College Football Live - Touring CFB!

Episode Date: January 17, 2025

Victoria Arlen, Sam Acho and Tom Luginbill are here with the final Friday episode of College Football Live this season! The crew welcomes Michael Barker to the show, who talks about his experience attending over 100 College Football games this season! Plus we continue to breakdown the upcoming National Championship and discuss how much a Natty would mean to both schools! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome into college football live. I'm Victoria Arlen. Let's go out the tunnel. We are just three days away until the national championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame and Sam and Lugues are here to discuss what winning a national title would mean for each team. Plus, the guys are going to give you some players on both sides of the ball that you should be paying attention to when the game kicks off on Monday night. And most people would love one college football game in a lifetime, but how about 100 in a single season? We're going to talk to a guy who has done just that. This is College Football Live. Let's go. Welcome to College Football Live, presented by Great Clips. Happy Friday, everyone, and it is a happy one indeed because Sam Acho and Tom Luganville are here with me.

So you know it is going to be a great show. And we are with you one final time before a national champion is crowned. And you're looking at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the college football national championship. We're on Monday. Notre Dame is set to face off against Ohio State. So let's take a look back at the Buckeyes' journey to get here. And the Michigan Wolverines will shock to college. Everybody wants to win this game in the worst way.

I'm upset more than anybody. We know there's more season left for us, so we stay focused. What a path. That portion of the bracket is, everybody said it would be easier, right? Howard going to take a shot, left side. He's got Smith there to the end zone. He's got a touchdown. Sensational playoff debut for this freshman.

My state of Oregon. It sounds pretty good, man. Howard, looking to launch right down. Because the Scarlett and Gray redemption tour arrives in Texas for the semifinals with serious steam. Sur, knock it up, and picks it up. Championship game. Now let's take a look at what's at stake for Ohio State. A win would mark their seventh national title in the AP poll era.

It will also mark just the fifth instance of a team winning a national title, but not their conference title. So needless to say, a lot is at stake for the Buckeyes on Monday. What would a win mean for Ohio State leagues? Well, I think it's a tremendous opportunity for everybody to just get off of Ryan Day's back. And I understand how passionate the Ohio State fan base is. But this is a man that has won an awful lot of football games. He's 69 and 10 overall, 39 and 3 in the Big 10, 19 and 9 versus top 25 teams, and he's never lost to an unranked team, 46 and 0.

And I know there's a lot of fans out there that Ohio State passionate people and everything's about the Michigan games. Would you rather beat Michigan or win a national championship? Because you may not want to admit it, but that Michigan game is a big reason, while Ohio State's playing for a national championship on Monday night. And to your point, Loux, it's not just the success for now. I think a win for Ohio State will equal success in the future.

Why do I say that? Go back to that Michigan game. Recruits show up to games like these. They're saying, okay, do I go to Ohio State? Do I go to Michigan? Man, they're losing. Maybe I don't go. But now all of a sudden you go on this run, you go to a national championship and let's say you win.

All of a sudden, a team that is consistently a huge brand that has a lot of great recruits. Now, all of a sudden, even more recruits want to come and continue. continue the success that Ohio State is having. And so for me, I believe that a win for Ohio State will equal success for now, but also success for the future when it comes to recruiting and players who are watching trying to decide where they want to go play football. And Ryan Day, of course, is looking for his first national championship title. Another coach looking for his first national championship title is Marcus Freeman.

Let's take a look at how his Notre Dame squad got here. And the Huskies have beaten Notre Dame. It's the biggest win in their history. This is as low as it gets. It's the entire program that underachieve today, and the entire program has to own it and improve from it. The Irish 10 consecutive wins since the loss to Northern Illinois. The fighting Irish of Notre Dame, the seventh seat, the college football playoff.

John Amata love trying to get the Jets. 20, 10, it's a touchdown. Yes, kick on. Notre Dame. What's at stake for? them. Well, a win would secure their ninth national title in program history and Marcus Freeman would also become the third head coach since 2014 to win the national title in their third full season at the school. So let's see if they have the luck of the Irish come Monday. Sam, what

would a win mean for Notre Dame? It would mean that belief is a real thing. Marcus Freeman took this program, a program in which Brian Kelly said, hey, I can't win here. And all of a sudden, three years in, he wins a national championship. For me, this speaks to what Marcus Freeman has been able to do, not necessarily in recruiting, no, but in inspiring the players on his roster. There's a sense of confidence, a sense of competence, and a sense of belief that will stand out. And also, not to mention, this will be their first national championship

since January 2nd, 1989. I was four months old. So it would be a generational type of event for Notre Dame and Notre Dame fans. You know, Sam, for the last 20 years, all you heard was why Notre Dame can't. Why they can't do this, why they can't do that. The academic standards are too high, okay? It's not the 1980s. They're a national recruiter, and everybody thinks that makes it easier.

It actually makes it harder because you can't be everywhere at once. And you're walking into the high school, and you're looking at a transcript, and you're saying, we can't get that kid in. And when you're walking out of the high school, there's 10 of your competitors walking in, and they can get them into school. So everybody said, well, it's over. You can't do this. I think this win not only puts them back on the map,

but it puts them in contention for national titles going forward each and every year, especially because of the transactional nature of what college football has become, name image and likeness, the decisions that they've made that have gotten to this point, not only with their in-house personnel and the guys they've recruited out of the high school, but the choices they've made in the portal and there haven't been many. So I think just puts them back on the map in a way, that we have not seen since the late 80s. And I think also it just shows that there's a new era of college football,

not just from a branding perspective, but from what Marcus Freeman is building perspective. I mean, think about this. He brought in people in the off season to help teach his guys when it comes to financial education. He brought in the pivot podcast and helped guys think about, hey, what does life after football look like? Marcus Freeman is a former player, played national championship, spent time in the NFL.

But now there's this new error where he's showing guys, hey, you can be dominant on the field, but also dominant office. the field trying to build up their entire human capital. So this youth movement or this level of, hey, it's a different era of college football is coming in with Marcus Freeman. And I think that's shown even how they handled that NIEU loss. We heard Riley Leonard say Marcus Freeman said, hey, this is going to be the best thing

that could have ever happened to you. And look, they're competing for the national championship on Monday. They also have a chance to snap their longest act of losing streak against Ohio State. And that dates back to 1936. So they believe. All right. The College Football Playoff Foundation and ESPN continue to support teachers and coaches during the college football postseason. The Touchdown for Teachers Initiative will invest over $300,000 in resources for teachers and coaches,

donating $1,000 for every touchdown score to fund teachers and coaches projects focused on sports and fitness. Visit touchdown forteachers.org for more information. Coming up after the break, Lugues and Sam are here to tell you the players they think will have an even bigger impact in the national championship. College Football Live is presented by Great Clips. Get game ready for the college football playoff with great clips. Whether it's a pair of running shoes or a new car, you check how well something performs before you buy it.

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Their values change and past performance may not be repeated. Welcome back to College Football Live, presented by Great Cliffs. Iowa State, Notre Dame. Can't wait. The CFP National Championship presented by AT&T begins Monday. at 7.30 p.m. Luke, who are some names we should be keeping an eye out for in this game? Well, let's start on defense for Ohio State.

And Sam has spoken many times over the last couple of weeks about the importance of Caleb Downs. And I think in this particular game, especially because you have a running quarterback, you have a quarterback that not only can create plays when things break down, but is utilized as a designated runner. Ohio State's been able to control the box. with a light box and a four-man front without having to add a bunch of people to stop the run.

But can they stop the quarterback run? I think that's where Caleb Downs comes into play as a tackler, somebody that might slide down into the box. All right, how about Notre Dame in the offensive line? The left tackle position, whether that's going to be Charles Jcusa or Tosh Baker at left tackle, they're going to have their hands full.

Whether it's Jack Sawyer or JPP coming off the edge, it's the left side of the offensive line. They're going to have to have a plan to help out those offensive tackles, whether they're going to chip with an H-back, chip with a running back, and try and get those guys settled. And then Jaden Greathouse for Notre Dame, I think he's got to be a guy that they've got to move around. Shifts, motions, find ways to isolate him. He's become a big factor in the college football playoff and a go-to player for Riley Leonard. So how they get him the ball, I don't think they can just line him up stationary all the time. I think they're going to have to get creative.

And if they do, I think he's a really exciting player that is a difficult matchup for any defense. Yeah, I love the list, Lugues, but I have one controversy. The offensive linemen, you probably don't want to know their names if you're a Notre Dame fan because that means they're doing their jobs. You're not knowing who's getting beat by JT2, Malo out or Jack Sawyer. Seriously, that's the thing. I got played my first position. It was offensive line.

I think it was like in the fourth grade, fifth grade. They never called my name outside of a holding. So it's a good thing if you don't hear those offensive lane or Notre Dame call. Now, on my side, there are three players that I think names need to know for different reasons. Different reasons. I'll start on the Notre Dame side, and I'll start with Jordan Clark from Notre Dame. Jordan Clark is a nickel, right? He's not the outside corner plays on the inside, but you'll find him in the running game.

You'll find him blitzing in the back field. But more than anything, he plays really, really great technique. Why does his technique matter? Because Ohio State has a trio of really good receivers, really a quartet of good receivers. And I think when it comes to Notre Dame defensively, Jordan Park is going to be on an island. Let's see if he can dominate. Secondly, talk about those DPs.

Leonard Moore. He's a true freshman from Round Rock, Texas. And here's the thing about Leonard Moore. He's played every single snap for the entire playoff run and also their last game of the season. He stepped in once Benjamin Morrison got injured. And this forced fumble in the early part of the Louisville game was outstanding.

So he's always around the ball, forcing fumbles, interceptions, et cetera. Now, last but not least, He's a player by the name of G. Scott, number 88. Remember that quartet of wide receivers? Well, G. Scott was one of them, but he switched over to tight end. So he's played tight end the last several years. He's put out a good amount of weight and watch him in the running game.

He'll oftentimes take you to the football. Not because it's the design, but it's because how hard he plays. He's a mauler, and you wouldn't say that about a former wide receiver. He'll get involved in the past game as well. But usually G. Scott is leading when it comes to blocking, when it comes to the aggressiveness, right? these last, this last playoff run, 10 catches, 99 yards. He had 16 the whole regular season. And so for me, G. Scott from Ohio State is a name you need to know.

Sam, I like that list and I like the attention you placed on the Notre Dame secondary. You know, earlier in the week, we talked about Notre Dame. What are they going to be in? They're going to be in man-to-man defense, run more of it than anybody else in college football. And you mentioned not getting a flag pulled on you or not knowing the name of the offensive linemen. The problem is, is it corner and at defensive back, you're going to know who it is, quickly if Ohio State gets over the top on Notre Dame. So I think it's going to be a huge challenge for Notre Dame on defense.

It's going to be a huge game. And we are just three days away. The college football play of national championship game presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ohio State against Notre Dame Monday at 730 Eastern on ESPN. Most of us remember our first college football game, the roaring crowd, the band, and the atmosphere that makes college football. so special. I will never forget my first game at the shoe and I was honestly left speechless, which isn't often. Some people dream of going to one game, but how about 100 or 100 in a single

season? That's what Michael Barker has done and he joins us now. Michael, thank you so much for joining us. So first and foremost, how did this all begin? So in 2017, I decided to use college football as the vessel to travel the United States. My dad played college football and always had being in California wanting to travel and see stadiums across the country. And so in the summer of 2017, I visited 100 schools, really enjoyed it. That fall started going to games in over a five-year period, attended a game at every FBS stadium. And since then, been going to games all over, did 90 college football games last year. And as you mentioned, 100 this year. Did you ever imagine, it would turn into all of this?

No, I met a woman at a San Diego State football game who was a Disney executive, and she suggested that I get on Twitter. And I did, and I started tweeting about my experiences. But once the volume picked up and I started getting the 60 and 70 games, it started to attract attention. But I never thought that when, you know, I'd be eight years into this and have 50,000 followers on social media and be on ESPN, never in my wildest dreams. But what has been your favorite stadium and moment so far?

So my favorite stadium I tell people is the Sun Bowl in El Paso, which surprises people. It's 4,000 foot elevation. Interstate 10 runs behind the stadium divides Mexico and the United States. It has the second longest running bowl game behind the Rose Bowl. And it's just a serene, beautiful place to watch a game. And the best moment so far this year was the Hawaii Bowl. It was five overtimes. I flew and landed in Honolulu at 1 p.m.

The game was at 3. I watched the game and I flew out, took the red eye at 11, and I was back home in California for Christmas morning. So that was probably the craziest and most fun moment of the year. Now, I have my thoughts on the Oregon Duck as my favorite mascot. Do you have a favorite mascot that you've encountered? I love the duck. I love the Oregon Duck, but I'm going to give a shout out to Big Red, Western Kentucky.

All right. The blob guy. He has such universal appeal. I've never seen people gravitate towards him just more than anything. They just love him. Now, you've got a ticket to the Natty on Monday, and that's going to be game number 104 for you this season, and you've seen both teams play quite a bit.

What is your prediction for Monday? So I said before the playoff bracket started that I was going with Notre Dame, and I saw Notre Dame in the regular season versus Florida State. I saw him versus Indiana in round one. I saw them at the Sugar Bowl in round two, and I saw them at the Orange Bowl in the semis. And I haven't seen anything to change my mind. I know that Ohio State is favored, but there's just something about this team, the way they play, their defense is great. And whatever type of matchup breaks out, high scoring, low scoring, I feel like they can adjust.

So I'm going to go against the grain and I'm going to pick Notre Dame. Well, you're not going against the grain over here. So thank you, Michael. And we really appreciate having you on the show and enjoy the game. Absolutely. Thank you, Victoria. It's time to get those predictions ready. The crew and I will be predicting who will win the 2025 National Championship right after this. College football playoff national championship weekend in Atlanta is going to be the place to be whether your favorite team is in the game or not.

Learn about all of the events and festivities planned for CFP's championship campus at college football playoff.com. Don't miss out on the biggest weekend in college football. College Football Live is presented by Great Clips. Get game ready for the college football playoff with great clips. It is time now to play this or that national championship edition. Luke, who would you rather have Will Howard or Riley Leonard? I'm going to take Will Howard, and I'm taking him because he's got the highest completion percentage versus man coverage. He hasn't turned the ball over versus.

man coverage. He's got the highest QBR versus man coverage of any quarterback in the country. And guess what Notre Dame is going to be in? What about you, Sam? I'm going to go with Riley Leonard. And because he doesn't have any of those things, but he's still winning. Why do I mean by that? Riley Leonard ran it 18 times last game, 14 in the game before and 11 the game before. 43 rushes. On the season, he has nearly a thousand rushing yards. So even if the passing game isn't working, Riley Leonard can run the rock. Give me Riley Leonard. All right. You got Riley Leonard. All right, which Jeremiah, Ohio State Smith or Notre Dame's love, Luke's.

Ohio State Smith. I think this game is tailored for him. And they're going to move them around. They're going to get them isolated. And I think they're going to get them over the top. We know Will Howard can throw the deep ball. And quite honestly, outside of the 98-yard run versus Indiana in the first round, Notre Dame hasn't run the football as effectively as maybe some people have thought.

What about you, Sam? Yeah, well, that's because, well, that's because Jeremiah Love has been injured. Well, he's back healthy now. Give me Jeremiah love for Notre Dame. The running game has been outstanding this season. Yes, he's battled injury, but even with that injury, he's hurtling over defenders. Even with that injury, he's running through defenders at the goal line getting in the end zone. So give me Jeremiah, that Jeremiah, I love.

Sam is feeling the love. All right, which All-American safety lugs, Caleb Downs, or Xavier Watts? Well, I got to stick with my guy, Caleb Downs, who I chose as a potential impact player to come down into the box and have to deal with that quarterback run of the Notre Dame run game as a whole. I also happen to think that pound for pound, he may be the best defensive player in college football. All right, what about you, Sam?

Yeah, take out the maybe, and I will agree. Give me Caleb Downs as well. He's gotten so much better as the season has progressed. And you don't see the stats per se. The last couple games, you've seen some interceptions, but his hands are always around the... Usually he's close to getting interception. So for me, Caleb Downs is a difference maker.

if he starts getting those picks instead of PVUs, it'll be a big time game-changing moment. All right. I mean, I like this. I'm feeling most of this. Luges, you went all Ohio State and Sam, you went mostly Notre Dame. All right, now we're going to get to our final prediction.

So we're going to get to who's your final pick. So Sam, I'm going to start with you for the game time on Monday. What's your pick? Man, I went mostly Notre Dame, but unfortunately, I'm going to go Ohio State on this pick. I think Ohio State's going to win. I'll give it 28, 25. Notre Dame is a team of destiny playing with a ton of heart.

Here's the issue. Ohio State has a lot of heart too, and they have the talent. So give me Ohio State in a close one, 2824. Okay. Sam, that's what worries me. Sometimes those teams of destiny, when everything just falls into place and the stars align and it's meant to be, but I'm going to Ohio State, 28, 21. Oh, man.

Okay, well, if only, if only I, what team do you think? going. Let's go. Notre Dame does not fit over my head at all. Oh, it kind of does. Okay, hold on. I'm going. Pull the ear holes. Pull the ear holes. They said it's in the hell, that's real gold. Guys, I have a big head. Okay. There we go. I am going Notre Dame. Full send. Okay. For college football live, I'm Victoria. He's Luke. He's Sam. Have a great weekend. Enjoy the championship game. We out. Thank you.