Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - BOOM: Miami Hurricanes Named ACC’s Only TRUE Contender—But Is That ENOUGH for 2026?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Here's how far behind the ACC is compared to the Power 2 conferences. You are Locked on ACC, your daily podcast on the Atlantic Coast Conference. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. He is Kenton Gibbs from Lockdown Wolfpack. I am Alex Dono from Locked on Cains and on this loaded episode of Locked on ACC. Have transfers ruined college sports? I know a lot of you felt that way already, but after seeing the way people are talking about that Michigan National Championship team from last night,

Starting point is 00:00:41 I think this is a conversation we should get into. More buzz coming out of spring football. And speaking on football, Kenton, would we talk about how far behind, and this is on paper, obviously, because we don't know how the season is going to play out in 2026, how far behind is the ACC compared to the SEC and the Big Ten especially? And we're not talking specifically on this episode about the revenue. But we know there's a revenue gap, right? Where, you know, the ACC paid out in 2024.

Starting point is 00:01:13 We don't have the 2025 figures yet. The ACC paid out about an average of $45 million per their full member institutions compared to the Big Ten who led the way at $75 million. So that's a $30 million gap on average. And the SEC 72.4 million right behind. behind the big 10. So we know there's a revenue gap. But what about the competitive gap, Kenton? We look at the upcoming football season. I think it's safe to say, like, on paper, Miami should at least be a contender. Like they got to the national championship game last year. They get Dary and Mensa this

Starting point is 00:01:50 coming season. The roster looks really good. Like, would you look at any other team in the 17 team ACC and say this could be a contender or at least a dark horse contender to win a championship this year. So when the championship is a very far bridge, but I also want to acknowledge that there aren't many teams, period, that are in that space and in that zone, right? Right. And we'll get to that. Yeah. And, you know, if we're asking who beyond Miami is there right now, I would say maybe, and we're looking at a very stretch assignment for that defense, we're looking at, hey, y'all got a. You're going to play above your heads for three to four games at the end of the year, maybe SMU. I would say maybe SMU is there.

Starting point is 00:02:39 I wouldn't say anybody else is seriously at that point right now to where I'm like, hey, you are a championship contender. I can see you raising the crystal or not the crystal ball. It's now the golden trophy at the end of the year. And I'm not going to be like, what? Who did what exactly? Like if I got knocked over the head today and woke up in a coma, I wouldn't wake up like, Who from the ACC won the championship?

Starting point is 00:03:04 Is Donald still had a show going? Who's my replacement? Wake Forest? Wake Forest just won a title? Listen, if I live in a world where Gio Lopez has won a national championship at a North Carolina University and it is not UNC, I may be dancing in the streets. I may be dancing in the street. And I know, sir, U.S.

Starting point is 00:03:22 fans are very upset with us right now. Farn takes about Mike Malone. But that's another story at the time. That's another story. And we do have a Mike Ballone topic for this episode because he, his salary has been reported. And it's going to be making a lot of money. We'll get to that.

Starting point is 00:03:37 We'll get to that. All right. So your point is taken. Like there's not a whole lot of teams in any conference you would look at and say, boom, this is a legit national contender. Right. So if you say in the ACC,

Starting point is 00:03:50 Miami is there and like maybe you could say SMU at a dark course. All right. Let's go to the big boys then. Big 10, which might have the best shot because. Ohio State, they're going to be in those conversations. A lot of people have them preseason number one. Again, heading in the next year, you know, Jeremiah Smith is back.

Starting point is 00:04:10 Julian Sane is back. They lost some important pieces on defense, but they have talent to fill those spots, right? People will definitely put, you know, Indiana, I give SIG the benefit of the doubt and say they could be in that conversation, right, after winning the title last year. Oregon, I think, is in that conversation. Stop. I know. Stop. You don't think Oregon should be in the conversation?

Starting point is 00:04:34 Stop. What's their logo again, Dono? Can you hold up their logo sign for me one time? What's their thing? What are their hand gesture? Yo? How many national championships do they have, Dono? Just keep holding up that sign.

Starting point is 00:04:45 The same is the symbol. You'll be correct. Exactly. What are we doing? Why do we play this game with Oregon every year? Oh, on paper, they've got the quarterback. They've got the weapons. They've got the people.

Starting point is 00:04:54 They've got to take on their shoulder. It's a good team. We play this game every year. with Oregon. We play it every year with Oregon, and we have to keep playing it because they have more money than everybody else, even though they've never pissed a drop. They've never done it. They got to one championship when La Michael damn James was there. Cam Newton was in college. God rest his soul, Philip Lutzenkirk can play it in that game. What are we doing here? Oh, man. I digress. I digress.

Starting point is 00:05:30 Just for reference on how long ago that game was, one of the running backs in that game that made a huge play was Michael Dyer. I had a tackle against Michael Dyer and played at Louisville. Good for you. That's how long ago, last time Oregon was in the national championship happened.

Starting point is 00:05:47 And we keep playing this game every year. Oh, yeah, they got the talent. They're going to be back. No, they're not. They're not. We're going to look up at the end of the years. Oh, they got whacking the playoffs again, didn't they? Good for them.

Starting point is 00:05:59 But I digress. Oregon is not a good. Fair enough. So if Oregon, I'm not going to argue with you all because, you know, I'm a Miami guy of no love for Oregon, given, you know, the head coach situation and everything. So I will let you debunk that one without any argument. So Ohio State, Indiana, we agree. And that's it, right? I mean, Michigan, you like the Kyle Whittingham move.

Starting point is 00:06:19 They're not championship ready this upcoming season. USC, they're not championship ready. The USC is they're the biggest catfish in college sports. Like every year we talk ourselves into them being great. And Lincoln Riley can't get those guys over the hump. They got another great recruit class. That defense finally looks good. Oh, it's Lincoln Riley.

Starting point is 00:06:38 The offense is going to be what it's going to be. Yeah, sure. All right. So we'll say two from the Big Ten, right? Two bona fides. The ACC one bona fide, big ten, two bona fides. All right, SEC. I think we could have some fun with this one.

Starting point is 00:06:53 I think Georgia is capable. Of course. You know, I know Gunner Stockton has some limitations, but Georgia is going to be one of the favorites. this upcoming season. But then what do we do with Texas? What do we do with Texas A&M? And are we buying a year one complete turnaround at LSU?

Starting point is 00:07:16 Are we buying the idea that their contenders this upcoming season, or is you going to take a little? I mean, they spent more money than anybody in the portal. I mean, are we buying LSU first year of Lane Kiffin? Okay, buying LSU first year of Lane Kiffin as a legit contender. people are not going to like this and they're going to say, oh, you're still upset about Will Wade, but I'll put them in the same category as SMU.

Starting point is 00:07:36 And, like, I wouldn't be super shot. I would be a little surprised. If they were raising that trophy at the end of the year, because Lane Kiffin at the end of the day has been a guy that time and time again has shown us, he quite literally was born on third base. The only way that Lane Kiffin could possibly be born more on third base is if Monty Kiffin and his wife went to a baseball game

Starting point is 00:07:57 and quite literally, he was delivered, like, right there on third base. The story of how he became a head coach was, or how he became a coach, was he could not beat out the guy in front of him on the death chart. So, like, he just stopped showing up, and they were like, oh, well, you got to come do something. His dad was like, you can't quit altogether, so he became a coach. Yeah. Everywhere that he's gone has been unsuccessful, except, except Ole Miss.

Starting point is 00:08:23 And now all of a sudden we think he's got to figure it out to a degree that he's just going to be great at this thing. But again, I wouldn't be shocked. I wouldn't be shot. I would put them in a possible range. Same way I put Oregon, same where I put SMU. Like I, yet sure, if maybe Oregon finally got over the hump, I wouldn't be super shocked.

Starting point is 00:08:41 But the hump keep whooping the wheels off them right now. So that's just where we are. But LSU, I put them in that maybe range. Texas, who's their quarterback? Who's their quarterback going to be? Yeah. They got better receivers, though. They got Cam Coleman.

Starting point is 00:08:55 He's a monster. Yeah, no, no. arts manager quarterback. Arts Manning is your quarterback. That is all I need to hear. You are not a championship of condemning my. I'm going to say something, and I need you to confirm this for me

Starting point is 00:09:07 because it feels weird to say this out loud because we haven't been able to say this out loud in 20 years. Alabama is not on that list this year. No. That's a true statement, right? For the first time in how long can we say Alabama is not a bona fide contender?

Starting point is 00:09:23 Yeah, not a bona fide. They're not even in like the maybe range. Like I would be, I would be legitimately shocked if I'll tell you this much. If Alabama won a national championship this year, I would be just as shocked as I would be if NC State did it. I would be just a shock. Wow. Because they got to get through the SEC to do it. And it's not just, and I was just about to say, it's not just the fact they have to get through the SEC.

Starting point is 00:09:46 It's the fact that they have serious deficits on that team that I have very serious concerns about. You had some first rounders on that offensive line and you still could not run the ball at a high clip. You are having a quarterback battle now and neither one of them could beat out Ty Simpson, who the more film I watch on that guy, the more I'm like, who can miss him leave early? Yeah. Why? Why would he leave? You have more time in college. Go back to college. You were going to be the starter. You were going to be the guy. You were going to make money. Go back. I just don't see it defensively. I think on the perimeter, they've got some dudes. I think on the interior, they have guys, but they don't play together. They don't play together. They don't

Starting point is 00:10:26 in a way that's conducive to stop and the run. I think that they got some guys that can absolutely get it done on a one-on-one basis. Defensively, as a unit, that front seven doesn't mesh well. Now, there's a couple of SEC programs. I want to make sure I'm not neglecting to mention here. Old Miss,

Starting point is 00:10:42 Trinidad Chambliss is back. You know, he fought in court for that one. And Oklahoma, you know, we know they're going to play very good defenses. They always do under Venables. And John Mateer is back. His health last year playing through the broken thumb affected him.

Starting point is 00:10:57 Ole Miss and Oklahoma, you buy it or selling? Selling Ole Miss. Why? Oklahoma? So, Ole Miss, I think that they were by and large

Starting point is 00:11:07 a product of Lane Kiff and finally catches success. And here's the deal. When I say that Lane Kiff and them, and Ole Miss had success, I don't think that it was a factor of either one of them individually. I was like,

Starting point is 00:11:21 oh, Ole Miss has the University is now on the map or Lane Kiffin has now figured out the secret sauce as a head coach. think it's either one of those things. I think it's in that right situation together, they made magic. But, you know, every group don't have a Beyonce. You know what I mean? Sometimes somebody tries to leave the group and go be a solo act and everybody gets hurt by it. This is one of those moments I feel like where we're not going to look back in 10 years to say,

Starting point is 00:11:45 man, Lane Kiffin really pulled Oxford out of nothing. And we're not going to look back and say, man, Old Miss really revived his career. And after he left, Old Miss took off to the skies and he was all right. I don't think that it'll be that. So I don't think Ole is there. I think first time head coach in Golding in terms of his first year head coach. I believe he's the first time head coach. He is. Okay. Yeah. But I know he was first year. So yeah, first time head coach, I'm not, I'm not too keen on those. I'm not too keen on those, especially in year one. Year one, he can make a run. He can get close. I don't think he gets it done in year one. If he shows me a lot in year one, I'll be more apt in year two to say, oh, oh, oh,

Starting point is 00:12:26 on now. They're cooking something up down there in Mississippi. Yeah, I'm with you on that. When we come back, Big 12 versus ACC, how is that going to shape out next year? Plus, is there a team in the ACC we're sleeping on? You want to keep it locked right here. We're only getting started on this brand new episode of Locked on ACC. Hey, what if sports were traded like markets? Now you can put your sports IQ to work in real time with Robin Hood prediction markets. It's not you against the house. It's you participate. in a live market. You could buy or sell your positions live all game long. Use your sports knowledge in the moments that matter. Robin Hood prediction markets changes the game. It's people

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Starting point is 00:14:23 Thank you for making Locked on ACC your first listen. All right. So Kenton, Big 12. Texas Tech is going to be in these discussions, and they also have a laughably easy schedule this year, just Texas Tech. I don't even think they match up with BYU in the regular season. I think that they kind of manipulated that they'll see themselves in the,

Starting point is 00:14:44 they'll see each other in the Big 12 championship game. So Texas Tech is in the conversation like BYU, Utah, you're buying anyone else outside of the Red Raiders? Why would I buy anybody outside the Red Raiders? you've got to sell me something and I need to see why I would buy you. Don't get me wrong. I think Sataki is doing a heck of a job at BYU.

Starting point is 00:15:07 I really do. I think with all the money and they got crumpled cookie money back in them. Oh, my gosh. They got some loan money back in them and they. I made the switch over to cake just so I made sure I'm not like funding BYU's NIO because I'm not trying to help Drake Toll over there at locked on Big 12. I'm only consuming products that come out of ACC territory. Well, listen, I've had to stop eating canes myself.

Starting point is 00:15:33 You know what I mean? It's been a tough time. They just put one in Riley. It's been a very tough time. I'm not paying for y'all to come still our coaches up to ACCC, LSU. I pay it for it. But, you know, I need y'all to sell this to me in a way that I think that this makes sense. Utah, your head coach is gone.

Starting point is 00:15:51 He took a couple of assistance with them. And I think that, you know, Utah has with. I understood multiple coaching changes and all that good stuff. But it gets to a point. And again, if we're talking about a national championship conversation, no. I don't feel comfortable with replacing a coach instantly saying that you're there. BYU, I think that they're on a precipice. I think they're kind of in that SMU range where it's like, am I shocked that they do it?

Starting point is 00:16:16 Not super shocked. I'm not like, wait, the Cougars did what? Who is in the national championship exactly? it just be like, hmm, good for them, good for them. I saw this being their best case scenario, and they've reached their potential. So I think that those are the two teams. Obviously, you got to account for the Red Raiders. You got to account for the McGuire is a heck of a coach,

Starting point is 00:16:39 and he just keeps figuring out how to get dude after dude after dude. And I know some people are going to say it's money. Money helps you get dude after dude, sure. But at the end of the day, you still got to do something to figure out who the right dudes are. and he's got a bunch of guys that either have been drafted very highly or going to be drafted very highly or, you know, Heisman candidates as defenders and that type of stuff. So ultimately, I've got to give them credit there. Yeah, no, you have to. Josh Pate from On Three Sports recently said something interesting about we definitely talk about this team and we take them seriously because what their coach has done there for the past few seasons.

Starting point is 00:17:16 But we don't usually talk about Louisville heading into this year as like a sure fire contender. because we have questions about the quarterback position, because the first time in a long time, they're going to have someone who doesn't have experience as a starter. And that's Lincoln Keenholz, who transferred in from Ohio State, but was not a Buckeye starter, obviously. But, you know, Josh Pate on the college football show,

Starting point is 00:17:39 did mention this is a team that is capable of surprising many this season. He said, quote, I actually thought maybe Louisville was the team that made the most sense to be the shark fin offshore that sort of catches us, us off guard. And it's because they got Lincoln Keenholz. I'm thinking about the unknown. I'm thinking about what we call upside of unknown. And I will say something in Keenholz's favor. Like I can't fully endorse him because we haven't seen him start, right? But something in his favor that David Hale from ESPN pointed out last week is this is going to be the first time in the Jeff Brom era

Starting point is 00:18:16 where Louisville is going to have somebody with dual threat capabilities because they haven't had that from their previous three quarterbacks. And athleticism is something that Keen Holtz excels at. So we'll find out how consistent he is when he's the dude under center for 12 plus games this year. But he does have a running ability that recent Louisville quarterbacks have not had. Yeah, and I will say this. Louisville always figures out a way to be tough defensively.

Starting point is 00:18:43 Coach Brom is Coach Brom, right? That staff, I mean, they're always going to find a way to put together a good enough offensive game play. My only question for them, is that one game a year where y'all forget what y'all are doing? Is it going to come in an inopportune time? Yeah. Because if it does, if it's to the wrong team, all of a sudden it's like, oh, man, you were right there. You were knocking on the door.

Starting point is 00:19:04 And with the public perception of the ACC, I don't know if we'll have an at-large bid or multiple at-large bids. I don't know if that's going to happen, right? So you need to be the champion for me to feel like, oh, yeah, you've got a lot. a really good shot of making this thing happen, with the exception of Miami, of course, because I think that, you know, they could lose the ACC championship and still find their way close

Starting point is 00:19:31 because of their national perception and whatnot. But the rest of the ACC, oh, no, you got to win this thing. You got to win it to get in. And I'm not sure if Louisville can hunker down and just be the same team every single week. Consistency has been a very big problem underbrow. They've been, you know, one week,

Starting point is 00:19:50 they're making Miami look like, wait, are we sure Mario's the guy? And then the next week, you're looking at Cal and they're just storming, just whooping the wheels off. So you really do have to have those questions answered for them. But I do think that, you know, they're another team that I wouldn't be, they're slightly, they're in between the super shock and like, oh, really, good for them. They've maxed out their potential because I, first year quarterback, first time starter, I'm really worried about that.

Starting point is 00:20:20 I'm somewhat worried about a first year head coach. First time starter at quarterback, that gives me a lot of pause. Yeah, and you're right about the consistency. They tend to play up and down to the competition. And I'm looking at Louisville's schedule. They don't play Miami this year. If they did, I'd circle that and say that's maybe a win because they tend to shock Miami from time to time.

Starting point is 00:20:44 But they're two toughest games. They play, they open up against Ole Miss. at a neutral field, which is obviously a huge game and a big opportunity for the ACC. And then they play SMU at home. Those look like they're two toughest games by far. I don't think it would surprise anybody if they won both of those games. I mean, not saying they'll be favored in either of those games, but if they win both of those games and then they find a way, you know,

Starting point is 00:21:09 to lose like at North Carolina, at Georgia Tech, home versus Stanford, at Syracuse. Like one of those games, it's like you have no business. not winning those guys. I mean, maybe Georgia, I wouldn't say they have no business beating, losing to Georgia Tech. But, you know, they're going to lose a couple of those other games that they should win. Yeah. And I would, I would love to be wrong. I would love to be wrong. About so many of these ACC teams, you know, people act like I enjoy and relish any ACC team losing. Outside of one team that wears a very interesting shade of blue, I don't take joy in anybody in the ACC losing. I want to see all of you win, excuse me, excuse me, all the time when you're

Starting point is 00:21:47 playing other teams. When Clemson Roots for, I mean, when Clemson plays South Carolina, I'm rooting for the Tigers. When Miami plays Florida, I'm rooting for the Cains. When Florida State plays Florida, I'm rooting for the nose. I'm rooting for the ACC

Starting point is 00:22:03 always, okay? I don't want to have any misgivance about that. I'm always rooting for the ACC. I'm just going to tell you the truth about what's going on around the ACC. And sometimes, you know, that truth ain't always pretty. Right now, when there's this massive gap in 43%. That is an actual fact.

Starting point is 00:22:21 43% of our potential returning starters from all conference last year are transferring to other teams, transfer in other conferences. It's tough for us to continue a high level of play. That's just the reality. Well, coming up next,

Starting point is 00:22:37 what Michigan just did in hoops, does that give us an example of transfers ruining college sports? Because I've seen a lot of hot takes that it does. You want to keep it locked right here. We're not done yet on this brand new episode of Locked on ACC. We're certainly not done yet with Fandual. The NBA playoffs are here where every possession matters, every matchup is magnified and every game can swing a series.

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Starting point is 00:23:43 Thank you for making Lockdowne ACC your first listen. For your next listen, make sure you check out Kenton, Gibbs, and Grace and Boone on Lockedon Wolfpack covering all things NC State. You can catch me on Lockdown Cains talking all things Miami. You mentioned the Dirty Foot Club fans Kenton were, they were not too happy with the way we were both pretty down on the Mike Malone hire for North Carolina basketball. Listen, man, I stand by what we said. If Malone goes out there over the next few seasons and proves us wrong and rebuilds that

Starting point is 00:24:18 into a program. We will admit we were wrong. I don't think we are wrong, though, for someone who has no college head coaching experience, hasn't coached in college since 2001, had issues in Denver with the nuggets of being abrasive and being part of some toxic environments. He did coached to an NBA championship. I give him that, right? Now, North Carolina hired a coach that coach several Super Bowl winning teams, and it didn't exactly translate to great success on the pitch last year. And that was actually a funny comment that Coach Kay made yesterday, Kent, and when Coach Kay was being interviewed about, hey, do you think now, you know, UNC could maybe run Duke off the court that they've got an NBA champion coach? And he mentioned, well, North Carolina

Starting point is 00:25:02 hired a Super Bowl winning coach, and we beat him in football last year, which is a great, great comeback. You know, all I have to say about that hire is this. Okay. Have I apologized on this here podcast for being wrong in the past? Yes. Yeah. Have I apologized on Locked on Wolfpack for being wrong in the past? Yes. If Mark Malone proves me wrong, I will sit here and very begrudgingly say, I was wrong. UNC has turned back into a unit. They've turned into the bus off that I was, I was terrified of them becoming if Billy Donovan got a hold of him. I was terrified of them becoming if Dusty May got a hold of him. I will admit that. I will admit that. I very strongly doubt that I'm wrong. I very strongly doubt that I'm wrong.

Starting point is 00:25:48 And you know what's so interesting? When the Bill Belichick hired happened, Dono, were you and I not in a very extreme minority of, hey, this hire is a terrible hire? This is not going to be a good hire. And everybody told us, but he's the goat coach. He's the goal coach. He's got all the Super Bowl.

Starting point is 00:26:05 He's to go coach. And I said, the game looked like it passed by the last time. He coached it. And now he has to go recruit on top of that. and he has to recruit in a landscape that's very different than what traditional recruiting looks like. And y'all think that this old surly guy who was known to integrate his players in just a loving enough way to get them to do the right things is going to work out in this generation of players? Donald and I might tell you a joke, but never tell you a lie. We saw what the results were.

Starting point is 00:26:35 We know what the results are going to be coming up this year. We know the writing's on the wall. So again, if Mike Malone proves us wrong, I will come on this air, just like I have every other time when I've been wrong and say, hey, they did the thing. They did the thing. I did not expect them to do the thing, but they did the thing. When Duke won the ACC Football Championship last year, I said, hey, they did the thing. I could not believe it. I was shocked and appalled.

Starting point is 00:26:59 I said, what is this? What is Duke football winning an ACC championship? Who would have had this on the Bigel Carp? But I gave them their flowers. Admit it I was wrong in March Rallong. I'll do the same thing. if UNC turns into a unit again, it just won't. And you'll be looking for a new coach in two to three years.

Starting point is 00:27:16 For sure. And by the way, Malone, his salary numbers are getting reported now upwards of $8.33 million per season, which would make him a top five highest paid coach nationally. That's a lot of, you better hope he wins there. Gets a lot of money to pay to a guy if he's not going to win. It's crazy that y'all, like, Donald, I know you've been out to dating world for a while, But, you know, I'm sure back in the day with the boys, you remember when the lights were about to turn on in the club and you had to find you somebody. It's crazy that you get that one and say, I'm going to wind and die.

Starting point is 00:27:51 You take you to the finest spots in the city. Whoa, brother. Whoa, brother. You're violating. You're violating. You're violating. You were not supposed to top five out the gate. Was he even making eight with the with the nuggets?

Starting point is 00:28:06 Oh, my Lord. That's insane. That's, but again, but again, if they win national championships, if they get final four runs, if they get back to national prominence, that $8 million will be very worth it. I just, I don't see a world where that happens. I think that he'll be very good at X's and O's. I think the recruiting, you're kind of leaning on, well, we're North Carolina, so you want to come here. But the reality is, I don't think that's enough anymore. I don't think it's enough.

Starting point is 00:28:34 Yeah. Apparently he was making $12 million a year in Denver. So they got him at a discount. that's something that's some discount boy that's some discount oh my lord i guess 33% off ain't bad but man that's i guess not right that's tough so you know expectedly at least i expected michigan to win the national title against yukon although i mean originally my bracket said duke but by the time we got to the championship game i was expecting a michigan dub and then some of the discourse i've seen Kenton is, yeah, all five of Michigan starters, players who transferred from somewhere else, right?

Starting point is 00:29:11 People were pointing out that Yukon actually had more players who started their career at Michigan than Michigan did, which is kind of funny. And then I see people bringing up, this is why transfers have ruined college sports. I even saw some people bring up the example of, hey, so a transfer heavy basketball team just won a championship and a transfer heavy football team just won a championship. Now, even though I obviously was pulling for Miami, not Indiana and the football national title, you can't tell me that Indiana winning a football national championship is a bad story. I think that's amazing. And if anything, that's a testament.

Starting point is 00:29:50 Kurt Signetti is an unbelievable coach, but it's also a testament to how quickly great coaching and great transfers can turn a program around. And I didn't look at Michigan last night and say, man, them winning. shows you why transfers are ruining sports. I think at a certain point, people just need to adapt their expectations to this is the era we are in now. And you don't have to look at a starting lineup and say, I can only enjoy this if all five of these guys were organically homegrown player.

Starting point is 00:30:23 I just think you need to throw that weird paradigm out the window and enjoy college sports for what they are now because there's a lot more parody out there, Kenton, with the way these transfer portals go. Dono, I agree with you to the T. We are in lockstep to the T on the fact that fans do need to adjust their thinking and their mindset. However,

Starting point is 00:30:46 that thinking and mindset is what makes college sports, college sports to the fans. That thought of, yeah, this guy's been a cane for four years. Yeah, this guy's been a wolf packer for four years. Yeah, he's been here from the beginning and he's been, it's part

Starting point is 00:31:02 of what makes college sports different from professional sports. Obviously, I've rooted for my lion since before I was born, right? That's, that's a thing that has happened. I ain't had much to root for until Dan Campbell came through. Thank you so much more to say Dan Campbell. But I didn't have much to root for, but I still did it anyway. The players were interchangeable because it's the nature of professional sports, they go in, they go out and all that good stuff. But in terms of college, the colleges that I root for, I specifically was a huge, huge, huge Michigan fan growing up. And it was great to see Brayland Edwards developed for four years.

Starting point is 00:31:37 It was great to see Chris Perry develop for four years. It was great to see Nick Perry do his thing and all life. It was great to see all of those legends who were there for years. It wasn't like, oh, yeah, Breland never started at Alabama and got himself a check. And then he went to Tennessee after that because, you know, they liked to throw the ball out a lot. And then he went ahead and came back to Michigan at the end of it all. And so we got to see him. Part of what makes that college sports feeling a little bit different is the pride of

Starting point is 00:32:03 they were developed here. They came here out of high school. They were developed and they became whatever they were to become. Now, is that line of thinking antiquated against the current state of college sports? Absolutely. But I do understand the fans gripe because, again, without that, without the thought of you were developed there. For the Lions, I don't give a damn where you came from. Can you help us win the Super Bowl?

Starting point is 00:32:26 Can you help us? You know, my company told me I got three floating holidays. And I'm telling you, I'm using all three of them. I'm being drunk with an old. with a oh, if the Lions win a Super Bowl, I'm be drunk. Not drunk, drunk, okay? Don't call me, don't ask me, don't. But I don't care what it came from.

Starting point is 00:32:44 And college sports is now much that same way. I'm not going to sit up here and say, what? This guy started his career at App State? I don't want him catching touchdown passes for me. What? C.J. Bailey is the only quarterback I'll ever acknowledge. That's not how it works because we were all excited for that Bracian McCall here from Coastal,

Starting point is 00:33:03 Carolina. So, you know, the reality is it's a different world. You're right in that it is a different world and the fans need to adjust. But the fans are also valid in their feeling of, yeah, that's true. It doesn't feel like college sports anymore. I just don't like it when people don't agree with me, you know.

Starting point is 00:33:20 See, and that tells you, Donald's a happy wife, happy life guy because he's got a happy fucks of the bears and he don't like too much disagreeing. So, you know, he wears the pants. He just says the color, the cut and the size of, you know, that. That's what's going on there. Yeah, well, it's been a fun show, as always.

Starting point is 00:33:37 A huge shout out to Kenton Gibbs. Follow him at TGIF underscore Kenton on X. And make sure you check him out on Lockdown Wolfpack. Check me out on Lockdowne canes and at Alex Dono. And we'll talk to you next time on another episode of Lockdown ACC. We are part of the number one Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

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