Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - SEC & Big Ten Push for more automatic CFP bids: ACC in peril?

Episode Date: February 17, 2025

Explore the power dynamics in college football as the SEC and Big Ten push for significant changes to the College Football Playoff system. In this episode, Alex Donno, Kenton Gibbs, and Brian Smith di...scuss the potential expansion to 14 or 16 teams, driven by these conferences' desire for more automatic bids.The conversation delves into how these shifts could widen the revenue gap between conferences and alter the competitive landscape. The hosts examine the strategic maneuvers of the SEC and Big Ten, their influence on playoff structures, and the broader implications for college football's future.Join us for an insightful analysis of how these developments might redefine the sport and impact teams nationwide.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Turbo TaxReady for stress-free taxes and the most money back, guaranteed? Head over to TurboTax.com today and get matched with your Expert. Only available with TurboTax Live Full Service. Real-time updates only in the iOS mobile app. See guarantee details at TurboTax.com/guarantees. ROYDownload the Roy app now from the App Store and start backing your favorite athletes the way they deserve—with transparency, trust, and a real impact. This is the future of college sports. Join it now by downloading Roy and supporting your favorite players! FanDuelRight now, new FanDuel customers can get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins!Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 The Big Ten and the SEC are about to monopolize the bids to the college football playoff. What does this mean for the ACC? You are Locked on ACC, your daily podcast on the Atlantic Coast Conference. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Shout out to the everydayers and thank you so much for making Locked on ACC. Your first listen in your first watch today, Alex Dono from Locked on Cains, alongside Kent and Gibbs from Lockdown Wolfpack. Thank you so much for making us your first listen and your first watch today.
Starting point is 00:00:39 We're available free wherever you get your podcast. We're free on YouTube. We're part of the lockdown podcast network, your team every day. Today's episode is brought to you by Fandual. Right now, new Fandual customers can get $150 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. On this loaded episode, we'll get a prediction from our special guest on ACC champion in football next year and who's going to contend with the favorite to win that ACC championship. is the ACC getting left behind when it comes to the revenue gap?
Starting point is 00:01:09 Because it's not just a revenue gap, Kenton. You also, as we'll talk about the SEC and the Big Ten, who've got that leverage because they have threatened to leave the college football playoff and do their own thing. They want to hog the bids. So when we talk about the CFP, it's going to expand to 14, maybe even 16, probably 14. So then you would think, oh, that's going to mean more possible bids for the ACC.
Starting point is 00:01:34 and the Big 12. Apparently not. Apparently that's just going to mean more bids for the SEC and the Big Ten, which I know Kenton does not surprise you in the least. Well, it just means more, Donald. It'll always mean more to the big 10. And, you know, I think the most interesting thing about these bids and how they're being distributed is, again, when you do the math, when you break down the math on how it fundamentally happens, right? Is this for the 14 or 16 team playoff? Just out of curiosity here, because I know that they already extended it.
Starting point is 00:02:06 Either. I don't think they've decided which way they want to do it, if they want to expand it. And honestly, if I'm the ACC in the Big 12, I would be lobbying to expand to 16, because if it would be four automatic bids for each of the Big 10 and the SEC either way, obviously then you'd want to have the biggest possible playoff
Starting point is 00:02:25 because that's the most spots for your teams to grab. Let me tell the ACC, in the Big 12 this as calmly as I can. Let them take their damn ball and go home. Let them tell the world, hey, we are so much better than everybody. We refuse to play these guys because they said, hey, give us a fair and equitable split. Make them say that out loud.
Starting point is 00:02:48 Oh, well, we thought that we deserved more of the money. When in reality, time and time again, when you put these things up to the smell test, it doesn't pay now. when again, everybody keeps telling me, I keep hearing from all of these coaches, you know, Lane Kiffin, not different conferences. It's like different leagues. Quick question, Donald, when's old misses last national championship? I don't have a big enough calendar or sports almanac to find it.
Starting point is 00:03:21 Did they ever won a championship? A hundred years ago, maybe? I mean, they honor the team that Eli Manning was on that didn't win anything. Okay, well, Shane Beamer, you know, even though his daddy coached in the ACC, you know, he's always talking about, oh, man, you know, playing in 50, 40, 100,000 people stadiums. We've already debunked that myth, but where are the Gamecox last national championship? They had to win what was Spurred, right? Did David McCloney? He got him won, right?
Starting point is 00:03:50 He didn't. What about, but the Latimore guy that was, Dave's a really good running. He didn't get him one. Alstoned Jeffrey didn't get him one. So it seems to me that lots of people are happy to beat their chest about conference pride. But again, it boils down to they have two or three of the top teams. And we're supposed to believe that those two or three top teams have some divine guy giving right to stay at the top for forever. Well, I'm sorry to inform you all.
Starting point is 00:04:19 There will come a day for all of you where the guy who was the great one ain't walking through that door no more. Bamma learned a hard way. losing to Oklahoma and putting up, there were as many points scored by Alabama in that game as we have hosts today, hosting guests today. And so, you know, everybody has their day where eventually you come back down the earth and our human. So I think it's very interesting and very funny that,
Starting point is 00:04:45 oh, these conferences, they're just so much above you that they're going to deserve it forever. Well, okay, take away your top two, three teams. How many national championships do you have? When's your last one? What's your last one? I'd love to know. I'd really and truly love to know that.
Starting point is 00:04:59 Florida with Tebow, maybe, or Auburn, Auburn with Cam Newton? Hmm. Well, last time I checked, you know, Tebow just got to finally consecrate a marriage and Cam Newton's on his 12th kid. I don't think he's the one of them are walking through that door anymore.
Starting point is 00:05:18 I, you know, I'm just saying, again, I have no problem with, hey, we have gone out and we have proven when we are buried. We have gone out and we have shown. We as a conference, not two or three teams, all of us from top to bottom have shown, hey, our mid-tier teams will whip the wheels off your fence.
Starting point is 00:05:37 Our low-tier teams will whip the wheel. Hey, I got accepted. I got to acknowledge it. But for some reason, these narratives never seem to hold water. And I hate to throw shots at a fellow conference that is seen as a lesser conference with us. But remember when everybody said, oh man the big 12 has so many games scheduled against the sunbelt and then those sunbelt teams went on to beat three of the big 12 teams including one of the teams was in their conference championship funny things happen when you just lined it yeah well let me introduce our special guest who is the host of the portal podcast they talk everything transfer portal nil recruiting brian smith is with us who also hosts locked on seminals and okay so brian you know hear about it we'll talk a little bit more about these
Starting point is 00:06:25 now about how the SEC and the Big Ten, who have, they've exercised their leverage before by threatening to leave the college football playoff and do their own thing. And now they're trying to exercise that leverage into getting four automatic bids apiece into the college football playoff. Like, I mean, do you think, Brian, like Kenton suggests, can the rest of these conferences, can they, can they call their bluff? Or can the CFP call their bluff? Or do the Big Ten and SEC just have too much power and leverage? Nobody has exclusivity. I think that there's going to be some backroom discussions, and at some point, there'll be something more concrete. The rankings are what's interesting.
Starting point is 00:07:06 I read the article from Ross Dellinger, and he does a great job, but at the same time, there's only so many spots. And you can't give this specific number in a year your league is down. That's how you get problems. And that's why I don't think, like even the, like the SEC, was a little bit down last year. Quarterback play and said it was a little down. And that's why teams that went nine and three didn't get the benefit of the doubt. Okay.
Starting point is 00:07:31 Sorry, Alabama, you shouldn't lose to Vanderbilt. You know what I mean? Sorry, Ole Miss. You all stayed home to Kentucky. They won four games. Okay? Shut up. That's just the way it is.
Starting point is 00:07:44 So you need to have that. This is the way it should. Now, if you were put in the language, barring something unforeseen, we get four teams minimum. But, I mean, you got to make it real specific because, you know, coaches are going to scream. Beamer was going nuts at South Carolina. They don't have any cachet. Because like Kenton said, their program has sucked for eternity. It just has.
Starting point is 00:08:06 Now, they're good now, but they don't have any cachet. It is what it is. You need to be definitive with it. And I don't think these schools are going to just sign off and, well, you can just have power. Nobody does that in any walk of life. Why would you? Why would you concede your power? It's absolutely not sensible at all.
Starting point is 00:08:26 Well, and there's also, there's another layer to this. I want to go over the Ross Dellinger article in Yahoo that Brian referenced, where if this thing goes to the SEC's desired plan, how this could hurt the ACC and the Big 12 even further, you want to keep it locked right here, my friends. I'm Alex Dono from Lockdown Cains. We got Kenton Gibbs from Lockdown Wolfpack, Brian Smith from the portal podcast.
Starting point is 00:08:49 We're only getting started on this break. brand new episode of Lockdown ACC. Guys, I'm only getting started with Fandul. I have so much fun on this app. I'm on it pretty much all day, every day. I know Kenton knows that's true because folks, on the Fandul Sportsbook, we're getting all of this incredible NBA action right now. When the game tips off, the NBA is just getting started.
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Starting point is 00:10:22 I host Locked on Cains. Brian Smith hosts the Portal podcast and Lockdown Seminoles. All of these shows are available free, wherever you get your podcast and available free on YouTube. So here's part of the Ross Dellinger piece for Yahoo Sports. Within the SEC and Big Ten, he writes, the momentum is building to further expand the playoff to 14 or 16 teams, assign multiple automatic qualifiers per league, as many as four each for themselves, and finalize the scheduling agreement together that may fetch millions in additional revenue from TV partners. The playoff format change would clear the way, he says, for the SEC administrators to finally make the long-discussed move to play nine regular season conference games and would trigger perhaps all four power leagues to overhaul their conference championship weekend.
Starting point is 00:11:13 So fellas, and I'll get Brian's take on this first. There's a couple other details there that I see will have a domino effect on the ACC. First, when they talk about a scheduling alliance between the SEC and Big Ten, that means they're going to play more non-conference games against each other and theoretically less against the ACC. And then also the part for the SEC about expanding to nine conference games, you know what that means because all the SEC coaches always say, they want to make their non-conference schedules easier.
Starting point is 00:11:46 So if they expand to play an extra conference game, guess what? Alabama is not going to want to play Clemson or, you know, Miami as often as they would or Florida State, right? So that's going to have an effect on TV ratings for teams within the ACC. I think two things point from that. Number one, you're right. A lot of the coaches don't want it. Ironically, Sabin called for this for a long time. And I give him credit. He thought that they should go to nine games. But that's beside the point now because he's retired. But if they want to go to nine, two things. Number one, you're going to see a lot of coaches not be as desirable to head for SEC jobs.
Starting point is 00:12:25 They're going to think it's too hard. That'll hurt the league in that respect. I think there'll be some coaches. Now, the guys are already there that are there, but there'll be guys like, why do I want to go through this? Secondarily, there's about 0% chance you're going to have an SEC, or excuse me, an SEC championship game very much longer. If you're going to have that many meaningful games, they're going to worry about attrition. And I wouldn't blame them on that. Just getting beat up.
Starting point is 00:12:52 You know, LSU versus Alabama, Texas A&M against Florida, those kind of games early December on top of that schedule, that'd be rough because 9 SEC plus like a Big Ten game. You know, what about like South Carolina? They already play Clemson. That's their in-state, right? Like they would get one crap game if you're South Carolina. That's not a good gig for you.
Starting point is 00:13:14 Like South Carolina is up right now, but how long is that going to last? So there's going to be a lot of things about this that are being talked about that I got a feeling they're going to peel back the onion and some people aren't going to like it so much. Well, it means more down there. So, you know, you should play tougher game. But I will say this. I'm not as concerned about the potential breaking of ties and rivalries if they get an extra conference game as I am a getting rid of conference championships altogether. I'm a big believer and settle it on the field.
Starting point is 00:13:44 okay if the ACC was not allowed to settle it on the field this year SMU walks out as your conference champion now does that mean that I'm taking a shot at SMU everybody knows how much I love opponent express how much I love them boys down there in Dallas I hope them all the best I wish them all the success but I'm a big proponent of being consistent as well and if I say the SEC has to line it up and prove it every year the big 10 has to line up and prove it every year I believe the same thing for the ACC there should be no getting rid of conference championships There should always be. Align it up.
Starting point is 00:14:16 I don't care how you undefeated. The second team is a four-loss team. Oh, well, that's how the cookie crumbles. Looks like you need to keep undefeated. One game longer, it gets a team with a bunch of losses. I'm a huge believer in that. And anything that is antithetical to that is antithetical of me because I'm all about competing.
Starting point is 00:14:36 You know, I was the same way when I heard, oh, if you do this, if you leave SMU out, it'll decensivize teams playing in the coverage championship game. I compete at every opportunity you get. And if adding in a conference game means that you have to take away a conference championship, then what are we doing as conferences to say, oh, no, we no longer want to line it up because we've done it enough. What? All of the stuff that Herb Street Company talked about players sitting out and said, oh, what happened to the days where you want to compete to compete? It will be the worst thing that ever happened to college football for these teams to decide or for these conferences to decide rather hey non-conference
Starting point is 00:15:16 games is enough that's how we'll figure out our champion you know brian i actually i like the way the acc's championship format is right now because i like i actually like that they got rid of divisions because like a lot of years you know the atlantic division was just better or at least top heavier than the coastal so it's like you're just going to force the coastal champion to play the Atlantic champion when, you know, both Florida State and Clemson, a lot of years were more deserving than the coastal champion. So actually, I like the ACCC's conference championship format right now. I don't know if you caught this, Brian, a few weeks ago when like Jim Phillips, the ACC commissioner was hypothesizing, hey, maybe the top regular season team will sit out
Starting point is 00:15:59 and we'll have two versus three in the championship game. So we don't jeopardize the top regular season teams play. I thought that, I mean, hopefully he was just thinking out loud, but Some thoughts should not be said out loud, in my humble opinion. He's done a lot of dumb things. That one ranks very high. Yeah, to even suggest it. I mean, that means you don't believe in your conference, and you don't believe that other people believe in your conference,
Starting point is 00:16:27 and you're making it worse by throwing kerosene on the fire. Even in them dark rooms on ayahuasca with Aaron Rogers. Just because he got, him and cow got added in, don't mean you got to fully embrace what cow. legends do in order to say we are ingratiated in the conference. You know, we're going to have Lawrence Roth on during the season again. But again, that's all the Cal super fan that we need around here. Okay.
Starting point is 00:16:53 You need to lay off that stuff, Jimmy P. Again, in all seriousness, I am more for the idea that they would, you know, somehow come up with a way to have the top four teams play each other than this idea of, you know, scrap it all together for the top team. If anything, again, I don't know why we keep treating Army Navy like it's the sacred weekend that all of us cannot touch and it's inalienable. Put some more games on there. Go ahead and have your little four-game miniseriesies. Right there.
Starting point is 00:17:24 And, you know, let things kind of shake out where it may from there. Noon 3.30, like, you could do something in that. You could even do a game like Army Navy could be 11 a.m. Yeah. You could do something like that. Yeah. Maybe you have one of the title games Friday night. There's a couple different ways to do it.
Starting point is 00:17:46 I'd be okay with that. So I want you to put on your locked on Florida State hat for a second here because I know that one of the things that the ACC is reportedly thinking of doing to kind of keep Florida State and Clemson a little happier, amid those lawsuits, try to try to negotiate for a settlement, are these initiatives that would help close that revenue gap. I mean, the success initiative is already happening, where if you win on the field and on the hardwood,
Starting point is 00:18:17 you know, you get extra revenue if you get into the college football playoff, if you get into a bowl game, et cetera, which I think is a good thing. I mean, let's go out there and earn it on the field. I'm totally cool with that. A little bit more controversial is the brand initiative, which involves if you put up bigger TV ratings. And then also it kind of makes sense to me in a way.
Starting point is 00:18:36 I'm not going to completely bash that because if you're bringing more of the TV revenue, you probably do deserve more money to cut into that revenue gap. But still, the revenue gap as it stands, Brian, is like up to 30 plus million. SEC schools in Big Ten are making over the ACC. From an FSU point of view, the possibility of making more revenue, brand initiative, success initiative. Is that enough? I think it is if you add in, they got to do something in a back channel way because they felt
Starting point is 00:19:06 slided for so long. Clemson and Florida State I mean it was it wasn't even close there was no third place for quite a while. I mean it just was they carried the league and they were losing even though they were competitive I mean Ford State won the title
Starting point is 00:19:22 in 13, Clemson won 16 and 18 but they weren't getting the same kind of revenue of the SEC Big Ten I mean that's the question how do they do that nobody ever wants to back pay it but if you don't eventually I think it's 2013 with the next contract for the team that won't go well for the ACC. So you're going to lose.
Starting point is 00:19:44 It's just how much pride. Don't want your pride get in the way because you'll end up unemployed. That's my advice. Yes, the old saying go prior coming before the fall almost certainly. But I will say this. How much more can you capitulate? How much more can you give away? because we've talked about the success initiative and all that, okay, great, good, fine, dandy. What more can you give? Don't get me wrong. Yes, Florida State and Clemson and Kerry. I'm an NC State guy, and I will tell you, Florida State and Clemson carry, not arguing
Starting point is 00:20:19 that in any shape, form or fashion. That happens in every single conference. If you talk about the big team and what they are, right? Fun fact about the big team, you know, we talk about Florida State Clemson, take those two away and what is the ACC. Well, okay, let's do that to the big 10. Ohio State, Michigan. When's their last championship if you take away Michigan, Ohio State? Penn State. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:20:44 How many years ago? When they beat. Before Kent was born. I was just about to say. I wasn't alive. I was a twinkle in my father's eye. What are we doing here? So, you know, even if you include the new teams, you said, oh, well, Reggie Bush and
Starting point is 00:21:01 company was the last one to win. Guess what? I was a small, small child wearing a Carmelo Anthony jersey and a Ben Wallace jersey at the time just to show you how long ago that was. Who could forget Big Ten legend Reggie Bush? Who can forget them? Who can forget them? So with that in mind, again, I look at this and I say the money is the money and we all understand that, you know, like you said, Florida State and Clemson to carry, but every conference has teams that carry that are not getting their fair due against everybody else. If you look at what George is bringing in versus a Vanderbilt, is it fair that they get the same amount?
Starting point is 00:21:40 No, but I do get that you have less complaints when you're at the top of the hill and everybody in your copy is bringing in the 50 million or whatever. I get it. But, I mean, I understand the idea that you need to bridge the gap some way, but, man, I'll tell you what, that's a tough task to ask, Brian, in terms of back paying all that to say like, hey, they don't have to do it for.
Starting point is 00:22:01 like a 15 year period, but like whatever that initiative is, Forta State and Clemson should get a big say. That's all I'm saying. It doesn't have to be like, well, cut us a $50 million check. Let's be realistic. Now, there are probably some fans for both those schools to think that, but that's not how this works because then you also alienate the other members of your conference and then they don't want you. Like, you got to be careful with bad blood too. So there is no great answer here. But Florida State. I mean, it's like a 35, 40% difference between the Big Ten and what the ACC makes. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:22:38 They're trying to look for a way to close that gap. I get it. The only argument where this makes sense to me is because players are getting paid. If NIA did not exist, if players were not, if revenue sharing was not coming down the pipeline, this would be complete not a rubbish because, again, there's a certain point where if better facilities mean more championships, then Oregon ain't lost the game. by what 12 years right yeah their stuff's nice that's them and georgia are probably the two best for whatever but you see what i'm saying even if you wanted to throw george in there so georgia's won the
Starting point is 00:23:11 last eight national championships it seems i mean don't get me wrong like it means something but again i i will concede now the players are getting paid and the revenues being shared these schools do have a much more salient argument to say we need more money before it was like the type of football player that a lazy river attracts is not the type that wins national championships. That's just a fact. That's just the fact. I'm sorry to tell you. The type of guy that, oh, my locker looks like a spaceship, the type of guy that attracts
Starting point is 00:23:41 is not the type of guy that's national championships. Well, I want to pick Brian's brain on this, as Kenton and I have discussed, the Clemson Tigers favorites to win the ACC next year, early favorites. There's a long way to go before the, unfortunately, there's a long way to go before the college football season starts. but who's going to be the biggest challenge for them? You want to keep it locked right here. We're not done yet on Locked on ECC.
Starting point is 00:24:10 Thank you for making us your first listen and your first watch today. If your next listen, make sure you check out Locked on College football. Spencer McLaughlin does an awesome job taking you through all the big storylines. I know it's the off season now, but as Brian Smith knows, hosting the Portal podcast, there's always something to talk about when it comes to college football and college athletics in general. So make sure you check out Locked on College Football, available free where you get your podcast. and free on YouTube. First of all, Brian, do you agree, Clemson?
Starting point is 00:24:38 Are they your favorite to win the ACC next year? And who else do you think should be in that mix? I think Miami has the schedule just like they do to possibly go undefeated. Those should be the two favorites. Biggest advantage for Miami there is they don't play South Carolina, but it's not in the ACC. They could still get a little more edge with that because that game would be played right before the ACC.
Starting point is 00:25:04 title. But I mean, Clemson, I think, you got a senior quarterback that started since one. In the middle of his freshman year, he's got a pretty good defense. You got help coming in for Purdue off the transfer portal. If I had to pick one, I'd go Clemson. I'd pick Miami second. Yeah, and Miami opens up with Notre Dame, which is not going to be a picnic. But that's an early season game at least. So they have some time to recover. That's not considered a conference game either. So, I mean, it's right. It's kind of an interesting deal. First games are wild. It's really hard to pick that game. Yeah, and I think it's a hard, I think we're really at a hard place right now in terms of who's supposed to be next in line because, I mean, like we talked about on air here earlier
Starting point is 00:25:47 in this episode, it was Florida State in Clemson for years. Florida State fell off a clip last year. Let's just be honest. There's no, no, no. I was the first one we call that now. Yeah, you were. I said two, three wins. What happened? Let me tell you something. We were on the prices right. Watch a little man, go up the mountain, go up the mountain, go up the mountain, and then right over. That one was just a nasty season to watch. And so you're left asking who's going to be the challenger. SMU, who was the challenger last year,
Starting point is 00:26:17 they lost everybody on the outside virtually. And again, damn good team, very well coached. If they have another season like that, I would be utterly shocked if one of the high-level power four teams didn't throw lastly a blank check and say, here, take what you need, we need you. But with that in mind, again, they lost a ton of pieces. A lot of teams that were supposed to be good last year.
Starting point is 00:26:40 Virginia Tech was a team that everybody talked about as a dark horse. Things look bad for them in multiple points in time last season. Louisville is always a team of sick attention. They lost the Stanford last year. The same Stanford that allowed nearly 60 points against NC State. Most points they never scored in ACC game. So, you know, you're sitting here looking, saying who can be that team, that week in, week out, competitive.
Starting point is 00:27:04 be consistent enough, but not only that, because of the way that our conference now functions, you got to line it up against Clemson and beat them. Because we saw SMU had the better regular season. There's no debate there. But when they had to line it up, you had to have the Joe's, the layers and the Joe's to beat Clemson, which they did. So, you know, it's, I'm stumped, too, in terms of who's going to be the team that's going to be gunning for Clemson at the highest clip. And even like, you know, I get it. Like Clemson should be able to. able to definitely, because of their history. They should be up there, but we all thought Florida State would be up there heading in the last season. We saw what happened. Not that I'm expecting
Starting point is 00:27:44 that to happen at Clemson, but it can happen. Well, last year, Arizona State was picked dead last in the big 12th. That's right. Dead last. Yeah. I mean, in the portal era, you may do well with your NIL and bringing the right guys, and that's great, but you may think you did like Florida State thought they did and it just completely caused the rip in the locker room this and that that that season was over at the end of the fourth quarter game two yeah that's right i mean you can tell they didn't have any like they were hard to watch let alone an ally my job last year i was underpaid i will go ahead and say that right i agree i was underpaid get david get them on the phone right now.
Starting point is 00:28:32 So it's a very fine line. One of these teams, maybe Belichick finds a way. Maybe it's somebody else. I don't know who would have. Virginia Tech's got a quarterback coming back. They got a pretty, they would be my wild card pick. Have some experience at quarterback as a third team. But, you know, now SMU, everybody knows them.
Starting point is 00:28:52 They're circling them. It's different being the hunted and not being the hunter. Way different. So let's see how that goes. Miami's kind of that way normally, but now they have Cam Ward and stuff. It'll be harder for them in some ways. The league is wild.
Starting point is 00:29:08 Yeah, I know they do all these things like Fanduil, like over under is on win totals. Count me out on the AC. Man, that is. And I bet everybody's over under every year, and I usually win like a third of them. It's hard to predict. If you're going to skip a year, this would be the one for the ACC.
Starting point is 00:29:25 Oh, I won't skip it. I'm all in. I'll tell you, Miami is. the only team that I would say has the Lairns and the Joe's that I had enough clip. I'm like, hey, they can do it. They got some dudes over there. Even with them, it's like Miami, we say it every year they've got the guys to be the team. And every year we're stuck at the end of it saying, what the hell went wrong?
Starting point is 00:29:45 What went wrong? Everything was right until it wasn't. I could still see where it says 21 to nothing on the scoreboard in the carrier dough. Yeah. And that didn't end up 21 to nothing as Mitchell. And I even even up at 21. I had a bad feeling because I knew my end was early in the game. It was like first quarter.
Starting point is 00:30:03 They're up 20. So I'm like, there's still time for the defensive. I'm like, stop the cow. Stop the cow. Stop the cow. When you have that little faith in your team, you know it's been a wild ride for the defense. That's terrible. Yeah, no doubt.
Starting point is 00:30:16 Well, I appreciate everyone taking the time. And again, Smitty, as we call him, Brian Smith, is he's launched the new portal podcast, which is truly excellent. And it's a lot of stuff that I'm super interested. in and I know you guys are as well. So make sure you check out the portal podcast. As part of the Lockdown Network, it's free, wherever you get your podcast and free on YouTube. Make sure you check out, Kentson's awesome work with Grayson Boone on Lockdown Wolfpack. Make sure you check me out at Lockdown Canes. And we'll talk to everyone again tomorrow in another episode of Lockdown
Starting point is 00:30:46 ACCC. We're part of the awesome Lockdown Podcast Network. Your team every day.

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