Andy & Ari On3 - UNDER PRESSURE: Does Auburn's Hugh Freeze or Oklahoma's Brent Venables face more?

Episode Date: July 16, 2025

Ari has unveiled his list of the coaches under the most pressure this season, and the three guys at the top are in Atlanta this week for SEC media days.(0:00-0:30) Intro(0:31-22:40) Ari's 10 coaches under most pressure(22:41-30:41) How good can Auburn be?(30:42-35:54) How much pressure is on Brent Venables(35:55-39:40) Sarkisian walks out to A&M War Hymn(39:41-41:10) Big Recruiting Day for Texas(41:11-51:49) Arch Manning takes over SEC media days(51:50-57:24) Sir Paul Cheeks commits to West Virginia(57:25-1:10:05) What would an executive order on NIL look like?(1:10:06-1:11:18) Conclusion: Dear Andy & Ari on Friday! Auburn’s Hugh Freeze sounded on Tuesday like a guy who understands the assignment, which is a shift from some of his comments earlier this year. He knows he needs to win with a roster that is better than Auburn has had in a long time. Wednesday, Oklahoma’s Brent Venables and Florida’s Billy Napier take the stage. Venables is probably under the most pressure. Napier lived through it last season, but he still has to show more improvement. Also, Arch Manning took media days by storm. OK, not really. He gave nice, polite answers and Andy is waiting for the more unfiltered stuff from Omaha productions. Late Tuesday, CBS News reported that President Donald Trump intends to sign an executive order related to college sports “in the coming days.” What does that mean? And what might that look like?  Want to watch our show? Join us LIVE on YouTube, M-F at 9:30 am et! https://youtube.com/live/gDoom6ENa-E Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari WassermanProducer: River Bailey Want to partner with the show? E-mail [e-mail]

Welcome to Andy and Ari on three. No pressure on us, but lot of pressure on the coaches who are bracing us with their presence at SEC media days. We had Hugh Freeze there on Tuesday, Trent Rennebles and Billy Napier there on Wednesday. Ari, you have a column at on three and it is. Very interesting read because it is the 10 coaches under the most pressure going into the season and. It's fascinating to me because it's it's not a hot seat list per day. But it is at the top. I fundamentally disagree with the notion that we're not under pressure. We are also under pressure pressure to perform.

I think so. I put pressure are also under pressure to perform. I think so. I put pressure on myself every day to perform. You know, you want to do what's best for the company that's kind enough to sign your checks. But yeah, so a lot of times you see lists of like hot seat candidates. And I feel like obviously inherently, or the most pressure a human being can inherently face is being faced with the prospect of potentially losing employment. But I also understand and know that being a fired coach is the best job in America, and they're not wired that way. They're not concerned about their jobs. They're concerned about the reputation or their ability to succeed. And maybe those two things coincide with one another. But I think that there's other people that may be on the hot seat that aren't facing as much pressure as people who have reputations on the line. Is that a fair thought? I think it is a fair thought because it look for instance Brent Pry is not on your list No, Virginia Tech coach if he has a bad year, he probably is getting fired. Yeah

In terms of just the amount of pressure on top of him. Brian Kelly is actually under more probably But his buyout is so high that he's not getting fired What do you think is like having more heartburn before they go to bed at night? Brent Pry or Lincoln Riley? I think that if Brent Pry were to be fired, he would find another job and potentially work himself back into being a head coach. Yeah, he'd be power conference defensive coordinator making seven figures immediately. And then also, his entire reputation as a human being

isn't altered. If Lincoln Riley has a terrible season this year, I guess if you're not gonna get fired, you always have the opportunity to make up for it later because reputations can be changed. But man, how we view Lincoln Riley now versus how we viewed him the day he was hired at USC or night and day. And USC fans don't like to hear it, but like the actual thought process towards him from the general fan and media member has altered. Mine's altered dramatically. So yeah, I went through it and there are hot seat elements to it. You know, there are a few people on there that, you know, but also to say your top three. Yeah. So you have number one, Brent Venables at Oklahoma.

Number two, Hugh Freeze at Auburn. Number three, Billy Napier at Florida. Obviously you're going to hear from, from Venables and Napier today. Kalen DeBoer is up there right now. Uh, who he's also on your list. Alabama's coach. Now, one sentence, it's all the sec and then been done.

I might just quote one sentence. It's all the SEC and then been done. But there are a lot of coaches in the SEC that face pressure because expectations to win at a higher level, I think are probably more rampant. I don't know. I actually just had this thought right now. But whose expectations in terms of what's acceptable are higher, USC or Auburn?

And is that normal? Or should that be the case? Well, Auburn's are definitely higher right now. I mean Auburn's expectations of what the baseline thing a coach has to do to be acceptable are are at the bottom higher than USC's. Yes, but I'm glad you said that because as high as USC's. That's the thing they don't wait. We piled on Hugh Freeze. Because he did that interview

with the radio station where he said, well, the goal obviously is to make a bowl game and everybody jumped on him, including us like no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, you're not understanding the goal at Auburn's to win the national championship. So is the goal, you can't even,

even if that's not possible this year, you can't say the goal is to make a ball game. Right, but if Lincoln Riley came out and said the goal is to win nine or 10 games this year, I don't know that he would have gotten roasted as bad as Hugh did. And maybe that's the difference because you know, I am the big tenor on the show and you're the SEC guy. It's a great dynamic.

But and we have some comments and reviews on our podcast saying that we focus heavily on the SEC. So I'm not going to help us in this regard. But like I do think that there is a fundamental difference in terms of what is expected of coaches in the SEC. So I'm not going to help us in this regard, but like I do think that there is a fundamental difference in terms of what is expected of coaches in the SEC than the Big Ten. And I think that what you're saying is in the SEC it just yes, it's exactly what I'm saying. I'm not in the documentary, but that that honestly could have hit in the documentary, right? Like that line. that honestly could have hit in the documentary, right? Like that line. But that's true though. Like Penn State in USC in Michigan, if you think about the the runways their coaches have had. I think Michigan's flipped on that. I think Michigan

is now in the in the same boat as the SEC schools. That's the next point I was going to make though, is that I don't think that's a permanent thing. But I think generally speaking, for the past 15 years, I don't think that's a permanent thing, but I think generally speaking for the past 15 years Jim Harbaugh's runway at Michigan if the COVID year was at Auburn, he would have been fired like and I don't know if the flipped at Michigan when when they cut his pay and Almost fired him like that's when that's when you're like, oh, no, they're gonna they're doing things differently now How many you're at Auburn and they did fire Gus after the COVID year at Auburn? things differently now. How many years at Auburn? And they did fire Gus after the COVID year at Auburn.

How many years has James Franklin been shredding water in terms of like he is who we think he is, but he hasn't broken through? Even when he got the God contract, I think you could make the case at the time, and maybe people have changed his Penn State had a very good year last year, but at the time that Penn State extended him for 10 years and gave him that fully or 90% guaranteed contract, I think you could make the case that half of the Penn State fan base was not happy about that, you know? And I just don't know how many times in the SEC that I can think of where a coach has been extended for long periods of time when the fan base isn't necessarily happy with where the

program is. And maybe that's Penn State being spoiled because they have been one of the more consistent programs under James Franklin But you can't get mad at them or neg them for wanting more, you know So like even Oregon, I mean you're talking about the the highest Profile jobs in the Big Ten don't really have long histories of winning national titles. I mean if you think about the four Biggest brands in the SEC They've all won national titles in the last decade. If you think about the four biggest brands in the Big Ten, only two have, and Michigan went like 25 years in between them.

So, like, I just think that there's a difference in terms of, like, what's expected. I mean, even at Ohio State, their expectation is to win the national championship every year, but they only won one in 10 years. And a lot of their best teams fell short. And the notion of firing Ryan Day didn't only become a reality until he lost to Michigan for the fourth time in a row and then he saved himself. But- Winning the national title, which is still- Did Alabama lose to Auburn four times in a row and keep their coach? Well, no, Mike Shula is now the offensive coordinator in South Carolina.

So that tells me. The last time that happened was what? When was, you know the years Mr. Historian in your brain. When it happened, it happened in the early 2000s. Early 2000s, I thought it was late 90s, but yes. No, it was the early 2000s. Tommy Tubberlue was Auburn coach. Remember one for the thumb to get five in a row. That's why Nick Saban was brought in. Yeah. So let's play a little game.

They'll get back to the list. If you look at this beautiful Big Ten graphic River, please put it back up. How many programs do you see there in the Big Ten that have fundamental expectations that match Auburn's? Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Oregon. I think I would disagree with the Oregon Penn State part. I think they do now. They probably do now, maybe in the last year, but Penn State,

when you offer somebody a contract of 10 years, 90% guaranteed money, having not made the playoff and won the Big 10 once in 10 years, you're saying that's that he's meeting expectations, no? I mean, that's basically all the big SEC school contracts too, so I know,

but Auburn has won a national title in my adult life. Yes, that is true. That is true. And if you look at the biggest brands in the SEC, LSU, Georgia, Alabama, they've all won national titles. Now, the only one that I think maybe Texas mirrors some of these programs because Texas is 20 years removed

from its last national title, which makes me feel incredibly old. Texas has also been able to prove my ceiling theory right, and that they've been able to transcend into the one of the three best programs. We're going to get into this in the show, I think one of the three best programs in America without having winning one yet. And I think that they will probably win one in the next

four years. But I think Penn State and Oregon are in the same boat where they are in the top 10 programs in America, or even Oregon, maybe the top five. they just haven't won one yet. And I just think that there's a separation between Texas and Oregon and there's a separation. All right. But let's talk about the ones that are under the most pressure.

The ones that are actually under not, not who's not under the most pressure. Let's talk about who's under the most pressure. And that is Auburn, you Freeze, breadvennables. Billing ape year is a weird one because he was under this amount of pressure last year and survived it and has to do it again. Now, do all of this over again, which is crazy. But I want to I want you to hear something you free said yesterday, I think. I think he understands now like I think it got to him after the the six and six comment the make a bowl game comment. I think he figured out wait maybe that's not the message I want to send.

I mean I embrace I embrace the expectations of Auburn you should have them there and I think every season you should have the expectations. But the exciting thing now is I really like this locker room. And I like the kids, I like coaching them, I like our staff. And I think we are primed, it's time now to be in every game and then start finding a way to win them by doing the little things better that we didn't last year. I embrace the expectations. Good.

You should also he's got a really good roster. He should expect to win a bunch of games. Yeah. Well, the question I wanted to ask you, and I've been waiting all morning to ask is obviously we have three coaches, the top three on this list are all SEC coaches that could be fired at the end of this year. Right. Of the three in your mind, how many will be fired? One. I think one is the correct answer. I don't know which one. I don't know which one either,

but I feel like Oklahoma and Auburn are both programs with a lot of potential coming into the year. I don't think that both of them are gonna meet them. And that's the thing, like Florida is a different animal. Like Florida is, it feels to me like very dependent on DJ Lagway's health. If DJ Lagway's healthy, Florida's probably in most games. You probably see the improvement you want to see. Like for Billy Napier, the wheels really need to fall off.

For that, for him to get fired. It's still expensive to fire him. But the difference is, and like if I was setting betting odds for coaches most likely to be fired, I think Billy Napier of the three would be the favorite because Billy Napier's baseline accomplishment to maintain his job is much higher against a pretty tough schedule. True. He does have to be better than last year and against this schedule better than last year

is going to be hard. If Billy Napier goes eight and four, I think he's gone. But I think if Brent Venables goes eight and four or Qier goes 8 and 4, I think he's gone. But I think if Brent and Venables goes 8 and 4 or Q free because he goes 8 and 4, they could conceivably be back. Is that a fair statement? It is a fair statement. And like, as I always say with these things, it depends on the 8 and it depends on the 4. But I agree with that fundamentally. And the thing with Venables and the Freeze, I think Venables and Freeze feel like

they're in the same boat to me because if it goes right, you'll know it and it'll keep going right. And if it goes wrong, it's just going to fall off the face of the planet. Yeah. What's weird about that is, now I say that, and as I'm seeing Brent

Vittable and Billy Napier in the same picture, it was going that kind of wrong for Florida last year and they did turn it around against a really hard schedule. So I, if Florida had the same exact years they had last year, that's not enough. No. And what would, I mean, the same exact year as last year for Florida in this case would probably be like getting blown out by LSU in Miami losing to Texas. See, the thing is if Florida has the same kind of year as last year, they'll start off two and four and then there really won't be any questions. Do they lose their first four SEC games last year?

No, because they had Mississippi State in there. OK, because like here's the thing about the record comparisons too. It's like there's a chance that Billy Napier might not get the opportunity to go eat in four. Like if they start off three and three, he could be gone in the middle of the year, right? I don't think they would do that. You don't? No. They just thought about it last year but they just changed their mind and they wouldn't think about it again? Oh they'll think about it I just don't know they'd do it at three and three I think they'd wait a little bit longer. Okay because three and three means you started one and three in the SEC or sorry I mean he could be oh and three in the SEC at three and three.

He'd be oh and three if they beat Miami right if they lose LSU Texas and A&M I can totally picture in my head Andy them starting off to and oh losing to LSU beating Miami Getting blown out by Texas and then losing on the road here. Here's the thing about that right now You still you still would have to beat Georgia in this scenario which if you if you've lost those three first SEC games, then you probably can't but maybe maybe

You could start off three and three and go nine and three Yeah, I mean I guess that's true I just feel like I could picture the A&M game representing the same game that the What who did who were they lose to when we were at Wisconsin? I can't remember Texas A&M game representing the same game that the, who were they lose to when we were at Wisconsin? I can't remember. Texas A&M. Right, that's what I thought.

So like the A&M game could be the same exact game. That Texas A&M game for Florida was, I mean, cause we talked that week about how they needed to start DJ Lagway and that would give them a better chance. They still would have lost that game because they, they got demolished upfrontensively in that game. Yeah. And control that game on the line of scrimmage.

Now it's in the chat as a good point. Like if they beat Miami, you probably get a little extra rope because winning a rivalry game that you got blown out any year ago is probably a good sign of improvement, but like three and three. I don't know if you can go one and three against the, I think you've got to beat LSU. I think you've got to beat LSU. I think I and and this is this is where that game becomes so critical because I say the same thing when we talk about Brian Kelly.

I think LSU has got to beat Florida and I think Florida has got to beat LSU and only one gets to win that game. Yeah, but only one coach could conceivably be fired in the middle of the year in that matchup. So like anyway, this conversation that we're having is an illustration of the why he's on the list. Yeah. I mean like, oh no, there's no question. There's no question. And I just, I hate that he's got to do it twice, but that's life. And in jobs that pay this much, like you have to keep proving it over and over again. With Brett Venables, he could go eight and four and be a hero.

Like depending on what that looks like again. Depending on the eight and depending on the four. But I mean, you can't get to eight and four on the schedule without winning a few of your big games. Their schedule is. Steve in the chat. Doesn't Venables get a longer leash with the horrific schedule? No, you're not allowed to be bad at Oklahoma. No, I think you get a longer leash.

I think he does get a longer leash as it pertains to record. I do not listen. It's not an accident that Jocasta, Leo and the athletic director is retiring before the end of this season. He does not get a longer leash. You are not allowed to be bad at Oklahoma. If they're bad this year, they will live in bad. We're saying two different things.

I think eight and four doesn't mean they're bad against that. Yeah, eight and four is fine. Yeah, but here's the bad. Here's the deal again. He's gone. But if they go eight and four, that means they will have likely beaten, you know, for you beating you Texas, Alabama. You've beaten a playoff team probably. Yeah.

And you know what I think? There are two big tent pole games on this schedule. One, like it or not, Michigan is one. And Michigan is one because I don't know that it's a big brand, it's a big off non-conference game, but in theory, Michigan should be a winnable game for Oklahoma. A healthy Oklahoma. True freshman quarterback starting his first road game for Michigan,

presumably with Bryce Underwood. You have home notoriously tricky defense like Brent Venables is known for a very confusing defense. You're often supposed to be better. You win that game at home. Oklahoma're often supposed to be better. You win that game at home. Oklahoma's supposed to win the game. I actually think Oklahoma will win that game

if I had to guess right now, but the number one game that he will be judged by. And this isn't rocket science is Texas, and I don't think that Texas means they have to win their rivalry. I think they have to be in a game where they could conceivably win in the fourth quarter. Yeah.

Don't get blown out. Because last year, the lowest point of last year was when they lost to Texas, we were both there, Andy, and somebody asked them in the news conference after the game. And we talked about this on the car on the way to the big 12 media day last week. And somebody said, is the, uh, gap between you and Texas, um, concerning and then that they're competing for a national title and you can't stay on the same field as them. And he said no. And we talked about how maybe he didn't have, like, there's no right answer to that question. And I think I agree with that. But like that to me, when I was in the press conference, like...

Yes, the answer is it should concern you. You know, we know how coaches are. They don't want to admit the obvious sometimes. Like it's not a sign of weakness to admit after you got your ass beat like that, that there's a gap between the two teams. I was sitting 10 feet away from him when he said no, and I had a pit in my stomach for him. I was like, that's not, that's not the answer.

And the thing is, like you said, be in the game. Be in the game in the fourth quarter. That's what happened the year before and Oklahoma won it. Because I think Oklahoma fans are rampant, but I think they're being reasonable in that they want, their team last year stunk, right? Is that a fair thing to say? They weren't very good. Okay. Right. I think if they are much better and pretty good next year, this coming year, and that bears out in a competitive game with Texas, it bears out in winning against another playoff team and going eight and four, that's more than acceptable. And that's what I mean by extra leash with schedule because eight and four wouldn't be acceptable most years. Eight and four would be an absolute death toll in the big 12, but eight and four against a schedule in which you're playing Texas, Michigan,

Tennessee, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Alabama and LSU. Like that's, that means that they beat, they won two of those games. And I think that's a, that they wouldn't have been able to win two of those games last year, even if they beat a bad Alabama team or a down. And in three against this schedule, depending on what happens to everybody else might even get you into playoff. Nine and three against the schedule, I think gets them in the playoff. Yeah.

So that's the challenge. The Oklahoma schedule, more so than the Florida schedule, which is very hard, and the Auburn schedule, has the potential to just eat someone alive though. That's the, show us the Oklahoma schedule again, River. This last seven games. So Texas in Dallas at South Carolina, Ole Miss at Tennessee, at Alabama, Missouri at home, LSU at home. That is miserable. Because every one of those games there is not a single yes, you're going to win game in that block. Now we'll see how Tennessee looks and Missouri looks when

the season starts because obviously they're starting new quarterbacks. Maybe something changes but given what Tennessee and Missouri have been in the past few years, those will not be easy games. That is unfathomably brutal. And the difference between Oklahoma last year and this year is that Oklahoma absolutely. Cannot lose games.

They're supposed to win. Because there's no there's no margin for error. Yeah, and like when I rattle off their schedule, I didn't even say Auburn Auburn might be a nine and three team to like they have a really really hard schedule. Well, the Auburn Oklahoma game is is another one of those I very much like Florida LSU like you both got to win it and only if you can narrative in that game is going to make

it a bigger game than it might have been otherwise. Well, I'm glad you mentioned that too, because Jackson Arnold coming from Oklahoma to Auburn probably understands all of this that we're talking about better than anybody else. Hugh Freeze got asked about Jackson Arnold's confidence and how you handle that coming off of that last season Oklahoma. His answer was very interesting for a lot of reasons. Yeah, the judge of that I think will come. Actually, we are doing personality tests for all of our entire building.

And I really enjoyed studying that on Jackson and myself. And the owner of the company kind of came and sat with me and went through mine, my coordinators and the quarterbacks and gave me his ideas and I thought he was brilliant. I really do. And it helped me a lot understand, you know, how Jackson and Deuce and Ashton, how do they need to be coached by me? Because I can be, as he pointed out several times,

I can be that Michael Jordan side of, you got to get this right, why didn't you get it right? You know, instead I probably need to be more of the Scottie Pippen sometimes with some quarterbacks and I think it's helped Jackson and Deuce and I because I just I know even when I see them right now I saw him sitting out there the things that we discussed at that meeting immediately popped to my mind about what is it that the Jackson needs to hear from me right now? Or what is it that Deuce or Ashton, and I need to do the whole team.

I just don't know that I can, my memory is that good, but it's been very helpful. And I think he had to regain confidence. And I think that we've taken a lot of steps toward that and I feel really good about that right now. Ultimately, I don't think there's any way you're going to really judge it until we hit the field. But he's got the swagger right now in the respect of this football team and a great understanding of our offense. Ellis the chat Michael Jordan is a crazy comp.

Not so crazy when you realize which version of Michael Jordan he's talking about. He's talking about like when he was with the Wizards and he's just selling Kwame Brown like, hey, why can't you just do this idiot? Just be good like me. Like that. And that was that was his problem last year with Peyton Thorne. Why can't you just do it? And then he throws him under the bus. Yeah.. Why can't you just do and then he throws him under the bus.

Yeah, why can't you just do this? Yeah, and so maybe he's getting that but the Jackson Arnold piece of it is more more interesting because. How much of this was? Just a perfect storm of bad at Oklahoma last year, lazy offensive coordinator hire. Offensive line was not good enough. Quarterback was dealing with all of that,

was a first year starter. Horrific injuries to all of their best receivers. How much of that was the perfect storm? And are we maybe underestimating Oklahoma and Jackson Arnold because of those things? Yeah. Well, the thing that you know about me when it comes to Arnold is like, I don't know that last year was a fair shake in terms of his evaluate evaluating

him and like has Auburn even like officially announced him as the starter. I know there was some question about that. This is in the fact that he's there is Yeah, like announcement now and talking about him. I think that it's pretty clear who it is. But he could be really, really good still. Maybe he isn't going to be good. I don't know, but I don't know that jumping to a conclusion about him based on last year is smart.

I think that he had a very fractured season too. Not only did he not have an offensive line that could block for him, his entire receiving core was injured and he got yanked in and out of the lineup. Like, what do you expect from a first year starter? And the OC was overwhelmed. Was not, and he may have been overwhelmed

by the injuries to the receivers and the poor quality offensive line that he inherited. But yeah, all of it was bad. the injuries to the receivers for the portal, but obviously there's something about it he liked. So yeah, I mean, I do like it for coaching. He wants to see what personalities fit him and his coaching style. And if that fits not good, then don't grab that guy out of the portal. So I completely understand him doing that. Can you handle being thrown under the bus? And Jackson Earl is like, yes, I can. I have been many times. Personal. Yeah. What is, have you ever taken a personality test? Yes. Yeah. I guess there's one that's

like fame. Like that's pretty Myers-Briggs. I'm, I am an ENTP. I went through most of life thinking I was an ENFP, but I am not a feel feeler I am more of a thinker as my wife pointed out. Yeah there's multiple tests like my wife made me take one and we don't remember my results but I think that it's probably willful forgetness or that's not you get what I'm saying willful ignorance or forgetness is an over but you get it she forgot on purpose because I'm a crazy person I don't know. That's interesting. It's like kind of like mine is called the debater. Then maybe that's what I am too. I like to argue with people. Um,

yeah, the, the, the personality test is the wonder lick, but the results don't tell you how smart you are, just whether or not I'm going to like you. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. Again, can you handle being thrown under the bus and Jackson Arnold was thrown under the bus a lot. Yeah, what if it was just a ten questionnaire of like Hugh Freeze asking how like questions for himself and it wasn't the official personality test. I'm not putting it past him. God, if yeah, if Hugh Freeze were to throw Jackson Arnold under the bus, that would be the I think that's the nail in the coffin. I mean Jackson got thrown in front of literal

buses last year if we're calling Dylan Stewart a bus like Arnold said yesterday that his welcome to the SEC moment his first his true welcome to the SEC moment was just standing behind the line of scrimmage and looking at South Carolina's defensive line like, oh my God, these people are huge. Yeah. Yeah. That is maybe the difference between the Big 12 and the SEC, right? Like you don't go play BYU and face those animals. Dylan Stewart is not there and he's not bookended by Kyle Canard.

Yeah, Jackson Arnold in the Big 12 would have gone and played. TCU and they would have been a very good team, but they wouldn't have had those animals right and at that point Oklahoma's offensive line was in shambles. There had been injuries. The confidence was at an all-time low like that South Carolina game was not even a competition. There was no question who was gonna win that game. It was just, he just got annihilated. He essentially was thrown to the wolves in that game.

Yeah. Also, don't think any team with a fractured, bad offensive line could have beaten that South Carolina team last year. No. It's just terrible. Is there? But that's the thing, like, not only are we potentially underestimating Jackson Arnold on that front, we also may be underestimating Oklahoma because of that, assuming it will

be like, because it's not, it's a new offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle. We've talked to our folks at Sooners Scoop about how philosophically they changed the recruiting on the offensive line a few years ago, but that sort of takes time to catch up. And then you've got John Matier, obviously, who we've seen perform at a very high level when he was Washington State's quarterback. And people have a hard time forgetting what happened last year and when evaluating the next year. Like, oh, they stunk last year, so they're going to stink again. This Oklahoma team is completely different. The receivers are going to be mostly different. Dion Burke's is back. Burke is going to be a dog.

So I don't know what that that's what makes it so hard to predict because I can talk about how hard the schedule is, but they also could be really good. It's sort of the same thing with Florida. Like, it's a very hard schedule, but the Florida team that beat LSU and Ole Miss at the end of last year, well, they can play with everybody on that schedule. So what if Oklahoma is capable of playing with Texas? Like you said, being in the game in the fourth quarter. Well, guess what? That means they can play with every other team on the schedule too. I think it's very conceivable that Oklahoma could be five

and oh going into that Texas game. Which would be very interesting because you could go five and oh and still finish eight and four, but you know what? That's probably still okay. As long as the four aren't all blowouts. I think that if Oklahoma goes five and oh and plays a competitive game against Texas that Brent Venables will be the coach next year. I think that that's fair.

I think that's fair. So, and this, this whole lot of big gifts because it's a big if on Michigan. It's a big if on Auburn. Yeah. And it's a big if on paying competitive football with Texas, who I think is the national championship favorite. So like, I mean, like that's the thing too, like beating Auburn in a game like 24 to 20 or whatever 31 to 28. The gap between doing that and hanging with a team that is like a superpower national champion contender are very different

asks too. So you might be able to, I mean, you could go five and only and get blown out by Texas. Like, I mean, like that's, you know how it is, but Oklahoma really as love of love for the game podcast puts out here, like four and eight or nine and three seems both like not insane. Both, both are in the realm of possibility. Absolutely. I'm leaning towards more nine and three. I'm not. But I'm also not leaning toward four and eight. I think it's somewhere in the middle there, but that but that's where it gets really like somewhere six and six ish. Yeah, and that's where it gets really dicey and that's where questions have to be asked and answered and they're going to be talking about because I watched John material highlights

last night. So like my brain is like every time and hey that that'll get you charged up. That'll get you real charged up really, really good like he's he's awesome. If you think Auburn has a chance to go night it will you do because you think that Auburn's team top to bottom. I think Auburn's overall rosters

probably better and better suited and their schedule is not as hard. Even though their schedule is hard, it's not as hard. Is it possible? That at the end of the year and I've got like this like I'm like this is a nervous question. Yeah, that john material is the best quarterback in the SEC in

November. It is possible. Go watch us. You have it. Definitely Andy I'm talking to them. Go highlights if you have it. It's fun. And while you're at it, I feel like we should just if we're signing homework. Just go watch some job. It's your highlights. Watch some Devin Dampe your highlights from from New Mexico really prime. Gio Lopez highlights from South Alabama. I get to know these guys who are moving from group of five schools to power.

We get watch some Darien Mensah too. I watched Darien Mensah yesterday for a while because I was doing my top 10 ACC quarterbacks. That list is out on three right now. And Darien Mensah is that dude. There's nothing there's nothing John Matier can do this year to get drafted higher than some of the other players in his conference, but he can definitely be a more exciting, effective college quarterback for this season.

And that's one thing that, you know, the homework concept is funny because if it is July 16th as we record this right now, and if you are in the, I can't wait to have football foaming at the mouth mode, because like we are noticing our numbers are starting to creep back up. People are starting to get back engaged if you are in that. But you are also a fan that has been fixated on your favorite team or your conference. Do yourself a favor and appetize yourself with familiarizing yourself with some of these quarterbacks

you probably didn't watch much last year because of the teams that they were on. And just go watch long YouTube videos of the way that they play the game. It'll help frame how you view stuff. Like I think if you think that Oklahoma is going to stink this year, and I think that you can't think that while also not, while also being fully aware of who John Matier is. Well, and the other part of it is in this era of college football, when you can drastically change your team year over year, it's you got to forget what happened last year, good or bad, because a team could be entirely different and Oklahoma should be radically different this year.

Now their rivals in Red River are going to still be good even though they're different, even though Texas brings in a new quarterback, replaces most of its offensive line. They're still going to have really good players. Steve Sarkeesian and the Longhorns showed up at SEC Media Days yesterday. Do we have Steve Sarkeesian's entrance on the big stage. Steve Sarkeesian. All righty. Welcome. It's always fitting being part of the Southeastern Conference now. Hear those horns? That is not the Texas fight song. That was the Aggie war hymn, which is

about Texas. Goodbye to Texas University. Yes, I'm off, so I'm off. Goodbye to the orange and the white. That's where I lose it. I don't know the rest of the lyrics. Well, is it? Do you want your fight song to be all about your rival? It's a good, like a living rent free thing. You want to know what I would do if I were a coach Andy? Hmm. Because I'm assuming that Steve Sarkeesian was keenly aware as he walked up. I'm sure he was and I'm sure it's just some sound guy who's from Atlanta who pressed the

wrong button. Okay. But if I were him, I would say, oh, it's good to hear that song. Didn't hear it a lot in college station last fall. Oh, that's how rivalries, right? That would've been perfect. I don't think Sark is that type. Like that's that Steve Spurrier would have immediately.

Like if you, if Steve Spurrier walked out to Rocky top, if they just played Rocky Top as Steve Spurrier was walking over the Georgia fight song, he absolutely would have said that. Yeah, like I feel like more of that would be good for us. It'd be tremendous. Cause I didn't hear much of it last year. In fact, I've gone on record in saying that Hexas A&M

is the most, one of the most unique stadiums and one of the biggest, most awe inspiring stadiums I've ever seen while also maintaining that the environment was quite down considering it was never really a game. Um, well, they just couldn't do anything offensively against Texas. They don't need some great plays on defense, but yeah, they did. And like, there was a moment there in the second half where it was a one possession game, if I remember correctly, and A&M had a conceivable shot to like get back in it. And it kind of ramped up a little bit.

Even when they kept getting the ball in Texas territory, it was like, eh, because I thought that that was going to be the greatest environment that I've ever seen and maybe one of the greatest environments in college football history. And that's not what it was. So anyway, yeah, I mean we were playing this game on our group chat last night of like what would be the most embarrassing combination of coach walking out to opposing teams fight song and I think it's Ryan Day to hail to the

victors. Yeah. Yeah. I well, we'll be in Vegas next week. Maybe some some contractor in Vegas presses the victors. Yeah, yeah. I will be in Vegas next week. Maybe some some contractor in Vegas presses the wrong button. Who knows that would be because there's no joke to make. That would just be humiliating, right? Especially even if you just won the national title if you haven't beaten them.

Yeah, since 2019 like it is the only remaining elephant in Ohio States room. Right? Yeah, and I wrote a column about how like him not beating Michigan is his last like obligation that's unfulfilled and like people like why are you nitpicking? Like people like because I don't want to read that stuff after and it's like, okay, we're trying to celebrate a national title here, Ari. Yeah. But but Sark Sark handled

this very well. Also, S was having a very, very good day and presumably knew all of this stuff was coming. But James Johnson, five-star defensive lineman from Florida, flipped his commitment from Georgia to Texas yesterday. Georgia to Texas yesterday. They also got Tyler Atkinson, who's a five star linebacker from Georgia to commit. So like that's a big day on the trail for Steve Sarkisian and a big shot across the bow of the team that beat them twice last year. And remember Georgia beat them twice and Ohio State beat them. That's all that beat him. Josh Pate tweeted this yesterday and I thought it was funny. He said Steve Sarkeesian is walking around SEC media days like a mob boss,

knowing damn well what a shoulder his his soldiers are doing out on the streets right now. Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's you know, it's the christening scene essentially, you know, do you think I could do the pinky ring? You could pull off the pinky ring. I don't know if anybody kiss it, but you could pull it off. There's some people who like like a gold pinky ring. I don't think I could do it. So yeah, I look slightly embarrassing that they played the Aggie War Hymn, but sorry. Not worrying about it because he did have a good day.

Now we were busy focusing on Arch Manning being at SEC Media Days and oh man the stories. Here's the thing. Everybody was going to write about Arch Manning, talk about Arch Manning. It didn't matter what he said and I'm becoming of the mind that if you starve the beast, it makes it worse because Ross Dellinger, our friend from Yahoo wrote a story and Arch Manning said during one of these interviews that he called his father, Cooper, last week and said,

"'What should I wear to SEC Media Days?' And Cooper flew to Austin To get him fixed up Which is funny because Archmairning was wearing a Navy blazer khakis and a reptile So essentially the uniform of every frat boy in every universe say like what did he do just go to the SAE house and borrow His friends clothes exactly all all Cooper Manning had to do rather than get on a flight to Austin was say, uh, just ask a SIG up dude. Like, yeah, that's easy.

That was the most Southern outfit I've ever seen. No. Oh yeah. Okay. Yeah. It was, but now I will say Navy blue blazer khakis reptile always looks good. There's a reason it's been a classic uniform for 100 years. I've never been a and I've never done this and maybe. Maybe I'm wrong for this, but I've never been a different blazer than pant suit situation guy.

I've always had matched my my coat with my pants. Well, it's not a blazer then a blazer doesn't. Blazer doesn't match the pants. That's a suit jacket. OK, so. It's a suit. OK, so the only thing I've ever done

is worn a blazer with jeans, which I guess is like that. Yeah, yep. So it's a good look. Do you need to fly to Austin for it? Probably not, but. I'm just kinda shocked he didn't already have that. Well, I was thinking about this. I got two high schoolers now.

It is dawning on me that they're not gonna live with me much longer. And there will be time, there'll be days where I just don't get to see them. I might not hear from them because they're busy. And if one of them calls me and says, "'Dad, I need to buy laundry detergent today. You'll go.

I'm going, I'll be right there. They want me there, but I'm gonna be there. So yeah, clinging to like here, cause you know, it's funny. Your kids are just gonna go off to college in a few years. Like he's probably gonna go off to the NFL and be a full blown adult, like in a year and a half. Right? Like he's, and he not going to even be he's going to be so busy as an adult.

Like you there are no like regular days with him anymore. I don't know how to break this to you, Ari, but that's how most people do it. Like they go to college for four years and then they had a job. Like, oh, I know. But my dad would fly in when I moved to Columbus to in like, go take me to pizza and stuff and like it was just like normal moved to Columbus to go take me to pizza and stuff. It was just like normal father, he would take me to Target and buy my stuff for me. When I was 23-

Yeah, that would be very funny seeing Arch at Target. Being a 23-year-old sports writer who was making $18,000 a year is a much different father-son relationship than I think being a professional quarterback, especially because like I had to work at Allstate Insurance in the mornings when I was when I first started to pay my rent. Like by the way, if you're a young aspiring journalist and I do get a lot of emails recently, do you? Oh yeah, all the time. Okay, you want to know how we got here? Learn to speak second job, buddy. We just stayed making crap money longer than everyone else. Like everybody else, I don't know about you Andy,

but like- They all went to law school. Eventually. All my friends were sports writers for the first three years of their careers. And they're like, you know what? I'm going to go do something else and support myself. And I had a loving father and parents, mother, just as much as father,

who like floated me money every month so I could pursue the dream. You know what I mean? Like who's stupid to do anything else? Yeah. But right up a lot of debt. The people who actually seem to make it in this business are the ones who stick with it the longest. Yeah. Well, Arch is gonna make it in this business are the ones who stick with it the longest. Yeah. Well, Arch is going to make it in this business.

What's interesting to me is I was watching the different interviews. He was funny. He was engaging, but never really said anything that's going to get him in trouble. Let's play the best thing he did did which was this SEC Network Instagram post. Music. Music? Probably my brother. Is that even an option? Can I say him? Dancers I would say my dad. Dating advice? I'd say Eli. I think he's had a lot of dates in his life. He probably has some good advice. Helping people? I would say Peyton for sure. Fashion?

I'd go Eli. Cooking? You should have called Eli. None of them are very good cooks. Help with play with, I would say Peyton for sure. Fashion, I'd go Eli. Cooking. You should have called Eli. None of them are very good cooks. Probably my grandmother. Best show to watch. I would say Peyton. Probably Peyton, he seems like a very responsible guy.

He'd get on me pretty good about that. So, quick witted, funny, I can play you all the answers in the press conference where people are asking him about what text is going to be like. All the answers are short. They're engaging. They're intelligent, but he's not saying anything that's going to get him in trouble, and he's not saying anything particularly interesting.

Well, yesterday wasn't necessarily about what I said yesterday was about the reveal of being in the position that he's been meant to be. But I'm just watching him and you know what I want Ari? I want 15 minutes unfiltered of this guy because I guarantee you he's one I guarantee he's a good hang. Two he's probably funny as hell on the field. Yeah but I also think too that he's like the perfect manifestation of the grooming to be think too that he's like the perfect manifestation of the grooming to be a quarterback that he's gone through his whole life. I mean, everything from his recruiting process to being patient at Texas, everything about him has been the atypical route from somebody that you would like in that position that you would expect. And like it spits out a dude who's wearing an SAE outfit who's perfectly polished in a news conference that's going to be good at football. Like, I mean, like, it's, but, but I want more. And I think probably, and, and I

got some tweets about this, this morning, because I was making fun of the whole flying to New Orleans to put together a blue blazer and khakis. And I thought it was interesting because it was, this is regular, regular people, regular fans saying, this is what turns me off about this guy. Like everybody going crazy about what he's wearing and all that. But the thing is, we are going to cover Arch Manning because everybody's fascinated by Arch Manning. Everybody wants to hear everything about Arch Manning.

If you don't give us something interesting, we're gonna blow up something boring. That's just how it's gonna work. So in this environment, you gotta give us a little more. So what I'm wondering though is, is there an Omaha Productions Arch Manning show coming at any point? Are we gonna get that? Because I would love that. Like give me that. Give me something behind the scenes. But the thing that's, Did Eli or Payton ever do anything? Like Payton is like one of the funniest guys in the world, but did he ever do anything?

It was a different time. Yeah, it was a different time, but like Payton Manning and all these funny commercials. Yeah, oh I know. Like Payton Manning is like really, really funny. He's hysterical. We never knew who he was. And so is Eli. Eli's a little bit different sense of humor, but they're both really funny. He's hysterical. We never knew. And so is Eli. Eli's a little bit different sense of humor, but they're both really funny. The funniest one, the one that I, cause I

don't think America knew how funny these guys were. The one I think that showed us what they were was the, the, this is sports center commercial when they're with Archie and they're getting the tour of the ESPNs and it's just like kicking each other in the butt the whole time. Like that was amazing. Uh, yeah. They whole time. Like, easy. Yeah. They're playing like they were children. Yeah, I remember that those were the best commercials ever, by the way. The thing that stood out to me about that, that clip you just played is that if he thinks Eli is the best at fashion, then why didn't he call Eli to come help him for his SEC media

outfit? True. True. True. And again, like. Navy blue blazer khakis. Doesn't require a lot of assistance. So but this is this is what we get. This is what with Arch Manning.

We are going to talk about Arch Manning because every time we talk about Arch Manning the every time we talk about Arch Manning, the numbers go up. Am I wrong? Well, yeah, no, you're not wrong. I mean, it's the same thing when Nico was a freshman. It's a little bit supercharged because of his last name, but Arch Manning is the most hyped recruit of all time.

And I don't think a recruit could ever be more hyped than him. Like I think that's the because of the last name, like you could have a higher rated recruit, but they. When yours is rated higher than him. Exactly. Exactly. Right. But Arch Manning is Eli and Peyton's nephew.

So that's you cooked it up in a lab. You couldn't even create a quarterback prospect to have higher hype. Correct. Which that means there's a lot of people rooting for him to fail. There is. And who will take a victory lap if he's not great.

By the way, guess who I mentioned to Merlin the show, guess who's chimed in with something we've asked a bunch this this offseason Steve Spurrier He said the other day on on Pat Dooley's podcast And I don't know do I do I need to do this in the spur your voice? Sure you do it good If aren't you so good, how come he went starting last year over Quinn yours? You're actually really good at it. So impressions on the show that are really bad

and that one hits though. Well, James Bates is the best Steve Spurrier impression of all time. The former Florida linebacker turned artist who now paints Steve Spurrier sayings on pieces of found wood and makes lots of money doing it. It's pretty amazing. A friend of ours just got a Batesy painting with Steve Spurrier and Danny Werfel standing together and Steve Spurrier saying, Danny

you know when you sign all those autographs after practice those people just take it into the mall and sell the autographs to buy drugs. Is that what he said? That's what he said. That is a real quote from Steve Sprague. I saw a meme the other day on Instagram. I'm gonna start sending you all the things that make me laugh, because I show them to you in person,

but I don't send them to you. That said, I was just like, excuse me, sorry. Something in my throat, say something. Well, now I'm, see I gotta stall too because I just realized I made a grievous error that Sam in the chat is pointing out, but I'm gonna make sure we have the correct graphics package before we say anything else.

So you say what you're gonna say and then I'm gonna say what I'm gonna say. It was just a tweet somebody posted. I got berated for giving a homeless man money outside of a 7-Eleven yesterday, and they told me all they're gonna do is buy drugs and booze with it. And I was like, yeah, what'd you think I was gonna buy?

With it. I don't know why that just made me laugh. That one, that particular one hits for you. I mean, you know. It is amazing though, how all of this works. Yeah, I mean, you know. It is amazing though how all of this works. River, I'm struggling with this. Can you please find the graphic that we put out? It came from the rivals.

Main account about the player who committed to West Virginia yesterday because. It is a a it's pretty spectacular. It's the rare case where the nickname is eclipsed by the given name. Okay, I just sent River the graphics. So River's gonna thumbs up me when he's ready to roll it. That would be a really good name for speaking of NCAA online names. Like King of Condoms does not hit quite as hard as this name would be. This name is

incredible. All right. Rivers got a thumbs up. So Sam in the chat says Saturday. Ari and Andy haven't covered the biggest recruiting story from yesterday. I 2026 three star running back Sir Paul Cheeks has committed to West Virginia Sir Paul Cheeks. Now that's his name Sir Paul Cheeks has committed to West Virginia. Sir Paul Cheeks. Now that's his name. Sir Paul Cheeks. His nickname is Jesus in cleats. And somehow that's not better than Sir Paul Cheeks. Yeah, Sir Paul Cheeks. You know, I would be, his nickname should be the Clapper, but I don't know if that's

maybe a discussion for a different player. They should play a different yin-yang twin song every time he scores. You know, I'm here for West Virginia getting back to being one of the most fun teams in the country to watch, and if they like play anything like Jacksonville State, they will be. Um, cause they are going to run really up tempo, fast offense, right? Right. You imagine getting your, getting the ball, uh, run down the throat by sir. Paul Cheeks.

I mean, if it's sir Paul Cheeks, the next Steve Slayton, Noel divine, like, what are we dealing with here? We just got clapped by sir. Paul Cheeks. Oh my god, Jesus and Cleats. Yeah. Did he give him like I have so many questions. Did he give himself the nickname? Why did anybody feel the need to give him a nickname when his name is already Sir Paul Cheeks? I'm just thinking about Jesus in cleats right now. Like that what that would look like. I mean, well if there was water on the field he wouldn't eat cleats. You imagine though walking on water with cleats on? It'd be

pretty amazing. Yeah, yeah so this was big. This is big. West Virginia is back in the news cycle and for very different reasons, but. I will only refer to him as the clapper and then until well, like or if let's say they lose to somebody this year and then in the rematch next year. Sir Paul goes crazy and scores three touchdowns. The headline is automatically West Virginia claps back behind cheeks. Yeah, right, yeah, because there's no funnier way to refer to sex then clapping cheeks, right? Like that's the funniest. It's not just sex. Again I

mentioned the yin-yang twins. Yeah oh yes. There's cheeks clapping in various. You can twerk and your cheeks will clap if you got enough vats. Depends if you got a moony for it. Yeah. Or unfortunately and I'm sorry about this Sir Paul, this is probably gonna happen at some point in your career. There will be a game that you don't play well and West Virginia loses and they'll say, well, that was cheeks. Oh yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. But hopefully there will be more about cheeks clapping than about being cheeks. Did you think that we would ever talk about something on the show that would lead you to say you can twerk and your cheeks will clap on the show? I assumed we'd get there eventually. You explained to me the entire Magic City business plan in like one second. Yes, I explained all of Atlanta-based crunk rap

from 2000 to 2010. Oh, hello. I got to be honest, the first time I heard whistle while you twerk before Disney made them remove the seven George whistling. That was on my that was on my workout playlist for years. Years. Oh, is that the show? I don't know. What else do you got? We have one more topic. Okay, what else? We go from Sir Paul Cheeks, Jesus and Cleats, to the President of the United States, Donald Trump. I forgot about this. Here we go. CBS

News reported on Tuesday night that Donald Trump intends to sign the executive order, quote, incoming days, establishing national standards for the NCAA's name, image and likeness program. Now, there's a lot going on with this. Like Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner got asked about this this morning and Sankey's like, the NCAA doesn't have a name, image and likeness program. So we don't know what anything, Donald Trump is going to do. We talked to somebody, Aria, you and I talked to somebody recently who said that Trump was going to do something in June related to college sports, and then the US bombed Iran, and obviously that took a back seat and they pushed it.

So perhaps this is that thing? I don't know. But what would you put in your executive order? Why don't you start with this? I have no idea. I don't either. Pete Nakos and I have been on texting all morning trying to figure out what's going on. Because even the usual suspects who've been involved in a lot of the push for a congressional bill and all that don't know what this is. don't know what they're planning.

So you could do something like, I was assuming it would be something the schools want, like athletes can't be employees. The schools want Congress to make a law saying athletes can't be employees. Donald Trump could issue an executive order theoretically saying that. In what's the goal of this? Is the goal to help the schools or the athletes? The schools for sure. So that would be probably the number one. No this is this will be about helping the man not about. Yeah oh yeah yeah yeah uh that would probably be the number one thing then, right? That's what I would think now.

I don't think that changes much. Because you could even still do collective bargaining if the players are contractors like that, even if you forbid them from being w2 employees that get benefits and that can get workers compensation like. You could still do CBAs. Like think about all the jobs in Hollywood. Like when the writer's guild goes on strike and that sort of thing,

they're contractors, but they have CBAs. So you could still like what Mike Gundy said to us last week, where, where he's like, you got to collectively bargain. You could probably still do that even if they're not W-2 employees. Is there an executive order that the president could sign that could allow the clearinghouse NIL system to actually work without being sued? Not without being sued because it's just an executive order. Like, I don't think he can give them an antitrust exemption through an executive order. Maybe he can, I mean, he can do anything.

He can put out any executive order he wants. But I feel like Greg Sank the other day talking about the bill on Capitol Hill and Schoolhouse Rock. There was no Schoolhouse Rock on executive orders. But I believe Schoolhouse Rock cover checks and balances. Andy, the judicial branch can check an executive order. I believe Schoolhouse Rock covered checks and balances. Andy. The judicial branch can check an executive order. And you're seeing that with various executive orders

that have to do with other things. He's issued more executive orders himself than like the previous 20 presidents combined, right? Right, so. So how are they working? There's no telling what he's gonna say. You can challenge it in court, the court can overturn it over the court could uphold it.

So like, I don't know. Personally, me, if I were issuing one executive order for college football, it would be immediately changing the rule that you're down once you hit the ground even if nobody's touched you? Mine would be... You should be able to get up and run till someone touches you. Mine would do something with targeting I think. You would define targeting? It's a

hard thing. I think I would make it so that a player doesn't miss extended period of time unless it is his head is down and the first contact is with the crown of the helmet. I don't think that's anyone too hard as targeting. Yeah, I do think that they've got a little lost in the sauce on that one. Yeah. As far as the NIL stuff, I just don't know. There's nothing he can say that's going to restrict athlete money that won't get challenged in court. So he can, he can issue an order and the schools can say, we're going to

abide by it, but immediately the lawyers will get cranked up. Like that's going to happen. Yeah. So more government involvement equals more already being clueless. But I also equals more of billable hours remaining undefeated. Like that's really the thing here. Unless there's a law that gets passed, which there is a bill in the House of Representatives that actually might get out of committee. I just wish that we could just arrive at the place where the players can make an unlimited

amount of money while also being fair to everybody and everybody playing by the same rules. There's a way to do it. If only there were five examples in the United States of sports leagues that have very firm rules that negotiated with their players. Yeah. If only there were examples. negotiated with their players. If only there were examples. Yeah. I don't feel like corralling 32 teams is so much easier than 132. It's really not though. I mean those are billionaires you're dealing with. The 32.

Yeah. The schools have to accept that they can't control everything and they can't unilaterally impose things on the players. Once they accept that, they can figure it out pretty quickly. Yeah. I think though, if he, if he were to say they can't be employees, I think schools would love that. And well, you're Mr. For the, I don't know that that would change much for like the best football players and

basketball players. Yeah. You're Mr. Know things about politics, right? Mr. Know everything about everything. I don't know anything about it. I don't know if this is true, but Nerf in the chat says Trump had 2220 executive orders in his first term and he's already up to 175 this term of the 175 executive orders that he's passed in this term. What percentage of those have actually gone into law

or gone into effect? What they got in the law, they're executive orders. Or gone into effect. All of them. But then some of them have been challenged. How many of them have been challenged and passed? Like I don't understand. You mean challenged and overturned?

Or overturned. Overturned. They're already passed when he signs them. That's the whole point. If he says, from now on, every building in downtown America is going to be painted purple in an executive order. How many of them actually became purple? That's the only way that I can explain it. Right.

And each individual one we'd have to take individually and that would take too long. And this is not that kind of show. I don't know what the success rate is. Well, there's a couple of things there. You can just not paint it purple and see what happens. You can sue and say, I refuse to paint it purple. You can just paint it purple.

Like all of those things are options at that point. Okay. Yeah, I realize I'm barking down a topic that's very complicated, but you know, it's just like whenever I hear president to sign executive order, I never really know in theory what that means in terms of application. That's all. Well, and that's the thing. They don't necessarily either. It's up to, and that's the thing. They don't necessarily either. It's up to their willingness to enforce the order. And then it's also, will the judiciary overturn the order if it's fought in court?

AI 29% are currently being challenged. Okay. Yeah. And this one would certainly fall under that 29%. And it would have to be unconstitutional to be overturned. So I mean, that's, that's the thing. We'll see. I guarantee you lawyers will make money off of this. No, no matter what he does. Yeah. Unless it's, unless it's mine, unless he says, if you fall down and no defender has touched you, you can get up and keep running. I don't think anybody's gonna fight that one. Yeah, why do they do

that? I don't know, but they need to stop it. What do you think about the one foot down is a catch rule? I like that. I'm fine. I want more catches. NFL players are better than college players in general, so giving them a higher standard for catches is fine. Okay. I would like more cool sideline catches and the one foot down. What about fumbling into the end zone?

No, I actually am fine with that. Okay. I just, I also, I like the gut punch aspect of that. But you still have to do everything right. It's almost as if the other team scored when that happens. You still have to do everything right. It's almost as if the other team scored when that happens. Okay, what about the new clock rules? Don't care.

We're fine with them. They don't really bother me. What about the two minute warning? Don't care. What about some of the substitution rules? You mean like with the the faking injuries, yeah I think the idea they have that you have to fall down before the ball gets spotted Is a kind of creative solution. I think coaches are very creative and they'll figure out a way to fake injuries around that.

I'm trying to think of like recruiting rules, but there are none of those anymore. Recruiting should just be 24 7 365 and just like let it go. It's almost like letting steroids into baseball. Well, I always said and I wrote this at SI in 2008, instead of just having a national signing day, like the moment somebody sets foot in high school, you can sign them to a letter of intent.

But that means that scholarship's gone. You've committed it. Now, this is different now because you have situations where people sign like Oregon had two people who signed with them last year that ended up just leaving for somewhere else. Yeah. Before they ever went to spring practice and they went to spring practice at their new schools. The freshman quarterback at Dow and Dallas Wilson at Florida. Did Billy Bowman sign without dating it or something? And it was not, was that Billy Bowman? Who was it

that signed the form and dated it right? We never had to actually sign the letter of intent like Roquan Smith showed you that but there were basketball players who weren't signing it already. Roquan Smith for those who don't remember he does his signing ceremony announces that he's going to UCLA his phone was off his coach's phone was off for the, for the previous hour. Everybody even trying to get in touch with them saying, Hey, UCLA is offensive or defense coordinator is going to the Falcons. Hey, you should probably, what's that? So it was Peyton Bowen, not Billy Bowman.

Oh, Peyton Bowen. Yes. But, but, um, well the Roquan Smith, he finds out between announcing for UCLA and sign actually signing anything and sending it in, that the defensive coordinator has gone to the Falcons. By the way, I think it's the same DC whose son, Frank, called everybody at the draft. Oh, yeah. So, now he had been with the Jets and now he's back with the Falcons, but so Roe Con Smith finds this out

and is like, well, I'm not going to UCLA now. And then everybody's like, okay, who are you gonna sign with these guys? I'm not signing with anybody. I'll tell you where I'm going, but you're just gonna have to trust me on that. Yeah. And that's what he did.

He committed to Georgia after that and he did show up at Georgia. Turned out to be pretty good too. Yeah, turned out to be real good. So guys, it's Wednesday. up at Georgia. Turned out to be pretty good too. Yeah, turned out to be real good. So guys, it is it's Wednesday, so it's not too early to start thinking about Friday. Friday, dear Andy and dear Ari. Andy Staples on three at gmail.com. Ari dot Wasserman at on three.com. Hit us up. You can also hit us up on social media at Andy underscore staples at Ari Wasserman. Those

are our handles on Instagram and Twitter. And Andy, I've got some stuff that has been sent to me that I have not responded to yet that I'm aware of that I'm going to forward to you. Oh, great. So like we still have some stuff in the tank. So if I haven't responded to your email, know that I have read them and I'm a little bit behind, but I appreciate them and keep them coming. Sam says, can't wait to email, asking the best way to clap cheeks.

Well, we're gonna have to have Sir Paul cheeks on to explain that. There is a best way to clap cheeks, Andy. And it's- Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, cheeks, Andy. And it's- Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. From my perspective, there isn't. Make it clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. We love you.

We'll talk to you tomorrow.