PTI - Judge Rules in LSU's Favor!

Episode Date: September 4, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss LSU ruling, Colorado defeats Georgia Tech, UMass upsets Rutgers and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcfwalk.ca.ca. Pardon the interruption, but I'm my first. Mike Wilbon, it was just National Skyscraper Day, Tony.

Are you scared of heights? I'm Tony Kornheiser. It's one of my top three fears, heights, bridges, and emotional vulnerability. Yeah. And you like that arch in St. Louis. You're obsessed with that for the last, for the entire time. I do. I've known you.

I love the arch. Yeah, I think the arch is fantastic. I wouldn't want to climb to the top of it, though. I mean, it's difficult for me on the Bay Bridge. I just keep my eyes straight ahead on the Bay Bridge. Welcome to PTI boys and girls in today's episode. Colorado wins, Rutgers Loses, and Indiana returns to the field. But we begin today with the ongoing mess in the SEC.

Yesterday, a Louisiana judge ruled that players who had been in NFL camps were now eligible to go back to college and play this year and that the SEC could not punish any school who puts them on the field. Tonight, LSU must hand in its 105-man roster of eligible players. The SEC has threatened to punish teams and coaches who play these players. Wilvon, where does this latest court ruling leave things for LSU and college football? Let's just go straight to Lane Kiffin, right? I mean, look, Tony, we know that LSU is being opposed by its own conference and all the presidents in the conference.

We know that academically. Right. But Lane Kiffin, you know, he ain't that dude. He doesn't care about the brushback pitch. He seems fine with, you know, taking three or four to the head if he has to. But it's one thing to submit a roster for a season. It's another thing to actually play these guys. So everybody you listen to talk about the SEC and the LSU.

Everybody says LSU's got a tight end on its roster who's better than anybody they can bring in, who used to wear a Lane Kiffin uniform, and come in off the street and play because they were at a camp. They say, no, no, no. LSU's got a better tight end than that. You could do this for depth. You could do this for reasons. But Lane Kiff and Tony, at this point, there got to be people in his ear who are saying, to what end? To what end are you doing this? Suppose this comes back to bite you in the form of, we don't know what the courts are going to decide down the road.

So why must you do this? So you know what, Tony, only Lane Kiffin can make that call. I actually don't think he's going to do it. I don't know where it leaves college football. I don't know where it leaves college sports. It leaves it all in a state of flux all the time. So I'm not about to jump in on that. Yeah, I'm going to go in a different lane than you.

I had Pat 40 on the podcast this morning. And Pat called this. I want to get the words correct. A spectacular fiasco. I think he's right. I think it's getting to the point where maybe you need to be a lawyer to cover college football. But what I like about this is I think it gets us closer to a judicial resolution that will stand up at some point. Because I think what's going to happen now is the SEC is going to go to federal court and going to say,

toss this thing out and toss our thing back in. The problem is, Mike, that I don't think it can be resolved quickly. I think it will take at least till the end of the season. And so let's look at what we're talking about here about these kids. Not that many kids. somewhere about 30 kids or something like that. Not many. I think they're going to play this season,

and I'm all right with them playing, because now the rule is you can have five years of eligibility. I think a lot of these kids, if they realize they could have had five, might not have tried a pro-kamp. No doubt. No doubt. To me, let them play be inclusive and not exclusive,

and I'll get to Kiffin. And you're right about a lot of the stuff with Kiffin. Kiffin revels in this. He's the scapegoat for everything, and he revels in this. But again, I don't think that this is going to come down to disqualifying LSU or disqualifying these kids down the road, because they're all eligible now for five years, Mike.

Just let them play. Let's stay with college football. The NCAA screwed this so badly setting the deadline. They didn't have to do it this way, and they bring all this into play. Just unbelievable. But the reasonable boundary that will be established, is going to be something everyone can live with, including Len Kiffin.

I think. Let's stay with college football, move to Colorado, upsetting Georgia Tech last night, by scoring a touchdown with 37 seconds to go to go up 14 to 13, and then blocking a 45-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

Dion Sanders said, and I'm quoting here, this is a big win for these kids. I'm straight, man. I don't shake a shadow. We know what we're doing here. We don't shatter. We'll let you all talk. So talk you're talking.

Pop it. Just don't get sensitive. when I talk back. Whoa, it's fantastic. Well, Bond, what do you make of Dion and Colorado's win at Georgia Tech? Tony, I watched every snap of this game last night. Well, maybe I flipped over to Illinois and UAB at a few points, but I watched every snap, essentially.

And the game was flawed. You know, there was a lot of sloppiness, which is typical of an opener. It's a big game for Colorado because they're going on the road to face the team that beat them last year. And they need this, right? needed. I'm not going to say it's a must game. It's do or die. It's boom or bust or all these other stupid things you hear on television shows. No, but Dion and Colorado needed this game. And Tony, he did a couple of things I know Dion necessarily doesn't prefer to do. They ran it and they stopped the run. They ran for 183 yards and held Georgia Tech with stout line play to 51 yards rushing.

And I'm looking at that going, whoa, they can get in this low scoring game and hold their own. And it looked like twice like Colorado was going to lose this game. But they made the plays down the stretch. It was exhilarating. And Dion has these games all the time. They're too late for you. They're on very late at night for the last three seasons now. And some of us who are up late, it was early for me out here in the West. I was screaming out loud like a maniac with a Dion shirt on. It was so exciting at the end the way they won that game. Yeah, I really wish I had gotten a Dion's shirt. I could have worn it. I could have worn it to sleep because I left the game at about a quarter. Yeah. So yesterday I sat here and I said it is unreasonable to compare Dion Sanders and

Bill Belichick. And today I'm going to say why it is reasonable in this small little sample size here. They both won very close games that could have been reversed by just one play. Both of them were in the margin of losing very late in the game. They both won on the road, not at home. Anyway, not at home, if not on the road. And in both cases, they beat teams that had beaten them last year that were distinct favorites. And that's the comparison

that I'm going to make. I watched a little bit over a quarter of this game, and I have to tell you that in the beginning of the game, I thought Colorado looked terrible. They had no passing game whatsoever. I thought their defense was a sieb. I saw Georgia Tech running straight through them, you know, on a couple of series going down to the end.

So when I found out this morning that Colorado had won the game, I was stunned. There was one point where I could. I thought a Colorado guy had fumbled the ball and it was returned like 80 yards for touchdown and then negated the fumble at that point. My takeaway is I'm happy for Dion as you are happy for Dion. I love these quotes. What does this mean?

I don't shake a shadow. Whatever that means, I love that. I love talk you, talk, and pop it. You know, Mike, I know you will agree with this. We covered a lot of football. Dion Sanders and Michael Irvin filled up the notebook. They filled up the notebook every time. They did.

For years. For years and we'll never forget it. And now to last night's huge college football upset, 29 and a half-point underdog UMass, wallop Rutgers in Piscataway. UMass's win-snapped at 16-game losing streak, the longest active in D-1, and ended a string of 23 straight losses in D-1.

Report said, Rutgers paid UMass about a mill and a half tone to play this game. So do you come to praise UMass or Barry Rutgers? Oh, both. Oh, you have to do both. UMass was 0 and 12. They hadn't won a D1 game since beating Army, I think, in 2024. I mean, honestly, let's name a great football player from UMass.

Julius Irving is a basketball player. We cannot name him. And now you can sit around for a while and somebody will get in your ear and give you a great name. Rutgers had been pretty good, both times around with Greg Shiano. The first time around, 68 and 67, and they went to five different bowl games. This time, 31 and 42, not as good, but they had a winning season in 2023 and 24. Last year, in your Big Ten, they beat Maryland, they beat Purdue. They should have killed you, Mass.

I can't even begin to approach how terrible a loss that says, 29.5 point underdog. They did pay him that money to roll over, and they didn't roll over. They had fireworks display ready to go, because it was going to be Shiano's 100th victory. at Rutgers. Last year, UMass last in points scored and points allowed. DFL, points scored and points allowed. Lost by an average, every game, Mike, 39-11. They won this game 37-21. They out rushed Rutgers 200 to 30. Mike, if I was a Rutgers graduate, I'd burn my diploma today. Tone, it's an embarrassing loss, an embarrassing night for Rutgers all the way around. You know, look, this is my conference now. I have to claim them. I have no choice. You know, I didn't want them. I still don't

want them. The only team I don't want more than them is Maryland. I don't want either one of them because they're not the Big Ten. We're not talking about the Western expansion. I'm talking about that expansion. Don't want their butts anywhere near the conference. It's an embarrassing loss. Tony, this does happen in the Big Ten. It happens to all our schools. We go out and we lose to mid-majors except Ohio State. I think Ohio State's the only one that has never had one of these. And when I saw this tone,

I refused to click over. I just didn't think it was going to happen. You know what I mean? It was like, no, this is not actually going to happen. I'll give you one number. I'm going to give you one number. They joined D1, UMass did, in 2012. Their record since then, going into this game,

was 26 and 134. Let's take a break. Coming up, top 10 teams, Ole Miss and Notre Dame, each play on Sunday, which team is more likely to get upset? And the Hoosiers and Longhorns have games Saturday, which of those highly ranked teams inspires more confidence. Toss up is next. Where is U. Where is that? Well, that's in a different part of the state.

That's a different school. UMass Lowell is in the American East. I think that's in Amherst somewhere around there, the western part of Massachusetts. Am I right on that? Get in my ear and tell me if I'm right. Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation walk.

Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcf walk.ca. Hear that? It's your money calling. It wants a promotion. Elevate your savings with the Scotia high-interest savings account. Always earn high regular interest rates that grow the more you save and invest.

Conditions apply. Visit scotiabank.com slash h-I-SA to learn more. Scotia Bank. You're richer than you think. It's time for toss-up. Two men enter. One man leaves. finishes the show, then steals himself for another blown save tonight by the Nats bullpen.

What's first? Toss up, which top 10 team is more likely to get upset on Sunday? Number 9, Ole Miss, or number four, Notre Dame? Now, Mike, I know that you believe that Wisconsin has a chance to beat Notre Dame. I do. I do. I am not going there. I'm not going there.

Wisconsin was 4 and 8 last year. They scored an average of 12.8 points per game. Notre Dame was 10 and 2, got holes, should have made. the playoffs. Luke Fickle, now 16 and 21, and Marcus Freeman, according to my notes, 43 and 12. So if I have to pick, I have to pick Old Miss. Booger was on this show yesterday in which he said that the Louisville head coach, do I pronounce the name right, Jeff Brom is a big game coach. He beat Miami last year. His record there is at Louisville is 28 and 12. Pete Golding, who inherited the job when

Lane Kiffin left at Ole Miss, doesn't have a resume like that. His record is 2 and 1. And I grant that those are playoff games that's very important, but he's only been the head coach for three games. I think both teams will win. I think Ole Miss and Notre Dame will win, but if I have to pick, I will say that Ole Miss is more likely to be upset. Tony, I'll get to Wisconsin Notre Dame in a second,

but the answer to the question is Louisville beating Ole Miss. That's the answer to the question. I mean, Louisville, yes, and that coach, they sort of have a way about them and they're building towards something, and they've scared some teams, and won some games, and Golden is in this situation where,

I mean, I know nobody's talking about them very much, and he may have the best quarterback, excuse me, but the best quarterback. That's right. In the country, he may. This kid proved himself over a period of time in big games. Now, the Notre Dame situation is interesting. I understand why Notre Dame is heavily favored.

I get it. But they're playing a bunch of cheesehead in Dairyland. They're playing in, Lambo. Most of your people like people like you up and down I-95 they couldn't find Lambo on a map with a GPS. I've covered games

in Landau. I've been in Lambo. I just had to drag you into that. Not only that. You know where every state capital is so I'm just messing with you. But people like you, people of your ilk who run their mouths all the time and they don't understand the home field advantage

even if the crowd is 50-50. People like you. Like you, people of your ill. Green Bay isn't the capital. Green Bay isn't the capital. It's not even the capital. It's not the capital. Madison's the capital, right? Madison's the capital. Tony, Wisconsin's got a chance in this.

Wisconsin's got a shot. I'm telling you. What's next? What's next? Toss up, which top 10 team are you more confident in this season, number six, Indiana, or number five, Texas? All right, so it's not so long from last year to this year. And we remember last year that Texas went in as the preseason number one. And then they lost quickly to Ohio State.

They spent the rest of the year trying to get back up there. They never did. They finished 10 and 3. They did not make the playoffs, right? Am I correct on that? Indiana had maybe the greatest season of all time. Considering where Indiana had been for 50 years, they won everything. But now they are missing their Heisman winning quarterback.

Yes, they are. They are missing a lot of those JMU kids who came over with Kirk Signet. and nobody in the country is going to take them lightly again. So what I would say, Mike, is that Texas is more prepared for this year than it was for last year, and Indiana is more prepared for last year than it is for this year. So if I have to choose here, I'm going to choose Texas with two caveats until Ohio State beats them again and until the SEC swallows them whole. But until that happens, I will take Texas.

Tony, I don't have a lot of faith in either one of them. Not to do something spectacular. You know what I mean? Not to go 13 and 1 or undefeated. I don't have faith in either one of them to do that. But Indiana is going to have a little different life this year. Because everybody's going to be taking their shot at them. And if they can come out on the other side of that,

even with two losses, or I will tip my cap, as they say, I will. Because I am not rooting against the Hoosiers. I'm curious to see what they've got in this new life. Texas, I generally do not believe in. But I sort of do believe in Arch Manning and where he was last year, late in the year. I think that Texas is accustomed to being in this position, like you said, more than Indiana is accustomed

to being in this position where you've got this string of big games and Texas knows what this is. I got that much more faith in Texas. That's it. See, yeah, that's what I think about Texas. I think that there are lessons that Texas learned. And I think Indiana is going to learn those lessons this year. This year.

I mean, I just think that's, I think, yes, I think that's where we are right now. That's the difference. That's it. I win. Of course I win. Let's take one last break, but still to come, WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert, decides to step away. Who saw that coming? Oh, everybody.

Everybody. Oh, everyone. Yeah. Show hate took my advice, huh? I told you. Sit him down. Do you know who they play tonight? The Dodgers play the Nats tonight.

Oh, good. You're going to watch that? Two in five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free, from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcf walk.ca.ca.

Spotify, it's Jay Shetty. Are you one of those media strategy people? Scrolling through spreadsheets, searching for an audience that pays twice as much attention to your ads than they do on social? Let me introduce you to fans. And they're here with me on Spotify. Trust me, I know fans. They don't skip. They stay for hours. They don't move on. They manifest. They're not a demographic group, they're fans. Spotify advertising.

You're among fans. Happy time, people. Happy 76th birthday, Frank White. White was the longtime second baseman for the Kansas City Royals and a mainstay on the Royals' 1985 World Series champions in the All-Missory I-70 series against St. Louis. White was a five-time All-Star and eight-time gold glove for the Royals for whom he played all 18 of his Major League seasons.

White grew up in Kansas City. And in biography he presented while County Executive Jackson County, Missouri, Home of the Royals, White said that he literally helped build what became Kaufman Stadium, home of the Royals. As a union laborer, White scraped mortars and sealed floors, making him quite possibly the only baseball player to help build the stadium he played it. Tony, it is such a charming and under-told story. If Frank White was on that team, oh, my goodness, with Brett and McCray and Amos, you think about it, tone, a small market team wouldn't stay together.

together with star players that long anymore. Does that happen, actually? I covered that series. I drove I-70. Covered the series. You drove it. Happy anniversary, yep, happy anniversary Damon Allen. On this day, 20 years ago,

while with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, the younger brother of Marcus Allen passed Warren Moon as professional football's all-time leading passer, surpassing Moon's total of 70,553 yards in both the NFL and CFL. Allen ultimately totaled 72,381 yards passing over 23 CFL seasons. Alan was quarterback at Cal State Fullerton, where his position coach was Steve Mariucci,

who attended this record-breaking game. Alan was a four-time Grey Cup champion, three-time Grey Cup MVP. In 2012, he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and that all-time passing yards record is now held by Tom Brady. Tony, I wouldn't watch one second of any of that spring football. junk. But it seems to me the CFL is something that we ought to see more of. The level of play, the people that we recognize who come from sort of college football, the CFL I will watch. That other stuff in the spring? It's on American football. It's on an American television. You can get

it every week. Happy Trails, Kathy Engleberg. The WNBA Commissioner will retire at the end of the year, an outcome that someone knew seems to call for every week. Englebert says it's her decision, and she wasn't pressured to step away. Last year, Players Association Vice President Neficia Collier called her, quote, negligent and said the WNBA had, quote, the worst leadership in the world. ESPN reported Engelbert has also struggled to build relationships with owners. Still, the league and player salaries have grown like crazy during her seven-plus year tenure. Tony, for a few years, I've sort of loudly projected.

that I think Nekha Agumake, who just retired and is brilliant, should be the next commissioner. And that's a bad thing to do to a friend to suggest that she should be next in this job. It's an impossible job. And, you know, the league needs Nekha Agumachanke more than she needs that headache. But maybe one day she will be commissioner, but they need somebody who's willing to be disliked, sadly,

by both sides for a while while they pull this thing together. tough, tough gig. We got a bunch of stuff to clean up on the UMass story. All my mistakes. UMass last D-1 win was versus Army in 2023, not 2024. UMass Lowell is in Lowell, Massachusetts. And the UMass that played Rutgers as an Amherst, Massachusetts. How many more things could I get wrong?

Let's go to the big finish. Show A sat out last night's win over the Cardinals. Make sense to you? Of course, it made sense when I said it yesterday. Sox catcher, Adley Rushman, two homers in his return to Camden, last night, you impressed? More impressed by the way he was greeted by the Baltimore fans, standing O. Cubs salvages split with the Brewers on PCA's two-run home. Are you relieved? Yeah, but the Bulls and Bears showed up to support PCA. That's what I cared about. Who hit another one.

Fresno State at number 14, SC tonight, predict the attendance. 53,512. Last one, Ben Simmons and the Kings agreed to a one-year deal worth 3.5 million. You surprised at that? million NBA tone, not a commitment, exactly. We're out of time. We'll try to do better than next time. Michael Flam of Camp Kioma. Call me. I'm Mike Wilbon.

Have a great weekend. Look ahead. See you Tuesday. Eh, on the deuce. And again? What? Two and five Canadians will hear the words you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters.

On September 19th, joined thousands in Toronto. for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcfwalk.ca.ca.