The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast - 8/30/18 - Klatt's Top 10 + Saban overrated? + Heisman favorites with Matt Leinart

Episode Date: August 30, 2018

Joel Klatt kicks off another season of college football with his Top 10 teams in the country, along with a monologue about the anonymous coach saying Nick Saban overrated. Later, 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart joins the show to talk Heisman favorites. Then, Joel and Matt play everybody's favorite game: Did Lane Kiffin Say It? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, what's up? Welcome to a brand new year of Breaking the Huddle. I am Joel Clatt, your host, here at Lear College Football Analyst for Fox Sports, and our show is presented and sponsored by Dr. Pepper. Remember at every tailgate and home gate, it is the one fans crave because it is delicious. Now, what we got going on today, it's a really fun show. I'm going to give you my top 10. You can throw your comments to me. I'll try to get back with them and interact with you on social media.

Matt Liner is going to come in. We're going to play a really fun game called Kiffin, Not. Kiffin about things Lane Kiffin may or may not have said in the public sphere. We're going to get his Heisman take and we'll have a long discussion on the Heisman trophy before we get out of here on this week one of college football. It is finally here. Let's all rejoice. Let's get into it. The top 10. I'm going to roll through the first 10 to 6 fairly quickly. So let's start with my number 10 team in my rankings in the preseason. I've got the Miami Hurricanes, the U coming in at number 10. I'm really a big fan of Miami. I love what Mark Rick is doing in recruiting. If Malik Rozier, if he develops it all, they could have a really special year down there in Miami.

At number nine, I've got Michigan State. The most experienced team in the country, 19 starters back. They won 10 games last year. Their quarterback's back. Mark Dan Antonio is a great coach. So I've got Michigan State at number nine. They've got some crucial games at home in the Big Ten. At number eight, I'm going to go with Michigan. That could easily be higher.

I'm very high on Michigan. I think they beat Notre Dame this week in week one. I think this is going to be the breakout year from Michigan where they potentially win that division for the first time in this modern era of championship game in the Big Ten. At number seven, I've got Oklahoma. This might be a little bit of a stretch, though, because remember, when programs lose Heisman trophy winners,

they generally take a large step back. In fact, if you go back to the seven previous quarterback Heisman trophy winners, those programs, the year that those quarterbacks left, on average finished 8 and 5. So they got to overcome some serious things there at Oklahoma without Baker Mayfield. At number six, I'm going to go with Washington. You'll see them higher than six on some people's poll. But for me, they just have to prove it.

They have a chance to do that week one against Auburn. The importance of that game cannot be overstated, not only for the Huskies, but for the entirety of the Pack 12 conference. Now let's get into the top five. At number five, I've got Wisconsin. Now, Wisconsin, first, you get to mention Jim Leonard because every time Wisconsin gets mentioned on my show, Jim Liddard, the defensive coordinator, gets mentioned. I think their defense will be able to overcome some of the personnel losses because of one scheme and two, leadership at the linebacker position. It's a defense that is focused on giving the linebackers the opportunity to make plays.

They've got some of the best out there. T.J. Edwards is a fantastic player. And then offensively, they could be as good as they have been in a long time. I think it's the best offensive line in the country. I think Horniebrook plays much better this year than he did last year in particular when it comes to taking care of the football. And I like Jonathan Taylor a lot. He's in my top five running backs in the entire country. So that Washington team, or excuse me, Wisconsin team, has a legit chance to make a run and not only a Big Ten title, but a playoff spot.

At number four, I'm going to go with Georgia. Call me an SEC hater. Try it. Eat it. Georgia is at number four because they're a great program right now. I love what Kirby Smart is doing, specifically on the recruiting trail. I mean, they're legitimately challenging Alabama for number one in the country now year in and year out. So this is going to be a mainstay right now, not only in the SEC, but at the top of the standings in all of college football.

They haven't named a starting quarterback that doesn't concern me because of the new redshirt rule. Remember true freshman or any player can play in four games and still redshirt? So I think that's okay. Now, the one concern for Georgia for me is they're losing a lot of leadership. Roquan Smith linebacker. The all-time tandem rushing back leaders, Nick Chubb and Sony Michelle, that's a lot to have to overcome. But they've got a lot of great talent. I'm a believer in Georgia. I believe that they're going to win that East Division in the SEC and face another team in the title game, which will be up here on my rankings. Number three, Ohio State. Listen, lots been said about Ohio State and their entire situation.

The one thing that has not been said or not focused on is the fact that when it comes to the talent and the roster on that team, it's as good as anybody in the country. And they have a chance to be better than they were a year ago. And in large part, due to the style that Dwayne Haskins gives them at quarterback versus what J.T. Barrett gave them at quarterback. This is going to transform from a third down quarterback run team to a team that understands how to threaten the deep parts of the field, get vertical. in the passing game and then more vertical and downhill in the run game with J.K. Dobbins. Think Cardell Jones, Ezekiel Elliott, and that's the type of Ohio State offense that I think you're going to get from the get go this year, which means, again, they could be better. So Ohio State, for me, is at number three.

The number two team in the country, and I think that the top two have really separated themselves out right now, and they're the two elite programs in all of college football. Clemson at number two, that defense is going to be insane. could be the best defensive line in the entire country, not only this year, but maybe ever. Okay, folks, they have a chance to have three first round draft picks and then a fourth in the top two rounds. That's insane. Brent Venables is back as their defensive coordinator. They've named Kelly Bryant, their starter.

This guy is a very good player. And now they're going to have a backup in Trevor Lawrence that pushed him that was the number one recruit in the country. They're solidified right now. I think Clemson's a heck of a team, and that's a division and a conference. that I believe is imminently winnable for them. They should walk to the playoff, along with my number one team. I think it's borderline irresponsible to put anybody other than Alabama at number one in a preseason poll until Nick Saban leaves.

Until proven otherwise, this is the best program in the country, all right? And it is by a wide margin. In 10 years, they've won five national championships and they're 66 and 4 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Did you hear me correctly? That means since 2008, they've won more national championships. championships, then they have home losses. This guy has won five championships and he's done it with four different combinations of coordinators. He's done it with Jake Coker and Tua Tunga Vialoa and Jalen Hertz and A.J. McCarrin and Greg McElroy, it doesn't matter who plays quarterback for them, which is why this quarterback controversy for me is a non-controversy. They could win the national championship with Jalen Hertz just as quickly as they could win it with Tua Tuaa Tunga Vialoa. This is a great program. Defensivelyly, they're going to lose a lot of players. guess what else they have? A lot of great depth because they've been one of the top recruiting classes, if not the top recruiting class in the country, for quite some time.

Like I said, borderline irresponsible to put anybody else at number one other than Alabama until proven otherwise, and it has not been proven otherwise as of yet. Nick Sabin is incredible. People will point, including Skip Bayliss, which is why I had to yell at him on Tuesday on undisputed. People will point to the fact that Nick Saban has given up eight 40-point games since 2007. Okay? 40 points is a lot. There are four other Power 5 teams that have given up

fewer 40-point games during that stretch. Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio State, and LSU. But if you dig a little deeper, you're going to see something that is quite alarming. In those games for those four other schools, their combined record when giving up 40 points is 3 and 19. Three and 19.

Guess what Bama's record is in those eight games that they gave up 40 points. Four and four. They're 500. They win regardless of style. If they need to outscore you, they'll do it. If they need to have a running quarterback, they'll do it. If they need a passing quarterback, they'll do it.

Nick Saban wins. Alabama is my number one team in the country. There are so many reasons why I'm so excited for the college football season to actually be here. One of those is so that we can quit talking about things like the anonymous coaches poll. Let me tell you why I hate the anonymous coaches poll. because some coach out there, I presume not very smart, decided to say that Nick Sabin from Alabama is the most overrated coach in America. Now that might jump out as you as like, that's kind of odd. And then he brought up some reasoning like, oh, well, he cheats in recruiting and you would win to if you had the best recruits and players.

And that's interesting. Let me give you a couple of thoughts just on the comments. Number one, if he's cheating and you have proof, then give it. If you don't, then don't say it. Because allegations like that are just breeze in the air unless you can actually prove them. And there's no reason to discredit his name or that program unless you actually have the proof. Now let's go into the actual proof and the actual data of why I think this said coach is, in fact, an idiot. If you look at college football since Nick Sabin returned to the ranks and came back to Alabama,

there have been 10 national titles handed out. Five of them have gone to the tide, which means that, he is exactly 500 against the field when it comes to national championships. That's staggering. No other program has more than one. That's right. No other program has more than one. LSU, Auburn, Ohio State, Florida State, and Clemson have all won one national championship. Alabama has five. That alone makes him one of the more underrated coaches in all of America, much less overrated, but I've got some more data for you to prove that Nick Saban is, in fact, maybe the greatest coach in the history of our sport. Let me point to this. At one point in

every single season, from his second until now, which is 2008, so at one point in every season in the last 10 seasons, Nick Sabin has had the tide ranked at number one in the AP poll. At some point in that season, it's the longest stretch in the history of college football. I would consider one of the more dominant stretches in the history of college football, in particular, when you're talking about a time in which parity is driven by revenue sharing and conferences, in which there are only 85 scholarships, and there's national recruiting bases for several different schools. That's incredible what he's been able to do and the consistency with which he's been able to do it. He hasn't had the one year where he goes eight and five. That hasn't happened. That hasn't happened outside of his first year at Alabama when he was building something very special.

Bob Stoops for all of his greatness at Oklahoma had the occasional eight and five year when a quarterback gets hurt or they've got some injury. Something happens where you go eight and five. Not at Alabama. Why? Because Nick Saban is a phenomenal football coach. In the last 10 seasons, he's got the five titles. I've obviously talked a lot about that. But maybe as impressive as a stat as he's won as many titles as the field is that he's 66 and 4 at home, which means, that Alabama has won more national championships than they've lost home games since 2008. It's staggering. Do you people understand how difficult it is to win in college football, how difficult it is to win on the recruiting trail, with every single coach and every single program

throwing millions of dollars in their recruiting budget at getting these kids to commit to their schools? And what has Sabin done? He's had the number one recruiting class in each of the seven and the last eight years. Since from 2011 till 2017, they were a mainstay at the top of those rankings. That's part of being a college football coach. That's part of being great. It's getting the best players. You can't tell Ozzie Newsom at the Baltimore Ravens that, oh, of course you're a GM.

Look at all the Hall of Famers that you drafted. He drafted them. That's the point. Nick Sabin recruited those players to Alabama. That's what he's paid to do. That's what he's supposed to do. And that's part of being a great coach. There's also another element to that that people don't give him credit for.

We see great teams and talented teams all the time underachieve. Rarely does that happen at Alabama, which means this guy has the rare ability to take talent-laden teams, ego-driven teams, and regardless of those personalities, get them to move in one direction for the betterment of the program rather than the betterment of the individual. That's an incredible feat, yet no one talks about it. How many times have we seen number one recruiting classes at, let's say, other schools get tossed out there, Tennessee's had a number one class, USC's had a number one class. They don't achieve what Alabama has achieved. And why? Because it's tough to teach and coach and build a program with that level of talent and ego in your program.

He doesn't get enough credit for that. The last thing that I'll go with is style. Style of play. Sabin doesn't really care what style of play he has to throw out on the field. in order to win. The reason I know that is because every other program since 2008 that has won a national championship has had exceptional quarterback play, in particular late in the season, to get that done. Cardell Jones for Ohio State played unconscious football in 2014, along with as good of a performance from a running back as we've seen maybe ever in a three-game stretch

with Ezekiel Elliott. FSU had James Winston. That performance that he was putting on to win a national championship was epic in a Heisman year. Climson had Deshawn Watson. We know exactly how difficult it was to beat Deshawn Watson. Nick Saban himself knows that. And Auburn had Cam Newton. So where is this quarterback play for Alabama? Okay, well, you say, well, he has the best players,

so he should win every year. But he doesn't have the best quarterback? And isn't that the most important position on the field? Because when I look, he's won national titles with Greg McElroy, A.J. McCarran twice, Jacob Coger, And now Jalen Hertz being pulled for a true freshman to a Tung of Viola in the second half of the national championship game. This guy by every single metric is the best coach in America. And he might be the best coach of all time.

So your anonymous opinion said coach about him being overrated? I think is garbage. Okay, so I brought in Matt Liner for this segment because in honor of having Lane Kiffin on the air on Saturday on Fox, a game that Gus and I will call FAU at Oklahoma. I thought I'd bring in a quarterback that has played for Lane all the way back when Lane was like literally a 19-year-old assistant. Okay, not literally. He was what? 22, 23?

Mid-20. So Young Lane at USC. Matt is at like the height of his like Maddie Ice, like fame, King of L.A., God knows what. And they were together. So here's the game we're going to play. Kiffin, not Kiffin. Okay, so did Lane say it or not? So it's going to be quotes and tweets that we're going to guess, is this from Lane or is this not from Lane?

All right. So, Voice of God is just going to shout them out to us. That's right. Do not poke the owl. Stay focused. Do not even taste all the rat poison right now. I mean, can I get a pen that works? Whoa, whoa, we can share.

Look at us. Look at us. Yes. Sharon. Oh, Matt's bringing out the nickname. Kiff dog. You guys both got it. Yes.

Kiffin, not Kiffin, is going well. Here, do you want to share an eraser or no? You got an eraser? Okay. Two erasers, one pin. Next. Nick Sabin writes my name in his notebook with lots of hearts and squiggly lines. I mean, you got to know, right?

I mean. Ooh, this might be a trick question. You guys, no. Oh, well, he should have. Did you make that up? Yeah. You did? Yeah.

Voice of God. a.k. Kristen Scott made that up. Come on. See, there's some of these that it's like, I just wish he would say him. Like, that would be amazing. So, Lane, if you're watching this, and I know you are. Lane's watching this. You should tweet that. Can you say that again? Still waiting for my T-shirt.

Nick Saban writes my name in his notebook with lots of hearts and squiggly lines. I will give you $100 to tweet that, Lane. And Matt will double that. Yeah. Okay, next. Sometimes when you bring the thunder, you get lost in the, the storm. I mean, I've got a very false. That's too deep for Lane. Like, and it's, oh yeah, yeah, it was. Yeah, it was. I love, yes, 100%. Now, Kenny Powers, they're kind of

the same guy, Lane and Kenny Powers. With all the love I can muster, Lane. Text me back, by the way. Unbelievable your boy gives, yeah, text you, whatever. man mailed me things I signed for him because they said they don't want this trash in their house. I didn't even have to hear the end of that to know exactly, to know exactly where I was going with that one. Oh yeah, that's Keth. 100 percent. You got it. Oh man. Oh, you're sort of look at this. Oh, look at this. Matt's being a little competitive and a fun game. Here we go. I don't recall a happy moment. I just recall the ass chewing.

I mean, that's for sure, right? He for sure said that about Alabama. Yeah, and saving for sure. Gotta love it. Wouldn't you have loved to have been a fly on the wall? Like one of those times when Lane's getting chewed out. And you can just, you can almost see in his face, he's just like, I don't care.

You know inside he's like, oh, he's like, oh, this guy is the worst. Right? I love it. Okay. I'm pretty popular at Tennessee, me and Pete and Manning. Practically one in the same in their eyes. again there are these quotes that I just desperately want to be like Lane said this like please please yeah I had a feeling that was a trick question

come on guess who's up one yeah but but wouldn't it be cooler if he did say that you said that I don't be like cooler if you did is that wait a lot cooler if you did is that a dazed and confused he's been confused Gosh. Oh, you better tie. You better tie or else. Are you up? Wait, is Matt?

You ever see the movie Big Daddy? Whose show is this anyways? I win. The game is called. I win. Thank you. All right, let's go. Who show is this?

This is Maddie Issa show right now? This is your show. This is the fan show. This is the fan show. People ask me what Nick Sabin says to me on the sidelines. It's just, hey, Lane, I love you so much. Thank you so much. for coming.

That one's really good. That one's really good. Please. I feel like the voice of God. Yes! Oh, I'm digging! Don't call it comeback. I've been here all year.

Do one more. It's a tiebreaker. Yeah, we do have to do it one more time. You can go first. You can go first. Can I say that? I said, darn it. Yeah, it's the internet.

Well, you don't realize that Nick Saving doesn't know what Twitter is. He's never even been on Twitter. You can't troll somebody who doesn't see it. This is big. I feel like this is a big moment. Concentrate. We are still tied?

We are still guys. Wait, he put a question mark. Well, you know. No, no, no, no, it's still good. You can't, you can't waffle. I did waffle. Here, I'll go first. All right, come on.

We got to break this tie. Where is it in writing that when you're a coach, you can't be funny? someone doesn't want to hire me because I'm funny on Twitter then I probably won't want to work for them. Oh, okay, here we go. You guys are just reading them off. I mean, yeah, are you like literally did you go to, did you Google like things Elaine Kiffin said? I was like, that was obvious because they're like literally Googling LinkedIn quotes.

Yeah, Lane Kiffin quotes. Unbilly. All right, here we go. Got to be best out of three though. On three. No, no, no, no. One, winner takes all. This is like game.

It's like game. It's in the four. So rock paper scissors. Oh, okay. That's how the kids do it. All right. Are you ready? Hold on, hold on. Just one time?

Yes, winner takes all. Hold on. Wait. All right. Oh! What is this? What is this? What's the game called, Joel?

I just spit on you. What's the game called? Maddie Ice. It's called, you suck. I win. All right. We're going to talk about the Heisman next. Let's go to your Heisman contenders.

And rather than just rank them, because you've ranked them before. You did it on the previous show. We've got a few show. We've got a video online that you can go see of Matt's top five Heisman contenders entering the season. Let's just have more of a discussion. So your top three, let's start there, and just kind of walk me through those three guys. Top three.

Okay, so first of all, I think this year more than ever, it's pretty wide open. With exception, I think, you know, Bryce Love, we get into Bryce Love. I think he's the favorite coming in because of this season. Probably pretty clear favorite at least in most of our eyes. But with Stanford and the West Coast, we all know how difficult it is to win. What was it, four runner-ups? Five? Five?

Oh, nine. Yeah, that's a real thing. But, so I was, I would say. Pretty soon they're going to start a course at Stanford. It's like, why do we keep finishing second? I know. A deep analytical study. Yeah, it's unbelievable.

And then that's why. I got Will Greer as my top quarterback coming back in the high. I like that. Quarterback for West Virginia? Yeah, Will, Will Greer, good year last year. Tell he got her late. Telly got her late, but great receivers back. David still was.

So he's going to be able to put up a lot of yelts. He's a type of quarterback that she's going to put up some big numbers. You know who he reminds me of and they remind me of? It's like Oklahoma State of last year. All those returning great core of wide receivers, that offense, which is very similar. Because remember, Holgerson was a coordinator at Oklahoma State under Mike Gundy before he went to West Virginia. Same off it. They're going to, like, it wouldn't shock me at all if Will Greer is the nation's leading passer.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. And I think we talked about the schedule sets up pretty. nicely for them if they can. I know they play Tennessee, which could be an interesting game. Not really. I like Tennessee is really bad, not to mention their fans. Oh, geez. Here we go. Let the hate begin. Prove me wrong. No, but they got a good non-conference and they got, obviously, the Big 12, you got tough games. I think that they're probably better than Tennessee. They go to North Carolina State, which could be an interesting game. But if he and they are able to win that game, they'll probably be

8-0 going to November and going to Austin, Texas. And at that point, they'll be ranked inside the top five, and he'll be solidly the favorite in the Heisman race entering November. So just something to keep your eye on. We always say you kind of win it in November those games. He's got the obviously the opportunity. And then the top two guys are just our two running backs. Jonathan Taylor, who I'm higher on than you clearly, because you have him as your fifth ranked running back in college football. I didn't know that having someone in the top five at a position group is not high on them.

It's not high. That's like incredibly high. Like you're elite of the elite, Jonathan Taylor. I love you. Jonathan Taylor. Call me. We agree on this. Probably the best offensive line back in America.

With Wisconsin? No doubt. Hornerbrook. I'm on his bandwagon. I liked him last year. I liked him last year. Why do people hate on this? I guess it's the picks.

I mean, that's an easy answer. The picks, I think. He played so well late. The picks, the offense, the style is just like, no one's just like, they can't really get on board with Hornerbrook and that offense. I can't. I appreciate it. I think he's... I mean, listen.

I think he takes a next step. A couple of slow pocket passers can't get behind another slow pocket passer. I don't know who will, right? Am I got to say, the lefties stick together, man. You know, those gloves lefties. That's right. A lot of similarities. How do I not put that together?

A lot of similarities. Not a lot of left-handed quarterbacks. It's true. So you love two a problem. I don't even think there's three NFL lefty quarterbacks. Well, you got Steve Young. He's like... No, now, plain.

Oh, now? Clearly. Ball spins wrong. I don't know. I mean, you guys spin it the wrong way. Think about it. I'm just, I'm telling you why you throw the ball backwards. As the great receivers, they used to play with, they said, man, it doesn't matter what's been coming.

I'm paid to catch the football. That's what they used to tell me. I said, you know what, I appreciate that. And then, number one, Bryce Love. Yeah. Right? I mean, he's a special player. I got to add a chance to sit down with him.

Great kid, Edney. Last week, great kid, exceptional, just on and off the field. He hates, it's really great to see. because he just doesn't like the attention. He's a nice kid, but he'd just rather just kind of go anonymous. But he's, I mean, he's one of the best football players back in America. It's really incredible his story and just, I mean. His explosiveness last year, I mean, he played half the season on like one leg

and was ridiculous what he was doing. He was so good. He had more 50-yard runs by himself than all but like one other team in college. football. I mean, guys sensational. So we can go on and on about Bryce Love, but I thought it would be cool if we started bringing up like a whole section of other players, right? So like, who are guys that might be off the radar right now that we'd like to put on the radar, regardless of position? Because this year may be more than any other, I think we're going to have some push for the defensive side of the ball. We've got so many great defensive linemen,

right? Literally probably six or seven top ten picks in the draft next. you're going to be D-Linman. The entire defensive line for Clemson might be the best all time. And I know, listen, you can't throw out hyperbole. Maybe the best in hindsight, probably Miami, they had two first rounders and a second rounder on their defensive front. In all likelihood, Clemson's going to have three first rounders and a second rounder. So if that happens, they'll be the best all time. Now, they're not the ones I'm looking at for Heisman consideration.

I'm going to bring up two names. at Oliver Houston, Nick Bosa, Ohio State. I think both will get legitimate run for the Heisman trophy. Yeah, I think I would say Bosa probably has a better chance, even though Oliver is the preseason. He's getting a lot of love, rightfully so. Just the competition and playing at Houston, and no offense to the conference, but I just don't know if he's going to be playing.

I don't, exactly. I don't know if you're going to be playing against. I mean, apparently I'm an elite. Great. Group of five is JV. I'm sorry. Enough competition. UCF last year's an 8 and 14 in the Power 5.

I'm sorry, but that's just, is one of this. Maybe 9 and 3. Your Bosa pick is interesting because he's a game changer, and we just talked about it, but Ohio State a little different this year with J.T. Barrett gone. J.K. Dobbins is a guy I think can keep an eye on this list, especially with J.T. Barragone. They might run the football a little more with him. But for a defensive player, especially strictly just a defensive player,

they just have got to impact the game on a weekly basis. and the plays, the sacks, all of those things, kind of like the Judevian Clowny. You know that big play that was, you know, he blew up, I think, the Michigan running back. Yep, in the Outback Bowl, and then he comes back. Plays like that that happen every single week that make you say, wow. And it doesn't take away with how great they are, but it's just really hard. And you look at, you know, Drewill Pepper's a couple years back.

Great defensive player, but he ran the football. He was in the return game. Charles Woodson, obviously, the only defense player to win it. He impacted in Sony. So that you just, I feel like you have to impact the game in so many different ways if you are a defensive player. That's why it's hard for a defense alignment to win. Unless you have, unless you're dominant. Exactly, unless you're completely dominant, which you're absolutely right.

Oliver's dominant. Bosa could be dominant. There's a few guys there that have a shot, at least to get to New York. Some quarterbacks that we haven't mentioned that I just want to throw out there. Obviously, Trace McSorley. I mean, he's going to be on the list. And rightly so. Trace has been a great player for a couple of years now for Penn State.

He's won a Big Ten championship. He's 14 and 0 at home, and most of their big games happen at home. So, huge feather in his cap. Don't you see some similarities with Mayfield as far as... I don't. No, not the player as far as the situation coming back. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Losing a lot.

He's going to be asked to carry the team. When Baker lost the running backs, he lost D.D. Westbrook a couple years ago. He came back last year. And his head coach. And his head coach. He came back with... you know, seeding young, young running backs, and he just, I mean, he carried the team. Yeah.

And they were great. Trace McSorily, it's different. They're different type of players, different team, but I feel like it is similar. Like he loses a lot around. He loses the coach, Moorhead. Yeah, Joe Moorhead's gone. So it would be interesting to see, you know. Mike is sick of the tight end.

Deshaun Hamilton, the slot receiver. I'm maybe more concerned for their defense because they lose the heart of their defense. The Cothran defensive tackles shared a last name. They were not shared by birth. They lose Jason Cabinda, one of the best leaders in college football at linebacker. So Trace is going to have to overcome a lot with Penn State. If he does that, he'll get a lot of good run. He has the games to play.

He's going to, you know, exactly. Last guy I want to bring up. And before that, Khalil Tate, I think he'll be in the run. He's great. Last guy, though, sneaky, sneaky. Let me guess. Justin Herbert. Boom.

Justin Herbert at Oregon. Okay, Justin Herbert at Oregon. I think he's going to be the top quarterback selected in the next year's draft. And I think they have the sneaky schedule to knock Washington off in the north. And if they do that, let's just say Washington beats Auburn and starts to draw the attention of the college football world out west. And then Oregon wins that division, let's just say. Because remember now they've got that interesting schedule where Washington on consecutive weeks has to travel to Oregon on the second of that back-to-back. and Oregon's off a by.

That's going to be a big stage. Herbert's a very good player. Jim Levitt's a great defensive coordinator. They average 52 points per game when Herbert was on the field. I'm just saying, I mean, Herbert could have a little bit of run. I'm with you. He's a sleeper, man. I'm with you.

If they win enough games, if they can beat Washington win the North, I mean, he's got a shot. He's as good. I was saying it two years ago when he was a freshman. I think he might have came in the second half this year. He started a couple games like, God, this kid is going to be a freshman. round kid. I remember telling Coach Wants said that. I'm like, dude, I'm telling you can just, you know, you can just tell when the kids got it. I love your coach Wantsst. Yeah, Coach Wantson, he hates us, you know, he hates quarterbacks. We should do a segment just like,

what, we should do this segment with Wani. About that? About Wanda. Every defensive coach generally hates quarterbacks and one, well, for two reasons. One, they're jealous, clearly. And two, we torment them. That's just what happens. They just think we're divas. Wow. We're the most important player on the field. You didn't know that? Well, now you do. And that's why we call it Breaking the Huddle. Thanks to Dr. Pepper at every tailgate and home gate.

It is the one that fans crave. You can catch all the games this weekend. Now we'll be here in the studio all weekend on all the games. I'll be at Oklahoma State tomorrow night for Missouri State, Oklahoma State. Yes, you heard me right. And then FAU, Oklahoma on Saturday. The lane train rolling in to face Lincoln Riley. By the way, maybe two of the best offensive coaches in all of college football in one game.

So that'll be on Fox. And then we'll be here next week, breaking the huddle. And I'm sure I'll be my smug self. Why am I so smug? I don't understand. You just wound tight, man. You just wound tight. You're trying to lose me up.

That's true. Thanks for watching. And again, until next week, we bid you a do.