Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - BIG 12 SQUAD - What Preseason Polls say about the Kansas Jayhawks

Episode Date: August 7, 2025

Big 12 football faces an uphill battle for respect. Can the conference overcome media bias and scheduling challenges to earn a spot among college football's elite?Drake and the squad dissect the USA Today coaches poll, questioning Big 12 team rankings and omissions. The panel debates SEC quarterback talent, analyzes Big 12 perception problems, and proposes strategies for boosting the conference's national profile. Key topics include aggressive non-conference scheduling, playoff success, and the power of media narratives in shaping public opinion.Tune in for insider perspectives on the Big 12's path to prominence and how teams like BYU, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech can change the narrative this season.

The coach's poll is out, and it's terrible. This is the Big 12 squad. The NCAA tournament is here, and so is the bracket. Just kidding. You're talking ball with the Big 12 squad, sponsored by game time. From Oklahoma State to Utah, from Kansas State to BYU. From Houston to Texas Tech, it's the local experts of the Lockdown podcast network, bringing you scoops, breakdowns, and the most comprehensive preview of the upcoming Big

12 weekend buckle up it's the big 12 squad and we have a seat for you know her feelings and thin skin allowed squad up you're part of the big 12 squad happy thursday everybody welcome to the big 12 squad and you know this is your place every week every thursday that is for all things big 12 j catch of locked on cougars talking things b yu cody stovall locked on oklahoma state kevin bober with the buffs parker annesworth with houston j t wist yourself locked on yukes derrick johnson of on Jayhawks. Thanks for making our shows. Your first listen. Every single day-to-day show is sponsored by game time. Let's talk a little preseason poll that is out. And then we'll also talk Texas Tech paying all of their freshman $400,000 to steal them from you and all of the other things that are news in the Big 12 this week. We will start with what I think, and I said this on multiple shows this week, was a poor USA Today coaches poll because it's like the coaches got to the end of the poll and realized, shoot, we forgot the Big 12. and just put them all down at the bottom. This is like the project that you rushed,

and that was something Nick Mervat's brought up on my show this week. Yes, he exists, and yes, he talks. And then past that even, it was as if we were the forgotten conference. Nick Mervat's, your thoughts? Hmm. There he is. What? He's back.

He's back. He's back. I'm trying to set a better myself. Hey, Nick, congratulations. You made the poll. you did it it's official you done it better than oklahoma right there you go bring them back to the big 12 is anybody else very confused and disappointed but the future nine and three houston cougars did not make the coaches poll well the the one cougars we're in that are supposed to be in let's no they're

they're not supposed to be in i think that's one of the craziest parts is that bw's on there with the worst quarterback situation of any top 25 team that's on that list where's another one jake pointed out to me on that list. Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama. Alabama's choosing from three five stars. I think they'll be fine.

Yeah, all the other ones have decent options versus BYU's best option in games he's attempted 20 or more passes. His teams are 0 and 3. Connor Wegman was 9 and 4, but nobody can deal. I would like to hear Connor Wagman's assessment of this situation

oddly. Parker, make that happen. That's Paul's job, actually. That's Paul's job. I don't say, well, y'all joke with me about the Houston Cougars and we'll, and we'll, or whatever, and I'm sure that'll happen until I am not joking, Parker. I think we're going to be right. Please don't say they should be honest. No, but one thing I will say in Wegman aside, everyone is talking, I think it's kind of building about how, like, the big 12 quarterback thing is all right, and the SEC quarterback thing might be down. And like, it's the most important position in sports by like a large margin. And it's like they forgot about that when making. this poll. It's like it didn't factor in at all. Let's clarify one thing, though. These coaches allegedly are filling out their bracket. More often than not, it's sports information directors who are like, huh, okay, then they say, hey, coach, what does this look

like? Is it work for you? Okay, okay. And to your point, Drake, it does feel like towards the end. Oh, hold on. We didn't put in big 12 schools in there. We need to fix this. There was a big 12 school, but they just go off of like the schools that they're familiar with. Like, there's no way you looked at Tennessee and was like, you know what? I'm really confident Joey Aguilar. Love what you did at App State. I was loving what I was seen from him. Or like, even where's Michigan on there?

Why is Michigan shouldn't be on there? Why is Illinois is at 12? What is it? Is Indiana on it at all 16 year old? Like, what is happening? Brett, Elipo was calling in favors, everybody. Let's be real. I barely.

You asked if we were surprised or disappointed. I think we're all collectively disappointed, but surprise is definitely not the operative. Five was good. Five's a good number. I like five. Baylor should be on there. Baylor could be on there. There's one man who should not be disappointed really at all. Richie Bradshaw.

Well, the big football squad. The Arizona State Sunday. I'm pretty happy. Yeah, you should be fairly happy with 11 in the country. I mean, if you go, what was it, if you go 10 and 2 with this, with this, if you win 10 games at 11th preseason, I mean, you're definitely in the college ball playoff. I'd say so.

And, I mean, I, I'm happy that A. gets to rep the Big 12, which feels underrepresented. I mean, I appreciate that we got four, five teams in there. But like you guys said, it's like, oh, crap, we got to get some of these teams in there. Like, oh, we can get Texas Tech at 23. And yeah, it was interesting choice. At least you're ahead of Boise State, I guess. 24. Watch it.

The Cougars are at 23. Hold on. Bash is going to have a connipion over there. Yeah, I don't know. They confused BYU and Baylor. guess they're like right there on the keyboard so yeah yeah makes sense you guys love the bala cougars that that's my play i thought it's the wrong cougar that but baler's got how many guys coming back on offense right was one of the best offenses in the country to end the year one of the best quarterback

running back combinations and dava rand i know the defense wasn't great i trust him to get the defense figured out i trust that more than while yes boise state returned some things that i like they lost their heart and soul and ashton gentie and unlike as u did not replace him with a proven commodity who had a thousand yards rushing last season. So to me, Baylor is a glaring on mission. And you get a couple of these teams that are on here. And it is surprising. And as I mentioned, BYU is one of those to be because of what they lost at the quarterback position. If I've been in Colorado, Jada, Jada, Jada, Jeter's upset that his rivals on the list, and he's not. Should Utah have been on the top 25, JT?

No, they shouldn't have been on there. They have way too many. They have way as much. And I think they'll end up on there. Obviously, I'm locked on you, sky. But look, Devin Dampier has massive question marks with them, right? There's question marks on this Utah team, clearly. What question marks about Devin Dampere? I'm hearing he's a Heisman trophy candidate. Joel, he's going to be very good. Joel, I told me he's the best quarterback in college football.

Can he throw it to his team more than he throws it to the other team? That was an issue last year. What was it, Cody? J.T., where would Utah be on the Big Ten preseason list? I will say this. I said, I think Utah will be good. But when you just look at the things that Devin Damp here has to prove, I think it's fair to not be on a preseason list with so many things you have to accomplish.

That's why I just look at a Michigan, and I'm like, what are you guys doing up there? And I think another one, Drake, you pointed out this earlier today. Why is Florida in here? Yes, Florida, I like DJ Lagway. Maybe he can boom, but there are massive questions on the roster, too. I will say this to you guys, though, because I know you guys are down on like Illinois and Indiana being on there, and SMU was thrown a shade at too. I feel like I'd like those teams better than a BYU right now, right?

Because at least with those teams, I get returning quarterback play. I cannot believe I'm about to be we had a head-to-head between two of those teams that played out last year. Yes, and it was a three-point game and you don't have your quarterback. Once again, the most important position of football. Jake, who is your starting quarterback? You've had like a week of camp now. Do you have any idea?

Nope. It's Jake. It's Jake. That's the whole point. But Jake, don't they, other than the quarterback, which is obviously a massively important position, but outside of that position, doesn't be why you return, like 85% of its production? outside of the quarterback play.

So if you have a game manager that doesn't turn the ball over, I think it's fair to expect BYU to have a 9-10 win season, which will put them in the top 25. Remember the name LJ. Martin, boys. He looks absolutely night and day different this year than he did last year even. I don't like that. But we don't play you. So go LJ. Martin, baby.

To Jake's credit, though, BYU is not the only team in the top 25 with question marks at big returning spots. right like that seems to be like everyone has these problems with college football and modern college football and guys changing teams and all this kind of stuff but clearly when coaches picked it out 25 they weren't giving any credence to returning guys at all like that's not that's not across the board anywhere on this old miss is starting quarterback's name is austin simmons which is chat gpt write me white guy SEC quarterback name baseball and he's a lefty boys that's a really fun game real SEC quarterback or not

Fun game would be real SEC quarterback now, just random names. This is going to be a really fun third. Probably also mention Austin Simmons is not white. Wow. He's like he's got a whole story. He graduated high school with like a five something GPA. He's like 17 or something. He's the whole thing, Drake.

Come on now. I've never heard of Austin Simmons. Eric, he might just be really, really good. The only thing I will say that is fair is we rave about tech having a top five portal class. Ole Miss had one too. So I feel like if we're going to elevate tech because of that, it's only right to still have Ole Miss in the top 25 because they had bringing a lot of talent too. They're returning quarterback.

I feel like honestly there's just certain teams where depending on what region you are, other coaches either pay attention to you or don't. Like I feel like Colorado, I don't know if they should be in the top 25, but I feel like they could have been closer. They have a better roster than they did last year. I'll be honest. They have more stars last year, but they have a better wrong.

Was that a Heisman trophy winner? Dude, the offense. A quarterback whose jersey is retired? You could have picked any five of us to be the offense. a line. It wouldn't have mattered. It would not have mattered. You have a five-star left tackle. That's one of them. A real quarterback in the SEC. All right, coming up. Let's talk about the quarterback battle. That seems to be like a

prevalent topic with the Big 12 squad. Today's show is brought you by Fandall. And because we just cut out the thing that you didn't miss, I'm still giggling. Fanul is exactly where I go to make my life. My life. It's a Texas Rangers fan a little bit less bad because I can go in there and bet on Corey Seeger to do something good or Dolis Garcia and they do they do it's just the pitching staff doesn't and I love the player props with Fandul the options that they give me constantly including every day there are these special bets that Fandall promotions will throw out there that can be oh yeah put 10 bucks on that and let's see if it wins and it does often easy to use fast to pay out as well new to fandle new customers can bet just five dollars get 150 bucks in bonus bets if your first bet wins open the Fandall out today visit fandle dot com to get started bidsa fandle do it they have you guys gone up and down the SEC quarterback power rankings I've known the names it's a list of fake names the last eight or so names don't exist the Alabama quarterback being named Ty Simpson that's a chat GPT generate white

SEC quarterback someone's like Austin Simmons you could say that one because that is he part of the real you know people club or no Cutter Bowley. Real or fake? If there was an SEC quarterback name, if there was an SEC quarterback name, Drake Paul, I wonder what we'd say about that name. Yeah, you'd say the same thing as you went for Bo Probula,

which is it's not real. That's not the thing. Which gets worse reviews, Drake told the quarterback or Drake told a podcast host, other fun games. Which makes more money in NIL. Come on. Which has better brand deals.

There you go. The fact that Zach Calzada in the year of our Lord 2025 will suit up for a college football team in the SEC as its starting quarterback. That's a miracle. And that Blake Shepen, who the last time he played at Baylor was

really bad, has now made his way to Mississippi State, and he is the 11th best quarterback in the conference. Not last. I have Blake Shepin nightmares, so I hope he has a disastrous season, and he trips and falls on his face repeatedly. I didn't enjoy him either.

you said really bad in Mississippi State that just goes together yes so why is it 11th in the SEC why is their quarterback room somehow not 15 or 16 like gunner stocked into Georgia what does he that the second best quarterback in the SEC hasn't played quarterback in the SEC it's arch manning who's just done a little bit of this and that he played against fcs mississippi state mississippi state yes fcs mississippi state i feel like it should be nussmyer and sellers right is the top two i don't even think lenora sellers is that good man I agree. I'm sick of the Diego Pavia slander.

Fun fact. I think I'm just sick of Diego Pavia. I'm sick of Diego Pavia, too. They lost a Georgia college in state last year. Like, that doesn't get talked about ever. Like, they did lose to that. If nobody loves Diego Pavia, then I am dead. More than Diego Pavia.

Also, Zach Calzada is starting the same conference where Mike Shula is an offensive coordinator this year. I had no idea. Like the Big 12 legend Jackson Arnold? Yeah. The Auburn defense had to take it easy on him to boost his confidence. That's what you want to hear about your quarterback. Zach McAfee, we just edited the infidentires. Hey, y'all gave Houston a lot of problems.

They gave Houston gave Jackson Arnold a lot of problems last year, actually. Oh, y'all should have won that game. Oh, my gosh. Should have won that game. Anyway, the biggest win of week two for us, actually. Parker, I'm a little concerned, though, because a lot of those pieces from that defense are gone, aren't they? We're talking about nine and three Houston. That's one of the things I have concerns in the decordinator leaving.

Defense that absolutely shut down Utah. Okay, yeah. Yes, they're backup quarterback, yes. We could have shut down Utah. They couldn't complete a forward pass. Actually, our game was actually we scored a little more in our game, Kevin. You know precisely while Mississippi State's 11th with Blake Chapin. It's the big 12 effect, right?

They're not going to admit it, but secretly they understand that this is the quarterback league in the country. Will Howard? Anyone heard the name? Hey, oh, hey. National champion. Alan Bowman, huh? Yeah. Richie, your sundevils cannot lose to Mississippi State because that's a terrible look for the conference.

The best, the best team from last year losing to the worst SEC team would be disastrous PR. That's true. Yeah. That would be bad. Same thing with Baylor. I'm not looking forward to that trip either because that just smells like a trap game. You've never been to Starkville, obviously. It also smelled like Starkville, Mississippi.

Yes. When's the last one? And Green, regular fake quarterback. Taylin Green. Taylin Green. That's real of Arkansas. Has he been playing college for 10 years? He's been, he's throwing into a receiver.

That's like 30. Like baseball or something. That's, what's Taylin ranked in the big SEC rank? Like fourth or fifth? Seven, actually. Soon to be married, it says, on the CBS Sports ranking of their SEC quarterback. That's worth two more spots. Get him at the top.

So we have here is, drum roll. Garrett Nussmeyer, I'll give it to you. Good. He's probably, he's good football. I'll give it that one you can have. Arch Manning has never been a full-time starter in the SEC. Lenora Sellers. I don't really know who that is.

John Matine, never played an interesting game. DJ Lagway, never been a full-time starter in the SEC. Diego Pavia loves himself, plays for Vanderbilt. Tail and Green, lost, went three and nine last year. Austin Simmons. But getting married. Really good. Austin Simmons is great.

I apologize to him. Ty Simpson, they spawned. Simpson yesterday. Gunner Stockton hasn't done anything. Blake Chapin has two broken legs. Jackson Arnold was good six years ago. Marcel Reed, I bet half of you could tell me who Marcel Reed plays for. Bo Perbula, he's fake. Is that A&M? Yeah. That was, uh, I was going to ask, why is A&M so high up on this list?

Because he can't throw it. Because it's Spencer McGuofflin got a vote. I think they just rank off familiarity sometimes. Cody, it's because Marcel Reed's a running back playing quarterback for Texas A&M because all they're going to do is run the football. Well, I mean, I do like Mike Elko, but I don't see anything A&M's done that equals, they're a top 25 team. When you got a running back name Laveon, I feel good about your chances. The one thing that's interesting about this, too, is it's like, do they not look at the schedules

and some of these teams are just going to beat up on each other, like in the SEC? Like, Florida's end of the season stretch. Like, I don't know how they finish in the top 25, too. 18. It's just in Florida. More, man. That's your answer. Strength of schedule matters.

You don't give me a more time about Houston and my optimism, but I will say the schedule is a big part of it. Like, Houston's schedule is actually night and day compared to a year ago. They actually get to play an FCS team and that kind of stuff. I think JT's right in some of this like SEC thing would be challenging given SEC conference play, except that JT, they don't play enough power four games. They just don't.

They have like the mercers, the world, wherever at the end as they're cushion. And so I think that actually works against what you're saying. They'll all get that statistical boost in November for whatever reason. I don't got forward to schedule up, but it's tough, I will say. Get to play an FCS team? Yeah, I was going to say, get rid of FCS game. That's my first. Yeah, you said that like it was a badge of honor.

He doesn't played one. Houston hasn't played an SDS opponent since 2019, but it's a win that most programs get that Houston and adds and stuff. Chris Marevats plays the number four South Dakota Coyotes. That's dangerous when you play at top. We're going Ohio State, Texas, too, so you have to carry that. We'd appreciate it. North Dakota State over the peak all around it last year.

It was scary. I won't lie. Trying to keep my emotions in check. It did get scary. If you're going to get an FCS opponent, at least get one of the Dakota schools. Like, all four of them are good. You should not get that. That's scary.

If you're going to get an FCS opponent, you pick a bat. Because if you lose to an FCS team, it looks disastrous. And when you're the Big 12, you cannot afford the PR of losing to an FCS team. Albany. I think Arizona lost to them, right? We could ask locked on. They lost in Northern Ireland. I'm with Jake.

I think we should all get rid of FCS. It was the NAU all the time. It's great. Jake's been listening to Kalani Satake way too much. Kalani just wants to play the hardest schedule in America. I'm okay with it. How is the Big 12 ever going to overcome the perception problem like this coach's poll if we're not willing to step out and do some things?

This is a good topic. This is the Big 12 squad. Okay. You can have three. FCS games and be 12 and 0 or play three power four games and be nine and three 12 and no goes the college football playoff nine and three doesn't I I I still I don't are you are you in the big team with the SEC and if you're not then you should play a hard schedule that's so we're 12 and oh Indiana is always going to get the the

nod of approval because I'm sorry Eddie I'm not playing I'm not playing that game that's just one year of Indiana like if Indiana goes nine and three this year they're not going to get the nod of approval they got it last year because they won 11 games and you can't keep it 11 win if they go 10 and 2 with both of their losses being against the only two big big 10 teams they play well where did they place because of illinois is number four ahead of them then i'm still putting illinois ahead of them let me pull up this i mentioned indiana this year they would lose to what maybe michigan and ohio state then i got their schedule k at organ and say they lose at penn state

honestly if you're only a two lost me like it's an argument depending on how they did right that's an argument that's the whole like not well you place yourself behind those two teams um you have to take a look at what michigan does you have to take a look at what ohio state does you have to take a look at potentially illinois their iowa still has some brand value if they can figure their stuff out yeah brand value though if you're going to talk about why i would get the nod of approval iowa would get the nod of Iowa is responsible. Oh, no. Guys, if we dump on these middle tier Big Ten teams,

we're doing exactly what the SEC and Big Ten try to do to us. That's why I think we should try to be better. It actually give them at least a sliver of respect. Utah and Iowa, kindred spirits. Those programs are meant for one another. Get them, Nick. I am excited about Iowa State playing three FCS schools this year. South Dakota, Iowa, and Arkansas State.

All right, all right. Watch it with the Red Wolves. Watch it with the Red Wolves. They are significant. But to the next point, here's the thing, BYU's non-conference schedule this year, it's cake. Portland State, Stanford, East Carolina. If BYU struggles against any of those three,

people are going to be up in arms in Proble. It's going to be sad. It's going to be sad. East Carolina, it typically has the decent polls. And that's the toughest game that BYU is going to face. I have to go across the country to East Carolina. Carolina. I do think, though, that this kind of thing where the power four kind of, I know the TV dollars link to line up whatever. Like, if they're not on the same page, it's apples and oranges because Kevin can bring up that like, yeah, a big 12 school didn't get the nod of approval for they for going 12 and 0 of the other schools or FCF schools or whatever. But truthfully, that the comparative apples to apples deal would be if each conference said, hey, you have to play 10 power four games that can be non-conference. Like some sort of a deal to qualify because I think a big part of playing an FCS school. school in November is not that it's an FCS school. It's that it's in November and it's kind of an

extra week to get healed up and healthy and rest your starters during practice and no one plays after half time. I think that in November is a really big deal as well. It's not just that it's one FCS game because you can play your first week or your 10th week. The 10th week is a little bit different to me. You know, Cody, you mentioned something earlier. You mentioned about like what's going to change for us to get our respect or something along the lines of that earlier. What's going to have to change is we need to beat them in the playoff. That's the only way this is going to change. If ASU gets over that hump, if you win head-to-head, what are they going to say?

Then they can't take that away from you. So I think that's the only thing that's going to change is you've got to beat them head to head. They didn't respect us to top four seed. They didn't respect us enough to do that. So why would we? Yes. No one's answer. No one's answer my question.

You went nine and three or 12-0. And what I was going to say is if you go 12-0 with a cup-cate schedule, you're not going to get the respect that you deserve, right, but I think if you go nine and three and you get in and every one of your teams was a powerful brand. I do think that does garner more respect. At the end of the day, yes, we have to kick the door down and beat somebody in the CFP and make a run to the national championship and not get beat by 56 points, right? That has to happen. But at the same point in time, the scheduling is always going to be against us because the SEC is never going to play the same amount of games. It's not, it's never going to happen. So the only way the big 12 can counteract that,

In my opinion, is being more aggressive in scheduling so that the end of the season, we can say, yeah, but we didn't play Mercer. We played Oregon. Yeah, we didn't play Portland State. We played Indiana or something to that effect. But what's going to happen, Cody, and it happens every year is the ESPN analyst at the desk is going to say, well, that was a different TCU team. That was a different Indiana. That was a different Alabama. That was a different whoever.

It's going to be, oh, well, now this is how it's you? So when you put in the hands of human beings who are subjective and ESPN pays for this, and so they want to see the better matchups, the better brands. up there. What the big 12 needs is 12 and 0. It's a lot harder to keep out 12 and 0 than it is 9 and 3 with a great resume. Those 12 wins book you a ticket. Nine and three, they're going to say, or even 10 and 2. They'll say, yeah, they beat Oregon. They'll say, yeah, Oklahoma State beat Oregon or you'll be why you beat SMU, but not a different team. That's before they figured out the quarterback before they figured out this, well, somebody's hurt now. That's the issue is it will always be some excuse to not let the Big 12 in as long as we're not undefeated.

I really want to argue with you, but that's pretty fair. But you also have, go ahead, Jake. Well, I was just to say, shouldn't we be looking more at the, we talked earlier about the quarterbacks being kind of the reason why we need to have people pay attention to the Big 12. Well, these quarterbacks and these big games in the non-conference this year, Richie, you need to have Sam Levitt go off against Mississippi State. You've got to have him shine on the national stage because those are the headline

makers that are going to cause the Big 12 to be more seen by people. because quarterbacks, they draw eyeballs. And Sam Levitt, for example, moves to shine. Sawyer on Friday night against Alburn. Even Dan Peer for Utah against UCLA on opening night, he's got to go off at Rose Bowl. I think our game versus Oregon is surprised me in one. I'm not saying we're going to win,

but I do think our game against Oregon will surprise people. And kind of where I've been against Oregon State, and I'm sure is on everyone's radar. But on a more of Murphy, right? No, but on a real note, though, I think the other thing is when it's subjective, as Drake pointed out, a big deal of storytelling. ESPN wants to tell stories, ABC wants to tell stories.

An undefeated story is a story. A 9-and-3 team is not a story. And they would rather talk about an undefeated team potentially making a run through a special season than a nine-and-three team. That's just a better story. It could be Iowa State. It could be Utah.

It could be BYU and it could be Arizona State. They would say, what a stunning feat in college football to go 12. This rag-tag group of boys, it's always on the pitch of the Big 12. It'll be these underdogs who found a way to go to 12. That's what the story is going to be, no matter how good you are in the preseason or how we all know that Arizona State is going to be good.

It's how they'll pitch it at 12 and 0. Yeah. And you also have, go ahead. You have the problem that the SEC has where their 9 and 3 teams are right there. Big 12 is not. Colorado was not sniffing the playoff last year.

If we did not have guaranteed seating, Clemson was missing the playoff. And I think Alabama was, number 12 or number 13, they would have gotten that spot if you didn't have automatic qualifiers. And they were a nine and three team. And they did not win 10 games because they lost in their bowl game against Michigan. So that's another thing the big 12 has to go up against. But I want to get back to, I think Kevin said it earlier with if ASU beats Texas, you know, you get a little more notoriety. I don't know that

that's necessarily true because let's go back to that ASU Texas game. There's a lot reps involved in that game on both sides of the coin there as you wins that game you know that we'll get that non now there's you could you could you can play that both ways if you should have won that game because of the refs you know what i mean but that's the problem it's always going to go everyone says always you didn't win that game they got a lucky call that wasn't a targeting call like that that that's the that's the stuff that the big 12 still has to go up against the SEC doesn't have to go up against that the the people who are complaining about the no call targeting on Melcon Stovall was everyone in the Big 12.

Nobody in the SEC cared about that. They were just moving on to take on Ohio State. If you flip the script and you have Mackey Golden does not get called for a bargaining ball that ultimately flips the game in ASU's hands. That's all you hear on ESPN for the next week. The SEC is a brand and the SEC has impenetrable PR and the big 12 does not and the big 12 I also think

really overhyping if Arizona State wins that game last year it's the one off this year it takes multiple bites the apple it will take this multiple times it won't it won't just happen with one they still bring up TCU though that's the only thing I'll say like we still need a counter to what happened

TCU Georgia I know TCU beat Michigan but they need but it was so bad against Georgia it was so bad that we need a counter to that I just don't think we're going to break this perception of the Big 12 unless we do something fairly dramatic to counter it personally. Get two teams in. Two teams go 11 and 1. The one's in the conference title game.

That's the best way. That's all I can say. That's your absolute best scenario. But are we still sure that we would get the benefit over a fourth 10-win team in the Big 10? I don't know. It's just that much of an obstacle that the Big 12 is facing right now, right wrong or indifferent. The Big Ten is going to get both teams in in their conference championship. Like, will the Big 12 ever get their winner and the runner up in?

Yes, what happened with the ACC last year? If they get what the ACC got last year where the team that lost only had one other loss in the regular season, like that's the reason Clemson got in, right? That's how you get in. You need two 11 and one teams or the other team that makes it in, like one of them wins and the other one's like, well, they only have one loss. I will still say this, just a reminder. I know we, Matt, ESPN, committee, all that.

They did the right thing by putting SMU in last year. I still hope they would do the right thing and put a big 12 team in. Jake, they did do the right thing. Jake, we didn't want to see Alabama. They just got slaughtered by Jackson Arnold. But it's not binary. It's not SMU or Alabama. That's exactly what Jake's saying is that there were other things.

I'm with Jake here. It's not binary. This was fun. And we yelled at each other and we still all love each other at the end of the day. And I like that. I like a little controversy. I love most of you. This has been it always will be.

Thanks for making us all your first listen every single day. The Dose Grande Squaw.