The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour 1: The College Football Power Hour

Episode Date: November 19, 2024

After Lucy takes us through Athens for her Off-Rohding at the Georgia-Tennessee game, the crew gets into a sportsy-sports-sports conversation about the College Football Playoff. Dan wants the CFP to be truly merit-based. Stugotz wants SEC brands no matter what. Jessica wants everyone to experience the joy of College Football without the constant playoff concerns. And Mike wants to take down the media elites that will consider a 3-loss SEC team to be better than a 2-loss SMU in Miami's Atlantic Coast Conference. Plus, Billy Gil introduces us to a new idea that may just solve everyone's conundrums: The College Football Swap Week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Your teen requested a ride, but this time not from you. It's through their Uber Teen account. It's an Uber account that allows your teen to request a ride under your supervision with live trip tracking and highly rated drivers. Add your team to your Uber account today. This is the Dan Leventor Show with the StuGuts Podcast. Dan, stay away from my mom. And mom, you shouldn't have did what you did to your dad. We are here in beautiful Athens, Georgia, one of the best college towns in America. And we were denied for this game. They said no credential for you. But don't worry, Game Time hooked us up.

They got us some tickets for this game. So I'm not media member Lucy today. I'm not professional graduated with a journalism degree Lucy today. I'm just a Georgia Bulldog today and I'm having the time of my life. Woo woo woo woo woo woo. I bet he gets terrible gas mileage.

Hey, we're gonna open that ass. Our backs are against the wall. We're gonna open that can of ass and we're gonna dominate. That's what we're gonna do. Start. Hey, we're going to open that ass. Our backs are against the wall, we're going to open that can of ass, and we're going to dominate. That's what we're going to do. Start to finish, we're going to dominate. Start to finish. Everyone close their eyes. Raise your hand if you're nervous. Okay, all of you raise your hands. Do we get the W? I think we do.

Whoa! Little that, little that, shake and beg. You know what I'm saying? How many bars are in Athens, do you guys know? 28 now. I think it's the most per capita. I am underage so I do not go downtown. He's never done that. I'm a good Christian man, I do not go downtown. Never done that. So Athens has more bars per capita than any city in the country. So there are typical tailgates here but a lot of the fans just go to the bars.

And if the fans are going to the bars then we should go to the bars. And if we're going to the bars we might as well get a drink, you know, like we're at the bars. And if the fans are going to the bars, then we should go to the bars. And if we're going to the bars, we might as well get a drink, you know? Like we're at the bars. I can manage it. I believe in my heart. I'm very good at holding my liquor. No one's ever actually said that to me though.

And I have no evidence to support that. Ooh! I gotta tell you, this place looks very familiar. I feel very at home here. ["Sweet Napa Sinto"] ["Side by Sinto"] ["Va put up the eye low"] ["Sweet Napa Sinto"] ["Sweet Napa Sinto"] ["Sweet Napa Sinto"]

Good job! I was totally surprised here, real quick. Whoa! Do you see that rose zoom in? That's a f***ing dog! How do we feel about the game today? My mom went to Tennessee and we even talked in three months. But that has nothing to do with the game.

We've had a lot of problems with drops this year. So like... Just like Graham's dad used to drop the ball at his parents' marriage. What about my parents' divorce? Do you have thoughts on that? I have thoughts about my own parents' divorce. Love is dead in our families, but love is not dead with the dogs. I love when Carson Beck actually throws it to a man. He throws it to your team.

He started dating one of the Cavender twins. Carson Beck sucks. He's dating a supermodel and has a Lamborghini. He has too much money, he doesn't care anymore. That's his problem, grow up there nuts. Public enemy number one right now. just maybe throw it to our team he's to stop spending so much time with that Miami girl we hate Miami is that a collective we all hate Miami footballs a team game 22 people he's one of them I don't give a f*** how he plays

raise your hand if they should break up if we lose tonight cut ties I don't think you should break up with her but maybe like put it to the side. Going back for her fifth, sixth year at Miami, so put it on pause for a second. Let's secure it. Let's secure the bag. What is the worst fan base you all have ever dealt with? Florida. They're George and they're tank tops.

They're ridiculous. I mean, Tennessee, I get, look at... First of all, look at that guy. All right, they're a close second, okay? I've been barked at too many times today. Grown men barking at me. I don't know how to take it down here. I think the worst set of fans I've dealt with is Alabama. They have too many chants.

I'm like, la-la-la-la-la. Leroy Donta won. Worst fan base I've ever seen is Travis Scott fans. Okay, yeah, that's not, like like 100% what I was looking for, but sure. Do you ever feel ridiculous as a Georgia fan when you bark or no? Oh no, I have no regret barking at any individual.

Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof. I feel silly when other people are barking at me. You know when it's other teams and like woof, woof, woof. I'm like, this is what I'm used to. If you had to guess who Dan Lebatard is, who would be your guess? teams and like whoo I'm like this is what I'm used to if you had to guess who Dan Lebatard is who would be your guess first thing I think of is dr. Seuss sure a wacky scientist I see the clips I see the clips all the time what's my name I don't know Damn, that's all right. Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!

Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! So you may be wondering,

what was the fan experience like for me? Well, this is our first game that we're not media credentialed. We're just fans, living it up, having a good time, and no one offered us anything, like nothing to drink. So, still fun though. Still a good time. And this trip us anything like nothing to drink so still fun though still a good time and this trip was brought to you by game time download the game time app use code lucy for 20 off your first order terms apply what time is it it's game time the seats were awesome thank you game time you guys imagine that those fans are totally reasonable and content about losing a couple

times this season? No, no. But they're back, I mean. Are they? Because they're still, by percentage, they are unlikely to make the playoff, correct? Just simply by percentage, I assume that a three-win or three loss, SEC team is going to get in. Well, they've only lost two games, right? So are you saying like they're gonna lose

in the SEC changes? I'm assuming that a three loss SEC team might get in anyway because of the regard that people just have for the SEC. I was gonna say like the playoff percentages, it's a committee that picks who's in. So I don't, ESPN all season they've been putting these like this team has a 60% chance of getting in if they do this or that. It's a, people are deciding this. What are they putting the percentage, I

understand that there is like an algorithm that they've built that is predicting what they think will be the threshold for teams to get in based off their records and their schedules and how many games they've won and lost. But people are choosing this and so there is a human element of brand favoritism in the college football playoff selection. We obviously saw it last year when Alabama got in over Florida State after Florida State's quarterback got hurt but you I don't understand how you can put a percentage on that. Well, I don't either because I don't know what the algorithm is that they're using. And I assume that what they're doing with strength of schedule and everything else is

giving you as many metrics as they can that are going to be put in front of the committee. And then the committee will decide with all that data. But the thing that I wanted to ask you guys because in this room and I think throughout America you have two different kinds of people when it comes to this sport which is yes I'm interested I enjoy it every week and tell me who's going to be playing at the end I'll argue about it then and those people think the SEC is simply what it's always been and then there are the people who are really in the weeds on watching everything that's happening every weekend,

analyzing it, deconstructing the numbers of it, and those people continue to tell me that the people who aren't watching with the same dedication are appraising the SEC in a way that's more favorable than the SEC actually is when you watch the games played. The people who think they're more informed are telling you at every turn that the SEC isn't what you think it is. They can go to hell, okay? I don't care what they think, what they want. I want the matchups that I want. I want big brands in the

college football playoff. I want Mississippi. I want Alabama. I want Tennessee. I want Georgia. I want Texas. I want Texas A&M. Is Mississippi a big brand? It's an SEC team. Like I take them over. So then all of the SEC teams are a big brand if Mississippi's a big brand? I mean for the most part I'm leaving at LSU, but I want the biggest teams and the biggest brands in the college football playoff. That's what I want. What anyone else wants, that's up to them. But I'm telling you what I want, Dan. I want to see matchups that we

rarely see in a postseason environment in college football. You're emblematic of the problem in the media, which is they're named brands because they've been around. The whole system is gamed for people to put out rankings at the beginning of the year and refuse to capitulate on them being wrong at the beginning of the year. And most people are working from it as the SEC is the best conference in America. I'll concede, I think it is the best conference in America,

but I think it can simultaneously be the best conference in America and overrated according to its present day reputation, which was built on the 2010s when they were running everything and playing a totally different sport and having a full monopoly over it. Look, the ACC straight up has a chance to be better than 500 head-to-head against the SEC this year. The SEC has had plenty of bad losses, but for whatever reason, a loss inside the SEC

with voters is considered a better loss than a loss inside a conference and other divisions. I am curious though what your thoughts are on what Lane Kiffin volunteered, which is there's this general notion amongst coaches which is we don't want to make the SEC championship game. We can lose that SEC championship game and it can maybe hurt us. Get the buy too is what he wants. He's like I want the buy.

Well he's like the risk of the buy doesn't outweigh potentially losing that because there is this fear the source on the college football playoff committee not penalizing you for making your conference championship game is just touch trust me bro because if a team gets blown out in their conference title game that is going to stay with you these are humans making this decision and here's another scenario in which it might actually hurt you making that conference championship game an extra game. You shouldn't in my mind, it shouldn't hurt you for making your conference championship

game. That's an extra game that you play. But what if you suffer an injury? What if the Jordan Travis thing happens to you inside that conference championship game? The committee has already shown us that they will hold that against you. Well, as far as the conference college football playoff arguments have gone, it's gotten so toxic so quickly.

And yes, we all saw this coming, but I'm struck by the fact that we're on like week two and everyone like it's like big 10 fans versus SEC fans. And everyone's super angry at each other. But to go back to the conference championship point, this is something that like people have been, It's like Big Ten fans versus SEC fans, and everyone's super angry at each other. But to go back to the conference championship point, this is something that people have brought this up since they announced the 12-team playoff.

Because yeah, there are teams that aren't gonna play that weekend that'll get the extra week of rest that took care of business but didn't make it into the conference championship. And the conferences are so big, and they are so top-heavy, especially in the Big Ten where the scheduling

has Indiana playing Ohio State, but they don't have to play Penn State this year. They don't have to play Oregon this year. Where, yeah, it's probably better for Indiana if they lose to Ohio State, don't play in the Conference Championship game, and then make the playoff. But they have to lose a close game to Ohio State, right?

I don't think so. I think they do. If they get blown out, they're not getting in. I don't think. I think that's subjective. But I think that that's also, like, Indiana fans, if you tell them that, they're not going to be very happy with you for saying that, Stu Gots, because they've won more of their games than the SEC teams that are going to get in over them.

I think anybody can beat anybody. That is going to be named to the college football playoff. I think it's wide open and I think it's great. But whatever happens in that final is going to be confirmation bias. They're going to give more lotto tickets to the SEC, and there may be one ACC team in there. And because the SEC has three times the opportunities to win the title,

everybody will point to it and say, see, best conference in America. What I'm afraid of is let's play this out. SMU, let's say they run the table for the rest of the year. Let's say BYU ends up being Big 12 champions. SMU goes to the ACC championship game against Miami and say they run the table for the rest of the year. Let's say BYU ends up being Big 12 champions. SMU goes to the ACC Championship game against Miami and say they lose. Then their two losses are potentially to two teams

inside the CFP that have buys. The committee's gonna look at a two loss SMU now because they've lost in a conference championship game and potentially a three loss SEC team. And I've got zero faith that they're going to look at that rationally and not apply their biases here The SEC team you're not incentivized to miss the conference championship because you'll get a bye But if you win the SEC championship you get a playoff by so you advance further and you're gonna have to play those teams

In the playoffs. Anyways, here's here's with Lane's point They won't punish the runner-up in the SEC. The SEC doesn't have to worry about that I get where he's thinking I get where it's really hard for humans to deprogramming deprogramming... help me out here... deprogramming themselves here. If they see a if they see a team blown out in that conference championship game... It was funny everyone said it at the same time. I'm sorry about that. I watched Michaelopoulos last night and it really just messed with me in my head It's two guys more muscular. Mm-hmm. I have lost ten pounds. Have you yeah using my peloton? I've had the peloton in my house. So my daughter she wanted me to get a peloton

I did she used it a couple of times But once she left to college and the peloton was just sitting there in my office and it wasn't being used I said, you know what? I got to this. And I have lost 10 to 12 pounds, Billy. So I started using Peloton as a bike. Obviously that's like what they're known for. But recently I discovered all of the other classes that they have. They have like a series of weightlifting classes.

They have programs, which for me the programs is great because I don't have to think about what I'm doing. Because if not, I just go and I pick a class at random and I don't know that I'm actually accomplishing anything. I would like some recommendations on classes because I keep going to the same class. Okay. It's the Grateful Dead class by the way.

You do like a four week core program with Emma Lovewell. Right. I would recommend that one. Okay. Anyone can do that. Any level starts out easy and then you work your way up and then there's like a core program two that you can do after core program one if you want to do that. Wow.

Yeah, if you graduate. Wait a second. You have to graduate course one to get to course two, the harder course. Well, you can start a course two if you want, do that. Yeah, if you graduate. Wait a second, you have to graduate course one to get to course two, the harder course? Well, you can start a course two if you want, but I eased my way in, I did course one first. Then you can do some strength classes with Andy. Love a strength class with Andy,

he really puts me through it. I get up and I'm like a sweaty mess, and I'm kind of disgusting and I love it. You know the thing about Peloton, StuGots? What? Peloton coaches, they walk the walk. Really? Yeah. Do they talk the talk? They have sub three hour marathonoton coaches, they walk the walk. Really? Yeah. Do they talk the talk?

They have sub three hour marathon runner coaches, they have military trained athlete coaches, former college basketball player coaches, and so many other well rounded coaches on their team. All this experience really shows in their classes. You're never short of challenging. You can do some resistance band classes. I got some resistance bands lately. You're my teacher. Am I? Yeah. You know, no I'm not. Well I just go bands lately. You're my teacher. Am I? Yeah. You know, no I'm not.

Well, I just go with the program so then I don't have to think cause I don't know. I don't actually know what I'm doing. Anyways, what's the like Mr. Olympia, right? Is that what it's called? Yes. The one where you go and you're like lifting Tony Atlas.

Giant boulders. Yeah. Hey, we should talk to Magnus again. That's Mr. Olympia. Yeah. Yes. What did I say? Olympus.

Did I? I don't know. Anyways, find your push, find your power with Peloton at OnePeloton.com. Don Lebatard. Well, my point about Jimbo Fisher is that Nick Saban, he's been trying to cancel me for saying that Mrs. Met has cake. And Bobby Bowden would have said, Mrs. Met, she is snatched. Stugats.

I never pay for a player. Now, I would pay for Mrs. Met to give me a lap dance. This is the Don Lebatard Show with the Stugats! I never pay for a player. I would pay for Mrs. Med to give me a lap dance. This is the Dunn-Levatar Show with the Stugats! I do think, Billy, like maybe it depends. Maybe it depends. It depends on your conference too, right? Because like there's conferences that like you wouldn't get an automatic buy. And if you're not in the conference championship, you're probably not gonna get in.

Well, no conference gets an automatic buy. I think there is some confusion about the power conferences getting the four buy weeks. If Boise State or Tulane or whoever the highest ranked G5 champion is, is higher ranked than the Big 12 champion or the ACC champion, which theoretically could happen right now because there may be a champion or the ACC champion, which like theoretically could happen right now because there may be a two or three loss champion

in one of those conferences. They could get the bye week, which I think would be like just confusing for a lot of people that thought that that was gonna be the automatic, like no, if you're the Big 12, you get like BYU should get the bye week or whatever. So that's not necessarily the case.

As everything changes and we get into a situation where there is both confusion and anger about things that are subjective, I will tell you that there are very few things in products that are consumed or in entertainment that will create this amount of anger toward the product without harming the product in any way or its consumption enhances or its customer base usually in any place that i'm

selling you anything if the customers are this on the happy with the imperfections in something in effect sales it affects the way that it's consumed all you guys are doing by complaining about it is caring. And that is the fuel to everything in sports, whether you're applauding the Cowboys or you're despondent today because the roof is falling in in their stadium.

The thing that is valued most among customers is do they care? And all they show you when they complain about this shit is that they care more unreasonably about this than they do about almost anything else in their life when they care enough to complain. I think it's all gonna work itself out and that's what I constantly tell myself when I encounter these scenarios in which like the SMU one I think we can all see that happening and I do think while it may not be a real problem for the SEC, by making it all the way

to your conference championship, I do think it'll affect teams from the Big 12 or the ACC. This is where Jess is saying, how can you put a percentage on the algorithm if a human being's gonna have to decide between I've got Georgia with three losses or I've got SMU with two, and a human being is gonna make a made for television event

of like, yeah, of course I want Georgia there. It's not even based on this year. It's based on the last five years. And I haven't thought about SMU since they were recruiting, you know, Eric Dickerson with actual oil wells. They were offering him actual oil wells. It's also humans are making the decision while conferences and pundits

and all of these different head coaches and players are lobbying their case towards them all season long. I don't know if you watch Kirby Smart's interview after the Tennessee game, but he said on the site or like on the field in his post-game interview like this is the hardest environment to play and I dare the committee to come down here and play in a game or something like that. He was already super fired up about the rankings, even though it's like, we haven't done the final ranking yet. There's nothing to be that upset about

after the second week of rankings. It's okay, Kirby. You guys beat Tennessee. You're gonna be back in the top 12 now. Georgia never left. I mean, they're in the playoff. I'm guaranteeing it right now. They never left the playoff.

I know they're on the outside looking in, but that was just to make us talk about it. I mean, they're in the playoff. I'm guaranteeing it right now. They never left the playoff. I know they're on the outside looking in, but that was just to make us talk about it. I mean, they're fine. I agree with you. Yeah, I agree. But you know what? The SEC does have a prejudice in its favor. It's earned that over the years, right? The brand-name schools have a prejudice in their favor. They've earned that too. Sure. If your choice is Georgia or Tulane for the 12th spot in the playoff it's obvious you're gonna pick Georgia. You better take Georgia. Same with Miami. Yeah same with Miami and they would do better TV ratings. It is supposed to be merit-based. I thought one of the things we're trying

to do with the imperfect measurements of how it is we arrive at a champion was for sports to be merit-based. I thought that I thought sports were supposed to be fairer than all other places. We could say life's not fair, but I thought sports were supposed to be fair. I think that's why we're always complaining about the officiating after every game that's played. Yes, I think this is the argument that a lot of fans are currently in the midst of is that are we basing the top 12 off of what you've done this season or are you basing the top 12 of what will produce

the closest spreads for the opening round game? So like, if you have Indiana in the playoff because they've won 11 games or 12 games this season, but the spread when they play Georgia is 10 and a half points, well, they can't be a play Georgia is 10 and a half points. Well, they can't be a playoff team. And it's like, well, that's not what, I don't think that's why we have the committee there.

I thought that the committee was to look at what teams have done. Now, again, like the problem is there is uneven scheduling. The conferences are ginormous. You're not typically playing the best team in your conference every year. But I mean, that's why there are 12 people supposedly to try to like balance these things out and make the best choices.

And we will find out if they can do that or not this year. The Mecha conferences going without divisions have really complicated things because it seems like this is going to be a problem going forward is you're going to have multiple teams gunning for a conference championship game that aren't going to have the space in their schedules to play one another. And without divisions, you're not legislating that. So it's a bit of a pickle.

So it hasn't happened yet, but I think I'm already ready for this to go back to just two teams. Like just tell us the two teams that are playing for the national championship. Billy, Sam, bring back the computers. Bring back the computers. Let's have two teams and then we only have maybe two, three teams upset about not making it to the championship. Not 56 different fan bases thinking that they deserve to be in the top 12. you know, in boxing, gymnastics, the voting is subjective.

It's not quite as clean as the scoreboard is the fact teller. And so this one is just going to be an eternal anger among sports fans that people who want it to be fair and merit-based are always going to lose to, hey, it's a made-for-TV entertainment thing. Like, it's made to make the customer happy. SMU, don't care that much that you're SMU

because all of the biases are poured into what makes the best television product, what gets me the most eyes, and I get why the purists, the people who actually care about college football the best television product, what gets me the most eyes, and I get why the purists, the people who actually care about college football the most are like, really, you're gonna give this to the people like Stu Gotts, who still thinks Alabama's the best team in the country

and that should be 12 teams in the tournament that have beaten Alabama? And they will, because they've gotten that fan with SMU. They don't have me. I mean, if you wanna get the most possible viewers, don't put SMU in there. I'm telling you, right? Give me Georgia.

Give me Mississippi. Give me anyone other than SMU. That is a big responsibility of this committee to provide me with a playoff that I want to see. Well, if you watch an SMU game, you'd probably be like, oh, this offense is pretty exciting to watch. Quarterback's pretty fun. But anyways, my thing about college football is that

there's 134 teams in FBS, 128 of them say give or take a few. Realistically probably can't win a national championship. And we put with the especially with the expanded playoff we are putting so much emphasis on postseason and the national championship. And as a college football fan for my whole life, the best thing about college football has not been who's gonna win the national championship at the end of the year.

The best thing about college football is the rivalries, is tailgating, is watching players on your team get better over a season, watching games with your friends. It's all of the things that make college football separate and distinct from the NFL where the purpose of the NFL season is who's going to win the Super Bowl. It is the biggest TV event in the world. That has not for my life been, and my team's been in the playoff twice and has been in a national championship. And will be in again this year and every year. I hope to get a big game against Army this week. I love to see a left guard develop. But I think, I mean, if you like football, it's fun to see a player that your coach recruited as a freshman come in and get really, Notre Dame's seen it with Xavier Watts. This is a totally random example, but he got recruited as a wide receiver, switched over to safety, won the Bronco Nagursky award last year, came back, and he's having an insane season as the defending best defender.

Do you not see the distinction between the way you care here though and the way Chris does? Yes, of course. Because Chris is really with how Stu cares. Because he's a Northeasterner that doesn't know really. I'm not saying I'm right. Excuse me, you don't know shit about college football. No, but I know what I want to see.

That's what I know. Yeah, but what you want to see is antiquated. It's built on this media machine that just rewards it. You want to go back to two playoff teams? No, thank you. Because I know what conferences those teams are going to be coming from. Mike, what I'm saying benefits Miami.

It benefits Notre Dame. Those are the teams I want to see in the playoff. Not as much. Not as much. Miami would benefit a lot more if they were in the Big Ten or in the SEC. Miami does have a brand awareness to it that SMU doesn't, because they're pretty much the same team this year and the rankings don't bear that

out and the projections where that always have Miami at number three doesn't bear that out and it's pretty disrespectful to SMU who just ran into a major conference and is now seemingly headed to Charlotte. I'm really enjoying this year. I think the games have been good. I love playoff eliminators like LSU and Florida had with LSU because the committee always seems to reward them. I think the games have been good. I love playoff eliminators like LSU and Florida had with LSU because the committee always seems to reward them. I think the games have been great and I'm really looking forward to a 12-team playoff in a year where I genuinely don't know what the best team in the nation is. Right, obviously winning is important, that winning in the postseason

is important, winning a national championship is super important, but if everyone only cared about winning a national championship is super important, but if everyone only cared about winning a national championship, there would be no fans of those other 120 teams. And those people exist, they appreciate and enjoy the sport, and so the hyper emphasis on just who is favored to win in round one of the college football playoff, I think has taken away a little bit from how fun and exciting the regular season matchups between those other teams are. Now I think it's great that we're paying more attention to the G5 schools like Tulane and Navy this past weekend because that was

a American Conference Championship decider and Tulane smoked Navy like 35 to 0 and Navy's quarterback got hurt. And I like that that's part of the national conversation now because Tulane's going to have to play Army in the conference. And it's possible if Army beats Notre Dame this weekend, they could end up in the playoff, which is insane. But I think from an argument standpoint, it has been frustrating that it's turned into a sort of like, who's got the biggest brand? I just want to see North Carolina, Kansas, Duke, and UConn in the final four conversation

after two weeks of playoff shows. north carolina kansas duke and you con in the final four conversation after uh... two weeks of playoff shows and i shouldn't be that dismissive of of uh... as m u i've been surprised and shouldn't be that they would have the money to get in the game last year with great defense this year playing totally differently than they played last year because they've been able to keep up with the spending that keeps them competitive. So I shouldn't just dismiss them, but the way that Stugatz and I think Cody are doing this reputationally with the SEC doesn't really allow a lot of space to be surprised by new

blood. Here's what I think. I love the college football playoff at 12 teams. Love it, love it, love it. And the main reason is that fundamentally I agree with Sugat. I want the brand names. I want the legacy schools, the Alabamas, the Miamis. But I also want the alternative. I want the Indianas. I want the BYUs, the teams that would have no chance if this were still a final four. Chris Cody just threw his hands up in the air and screamed, what is happening? So you want everyone in? No, no, here's what I want. Here's what I want. Okay, if it's an NCAA final four, I

want the three great schools, okay? I want the Duke and the North Carolina, but I also want a Cinderella in there. Right, like Army. Yes, and in my final 12, in my final 12 in the CFP, I want all the big legacy brand name schools that are gonna get the TV ratings, but I also want the two or three Cinderella's, the Indiana's, the BYU's. It's the perfect blend and the fact that we're debating all this is wonderful for college footballers. You should be on the committee. I should be on the committee. Yeah, I think the other thing about Indiana specifically is that if you're going to A, take points away from them because their schedule wasn't very

difficult. Well they did play the defending national champions and they beat them and it's not their fault that Michigan sucks this year. I know but Jess their strength and schedule is a hundred and six in the country. We'll see you in the next couple of weeks. Yeah like just put that point aside. They're on paper, their schedule looked more difficult before the season started, but you can only play the games on your schedule. They still have their hardest game of the season

this upcoming weekend. But it's very difficult, I think, to make these points about like, well, this team's better than Indiana because X, Y, and Z. When Indiana, no one expected them to be this good this year. They are this good because their head coach imported a ton of transfers from his old school to Indiana. They've started meshing really well and playing really well together. And so putting any sort of like, it's impossible to do preseason projections

for a team like Indiana this season. And so they're almost getting like penalized for not, you know, having people know how good they were going to be. And so they're almost getting like penalized for not, you know, having people know how good they were going to be. And so if you're going to do that to Indiana, like it'll be interesting to see if that ever happens to an SEC team that cobbles together a bunch of transfers with a brand new first year head coach. And if they're going to get discounted for it too, because it just feels like this is like a very unfair

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Don LeBattard. Lou Holtz. Number one. Thank you, Felix. Trooping my balls off. Play a little touch of gray. You cannot give me enough fake Lou Holtz saying any number. Trooping my balls off.

You can't give me enough. Stugats. Drool on the microphone. I'm not sure what you're doing. Shocking on a pacifier to avoid eating my own face. This is the Don Lebatar Show with the Stugats. Jess was right. You can only play the teams on your schedule.

But what if you could play teams play the teams on your schedule, but what if you could play teams that were not on your schedule? I propose in week 10 of every season we institute swap week. Every team, if they choose, can opt to swap out of the game that they have week 10 of their schedule to better their chances of making the playoffs. Or if a team is crushing it so much that they're like, we don't even need any more impressive games, you could downgrade a game.

Well, but then, hey, I'm doing so well, 10 and 0. The committee will then not only judge your performance in the game, they'll also judge how you chose to treat swap week. Did you wanna keep the same strength of schedule? Did you wanna strengthen your schedule? Did you wanna easy bye week situation here? How would you choose to handle swap week?

You don't do it at the end of the year because at the end of the year, you have the conference championships and all that, and you have some of the rivalry games, you have those things. Week 10 is prime for the picking. You make now a thing every October, November, whenever week 10 is, swap week.

Well done. That's a good idea. Another option would be a team can end their season at any point in the season. In other words if you start 5-0 you can say you know what I want to be judged on 5-0. Vanderbilt would be in the playoff if they stopped their season the day after they beat Alabama. It would be a wonderful option. It's something the committee would have to consider. Yeah.

Last game they played, they beat Alabama. Yeah, I mean, all of a sudden Miami goes, you know what? We're not going to play the last three games. Judge me on nine and one. So you guys have the analysis. So Vanderbilt starts five and oh and beats Alabama in game five. We're done.

And you have the next day, oh, you got to be careful here. Vanderbilt's going to forfeit the rest of its games. What? No, you don't know, Dan. Not a forfeit, it's not a forfeit, because that shows up as a loss. They just have decided we're not playing anymore. Why would Miami stop at nine and one when they lost? Well now they wouldn't.

Because what if they lose next week? To Wake Forest. They're just gonna lose to Wake Forest. I think they should stop after 11 and 1. No. They could lose at Syracuse. Here's the thing, had they gone 8 and 1 and they head into week 10 swap week, then they can add an opponent there that's really going to boost their resume.

I've never seen Mike angrier. This is helping resumes. Because listen to what's happening. It's not merely that we've done 20 minutes of straight sports radio. It's not just that. It's also that Greg Cody in the middle of it, I'm pretty sure just advocated for,

make all the teams play at the same time. Everybody in there, throw everybody in the playoff, all 20 teams that I care about, and have them all collide into each other with Army and Navy there. Shoot off a couple of cannons, see if Cinderella runs out of there, throw a slipper in there, and just make it, yeah just thank you, that's thank you, that's a quicker way of saying it Roy. Never said that, but you're welcome.

But that's what he wants, that's all he wants is just throw, give me a big college football gumbo and allow me to drink all day and eat poorly all day and just throw all the teams in there, throw B BYU in there throw SMU in there with two losses throw let's just throw everything in the gumbo you know what I do want I want schools to stop using their acronyms their initials I'm down on the SMU's the UCF's the BYU's LSUSU. Whatever happened to Brigham Young? Bring him back. You're right.

Well, it's BYU. But he's dead. Right. That's what I'm saying. Bring him young. It's Southern Methodist. Bring him back. What are you, the Attorney General?

You're ridiculous. Hey. Florida Atlantic. When did we go from Florida Atlantic to FAU? Texas Christian. Well, it's FIU, right? Like nobody says Florida International. You know what army is, Greg?

Army is army. Yeah, exactly. Thank you. It's like I don't go through life demanding to be called GPC. Quit using initials, college football teams. What is your middle name? Paul.

Okay, I forgot that, I'm sorry. GPC. Named after my uncle Paul. Oh, uncle Paul. Brigham Young died in 1877. That's right. Well, Greg was born. Yeah.

Mm-hmm. I have in front of me, Field Yates is saying that Stugatz's book is, according to Field Yates on Twitter, this is what he writes, some are calling it the greatest book ever written. Ha! Stugatz is a literary genius, a modern-day Shakespeare. Diana Rusini writes, and this is where she's exposing the grift, Hey Field, he sent me one of those books too, because Field put up a picture with

your book, Stugatz's personal record book. He sent me one too. When I opened the note, I thought it would be a personalized letter thanking us for all the years of support and love instead it was an obviously photocopied note asking us to make sure to post about the book yeah tight budget I mean Diana Rossini shouldn't be sharing with people that that behind the scenes you are not even writing personalized notes to people who you asked to write for your book. I have plenty of things planned for all the people who have contributed to Stugatz's personal record book.

Every single one of them, and they will receive a personalized letter from me or a phone call, depending on which is easier and how busy I am. I mean. They will. They will. They will. They will. They will. They will. So far, plenty of people haven't.

Look forward to it. I didn't even get a book. They haven't. That doesn't mean they won't, they just haven't. It's not out yet. You kind of mean to say won't. Right. No, it doesn't.

It doesn't. It does. Ha ha ha. Speaking of controversial shamelessness, we have a genuine controversy around John Stamos. What? That I wanna get to next. Hey podcasters, it's Mike Ryan,

and let me tell you something, the NBA's got a lot going for it right now. Bright young stars hitting the court, teams playing exciting brands of basketball, and celebrities everywhere you look court side. It's no wonder why tickets are in demand. Let me tell you about my favorite on the secondary ticket marketplace and that is Game Time and their amazing new feature called Game Time Picks. It makes getting tickets to see your favorite teams play live even easier. Game Time Picks filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great seats so you don't

have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets. With Game Time Picks, it helps make curation easier to save more on sports, concerts, comedy, theater, or whatever else tickles your fancy. Also, they've got All-in pricing. This feature is huge. Push of a button, you get no surprises at checkout, you know exactly what to budget for, you get panoramic seat views, and of course, Game Time's lowest price guarantee, where Game Time will credit you 110% of the difference if you find a better price out there.

Take the guesswork at buying tickets with Game Time picks. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code Dan for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply, again, create an account, and redeem code D-A-N for $20 off. Download Game Time today. What time is it? It's Game Time.

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