Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - Utah vs Texas Tech/Auburn V Oklahoma Are Big Tests in Week 4

Episode Date: September 18, 2025

There are a lot of big time tests teams like Auburn, Utah, and Illinois will have to face this week in college football.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!5-Hour ENERGYEnough with boring, flavorless caffeine, it’s time to give your caffeine a flavor upgrade with 5-hour ENERGY®️ shots. Get the favorites you love or be bold and try something new in-store and online at https://www.5hourENERGY.com or Amazon today.  SquareTo learn more, go support your favorite neighborhood spot and see what Square has been up to in your neck of the woods. And then if you have extra time, check out https://square.com/go/lockedoncollegeThe Game CapGrab your team’s classic bar or retro circle designed hat and use code LOCKEDON for an exclusive discount. Head to Because legends wear The Game. Head to https://thegamecaps.com WayfairGet organized, refreshed, and back to routine for way less. Head to https://Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home.DoorDashWith DoorDash Streaks, you save every Saturday you order — stack it up all season and you could save up to $250. Order this Saturday. Keep the streak alive. Fuel your gameday — only with DoorDash. Terms apply. Promo period through 11/18.MazdaIt’s the small details that make the big plays. And just like there’s more to every player, there’s more to a Mazda vehicle. Mazda. Move and Be Moved. PrizePicksDownload the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.PrizePicks — Run Your Game.Click Link Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONCOLLEGEGametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE at https://www.monarchmoney.com/lockedoncollege for 50% off your first year.FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.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.

LSU looks like the number one football team in the country, but the AP poll doesn't seem to agree. Then the Big 12 hosts our matchup of the week and Notre Dame is still ranked. All of that had a whole lot more right here on college football kickoff. Welcome back to Fire TV's college football kickoff. All of it, presented by Coca-Cola. I'm your host Drake Toll from Locked-on Big 12 and the Savannah Bananas organization, and we're coming in hot from the heart of college football country in Dallas, Texas. On set with me, two legends, 22-time coach of the year,

Gary Patterson and the Tar Heel slash Dallas Cowboy. He's Jesse Holly, and every week throughout the season, we'll be right here breaking down the matchups, the moments and the madness with expert analysis from across the nation. Look for new episodes every Thursday on your Fire TV and Echo Show devices. This is your all-access pass to the weekend ahead in college football. Let's kick it off. Jesse, Notre Dame still ranked.

Yeah. Good keen analysis. Coach, Notre Dame's still ranked. We'll get to all that more. Let's hit it right now. It's time for our rankings report. We'll bury the lead for a second and let you guys collect your thoughts on that one because it is, and coach you spoke off camera.

I know you'll get into it about how Notre Dame has played the toughest schedule in the country. Maybe they still deserve a number by their name. But first, welcome to the show Vanderbilt. We talked about Jerry Kill. Coach Patterson, week one, and how the Vanderbilt Commodores are a team to watch for. Well, yeah, I think both Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech falling in that category that the average college football fan loves to watch because they play the game the way it's supposed to be played. Yeah. And then, Jesse, USF was our highlight last week. We talked about whether or not

they could upset Miami. They did not, but they still have a couple rank wins to their names. Did they deserve to drop out altogether? Yeah, you do because, you know, at 12 o'clock, the glass slipper sometimes falls off. And for USF, you win and you advance. When you lose, you kind of go back to purgatory a little bit. You have to build yourself back up again. That's the problem when you don't have that cachet behind you, like maybe a Notre Dame. I mentioned earlier, LSU, in my opinion, is number one in the country.

The AP poll has them at number three. Coach, I would like to know, for the first time this season on college football kickoff, your top five. Well, you know, I believe with the now 12 team playoff, that I think it becomes fluid. So my top five would be LSU. number one. Go Tigers.

Okay. Miami, watch them play. They look bigger and faster than Alabama, Georgia, and then Ohio State and Penn State. Still, anybody that's in the top five are great, right? It doesn't matter what the order is, but I think every week we're going to kind of look

and see who you play and how we rank you. Then there's a looker. There's the lurk. The lookers. I like that. The lookers or the lurkers. But at the end of the day, you have Florida State,

which we know how they looked, Oregon, A&M, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. I think all five are right there on the border of showing they have some athletic ability and could be that next team to break in. Let's take a look at the rest of that 11 through 25 in the AP poll this week. We'll get to Utah and Texas Tech at 16 and 17, who will square off in Salt Lake City this week.

Let's go back to Georgia Tech, though. Jesse, that team out of the ACC looked really good, knocked Clemson out of the top 25 altogether. Yeah, what you have there is you have a quarterback, in Haynes King, who is a dual threat quarterback who can run the football, and they give them an opportunity a lot. He can pass the football, but they're just a gritty, tough football team, and they make you play every blade of grass each game,

and they can get that game into the fourth quarter, to that second half. They have an opportunity to win those games. Coach, Texas A&M. You know, I think they woke everybody up a little bit by the way they played, especially the wide receiver had over 200 yards receiving. They played on defense. They went on the road.

Like I said, I put them in one of my lurker category teams. So I think what you need to understand is they're here to stay. Notre Dame, O and the first O and two ranked team since 1988. It's much more advantageous to lose two at the beginning of the season than it is the end. They were 10 and 0 and lost two straight. Maybe they drop out of that top 12 for the college football playoff. Jesse, they can win 10 in a row and still probably be a college football playoff team. Yeah, and this is the given 10.

of the college football game, right? Because most of the time you want to say, who are you playing? And with Notre Dame sitting outside of a conference, they don't really have that other backing of being in the Big Ten or being in the SEC. So when they lose these games early, they get their schedule up to where they can win these easy games later on.

I don't know that's always fair, but I always talk about teams like Notre Dame, they bring the TV money with them, they bring a fan base that can travel with them. So a lot of times when it comes to that college football playoffs, you want to have a team like Notre Dame in there. Coach, if you're 10 and 2 and your two losses or against the top 10, that's still pretty good.

Well, yeah, the two teams they play for them to do it have to be able to make sure that they play well here during the whole season because if they drop out, then it'll hurt Notre Dame. But that's the positive and the negative of being an independent. You got to play the board. We have a top 20 matchup out of the Big 12 this week. It is our game of the week here for college football kickoff, Texas Tech, and Utah. Let's do it, the game of the week.

The game of the week here on college football kickoff is presented by Coca-Cola. He's got the only tuxedo in Lubbock, Casey Cowan of Locked on Texas Tech. And you can use a hat for that. J.T. Wistrasill of Locked on Uts. Casey, it's our game of the week. It's a top 20 matchup, not just in the Big 12, but with the entire country looking at a 10 a.m. Local Time kick, does that factor into this game? A night game in Salt Lake would be very different.

Yeah, no question. We were not upset to hear that news, obviously. And Lubbock, and great to be with you guys. Thanks for having me. The kickoff time does not make the team. So if you're counting on kickoff times to get you through a season, you're not going to wind up where you want to be. But we've heard a lot about that home environment for Utah

and an all-day opportunity to get lathered up. We know very well in Lubbock is advantageous to the home team. So, yeah, I'm not mad at some breakfast football. JT, the schedule hasn't been daunting for either of these teams yet. But for Utah, eighth in points per game, allowed 13th in yards. for game allowed. This defense is elite. The defense absolutely is elite. They have the nation's sack leader right now, John Henry Daley coming off the edge. Secondary, that's loaded with talent as well, too. It's a top 10 defense, as you mentioned, Drake. They've been really fun to watch so

far this season. I know they're excited to play a legit team as well, have a chance to make a statement with the nation watching. Big noon kickoff there. Fox Fox there as well. It's just going to be an awesome opportunity for this Utah team and the Big 12 as a whole, as they are your guys's game of the week, too. Casey, Baron Morton just threw another touchdown pass. Is that the difference in this game? No, I don't think so. I'd flip to the other side of the line of of scrimmage for Texas Tech defensively and their ability to try to contain or limit, obviously what Utah is able to do so well on the ground starting with their quarterback. And that's really where the test comes. I think for Texas Tech to find out if you truly have

renovated into a different type of program. Can you compete in the trenches? That story can play out as well, I think with Tech's offensive line and protecting Baron Morton and maybe taking advantage of what some perceive as a matchup in favor of Texas Tech as it relates to some passing game and skill position players and that Utah secondary. I don't know, but to me, the focus is all about what we feel like is a remodeled Texas Tech defensive front. And they're facing obviously a ground game for Utah that's going to give us by far the best opportunity to measure that progress. JT, same question for you, but we flip it. Is Devin Deamp here the X factor? Then give me a final score prediction. I think he is. I think you look at what he's been

able to do so far this season. You have to be impressed. Last season at New Mexico, he had a thousand yards rushing and 2,500 yards passing, just a tremendous highlight player. He was the only quarterback with those numbers. I think he's going to have a day for Utah here. Morton as well in his three games he's played the last few on the road against top 25 teams. He's thrown five interceptions in those games. So an opportunity for Utah to get after it. I think they do. I think Utah wins a fantastic game in part because of Devin Dan Pierce performance, 28 to 27. I'll roll with the home team the Utah Casey, that is a Texas Tech cover, but a loss in JT's playbook. What's the final score if we ask you?

2817, the Red Raiders are going to continue a trend of making progress on the road. It's been a bit of a bugger in the Joey McGuire era, but posted their first winning record as a team last year away from Jones Stadium. I think Texas Tech may be for real in the trenches, and if they are, they are a winner, 2817. If you're a fan of Texas Tech or Utah or just love college football, Casey Cowan of Lockdown, Texas Tech, J.T. Worcesterself, Locked on Utes. Thank you to both of you guys. And thank you for being a passionate fan. We know being a passionate fan is hard.

All the pomp and circumstance makes you work up a thirst. Fan work is thirsty work. Enjoy a refreshing Coca-Cola. Let's go a little more in depth here. Jesse, if you look at the numbers for this game, this is, even on paper, one of the best matchups you'll get maybe in the country early in the season. No, absolutely not.

And I mark this game. The unstoppable force meets the immovable object because we look at what Texas Tech done. Now, granted, they haven't played the greatest of competitions to start this season. But averaging 58 points in game, 600 yards of total offense per game. But on the other side, Coach, Utah, 8.3 points a game, only giving up 224 yards a game. Something has to give in this football game to see who's going to win it. Yeah, I think you'll see that's exactly the way it's going to go with either offense and both defenses.

And, you know, tech to become a top 10 football team has to be able to start playing defense. We've always had offenses. And Utah has always had great defenses, and now they have a quarterback to go along with it. I think either it may be that both teams make a statement, but I think it's going to be a game that they're not, people are not used to. It took Texas Tech too long to come on defensively last year. By the end of the season, they were able to. And Jesse, if defense is the name of the game here, that that is something that, again, this is a match to my point to in the modern Big 12.

It's not what we saw in 2016 where teams are putting up 70 points. In this year's Big 12, defense is really so. No, it's absolutely key. And, you know, my gravely used to say, you want to know where a man's hard as, look what we put his money at. And the Texas Tech Red Raiders have put a lot of money in the transfer portal and bringing in the defensive front, some quarterbacks, because they wanted to solidify that interior of the defense. And they're going to need it because Dan Peer, he's a very mobile quarterback. He will break containment. They'll need to be a Simon Alignment Sound coach. You can understand this for defensively. Stay in your rush lanes. Don't get too far up

the field because Dan Peer will tuck the ball and run. Well, yeah, well, that's been always the sore spot for Texas Tech is they've always been embarrassed about their defense. They've always, with every coach they've ever had, they've been able to move the ball and score points. So if they want to be a national powerhouse, defense is where they had to start talking. Today's show is brought to you by DoorDash. Last week, who delivered his name was Baron Morton, maybe the best quarterback in the Big 12. Some people are saying that he's very good and very underrated. He was the player of the week in the MVP. You can be your own MVP with DoorDash Streaks. For Baron Morton, it was pretty much all of the.

throwing the football. And that performance was not a fluke. Neither is DoorDash. Just like he delivered. DoorDash delivers your Saturdays with DoorDash streaks. You save every Saturday that you order. Stack it all up to $250, including $100 in DoorDash credits. Order this Saturday. Keep the streak alive. Fuel your game day. Only with DoorDash. Terms apply promo period through November 18th. That is DoorDash. Be just like Baron Morton and utilize DoorDash. Today's show is also brought to you by Bandool. It's exactly where I go every single week. I say that the Utah Uts are probably going to cover. And guess what they do? They cover and I win money. And the NFL and college football season are both here.

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Fandall.com. Place your first $5 bet at Fandall today. It's Devin Damp here against the Lovett Kid, Baron Morton, in a huge quarterback battle. And another quarterback battle going on across the country that we have our eyes on. Number 22, Auburn at number 11, Oklahoma. This is our can't miss matchup.

It is number 22 on the road against number 11, and this is the expert on all things, Tigers. Auburn at Oklahoma. He's from Locked on Auburn, Zach Blackerby. Zach, if the statement is, Auburn blows out Oklahoma on the road, can you qualify it? Maybe. I mean, if Jackson Arnold puts it all together and Oklahoma chooses to sell out to stop the run,

Auburn's a good running team so far this season, and Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton and Malcolm Simmons and Horatio Fields, arguably one of the best two receiving rooms in all of college football, if they break free, I think that's what happens. If you tie both of Jackson Arnold's arms behind his back, he still beats the Baylor Bears, but does he beat the Oklahoma Sooners, who he used to play for, by the way. I don't know if you knew that. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's been brought up a few times this week.

No, I think he's going to have to run the football for sure. He's an effective runner. I mean, that's how Oklahoma beat Alabama last year with Jackson Arnold under center. He's an effective runner. The big question is, can he consistently make those right decisions? can he take care of the football and can he get the ball to the wide receivers he has so far this season but obviously in norman much tougher test than it is against the bailer bears no one else seems to be able to do this and that's stop john matier how does auburn find the key to that on saturday

yeah i mean michigan slowed him down they were able to get pressure and i think Auburn's going to be able to get pressure um sending just a few um i mean keron crawford i think has been very very impressive so far this season. And then Keldrick Falk, he's going to be a top 10 pick in this year's draft for a reason. Can those guys consistently get pressure and contain John Meteer? I think they're up for the task. Will it be enough? We'll see Auburn's defensive backfield has been spotty at best.

They were kind of seen as being a strength going into the season. They've got to put it together. DJ Durkins' defense is going to be in trouble. Quickly looking to the crystal ball, Zach, give me a final score. 27, 24, somebody. I'm feeling good about the Tigers right now, so give me Auburn in a close one. But, yeah, I mean, this is anybody's ballgame. For all things, Auburn.

Zach Blackerby of Locked on Auburn. Thanks so much, Zach. Yeah, absolutely. Coach, Zach just mentioned it. He said that the defensive backfields for Auburn has been spotty, questionable. For Oklahoma, on the other hand, they held Bryce Underwood to 9 for 24 in their win against Michigan. The OU defense, to me, is the X factor. Well, the head coach calls it for Oklahoma.

You know, it's usually you're going to have the emphasis on that where in Auburn's case, the head coach is the offensive guy. You would like that, though. The head coach called the defense, huh? Well, you know what? You control your own destiny. You control your own destiny. I think it's a, you know, I think it matters where the game is being going to be played.

Again, I think it makes a big difference. I thought it mattered last week for Oklahoma in that as far as the emotion. Can I ask you, what's the difference at a 230 kickoff? and a 7 o'clock kickoff? It's the fans. You know, they have all day, 2.30, even 11 o'clock or 2.30. Mimosas exist, by the way.

2.30 is fine. You know, you don't become invisible in those early times. And then by 7 o'clock, everybody's been in through Calgate, they become invisible. The things you hear, the thing, I wish I would have wrote down on a dictionary,

Drake, what, all the things, all the things. And then all the nickels, dimes, everything that gets thrown at you also, before it's all said and done. But it's going to be a great ball game. And, you know, both teams after last year, they have things to, they're trying to show the world that they're back.

Yeah, Jesse, I think the winner of this game gets to squarely be a college football playoff. Contender, the loser still has big question marks. Yeah, and for me, Alabama, if you, going on the road, you've got to be able to run the football. You want to be able to have to have them. Oh, excuse me, Auburn. Oh, wow.

Oh, no, wait, it's crashed that one. Yeah, I know. Oh, yeah, excuse me. Albert, you want to be able to run the football. You want to slow this game down because Mateer is able to have such an explosive offense. You want to slow the game down. You want to make this a very muck-it-up game on the road. Get this game late into the second half of this game.

And then once it's close, anything can happen. You hear that? Somewhere deep in the void, it's Lee Sterling. It's time. It's time for a lock of the day. Lee, take it away. Thanks, Drake. After a wild week one, it's time for another lock this week.

Open it, open it, open it. Lee has the key to the lock of the day. Big game inside the Big Ten Saturday afternoon. In Lincoln, it's Michigan battling Nebraska. The Wolverines a short road favorite. Lee, who do you like in this game? So when you match up these two teams as far as talent, one through 22, offense and defense,

Michigan might have the better pedigree, but a lot more that goes into the game. Year three of Nebraska, rebuild here with Matt Ruhlin. How did he do as a home underdog at Baylor? Well, five and two against his spread. He is a quarterback, Dylan Rayola, who I think is going to be playing at the next level. He loves to imitate his idol, Patrick Mahomes. And they finally have an offensive coordinator and Dana Hogerson.

Now, Michigan also a very talented quarterback, but he's a true freshman, Bryce Underwood. And if you watch their game at Oklahoma, they were throwing early and often underneath. They did not want to stretch the field, did not have success throwing the ball against a decent secondary, who I think Nebraska might even be better. In fact, the Nebraska defense has held their three opponents, Houston Christian, Akron and Cincinnati, to under 275 yards in all three games here. Sharon Moore, head coach from Michigan, will not be coaching this game. Who's taking his place, none other than Biff, Back to the Future, Pogi, who used to be at Charlotte here.

Matt Ruhl is going to finally get his signature win here with Patrick Mahomes, Cologne, Dylan Rayola. We're going to go the lock of the day. Nebraska upsets Michigan, big, easy winner. For more daily picks, subscribe to Locked on Betts. Back to the college football kickoff studio. We'll see you next week, Drake. Grazie, Lee. Thank you very much. Let's roll into. So I do want to preface this by saying, week one, we talked Vanderbilt and Jerry Kill on Coach's Corner, and you were spot on.

Vanderbilt is now a top 25 team. Looked very impressive, 31 to 7. So whatever comes out of the mouth of Coach here is going to be the wise saves that you should probably be. Tell my wife, will you please, it. It is time for our Coach's Corner. Well, it's one of those days again, and I'm going to tell you, we seem to be causing controversy a little bit. This week, it's Robbery Week. and I was part of a bunch, Kansas, Kansas State, now SMU, Baylor versus TCU. Let me just tell you one thing about rivalry weeks.

Hatred, don't like each other, throw the records out, okay? It's personal. Everybody says, when we get into robbery week, we would be one of those situations, nobody ever smiled. It's like you don't like the person you're going across town, and anybody stays within, like Baylor and SMU of TCU within an hour, all your players played against each other, they all know how it is. It's one of those games where you said thank you, not congrats. It wasn't about because they didn't want to have to hear it from the other team for

364 days a week. And just to be it, just for an example of that, we just wanted to be able to roll just a little bit of a tweet that somebody in our studio when I was a head coach kind of pointed out. That Drake's Twitter history of Gary Patterson. This wasn't the only tweet, Coach. This wasn't the only, speaking of... We had to keep it PG. Drake, we had to keep it PG.

Sometimes your rivals, coaches, is no longer, and then you throw a tweet out there when you're a sophomore in college. Say, coach, you've lost a little hair since they drew, that chalkboard drawing of you over there. You know, they have, and it's happened here in the last three weeks, you know, so we watched last week. We watched last week a very good example of a rivalry week game of Pitt and West Virginia.

You could tell even on the TV version, talking even on the TV version, how the hatred and all the intensity and all the sound, everything that went with it, it didn't matter that West Virginia had played really badly the week before. Throw out the records, just like I said, and understand what you're getting into

because it's a way of life. It's not a game to those people. To a lot of people when they play it, it's not a game, it's a way of life. So you've got to understand they don't want to have to put up with it for the rest of the way of life. the year? What are you guys thinking that? I still hear about, again, Jerry Kill, I'll bring him up.

When he's interim head coach and beats the Baylor Bears for TCU, what was it, 2021, 22 maybe, and in that game, he keeps Baylor out of the college football playoff. There are still TCU fans that talk about that game. TCU, I think missed a bowl game, but it didn't matter. They beat rival Baylor. They upset them and ruined their season. Jesse, that's what to me makes this makes rivalry so great. You can win that one game. And if you get that one, That can save the whole season. No, absolutely. We're talking about playing these robbery games.

You know, they're usually they're within driving range, right? So you share some of the same supermarkets. You may share some type of Walmart. So you guys are always trying to interfacing with one another, some way, shape, or form. And so when you have these rivalry games, people, you grow up and you grow this hatred for this particular team. And for me, I went to school in University of North Carolina. So being able to be in certain rivalries down there in Chapel Hill and that other school in Durham, and we won't mention those names.

It definitely runs deep. Coach, can I ask you this, though? So there's been a lot of pomp and circumstance around West Virginia and Pitt not playing again until 2029. Ren Baker, the athletic director at West Virginia, has come out and said it's not on us. We want to play this game. TCU and SMU won't see each other. This is the last skillet for a little bit. What does that do to the game?

Well, no, I mean, SMU and TCU have been playing since 1915. They've only not played seven times. And Baylor, TCU and Baylor has been since 1890. I think you were a sophomore high school then. Is that right? Yeah, I was, I think maybe an eighth grader. But the thing is, I think the new two ADs that both TCU and Baylor, I mean, SMU have got together and stated that, you know, we don't feel like there's a reason. You know, for a head coach at TSU, the reason why I wanted to always play SMU, even though it was pretty lopsided in the record wise, was there's only one way you can keep them from not talking.

to play them and beat them. And when you play a rivalry game, you got a problem. So games this week, Florida at Miami, Washington at Washington State, Oregon State at Oregon. A couple of those are former conference matchups that are now being played in the non-conference. Jesse, let me ask you. Coach just mentioned it. He mentioned noise. We talk a lot about how athletes and coaches try to take the noise and just throw it out.

Let's not listen to it. When it comes to rivalry week, you kind of want to shut the other person up. Oh, absolutely. Do you want to shut the other person up? And now we live in this day and time of social media. Not only do I want to shut you up, but I want to put my highlights out there. I want to put you on my highlights in these rivalry games, but also coach, and you understand this as well, rivalry week can also help you out in recruiting.

If a kid is deciding between this school or that school and they're remotely close to one another, winning a big game like that that a kid is in attendance can maybe sway him a little bit to come to your university. Today's show is brought to you by Mazda. I drive a Mazda. And the reason that I do is because it's got this, like, the equivalent of like passion and style meeting one another in what has more I-IHS top safety pick awards than anyone else. From footwork to breath work, athletes sweat all the details. Mazda brings the same intention to how they craft every model.

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This weekend, we'll get into a couple of those rivalries and what they mean for college football as we enter our playoff playbook. Trouble in Oxford, Mississippi, perhaps. This isn't quite a rivalry, but Tulane looks really good. And Ole Miss, their defense could be suspect. Let's send it to our expert with Locked on Ole Miss

to learn more about this one. Can Tulane get it done? No, I don't believe that Ole Miss fans should be worried about two line. Now, that's not to say that two lines not a good team because they're a very good team. I can see them potentially going 11 and one and getting the G5 invite into the playoff. But winning it bought

Hemingway Stadium against a top 10 level team is not like playing at home against Duke or Northwestern. It's not even going on the road against South Alabama. This will be something that Jake Retslaff has not seen. He's the leading rusher. He's the leading passer. He's kind of the all everything in that offense.

So as long as Ole Miss plays like the favorite. They don't turn the ball over. They end every possession with a kick. They kind of take care of business and really protect, protect Trinidad Chambliss. You could see this almost Rebel football team really kind of move forward. This year has been a very mature performance by Lane Kiffin. And I think the rebels are going to take this game. Transit property doesn't work in college football. We can't look at USF's loss to Miami and say that Tulane will face the exact same fate coach. But is there a lopside? advantage when we consider the athleticism that it Ole Miss brings in against Tulane?

Well, the thing you need to understand about a Tulane is a lot of SEC transfers that come back to New Orleans. If you look at over the last five or six years, Tulane went to Oklahoma, I think, beat them. I mean, if you look at the games that they've played, their kids are not going to be, they're not going to be rattled or they're not going to be wide-eyed when they go into Oxford. They're going to come in feeling like they can win because a lot of those guys have already played in that stadium already before. Jake Retzlap won 10 games last year as the quarterback for BYU. He's seen big moments now leads the Tulane Green Wave.

Let's go to Illinois and Indiana in the Big Ten. Jesse, look, let's not sure code it. Seven years ago, I'm not sure if the nation's watching this game. It's on TB Plus or whatever, some random streaming service. Now it's a top 20 matchup between two teams that believe they could be in the college football playoff. You know, absolutely. You look at Indiana what they could last year and kind of fonding themselves in the college

football players and Coach Signetti and his football, team, they're always going to give you a tough football game. One of the X factors in that game is going to be wide receiver Omar Cooper, who had an amazing game last week, over 200 yards receiving. So Coach Bealem and his Alain and I are going to have to come prepared and be physical. A physical brand of football, I think, will win this football game. Well, this is their tier. Both of them had like 19 starters coming back.

So you have that game. So this is whoever wins this one, then they take that next step up for the rest of the teams and the big 10 that they both have to play and they want to be into the 12 team play. Yeah, if you want to be Penn State or Oregon, you want to be Ohio State in that conversation, you have to win a game like this. Florida at number four, Miami. Do we need to talk about Florida? Yes. Yes, you do. You still do. It goes back to that whole interstate rivalry thing. You know, Florida, Miami, same recruiting pool. They're still trying to get a lot of the same players from the same place. The liking for one another is not there. DJ Langway is going to have to play in a superb game to do this. There's still talent there in Florida, but you think Lambie will probably be the one to pull this game out. Well, you know, Florida had a big win middle of the year last year, and it saved his job. I think it's a big game. And just like Jesse said, recruiting is recruiting, recruiting, recruiting, recruiting.

It still comes down to the kids there because you can turn a whole season around with a recruiting class and a portal class if you get it done. You just look what Miami's done, what he's done there in the last two or three years. It's another sellout in Nebraska. Let's take you to Lincoln with Lockedon, Nebraska. What can the Cornhuskers do for us? Can Nebraska beat Michigan? Yes, it hasn't happened for the Huskers in their past four attempts in this series. 2013, the last time the Huskers beat the Wolverines.

Nebraska hasn't beaten a ranked opponent, in fact, in nearly a decade, a streak of 27 consecutive losses. And it's time for that to end if Matt Rule is to continue to push the Huskers forward in the direction that we've seen over the past six games. Those six games, five wins for Nebraska, two and one score fashion. That's been a problem for many years. But Nebraska is not playing the 2023 Michigan team this week, the Huskers, showing signs of maturity and growing up as a football team. They have the more experienced quarterback in this matchup in Dylan Ryola. He's playing at a high level.

Memorial Stadium will be on fire on Saturday. And it's a difficult environment for freshman QB Bryce Underwood of Michigan in his big 10-day view of victory is there for Nebraska. to take. Mitch was looking through your soul there. Mitch was really giving it to you. He could read my thoughts, I believe. Coach Matt Ruhl is a guy that you coached against.

And the question mark for him has been, can he win the big one? That is, we brought that up multiple times. National punts bringing up multiple times every year when he's in college football. Can he win the big one? Well, I'd go back to, on his third season, he's turned the program around. I think the more important question is, is he raising, can he? He raised Nebraska to that next level to keep taking them where they can play for a conference title. And this would be a big step playing Michigan at home.

You get a chance to be, pull it out, and now a sudden people start believing again. Good program, always had good players. I see it possibly happen here. You know, I told you earlier I'd probably become a Husker fan this week. He made a fortune, Jesse. I don't need to cut you off, but I do mean to cut you off here because he made a fortune outside of college football. and now his dream is to coach college football, the head coach of the Wolverines, Biff Poggy this weekend.

I mean, talk about, you know, a coach that gives you everything that you need. You know, you want to watch just because of him. And he's playing with house money, right? Oh, yeah. He literally playing with house money. He's playing with house money. And Michigan, you know, they're still trying to figure out the thing with their head coach being suspended and, you know, coming off, you know,

a win two years ago. So this is a now place where they can go out there. and make a signature win for themselves. Coach, and this one, South Carolina at number 23, Missouri. If South Carolina wins this game, are they back? And is Missouri done? Yeah, number one, the quarterback didn't play, you know, got hurt, came out at South Carolina. They're still a really good football team.

I still believe that. I think both of them are both teams that you can talk about in the top 25 at any point in time. There are a lot different football team when the quarterback plays. Jesse, you have a leaning in this one? Yeah, I do it. Here's why. My good friend. We talk about Beamer Ball.

My good friend, Jody Camillas, is a special team coached. They've already taken one back for a touchdown all week. So I'm rooting from my good friend, Jody Camilla, the special team coach at South Carolina. So I'm going for the game Cox to win this game. There are three phases. We often forget about special teams. Absolutely.

This week, that could be the difference. This week, the difference was expert analysis from Gary Patterson, Jesse Holly, and our whole host of locked-on guests that joined us, and that is a wrap for this week's college football kickoff, presented by Coca-Cola. But this season is still just getting started. Next week, Oregon and Penn State, Bama and Georgia, you won't want to miss it.

Same time, same set, same unapologetic football energy. And a big thanks again to Coach P and Jesse Holly for bringing the heat. And to you for riding shotgun with us. Enjoy all the action this weekend. Stay locked in, stay fired up. And we'll see you next Thursday right here on Fire TV.