrong, Rocky Top Tom.

It was Georgia Tech or Syracuse. But you were right, Duke was a tougher opponent than Florida State for sure. That Duke Miami game was also in doubt for a while. And Manny Diaz, as we pointed out, did a great job. Go away from pointing out where I was wrong to pointing out where I was right. Number eight, Baylor coach Dave Aranda will be this season's version of Neil Brown.

Baylor was one of the mathematically alive teams for the Big 12 title game at the end of the year. They were hot at the end of the year. Well, they won seven in a row? Yeah, I believe so. Jake Spavitol, their offensive coordinator. I'm telling you that this is the guy you hire when you're trying to save your job

because I think Justin Wilcox did it a couple of years ago at Cal. And then Dave Aranda did it this year. And they did a good job. Now I thought it was gonna be Daquan Finn coming from Toledo. It was actually Sawyer Robertson coming from Mississippi State,

who was the QB one who was foretold but Dave Arana saved his job and and you weren't sure after the Colorado game like because they blew a big lead against Colorado and the end of game situation was real bad for Baylor but they they turned it around and I think they go into next season feeling pretty excited about their chances in the Big 12. I never covered a game at McLean. I need to do that. It's only an hour and a half away from me. Great stadium. Baylor and TCU both built their stadiums about the same time. They are what I consider kind of the perfect 2000s college. Like they're they are what I consider kind of the perfect 2000s like they're the perfect college football stadiums for the age of the 75 inch TV because in a lot of cases you just want to stay home because the view you get it so much

better on on TV nowadays but these stadiums are because of their size you have a great vantage point wherever you are McLean Stadium is great because they have the really wide concourses so if you want to if you want to go get some some snacks you could go during the game and still see the game going on while you're while you're waiting for your snacks. I love TCU Stadium too. It's beautiful. Yeah, so most of them. All right. The most productive tailback duo in the country likely will be at Ohio State, but don't count on a pair of transfers at Missouri. The Marcus Carol Nate Noel thing.

They, they, they did, they did fine, but Missouri, I think Brady Cook getting hurt and having to kind of power through some injuries, they didn't have the season they wanted to have, uh, feeling good about Trevion Henderson and Quinn, Sean Judkins, but that wasn't really a bold prediction. Right. Yeah. Yeah. That your bold prediction was probably wrong there, right that wasn't really a bold prediction. Right. Yeah. Yeah. That your bold prediction was probably wrong there.

Right. I think I was wrong there. I, I'm trying to think of who, who were the best. Who's the, the, I mean, really it was army and Navy that scared you the most on the ground. Yeah. But obviously they're option teams, but I'm trying to think if there's anybody else that, that really just ran the ball

Super well Penn State. Yeah, pencil Points out put Penn State was was but I we thought they were gonna be good on the ground too. So number 10 Horrifically wrong. Here we go Liberty will go undefeated but be left out of the college football playoff. They lost to Kennesaw State Yeah, and when They lost to Kennesaw State. Yeah, and when they lost to Kennesaw State, I was like, oh boy, this is bad. Yeah, it's really hard to go undefeated

two years in a row, let alone in one year. It just didn't seem to be humming there the way it did last season. Yeah, no, they didn't have the same. They got a little bit picked apart in the portal. It's gonna be hard for them to keep good players when they have them. Jamie Chadwell, you know, learning that that like Liberty has better resources than any other conference USA school. But the

problem when you're in conference USA when you're in the Sunbelt when you're in the Mac, when you have a player who balls out, they're going to get pillaged. Like everybody wants them. So that was, I thought that was an easy way because their schedule was so easy, but Kenesaw state had not won a game when they beat Liberty. I believe it was own six and Liberty was six. No biggest upsets of the year, I think. But then it turned out that Liberty just wasn't, you know,

buying that well. Well, they weren't that good. They kind of slid after that. But yeah, I just remember watching that. It was either a Tuesday or Wednesday night game. Like, oh my God, this is happening. Yeah, we were actually recording something during that game. I don't know what it was. I can't remember if it was a Tuesday night game

during a playoff reveal or something. But we, I had it on my iPad. And yeah, I remember like it was yesterday. Well, that's it. That's 10. I feel pretty good about it. Like if I can go above 50% and I think I was like 55% because I think one of them is half. I think the Colorado one is half right. But. I'll take it, I'll take it. Are we going to catalog yours next year? This will be more fun with yours. Yeah, yeah, and then we can at some point does have to be tomorrow,

but maybe after the game or whatever, we can talk through whether or not we thought the playoff system worked and the takes and all that stuff too. Oh, I think that's a great after. That's a great next week conversation after the playoff. Let's do it next week. Because we definitely need to talk about that. It definitely needs to to kind of be broken down. Also, what what can they do differently? Because I think there's going to be some changes. There's definitely be some changes before the

2026 season. But there's potential changes for the for next season. We'll talk about that. But first, before we go, I want to, if you haven't seen this, introduce you to Michael Denning. Michael Denning started his career as a kicker at Dayton. He's now at Toledo. Now, if you saw the linebacker from Washington who declared himself the job market with a great announcement that looked just like an NFL draft announcement, except it had the Washington logo next to the LinkedIn logo. But he did the more traditional, I want to thank my, my, my coaches. And, and at the end, he, he said, I want to declare myself with job market. So Michael Denning put a new Twitter account. I want to thank my coaches. And at the end, he said, I want to declare myself in the job market.

So, Michael Denning put a new twist on this. And I'll just read this to you. I feel like every word is gold, so we need to give it proper tribute. Dear Rocket Nation, I want to thank you for supporting me through my time at Toledo. After careful thought, I've realized a great deal about myself and my life. I realized that life is no longer calling me to a career in football, but to pursue

other passions, namely male modeling and being a movie star. After deep reflection, I grew to realize that no matter where I was, I was never the best kicker, but by God, if I wasn't the most handsome man in any locker room I have ever step foot in. My immense mediocrity at the sport I have dedicated so many years of my life to has been brought to light by four years of underwhelming performances. Through it all, however, I remain the most cunning, charismatic, devilishly handsome, and eccentric man within the two organizations I embrace with my presence. It is obvious that many NFL GMs and executives

may be surprised by this decision as I am widely favored to be a first-round pick. With this, I say, especially to Roger Goodell, you may breathe a sigh of relief, my friend, but remain vigilant. As I enter unemployment and begin gracing covers of male modeling magazines and Hollywood big screens, I ask that you please keep me in your minds, not as awesome cool guy Mike, but as your friendly neighborhood kicker. 48 out. That's how you go out! Oh, is that, are you doing Magnum? Or is that Blue Steel? That's what he was doing in his picture.

Yeah. Hide your wives. Hide your wives, guys. Coming. Coming for them. Listen. He could look like the guy in mask. With that personality.

Hide your wife. Yeah. Guys. It's been a pleasure. We got more college football playoff talk, more national championship talk tomorrow. We're going to get you ready for the biggest game of the season. Talk to you tomorrow.