College Football Live - Math ain't Mathing

Episode Date: July 29, 2024

Host Victoria Arlen is joined by Jordan Reid and Harry Lyles Jr as ACC Network begins their Road Trips. The crew discusses expectations for Florida State after last year's CFP snub. Plus, Reid and Lyles give their takes on Bill Connelly's top 25 CFB players of the 21st century. Finally, is the Big Ten as great as Matt Rhule claims?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I'm Victoria Arland, and we are just 26 days away from the kickoff of the 2024 college football season. So let's go out the tunnel. E.J. Manuel sits down with the Null's newest quarterback, DJ Ui Ungolalay, and find out why you should be buying stock in DJU now. And we're officially in the talking and listmaking season, and Bill Connolly ranks the top 25 players of the 2000s. You're going to find out who takes the top spot and who was left out. And we now have three times the number of teams who can make the playoff. why one Big Ten coach thinks his conference is worthy of four bids every year. College football is just around the corner.

We ain't got next. We got now. All season for this moment. It's both time. We back 60 minutes or as long as it takes, you leave it on the feet. They're just going to make the conference even stronger. We're going to see a lot of unexpected things happen. He's walking into the gold standard of college football.

It's a car. Hell yeah. One of the great traditions. College football legacy is being built in these games. On the magic, welcome into college football live. Happy Monday, everyone. I'm Victoria Arlen alongside Jordan Reed and Harry Lyle's Jr. And while we have officially wrapped up the craziness that is college football media day,

we're just ramping up with the season that's just a few weeks away. And with all that was said and heard during the media days, it made us wonder who can and will be better this season. So Jordan, based on what you saw and heard, which team convinced you that they'll be better? Well, I'm going to go to the SEC, and my eyes are on Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin. This is the team that won 11 games last year. A lot of people don't really remember that. But this is an all-in season for Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss.

You have the quarterback coming back in Jackson Dart, but I really like what they were able to add on offense with Trey Harris III. He's coming back for another year. But Juice Wells, remember, he was a dynamite player for South Carolina when he was healthy. So he comes over to this offense. Yes, they lose Quinshaw, Judkins, too, Ohio State. But they recoup some of these other. other players as well, but I really like what they were able to add on the other side of the

ball on defense. Defensive tackle, Walter Nolan comes over from Texas A&M, defensive end. Prince Lee Uamie Allen comes over from Florida, who was one of their better players as well. So Lane Kiffin understands that this is an all-in season for Ole Miss. They don't have Alabama this year, who has been a bit of an Achilles Hill for them, but also they don't get Texas as well. The one game I have circled is Georgia, but they get them at home. So this is an opportunity for Ole Miss. To make some noise this year, I'm excited to see what they do.

Yeah, Jordan, I love that pick. It feels like people have sort of held that Quinn-Shon-Junkins departure against them without adding in all the additions that they made. But I'm going to go to the Big 12, and I'm going to go with West Virginia. And I got to tell you guys, it didn't take a whole lot of convincing for me to think that they were going to be better this year. I actually did an article on them for ESPN.com earlier this offseason. I spoke to Neil Brown and quarterback Garrett Green.

And this is a team that was 24th out of 134 FBS teams in terms of returning production. we're talking about a team that was picked to finish last in the Big 12 last year. One, nine games had a great win in the Mayo Bowl. And it just seems like if there were a lot of other teams that had the returning production that they have again, I mentioned the 24th number before, but they're 89% production coming back on offense specifically. With a quarterback like Garrett Green, I think you've got to look at this team and you've got to ask yourself, like, how are they picked seventh to finish in the Big 12? I think a lot of other teams, have they had the same returning amount of production that this team does in a solid, solid position at the quarterback and a player of Garrett Green there, that a team typically would be picked higher than they were.

So I'm looking forward to seeing what West Virginia is putting out this year. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of momentum that gives them. Now, let's get to a team that didn't have to do any convincing that they'll be better. Last year, they won 13. Florida State is back to work with practices underway, and this comes after being left out of the playoffs last season. They kick things off this season over the pond in Dublin, Ireland on August 24th against Georgia Tech and the Aer Lingus Football Classic. But before kickoff, Florida State must replace 14 of their 22 starters with seven coming on each side of the ball. And of those 14, 10 were selected in the 2024 NFL draft.

Florida State was one of five schools to have at least 10 players drafted this spring. The other four went on to make the college football playoff. EJ Manuel caught up with one of the replacements DJ Ui Ungolalay. Now what went into the decision of coming to Florida State? I think everything, man. I was trying to find a place where I feel like can get better at. Find a place where it's going to be best fit me, a coaching staff, a coach, the offense that's going to be able to fit me and my skill sets.

I mean, I found it here with Coach Norville, Coach Torquence, and everybody else here, man. It's an unbelievable program, man. It's been a journey. It's been great to be able to be here at Florida State for the past, what, six, seven months I've been here. I've learned a lot. I've got the experience a lot being here,

and the coaches here, and the players are great, man. It's been wonderful, man. The fan base here is one of the best, man. One of the reasons why I love coming back to Tallahassee, bring my family, my kids, but also even when I was like you and your shoes as a player, you know, the fans were the ones that we wanted to do it for. You know, how excited are you to come out

into Dope Campbell Stadium for the first time? I'm super excited, man. The stadium is amazing. The fans here are amazing, man. The fans they love, they love the team. And that's all you want as a player, man. You want fans that are passionate about the game, passionate about the players and about the coaches

and love the game of football. You can feel that here with the Florida State fans. And I'm super excited about coming here in day one and just coming in my first game. DJ going back to your time at Clemson, you were anointed, the chosen one after Trevor Lawrence. You know, you were the guy of five-star recruit coming out of high school, play well your freshman year,

really showed the country who you are, who you could be. Now you're here at Florida State on your third stop. You know, how does that situation kind of for you when you look back on it, how does it make you feel? For me, I learned a lot being at Thompson. I love my time there. The relations I built there with my teammates, coaches, staff, I enjoyed it. And for me, man, I'm excited to be here at Florida State.

And I've learned a lot coming in, playing, being in college four years, now my fifth year at Florida State. So I feel like I have a lot of experience under my belt. But there's a lot of stuff. Yeah, I want to show on camera. I want to show on the field. And just go out there and just ball for my teammates. be the best team I could be, make every play I can make, just be confident each and every time I step on the field,

and just be a great team and a great leader each and every time. Do you feel like you have something to prove now? I want to say have something to prove. For me, man, I just want to go out there and ball. For me, like, I also know it's whatever people say, what they say, have opinions about me, whatever. That doesn't really bother me, anything like that. In my heart, I know what kind of player I am,

and I just want to go out there and show the rest of the world for what I believe in myself. Now, if someone were to buy stock in the DJU, why would they buy stock in the U? For me, why would they buy stock? The stock's on the rise. I think that's my thing. I think the stock's on the rise. I think there's a lot of stuff I want to show to the world and just a lot of stuff I want to be able to put on films, different scouts,

and people watching the game with football. So that's why. Good stuff, man. Appreciate the time, brother. You're rolling, man. Yes, sir. Stock on the rise. A lot of eyes will be on DJU.

Now, Harry, what do you think will be FSU's ID this year? Victoria, I think it stops and starts with trying to make good on that snub from last year. I still think it is one of the worst snubs that we've seen in college school history and probably won't see one worse than it. And I realized that, you know, we saw the graphic earlier about how many starters that they lost and not just lost, but lost to the NFL. Like this was a great team last year. But I think despite a lot of these new faces that we're going to see coming in from the portal, Mike Norvell, I can tell you from being in that room the day that they got snub, he is going to use that as a motivational task. tactic for this team. They felt like something was taken from them. And so they're going to be playing with a chip on their shoulder this year. So I think one, you're going to see a team

that is going to be playing like their hair is on fire. And then the other piece of this too, we mentioned those new additions, one obviously being DJU. I think he is low key, one of the great quarterbacks to be put in this particular position with this team because he is also somebody. And he sort of mentioned in an interview with EJ that he is somebody that has something to prove. And I think with a quarterback like him, you have seen he showed, he showed a glimpses at Clemson. He obviously showed those as well at Oregon State. And I think he's one of those players when you continue to put him in good positions. He will rise. And I think that you're going to see that with this Florida team this year, especially with him at the quarterback position.

Yeah, Harry, you make a lot of great points. And I think DJU really establishes a high floor for this team. And it would not surprise me if they do get to that double digit win mark. But I think the identity of this team is going to be on the defensive side. And if you remember last year, We saw players like Jared versus, Braden Fisk, Renardo Green, Jerry and Jones. We saw them produce so much NFL talent. I think it's going to be very similar this year. Now, some of the players that they got out of the transport portal,

Marvin Jones Jr. It's one name that I would love to highlight him coming over from Georgia. His dad is a legacy seminal. So he's going to have some big shoes to fill along that defensive line. And one player that's not even listed who I think is going to be their best player on the defensive side is Patrick Payton. A lot of NFL scouts that I talk to believe that he has the potential to be a top 50. team overall pick.

So there's a lot of people along this defensive line. And two other names I would love to mention Joshua Farmer as well as Daryl Jackson in the middle, two former high school teammates together in the state of Florida. So this defense is, it has a chance to be very, very good. And I think that's what the identity of the Seminole is going to continue to be going into this year. Well, and Harry, how many wins do you think this team is capable of this year? I got to tell you, looking at that Florida State schedule, I don't know that a lot of

teams would envy them because obviously the conference schedule is tough enough. A lot of those coming on the road against Notre Dame, against Miami, and against SMU, which I think is going to be a tough one as well. But I think that opening game against Georgia Tech is going to be a tough one, an improved team there with Haynes King, a quarterback. That Memphis game is going to be a tough one. That is a team in the group of five who believes that this can be the year that they make the playoff, especially with how much returning players that they have, including a four-year

starter, a quarterback, and Seth Hennigan. So if I were to make a safe bet, I would say at least nine wins. But again, this could be one of those schedules where if Florida State gets the ball rolling the right way in those close games, they could easily win more than that. I think it comes down to three games for them. And it's the October 5th matchup where they have to go to, or excuse me, they play Clemson. They play Miami on October 26th. Miami has a lot of hype. And I believe they're going to be a contender in the ACC this year as well.

But that November 9th game against Notre Dame, that's another game of where we're going to find out just how good Florida State can be. So I think they can get to that double-digit win mark, but if they can come out of that three-week stretch, whereas with a 2-1 record or a 3-0 record, winning two or three of those games, they have a chance to get to the double-digit win mark. They might not get that 13-win season, but this team definitely has a chip on their shoulder,

as Harry said, playing with their hair on fire, having being left out of the playoff last year. That video still haunts a lot of us. But you can catch the full Florida State Road trip tonight at 6 p.m. on ACC Network. And don't forget, week zero kicks off with the Aer Lingus College Football Classic from Dublin, Ireland. Our friends from the ACC huddle, EJ. Manuel and Taylor Tannenbaum will be in Ireland while the rest of the crew is back in Bristol. You can catch them on the ACC Network. Plus college game day will be there, of course, kicking off at 9 a.m. Eastern leading up to the game, which kicks off at noon Eastern.

Still to come, four bids for the Big Ten in this new college football playoff format. Every year, find out which coach is making some bold statements. And if our guys, agree. Plus, Bill Connolly tries to do the impossible, rank the top 25 players in college football since 2000, with about 26 consensus All Americans per season and 24 different players who have won a Heisman during that span, there's definitely room for debate. The NFL preseason kicks off Thursday with the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame game. It'll be your first look at top 10 picks Caleb Williams and Roma Dunes A in Bears uniforms as they take on C.J. Stroud on the Texans at 8 Eastern on ESPN, ABC, and ESPN Deportes.

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman will have the call with Lisa Salters on the field, and our coverage begins with a special edition of Monday night countdown at Southern Eastern. Welcome back to College Football Live, and you don't just have to love lists around Christmas time. Here, we love them all the time. And our very own Bill Connerly released his list of college football's top 25 players of the 21st century. So let's look at who made the cut, and more specifically, who he ranks in the top 10. Now, no surprise. This group is made up of mostly.

quarterbacks, but a defensive lineman tops the list. Among the group are also five Heisman trophy winners and several others who were finalists or runner-ups for the award. So let's talk about the list since we love them so much. Jordan, do we agree with Sue being named in the top spot? I do. And that's a very rare occurrence to agree, especially when we're talking about ranking college football players of this century. But in Dominican Sue, there's a strong argument that can be made that he was the best college defensive player ever. And I go back to that 2009 Big 12 title game against Texas. And yes, I know they lost that game 13 to 12, but four and a half sacks, seven

tackles for loss. And I'm still upset that he did not win the Heisman Trophy in 2009. I get it. Mark Ingram was really good that year. But the way that he was able to consistently take over games, weekend and week out, excuse me, is something that we probably will never, ever see again from a defensive lineman of his caliber. Yeah, Jordan, that big 12 championship game, who, they were only in that game because

of Indomacan Su and his dominance. I mean, seven tackles for lost, four and a half sacks. Just in an absolutely incredible performance. I also agree with Bill. I hope you guys have been nice to him on the internet today, by the way, if you're watching this and you've sent tweets to him. He's a great guy. But listen, I think with that Heisman, it wasn't even the fact that he didn't win it. He finished fourth in the voting. Mark Ingram had won it. Toby Gerhardt and Colt McCoy had also finished above Indomaconsu. So I like to think that if Indomaconsu would have had that season perhaps today. Some of us on Twitter could have bullied people with Heisman votes

into actually voting for Adomac and Sue and then we wouldn't have to retrospectively give it to him on a show like today. I think we avoid the bullying altogether and as Harry said, just be kind. All right, Harry, who's a player you must have on your team? Yeah, I mean, looking at this list

obviously so many great players on here but if there was one player with my life on the line and I need him on my college football team and I could pick him really from any part of history, it's going to be Cam, New That 2010 season that he had was absolutely incredible. They gave up over 27 points in more than half of their games. And for him to be able to essentially put that team on his back week in and week out on an

Auburn team in a tough SEC. And we all remember that Iron Bowl. Just absolutely incredible, iconic stuff to me. I probably would have put him at the top of my list just off of the top of my head. But again, Cam Newton to me, an absolute can't miss player. and it's easy to forget how great he was because he did it for one season. But to me, it was the best season ever. Yeah, that's a great choice, Harry.

That 2010 season from Cam was just remarkable, the way he was able to lead them to a national title. But if I have to have one play, one game, one anything, how can you not go with Reggie Bush? At the height of USC's era with Pete Carroll, he was a do-it-all player for the Trojans. I mean, he's such a memorable player. He could catch out of the backfield.

He can run between the tackles. Everybody's familiar with the NCAA video game that just came out. The reason that we're able to make all these moves with the analog stick is because of Reggie Bush. He was a human highlight reel in a human video game. I go back to that video, or excuse me, I go back to that Fresno State game in 2005 where he had 513 total. He was just an amazing, amazing player. Now, I have to agree with you on helping the analog stick, but I have something crazy here. Of the top 35 in total, only one Alabama player made the cut.

Now we're talking about the players that made the list, but what about the ones who didn't make the list? So here are the first 10 players that were left out of that list in alphabetical order. We've got players like Michael Crabtree, Trevor Lawrence, Christian McCaffrey, and Marcus Marriota, who didn't make the cut. Now, I understand it's not an easy job to make this list. But Jordan, who stands out from this missed list? Well, speaking of Alabama, I'm going to go with the player that beat them in a national title game as a true freshman in Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

he was so highly decorated coming into Clemson, huge five-star recruit, one of the best quarterback prospects ever. And he lived up to the hype. You cannot tell the story of college football without including Trevor Lawrence, a 38 and 2 record during his time at Clemson. And Clemson has had a very strong lineage of quarterbacks

that have come through the program. You can make a strong case that Trevor Lawrence was the best of all of them. And what he was able to accomplish during his three years there, I think that's something that we'll never see again. Yeah, and Trevor Lawrence is great from the jump. that really stood out to me that was not on this list was Calvin Johnson. I know that might seem like a little bit of home cooking with all the Atlanta ties here. But I genuinely think when we are talking about just some of the most skilled football players to ever touch a football field,

Calvin Johnson is absolutely one of them. And I'll tell you a story. I actually did a story for ESPN.com this year on the wrestler Roman Raines, who was actually one of the two captains of that 2006 Georgia Tech team. And I spoke with quarterback Reggie Ball of that team. And he had talked about Roman basically chewing him out after they lost the 2006 ACC title game against Wake Force because his explanation and Reggie did not argue this was pretty simple like hey we have 21 on our team throw it up to him find him and we'll be okay so any player that's that good to me deserves to be in the top 25 I agree I agree and a lot of these guys have had very strong and successful NFL careers as well but don't go anywhere because speaking of the NFL find out who called the big 10 the NFL of college football

and claims the conference should get four spots in the playoff every year. Sometimes people say things that make you take a double take and maybe like my dog, tilt your head with confusion. Last week during Big Ten Media Day, Nebraska head coach Matt Ruhl did just that. Take a listen. I think four teams from this league should get in every year because this is the best league. This is the NFL of college football on my mind. It stretches from coast to coast, different time zones, different weather.

That's not to diminish any other league. The SEC is amazing. These other leagues are great, but the challenge in the Big Ten is going to be really difficult. Now, the conference may not be as full of playoff caliber teams as it had hoped. According to the Allstate playoff predictor, the Big Ten has five teams with at least a 10% chance to make the playoff. Oregon's lone appearance came in the inaugural playoff and they only sent multiple teams to the playoff once. So I'm just going to say it. The math ain't math in.

Now, we love the confidence. We really do. However, all I'm going to say is settle down over there. The SEC still has a little bit of a leg up. So, Jordan, do you agree with Rule? Yeah, I don't know what they're sprinkling in the corn out there in Nebraska, but Matt at Rule has definitely got a hold of it. But he has this team believing in.

I love the confidence that he has in Nebraska. So looking at the Big Ten, I see Oregon as well as Ohio State. I think those are your two strong favorites to possibly make the cosplay playoff. Of course, he's going to include Nebraska just because he's the head coach of that. So it comes down to Michigan or Penn State. And I just want to know which one he believes ends up getting in. So I don't agree with Nebraska getting in at all, but I love the belief that he has in his football team. Yeah, I don't know that I quite agree with Coach Rule.

I will give him this. If we're talking about teams on both coasts and dealing with different weather and those things, then yes, you are much more like the NFL than the Best College Football Conference. But I still believe that the most skilled in best college football conference is still the SEC. And we're talking about an SEC that added Texas and Oklahoma this year. So I'm not quite ready to go there with the Big Ten. I do think he speaks from a place of optimism as he should. I think his team is going to be improved.

And with their schedule, I really think that they could put a dent in that thing this year and really show improvement. So I understand his optimism, though, again, I don't know that I would say that the Big Ten is the best in college football. Yeah, I wouldn't. I wouldn't either. I'm going to rest my case there. But, Jordan, how many wins do you think Nebraska will get this year? I think they'll show improvement this year. get anywhere from eight to nine.

Oh, no, oh no. Okay. Jordan, you go first, then Harry, real quick. Okay. I was going to say seven. I think they'll get both eligible this year. Okay. What about you, Harry? Yeah, I think, I think that at least seven. I think there are some on there that could be a coin flip and they could go above that or they could go below that. Okay, well, we're just going to have a confident optimism for them. All right, we're all back tomorrow. Thanks for watching college football live back at 3 p.m. tomorrow, ESPN 2, the three of us. We'll see you then. Thank you.