College Football Live - Biggest Questions Surrounding Ranked Matchups

Episode Date: October 11, 2023

Is Notre Dame out of gas? What does USC's defense need to do to turn the corner? Can Miami right their wrongs from last week? Which Pacific Northwest team will remain undefeated? Kelsey Riggs, Tom Luginbill and Sam Acho answer all the questions surrounding the biggest ranked matchups happening this weekend. Plus, get In The Know With Joe to see which team he has covering the spread and which ranked teams he's avoiding at all costs this week. Finally, the guys will give their picks for undefeated superlatives and hear what team has Loogz fired up! All this and more on today's episode of College Football Live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you're flying Emirates business class, relaxing in an exclusive airport lounge, you'll see that your vacation isn't really over until your flight is over. Fly Emirates, fly better. Coming up on college football live, I'm Kelsey Riggs, and we've got a big week seven for you. North Carolina hosts Miami and one of four ranked matchups this weekend. I know you all saw what happened to the Cains last week, but are we paying enough attention to North Carolina? Plus, Joe Fortinbaugh joins us to get us in the know on. the latest betting storylines this weekend.

Notre Dame's four-week stretch. It has been brutal. So is USC's defense what you should be focusing on ahead of this one. And we're gearing up for a top 10 showdown in the PAC 12. We've got the inside scoop on what scouts are saying about this matchup. And Dan Lannning, he's not afraid of the Huskies. Yeah, hostile can be fun. We really focused on being the eye of the storm, the calm within the storm.

These guys are my calm within the storm. Welcome into college football live alongside Sam Hancho, Pete Thamwell, and Tom Luganville. I'm Kelsey Riggs with you for the next half hour. And guys, let's start off with the biggest game of the weekend. We have got a good one coming your way, a top 10 showdown in Seattle that has major playoff implications. According to the All-State playoff predictor, Oregon and Washington would both see a 16% boost in their chances to make it with a win. And you can expect a lot of points in this one as the Ducks and the Huskies ranked top three national. and both total yards per game and scoring offense.

The two squads are combining to average 97.6 points per game this season. And you know, all eyes are going to be on Heisman contenders, Bo Nix and Michael Pinnock's Jr. Knicks is completing an FBS. Best 80% of his passes while Pinnix Jr. Leads the country with 400 passing yards per game. So let's start with Pete Thammell. And Pete, can you share with us what you're hearing from scouts ahead of this matchup? Well, Kelsey, there's going to be 34 NFL scouts in attendance at Husky Stadium.

That's more scouts than teams. The obvious focus is going to be on Bo Nix and Michael Pennix. I'm talking to scouts this week. They're both perceived to be in that second round range right now, and they could end up as first round picks. Think of that Kenny Pickett 20-ish range. They're both very different players, and obviously there's intrigue if you look at the attendance in the press box.

The second thing is something the scouts don't see is talent in the secondary. Think about all those great U-dub corners that have rolled through. Think about Christian Gonzalez, Oregon's great corner last year. The secondary doesn't have the talent on either side of the ball, which is why the scouts in the desert sit over under at 67. It's going to be an aerial show on Saturday. I love a game like that. Can't wait to see it.

These offenses have been spectacular. Pete will check within with you in just a little while. But you mentioned some of the superstars, and of course it does all start at the quarterback spot. And we're ready to nix it up. See what we did there. Two of the best quarterbacks in the country, both lead the nation in some of the top categories. As you heard, Bo Nix, Pinnix, we're highlighting the Nix because that leads us to our next conversation as we bring back in Sam and Lugues.

And Lugues, I want to start with you. And we're going to talk about what these teams have to Nix in order to win it. So what does Oregon have to Nix Lug's if they want to win? They've got a Nix explosive plays and they've got a Nix third down conversions. The numbers are staggering for this Washington offense. They have a 30, they have 39 vertical explosive plays of over 20 yards or more. That leads the FBS. All right.

They're averaging 8.8 yards per down, per down, not just on first down, per down, per down. And their average error yards per attempt for Michael Panics, 10.3 yards. So if Dan Langing, we're on this show right now, he would tell you we can't give up explosive plays. and we got to get off the field on third down. Both of those things are easier said than done, especially when Washington has only had 48 third downs the entire season. They don't even get to third down. That's how much they're scoring at a high rate.

And Washington, in my opinion, Tom, needs to nix this whole Oregon hype. Remember the Oregon team that ran into Colorado and shut them down, only allowed six points in the fourth quarter of the Oregon team. That was in the locker room talking about, man, we talked with our pads. No, man, Washington needs to show up. This is a really, really good defense. This is a defense that is, I would say, one of the tops in all of college football, because of Dan landing.

He was at Georgia, the Georgia defensive coordinator. It comes with that same mindset, the same mentality, the same mantra. They're coming in to meet this team where they're at and saying, hey, Washington, y'all think y'all got a lot to prove? We have even more to prove. And so nixed that whole, oh, man, we're the more physical team and show that you, Washington are the tougher team on Saturday. Let me tell you what we're not nixing today.

our guy Joe Fortinbaugh, who's going to be with us all throughout the show, getting us in the know with Joe. And Joe, what do you have your eye on in this matchup? I'd be betting on points in this game. I'm going to play the over. Open 64 and a half and has been bet up to 67, and for very good reason, we have two of the most explosive offenses in the country. Both teams rank in the top four in both scoring and yards per play. Now, Oregon brings a good defense to the table, but giving Washington's offense not only home field advantage, but two weeks to get ready for this game, they're going to hang a number here. Remember, this team doesn't need to run a lot of plays to score. It's been big plays early, big plays often for the Huskies. Go back to that matchup a few

weeks ago with Oregon and Colorado. The total in that game was over 70. Why is this one three to four points short of that one? That's what I can't get my head around. Oregon plays a better brand of defense than Colorado, no doubt, but Colorado couldn't hang a number in that game. Washington is going to hang a big offensive number. I think anything short of 70 here is cheap, which is why I'm playing the over. Joe, thanks. More with you in a second. We'll keep an eye on that in one of the biggest games of the day.

ABC and ESPN at 3.30 Eastern Bo Nix and number eight Oregon, squaring off against Michael Pinnock, Jr. And number seven, Washington College Game Day gets things started in Seattle at 9 a.m. We've got another Heisman hopeful, though, playing on the big stage Saturday as well. That's Drake May and North Carolina. They host Miami. The sophomore quarterback is coming off his third 400-yard passing game with the Tar Heels. has already tied for the most in school history, and it is just his second year. This North Carolina

offense has been humming. They're 5 and 0 for the first time since 1997. So Sam, why should we be talking more about North Carolina and what they're doing offensively? Because they just got an injection in confidence in their team. That confidence came by the man by the name of Taz Walker. This offense hasn't been awesome, right? They've been average. to above average, but all of a sudden, Tess Walker comes in, he gets his six catches, gets involved in the offense, and this offense, and Drake May had his highest

passing yard performance this year, his most touchdowns this year, and the passing game is getting going. And let me correct myself, the run game was great, right, but passing game wasn't great initially. So now you have a great running game combined with an extra receiver in the past game. Now of a sudden there's an injection of confidence,

injection of swagger, and an ability to think you can beat anyone in this division. Yeah, Sam, I think people would assume that because Drake May doesn't have the numbers he had a year ago, that Drake May is not having the same type of year. I would make the argument that Drake May is actually playing better. He just has more help in another area, and that is the run game. New offensive coordinator, Chip Lindsay has brought a power run game to this spread offense. The passing game is going to be there to make the plays. They were just a victim of circumstance prior to the game against Syracuse where they were throwing the ball well, throwing the ball downfield, and a target might catch the ball.

and get tackled on the three-yard line. What would they do? They'd run the ball. Amarian Hampton, British Brooks. This is a downhill powerful run game that is not forcing Drake May to have to carry the weight of the offense on his shoulders. So improved defensively under Gene Chiswick,

a run game to compliment Drake May. And oh, by the way, Drake May is still Drake May. You mentioned that defense, Louves. Let's just quickly dive a little bit deeper into that because they started so strong in their first game of the season, kind of have tampered off just a bit. What are your expectations for them against Miami? Well, they're deeper than they've been, certainly last year.

Came on record number 25 is an absolute monster off the edge. He's the guy that Miami's got to be aware of, and they've got a lot more depth in the defensive front seven that they didn't have a year ago. If there's an area for Miami to attack, it's going to be the perimeter at corner. The two corners are very young. On the inside of the defense, they've got a lot of experience. So maybe Tyler Van Dyke takes some shots down the field because the corners on both perimeters, a little youthful.

And to your point, Tom, you said they've gotten better and they've gotten deeper. Well, Mac Brown's biggest emphasis this season from last season was to go from good to great. And so they've been good last year, really below average. Now they're trying to be a great defense. It has a great test this weekend when they play Miami. They do have a great test because they're going to face a Miami team that is hungry to get back on track. It was a chaotic ending for the Cains. They don't take a knee.

They fumble and they fall right at the very end of the game to Georgia Tech. So let's bring back in Joe on this because Joe, with all that Miami went through last week, could they be a good play? I think so. I might be out on an island with this one, but I'm going to take Miami plus the points. Everyone's going to look back to that boneheaded decision by the Miami offense last week. And they're going to think to themselves they want nothing to do with this team against undefeated UNC. I think that creates some opportunity for us.

After all, this game did open UNC minus four and it's been bet down to three and a half. There's some professional money on the hurricanes. and what I think is a good, buy, low spot. Remember, this is a team that a few weeks back hammered Texas A&M. They've got a marquee win on the schedule. They got caught looking ahead to this game last week, which means the focus is going to be there.

And if you look at the total in this game, it's been dropping. Was around 60 points down now to about 57. If you're going to see a lower scoring game, having those points in your pocket with the underdog could be mighty valuable. I do like Miami here. Joe, thanks, good stuff.

Still to come on college football live. Notre Dame has been tested the last three weeks. And the tough tasks, well, they're not over just yet. Can they bounce back and contend with the dangerous USC offense? That's ahead on College Football Live. This Giving Tuesday, Cam H is counting on your support. Together, we can forge a better path for mental health by creating a future where Canadians can get the help they need

when they need it, no matter who or where they are. From November 25th to December 2nd, your donation will be doubled. That means every dollar goes twice as far to help build a future where no one's seeking help is left behind. Donate today at camh.ca.ca. Slash giving Tuesday. October 14th, Oregon and Washington is a brawl.

This is the opportunity, I think, that they've really waited for. It's a battle of the Pack 12 favorites college game day crew headed out west for a big one between Washington and Oregon this weekend. Meanwhile, Notre Dame knows all about playing in big ones this season. It started on September 23rd when they played number six Ohio State in a top 10 showdown. That one ended with drama as the Irish only had 10 men on the field and couldn't make the final stop. They fell in that game by just three points. Then one week later, the Irish were on the road for a top 20 battle in a game with Duke that went down to the wire again.

Sam Hartman converted on a big fourth down and Notre Dame picked up a massive road win. No rest for the weary because the road challenges continued with an undefeated ranked Louisville team last week. Artman had five turnovers and the cards cruise to victory over the Irish. And now, Notre Dame is facing their fourth undefeated ranked team in as many weeks. The Irish are back home hosting USC, but the Trojans undefeated. Still an underdog in this one. Joe Fortinbach, what's a good bet? I lean to Notre Dame as a side here, but I think the better bet is to play the overall.

in this matchup is we've seen a little money, knocked this from about 61, 61 and a half, up to 62 and a half. USC is the number one scoring offense in the country at 50 plus points per game. You gotta wonder how much gas is left in the tank for that Notre Dame defense after what is now going to be a four-week stretch

going from Ohio State, road game at Duke, road game at Louisville, to USC. Now on the other side, that USC defense, dating back to last year, still very much a problem. They've given up 28 points in four of their six games this season. Notre Dame is going to be able to score in this one. I like the over here. All right, Joe, thanks. Guys. Let's start with what he said about that Notre Dame team because it has

been emotional fight after emotional fight. So lugs, do they still have enough gas in the take to be competitive with this USC team that we know can be really explosive on offense? We're going to find out how mature they are. I agree with Joe there in terms of just how emotionally spent, physically spent this football team is. And it's been a roller-com. coaster for them. The road contests have been very tough. The other white knuckler at Duke of course a disappointment at Ohio State. Go on to a raucous environment

at Louisville versus a very hot team that's really, really good at running the football and creating explosive plays. For me, yes, Notre Dame can get this done and part of it is going to be able to run and lean on that SC defense and play a game of keepaway

from Caleb Williams and USC offensively. I don't know if SC has the gas left the tank to go on the road in that type of environment on the defensive side of the football. Look for Sam Hartman to come off a play action, but more importantly, look for Notre Dame to lean on that offensive line and see a heavy dose of the run game to keep number 13 on the sideline for SC. For USC, that's where all of the questions lie is with their defense, their head coach.

Lincoln Riley weighed in on some of the issues. Take a listen. We're not hiding from the areas that we've got to continue to make improvement. And there's certain our song. But this is a much improved union. There's no question about it. A lot of people in the media had their mind made up that the first second there was an university that year was saying, oh, my God, you know,

should have done this and they should have made this change and blah, blah, blah. And it's not true. We're set up to play really well the second half of the season. And I can promise you inside these walls, there is no expectation other than to play high level here in the second half of this year. Okay, so that's what their head coach has to say. I saw some of your reactions during it. I want to start with you, Sam. What can this defense do to not be the weakest link on the field for this team every single time now?

Two things, Kelsey. Number one, don't bite the cheese. What does that mean? When there's a route in front of you, don't everyone jump up and try and cover that route and let something go behind you. That's what happened in the Arizona game last week. One of the first plays, there was a deep pass down the field. There were four defenders looking at the dude in the flat route like two yards at the line of streaming. Don't buy the cheese number one.

Number two, communicate. Why? Because when you communicate, you actually helps you with mistackles. This team at 75 mistackles, but averaging over 16 missed tackles in the last three games. So, like, each of the last three games, 16.3 tackles missed, right? And so the point is, when you talk and say, hey, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here. Talk to your teammate. Let them know that they're next to you.

Let them know that you're there. All of a sudden, it helps you when it comes to tackling, when it comes to communication, when it comes to somebody being wide open down the field. And so communicate, right, talk, but also don't bite the cheese. Some little things that can make a big difference. Lou, because I saw your face during that sound, but I'm wondering what you're thinking about what we're hearing and seeing. Well, I don't know if I necessarily agree that people are saying, well, they should have done this and they should have done that. I think what people are saying is, are they sound?

Are they disciplined? We're seeing two consecutive gaps defensively along the front unmanned. Then post snap will see a lack of gap integrity. They'll lose contain on the ads. Let the quarterback get out. And to your point, Sam, this isn't a good tackling football team. people get in space on them, and it's like a track meet. And so I think a lot of it is, what are they doing?

Do I think they've got great players on defense that we become accustomed to expecting out of SC? No, and they certainly don't have that up front. But as this schedule starts to unfold, starting this week, they're going to end up because of the defense, likely being in a lot of one possession games. And thank goodness they've got Caleb Williams, because you certainly want the ball in his hand last. But I don't know if the criticism is so much, oh, they should have done this and they should have done that. It's what they're doing disciplined and sound on a consistent basis.

Fourth most mistackles and all of FBS for this team. Let's bring in Pete Thammel and Pete, you've got more in the defense and it could be good news as they may get some help this week. What do you have? Some good news, Kelsey for a past defense that ranks 113th in yards allowed. DeMani Jackson, the Star Corner, who is a Ballyhoo recruit, will return this week after missing the Arizona game. Since coming in is the number two corner in the country, he's been up and down for USC.

But considering that the other starting corner, Christian Roland Wallace, left the Arizona game as questionable, Jackson's return is a huge lift for a USC pass defense that's hanging on by a thread. Zachariah Branch is the other player who could return for USC and give a lift. He dressed in his practice, but has been limited this week. He's obviously returned two kicks for touchdowns. He's caught two more touchdowns. In the place where the Bush push became famous,

he has garnered comparisons with his speed and explosiveness to Reggie Bush. So Branch's return could be transformative for two units for USC in South Bend on Saturday. All right, Pete, we will keep an eye on that. We appreciate it. And, of course, is one of our four ranked matchups of the weekend. But we've got some other top 10 teams that are in action this week. And as you take a look at what we have coming up, lots of them against unranked opponents, but all with some tempting bets.

So Joe Fortinbaugh, back with us for a final time. And Joe, which one should we avoid at all cost? All right, so last week we saw Miami get caught looking ahead to North Carolina. We also saw USC get caught looking ahead to Notre Dame. Penn State, Ohio State, marquee matchup next week. Be very careful with those teams this week. Penn State's laying a huge number against UMass.

They're obviously focused on Ohio State. I bet the under 56 points in that game. As for Ohio State, they're going on the road to produce. laying 19 and a half. I'd be looking to the boiler makers in that matchup with the Buckeye squarely focused on that showdown with Penn State next week. Joe, thanks still ahead on College Football Live.

There are only 14 undefeated FBS teams left. So time to hand out some superlatives coming up on college football live. Come back into College Football Live. It's only Wednesday, but yeah, we have some highlights for you from last night. Coastal Carolina, App State, five minutes left in the fourth. Game is tied at 24, Joey Aguilar, passes to Milan Tucker for 69 yards, but Lugues, you were there. It's stripped.

It's forced to fumble, and then look what happens. Look what happened. What a heartbreaker for App State when you see what ensues. And what a well-done replay by the officiating crew here, as you see the coastal player recover the ball right along the end line. And Cade Hensley gets a shot to win it. He does a 24-yard field goal. It is their first road win against App State 27 to 24 the final there. Now, take a look at What's Your Beef presented by Old Trapper?

And talk about some other Sunbelt teams because JMU has been the best team in the Sunbelt the last two years, but they aren't eligible to win their conference title as they still have a two-year transition period from FCS to FBS. So, Lou, what's your big? with the NCAA on this? I think it needs to be decided on an individual basis. This isn't fair to the coaching staff. It certainly isn't fair to the student athletes and the players. And this could be a team that could be 11 and 1.

They could be in consideration for a New Year 6 bowl game. Obviously, Wyoming is there. Fresnel State's got a loss. Just very frustrated with the NCAA here. Clearly, JMU has done what they needed to do from an infrastructure standpoint to set themselves up internally to have success and be financially sustainable. This is just hurting the kids.

It's hurting the program. And oh, by the way, they get no revenue from the college football playoff. They get no bull revenue because of this. It's not fair. Come on NCAA, do the right thing. And they are one of just 14 undefeated teams in FBS. Let's take a look at some of the other ones

before we wrap things up. And you guys know how much I love superlatives. I've been practicing really hard. So Sam, get me the superlative for Best Team. Best team goes to the Michigan Wolverines. Last week, Michigan traveled 74 players, 73 of them played. They won by 40 points. It was domination.

The defense is the top-rate defense number three in the nation. The offense is still picking it up. Why? Because Jim Harbaugh wasn't there in the first three weeks, still undefeated. J.J. McCarthy is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, and they got a great running game. I'm going to go with best offense. That's got to be the Washington Huskies. Their ability to create explosive plays is unmatched.

They can score from anywhere on the field at any time. They can run the football. This team is spectacular. I think the most dangerous team in college football. Best defense for me is going to go to the Oklahoma Sooners. Why do I say that? Plays like this to start the game against your rivalry, get an intercession, another one late. In that same game, you saw these huge goal line stands.

But more than that, this team is playing like that 0809 Oklahoma defenses. Take the ball away. Gentry Williams, Billy Bowman, Deson, McCullough, dogs all across the board. Here's the thing, if I was the best host, if I got that superlative, superlative, I would be giving you best smile, I'd be giving you best hair,

and I would know how to say the word superlative. I'm going to practice that before tomorrow. Enjoy the superlatives.