PTI - Exploring the College Football Landscape & What’s Next for the Warriors

Episode Date: July 28, 2026

Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon examine the evolving college football landscape. They also discuss the Golden State Warriors’ outlook, MLB Trade Deadline and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2010, a family of four in California goes missing. And the clues left behind, send investigators on a years-long search. Is this a family on the run? Or is the truth far more sinister? From ABC Audio in 2020, this is what happened to the mixed days. Coming August 11th, wherever you get your podcasts. Or subscribe to 2020 True Crime Plus on Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes, early access to new episodes, and so much more.

Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Lobon, Tony. Scientists have discovered a fossilized footprint that's 1.4 million years old. I'm Tony Kornheiser, and they traced it back to a young Vern Lungquist. Oh, man, you're taking shot at Vern. I like to see games with Byrne calling the action. Everybody does. Yeah. Everybody does.

Burn Lungwist. Everybody likes him. The big game. Look, in a week or two, we'll just put my name in there, and it'll work as well. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls. In today's episode, Big Ten Coach's Talk, the Warriors ponder their future with and without Steph Curry, and Tim Kirchon joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with what appears to be even more of a mess for the North Carolina football program.

Not only with the Tar Heel's four and eight last season in Bill Belichick's inaugural year as coach, And not only was most of the news about Belichick's relationship with his girlfriend, Jordan Hudson. But now Belichick's chief of staff, his general manager, Mike Lombardi, has been placed on administrative leave by the university, stemming from a human resources complaint. And Pablo Tori is reporting that the football program is under investigation by something called the College Sports Commission, which investigates improper NIL actions. Wilma, how do things sound for Bill Belichick? entering year two.

Like there's an avalanche coming, Tony? I mean, you know, it's unbelievable. Look, a lot of the stuff doesn't phase me. I don't care to be titillated by any stories about Belichick and his girlfriend. I don't care about that. What I care about is, is North Carolina football any good now that, arguably, the greatest coach in the history of football,

certainly since, you know, Vince Lombardi, certainly since Bill Walsh, the last 25 years, Bill Belichick, Chapel Bill. This was supposed to work. And Tony, if it didn't work after one year, okay. But two years, that's about as long as you get in today's culture, where everybody's going thumbs up, thumbs down, Christians and lions let them loose, the moment you're not as good as they thought you should be.

So that, Bill Belichick being unable to sort of marshal this and move it in the direction we're accustomed to seeing, or at Wur, when he was in Foxborough, I'm freaked out a little bit by that, to be honest with you. I thought this was going to go better for Belichick. So let's go back to the question. How do things sound for Bill Belichick now? How do they sound? Will you on a Titanic when it hit the iceberg?

Because it sounds like that. It sounds awful. In the words of the late great Michael Ray Richardson, the ship be sinking. Let's go through this. All of the Jordan Hudson stuff sounds embarrassing. The Mike Lombardi stuff

sounds embarrassing, and we don't even know the extent of it. It could be worse, right? They don't have particulars yet that we know about. I don't know what the College Sports Commission is, but that sounds embarrassing. But the worst thing, and you and I are going to agree on this, is they were four and eight last year. They were good.

They only had two wins in the ACC against Syracian. and Stanford, whose combined record was 7 and 17. So they did not have a big win. Not only that, they lost to their in-state rivals, all three, Duke, North Carolina State and Wake, lost to all three for the first time since 1989. So where is the up? He brought in, Belichick brought in 70 new players last year, obviously didn't work,

brings in 60 new players this year. That's incredible. It feels, Mike, like they're thrashing around. It does. And like you, I bought into it early. thought he would be great. I bought the Chapel Bill stuff. I did. Certainly by year, too, Tone. I thought

by now he'd be getting ready to be on a roll. One thing they could do is rolling him out the door at this stage. Well, let me give you the first four games. First four games coming up. TCU East Tennessee State at Clemson, Notre Dame. That

sounds like one and three to me. It does sound like that. Yeah. You better hope it's not over four. Big Ten Football Media Days are a God help us. Football coaches from the Big Ten schools are taking questions from reporters over the next three days with training camps set to open next week. Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana have, of course, won the last three national titles in college football. Tone, do you like my Big Ten's chances for a fourth straight? Let me start eliminating some conferences here. We eliminate the Pact 12 because

it doesn't exist. They don't have one. We look at, yeah. Well, we look at the ACC where Miami last year was the best team, got all the way to the national championship game, but their quarterback is not coming back, and I don't have any faith in Clemson or Florida State anymore. The Big 12, people talk a lot about Texas Tech, but Texas Tech's quarterback has a gambling issue and is not playing college football.

So what that leaves us with is the SEC and the Big Ten. And I think the winner comes from there, and I would bet 100 out of 100 that the winner comes from there. Now, the SEC, Mike, has not even had, a team in the final game in the last three years. So I think maybe they're a little bit overdue. They had four wins in a row as a conference between 2019 and 2022. That was LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Georgia. Before that, they had seven in a row from 2006 to 2012. Florida. Well, yeah, Florida, LSU, Florida, Alabama, Alabama, Alabama. I think those schools are still in the SEC. I believe that. And they've added Texas and Oklahoma, you know, teams that have won national championships and other conferences.

So I'm going to take the SEC. I'm going to leave the Big Ten to you. You know, the Big Ten could do it again because Ohio State can do it. There's no question Ohio State can win the Big Ten. I'm eliminating Indiana. What they did last year. That stands. There's no encore to that.

There's no sequel to that. Okay. So Indiana did this thing that's amazing. It can still celebrate it as long as they want to. Michigan is starting over. You know, I realize it with everything new. Coach, culture, players, systems, plural. So I don't see that happening.

It's all in Ohio State. And if you say to me, is it Ohio State or one of four or five SEC teams, I'm going to tell you we won't get our fourth consecutive title. It doesn't matter. It's the Big Ten and the SEC. Everybody else take a step back. That's what we're looking at in college football. Tony, the Big 12 will be of interest.

But after that, the ACC, like you mentioned, oh my goodness. They're gone. They've fallen and they can't get up. I'm going to give you one more. I'm going to give you Oregon. Because Oregon is offering a very, very good team. And they are in the top five in most polls. Yes, thank you for saying.

Right. But I'm going to look at Alabama and Georgia and Texas and Ole Miss without Lane Kiffin and LSU with Lane Kiffin. And I'm going to say the winner comes from there. That's what I'm going to say. Let's move to the NBA, specifically the Golden State Warriors. They lost out in the LeBron sweepstakes, and they are now led by 38-year-old Steph Curry

and 36-year-old Draymond Green, and did I maybe forget, soon-to-be-37-year-old Jimmy Butler. Other than being the AARP's favorite squad, there is widespread talk about whether they should consider trading Steph Curry to build for the Warriors' next team and cash this one in. Wilbon, what would you do with Steph Curry and the Warriors?

Surrounded with the best team possible. You're not going to get a haul for Steph Curry? Then you just say, soon to be 38? And Steph Curry, when I sit down now, we're forced to confront these crazy questions all the time because of podcast discussions about the top 10 players of all the time. Yeah, Steph Curry, he's in there.

He's in mind. He's played his way in. And I spend a lot of time in Northern California the last 15 years because of Steph Curry. And I know what he means to that community, and I don't see him wanting to leave. It doesn't mean they couldn't trade him because they can. I don't see Steph Curry just up and saying,

I'm going to go. I need to go join LeBron. And I don't see that. Could he go back to Charlotte home? He could, but they're not going to get a haul. You're not going to get four first-round draft picks and a young All-Star at this point for Steph Curry. Because if you give that up, you'd be a fool to have Steph Curry for two or three years

as great as he is. Steph Curry, Tony, means something to Northern California. Like few athletes I have ever seen in 45 years of doing. doing this mean to their community. He's that important. He is that deified, justifiably. I don't see him leaving. Yeah. So let me go back into my notes here.

I think the Warriors really needed LeBron James and not for nostalgic purposes. I think that, you know, Steve Kerr was going to come back. They have Porzingus. They have Horford. They are a very, very old team, made very much older with LeBron, but they also could have won a championship with LeBron.

I think they are hurt by not getting him. I agree with him. I sort of think it's over there, and I do think it's over. You talk about places. If Steph Curry wants to go, and I'm not, I don't know him. I don't know if he wants to go, but there are a lot of, let's say like LeBron, he wanted to chase a ring, even though he's got four, and his legacy is assured. I could see him in San Antonio.

I could see him in Boston. I could see him in Miami, who all need scoring guards. You may not. and I could see him in Charlotte where he grew up where his dad's number 30 jersey hangs from the rampers. People said of LeBron, you would close the circle if he went back to Cleveland. Well, Steph Curry could close the circle by going to Charlotte.

It's all what he wants to do. I would say, Mike, he's the most popular player in the NBA because he's not like LeBron or Kevin Durant that have enemies. Totally good. That are, you know, yeah, that are controversial. He is. No, people love him. So if he wants to go, they need to let him go.

If he wants to go, right? I'm going to be presumptuous for a second. I do know Steph Curry a little bit. And I'm not going to try to sit up here and predict. I'm saying what I know and what I've come to know of him over the last 15 years is Steph Curry ain't chasing a ring. And it's okay to chase one if he wanted to. If he changed his mind and he and says, hey, you know what?

Trash it. I'm going to chase one. I don't see that being part of who Steph Curry is. Charlotte, okay. But, you know, no. San Antonio, Boston, no. That's not Steph Curry. Oakland, San Francisco, Northern California,

that is Stefan Curry. Let's take a break. Coming up is Tarrick Scoobel's recent success giving the Tigers more reason to keep them or trade them. And how are the Yankees handling the losses of Judge Stanton and now Bellinger? Yeah. I just think.

With Steve Curry, it has to be amicable. On both sides, on the ownership side and on his side. I think it will be. They have to owe him that. Tony, that metropolitan area won't stand. You couldn't see him in San Antonio? God, no. No.

San Antonio, they'd win. No, they would. Baseball's trade deadline is this coming Monday, so we have questions for our great friend, ESPN baseball analyst and avocado savant, Tim Kirkchin. Let's start with this. Tim, Tarek Scouble, back on the mound tomorrow

in what could be his last. start as a Detroit Tiger. He has looked great of late. Do you think that makes it more likely that the Tigers trade him or keep him? Well, I think it's more likely at the moment that they trade him. They've lost three games in a row. They're seven games under 500. There are four games out of the last wild card spot, and they have four teams in front of them. And he's not going to resign with the Tigers as a free agent after this season. So it seems to be a little bit more likely now that they will move him. However, two years ago, they went to Williamsport for the Little League Classic.

They had no chance to make the playoffs. They got red hot the last month and a half of the season. They made the playoffs, and they even won a playoff series. So they have to be really careful about thinking about moving the best pitcher in the league. This will be the biggest decision of the trade deadline. Do they move him or don't they? Well, let's stay with pitching for 500 in the Padres and Mason Miller. Tim, do you see them moving Mason Miller?

And if so, give us the group of teams that would be involved in targeting him. Yeah, they might have to move him for this reason. So many teams are looking to get him. He's got 27 saves. He's got an 082 ERA, and he struck out almost half the batters that he's faced. It's ridiculous how dominant he has been. I had an executive tell me the other day, what do you think the Yankees pitching would look like

if they got Mason Miller for the ninth inning? Another general manager told me the pirates need to make a run at Mason Miller. And he's affordable and under control for the next three years. But I promise you this, the Padres, if they trade him, they're going to trade him and get pieces back to still try to win the division. This is another fascinating situation.

The whole trade deadline is about Scoobel and Mason Miller. Tim, you reference the Yankees. Right now, without Judge Stanton and Bellinger, how long are we talking about and where does this leave them? Well, they're in trouble offensively. They were a bat short without Cody Bellinger getting hurt. Now they're too bad short. They have to go get some help behind the plate.

They have to figure out who their third base from. going to be. They need two hitters because, and they can't count on Aaron Judge being back, certainly before September, from what I can see, but their pitching is so good right now. And if they add more pitching, which they might, they're going to get to October no matter what. The question is, what are they going to do with the trade deadline? How much offense are they going to pick up? And then when is Aaron Judge going to come back? And what's he going to look like when he does come back? We will get you out here on this, and this is a theoretical and speculative question, but I sort of like it. Labor talks between the players and the owners continue.

Entering today, Tim, 24 of the 30 teams are within five games of a postseason spot. 21 are within two games of a postseason spot, and several rich teams stink at the moment. Does that weaken the owner's position and their argument that they need a salary cap for competitive balance? Yeah, I think it does, Tony. I mean, you look, recently we had the Brewers with the best record in the National League and the raise with the best record in the American League. And they are two small market teams. And they are proving, as have other teams in the last few years, that if you draft and develop, properly, you can win with a low payroll. But the way the owners presented, the payroll disparity

is so bad and there's an agreement there, but you can win if you know what you're doing. And the Dodgers, of course, we all know that they have every advantage with revenue and resources and everything. But they are a beautifully run organization. But if you're a small market team, you can win if you draft and develop properly. Several teams are doing it, including the Brewers and the raise. That's just a lot of teams basically on the bubble for the playoffs pretty late in the season. That's impressive. Yes, and it's great for baseball, Tony. This is what we all hope for when the season begins. Does my team have a chance to win? Well, 21 out of 30 still have a chance here on July the 27th. That's good for baseball. Yeah. Thank you, Tim, as always.

Appreciate you, man. All right, thanks, guys. Let's take one last break, but still to come, Baker Mayfield calls off his contract talks. And Kerry Wood, Kerry Wood returns to the mound in memorable fashion. So did you see how I got that question in there? We'll stay with pitching for 500.

That's a Jeopardy question. Did you get your Jeopardy invite that was that in your mailboxes? I didn't get that. No. No, I didn't. No, I didn't get that one. I figured you had to. And I'd pick you to be on Jeopardy if it was me.

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Visit wayfair.ca. Wayfair, every style, every home. Happy time, people. Happy 33rd birthday, Harry Kane. The British striker is one of the great international soccer stars who continued to shine throughout the recent World Cup, much like Leonel Messi, Kiliin Mbopi, and Erling Holland. Kane scored six goals in eight games for England, including two against Croatia in the group stage,

and two to defeat D.R. Congo in the round of 32 knockout stage. Kane and Jude Bellingham, who scored seven goals in the World Cup, gave England a Batman and Robin situation. Kane plays for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga in Germany, but played 10 plus years for Tottenham in the Premier League. Hurricane. He has scored over 500 goals for club and country. Has more goals for England than anyone ever. Yeah, say it with me.

Harry Kane. Tony, I saw him play in Russia. In Moscow, I saw him play in the, what, 18 World Cup, and they lost to Croatia. But Harry Kane's two goals in that game against Congo, unbelievably thrilling. He's a great, great, great player. Yeah.

Happy anniversary, Dennis Martinez, on this day, 35 years ago. Martinez, the first Nicaraguan to play in the major leagues, became the first Latin American-born pitcher to pitch a perfect game. Pitching for the Montreal Expos, Martinez threw a perfecto against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. This was the 13th perfect game in Major League history, and it came on a 95-degree day. That season, Martinez went 14 and 11 and had his career low ERA 2.39, pitched 222 innings with nine complete games and five shutouts.

Martinez was a four-time All-Star, and now he is in both the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame. Tony, because of his stylishness, wasn't he at one point considered like an heir to Jim Palmer? You covered those teams? I know how much you love Palmer. You like Martinez, too, D. I liked him, but nobody was in Jim Palmer's class, but, yeah, he was pitched with him, I think. Happy Trails to the Marlins' 12-game losing streak. It looked bleak from Miami in the ninth last night. Philly was up, too, with closer Joanne Duran and his 1-29 ERA on the mound, but the Marlins tagged Duran for five hits and three runs, walking off with their first win since July 9th. Eat it, Wilbon.

Elsewhere, Braves reliever Connor Thomas had an even worse night than Duran, allowing five walks, 10 hits, and 11 runs to the Mets over the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings. Thomas's ERA ballooned to 21.32, and now let's cleanse our picture. pitching palette with this fun moment from the Savannah Banana's game on Saturday night when 49-year-old Kerry Wood threw an improbable strike in his first pitch in Riggily since retiring 14 years ago. He's thrown out ceremonial first pitches as recently as a few months ago, and I'm sure he could throw a strike.

Tony, I'm not acknowledging that banana stuff. I'm not. They can sell out Riggly field from now until the cows come home. I'm not down with that. You'd be the only one. You'd be the only one not acknowledged it because it's entertaining. and it sells out. Let's go to the big finish.

Let's do it. The Eagles and Jaylen Carter agreed on a four-year extension worth $106 million guaranteed. Is that significant? We're told he's the highest paid D-T in history, so what? How great is he going to be on that team that matters on that line? They drafted him to be great. It's going to be great? Go, go.

Baker Mayfield will play out the last season on his deal with the Buccaneers. Makes sense? I guess he wants to leave. Zinadon is France's new soccer coach. You love France. You like this move? So great move. We want to cup with these all-time great.

Jerry Jones, as he likes to cop boys' chances, will be willing to add a big-time player if available your thoughts. He says this every year, love it. Last one, the Guardians snapped their five-game losing streak this afternoon. Happy for them? No, they're chasing the white socks. I'm not happy for them.

Not at all. You're mean today. We're out of time. We'll try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheiser. I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, no. Okay, it's Tony.

I got the mailbox. You think the Jeffrey? invitations in here? It's got to be. BTIH. Me? You know,