College Football Live - CFB LIVE - SEC, BIG TEN BAN NFL PLAYERS

Episode Date: August 26, 2026

Join our crew Zubin Mehenti, Sam Acho, and "Stanford" Steve Coughlin on today's episode of College Football Live. Pete Thamel joins to give updates on the Big Ten and SEC's decisions to ban NFL players from returning to college. Look ahead to Week 1's marquee matchup between Clemson and LSU as Lane Kiffin makes his Baton Rouge debut. Some SEC starting QB's have been named...hear who the guys think is poised to make waves in the conference. Sam Acho and "Stanford" Steve have some hot takes on team's win totals. All this and more on today's episode of College Football Live! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcf walk.ca.ca. The Henty, you know the Big Ten of the SEC can't agree on the future format of the college football playoff, but they can agree on one thing.

If you end up signing a pro contract, you are not welcome back on any of their 34 campuses to compete athletically. They made that clear yesterday in a couple different statements that both leagues put out. This after the tidal wave of controversy that was ignited in large part with LSU trying to lure a couple of guys in NFL camps that played for Coach Kiffin at Ole Miss to rejoin in Baton Rouge for a fifth year of eligibility that they say was taken away from them all part of this NCAA five in five ruling. The SEC took it a step further than the Big Ten in their statement, essentially saying it's

not just the NFL, but it's also the NBA and the WNBA. All athletes in those leagues not eligible to return to any of the 16 SEC campuses. And for more on this, we bring in our Pete Thamble, Pete, what a day for the SEC to have a previously scheduled two-day jaunt in Birmingham, and then this develops. So take me through exactly what the 16 institutions are talking about here and how we've gotten to where we are, at least as far as the SEC goes. Sure, Zubin. So the very latest on this is that the SEC presidents have formally voted to adopt a punishment structure regarding these professional sports standards, be their NFL, NBA, or WNBA. That is the difference between the SECs in the Big Tens. It does

actually involve basketball. The punishments, I've been told are as such. Half season of a suspension for a coach, a fine that's 50% of that sports budget, which is a big number for some of these college football programs. SEC voting rights being revoked. And then also, Greg Sankey, the commissioner, has autonomy to punish programs at as well for breaking this. So obviously, that is a severe set of potential penalties for the SEC. Notable in this, Zubin, is that when the vote on the penalties took place today, we just reported that the vote was 15 with one abstaining. Yesterday, kind of a straw vote when they released the initial paradigms of what this would look like, it was 160.

Not surprising that the one abstaining is LSU. As we sit here right now today on Wednesday afternoon, the players involved in the LSU portion of this case, the ones who've committed, are still expected to attempt to gain their eligibility. Whether that involves another TRO or the current interpretation of the TRO, we will find out in the upcoming days. but the stardown continues between the players attempting to go to LSU and now a new SEC rules, which certainly has significant teeth. Yeah, no doubt. TRO, temporary restraining order for those that may be unaware of that. Now, the other side, of course, because as Pete so eloquently mentioned, this is a college and NFL story.

So the NFL clubs have to figure out what to do here. Adam Schaefter putting out this tweet that the league is going to provide clarity to clubs later today regarding their eligibility rules that have really been unaltered and in place for quite some time. So while there's still plenty of vacillation to be done in the Big Ten in the SEC and the downstream effect, which I'm going to talk about with Pete in the second,

the NFL is trying to get their ducks in a row as well as we welcome this back inside. All right, so here's the deal. As is the case in college football, the Big Ten of the SEC, set the barometer, everybody else follows. So in this same vein, if we've got the Big Ten of the SEC

making this determination on the eligibility of these fifth year players, what's going to be the downstream effect, say for the ACC, the Big 12, Notre Dame, other league? Sure, Zubin, great question. So the ACC athletic directors met this morning, and they are set to push forward in that league for a vote of their presidents that's expected to take place as early as this afternoon. There were strong support for similar penalty structure, similar voting, similar notion of no professionals in college football and college basketball in the ACC. The Big 12 is also aligned for something similar. Their athletic directors are going to speak later this afternoon, and they're pushing towards. a vote as well in Brett Yormark's league. So, yes, as you said it well, Zubin, that the Big Ten led the way the SEC followed shortly after

with some stronger penalties, and we shall now see a trickle effect through the major college conferences today. The ACC could get wrapped up as soon as this evening. Yeah, I say this tongue planted firmly in cheek because of all the different machinations if you had to use, but that is Pete Thammell Esquire joining us here on college football live. You can need like a jurist doctor to get through all of this for sure. you might imagine, the podiums, the press conferences, all week long for the nation's biggest coaches. This was absolutely a scorching hot topic, and the coaches themselves came out on fire.

It used to be once you had an agent or once you went and did the combine or once you went to many, I mean, all those things qualified as you are no longer an amateur, you're a professional now. Once you declare for the draft, so to let any of those players come back, you know, fair or unfair to them, it's unfair to the sport. And I think it's unfair to the players that are on current teams, you know, for those guys to be coming back. The conferences have to decide if there's a point where their rosters have to be locked in. Once some of these guys become available, adding them to the roster is going to, you know, provide advantage for certain teams.

If there are teams that have some players out there who are cut from NFL rosters that are going to be on other teams, we have to at least consider it and look at it. Do I like anything about it? Absolutely not. But we've got to do it tried for Ohio State. I don't think professionals should come back to college. sports and college football particularly. But in this

instance, this is not professionals that have gone, played seasons or just, you know, randomly file an injunction in a state to become eligible. These players in all sports were supposed to get five for five. They did not. So judges have

found that the NCAA wronged them and they should have five years to play. All interesting viewpoints, a pleasure to be joined by two guys that wish they had the five for five. These are two college football players that are joining me, Stanford, Steve and Sam Macho. And because you guys are both players, you'll have a very interesting perspective on this as you see this all in hindsight. Steve, let's just start with you. I mean, this is a head spinning development.

We don't really even know what the end result is going to be from what you've seen so far, though. What are you thinking? Well, I look at the players that are trying to come back, Zuban. I can't find an argument against them. But when you have all these situations and ordeals going on, the most important thing is timing. And when I think about timing, there's got outside of losing out on it. So when I think back to, you know, say 2021, you know, when NIL started, there's players that played four years and then were done and couldn't get grandfathered into the NIL era. You know, Sam and I didn't have all meals paid for when we were playing.

You know, we had one meal at training table. We missed out on that. I'm sure we would like our spot on NIL too, but I just look at the unfortunateness of the timing. There's always going to be somebody that gets burned. And unfortunately, it looks like these guys are going to, you know, where to thought they were going to get grandfathered in? They weren't, and now they lost out on an opportunity. Yeah, I think about timing just for some of the young men who are having an opportunity

to go back and continue their career of playing football, specifically with Dayquan Wright. He signed a $25,000 signing bonus, was likely getting about half a million dollars in college, a robust league, a $2 billion NIO market. He goes to the NFL, right? He participates in training camp, gets injured, gets cut, and now he's looking at everyone else saying, hey, they're getting an opportunity. He probably has maybe $500, $750,000 on the table for him to go back to college. And I think that just makes business sense.

If he were to make an NFL roster, which is very unlikely, a practice squad, he'd be making $274,000. If he were an active roster, the minimum was about $850,000. And so I think this is a specific case of a specific group of players that, as Lane Kiffin said, were wronged. Yeah, last thing I would just say on this, the NCAA is tired of being sued. They're going to get a break because these guys, they're going to start suing the Big Ten in the SEC.

They're going to do everything in their power to try to get that last year. That is indeed coming. So LSU at the center of all this. But LSU will also be at the center of everything come week one because they've got a huge game with Clemson. It's the back end of a home and home. They met last year, of course, as you know, in a big game where all the pressure was on LSU with all the additions that Brian Kelly had made.

They did squeak out with the victory. As you see on your screen, they've also played on college football's biggest stage before, including that national championship, which was authored, of course, by that record-setting LSU team led by Joe Burrough. Sam, I want to start with you. Last year, all the pressure was on LSU because of what I mentioned in the off-season

they had with Brian Kelly. This time, it feels like squarely all of the pressure is on Clemson because of their coaching situation. How did they end up getting this win on a Saturday night with the country watching? Oh, I don't know what you're feeling, but for me it feels like all the pressure. pressures on LSU with all the injunctions and the court cases and Lane Kiffin and everything

else going on with that. But the problem for Clemson is that they're facing a team that has a new quarterback, a dynamic quarterback and Sam Levitt, who's a transfer from Arizona State, dynamic competitive quarterback, but also on Clemson's side, Sammy Brown. Their linebacker is a dominant linebacker, probably going to be one of the first linebackers taken when its time comes to get drafted. And so, no, for me, the pressure does not feel like it's on Clemsman, Clemson, in the least amount. For me, this pressure is solely focused on LSU, all the stuff surrounding LSU, but also

new quarterback, got a new left tackle in Jordan Seton, the pressure on their defense. Can Blake Baker turn that defense around and continue how they finished off last season? So yeah, I don't know what you're feeling. I feel like the pressure's on LSU side. Yeah, I look at for how Clemson's going to attack that, Zubin, you know, all the talk of LSU, it's Lane Kiffin, it's Charlie Weiss, Jr. You know, it's the green dot era and how successful they've been in. I believe that L, Lerner. is going to be more of a defensive team. Sam brought up, Blake Baker. The defense was what they leaned on last year. And then, you know, Nussmeyer got hurt and the season was over, over on offense. So I look at Clemson coming in with transfers like Will Helt and Marcus Strong to rely. You got a good defense. It's going to travel. It's the toughest place to play on the Saturday night in the sport. But you've got to rely on what your strengths are. And I believe that Clemson defense is going to be something that dab on his staff lean on to keep that game close. That's fair enough. We really still don't know exactly what to expect out of either Clemson quarterback,

considering one guy's been there for a while but hasn't got a ton of reps and the other guy just got there. When college football live continues, speaking of the quarterback situation in the SEC, all of them are stamped and done, all 16. So who is in the position to have their first year be their best year out of the gate in the league? The guides with some interesting and young answers next. Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk.

Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcfwalk.ca.ca. Two and five Canadians will hear the words you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer.

Register today at pmcf walk.ca.ca. creeping closer North Carolina TCU, NC State to Virginia, follows on ESPN at night two of the most proud, tradition-rich HBCU programs, Alabama, A&M, and Howard from Atlanta on your local ABC station. Let's go at the mic. Dukes got their starting quarterback. Here's Mandy Diaz on naming Walker Eaget, his guy. When it all came down to it, it was just about consistency, which is normally just what

you expect from an older guy of keeping the same level day after day. And so, you know, I think we were at that moment. I think the team, just given our offseason, I think the team needed a starting quarterback. And like I said, they'll follow both. But I think they're happy now that they know that Walker is the number one. Steve, he was a late ad. So what do you think he can add?

Well, when you look at the roster, Zubin, what do they have to add? They got to replace Darien Menter. They got to replace their four top receivers. They got to replace three offensive linemen. But I look on the defensive side and how that could help a quarterback. They were plus 17 in conference play last year that led the country. They got to find a way to win the turnover battle and keep take care of the football. All right.

Another quarterback battle. This will be at Northwestern. And the question for David Braun and what impressed him the most about his starter, Aidan Childs. The thing that shows up in practice right now and on tape is his consistency. And I think a lot of that comes from just his comfort level as he's gotten more ingrained into the system. And specifically over the last week, you've really seen things just start to click form. And there being a level of confidence, even when he steps into the huddle.

Like, this is, I'm the one driving this ship. And that's what you need out of a quarterback. Staying in the Big Ten, Sam, but at a different school, what do you think of move? Yeah, I didn't even know there was a quarterback battle in Northwestern. I thought that Aidan Charles had been the guy. I got a chance to watch them practicing the offseysies. and he was leading the team then, a culture center. But oh, by the way, Chip Kelly is their new offensive coordinator.

And so whatever struggles that Aiden Childs had in the past, I think he's got a new coach with a pro-style system with a really good offensive line, and he's going to thrive. I bet you did know there was a quarterback competition at Florida. Aaron Filo has what he understands what it means to throw the rock at Florida. Yeah, I mean, honestly, like I'm honored, and I don't take it lightly at all. I don't take this position for granted at all. I'm very blessed, very honored, and it's something that I've worked my whole life to get to.

And so I definitely don't take it lightly, and I'm going to do everything in my power to, you know, bring Florida back. Tell you, he's walking in some big, big cleats there. There have been some legends and they need to get it turned around. New starting quarterbacks in the SEC. You take a look at some of these guys that were just named recently. In fact, all 16 schools in the SEC now have their QB1 set, went a little under the race. after all the commotion in the courts and eligibility over this past week. Steve, let's start with you.

Give me the guy that looks like he's in the best position to be great from the start. Well, look at each situation that guys are going into, right? Zubin. And when I think about Tennessee, every quarterback that Josh Hypo has had has flourished. So that's a quarterback-friendly system. And then you look at what he is surrounded with. What are his toys he has to play with? He's got great receivers.

He's got a great running back in Deshaun Bischop. But most importantly, he has four of the top five offensive linemen from a really good offensive line last year, returning to protect him. So when you hear about the five-star status and all the tools he brings to the table, I look at the situation that he comes into, and I think it sets him up to succeed this year. And it feels like Tennessee is really under the radar, and I expect a big season from them this year.

Well, there's another quarterback who had five-star status or still has five-star status. That's Keelan Russell. I think Keelan Russell is the most set up for success when it comes to new starting quarterbacks in the SEC. Why? Primarily not just because of his talent, but because of his coaching staff. Kaylon DeBore and Ryan Grub are two of the best offensive minds in college football. We saw what they did last year with Ty Simpson going first round, but also years ago with Michael Pinnock's how they developed him. Ryan Grub left went to the NFL and came back. And obviously he's been there this last season, but I think that Keelan Russell with those coaches

is going to be dynamic. All right, you're both right, because on the third Saturday in October, we'll see Brandon, health provided, take on Russell, and that's going to be one of the most anticipated games in the SEC all season long. Still to come here on college football live, how Mr. Awshucks turned into Mr. Trash Talk. For real, Arch, and the guys on Arch. And his new personality next.

Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcfwalk.ca. Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters.

On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcfwalk.ca. F.B. Live, feast your eyes on this. Pete Thamble reporting. Thomas Costellanos has committed to Texas Tech. Remember, he was at Florida State, was on the team at BC. He quit the team, but would Sorsby out and Will Hammond's ACL, not 100%.

What a move by Joey McGuire and Tommy Costalanos. It happened just moments ago. Obviously, a big story we'll be following as we approach week zero and week number one. So from Texas Tech to Texas, all the eyes in the lone. Star State on Arch Manning, who finished last year so well, personality, swagger, all there. And if you don't believe me, listen to his teammates. I thought Manning was like the most liked guy on the roster. Well, sometimes.

Y'all don't hear Arch like on the field, bro. He, like, Arch is kind of annoying. Like, he says, like, he'll make a player or something. He'll run behind you. He'll say something that only you'll hear. And obviously, you can't really do anything about it. You're like, I don't like how you did that. not that much of a trash talker.

What's going on? Really? He's a trash talk. Yeah. Damn, I'm missing out. I don't know. I'm really just a nice guy out there. Sam, give me your intel here on the horns after hearing all this.

He just feels like he's in a completely different place than he was a year ago just mentally. Doesn't it just listen to him looking at him? Yeah, you're absolutely right. I got a chance to run into Arch a couple times over the last offseason. And you're right, that confidence is there. And it's to be expected. You're in your first year starting last year. The pressure's on you, the media, everything you can imagine.

But now he seems a lot more comfortable, even chatting with him at SEC Media Day or chatting with him in Austin. There's a high level of comfort. But the trash talk, that's real. You can just tell by talking to him, that's new lots of truck. He's a competitor. You want to talk trash to your teammates and talk trash on the field. And you could see it in his play, especially as the season was coming to an end last

Yeah, speaking of Texas, we're going to do some over under wind totals here for teams that have really difficult schedules. And I think if you'd look up and down at the horn schedule, they would certainly qualify. So, Steve, I want to start with you. Let's look at Texas. They're sitting there at nine and a half for their over under after barely missing the playoff a year ago. You're going over under nine and a half on the 40 acres. I'm going to say over, Zubin. When you talk to people around the Texas staff and around the program, they are dying to dust off.

show off the new toys that they got arch to play with. When you talk about a Relique Brown, when you talk about a Hollywood smothers, when you talk about a Cam Coleman. So they're expecting big things. And when I think about Sark having those kind of weapons, I think back to how successful his offenses were at Alabama. I expect a big season for Texas.

As long as that offensive line stays healthy and it sounds like Goosby's going to be fine. All right. In week two, as you all know, Ohio State will face Texas. Sam, Ohio State's win-told. This is pretty low for them, considering their standards. They're sitting at nine and a half over under.

What do you think? I'm going to go under for Ohio State. Nobody's thinking this way. But look at the teams that they play. They play three teams in the top six. They play the number two ranked Oregon team who's prime for a national championship run. They play Texas in week two, number five ranked,

and they play number six Indiana, the reigning national champion, Hoosiers. And oh, by the way, Ohio State's replacing, they have 51 new players on their roster, replacing so much talent on defense. So I get the talent is there. but I could see a nine and three season. I don't know the last time they've won nine games.

It's been a long, long time, but it's a tough schedule and a lot of new pieces for the defense specifically. Just when Day was off the hot seat after one year of winning the championship, you get nine wins, Sam. We're going to be talking about that in the last segment of the show four days a week.

All right, Steve, to you, this is interesting now. Oklahoma's sitting at seven and a half. You would think, Steve, they would have passed the Rubicon. They would have crossed it. Venables would have got the benefit of the doubt. They hosted a playoff game last year.

But here they are sitting at seven and a half with a healthy Meteer. What do you make of this? This feels like easy money, but you're the gambling guy, not me. Oh, I like where you're going here. I believe it's an over. I look at that defense with Kip Lewis. I love Taylor Wine when he filled in last year. But when you look at the offense, and you're right,

all we did this time of year last year was talk about how tough the schedule was for Oklahoma. And they ran through the course and hosted a playoff game. And Meteer had one, you know, healthy thumb. They went to places like Knoxville in one. They went to Tuscaloosa in one. So I expect big things from Oklahoma this year. So I'd take the over there. There's no question about it.

Just a reminder, if you're just joining us, the big breaking news here on college football live, Tommy Costellanos. You might remember him from BC. He left the program in a Huff, went to Florida State with Texas Tech's murky quarterback situation with no Soresby and Will Hammond still nursing the ACL.

He has just committed and signed with the Red Raiders. We'll have much more on that. tomorrow. Later this week, we'll talk to UVA head coach Tony Elliott and NC State head coach Dave Dorn as they get set to meet in week zero on Saturday. College football live back tomorrow. Hope to see you then. Two and five Canadians will hear the words you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters.

On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21st. kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcf walk.ca.ca.ca.