The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Sherrone Moore OUT at Michigan, CFP Playoff Debate, Zoned In

Episode Date: December 11, 2025

Former NFL scout John Middlekauff is joined by former "Intern" Jackson Groff to react to the breaking news of the day that saw Michigan fire their head coach, Sherrone Moore. John and Jackson talk about how surprising this news is and where Michigan goes from here. Later, they dive into the College Football Playoff and what we can expect from the first round match-ups and the debate around the teams that got in, and the ones that missed out. All that and more! Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest.  All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet Use promo code “3ANDOUT20” on https://nicokick.com/zone for 20% off at checkout! Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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How is everybody doing? brought to you by my friends at Zone Pouches. Today we're going to throw a little curveball. We are going to talk a little college football. My guy, he used to be intern Jackson. Now he's a full-time podcast producer behind the scenes. College football extraordinaire, Jackson. He's going to join me.

We're going to talk a lot of college football. We actually recorded something, and then the news broke at about 2.30 in the afternoon, Arizona time. and Michigan has fired their coach, Sharon Moore. I just saw a tweet that there was a relationship with a staff member that they uncovered, aka we were looking for a reason and we got one is what it feels like. So we're going to dive into that off the top and then talk a lot of college football after that. But that will be the game playing today.

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and the part that's crazy is because I had saw a clip of him talking about the bowl game so when I just first saw the news I'm like God, that's kind of weird they would never have rolled them out to talk about the bowl game turns out he's getting fired for cause for having a relationship with a staff member I don't want to guess I would imagine potential

who knows I don't even know if the guy's married or whatever my initial reaction is this and I've heard a couple people say this about Lane you know at some of these programs if you're winning you can do whatever you want but at the biggest programs when they are paying you a ton of money and they are paying their roster a ton of money

especially a place like Michigan they're going to watch you like a hawk and if it doesn't go perfectly well they're going to look for a reason it's like Cedric the Interestown Tainer used to say, I wish a motherfucker would. And I think when it starts going less than 10 wins, less than playoff bursts, you start looking around like, we want out of this. But, you know, it wasn't bad enough where you could just pull the trigger and fire a guy, nine and three,

like to me, seven and five, maybe you just fire him after the season. Nine and three, you had just signed, you know, the star quarterback who obviously had an up and down year. The offense didn't look great. You get completely worked by Ohio State after the first couple drives. It was not going well. You know, last year kind of saved the season. It did not go well either. They literally didn't have a forward

passing game, but they beat Ohio State. So it took a ton of pressure off everybody. That was not the case this year. People are obviously pissed off. A ton of money is being spent on this team. And I think it all gets back to they were looking for a reason. And if you tell me

and this is, I would say the same thing for Lane, and obviously Lane is much more accomplished as a head coach at these places when it doesn't go well everyone in the town talks the university will fall they will know what's going on and they will look now with these contracts being big I don't even know how much Sharon was making I mean it's not like he was making $1 million

but I don't think he was making $10 they will want to get out and pay you nothing and I'm sure this thing's going to get ugly this only hour old story you know I'm sure he's going to sue or whatever I mean honestly if you know based on the report this is one of those where you like, you know, people aren't messing with you.

Right. It's one thing if you're Bobby Petrino and you get into a situation, it's like, oh, Bobby Petrino's an elite offensive coach, right? You know, Hugh Free, he's like, hey, he's sleeping with hookers. Like, yeah, he can score points. You know, Sharon's like, yeah, are you an offensive line coach? So this guy was given an incredible opportunity taking over for Harbaugh, a ton of money behind him, and now the news breaks that he's fired.

Would not shock me at all if they had been trying to figure out a reason to get out of this and now that they are if the wheels were already in motion because this is a massive job. I mean, if this job was open, I think it would be considered right there with LSU as you know the top job. And my initial reaction

and this guy's lost some luster is you know, if DeBore was mentioned at Penn State, you know, he was at Washington a couple years ago. You would think he would be in the mix. I just don't know how many options they have. This is a type job that could get like NFL people interested. Definitely an NFL offensive

of coordinators interested, but this is, this was just a wow moment. My guy Jackson, you sent the tweet, I think, from on three. Is it Peter Nacos? Is that how you say his name? Yeah, yeah, Peter Nacos, Pete Thammel. I'm speechless. I'm stunned. I mean, this is a guy that we've sat on the show. I know you've talked about it. He was the successor of Harbaugh, because he was the officer coordinator. He was there with him. But I always felt like it was just not the right move. He was kind of like, lack of desical, didn't really aggressive play calling offensively, the Oklahoma game, the Indiana game last year, even though Ohio State game, we're going to run the ball down your throat, even though our best running

backs are both injured. This is a sticky situation. And I think if you are Michigan, you're right. Like, if you were to get rid of Shroom War, you have a reason to. I don't know where they go. I think of Bryce Underwood, the guy, the $20 million quarterback, and say what you want to say about him if he's good or not, is he going to stay? Is he going to go to LSU where he originally was committed to now with Lane Kiffin there would he even want Bryce Underwood it could get weird in Michigan and you're right I mean this is like the best job I would say outside of LSU if this was at the beginning of the cycle which they probably should have fired him to begin with but you're right like it's tough to fire a coach that went nine and three in a second year with a young

quarterback I'm just stunned I don't know where Michigan goes from here in the NIL era you could argue it's an even better job because the money they have the money they'll invest the money they'll give you, you know, they view themselves as an equal to Ohio State. I'd give Ohio State the nod there, but I was just looking like, what was his record this year? Because I was like 9 and 3, but then I look at it was 7 and 3. I was like, oh yeah, he got suspended this year. You know, it's this, and that suspension is lingering from what's his name, Conner Stallions, right? So it's, it's kind of, you know, Jim was so good, he's their guy. They could handle the weirdness But I think the suspension this year, which wasn't it a self-imposed suspension again?

It's just hard to keep up. I think Michigan wants one thing in a weird way, they try to conduct themselves like, we're not LSU or, like we're not as renegade, right? We're much more kind of hot, Notre Dame. You know, there's a pretentious nature, kind of an elitism to the way. Like, we want to win Natties, but we want to do it the right way. and then they got hard bought. It's like,

oh, we just want to win Natties. We don't care of Carnalians. But, yeah, this is a... stunning, but I'm telling you, in this modern day with the amount of money, maybe it's always been like this, but as the money's gotten big, unless you are Kirby Smart

or someone that's like an untouchable, you better be very careful about what you're doing because people are watching. And technology, there's so much on the line that... It was 9 and 3, but it was not a great 9 and 3. You get worked by Ohio State.

I'm trying to think. Who else do they lose to this year? Oklahoma, USC on the road. They lost by 18 at USC. Their passing game was atrocious. You know, and this guy, he's an offensive guy. So I think they'd go, let's just assume, you know better than me,

is he considered like some elite recruiter? Probably, you know, former offensive linemen at Oklahoma, right? I feel like he relates to players well. I don't know how good of a recruiter he. he actually is. I don't know if he's landing these guys that he's talking to, but I feel like he's got good rapport. I mean,

him and Bryce Underwood had a good relationship, even though you want to say his offensive play calling wasn't great, didn't really get Underwood outside and going, couldn't even get him in a rhythm. Underwood's making $20 million. I have a good relationship with anyone. I mean, that is true.

That doesn't. To me, it's more, I think you start looking like Ohio State's way more dynamic than us. You know Oregon, even if they lose coordinators are going to be dynamic. USC does have a dynamic. play caller and like you said they just got

they got blown out by two and a half touchdowns yeah this is you just got to be careful and I would say the same thing it's a higher level version because Lane we know Lane is dynamic at what he does scoring points running the offense but if they had back to back years going nine and three and Lane's doing what he's doing you know

it's these schools because these buyouts you know are just so mad They're going to want ways to get out if it goes bad because 9 and 3 to me is the old 7 and 5 now. Right? Because you're missing the playoffs. It feels kind of bad.

And then getting blown out by your rival. The other thing is they'd go, well, you got to be very, very careful also about hiring the in-house guy. It's, you know, for every Ryan day that goes pretty well, most of them are more Larry Coker. Most of them are more. You can ride that, and that was back in the day when you couldn't transfer. But it typically is more of this.

And now I just think you start thinking like who would they hire. DeBoer just comes to my mind because he was in the Penn State mix. He was at Washington. Kind of feels like their type guy. But he's not, we talked about this on when we recorded earlier. His teams aren't that tough. And one thing they do like, there are certain programs that want kind of a tough version. It's not really his thing.

You know, I know you texted Gruden I mean, Gruden's got some red flags behind them as well But, you know, I don't know But like, who are their options? It's my thing. Like, they're not going to hire like Matt Rule. They're not going to get like Mike Tomlin. So it's like who, I don't know.

I mean, they'll call like the Dan landings of the world But they're going to get nose. So who are they getting that would actually leave their job? You know, some of the South, like Davo obviously has been bad but like he doesn't make sense up there. They've done West Virginia before with Rich Rodriguez. You kind of got to get someone that fits that culture. I don't know really who their options are.

I was looking on Twitter. Brian Kelly's name is thrown out there, Lincoln Riley. But Lincoln Riley was tied to the Penn State job, but to your point about the whole toughness factor of Michigan, he's had a defensive issue. His entire time he's been there at USC. So it's like, I don't know how his style USC in Michigan's culture. You can't hire that.

Exactly. And Lincoln Riley is also like a little bit of a fish out of water in L.A. He's from Texas. Like he's personal. Brian Kelly, I think you could have hired in years past. I'd say two years ago if you were in the situation hired Brian Kelly away from LSU. It wouldn't have been weird at all. Can you hire him now?

No. You know, Jed Fish is a guy who worked for Harbaugh. You know, like, I don't know, remember when ESPN did a show and he was interviewing him. he was him Harbaugh and James Winston and he was like the crab legs thing do you remember that like video that kind of went viral Jed was the guy sitting there he has you know coached at the program I don't know if it was one or two years but I would imagine he would be very interested in the job

but it does feel like his name was thrown around by media people he's good with the media I don't know how seriously he was taken in like it didn't feel like Florida was that interested in him right he would he'd gone to Florida so that's just a name that is realistic. Like if they offered him the job, he would go. But can they hire Jed Fish? He is a more innovative offensive guy.

Their team actually was pretty good this year. They had a bunch of injuries. That's a name, I would say, initially, that comes up as realistic, would be someone to kind of keep an eye on. I'm trying to think of that. This is incredible. Mike McCarthy, if he can't get,

I mean, would he be interested if he can't get an NFL job? Does Jeff Hathley, the defensive coordinator from the Packers, does he say, hey, I want to come back to the NFL and leave and go there? Can you hire? Can you hire Jeff Haffley? I don't know if you can. You know, I know, I know. That seems like, okay, yeah, he said the Green Bay Packers.

I got a ton of talent. They give him Micah Parsons. He just inherited it. Now, he's done a good job. He's a good defensive scheme guy. But it's not like he had any success as a head coach. Granted, not all his fault. Tough place to win.

The defense is good. there's no disputing that. But like you're going to make him the head coach at Michigan. I would say in 2025, Michigan is a top five college job when you factor in money. And that's what matters the most, right? I would say just in terms of finances, you know, people talk about LSU being one of the best. I think it's candid. It's right there.

If, you know, Ohio State, Texas, I'd have Michigan in the top five. LSU, Michigan. I mean, Georgia is because of Kirby, but I saw Georgia before Kirby. They were just always like top 15. They were like, you know, the SEC's Utah. Any other guys that could, I'm trying to think of guys that would take this job. Because I'm assuming if you're Michigan, this just happened. All the top guys are gone.

Group of five guys, especially, all those guys are gone. Do you, do you try? Would they hire any of those guys, though? Like, they, I don't think they would have to go, you'd have to go, like, get Matt Campbell, what Penn State did. You would have to go poach another. I think they would. would have hired him.

Yeah. You're almost a week too late if you're Michigan. I would say he would have been a guy that they would have felt good. He feels like Michigan Penn State. That would, like to me, some are all who's the best group of all the Southern guys or even goalish. It doesn't feel like any of those guys Michigan would have hired. Right.

If they just had, if Sharon just sucked and gotten fired normally. Like that group doesn't feel. I do feel like 100% would have interviewed Matt Campbell, one million percent. Could you do? you know, in conference, row the boat. That's, I don't know if he wins enough. Would Manny Diaz get any lawyer? I don't think you can hire Manny Diaz.

You know, you went from Jim Harbaugh. ACC champs. I don't blame them for hiring Sharon Moore. And obviously this is probably going to get pretty ugly, right? This is going to be, he's not just going to be, oh yeah, just, I'll just, I just slept with her yet, just take my money. Like, that's not usually the way this works. I mean, Brian, you could do worse than Brian Kelly.

I just think Michigan fans. would puke in their mouth. Because historically, up until like the expansion, Michigan and Notre Dame was a big rival, right? Yeah. When did they stop playing? Five years ago? Yeah. But most of my life they played every year, right?

Yeah. I think they're continuing it in like a decade or so. They're trying to get those rivals together. I don't, what Brian Kelly's record was against Notre, or Michigan, it was probably pretty good because when he played, when he played them, they weren't that good. Got you at GBT's pretty good Against record versus University of Michigan

Yeah he's two and four Never mind He was two and three against him at Notre Dame I feel like he yeah He will never He will never coach again Especially a big program like that You saw what LSU

The amount of talent they had with Jane Daniels And even this roster this year He still couldn't win He hadn't been winning If they were in this predicament I think Fitzgerald would have been a guy they would have talked to for sure. Yeah.

Brett Bieloma from Illinois. Like is that another guy that they poach? Like you're talking about Big Ten. But this is what this is the type guys they're talking to. This shows you they're in a weird predicament here. Dillingham? I mean, if that's the final straw that gets him to leave Michigan, I mean. He'd have to take that job.

Yeah. I would, I don't even know the guy. I'd get on the phone telling him like, bro, you got to, you're crazy. Your quarterback just left. Tough to get NIL money. tough to recruit offensive line, defensive line, and your style of coaching would work in the Big Ten,

that would be a great fit. I think that the people feeling the best right now got to be Ohio State in Oregon. I mean, I don't include Indiana, though, given the way they've played, they deserve to be included. Like, you just like to see a team in Chambles. Because this, they just,

I mean, they, I think they were a top five recruiting class. Even though I read that recruiting classes, like, you don't sign a letter of intent anymore, it's called something different now. Because again, the scholarship, you know, it's before you had 85 scholarships. That's how, you know, even if you brown bagged them 1020K, now it's like I'm giving you $700,000.

The scholarship's kind of an afterthought, but you only have so many spots on your roster based on the scholarships. This has to throw everything. Like those guys that just signed, which I'm not arivals.com guru, but I would imagine there are a lot of guys that big-time teams also wanted,

and that puts that in the flux. So, I mean, when you pull the trigger on a move like this, it can really derail 2006, right? So this, they clearly just want it out of the Sharon. There's going to be more information coming out about this situation, him sleeping with whoever. I just think that you just want out of that business, right? And who knows?

Maybe it's one of those situations like, where he lies to you, right? Because your first reaction is a guy when you get caught doing something and you're like, no! You learn that from when you're seven years old with your parents about eating the last cookie or whatever. There are certain things, though,

that if you do lie and then you try to come back, like, yeah, I was kind of dishonest. There's no coming back from that. And they just saw themselves in a position where it's like, we got to get out of this. And clearly they were probably, you don't pull this trigger. Like, he's, if they're 11 and 1,

is he fired? today, no chance. No. They probably would hold it off until later, if anything, if they have evidence or maybe even kind of, I feel like a lot into college football. You talk, I mean, Coach O, when we were recording about the whole money in the bag, out the back door, you can go to the front door. A lot of that stuff, even if it does come to be, but you have success, put it

under the table. Well, he was a good example. When it started getting weirded at LSU, you know, these weren't rumors. I mean, he was just running around having a good time with some ladies. Now, I think they were, you know, more, I don't think. I don't know if they were 20. They might have been 35 or whatever. But he was having a good time in town.

These are small towns. Everyone knows each other. But he had won them and Addy, the greatest season of all time. And it's not like they fired him for cause. They just fired him. And it was actually like, the way Coach O still speaks about LSU is like glowingly, right? He even admitted I saw within the last month that he would go back and coach on Lane staff if he was asked. Which doesn't look like it's going to happen because they tried to hire the D-Line coach at A&M, I think, at LSU.

but this is a unless the story gets really crazy like as you know over the next 24 48 whatever week this is we want out of this guy's business and we've been thinking this all season I mean we are on group techs I mean if you watch they're a tough watch

yeah you know they they got too much and I get they had some injuries but I think when you pay that type money for the quarterback and I saw even porting was asked, like, what if he'd need to renegotiate? He, like, almost renegotiate. This guy, RROI, didn't equal what he did. Now, you could argue it's not all his fault. He's 18. I get it. But we see a lot of the amount of five-star guys that never amount to anything in college football that are on, it happens all the time.

Dylan Raola. Like, if I'm, if I'm Lane, given what it would cost to acquire this guy, I wouldn't pay. I would get Sam Levitt. I want to pass. Lane just went 11 and 1 in the SEC with a D2 quarterback. Why? Because Trinidad can pass, right? He could get him too. Because he's trying to get a waiver for another eligibility year. He could get Chambliss or Austin Simmons.

But if I'm him, I can just get a guy that I know can run my offensive back. Like, there is no guarantee like there's like a 50-50 shot. This guy's always going to kind of look like this, right? Some talent, but just not great. Like there's no, there's just no guarantee just because you're a five-star, you make $20 million, you're ever going to be a good player.

And it's not, football is not basketball, right? Like, you watch the kid at BYU or, you know, boozer's kid of Duke. Like, in basketball, you know right away. Football sometimes, they start slal. If you tell me next year, Arch is way better, very believable. If you tell me, Arch always looks like this, also believable. You have no clue, at quarterback specifically. Other positions is like, okay, this guy's tough enough.

we just need to get him a little stronger. He needs to add like 20 pounds. Like, okay, quarterback's usually like, we hope, right? It's like that in the NFL draft. Like, I think Fernando Mendoza would probably be a good NFL player. I don't know, maybe not. No one has any clue. And I'd say quarterback, look at receivers.

You kind of know right away. I think quarterback is just very, it can be very, very risky. Last name I'll throw at you. Jesse Minner, the defensive coordinator for the Charters. I know he might be up for head coaching jobs, but he was a DC at Michigan. Another guy that could maybe come back. That's not a bad name.

I do think, though, if Michigan goes, we open up, this is our opportunity to land a quote-unquote big fish, that I think some of these names, the mentors, they're just not, I mean, I think now it's like, okay, let's go get a superstar. Let's go get our Dan Lane and Kirby, whoever. It's like, well, who's that guy? If you tell me Jesse Minter is their next coach,

you think like Michigan Reddit and their fans, band base is going to be fired up. No offense. I mean, clearly he's really good. I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm really impressed with him. I mean, how long he was there two years? I don't know.

My initial reaction, and maybe I'm wrong, I think they're kind of in a weird spot. But I think their job's so good, like, I mean, they could do worse than Kaylon DuBore. But I don't think hiring Kalin Dubor, as it would have been two years ago, would have been like, hell yeah. Now I'd be like, are we sure he's that good?

And that's the business they're in. It's like things change as you win and lose. But really, we just judge your teams. And I'm a DeBoer guy. All he's ever done is one. He likes to pass a lot more. He likes a run. And I think the one thing in the Big Ten, even Ohio State, like,

their wide receiver are you, when do they not? Okay, we got to rush this game, 100 yards. Like, look, they have the two guys last year. Immediately this Bo Jackson guy looks like Bo Jackson 2.0. Oh, he's going to be, I mean, that kid's going to be incredible probably, right? I mean, think how much better he will be next year, full year offseason. He's a true freshman, right? And they just showed the stat up during the game, like, they've had five true freshmen's hit 1,000 yards, and you're like, damn, that's a list.

It's like Maurice Corrette, Travion Henderson. Like, it's a pretty good list of sweet dudes. And, you know, you just look, Michigan. Now, granted, they're running back got hurt this year, but like they're running back. Blake Corum has been hurt before. You should have like a stable of three backs. And that to me the Kalin-Divor thing would be he's more into passing than running. It's like the flashy name, but it's not what the fit of Michigan would want.

Because I know Michigan fans, I mean, I've heard some on Twitter and I know I'm not a big fan of Sharon Moore. You've got to be kind of thrilled that like, okay, like there's a reason that he's gone. But the timing of it sucks. The timing of it is horrible. I mean, do they go Biff for a year? Like interim guy? I know he's interim, but like, you got, I mean, you also have time to like get a guy.

I just, I have no idea who you would go out and get with this situation unless they have a plan that they kind of just drop this right now. I mean, are they still going to play in this bowl game? I mean, if you're Texas right now, like, are they still committed? I mean, this kind of throws everything in the loop. Yeah, just, just crazy, crazy story. Wanted to want to hop on here and get something in, though, for sure on it. But what a moment in college football, Jackson.

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We have some big news. What's the news, huge news? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas, we invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a... We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special.

So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes.

I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, people could call in and say, hey Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad. Hey Jonas and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself.

I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs' tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jenchen won. I mean, she went down to three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lina Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now,

and I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis Podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts. or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of I Heart Women's Sports. Last night, a blown call changed a game.

This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves.

Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levan this went to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive?

The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Let's get into the main event. Jackson, I guess I text with you every day, but how are you doing, buddy? I'm good, man.

If I would have told you in this college football sport is just one of the more unpredictable years, one of the more chaotic years, if I would have told you in January, even August, that Penn State and Clemson will be playing in December, you would have been ecstatic. But right now, you know, they're playing each other, but seven and five, six and six, and they're playing in a pinstripe bowl. So that's what tells you about how crazy this year's been. You know, it's funny as I, this morning, I was doing something, and I thought, I have no clue who's playing in any of the bowl games besides because I saw something on social media that Texas is playing Michigan.

But usually when the bowl, you know, our entire life up until, I guess, last year, a lot of bowl matches. Like, oh, Alabama's playing so-and-so. It's like, it does show you that it's rendering. I had no clue. It's, it's Penn St. and Clemson. Yeah. And I would imagine, especially for Dabo and Clemson. He's going to take that really seriously because he can finish what, eight and five?

Yeah, I think they're, yeah, 7 and 5 right now. They finish 8 and 5, a horrible year. Even with Penn State, like they barely beat Rutgers. Terry Smith's last game is the interim head coach. Sure, they got a lot of seniors offensively. Like, Kent, K. Tron Allen, Nicholas Singleton, Iowa, you got Iowa Vanderbilt. We can start there, honestly, because I don't get in.

That's actually not bad. I mean, see, that's the thing. I mean, the bowl games, people crush them, especially Pete Bavakwa. But there is an entertainment aspect for, the consumer, which is the second biggest sport in America now, college football. And there's also, like, for the kids that play in the game, like, we understand it. Cam Ward, Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Ford. I mean, I'm missing a hundred guys.

But individuals are going to get drafted high, whatever, I don't even care. But it's still entertaining to watch. If you're a redshirt freshman or a backup special teamer at Clemson at Iowa, like in a couple years, you could be a second round pick. Like these guys are the, you know, Kate Tron Allen, these guys at Penn State a couple of years ago. It's like it would have been their moment to kind of shine as whoever that version is, Michael Parsons is leaving, Sequin's leaving.

It's usually where they explode on the scene. Now, I've also heard, and you know this being a college football junkie is coaches don't want to expose these guys. It's why they all started canceling the spring game, right? Because all of a sudden it's like, damn, I'm going to give that guy a text message. Yeah, that kind of plays effective. that's actually a good point because the transfer portal is January 2nd through the 16th. So it's like this period we'd see a lot of guys transfer out and a lot of guys have already

declared they're hitting the portal, but technically they can't hit it until January 2nd. We all know there's tampering going on. Most of those kids might even get signed like the day of that first transfer portal game. So you're right. And that kind of implies to we can transition to this. The whole Notre Dame conundrum, obviously them opting out of a bowl game being super upset. The 80s hit temper tantrum at the ACC. I don't know where you want to start with this.

I know there's a lot. Probably we want to go to the AD because before this, you and I probably have the same opinion. Obviously, I'm a Notre Dame fan, but it's just one of those things. It's just been dragged out a long time. And I get Notre Dame was upset, and it's the committee's fault for having them ranked.

I think they were 10th. In Miami was 18th at November 9th. And now we sit here a month later throughout of the playoffs. But what do you make of this whole athletic director, Notre Dame, just kind of in the spotlight this week for the wrong reasons. That Notre Dame. helmet behind you, Pete Bavoc was any of that?

So pretty. No, my dad got it. No, he did it. I will accept the helmet, though, if they do give me one. I understand, you know, I would say Notre Dame fans are all in agreement that they got screwed and are very angry and are cool with not playing the game. You know, I think Brady Quinn, seen him tweet stuff. I heard him on the radio this morning. He's adamant that this whole thing's stupid playing in a game and it doesn't matter. I couldn't disagree anymore, but we will get into that in a second. there are still a couple brands that I would say people, a lot of people hate, right?

Yankees, you know, I think it's probably a little less now, but for a long time, the Lakers, Duke basketball, and a lot of it has to do with jealousy, right? Part of the reason I hate the Lakers is because when I was in junior high and high school, they were incredible. They had Phil Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, and Phil Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal would constantly make fun of Sacramento. though. It was like, fuck you guys, right? But it was that kind of out of jealousy. They were kind of right. Obviously, Los Angeles and where these guys lived, it was just cooler. The brand was bigger,

but you hate them because you're kind of not them. And I think Notre Dame definitely was like that for an older generation, right? You know, from Rudy to Joe Montana to the 80s, like they were dominant program. You see these 30 for 30s. Most of my life, especially my adult life, of watching sports since like the late 90s, like they've been. fine. They've had some really good years. Like the, I think the first Charlie Weiss year, they were pretty good, maybe the first or second, obviously some

Brian Kelly years. And he's hateable, but like their team isn't necessarily. So I think they've lost some of the luster of like, well, everyone just hates. No, I actually think of most people that are like under 50 fall in my category are kind of indifferent. Like if they're good, like

it was fun watching them last year. They have some really good players. If they're bad, like whatever, not really paying attention. It's kind of Miami. If you're a 30-year-old college football fan, like, you just turned 26. Do you remember Miami being incredible? Because in your life, guess what? They have not been. How old were you in 2001? What year were you born? 99, so I was like two or three. You don't remember Ed Reed saying dominate because Joaquin told us to dominate. Like, you don't remember that day. But if I say Ohio State,

you've been like, they've been dominant your entire, or Alabama. So I think the college landscape has change and they're kind of holding themselves like we are like back if you watch the Cowboys documentary with Jerry Jones he used to like piss people off with like merchandise and he wanted higher percentages it's like but when you tell a young guy about Jerry Jones they just look at the Cowboys and it's like what's going on

like it so I think they carry themselves and this Pete of Aqua guy and I'll use the NFL as an example there's a reason that like during the season howie Roseman doesn't speak all the time Siriani is the guy speaking or John Schneider was Seattle. The head coach, so it's like Pete Mavakwa,

I get it originally, but like he hasn't stopped. He hasn't stopped. And the Big 12 AD was like, yeah, it's getting a little nuts, right? And this notion that the ACC, well, if Miami makes the playoffs, the ACC makes money. They split the revenue, right? I think they keep two shares and they split all the other shares. Well, if Notre Dame had made the playoffs, does the ACC get any

money? No. So someone said me their schedule today. They play the shittiest teams in the ACC. Next year they play Miami. But that was a home at home, clearly. And they get SMU at home. It's a lot of Boston colleges.

It's a lot of the fighting Belichicks. And the other thing is BYU is a good example. They are, like Notre Dame, you know, a religious school, a school that takes sports very seriously. And no one even questioned like, should they have been? closer in the mix with Notre Dame to get in the playoffs? Because their best win, Notre Dame's best wins is USC, right?

Well, BYU's best wins, Utah. Isn't Utah's Rang Tower? Who's BYU's second best win? Arizona, 9 and 3. Like, if Notre Dame had that on their resume, they would never shut up about that if they beat Utah and Arizona. So I think, like, listen,

did ESPN play with your emotions through the ratings? Because that's a big talking point, right? probably yeah every time i look at the first take they're talking about the cowboys every single at the gym in the morning they have it on a tv that's muted i would say 90% of the days that if i peek up if i'm on the cardio equipment it's stephen a nice face couple other guys faces and the the ticker what they're talking about is a dallas cowboy symbol jerry jones dac prescott you know whoever yes part of the business you're a big grant you do big ratings but this notion that espn campaign well if

NBC had the playoffs. What would they have campaign for? Of course, Notre Dame. We're all in business with somebody. Like, Notre Dame, you're in business with yourself to keep all the money. So I just think this whole thing is kind of jump the shark. And one thing I will be adamant about,

I don't know where you stand on this, but now playing in the bowl games, a fucking embarrassment. It really is. And I have a lot of respect. I love Clark Lee's comments yesterday. I didn't see them, but someone sent me that I guess Stark kind of reiterated something similar.

But this is a football. program. So yeah, Pete Bavakwa, you're into the business element of it all and trying to give it to, you know, ESPN. And, you know, Marcus Freeman would be like, well, the committee said we don't want to play without our guys. It's like, well, Marcus, you're the boss. I bet guys said things to Sabin and Urban Meyer over the years that, like, coach, we want to do this. You know, he says no. It's like, I'm about to have a child. He's going to want some things because I was like this as well, where I'm going to have to say no. And I just think it's, 100% the wrong decision to not play football.

You're a football program. And you're young guys, and let's face it. I don't know if this factored in when they made their immediate decision, but I would imagine a large percentage of BYU's team does not drink. So at a bowl game, most of these college football programs, if they're not in the playoff, are going to be partying, especially the first three or four days. It's a big advantage for BYU.

They're going to take that game very seriously. and if you're Jeremiah Love and all these guys clearly wouldn't play and you're playing random guys that just haven't played that much, you would be, it might not maybe look like Colorado because I would imagine Notre Dame has better backups. But you could lose by 15 points pretty easily, right? Yeah, I saw a list of guys that would have opted out, either opted out or injury.

It was like 28 guys, obviously, Janerian Price, who was the second running back, looks like he's going to go to the NFL draft because of that running back class. Outside of Jeremiah Love, he might be the second running back off. So you dock those two guys. Then you have some receivers. But it's like, Notre Dame,

everyone does it. Everyone deals with opt-outs. Everyone deals with injuries. And to your point, like, why not play those second string guys? And kind of like, hey, like, show the committee what you have for next year. Like 2026, you got a young quarterback.

There's this first year. Like, I just, I agree with you. I think initially I was on the side of emotional decision. You're bummed out, which I can't believe they didn't have a plan B of, there might be a chance that we don't make the playoff. We're independent.

If we take Alabama, out. It's going to ruin conference championship games. You talk either day. SCC championships are like the Super Bowl in the South. So we take them out. That's gone. We take Miami out. And I know Notre Dame fans and Notre Dame is pissed because the ACC network, they played Miami Notre Dame for like eight straight hours, just to rerun over and over again on Friday and Saturday. They beat you. And it was week one. Maybe you got to reschedule, like come back and say, hey, we got a schedule A&M midseason. We can't have it back to back

weeks and have our schedule look like this. And then you even talked about next year, their schedule looks worse. Like, do they have to go to an agreement with the ACC and want better opponents in the ACC instead of them saying, hey, let's grab Boston College, Syracuse, North Carolina. And I told you that point, and you're like, well, Jackson, Notre Dame wants to play those teams. So I think, like, they have to come up with some kind of like method or. And in fairness, besides Miami this year, anyone that it would have played in the SEC is not that great.

Yeah, yeah. Because, I mean, as of right now, 10 and 2 didn't get you in. 11 and 1 North, Northern Illinois as your loss, got you in. Now the exception next year, and we can talk about this too about, are they going to expand? Like, should Notre Dame be independent? Where are the playoffs going right now? I don't really think Notre Dame has to join a conference. I think they could continue to be independent because it looks like it's going to go to 16.

Maybe they try to go reach out to a Big 12 or a Big 10 if they are so mad at the ACC and not have that partnership. But, I mean, what are your thoughts about that independency? Because then there's another rule to that next year, they do go 12 teams that at the rank in the top 12, they're automatically in. And it's like a wrinkle that a lot of cool schools are like, whoa, I didn't know they signed it. But it was agreed on when they expanded it to 12 teams. I'd be stunned if there's not 16 teams next year. Feels like it's going that way. Yeah. It feels like it is. A couple things that from the Notre Dame standpoint, because I had someone DM and me, we post a social video. It was like,

you're just reiterating all the same points. I thought you were better than that. It's like, well, I agree with a lot of these people what they're saying. Notre Dame was like, no, we help save the ACC. Yeah, but you're not in their conference. They have an agreement with you, right? It's like, if I have a business partner and we do business with a third guy, but he's not a partner in what we're doing, I am going to take, I'm going to be more loyal and focus more on this guy

if push comes to shove than the third guy. Notre Dame, you would not have shared your revenue if you got it. It was lucrative for Miami to make it. And again, they beat you. So I think we, if it was flip-flopped, no one would even argue this, Notre Dame would be in. If Notre Dame would have won that game, right? If it was just flipped and they had the same record.

But I also seen that, like, the ACC was short-sided because big picture, you want to keep Notre Dame very involved. And I'm not disagree. The ACC is not going to exist from a football standpoint in the next 10 years. We've already seen their top dogs desperately wanted out. And let's be real. Why would Notre Dame do a deal with the ACC and not the SEC or not the Big Ten?

Because would those teams turn them down? Of course not. They would want to get in business with it's easier. It's easier. The ACC, no one would even argue, is the easiest of the four. Imagine if like, well, we got, we got, you know, Utah and BYU this year. Their schedule would look a lot better than if it was Utah, BYU, K-State. honestly they were playing the big 12 teams it would legitimately look better but obviously there

are a lot of financial decisions for Notre Dame that they are a cash cow and i think it's inevitable where we're going is like a two-tiered system where the non-power four kind of plays themselves but the top is just going to be like kind of the north versus the south in however you know la is definitely the south but it's going to be involved with the big 10 and then from texas over to Florida with the Carolinas will include whoever the best, you know, ACC teams are. And that's what's inevitably going to happen. And then everyone will, in a weird way, kind of be independent or part of your conference that is like the NFC or AFC.

But Notre Dame kind of put themselves in this predicament doing with it because they don't do it in basketball, right? Basketball's in the ACC. And if this was the same thing, if their basketball team was like on the fence for the NCAA tournament, the ACC would have gladly supported. them, right? Because they're in business with them, like full business. Not like a little side scheduling agreement. Right? So I, I don't know. I just think the AD, like, one, people don't respect administrators, just in general. Like, I would imagine the casual fan thinks most of these

ADs and presidents when it comes to like the football thing. It's like, you guys get destroyed. It's a talking point. Jimmy Sexton works these guys. Yeah. So it's like Pete Bavocqua, I get it. You were ran NBC for a decade. Like, no one gives a shit. bro. No one cares. And if I'd be like if Marcus had consistently done this, but he wouldn't because he knows he would look bad and kind of look like a puss. And I think if you just went, let's just pick like five of the top coaches in the country. Kirby, Ryan Day, Dan Lanning, he just kind of went around. Hell, I even lame. Do you think any of these people would not play a ball game?

I think you would get skewered in the SEC. If you were an incumbent coach, I give you a, I understand if your coaching staff's leaving, new coaches coming in, it's a lot going on. But like, just Kirby Smart had got 9 and 3 and missed. Or Sark had got 9 and 3 and missed and just quit. I think people are like, what are we doing? But he wouldn't because he knows, like, it's a big deal to play another game.

But they think like ESPN screwing them or something. I don't know. I mean, and I get how you think that, but it's just exhausting. Hey, it's us, the Jonas brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, huge news? We created our own podcast called,

Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast. Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how did we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys?

I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Oh, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast,

where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy,

not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman, help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the René's. A Stub's Tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay.

Jenchen won. I mean, she went down to three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lina Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now, and I actually can win on any surface, because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court-side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levant this plant to a billion dollar fraud.

But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind.

Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the story. source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to

hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slices. Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. To your point about DeNan Laining, a couple of years ago when they lost the Pact 12 championship to Washington, they played in the Fiesta Bowl against Liberty.

So how do you even get your team ramped up for 15 practices when you're going to smack liberty? So like to your point about the credit, like these guys want to continue to play games. I think the future of bowl games is definitely going downhill, but I do love that some teams are still wanting to play. Some teams are still want to be around their guys. and it's unfortunate for Notre Dame. To your point about,

you made a good point earlier about the SEC. When they played Arkansas, 10 a.m. game, one of the more viewed games. And at the time, I know Arkansas is not great, but like it was viewed as, I mean, USC, Pitt, Arkansas is probably like their third best win because it's Arkansas, it's SEC, they do play some teams tough,

so it gets kind of respected. But for Notre Dame and their independency moving forward, like their schedule is horrible, they're going to have to hope for the next coming years that North Carolina has a good season that somehow Syracuse or all these other opponents that are good so they get a ranked win because last year was the same sequence where they lost to N IU

and then Navy becomes ranked, Army becomes ranked. I don't know if that ultimately helped them go through because I think it was pretty evident that even though they lost that game to NIU, the A&M win. They looked like one of the top 12 teams just kind of an easier run for them to get in versus the 10 and 2. I would say most years though, 10 and 2 Notre Dame's a lock. It was a very unique circumstances with the two.

And again, I haven't watched everything Pete of Akka said. But it's so much time about the ACC in Miami, he should be obliterating Tulane and JMU, obliterating that scenario. And he's spending so much time on, I mean, a partner of his. And I've never heard of mention those two teams. If I was him, I would come out and say, it is an embarrassment that these programs,

our top programs in the country, including ourselves, make all the money for everybody, and we're letting these two guys in. Even if we're going to let one, but two of them. And he's spending so much time about ACC. And that's where I think the big, I forget the big 12 commissioner's name, but he was like, it's.

Your Mark, Brett Yomart. Yeah, Your Mark. Just let's stop. I would have more respect if he just constantly crushed the little guy. But he's just spending so much time on Miami. And it's not even Miami. It's just the ACC, which again, they wouldn't,

profit if you got in and Miami got left out. I would have been more mad of the fact that Miami didn't make the ACC championship game and somehow Duke got in because that screwed you from the minute that that was going to end up happening. If Miami goes to the AC championship game, they win the conference, you're both in. So I don't know how the hell that the 7 and 5 Duke with all the tiebreakers and I get most of those losses were out of conference. But I think that I would be more pissed about than the whole social media thing.

Like you imagine the ACC posting Notre Dame. I remember we've been like, huh? Like, why are you promoting Notre Dame? And this really bothers me because we're in the business of the internet business. I've been social media, I guess, has been a huge part of my career indirectly. But I would also say that like, especially in 2025, it doesn't, if you're getting caught up, scroll in comments, especially negative comments, you're wasting your time. It is not the real world. People talk on social media, unlike they would talk in real life, unless you're a puff daddy.

or excuse me, 50 cent. 50 cent lives like people talk on social media, but he actually does it in real life and smiles about it. But most people, like I think most people that are really angry or post crazy stuff, about it, you go sports, you go politics. If you just met them in real life, probably like us. I mean, obviously there are some nut jobs. But the overwhelming majority of people,

because I would probably be like this too, if I just sold insurance, if I just sold insurance and love football, I would, I might have a fake name on my Twitter account, and I would just be blasting people left and right. It's like, it's funny. Like, I don't even, I think that happens a lot too. And this guy's like, everything I've seen on social media,

it's like, bro, you sound like a fucking late guy in his 50s who doesn't understand none of that matters. Now, if you want to point specifically to people on the panel at ESPN that you think are taking money out of the table or whatever, okay, that might have some validity. I will listen to that. But once you start bringing up social media as someone that lives in that world, I'm out.

Like, you're an idiot. And I think that's like, come on, man. And maybe sticking up for his players because they kind of see it a lot. But I think that that's embarrassing. I mean, it really is. I also just get back to, I just can't imagine many coaches not. Like, I just think it was a moment for Marcus Freeman to be like, we're playing. If you don't want to play, you're injured or opt out obviously.

But cool, but we're playing in a game. And we're going to practice and we're going to run this program. and they didn't. And I just think it's, I think it's an embarrassment. I really do to not play in the game. Because the, you're a football program.

Like, okay, people of aquas get bad at you. That's his problem. But if you're Marcus, like, you're not caught up in that. You're also in the recruiting business.

Just, it's more, you're just, you're just gone now until what, August 31st? I even think it's good for the fans, too. Even the donors.

100%. I get like the pop to, like, oh, like this is the pop tarple, which, Out of all the bowl games, I think Pop-Tar bowl is pretty entertaining. It sucks that they didn't make the playoff. But to your point, yeah, it's two of the best teams in the country, right?

Yeah, and you're on ABC and you're on ABC. And you know, the whole agreement with the AC network and stuff like that probably led to. It's just an overall and emotional thing. Is that part of it? It's a C team. Yeah. I mean, it's on ABC. So technically Notre Dame is like the best representative from the AC is like, did Virginia take their spot?

It was Georgia Tech. So Georgia Tech, it's a feeder for, oh, okay. Okay. So that's why they're right. I kind of got, I didn't quite, okay, that even, it's like, too cut up in all this BS. And if I'm marketing, I'm not cut up in any of that. And I tell the AD, I get why you're mad, but no, we're playing. Because BYU has nothing to do with that. Because you've got to like hobnob with some ACC representatives at the function,

which you do, I mean, but I don't know. Just a weird situation. The next one, we talk playoff. We talk expansion on. a little bit. Do you think 16 teams will solve the issues? How do they fix the CFP? It seems like an argument every year. And, you know, we're here again, a new second year of the 12 team already talking about 16 teams. I think we're pretty, we both agree that it's going to happen. It seems like it is, especially when they postpone the decision is going to be, I think,

late January instead of it's supposed to be December. I'm for it, more football. But obviously, if we get to 16, it feels like we're going to have more problems somehow. Isn't that what D1AA is? they're 24 that feels like a lot 24 is a little too much yeah 24 is a lot because you get double buys and that sometimes too right yeah it's like eight teams get buys

yeah so I I 24 feels extreme 16 probably feels just right I also think you kick out the non-power four teams and the conference championship games turn into playing games for the four conferences so you can still do

you know basically a conference champion is crowned in the regular season. Problem is you'd have to do some splits probably, right? Because the conference is so big, you don't play everybody. If I finish 11.1, you finish 11.1 or like Ohio State of Indiana, they would have co-split it, which I think used to happen in a lot of smaller conferences because like the whack and some of these conferences 10 years ago didn't have conference championship games.

They've really been added for ESPN, right, or Fox because it's television, which is cool. Pack 12 forever did not have a conference championship game. And, yeah, I mean, I think where we're headed is some play in elements, which actually would feel a little bit bigger. I have a lot of respect for Notre Dame or, excuse me, not Notre Dame, Ohio State, Indiana. Never, Notre Dame, never Notre Dame. But I don't disrespect them. I enjoy them. I enjoy watching their team play.

I think Ohio State in Indiana, neither of them needed to play, right? Neither of them needed to try hard. And they played that game really, really, they played that game like it was a playing. Ryan Day definitely wouldn't kick the field goal. He's just trying to keep his head above water. But I do think that some of these games lose a little luster where if you're like, hey, it's Utah and Arizona,

winners into the playoffs for the 13, 15, 15, and 16. It's like Texas Vanderbilt. Winters in. I don't, I, this year the Big Ten would be a little hard. Like USC versus who? Iowa or something like that. But I think that's where we're inevitably headed. I'd be stunned if 2006 there's not dramatic changes.

And the committee, you know, Mike Lombardi, I don't know if he's a great college GM, clearly kind of struggling, but always had a great line on this podcast that they've never built a monument for a committee. And I do think the committee, you've got to find a way to like get out of this world. You know, all these other sports, like no one tells you who's in the major league. baseball playoffs the records do same thing with football and if they can get away from this group of however many individuals in this room and then hunter you're a check and i know he was kind of put in last because the baler guy like attacked a player or something what was that story that was weird yeah so it's

he's not answering questions it's just kind of weird like you just need to get away from imagine if we had that in the NFL right a committee and i just think people and i get it's television show. But you just got to get away from just subjectivity, but you'd argue that the history of college football has always been people picking forever. It was like someone just voted on who was the national championship. I mean, that changed in my lifetime. And then they've gone to four teams. What was that like 12 years ago? It would be weird if they had the conference playing games, would you just judge your conference

champion on the regular season or would they leave that week gap? So like, Ohio State, Indiana would. be split it. You wouldn't play the game. Because they would say, yeah, but then you get subjectivity over if there are five teams for four buys. Maybe you get more buys. I don't know. Again, it just becomes, it's always people voting on this. So I just have it happen on the field.

The thing with the conference championship games, if you go to 16, like both teams are always going to be in. So it's like, what are you playing this for? right. Yeah, and you're looking at Oregon this year, they're probably glad they're not even in the championship game because their run looks a lot better versus Ohio State or even Indiana.

Like you got to play James Madison, then you got to play Texas Tech, and then you got an Indiana team that could be banged up against Oklahoma or Alabama, coming off a three-week buy. Like, that's what's interesting too about this is last year we had the straight, no straight seating was the Congress champions.

And this year it's the straight seating. So that's a weird to see. I think the problem could be in one of the, these conference championship games. If you're in a situation like Georgia, Alabama, or Ohio State in Indiana, where their vote, you know, Alabama was new they were in. They were 10 and two, they were not going to kick a team out in a conference

championship game, especially in the SEC. What if they had a bunch of injuries? And they're like, we're better off not playing this game, giving these guys a couple weeks, and a team just doesn't play. They're like, we're just not playing because we know we're going to play here in 15 days. We don't want to risk more injuries. injuries and we need like a bye week right now. And that to me is you would,

if it's Vanderbilt, Texas, you would never, obviously they're both going to play because they're going to try to get the 14th seed. Now you could argue both those teams would be in in this scenario. But again,

it's complicated, but this whole college football is always really complicated with this. Where the NFL is like, I don't know how it feels so much easier. They expand the playoff and it's just like no one even complains. Like you're just, you know when you're in, you know when you're out.

Yeah. I always, I don't know if it's because we're, I'm oldie in the sport and obviously been following college football for a while. I still think it's a big deal to win your conference, but I know it's not a big deal in terms of the playoff. It's not anymore, though. It's not,

it's not anymore. Like, Oregon didn't win their conference. They did last year. And I mean, it feels like, I mean, it would be one of the biggest upsets in the history of college football. They're almost guaranteed to be in the exact same spot

with actually an easier route this year than they were last year. Like, what did they get out? now they got to say they're big 10 champs. And there's some, like, that Indiana game meant a lot to Indiana. Because they've, I mean, essentially never been in big 10 champs, right? In football. But I don't know if winning the conference championship game with the playoffs has the same, you know, validity.

Like Ohio State Michigan, it was really important for Ryan Day to win the Michigan game. It was much more important in a weird way for him to win that Michigan game this year. Like, if you could choose, would you have rather, and I, would they have still been into the championship game? I'm not sure they would have been if they would have lost to Michigan

because Oregon would have been in. Yeah. Right. But let's just say hypothetically. He still would have been in. If he could lose one of those games, he's picking the Indiana game and win the Michigan game, right? So it's the thing with college football.

It's like some games just matter more. That's like even came into board, too, with the Iron Bowl. Rivalry games feel like it means more than the conference championship. It's just, I wonder if the commissioners, like if you're Greg Sanky, could you fully buy in of removing the SC championship or Petetti removing the Big Ten championship and having those as playing games?

Would you still have the same show up? Would it still have the same range? I know it would have the intensity and the importance of a playoff game, but I just wonder if those commissioners like, would they fully buy in like, hey, we're going to leave the championship games, we're going to play playing games, we're just going to see how that goes.

Does I agree like Texas Vanderbilt or one of these playing games? Because wouldn't the playing games, though, go through the playoff, versus the individual conferences, or would the conferences, I guess, have their own playing games. I don't know. Maybe that's confusing.

I don't believe it. I don't want to be the commissioner here. The problem is you have all these different entities. Everyone has different ideas. Some of these entities are in business with ones in NBC and Peacock, some are in Fox, some are with ESPN. You got too many hands in the cookie jar

and no one's rolling in the same direction. Beside the conferences look after their own, as they should. that leads us to the next question. Biggest problem in college football is it the calendar, the playoff or no leadership? It feels like, and I saw Kirk Herbstreet and Joey Galway have a podcast,

nonstop or whatever. They had Mario Cristobal on and they asked him, they said, you know, if we want to adjust the playoff or adjust the calendar, that's what they said, the calendar, who do we talk to? And Mario's like shaking his head,

like, I don't know. NCAA, they don't do anything. My question is, when they say the calendar, in the NFL, they can create their own calendar because there is no go to school. There is no academia. There's just football. There's no student athlete or athlete student. You're just football.

Football, football, right? You do, as of now, connected to the university, right? And your kids, in theory, go to school. So you're based on the academic calendar. So I think changing the calendar around, what does that even mean? like move the portal till the spring or something. Okay. But they moved the portal last year, right?

Back a little bit. But you can't have the portal in like February, because school's already started. Yeah. Now, one thing that's clear is there are zero requirements as an athlete to transfer. I could have a 0.0 at my school, and if Vanderbilt wants me, I go to Vanderbilt,

which didn't used to be the case. So you could argue none of it actually matters, and you can put it wherever. It's like, so what he shows up in the middle of the semester. It wasn't, who cares? So I, because no one wants to get sued. So yeah, I mean, there's no individual to do that. They're not all under the same umbrella, right?

That's the thing with the NFL. Like everyone, Roger Goodell, all the owners are all under the same umbrella. Like the ACC and the Big Ten have different views on things. So that's where it gets really complicated. I don't have a good answer. I don't think there's a great, solution until they all get into business together and pool their money. But that's where it gets difficult because

this is what Notre Dame's argument is. We're bigger than basically every school beside a handful. So why would we ever split revenue with the shitty programs? It's like Ohio State's like, do you know how much bigger we are than every university from a football standpoint in this conference beside maybe like three? Like why are we giving money to Maryland and Rutgers? Wooden Alabama, who's the highest rated team in the SEC, I saw a stat. Like, they have to give money, spread money to Mississippi State.

But that's part of the deal. Like, that's the strength of the NFL. Jerry and the 49ers and the Packers, like, they are more important to the television revenue, which pays for everything, than your Cardinals. But the Cardinals get the same amount of money as the Philadelphia Eagles. That's the power of the business, the unity. And everyone gets super rich. that's the problem in college football.

People kind of want to hoard. And not everyone's, it's just, it becomes very, why? Because you have more and more people. The NFL only has 32 teams. I mean, how many teams are there in the power four? Right? There's 18 teams of the big 10. There's how many teams in the SEC, 16 or 18?

So, I mean, boom, you're already way past the NFL on the two conferences alone. The ACC's expanded because they've added Cal, Stanford, SMU, all these programs. And now it's like some of these deals. Like, I don't think Cal and Stanford get the normal slice of the pie. Just like Oregon and Washington don't get the same amount of money as USC and UCLA in the big day. I think they get a half share.

For Oregon, it doesn't necessarily matter. I think for Washington you probably like a little more cash, but they didn't have a choice because the Pac-12 died. That's the thing. It's just always, it's just so fluid. Like, there's nothing fluid in the NFL. Yeah. I mean, it might be fluid who wins and who loses on a given year.

But like in terms of the business model, the business model is always changing because there's more and more money and everyone wants their hand in the cookie jar. the only thing with the calendar is you would, I mean, they want to expand a 16 plan. We already have a 12-team playoff. I think the championship games are like January 20th or something. Yeah, the game should be like if we're going to go.

Yeah, if we're going to go 16, but I feel like you got to even take out two regular season games. You can take out those gambling states, bowling greens, whatever, or start the season earlier if you want to have it on January 1st with the portal ending up on January. I like that the portal is in January. and I know people are in the playoff, like why is it January 2nd through the 16th? Like I feel like you're going to have less opt-outs, especially with the five-day window they have

after they get eliminated, to end of the portal, and I don't think school starts until late January, mid-January anyways, so that's fine with that. Well, let's use you school in Montana, the 1-Double-A playoffs. They don't have conference championship games, right?

So they just end the season, and then the next week, the playoffs essentially start for the teams that don't have a buy. I think you could do some, version of that, just that week, the playoffs aren't as big. So you just have the play in version or the conference championship games and then just immediately start playing. Look at the NFL. Season ends, you start playing. Yeah. You know, there's this lag. And that's because, are there

bowl games this weekend? Boise State, Washington on Saturday. See, so ESPN, they have some inventory, right? So they, they're like, well, I don't want to waste this weekend. We can do something else. And then, you know, kind of do a buildup. But I think you just have to kind of approach it more like football of like every seven, eight days you're playing a game. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news.

What's the news, new? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special.

So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember I think it was on a call about what we should call it And we were thinking I'm originally calling it One of the early names of our band Before Jonas Brothers This is how you guys remember it going down Yes I have a very different memory of this

We were talking about a thing A bit for the podcast For people could call in and say hey Jonas And then I wrote down on my little notepad Hey Jonas and offered it up as a potential title For the podcast But thanks for remembering that Guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on clay. Gentian win. I mean, she went down at three to, Rabakina, but I'm delighted.

She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsClice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise.

Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games,

from buzzer beaters to controversial, calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicalife Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness.

So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levin this plant to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me?

Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Speaking of, the playoff racket, look ahead at the matchups. This week, we don't got anything, but next week we do. And then we got three plus weeks until the big boys. Georgia, Indiana, Ohio State, Texas Tech all play. I guess we can start with just the first round matchups.

Oklahoma, Alabama, feels like a rematch from what we had earlier on. It feels like two teams that both offices have been struggling really bad. Like this game to me just feels like a game that which quarterback do you trust more, both defense, like which team can reach 17 points. That game alongside Texas, and Miami are basically the only ones because Tulane. I mean, I don't know if they have a shot against Ole Miss. James Madison, but any intriguing first-round matchups that look ahead-wise, I don't know, any of those teams that can make a run where your thought are.

Well, two games do not, I mean, the Oregon game, they're going to murder them if they try. At night. Like you said, that Liberty game, and his Liberty was a better team than JMU, right? That Hugh Free's Liberty team was pretty good. I think so. Yeah. I mean, I'd be lying if I watched much of either. but I just remember that Liberty team when Hugh was in the press box on the hospital bed.

Like they were legitimate, like they were pretty, they were dominant, you know, given their competition. I'd be stunned if that game's not like 50 to 15 or something. The Ole Miss game's somewhat intriguing just because like, their coach is gone. They got these guys coming back. Though, how are they, they've already played. And the game was 45 to 10. Like, they did play. 45 to 10.

And it's not like the other coach. I think I even saw a quote. He's got two phones. Like he's got a lot going on. Like his, let's face it. Like he gets blown out in this game. No sweat off his back.

He's at Gainesville the next day. The other two games were pretty good. The other two games, it kind of sucks. It's a rematch. But, you know, I think we've seen DeBoar.

We've actually never seen him since he became famous in this scenario. His team's not playing well. They didn't rush the ball at Washington when he was there. Now, granted, they had three NFL receivers. He just slung around, kind of like he's doing now. But they have no rushing game in Alabama, which is kind of weird. I mean, that program to me, I would say a huge defining moment of Sabin's teams.

When you think Nick Saban, I know it became more of a passing offense, but you thought defense and running the ball. Derek Henry, I mean, when you just look up, how many of their running backs are all over the NFL? you know, Josh Jacobs, Mark Ingram was on TV, won the Heisman Trophy. I mean, they just had Dom and a Dom, they had running back rooms where Alvin Kamarro was like,

I need to transfer. I can't, I get, I get, time, right? So I just think Jemir Gibbs transferred. I just pulled up their stats page. Jam Miller's hurt, right? Yeah, he might be back, but again, that's a quick turnaround for them.

He has 500 yards. The other two guys, like, they just, they just can't run on the ball. So, I don't know, Ty Simpson doesn't look that great right now. So Oklahoma, their defense is incredible, which is crazy because all of my life, it was like incredible offense,

maybe that like 90 or 2000 Bob Stoops team, but most of like when they became a really big deal under Stoops and Lincoln Riley, all offense. I mean, I was trying to explain to my wife because she's like, where did he get his nickname Hollywood? And I was like, well, I think he grew up there

and then Gus Johnson started calling that. But he also played on, he played with C.D. Lamb and Mark Andrews and Joe Mixin and Somagy P. Ryan and Orlando Brown and Begerman. I mean, their teams were incredible, but their defense sucked. I was like, oh, Kenneth Murray's okay. Now it's like their defense is picking dudes off, the pass rush incredible. Well, Brent Venables, that's his baby, and he learned at Clemson how to recruit those guys. But their offense, Mater, ever since he hurt his hand, they've looked terrible. Now, I was also thinking, maybe, I mean, his hand, I mean, broke his three. This is, this. This isn't Herbert or Aaron Rogers.

This was his throwing hand. So it has to impact him a little bit. I mean, the Texas game, when he came back, it was like, what are we doing? But it never really got that much better. You do wonder if the long layoff, right, they don't play in the SEC championship game, could he look better? Because early in the season, he did look pretty good. I don't know.

I mean, I think Oklahoma, if their offense is just okay, which has not been, they could win a couple games. They got a little like Houston. Now, CJ Stroud's a better player than John Matier version of college, but kind of similar. It's like, hey, if your offense just can put up like 17 to 20, same thing with Bo Nix and the Broncos. Like, just get in the playoffs, just score 20, we're going to be in good shape. Oklahoma is going to be tough. They're going to be a tough out whether they play Ohio State, Indiana.

I have to pull up the bracket, but whoever they're playing. And I think they beat Alabama, especially at home, Norman. That game's a night, right? Yeah. DeBoars had a trouble. A lot of, it means 0 and 2 against. Oklahoma in both of those games where, yeah, Oklahoma's offense has been great, but both those games, Oklahoma's defense has led to a touchdown, which has also helped Oklahoma out, led us some turnovers to just be in a manageable field position. They have one of the best kickers in the country.

He's got like, he wears no pants. Yeah, wears basically no pants. And he can make like four field goals, which to Alabama's credit, like, they don't really have that kicker. And that's like an advantage that, you know, Oklahoma thrives off of. I think the one thing for Bama that you get. They had three turnovers in that game. Yeah, they got to win the turnover battle. I think Oklahoma does thrive off of those explosives.

Like the last three games they played in, they had touchdowns of 82, 45, 58 against Missouri and LSU and survived off of an explosive pass place. I think that's something that if you're Alabama, you got to limit if, if they're, Oklahoma's offense isn't really good at running the football. But Alabama's offense is just,

I mean, from where they were at the beginning, that whole gaunt they went through, going on the road to being Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, Vanderbilt. And then you just, at the end of the season, that November, they just spend absolutely nothing. You don't know where Ryan Williams is. He's dropping balls left and right, like the quick games out there.

No, he's got awful hands. He's a receiver who's extremely skilled, who has terrible ball skills. Like to me, there are going to be a lot of NFL teams that if you can't catch as a wide receiver, you're an undraftable player. I mean, that ball that he had high pointed for a guy. I mean, he was compared to Jeremiah Smith, which obviously insane. But even if he's just a good player, like that's a pretty, it's crazy to say, but kind of a routine catch.

It went right through his hands. He's like their third best wide receiver, if that. It's saddest drop off. But to, I mean, Alabama's credit, Jeremy Bernard has been stepping up by Isaiah Horton. You're right. I think it's just a divorce is going to walk into a trap. And I think that Venable's team figure out something offensively, that defense with R. Mason Thomas and just the pass rush.

Like that offensive line Alabama's been struggling like that. I mean, they got bullied against. Georgia with a three or four man front of the entire game. Yeah, and they got and they got worked in that. That was, that was a Sabin-like performance

against Alabama where it's like, we're going to physically punk you and kind of set and like dance on your graves a little bit. I can think for Alabama fans, they go, is our coach kind of a pus? Like, where's our toughness?

And like, you know, he's a former offensive lineman. He's like a passing game guru. You know, that's, that's, Ryan Grub got fired. in Seattle didn't run the ball. The reason they hired the Kubiak kid is like he's a run game.

They want a physical. DuBore wants to pass like 50 times a game. This game, I've always been a fan. I mean, part of it has been following his career since Fresno State. But like that style in the SEC, there's a physical nature. It's going to be the question with Lane. It's like, is your team going to be physical enough? You're kind of doing like your version of this like Chip Kelly thing,

which works on offense. but does it create a physical nature, which Ole Miss definitely kind of didn't have, because when they practice, you're going against this crazy speed offense. And that's the thing with Venables. Like, we're running the ball, tough team. If you lose, like, 17 to 10,

this is an ugly game if you're Bama. And you spend all off season of just getting physically punked by Alabama or Oklahoma twice. People are going to want, it'll be like coming into the season. Like, we're ready to get right. to this guy. It's going to get ugly. Because again, I think the one thing people respect,

you know, like Alabama, Ohio State, you know, LSU, like they want a physical team. That was a problem with Brian Kelly. It's like, bro, where's your run game? We should be able to run it. We should be able to have one of the best running backs in the country and run it down people's throat. And when you can't, I just think people hate that style football and, you know, at certain programs. It's the issue with like Lincoln Riley. It's like, our team's kind of soft, bro. You know, most of us in the heyday, we used to be like Alabama, Urban Meyer style,

which is crushing, sending people to the hospital. And that's what it feels like when Kirby's right, it's like, I would not want to be on the field with these guys. Ohio State and Indiana kind of have that. Like, they are crushing people. I saw Mendoza's Tel McAfee's like, I got hit, I couldn't take a, I got hit so hard. I didn't see them. That's what, that's what like of the top programs, if you're, you know, some of these programs you expect it's like, hey, We just got to run and gun it.

You play Utah, like you play Utah. Like someone's going to get hit hard. Bam, no one's getting hit hard, it looks like, which is crazy. Speaking of getting hit hard, Miami A&M, that's another game where both of those teams, Mario Crishball has done a great job, offensive line. It feels like in the portal, they've done a lot better getting receivers, Carson Beck. I mean, to this game, offensive line, both sides are pretty elite. It feels like this game is going to come.

come down to which quarterback doesn't turn the ball over. Carson Beck's been turning the ball over the entire year. Marcel Reed, the last couple of games. That South Carolina game, he had two picks in the first half. Texas late, you could tell his feet. Anytime he was getting pressure, he felt like he didn't know where the ball was going. This is a big game for Miami,

just kind of shove it in Notre Dame's face and say, hey, we do belong. Home field advantage. It sucks this games on at night, but where do you kind of lean early thoughts about that game? I think the scary part for my, Miami because you're like, if we're on, we could beat anybody. This matchup with Elko getting, what, three weeks to throw different things at Carson Beck?

Like, you just see some of those games where he's thrown into the other team. You start hitting them. You know, they got a pass rush. It was Howl, the dude that has, like, abs and can rush the passer like these miles of care. It's like, what is going on here? This guy is. Now, Miami's got a two, but I don't trust either quarterback. I just trust Elko.

I think if you just pulled people in college football, you just went pure scheme, their side of the ball, who's the cream of the crop, like what Lane's done on offense with Charlie Weiss June. I think Elko would be right there hand in hand with like a Kirby Smart and if Sabin was still around is like defensive genius.

So you give defensive genius, you give any genius more times, like the Andy Reed thing, not the buys. That's, I lean obviously the environment, but just from a, schematic thing, even if they were on a neutral site. I was like, can Carson Beck? It's a big moment for Carson Beck.

He plays well. You know, it's like, okay, he's going to get drafted again. You know, I don't know, not like first second round, but he's third and fourth, you know, type type, you know, type of people are going to be watching it for him. Like, can you even be a backup in the NFL? Can you handle this? Because a lot of times backups, you know, Mariotas, the, I saw a clip like AJ McCarran, you know, we've seen them in big moments, like, handle themselves.

And we've seen Carson Beck, Georgia turned on them. I can't imagine that program has great things to say about him. So this is a big moment for his football career. And I'm taking Elko here in this moment. Even if I don't trust their offense, I just think that that place is going to be bananas. You said that is the night. That's the Saturday night game. No, it's not a night.

It's like 11 a.m. It's not that they put the night game as James Madison, Oregon, which I don't understand how you do. Well, because they gave the other two games because they, ESPN, Yeah, I should know. gave him to TNT. Yeah, ESPN kept the two good matchups, right? And they gave T&T the matchups with the big point spreads. Hey, at least you're going to call a small playoff game TNT.

James Madison, Tulane. But yeah, I agree with everything you said. I think, you know, Elko's third down defense has been something that's been given a lot of opponents trouble. If you're a fan of explosive players, I think Malachi, Tony, from Miami, where they found this guy, three-star freshman, It feels like outside of him, the running game is pretty soft, don't really have any other receivers outside of him.

And then for Texas A&M, they have some of the best backs in the country, Casey Concepcioni, Mario Craber. Like, that's one thing that Miami's been struggling at against SMU or Louisville is if you do have those elite wide receivers and you can get them over the top, especially at home at Kyle Field. It just feels like a game where Mario Cristobal and Carson Beck, it just suffocates them and they just can't get out of the hole. Or they kind of keep it competitive.

maybe they start running the ball. And I don't know, maybe Carson Beck ends up performing. If Marcel Reed doesn't play well, if they're not throwing the ball, like it could be, it wouldn't shock if it was like 10, 10 game going to the fourth quarter. You know, the other thing is, I remember tweeting this out on that it was Friday night. Like Texas does not, or they haven't, and I don't think Oklahoma has either. They have not played an SEC night home game. And, you know, one thing about Texas, I was thinking like, this is an electric environment.

this place felt like a playoff game for them because it kind of was. I mean, it was a Super Bowl. That rivalry had gone away for a while once A&M went to the SEC and Texas was in the Big 12. Now it's, you know, it's alive again because they're both in the same conference. But that night game, that place, it was rocking. And clearly like Texas, I mean, showed up to play. If that version of Texas had played more games,

like they're not in tight games against Kentucky. Mississippi State. They probably still lose Ohio State, but they don't lose to Florida. Even though when you went back and looked like, Arch's numbers weren't as good as the game felt when you were watching it. Part of it was that big touchdown run. But that game, they would have been hard to beat beside like a Georgia, Ohio State. Like I felt like they're beating most teams that night with their effort.

And the energy in the place, because again, you don't see, you just don't see that many night games in Austin anymore. I feel like most of their night games have felt like the road game right and they play a ton like Kentucky for the SEC but there's on the road and then they typically have like the noon kickoff at home at least the last couple years

I'm like I want more night games of Texas this place it's like an underrated no one talks about it and get the SEC I mean I was blown away this year Auburn had like seven night games the place looks incredible I'm like I'd want to play there if I was a kid but I just think

that night was if that game had been noon, I wonder if it's a different feel. But that thing was night, Friday night, holiday, people been drunk for like three straight days. Did you agree? Was that environment? Like, that was elite.

Because you're watching that game, you're like, I know Texas has three losses, but like, could they slip in? They look like a playoff team right now. Arch looks like what we wanted at the beginning of the season, and he's transformed and they're able to run the football. And, yeah, an A&M team, that got kind of exposed.

But that wasn't the version of, they didn't look like that, majority of the year. No, no. The crowd feeds into it and just the home field advantages. But yeah, I agree. Do you think, I mean, we can kind of talk broad about the playoff too. And you look at a pool of who can actually win the national championship. It's going to see like those home playoff games and then you're going to see teams in the first round by that, I mean, Indiana, three and a half weeks, like how do they shape up versus an Oklahoma and Alabama that are played before? Georgia last year at a first round by, they looked great. But this year they got kind of

Stockton, who's had a full season where at that time it was weird because of the whole, you know, tragic situation, the game got postponed, but still they looked pretty flat. Then you got Ohio State, Texas Tech, Texas Tech, haven't really been in the limelight like that. You don't have a lot of players that have been in the playoff. Who do your mind? Like, who do you think wins the national championship? Do you think any of those first round, I guess, teams, or I should say second round team, first round by, get a little exposed a little bit. That's the second round. Well, I do think that I've heard a lot of people say that only the four by teams in Oregon can win the Natty. And I just, to me, Ole Miss is a team in the first round that has no chance to win it.

They don't have a good enough defense. But I do believe that Oklahoma could beat anybody. When you play great defense, you can just win an individual game? Now, can they win four straight games? Probably not. But Mateer got a couple million dollars for a reason. And then, you know, Miami, Texas A&M, if one of the, you know, teams got hot that they were pretty tough.

You know, Indiana, like, they're really good, but is, is the, is the, what's the wide receiver? Omar Kelly the second? Omar Cooper, yeah. Omar Cooper. Like, if he's there and they got three wide receivers, they're really tough, but is he have a high ankle sprains? He out for the playoffs?

I mean, you know, college is not like the pros. You don't, we won't find out for a while what his status is. But, yeah, I would say Indiana, Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon. wouldn't shock me of any of those four. I would say Oklahoma could definitely upset somebody. I wonder with Indiana, because I know, like, Indiana is one of those teams.

It's so hard to mentally compose and say that this team is the number one team in the country. They just be in Ohio State. But you do wonder, like, we're all human at the end of the day. Can't say, Nettie, get them right three and a half weeks against an Oklahoma team. That's just going to punch them in the mouth. Like, Ohio State's defense, they start out. slow and if it wasn't for that interception some field goals early the back shoulder fade like outside of that touchdown they lead to field goes the whole game they lose like i do wonder against an oklahoma

fire team that has nothing to lose with indiana that now feels like they kind of have something to lose with how good they i'd argue they beat ohio state if they win if they beat oklahoma and then lost to organ in the i guess it would be the final four it's a great that is an incredible season i mean That is, that's a, that's a contract for life for Signetti. Once you meet Ohio State, I do think you just need to win the one game, though. It would be a pretty big letdown if you lose Oklahoma or Alabama. I'm in agreement there. Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers, and guess what?

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wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how did we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it.

We were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing,

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And then if you're Oregon, you're smiling ear to year because you don't got to play in the Big Ten championship game. And you've got a road where a Texas Tech team, I know Texas Tech fans will be like, we spent a lot of money. Like you spent $28 million on a roster. But I think outside of their defensive line, I think their offense is pretty exposable. The Reds zone offense isn't very great. On Oregon team, they just have to get healthy. Like if their receivers, like the Cori Moore, who's been their freshman All-American that hasn't really played, he had some big catches against Penn State. Like, that's why people are, some people were kind of puzzled on Dante Moore.

should he go to the draft, should he not? I think I credit him for finding ways to win without his top receivers on the road to Iowa. Obviously, the USC game was weird at Washington. They're kind of a team to me where, they are a sneaky team. They came in last year. All the pressure was on them.

And then they got Ohio State who, Ryan Day would rally the troops after that Michigan game. They blew out Tennessee in that cold night game. And they came in just humming. and that wasn't it like 28-0-0 at the end of the first quarter or something? It was crazy. It was ridiculous. It was like the equivalent of a Rose Bowl when McCaffrey played Iowa.

And remember he scored on the kickoff return? And then all of a sudden it was like, we're going to beat you guys 100 to nothing. And that, but it was like, okay, Stanford was unreal at the time. Oregon just felt like these are two equals and they got destroyed. So I think it's kind of a rallying cry. I do think they've had that win against O'Reilly. Iowa was pretty incredible.

Like that was, like, beating Iowa this year is not easy. Like that was a good win for USC. That was a fantastic win for them on the road. That drive to throw he made down the right side was beautiful. That old drive. I remember I was, I finished playing golf. I'd been watching it. I'd listened in my car.

And then I rewatched it when I got home. That was sweet. Like, that was, that's one of the better, you would say Indiana's driving against Penn State. Might be the best drive of the year. In the rain, too. That was sick. I mean, catch of the year for sure. You could argue Oregon's drive was to get in a field goal range because, you know, college kickers.

It's wet and cold. I mean, that was really, really hard. And I think last year, listen, you just, you know, part of football, too, is like, you can't lay an egg. That's the thing in the play out. Like in the NFL, this is not basketball. You see all the time a team will lose. I think the Warriors played the Grizzlies one year, lost a game by like 50,

won the series. Like it doesn't, in football, you have a bad half in a playoff game because you start getting really tight. You start realizing, like, our season's over. And they just ran into a perfect storm. I think,

obviously, I would expect Oregon. Honestly, 21 and a half. That number's not big enough. I would put it like 35. I think they are, this is going to be a landing. We're going to try to be a 35-0-0. We're going to try to,

get it going because he just saw what it meant for a team coming in to play him just to roll and have positive momentum. Not that they have like a negative feeling because they're coming in. I think a lot of people think playing some of the better football over last month of anyone in the country. But I would honestly, you could convince me that numbers, I don't know,

like 60 to nothing. Unless it's like a torrential downpour or freezing cold. That would change a little. Like the Notre Dame game last year was so cold. What was the final? score that Notre Dame Indiana. It was like 27-7 or something. Yeah, and they scored some late touchdowns a little closer. Yeah, I think it was like 27. But it wasn't like 50 to 7 right now. But it's harder to blow someone out in a frigid cold.

I mean, what was it, 10 degrees? If it's just cold and a little wet, like I think they are pedal to the metal destroying them. And then I think Oregon's favorite against Texas deck. It feels like the Rutgers game, Oregon's game plan, where they just ran for like 300 or 40 yards, just multiple backs. We're going to run the ball. Especially if they have receiver injuries. You don't even contemplate playing those guys. They had a Minnesota game.

I remember watching on Friday night. They kind of did that too. Just run it down their throat. What's your guess on the Texas Tech Oregon? Let's say Oregon rolls. I mean, it's Oregon has touchdowns. I think Oregon wins by 10.

I think Oregon is probably a six and a half point. What do you think the line is? Like five, six points, seven points? Yeah. Yeah. Six and a half being a neutral site. The one thing would be, you know, Texas's tech defense, like could they hold?

Oregon enough, but Texas next red zone off. And if you're, if you're settling for six field goals against BYU, like, I'm just, I'm sorry. I don't think you can do anything against Oregon. I just, I do not. I think their secondary is better than what BYU showed. I think their offensive line got a little exposed against BYU. WU.

BYU is a good defense, but I just, I think it's a different level of competition where, I mean, ASU played Texas, I mean, ASU played Texas ball last year. I just don't think it's the same level of what Texas Tech's played for this year. I agree. I agree. One word team I want to mention, Georgia.

I think, I mean, I don't know who I think is going to win at all. They might be the hottest team in the country right now, how they're playing. It feels like their defense has finally figured it out. Gunterstockton came and we didn't know a whole lot about him. I know preseason we talked about Bama. And I know we were kind of ranking some of these quarterbacks heading into the year. And he was like, oh, Gunnors Stockton, Ty Simpson. I don't know.

Gunnostockton feels like one of the more non-talked about quarterbacks in football. And all this guy does is complete passes and take shots. do it all over again and just run for first downs. They're a goody team. I think they're super dangerous. In their path right now, you get Ole Miss. They would probably end up playing Ohio State in our backyard at the Fiesta Bowl, but I think they're a team

that could win the Natty this year. I want to be shocked too. I do have a 14-1 bed on them. That'd be a sick Fiesta Bowl, Georgia last day. I do think they really, it lines up pretty good for them because they'll get Ole Miss. Lane is gone. That was a crazy game this year because

they were like Ole Miss scored every single drive for like three straight quarters. And then Kirby kind of like, it felt like gave his D-line a wink and a hit on the ass, and they started destroying Trinidad. I mean, it was like remember he, we were all texting about it, he melted down. In fairness,

he was getting in class. And he was hot too. He was red hot. So that to me is a pretty good, beside the two shitty teams don't belong to be there. If you told Georgia, you could pick one team to play, I think they would be Ole Miss

they might pick Bama be their number one pick or Mists might be number two. And then you get Ohio State or one of these other two teams that have just played like the U versus A&M is going to be a war physically. I mean, there are going to be some people that get like Fernando Mendoza on the ground.

There are people going to be getting their teeth knocked in. Whoever wins that game, I think Ohio State will be the same, that thing will be a physical. whoever's coming in like they're especially if one of those the you or a and them were to win both games they would have to be physically like that's a that's a tough two games stretch exhausted ohio state's a little bit easier but you just played a war zone game so then you're playing i guess you get what basically 20 plus days off till this game on the 31st or the first because that would be yeah after i guess their game would be the 31st but yeah after the quarter final it's a week

in between. I think George is going to come in on a little bit of an easier. Like that game against Alabama, they have less guys in the ice tub. Like every single player that played at Ohio State or Indiana was like struggling to get out of bed for a couple days. You know, that game was, that was sweet. I mean, it would look like Green Bay versus Indiana. I mean, Green Bay versus Chicago. Like, it was a very physical game.

Like, those type games. Even in the NFL, you don't get those. all the time. You know, like Cincinnati Buffalo ate one of those, right? But there are a few games that I think that matters. I think the attrition,

the wear and tear, though you would say Ohio State. I mean, how often they've been tested over the last couple months? Not so often. Not at all. Yeah.

I just think George is so, so multiple on offense. They have so much depth. They have three or four running backs and Zachariah Branch has been kind of that breakout star for them on the offense event. But then more importantly,

you have a quarterback that played last year in this game. You have a team that knew what it was like for a first round by. Kirby's a smart to smart coach. Like he's been there before. He knows how it would adjust from a year before to now. I just think he would be the more Mendoza is up there in terms of quarterbacks. I trust more. Saying, I don't know after that Big Ten championship game.

He hasn't really been battle tested. But for me, Gunterstock, it would be my most trusted quarterback. What he did at Tennessee, Auburn, Texas, fourth and goal, like a bunch of fourth downs, third down conversions, that matters in the sport and how big of a game this is his. And I think that's the advantage that Georgia will have in this game. I think that's why they could win the entire thing. I think it could be good for the SEC, finally get that SEC Big Ten matchup. You can play Ohio State. And if they win that game, you know, they got bragging rights because last year the SEC did not perform well in the CFP too. But I think, yeah, I just, I think Georgia is

the most dangerous team. And you're right. Like, they don't have to play the gritty, grindy, teams that Ohio State does or the A&M does that they have to. Because regardless, if Ohio State wins by 10 against A&M or Miami, you're going to be a little banged up in the trenches, to say at least. Big time. Totally. A couple more questions.

We'll go NFL draft and we'll go into some coaching stuff. Mendoza feels like he's the number one overall pick. You could kind of talk about what your thoughts on for Nandoza. It seems like he's like the legit guy. He seems legit. Do you think Dante Moore and Tyson Simpson should stay or declare? just kind of this overall quarterback class what we thought was going to be one of the more best quarterback classes.

It seems like Mendoza and maybe Dante Moore in top five, if he does come out. It's interesting to see with he's 20 years old, his first year playing, Wolstein's gone as he go back. Ty Simpson to me seems like he should just go back regardless. One quick thing on Oregon, I heard someone say this the other day.

We've had a lot of coaches that are taking a job continue to coach like a coordinator, right you know it happened forever with nick saven we've seen it with kirby and dan landing it's a little bit different when you're playing potentially three or four games so they're both their coordinators are head coach kentucky head coach a cow right now you know landing the defense is baby not as crazy of like it's easier to we'll start and like i heard an interview with him driving around on college football serious channel 84 it's actually pretty good listen Rick new has a host show on there and he was like,

you could just tell that Kentucky is like a major priority for him now. And you just have to wonder James Madison won't be an issue. But that's something to keep an eye on. You know, like, are they getting the full? And part of it is, you know,

Dante Moore, if they're in the national championship, that means he's playing a game against Texas Tech, which, I mean, everyone will be watching that thing. Then playing Oklahoma, Bama, or Indiana. everyone's watching that thing

and then playing like Georgia Ohio State or Miami like ever you know so it's like he could have a run where you go well this guy actually I mean what if he plays Fernando Mendoza in when would that I guess semis that would be the semi that would be the final

four what if he outplays them I know they don't technically play each other but like what if he just one guy throws four touchdowns and the other guy's just the bed I mean so I I would say as we sit here right now Mendoza's pretty close

clear. One, he's bigger. I mean, Mendoza looks, I mean, it's closer to like Andrew Luck measurements. I was thinking today, Herbert physically probably has a little more juice to him, but it's kind of in that realm of like the tall, long, you know, 6-5-ish. Herbert's got a stronger arm, both good athletes. I think Mendoza's aren't pretty strong. It's not weak. But I think they're, and remember Herbert coming out of Oregon, like, obviously Burrell went one,

but two and one above him. people forget that because now it's like an afterthought two throws around 100 yards and his team still win Dante Moore I feel like he would learn from like what drew our did last year where he was like one of the hottest names after the CIP and what his run was even though he threw that late interception people were like oh this guy's got a top five top 10 pick and I know he ended up not panning out that way and this year I'll probably like a fifth round pick but it feels like if you're Dante more you got a strike with the iron's hot and if it doesn't work out early in the NFL you're a top five pick they're going to keep you around or maybe he's a guy guy that he's 20 years old, he's kind of a skinnier build, like a Jaden Daniels, they just kind of sit on. Because I do think he's only started one year. You know, Mendoza's been, had two years at Cal and then this year. So he's, and it lost a lot, had to go into a lot of games, less talent when he was at Cal. You know, Dante's been a, I mean, he started technically some games for Chip. That did not go well. I mean, no one's even valuing that. Like, that's irrelevant. But like, of being a good player,

he's had one year. And how many good games, like how many good teams have they played? Indiana. USC like he doesn't have that many like the NFL fan or NFL scouts aren't just killing Minnesota like doesn't do anything for them right

that's where Fernando Mendoza gets a lot of credit of like you know arguably I don't know how many touchdowns Sarat had but Cooper had 11 so it's like you lose a guy that gave 11 touchdowns like first series of the game your second best wide receiver

is the Vander or not the Vanderbilt but the Nashville guy Did Gus call him Baker, not Becker? I think he was calling him the wrong name. But I had some people text me. Regardless, you're going up against Ohio State that probably has multiple first round corners, let alone Caleb Downs. You know, in those environments, that's what you get judged on.

And that's where, you know, going up against Texas Text-D line will be a big, great evaluation point. Again, he doesn't need to come out. Like, what would Oregon pay him to come back? $5, $6 million? Now, you do sign a $40 million contract when you are the number, even if he's not the number one pick I mean Dante Moore probably go pretty high

I think they'd be really good next year too if you were to come back Oh there was it next year supposed to be their year? Yeah, yeah Wasn't this like the retool year? Yeah, this is a re-tool. Aren't they one of the youngest teams in the country? Yeah, that's like their downside is just their youth

and not inexperienced but I mean you got a lot of young you got two freshman receivers, you got a freshman running back, a lot of young guys in the secondary on the back end side, but I don't know. I think he's in a good position. I think it would be tough for him to, I think, you know, the NFL, like, teams are so quarterback needy where it's like the NFL maybe pushes him to, hey, you know, Mendoza and you are at number one and two, like you're guaranteed to be a top five, top 10 pick.

You're 20 years old. Like the Will Stein factor definitely has to play into it. But I wanted to, you made a good point talking about Will Stein, Kentucky, fully locked in on that versus in the playoff. We didn't mention Ohio State. That's another team where Brian Hartline going to USF. And I'm sure you've seen the clips of him talking about South Florida. He feels like another guy, and that's another team where you're kind of hesitant on how you approach Ohio State in the playoff because I don't know if it was Brian.

I don't know if it was Brian Hartliner, if it was Ryan Day calling the plays versus Indiana. But some of those short yard situations didn't look like we expected to for the entire season for Ohio State. That's another area. I'm interested to see how they are with Brian Hartline. If he makes a four-round playoff run, like you're telling you're telling me in January, he's not focused on the portal. or focused on his team while he's trying to coach the offense. That seems like another sticky situation that could affect Ohio State. Yeah, I mean, you know, Georgia doesn't look like lost anybody, right?

No. So Indiana somehow no one even talks to their coordinators. I mean, their defensive coordinator, if he was at Georgia, Ohio State would be interviewing like seven different places. So yeah, I mean, it's definitely, I mean, South Florida, too, I think they, you know, in the revs share world, all these non, are they, are they in? Are they in the Big 12? They're a group of five. They're in the AAC. Central Florida is in the Big 12.

South Florida. They do like full revs share. Most of these like Fresno State, Boise State, like they're not, they don't have any money to give their players. It's, I heard someone say it's like by far over the next couple years going to be the best non-power forward job because of the money they have to pay players. Because when I saw I took that job, I'm like, why would you take that job?

And then I heard it was the revenue share. They're going 100%. No different than all the other, you know, SEC and ACC. schools. So yeah, I mean, I think that all these variables, you know, with just NIL, I mean, are there going to be guys that on the team that go, yeah, I'm not even playing. I'm going to go in the portal now. You just never know. This is, it's why it's things can change fast. If you told me like a team's like, yeah, this guy's like their slot receiver, he just, he just went in the portal because maybe he's hearing like, yeah, we're not going to pay this much next year. We

have another guy coming in. Like, that's liable to happen. Besides, you know, like the star players, but you just never know in this world. I'm prepared for anything. I'm like, yeah, so-and-so, their starting defensive tackle, just he quit. Not to, like, quit to go to the draft. Like, he's just going to go to another team. That was like Penn State's backup quarterback, Perbula, and they used them in the running game.

He had to leave. He had to go to the portable before the playoff was even started because he had to go to Mizzou. Like, he had to get himself a starting quarterback job. So I'm not saying, like, it could be of the impact of that, but it's just a weird situation. But last question, we'll wrap up on this. Coaching movement, a ton of hires. It feels like all the spots have finally filled up like two weeks, which is crazy.

What are the fits that you think are most likely to turn around in 2026? It's tough with like the portal and recruiting. We don't know really who's there. And then what was the coaching move that you were just like, what the fuck? Tell me who's your favorite hire? My favorite, it feels like Summerall is going to work at Florida somehow. I don't know if it's because of he's a little fiery. He's more vocal.

What he did at Tulane, being able to turn around and most of those guys left when Minza left his quarterback to get Red So off from BYU and to even be a playoff team, he seems like a guy that I think they just needed. They just needed, I feel like Florida just needed like an identity change. They just needed a guy that was more fiery,

not quiet who's going to kind of put his thumb up his butt when, you know, things are going on, kind of saying the same thing over and over again. So I like Summerall Florida. I think there's a bunch of fits where, you know, even like Eric Morris to Oklahoma State or even like Tosh going to Cal and keeping JKS in the weak ACC, that's huge. Like he would have been one of the top quarterbacks in the portal.

So you have a draw of a former Oregon defensive coordinator that's successful with Cal, his alum. I like that fit too, but there's a ton. I mean, I feel like a lot of these and then next year we'll see him and it's like it didn't work out. I do think the Tosh thing is pretty unique, right? He played there. So he understands it's not a normal place to coach.

I mean, they rebuilt the stadium like 10 years ago and they had people living in the tree taking dumps out of the tree. In the SEC, they would have thrown those people in a ditch and buried them. And everyone would have just built a road right over, not even cared. It can be a little wacky, but he kind of, he's a Bay Area guy. he's an elite recruiter. And now that like, you don't have to hide the brown back, which I think he did over the years.

I saw Ed Ogeron say the difference in the NIL. He's like, they're like, how are you going to handle NIL? He's like, you can go in the front door and now. You don't need to go in the back with bag, you know, hiding behind the trees. So I think Tosh, I think Rolovich, the former Washington State coach and a white coach is probably going to stay and be there, you know, potentially their offensive coordinator, potentially. His rapport with the quarterback obviously is pretty good.

and the ACC just kind of stinks. Now, I think Big Picture, it's not a sexy hire. He could be a little cheesy watching his press conference, Matt Campbell, but this was a guy that, like, has turned down USC, has turned down probably four, I mean, has turned down, I'm sure, massive jobs. And all of a sudden, they just kind of feels like, walk into him a little bit like that. I don't know, clearly wasn't their number one choice, but he does kind of,

to feel like a Penn State guy. You know, now the recruiting rankings, James Virginia Tech like went up 100 spots immediately. James is an elite recruiter. You do need to kind of be both at Penn State. Like it does recruit itself a little bit, but I say that about other programs like Florida. It's like, well, you kind of got to recruit and coach. So there's just going to be a lot of pressure on him. You know, you can have eight and five seasons or nine and four seasons.

People like, oh, good job. You that at Penn State, people will freak out. So I think it's like the pressure, maybe not next year, but over the course of then the following couple years, like you're going to need like an 11 and 1, 10, and 2 year, especially if the schedule breaks right. And we'll see because there's a big difference that Iowa State and Penn State in terms of the pressure.

No, I would say the same thing for Lane. Like, Lane, in a weird way, it doesn't have that many big wins historically, right? This year beat Oklahoma. I think he beat Oregon when he was at USC. He beat Georgia last year. But it's not like he is a guy like, you know, Brian Kelly for a long time in Notre Dame,

rattled off a bunch of big wins. And I just think the pressure at LSU, I don't want to say he's going to get a pass next year, but it's like, okay, you go nine and three, you know, be like the 16 seed, people would be cool. I think you're going to have to, people like, you got to win a national championship in the first couple years. He definitely has to be like in the final four

because they're going to have one of the, the highest paid rosters, they're going to need to have like a Georgia Ohio State season. That even if you don't win it, it's like, okay, I'm in the final four and we lose by a field goal. The pressure there is going to be immense.

I mean, immense. The Pete Golding seems like a good guy. I don't know. Stay in a tough spot, man, that loves Oxford, yeah.

That's a tough spot. But when you were talking about Matt Campbell, I was like going to the schedule next year, they don't play Ohio State Oregon or Indiana. They play at Michigan. They have USC at home. So that could be like a bridge year where they go eight, four, nine, and three. Fame base is fine.

The high school recruiting, obviously they had like two recruits signed. So they might have to go fully portal. They're another team where I wonder, he's as quarterback Iowa State, Rocco Beck's been a guy that's been playing for like four years. He's got out one more year. So you kind of poach him over and have like a starter. You have a for sure quarterback that can start there that kind of like, you know, rebuild and revive a program immediately. I don't know. But it would be interesting to see if he were to go over there and follow him.

I don't know if he's a big 10 quarterback, though. So we'll see. Isn't he kind of a runaround guy? Yeah, he's kind of short too. I mean, he's like a Brock. He plays similar like Brock Pretty was when he was in Iowa State. I feel like Brock threw it better than him. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, you're right. Well, yeah, head scratching wise, you're more, you know, California more Bob Chesney, UCLA. I don't know if it's good. I'm not discrediting Bob Chesney, but it felt like a weird fit. I thought one of those, like, I thought Bob Chesney was more of like an East Coast guy. So no one's taking their job. Yeah. Like no one with any name recognition or any options is taking their job.

And, you know, my guy, Skipper won three games in a row. They didn't win another game. But, you know, he's at Cal Poly. Great hire. I mean, credible hire. But I also think that UCLA, it's hard to get someone to take that job. You know what I mean? Bob Chesney, yeah, I think it's more just, I just don't think anyone was taking their job.

I really think it comes down to that, right? And if you look like he's just going, well, if I can get seven, eight wins for a couple years, why wouldn't a massive program hire me? And that's what I think he's doing. Because typically he replaced Signetti, right? Yeah. So, JMU.

Now Bill and Apier is the coach. Yeah, you can dominate a JMU, but look who the teams that are hiring you. Now, Indiana's awesome now, but like, that was, he wasn't getting hired by Nebraska or now his program's better than them now but Nebraska never would hire or you know

Clemson or whoever but you prove you could win a year later everyone wanted Signetti if UCLA in two years is eight and four like why wouldn't whatever his kind of dream area is why wouldn't Florida State be interested you know whoever you paid the school

I do think it's cool that we're last last fit on I mentioned. It kind of was under the radar, but Colin Klein to Kansas State, he's a guy that when I grew up, him in Oregon, Kansas State quarterback, I do think it's kind of cool that we're kind of going down this different avenue in college football that former guys of the universities want to help their program. I want to help their alma mater out, what Tosh is doing, what Colin Klein's doing, Brom didn't leave, Clark Lee didn't leave, Brent Key, Dillingham. I think that's kind of a cool, like new aspect of college football that we're starting to get into is most of these

former like alumni guys want to really help their program out. I'm excited to see what, you know, Colin Klein can do at Kansas. I know Kansas State's not a big program. I don't big 12. It doesn't get talked about a bunch. But it's just, it's a sick hire, in my opinion. And he's one of the best play callers. Yeah, definitely is. I mean, I'm with you on that. Okay, Jackson. Take it easy, bro. No Irish. I'll see you. Later. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what?

We have some big news. What's the news? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts.

Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with the name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. And we were thinking I'm originally calling it. one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers was...

This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, Hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel

help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get. your podcasts. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast, I'm breaking

down everything happening at Roland Garris, every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jen she went. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lina Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across.

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Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves.

Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people. people who live them. Listen to SportsSlic on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicelife-Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Okay, let's dive into someone who this weekend is going to be zoned in. Now, as of recording this, we don't know if Philip Rivers is going to be starting or not. But the man has 10 children. Seven daughters, three boys, he even has a grandchild. I'm pretty sure he said at the press conference on Wednesday that he has a daughter that's married. So this is a unique 44 year old. This is a guy that, you know, his prime was a long time ago, right? We're talking a decade ago. But the last time he played an NFL game, 2020, this is a guy making his return. There is going to be no person if he plays in this game.

More zoned in. One than Philip Rivers, who I think is making the Brady's, the breezes, the Payton's. You can't convince me that they're not a little jealous. Just to get that call. Like, Hey, hey man, you still got anything left? Hell yeah, I got something left. But his family, can you imagine sometimes a box, right? Where you get like, you know, your girlfriend, maybe your parents. It happens to a lot of players in their third. Maybe your wife and a young child.

Potentially, if he plays in this game or game in the next couple weeks, he is going to have his 10 children there. His grandchildren, his parents, Philip Rivers, is going to have a gigantic, the river's, contingent to support their father. And how cool is it that this? He said one of his daughters, who was one, when he last played in the NFL, had to watch YouTube highlights for him to prove that he actually was a good player.

And who knows, maybe he's not a good player anymore. Wouldn't blame him if he's not. He's 44 years old. Probably gated in a little weight, a little off the fastball. Granted, he never really had a fastball. It was more of an accuracy timing guy. But very, very cool moment for the family to be able to watch their father, their husband, their grandpa, potentially, we don't know for sure, but God,

if Philip Rivers does not play, if not this weekend, the following week, very soon, we will all be very disappointed, but no one is more zoned in right now than the Rivers family. The volume. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick.

And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast. Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick.

Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman helped make. you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, Streeter Seidel,

help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Winning on Clay is an art. The rallies are relentless. And at the French Open, only the toughest survive. I'd know. I competed there for decades. Join me, Renee, on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast for no nonsense breakdowns of the biggest matches, the toughest players, and the moments that define Roland Garros. She's an outsider to win the French for me.

And she likes Clay. Listen, Lennar Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now, and I actually can win on any surface. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal. but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear.

Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12. and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.