Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - BIG 10 SQUAD - Iowa benefits from College Football Playoff Expansion

Episode Date: February 20, 2025

Big Ten football is on the brink of transformation. Will Ohio State, Oregon, and Michigan maintain their dominance, or will rising stars like Washington and Indiana shake up the hierarchy? As the college football landscape shifts, the expansion of the College Football Playoff looms large, promising new opportunities and challenges for teams across the conference.Join Spencer McLaughlin and guests Zach Sako, Jacob Goins, Roman Tomashoff, and Ryan Herrings as they dissect the future of Big Ten football. They explore the impact of NIL deals, the transfer portal, and conference realignment on powerhouse programs like Penn State and USC. Discover how quarterback play and trench strength could redefine success for teams like Wisconsin and Nebraska.Don't miss this chance to gain insider insights into the evolving dynamics of Big Ten football. Listen now to uncover the strategies and stories shaping the future of the game.

The playoffs going to expand. Who are the best programs in the big 10 in the next three to five years? You're going to know about all of that on today's episode of the locked on big 10 squad. You're talking ball with the big 10 squad from USC to Ohio state, from Michigan to Oregon, from Nebraska to Washington. It's the local experts of the locked on podcast network, bringing you scoops breakdowns and the most comprehensive preview of the upcoming big 10 weekend.

No her feelings and thin skin allowed. You're part of the big 10 squad. Welcome everybody to another episode of the locked on big 10 squad, I'm Spencer McLaughlin hosting today's acts a co locked on it any lines is here I of course am neutral arbor of all things college football just ignore that memorabiliaia you see behind me. Jacob Goins locked on Hoosiers, Roman Tomashoff locked on Huskies, Ryan Herrings of locked on Badgers. That is your Big 10 squad for the day. We're starting Jacob. You can

have this conversation last, but you know, that's okay. Uh, we're starting with who's the best program in the Big 10 who are going to be the best programs in the Big Ten? Why don't we keep it at an even six? There are 18 teams in this Big Ten conference because everything makes sense. So Zach Seiko, Locked on Nittany Lines, I say to you, top six programs in the Big Ten for the next, let's call it three to five years,

four on average, you're going where? It's pretty much brand power because there's the transfer portal, there's all these other factors that are going to, it's not just as simple as, oh, in three to five years, I know how this is going to be. So Ohio State's gonna be at the top. Oregon's going to be at the top.

Penn State's going to be at the top. I think USC eventually comes back around. I think with Lincoln Riley too. I don't think they're going to make a coaching change. And then that's where does Michigan get hit with sanctions, right? Is Michigan going to be a powerhouse or be in this top six? And then it's kind of a cluster of anybody can emerge.

Iowa, Illinois, Illinois is doing well, but are they going to keep that standard over the next two, three years? Is Brett Beelima going to be there for a long time? Indiana's in that group too. So I kind of put them into tiers and say that the first four are going to be Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, USC, Michigan, or so include five. Is that not low for Michigan that won a national championship two years ago, recruits at a high level,

it's got a really good head coach. I get the NCAA angle. Really good head coach. But I don't know that they're going to come. You're the only head coach though, right? We don't really know that yet. Sharon Moore. Sharon Moore?

How in the, they just beat Ohio State in Alabama in consecutive games with the guys who wouldn't be a backup on any of our programs going into next year, except for yours, Ryan. But that's beside the point. I'm saying it's a very short sample size to say he is a very good head coach. He took over a program that won a national title.

You should be expected to win some games with a team that literally just won a national title and has three NFL first round picks on the defense. I'm just saying, I'm just saying, let's, let's hold up. Let's, let's see if he's a good head coach. And I think it's funny too, because Seiko got to the number six spot. Cause I agree with almost everything he set up to that point, but that sixth spot is, could be a rotation of six or seven teams from the big spin. Nice. He was saying, I mean, Indiana, you mentioned Illinois, I think Wisconsin, then there Washington, was saying. I mean, Indiana, you mentioned Illinois. I think Wisconsin then there. Washington.

Michigan State. Yeah, Michigan State too. Can I tell you which teams are not going to be in that group? Purdue, Maryland, Northwestern, UCLA. Rutgers. Rutgers. UCLA is crazy to think about too. The fact that they're not even, nobody's

giving them any chance to be relevant in the next half decade. Well, I mean, what have they done to show that they they're capable of being relevant? The head coach that nobody wanted just won a national championship as an offensive coordinator and then they missed the bowl game and the guy's never even been a coordinator before and he's already had to make a coordinator move and I mean it might be a good one bringing over your your guy from Indiana Jacob but I mean with regards to UCLA

I've been as bullish as anyone on the anti-UCLA train from the moment that all kicked off. I haven't seen anything to change my opinion yet. I agree. I mean, it's just the brand. You would think that with the brand, with the money, you would think coming in and all the LA factor, it's warm out there. I mean, you would think-

Man, they're the number two school in their own city. I totally agree. As much talent as they have in their backyard, they got blown out by Indiana for goodness sake. I mean, how good could they be? It was just part of something big. Fresno State seems to be a better football program and in better shape than UCLA.

Fresno State has beaten UCLA before. As recently as 2022, I believe, I think think 2022 Fresno State last got him. They've had a habit of doing that. But Roman, what about the Huskies? Are they in contention to be in that sixth team? Do you feel like they can stabilize as a tier one program in the next several years? Oh, absolutely.

And I feel one of the biggest reasons that they might have been left off this list is completely fair one, where I feel like a lot of people forget that this program is the national championship two years ago. Like it's not that far removed I'm talking about Bart Elliott. I did forget that yes. I have no reason in particular. I forgot that that happened. I'm I'm stunned you might have been one of the people that forgot. My short-term memory is just notably a problem It appears to have kicked in in a random instance here But I yeah, no, shocker, really. But I think one of the most important things

is what Washington already has, and that's an elite quarterback. Somebody who, and that's Jed Fisch's words, I'm not using my own there, but somebody who really can elevate the program in Damod Williams. If you're able to build up the trenches around him, which is a big task,

but something that Washington has proven that they wanna go do in the portal, they go get one of the best tackles in Carver Willis. I'm a big fan of the add three pieces that can really make an impact along the defensive line. That's something where Washington has proven that it can run with the best of the best. Again, people forget this. Washington was in three straight New Year's six balls not that long ago.

And then after a horrendous 2021 season, all of a sudden 25 and 3 in the next few years, this is a program that, yeah, has had its lows, but also can run with the best of the best when it's at its best. And the talent is coming back. Last year, again, you lose 20 of 22 starters. There's going to be some growing pains and some changes. And I really like what year two could be under Jibfish.

And with Damond Williams, the program is going nowhere But up Ryan Herring's locked on Badgers when I hear trenches I think Wisconsin in the Big Ten other programs obviously as well Michigan, Ohio State perhaps come to mind in that discussion But is Wisconsin ever gonna take a leap is that can they get up because I've seen them I've seen them flash up there. They kind of Like, you know a gopher. They kind of poke their head out of the hole.

They're like, oh, we're here. Maybe not. I don't know if badgers poke their heads out, per se, that's why I want the gopher. But we don't need to go with the gopher when you're talking to the badger. That is wrong animal to use as an example. I think we got it pretty nailed down and Roman can talk talk about it, and Jacob and I can talk about it. It's all about can one of our teams kind of like take that step up into that established tier?

And quite frankly, the answer is probably not, because it hasn't happened ever. I mean, sure, Roman, you were in the national title for a couple years ago, and Jacob this year was incredible for Indiana. But listen, before that, the Badgers hadn't missed a bowl game in 23 years, and ultimately it's still that top tier. Right? I mean, ultimately it's still that top tier. It's going to be Ohio State, it's still that top tier, right? That mean, it ultimately it's still that top tier. It's gonna be Ohio State, it's gonna be Oregon,

it's gonna be Michigan, it's gonna be Penn State. And then it's gonna sort of be USC, which is like this good looking friend that should be cooler than they are, but they're just awkward and weird, but eventually they'll get their stuff together because there's five-star talent everywhere around them. I love it, that's amazing.

That's the tier, right? And until one of these other schools, myself included, the Badgers included, can consistently get up there and win those big games, it just, it's that sixth spot squabbling for the leftovers at the table. And it's always gonna kind of be that to some degree. And that doesn't mean it's a bad thing necessarily.

There's a very clear middle tier of the Big Ten. We talked about the low tier. Indiana's not in that, Washington's not in that, Wisconsin's not in that, Iowa, Nebraska, you know, we talked about the low tier. Indiana's not in that, Washington's not in that, Wisconsin's not in that, Iowa, Nebraska. You know, we're clearly above that tier, but you're talking the top tier of the Big Ten, it's pretty established,

and I don't see any reason for that to change. The resources are what they are. So I think that is what it is, unfortunately for me, but I don't see that changing in the next five years, because why would it? By the way, yeah, go ahead, Jacob. I was gonna say, I wanna add to that because while the sixth spot may be rotational,

think about some of those top tier teams, whether it be a Michigan or a Penn State or heck, even an Oregon or Ohio State, let's say for whatever reason, they have a down year. Then one of these other schools can absolutely take advantage of that, especially if this expansion thing comes to fruition with four guaranteed spots and a playoff, right?

All it takes is for Michigan to have a six and six season like they just did in a team like Indiana or Washington or Iowa or whoever the case may be can slide up. And then all of a sudden you've got two middle tier teams. And I know we're talking over a three to five year span here, but that's how the big 10 works because there are so many good teams in this conference for further record. Michigan went seven and five this year. Did you forget they won that game in the last week of the regular season? Jacob? No, I didn't forget. I didn't. Oh, well he

doesn't. He shouldn't care because Indiana beat them. Why should he care? I quit too. I quit watching Michigan football after we won. I moved on from that. I don't know that I can blame you for that. By the way, Matt Sheehan of Lockdown Spartans would like to chime in with this program. He didn't show up. He didn't mean a word. He's not here today, nor is Mark Kolkin of Lockdown USC or Zach Anderson-Yokzheimer from Lockdown UCLA. But Sheehan would like to chime in in defense of his Spartans quote, our club dodgeball team just four pitted, please consider that in your rankings. So I guess we didn't consider that. So coming up next, what we are going to consider

is which programs in tier two are best positions to make the jump and be on the backend of who we mostly agree are the top four. That's next on the Lockdown Big Ten Squad. First reminder of this episode brought to you by Roy. The future of college sports is here and it's transparent. Before the Roy app, NIL negotiations often happened under the table and fans didn't have

a clear way to directly support the athletes they love. Now with Roy, you get to be a part of the change at whichever school you root for in this conference in the most transparent way possible. Roy, the NIL app allows you to choose which player you want to support, decide how much to contribute, and receive exclusive content from the athletes that you back. The Roy app is giving fans control. No more uncertainty. Now you can provide transparent, impactful support and help shape the team and future of college sports with your contributions download the Roy app now from the app store and start backing your big 10 school today and the 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. All right, so top four programs in the next four years in the Big Ten, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Michigan.

Any major disagreement amongst those four? I think anyone that's not in the Big Ten is going to agree with that sort of assessment, but it's the next two. Roman, make the case for how the Huskies make that jump. And in three years, we go, boy, Washington's a perennial Big 10 title contender. Spencer, the two things I just said in the first segment,

it's quarterback play and trench play. You've got the quarterback. You have the building block. Jed Fish has said it time and time and time again. And we've seen it. DeMont Williams completely 78% of his passes over the course of his freshman year, over 80% in his two starts. That's crucial, especially in a time where I look around, not just the Big Ten, but I look around college football and I can't say I'm overly excited about the state of quarterback play at this point in time.

I think that there are some solid pieces for sure, but I think we're going to see some guys really separate themselves in the pack in 2025. And I legitimately believe that Damod Williams will be among that group thanks to his athleticism, thanks to his arm talent, the ability to get the ball downfield. And I'm excited about that, but it all comes down to the play in the trenches. That's why we didn't see Washington

win a game on the road this season. They did not win a single game away from Husky Stadium, even five miles down the road at Loom and Field. I was going to say century language still and always will be, but they couldn't even do that. And to do that, you need to upgrade the front seven, you need to upgrade the trenches. And that's what they went out and did in the transfer portal this off season. And if you're able to prove that on the field with Ryan Walters, now as your defensive coordinator, you're going to be able to take that leap, which with what I think is gonna be a slightly easier schedule,

where you have to go play, all three of you gentlemen here in the top row who made the college football playoff last year must be nice on the road. Yeah, Goins, is one great year for Indiana enough for us to look at them and say, oh, they're one of the four to five best, or one of the five or six best

in the big 10 next few years? I think so. And of course, I'm biased. But I think there's a lot of factors other than the fact that, yes, we made the college football playoff. It's the fact that you extend Kurt Signetti, who had one good year, but he's had good years everywhere that he's been for his entire career.

And you extended him. He's staying here. He's expressed how he doesn't want to go anywhere. And you've been able to extend and keep around almost everybody on your staff. You mentioned Tino Sonseri who went out to UCLA, who I think is going to be a head coach at some point in his career, but you get to keep your DC

who just had one of the best defenses in all of college football. And that's already started to flood into, or I guess talent on the roster and this roster. I mean, we'r Indiana program and recru to go into the likes of P

and Illinois and go and b on the recruiting trail. money, you've got an I. L money into renovations. I we can have to be a threat. Now you just got to back it up and get wins on the field because we're not sneaking up on anybody anymore. People will take Indiana seriously. But yeah, I think we have everything we need to be legitimate contenders in the big 10. Jacob, are you telling me that the powers that be in Bloomington were unaware for

the last 50 years that they needed to spend money to succeed in college football? Yes. They're just now coming to that realization. Okay. Winning will do that. Winning will do that. And if, hey, if we'd quit paying buyouts on coaches, we'd have a lot more money for football if we'd quit paying basketball coaches to leave. I mean, we'd be just fine if we could get out of that. Yeah, you know, buyout money is a lucrative business. There's something like $700 million that gets paid every single year to coaches that are not going to coach but Zach Saco James

Franklin is coaching he's going to continue coaching and despite the rhetoric around him, he's actually pretty good at the coaching thing was a field goal game away from the national championship game this past season. So Penn State, I'd put him third behind Ohio State, Oregon next few years and heck, I'd even be inclined perhaps to put him fourth behind Michigan if you're going with a long-term outlook, barring any, you know, sanctions or whatever could come down from the NCAA on the Wolverines there, but can they jump up? Could they pass Oregon in the next couple of years?

I mean, they are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into a stadium renovation. That's what we call chump changing Eugene, pal. They just made Jim Knowles, they just made Jim Knowles the highest paid coordinator in all of college football, and it wasn't even close. So they gave him almost a million dollar raise per season. So Penn State's here to stay.

Penn State is being financially competitive. NIL's in a much better space. They were, I think they finished seventh in terms of the, there was a top 10 breakdown of the schools that were financially the most lucrative and that's everything in terms of total revenue value. And Penn State finished seventh. Now guess who finished number one, Ohio State.

I think Michigan finished fourth. Jacob, that actually would be a shocker to those in Seattle, Washington. So Penn State is going all in on trying to be competitive in this landscape of college football. They got Drew Aller to return for another season. Nicholas Singleton, K-Tron Allen, denied Dennis Sutton, all of these players that could have gone off to the NFL. And they're, yes, there's revenue sharing involved, but they made it worth their while to come back. It's not just about passing. It's the same thing Ohio State did. Ohio State made sure that it paid.

It made sure that the players that were with the program, that were veteran players, came back for another season and passed up on NFL contract money. And they're not just going to do that for no NIL at all. So Penn State certainly can be in the top three. I expect them to at least bat, can I guarantee that they'll be number one or number two every season over the next five years? Probably not because Ohio State and Oregon exists and USC and Michigan have the money too. They can, where I'm surprised is why is Nebraska struggling so much?

Because they are one of the schools that is most financially sound and we consider them as an afterthought. Why is Nebraska not in this? Well, first of all, Seiko, you should know if you don't already. Nebraska just made a bowl game for the first time since 2016.

I don't know if they had a parade in Lincoln, but they should have been close to doing so after finally getting that monkey off their back, so to speak speak whatever that expression means but I look at Nebraska and they feel kind of old school to me they feel like they're doing it on a timeline back in 2015 rather than 2025 and I think that's okay you come in have a good first year just short of a bowl game. Take a step forward. I think they'll take another one with a young quarterback.

And I think by 2026, going into that season, I think Nebraska could be a top tier team in the Big Ten. Herring, am I nuts? No, and I was going to hit on Nebraska actually, before we talked about the glorious return of Wisconsin football. You know, that's one of the best NIL setups in the big 10. That's what I mean, yeah. The state in Nebraska has nothing else to really do

and they are all in on that program. So they just landed a five-star quarterback last year. They have Omaha. They've got Omaha, man. And Stakes are incredible, as we all know on this network. That team should be better. They really should. And it's possible that they're riding that upswing now.

Now, Nebraska's schedule last year was poor, much like a fellow up here on this channel as well, Jacob. I will say that wasn't the strongest schedule either, right? So we got to be careful. Schedules play a big part in this. But yeah, Nebraska should definitely be better. In terms of Wisconsin, I think you just have to look at past success. If you look since 2000, Wisconsin I think is second in the Big Ten

and wins, right? It's behind essentially Ohio State. I think they're ahead of, they are ahead of Michigan than they are at a Penn State. So that, listen quality wins matters, right? Big wins matter. But if we're talking about a kind of return to normalcy, I think they're going back to running the ball. And that's been a formula that's been very successful for Wisconsin. So I do think that they can get back into that really good, not quite great range pretty consistently because that's what they've been for 25 years.

And it's not a lot to get back to that because they are able to recruit those trenches you talked about, they own the state of Wisconsin typically. But again, taking that next step, it's quarterback sense resources. And those are two areas that Wisconsin has struggled to to get up to par with Oregon Penn State Michigan and I don't know if those things change because there's not a magic formula to get there. So. I think that's what it is. I just don't think any of these others. I said in the first segment. I don't think any of these other schools make that jump. And it just kind of is what it is. It is the haves and the have nots of college sports.

And it's been like that for, people talk about NIL changing it, really hasn't changed that much for the most part. It's still the haves and the have nots. And I don't see that changing. Nebraska, Michigan State, both programs that I look at and go, if you told me in two years,

they're a top team in the big 10, you know, top two or three, I wouldn't be completely and totally shocked. Smith is really good. He wanted a place previously at Oregon State back in the old Pac-12 RIP. That is much tougher to win in historically than what you have in East Lansing.

But much like what I was just talking about with Nebraska, that might take a little bit of time. I don't think that's going to be an instant, rapid turnaround and such. Where's Sheehan when you need him? I don't know. He's probably taking care of his kids or something. He's talking dodgeball, man.

Dodgeball practice. But yeah. The celebration. Oh, yes. The celebration of the club dodgeball four-peat championship. Yeah, how could I possibly have forgotten that? But. Hey, they could beat Purdue, I'm convinced.

Yeah, that's Purdue, Keshen. I tell you what, Jacob, when Barry Odom pulls the upset of the year over Indiana this season, just know, I'm having you on my show every day for a week. No, you're not. No, I will get Zach to force you to come on my show every day for a week. No, I will get Zach to force you to come on my show every day for a week so we can talk about your mental and emotional state that day.

It will be Jacob's therapy session for Indiana losing to Purdue, who everyone's just riding off. He's gonna duck the show for other three months after that too. Yeah, yeah. I like where Roman's head is at. Let's move on to the next segment.

Come on. All right, all right. Fine, fine. where Roman said is that. Let's just keep going. Let's move on to the next segment. Come on. All right, all right, fine, fine. We won't torment Jacob. I'm just kidding, I'm never gonna stop tormenting Jacob. But the College Football Playoff torments me by continually expanding. And it bothers me to know it, but hey, that's just the world that we've got.

But it's great news for the Big Ten, we'll tell you why. But it's great news for the Big Ten, we'll tell you why. All right, so everybody's good friend over at Yahoo Sports, Ross Dellinger, friend to us all really, has reported that conversations are taking place this week to expand the playoff beginning in 2026. And that would hypothetically include a 442211 format, which is not the crappiest basketball press you have ever heard of.

It is, in fact, four auto bids for the big 10. That makes me sick to my stomach, folks. It really does. Four for the SEC. That's even worse somehow. Two for the really does. Four for the SEC. That's even worse somehow. Two for the Big 12. Two for the ACC. One for the group of five.

And one essentially for Notre Dame. Like just on their own. Seiko, I wanna start with you. 14 team playoff. You think that's gonna be enough for these expansionists, folks? Why stop? Get to 16 eventually you'll get to 20 or yep. FCS does it

Eventually, you're also gonna have a group of five playoff or whatever. Have you look I this sells It's it's all about the market. It's about hey bowl games What everyone complains are not everybody but there are select group of people that say bowl games are unnecessary there worthless They're meaningless then why are they drawing millions of eyeballs when it is? Six and six I guess I shouldn't say Kent State because they normally don't do that But a six and six Mac team or a nine and three Mac team against the six and six SEC team and somehow you get a Million and a half viewers on that in the middle of the afternoon on December 21st. So I am all sign me up man.

I'm there for it. It's exactly. So it's more college football. It's better. It's it's it's better college football late in the season. I do think there is an exhaustion point because the national championship didn't do that well and those were the two biggest fan bases in Ohio State Notre Dame were the two largest fan bases in in college football and they made the national championship so I I'm okay with it I don't like the format though I don't like

that it's because it's it's really the college football playoff committee saying, screw you to the big 12 and everybody else that's not in the SEC and the big 10. And that's eventually what it's going to be. The NCAA is going to break apart, they're going to fall apart, and it's going to be this commission of the big 10 and the SEC, and they're gonna do their own thing

and everybody else be darned. Roman. Screw you, just like Brandon said to Jacob, barely. I had no idea what was going on there. Goins just peaced out and we learned that Ryan's got a locked on Badgers TV in full in the in the top corner of his shot there. But now my order of who I go to next is next. I'm going to keep it the same as before though.

Yep. See everyone's everyone's flying around there. We got that's better. Thank you, Brandon. Our audience with peers are so confused right now. Brandon's working hard behind the scenes to move screens around. What they don't know won't hurt them.

Yeah, so goings for auto bids for the Big Ten. Is Indiana gonna expect to get one of those every single year? I wouldn't say every single year, but I actually did an episode on my channel this week on talking about if expansion helps Indiana talk in football and in terms of basketball too with the NCAA basketball tournament and it benefits Indiana

all the way around because while we may not be in that upper echelon that we just talked about I firmly believe that we should be competing to be right there in that fifth or sixth spot and flirting with that fourth spot if one of those teams drops out, right? Should we expect an 11 win season every year? No, that's absurd, especially in Bloomington for now. But yeah, I think we should at least expect to have a chance, right? And this at least gives you an idea down the stretch of what you have to do to make it to the postseason rather than what it's been this entire time of well, if you win these games and you make enough people happy and you kiss the right babies, you'll be just fine and maybe have a chance to make it

if the playoff committee likes you enough. What the heck does that even mean, right? Now you at least have an idea of what you have. I don't know that that's how the language is written per se, but go on. I think it's word for word, actually. I've read it a couple of times. I don't understand the legalese of it all but.

Yeah and that how legality works you just write it so confusing that people give up and just accept it. That's what the playoff committee did. And so I mean I know that's what you do with terms and conditions on a computer screen. Yeah you just click yes accept. And scroll to the bottom and yep. Yeah that's what Apple does.

Apple. And so for Indiana yes this will benefit us. We shouldn't expect to be one of those top four every year, but this will allow us with everything we have going on, plus this new idea of expansion, to have a shot to make it every single year. Yeah, absolutely. Roman, four auto bids for the Big Ten and SEC. Each, each.

Again, this is just reported. By the time that we're recording this show, it's not officially, but I mean, if it gets gets to that point you're feeling what exactly up there in Seattle Well, the first thing is I'm feeling excited because that means no more hypotheticals for the SEC. It's time to actually Show it on the field. There's no more 1367 and oh in the hypothetical matchups, but I I like Jacob I did the exact same thing talk about what that could be for Washington Where like I talked about a little bit earlier that?

Washington made you know three straight New Year's six games in 2016 2018 and in a a format where when Washington is Consistently at its best producing like it can as as a top-tier program You could be competing for one of those spots every single season when everything is going right, when you've got a consistent coaching staff, which has been obviously frustrating in the last five to 10 seasons up here. But it's one of those things where I'm really happy about what that could be for Washington.

And Spencer, I feel like you'd agree with me in this. It's one of the reasons that USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington wanted to make this move to the big 10, because you can consistently be in that conversation. And you know, RIP PAC 12, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington wanted to make this move to the big 10 because you can consistently have be in that conversation. And, you know, RIP Pac-12 again, you're not doing that in the Pac-12, which is really unfortunate. Like I think personally about 2022 when Washington went 10 and two in the regular season and missed out because of a couple of unfortunate early season losses in the Pac-12 championship where all of a couple of unfortunate early season losses in the Pack 12 championship where all of a sudden, if they, you know, things fall a little bit differently, you're playing USC or Utah in that, you know, you play in USC in that Pack 12 championship game

and things are just a little different now with an expanded playoff, which eventually it's going to get to 16. Let's be real about that. It's going to do nothing but continue to benefit those schools that consistently invest in their programs and stick around at the top year in and year out. And the money is just going to keep going up. That fourth SEC team is going to be nine and three

and get into the playoff because of that automatic bid over somebody that's 11 and one or another 10 and two big 10 team. Here's what I'm seeing. A nine and three. And this could happen the other way. Well, hold on, Seiko. 10 and 2 Big 10 would be one of the top four. Show me a year where a 10 and 2, maybe there is one

and I'm just not remembering it. When has a 10 and 2 Big 10 team not been one of the top four seeds in the conference at the end of the regular season? It could happen now. I think because of the conference expansion. You have 18 teams that are. Dep think because of the conference expansion, you have 18 you have 18 teams that are on how the schedules fall right.

I mean, not recently. Yeah, not in the past year, but I think when you have 18 teams that are playing different schedules, different non-conference schedules, you're going to have a situation where there might be a fifth place, 10 and two team in the big 10 or the SCC, but you're going to find that, oh, the fourth, it's kind of like the the NFL playoffs in a sense where that 9 and 7 or that 9 and 8. A division winner ends up getting a home game over the 3rd the 13 and for the 14 and 3 Minnesota Vikings but I like the NFL playoffs system I talked about that on my show because again

you know exactly what you have to do. You know what the standard is. And by the last month of the season, it's OK. We have to win these games. We need these teams to lose. And if you handle your business, you're in, rather than, OK, we played X amount of games. Let's see if they like us enough. Let's see if they put us in.

Yeah, but not every record is the same in college football. That's why I think it. Yeah, I guess so. I guess it is from a conference, right, in college football. That's why I think it. Yeah, I guess so. I guess it is from a conference, right? In terms of of if it's in the Big 10 or if it's in the SEC, it's a good point. I guess I just like to at least know somewhat of what you have to do other than well win your games and then we'll

talk right now. I have the issue. I have with the auto bids and herrings. I want to bring you in on this is the most senior member of this group amazingly I just Listeners were wondering if it was all just a bunch of young bucks out here We got a we got a wily veteran you know there out to the audio listeners roll them out to the audio listeners. They're really quick.

I'm just picturing these audio listeners now picturing me based on that description. I probably don't like this. Like, you know, you're this cantankerous guy. No, no, our old cantankerous guy, Mark, is probably taking a nap right now or something. But like for the big 10 and the SCC

to have that many auto bids, what I don't like about it is the big games are just going to cease to matter for programs. By the way, I'm fully against this, and I know that I said this earlier, I may have slightly misspoke, that Oregon stuff behind me is not random memorabilia. It's very, I'm very clear about my neutral arbiter stance

of college football being AI background, shaky ground and whatnot. It's great for a program like Oregon, because all Oregon's gotta do is beat the teams who they're out recruiting and outspending every single year. All they have to do is beat them, and they're gonna get in.

And if you go to the schedule, take this past season. Yeah, they went 12 and 0, but in another year, if they've lost to Ohio State Which they easily could have done even in that October 12th game in Eugene and gone to Michigan and lost when the Wolverines are a better Program it was still gonna get in the playoff Automatically cuz all they do is go through and like up well We're out spending you got a better roster than you and just go down the list So that's what I don't like about is the big games in the regular season are now just gonna be yeah

You know, it's like the NFL, you know when my homes and Alan go at it on Sunday night. Yeah, it's fun It's great who wins and loses it doesn't matter Well, I would just say though that you replace those big games in the regular season with big games in the playoffs now You just shifted where those where those games take place And that's fair like that's a very fair perspective, but this was always going to happen when we shifted into this playoff scenario. And once you've done it,

then I agree completely with I think Jacob or Roman or maybe even Zach, you said it's going to get to 16. I think you all said it. Eventually it's going to get there. I just wish it would get there. That's what's going to make the most sense. But this is great for programs like Wisconsin,

because there's several years much like Washington, much like Penn State. I mean, Penn State definitely, there's several years, much like Washington, much like Penn State, I mean, Penn State definitely, there's several years where Wisconsin would have been in those types of scenarios. And now they can actually, I would argue this is not good for a school like Oregon, who is really more easily positioned to consistently be in that top eight group,

that top six group. This is great for schools like Wisconsin, where now they're gonna get an opportunity to play in those moments. This is very much the baseball wild card scenario where now teams are more engaged, fans are more engaged because your team still has a shot going down the stretch to be in the playoffs. I think it's great, quite frankly. Now you're right, you will lose some regular season importance, but we were losing that anyway. Like I think we already lost some of that.

I don't like that we did that either. But that's true. Whether we've done it or not. It's already like yeah It's already happened. Yeah So now let's get the best version of the plants because the plants are already here. Let's just go to a 68 team field let's make sure that Kenisaw State is sweating and yeah and Wondering why Jacob got kicked out. Yeah Let's make sure that Kenisai Steg is sweating over going eight and four versus nine and three.

There he goes. Because we want to make sure they can have access. All right. I think that's enough squatting for this week. Zach Seiko, locked on Netany lines. Ryan Herring's locked on Badgers. Jacob Goins flying around in and out of locked on Hoosiers. Roman Tomashoff of locked on Seattle.

Is that what it says on your shirt there? Lockdown Seattle? Oh, nice. Go Mariners. Big Mariners fan. Yeah. Those Husky fans out there, I am actually a diehard Mariners fan. Got Ken Griffey Jr. on the wall right there to prove it.

And we will be back next week, as always, with the Lockdown Big Ten squad.