The McShay Show - College Football Playoff Selection Show Live Reactions! Miami Makes It! | The McShay Show

Episode Date: December 7, 2025

Join Todd and Muench as they react to the CFP committee revealing the final seeding for this years CFP. 0:00 Welcome to The McShay Show!1:50 CFP Selection live reactions!5:15 Projecting the CFP final rankings12:25 TMS Top 1218:50 Should Notre Dame, Miami and Alabama get in the CFP?24:55 CFP final rankings revealed!52:25 Previewing the biggest CFP matchups1:11:10 CFP Bracket Predictions The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. This episode is brought to you by American Eagle. Host: Todd McShayGuest: Steve MuenchProducers: Tucker Tashjian, Conor Nevins, Daniel ComerSocial: Alysha Tsuji Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome in our college football playoff selection show. We're just moments away from the college football playoff. Final rankings reveal. And we're here to preview, react, and then do some game breakdowns. And I get news for you. There's just 137 days until the NFL draft. So, Mench, you got to tell me, man. Are you good?

I'm excited, man. All right. Roll that thing, Tucker. I spent a lot of time thinking about this last night, Mitch. Me too. I'm excited to have a good conversation about this. Right, a real selection show. And we appreciate everyone who's on the chat. People are jumping in.

We get polls already up, which team has the best playoff resume, Notre Dame, Alabama, Miami. That's going to be a big discussion today. The McShay Show is presented by Fandul. Fan Duel's got it all. Same game parlay's quick bets for jumping in live and your way so you can build the bet that fits your play. Plus, don't miss out on holiday offers and surprises all month long. Download the Fandual app or head to fendool.com slash mickshay to get started. Must be 21 and older in President Select States or 18 and older in President D.C., Kentucky or Wyoming.

Gambling problem? Call 1-800 gambler or visit RG-Help.com. Call 1-888-78-9-7777 or visit C-CPG. dot org slash chat in Connecticut. And we will get to that in moments. And it's all going to happen fast. Here's how the show is going to work. By the way,

the McShea report is out breaking down the NFL draft prospects for both Ty Simpson and Fernando Mendoza. Talking about Mendoza and that Heisman moment and the Heisman game that he had last night in the upset victory of Ohio State. We talk about Ty Simpson and needing to come back to school. We talk about Georgia and the job Kirby Smart is done and gave you the TMS top 12.

We'll see if that has changed it all overnight with a good night's sleep. sleep. So Google the McShay report and subscribe and be a part of it because we'll carry you through the college football playoff and then we get really kicked off with the NFL draft, right? We're excited. We had two shows yesterday and then this selection show today, first time ever doing this and I am pumped. But I want to start off on a negative because the more I slept on it and thought about it this morning, the more pissed off I am. Here's why, Steve. Here we go. what's wrong with us? Why do we, and I say we and us,

talking about the college football community. And I've been a part of it. You've been a part of it for 20 plus years. I've been to college games on the sideline, interacted with fans, with commissioners, with head coaches, everyone involved at the highest level of college football. I have a very tiny, tiny role in all of this,

as you do, Steve. But why is it that we're always reacting? why is it there's no vision in this sport sometimes and it's frustrating why is it that it has to get so mangled for us to make change i understand that sometimes you know issues and turmoil and problems affect change but why can't we have why is there not a commissioner of the sport why is there not a governing body that actually looks over this sport and and has vision to what the problems could be instead of us always be like, well, we'll get them next year. And last year, honestly, last year the seeding was the problem, was the major problem.

There was also a secondary problem where it felt like the committee was looking too much at wins and losses and was stuck on that versus the 12 best teams or at least the seven best at large teams. But then all of a sudden, and then we fixed the seating, right? And they had meetings in March about emphasis. And I've seen some. and it's not perfect, and we'll see how the final rankings reveal plays out

and how this year's version of the committee did the 13 members. But now we're looking at this and it's like, how did we not see this as a potential pitfall? And what I'm talking about is all of a sudden, the ACC just flopped. The ACC fell apart this year. It was supposed to be a great year for Clemson. Maybe Florida State's back.

Miami's going to reload. And Miami's the only one that's done anything that's like, well, maybe they deserve to be in. And we'll have that discussion. But we now have a conference champion in the ACC that's Duke with five losses. They ain't getting in. They shouldn't get in and they're not getting in. That's not the problem. The problem is how did we not foresee this?

Because you know what's going to happen? I'm told by folks that know what they're talking about. Around 1215, 12, 20, the actual rankings will be revealed, okay? So that gives us about nine to 14 minutes to go through this preview. And I don't want to take up a ton of time, but it's going to be an off-season emphasis that we're going to help try to push. The bar has to be set higher for the group of five, first of all. It should be a magical year a la Boise State.

You can say even a year ago, but absolutely Boise State the year where they upset Oklahoma, right? Right. It's got to be a special year. So whether that bar is set is they have to be ranked in the top 12 or even the top 15 to get one of those automatic bids. We currently give out five automatic bids. SEC, and it's the conference champions that are highest.

Right. This is what trips you up, right? This is what trips you up. It's the SEC, the Big 10, the Big 12, and it should be the ACC. Everyone just assumed. Right. So it's going to be a top five, top seven team or might. Miami will be or Florida State will be.

And it hasn't happened. So why didn't we have the foresight? What if a conference just implodes during a given year? Shouldn't that then signal that we open up an at-large bid? Why in the hell are we now giving out two automatic bids to Tulane and JMU? So I have two problems with this group of five situation. This is the projected field as far as we see it. And we'll see how it plays out in just a handful of minutes.

Indiana won the Big Ten, automatic bid. Georgia wins the SEC, automatic bid. Texas Tech wins the Big 12, automatic bid. The ACC champion is a five-lost Duke team. No automatic bid. So now this language is in there that it goes to another group of five, the highest ranked conference championship winner. And essentially it's supposed to be the four top, top ranked conference championship winners,

and then the group of five has their spot. And really, it's the five, technically the language is the five, right? The five highest ranked conference champions. How did we not foresee this as a potential problem? It's a lack of foresight. So the first problem I have is it should not be an automatic that the fifth, best, the fifth highest ranked conference champion gets in. It should be a group, and I don't want, I'm not, you know, the legal terms, but it should

be something along the lines. If a fifth conference champion happens to be ranked in the top 12 or the top 15, they earn a right to play in the college football playoff. This year, that would not earn Tulane the right. And then the second part of my complaint, and it's, legitimate and I think that there will be changed because this can't ever happen again where we have Tulane and JMU playing and Texas and Miami sitting at home if that's how it plays out. It would be double digit.

We ask Fandual right now it would be 14, 17 point favorites. What are we doing? It's bad for the product. It's bad for college football. It's bad for television. It's bad for revenue. It's bad for everyone involved except the folks at JMU and Tulane. And I'm not just like John, some wrong.

We talked to Urban Meyer the other day, and I went on his show, Triple Option. He's infatuated with John Summerall. They will be unbelievably well-coached. And you know my obsession with Bob Chesney. I've been telling you, Bob Chesney's going to rise fast. He's rising faster than even I thought. Now we've got the head coach at Florida, coaching at Tulane, and the head coach at, excuse me, at UCLA coaching, you know,

being able to coach out the process at JMU. They'll be wonderfully coached teams. They just don't have the personnel. They don't belong in a college football playoff that should have the 12 best teams. If you have a magical year like a Boise State when they go undefeated and they've beaten a, you know, a group of or the power 14. Yes. Yes. So that's my complaint.

We have to have change. And for the love of God, can we, and it's going to take Congress, can we get a commissioner and a governing body to have some foresight for this beautiful, multi-billion dollar sport because I'm looking at Tulane right now the 77th strength of schedule 19th strength of record all like so far off of the beaten path with what we're talking about with the Texases and

miami's and alabamas and notre dames what we're having those competitions JMU a hundred and twenty-third strength of schedule in college football there's only like 131 teams or whatever it is and the 18th strength of record. Tulane lost

45 to 10 to Ole Miss. And by the way, we might be a handful of minutes away from seeing they're going to have a rematch. What are we doing? What is wrong with this sport? And JMU only played one power

four school. It was Louisville and they lost by 14. Yep. Louisville's an 8 and 14. Go ahead. Can I agree with you? say that you're 100% right about how the playoff committee needs to protect the product

and the playoffs, but say also that maybe your anger is a little misdirected this year. ACC, what are we doing? You had a five-team tie. And somehow the five-lost Duke team wins that tiebreaker according to your rules, which I don't even understand. Why don't it just have

the tie-breaker be your overall record? And then you have Miami playing Virginia last night. Like, how does Duke get into that game when there's a five-way tie for second? The ACC did this to themselves. You're right. You're right. Big picture.

The playoff committee has to protect the product. They have to figure out a way to make sure this doesn't happen again. But the ACC is a joke right now. I mean, this has been as mismanaged as it could possibly be mismanaged. Yes, I completely agree. And we can have anger towards all of these areas. Plenty of anger to go around. Before that we start getting the college football, you know, the selection committee,

the college football playoffs reveal. I do want to get to this because we spent a lot of time on this last night and overnight and this morning and fine-tuning. This is the important part, and it's a perfect transition from this argument, that Tulane and JMU, while I love their coaches, and you and I were small school guys in college, we get it. It's magical, and it's awesome for all these people, and I'm not trying to piss on the parade.

I'm really not. But it should take something special. like it's like exceptional to to break into this college football playoff top 12 okay and now I want to I want to roll out Tucker the our CFP the TMS top 12 okay we do this every night on the Saturday scoreboard show this is what we came up with and why is this important I'll read for those of you who aren't able to watch who are driving in your car or listening your your AirPods Indiana won obviously 13 and no after beating Ohio State Georgia two SEC champion Ohio State only bumps down from one to three.

Texas Tech at four. We then have non-conference winners in Oregon at five, Ole Miss at six, Texas A&M at seven, all one-loss teams. Then we get into the two lost teams with Oklahoma and Notre Dame. This is just the, this is TMS top 12. This is mention I. Right. Conferring and going back and forth and having to make some concessions.

but quite honestly, we really didn't have many concessions here, if any. But Oklahoma at 8, Notre Dame at 9, then we had Alabama with three losses at 10, Texas with three losses at 11. That's going to frustrate some people, especially in South Florida, and then Miami at 10 and 2. And we can get into that discussion when the rankings are revealed,

because there's a lot of talk about should Miami be in, should Miami be in over Notre Dame with a head-to-head win, should Alabama even be win after that really lopsided, uninspiring loss in the SEC championship game? And I have some more ammunition to discuss that. But the point in all of this is without a season in which a Tulane or JMU went undefeated and beat a power, like if Tulane had beaten Ole Miss or even a Louisville type, or if JMU beat Louisville, then I'd be like, you know what? They earned it.

Boise State beat Oregon. They earned it. Special, special year. So be, yes, be mad at the committee. I get it. Because everyone, every fan base is enveloped in this and has passion. And it's why this game in this sport is amazing. But the system is more at fall.

It's kind of like getting mad at a referee in a game when you're watching on a Saturday or Sunday, right? And it's no catch because he made a perfect catch to one or two feet in college or NFL respectively. And he has possession. Why is it that it matters a second and a half later that he was rolling on the ground and the ball came to? Don't get mad at the referee. The referee is simply, is simply, okay? And there's 700 people, almost 800 people now in the chat.

Like what we're doing and growing, it almost brings me to tears. And I can't thank you enough of the support. But there's too much to get to to get all soft and mushy right now. But don't get mad at the referee for calling an incomplete pass. He's just doing his job based off the rules. So, yeah, get mad at the committee if you want, but also get mad at the sport and the meetings that go on in the offseason. Start your complaints now, folks.

Yes. For next year so this doesn't happen again. It's your classic, don't hate the player, hate the game, man. It's the classic donate the player at the game. Yes. And so changed the game. They did a good job with the seating last year. And this is new.

And I want to stay optimistic that they will make positive changes because, again, I'm surprised the seating got changed as quickly as it did. But we shouldn't be. We should expect more from this multi-billion dollar sport that we all love. And we're watching 13, 13, like really successful people and smart. people sitting in a room in the college football playoff committee. Yeah, figure it out. Decorated, decorated human beings who have done great things in their life. They're smart people.

You and I grew up with the NCAA moving at a snail's pace in terms of change. So yes, you are correct in that regard. And I do appreciate that if a problem arises, they quickly fix it, but for next year. Right. So my point is, when you look at our TMS top 12, because there wasn't a Boise State undefeated beat Oregon, and even with an ACC collapse like we saw, we now could have matchups of Texas versus,

it would be Miami versus Oregon in round one. Texas versus Ole Miss. Are you kidding me? I know. I hear you, man. How phenomenal would that be for this sport, man? And yes, Jeremy Godd and you're right. If you're in this chat and it's growing,

like wildfire, just hit the like button. Mentioned I have barely slept in the last 48 hours. We've been grinding to try to give you all this content. Hit a like for us. But Texas and Miami would be in. This would be our top 12. It would be unbelievable. Unbelievable.

It would be, oh my God. We wouldn't have to speculate. Miami is it been Miami better than Alabama or Notre Dame? And they had to head. But the two losses to four lost team. We wouldn't have to do any of that. we would just have the best 12 teams in the college football playoff. We wouldn't have Tulane versus Ole Miss or JMU versus Ole Miss or Oregon,

you know, we wouldn't have Oregon and an old miss going up against Tulane and JMAU and whatever matchup it winds up being. You're right. Sorry, I had to take a sip to reset. I didn't expect you to come in so hot. I like it. I know, but it kept building. I thought about it a little bit overnight.

I got a decent night's sleep, five hours, slept well. Got up this morning and had a great coffee. Is that a decent night sleep for you, by the way? But, you know, five, like solid hours was maybe a dream or two in there with REM. It's better than like seven and a half hours where it's up and down. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know? So it felt like a good five hours of sleep.

But as I drank my coffee and I started coming two this morning, it just it was done like why are we so mad Miami's you know what the folks in Miami are right they deserve to be in a college football playoff because there's seasons start with that but Christobal did something he's never done before he grabbed the reins and he got this program back on track in November and Texas has done some things that nobody else in the top 10 has done

with beating three top 10 teams at the time and two current top 10 teams they both deserve to be in a college football playoff. And I promise you, there isn't a sane person in the United States of America or beyond that believes if we are truly trying to get the best 12 teams in, that JMU and or Tulane should be in over Texas and or Miami. Period. So I ask the question again, what are we doing?

would you go so far as to just make it a power four tournament? A what? No, no, no, no. I think there should be a window of opportunity. Okay. That's a great question. There should be a window of opportunity from a program that has one of those special years. But maybe it's once every two, three, four years.

Do you know what I mean? Yeah, no, I hear you. I think I hear you. But there's a lot of politics and a lot of... We still have a team like Vanderbilt on the outside looking in. And without, if you just look at our top 12 right now, you still have Vanderbilt on the outside looking in. And that's a team that I think has had a playoff here.

I mean, there's, there's, it's, it is giving up two spots to those teams is tough. And again, the ACC blew this, blew this. But that being said, let's, let's try to get the 12 best teams in. Let's really try to do that. Let's not, you know, let's not have a, it's, you know, we're going to have this non-powerful team come in every year. and as the, I don't know, some kind of reward, and then they get, and we'll see what happens,

but most likely get blasted in the first round, just get, you know, killed. Because they're not. If we get to a 16 team playoff, which we will be soon, then, then yeah. Because there's all we're going to, like, you tell me in a 16 team playoff

that Tulane gets in, but that also gets me, gets us. Yes. Texas and Miami and maybe a Vanderbilt is, you know what I mean? So like, maybe a USC, Yes, yes.

So we're good. 16, that's fine. And I understand this happens with any playoff in bracket and the NCAA kept expanding and all that. I understand that. But there's a reality to this, and the reality is that Tulane and J.M. You are not two of the top 12 teams in the country,

and it's an absolute sham and shame that they will not be playing in the college football playoff. Because you know what? They're capable of winning a game or two. Shoot, they're capable of winning three. Like,

making a run. They're capable of making a run. And I know the Tulane and JMU are not. Here we are. I'm watching right now. Just keeping an eye on the rankings. And we're at that point. And I'm fired up.

And I hope everyone in the chat is. And shout out to like ATB and Godin and all the gang. They've been here. I mean, they're Matt Mateus. They've been grinding just as hard as we have. So this is the payoff. That's the projected field according to what we understand.

Okay? Indiana, Georgia, Texas Tech, JMU, and Tulane are likely to be the automatic bids. And then the at-large bids, Ohio State, Oregon, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and then it gets really interesting with Notre Dame and Alabama. Here they go. Is everyone, everyone dialed in? The McShay Show is brought to you by Fandul. The college football playoff is almost here.

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Plus, you'll love their. trending jeans like the high-wasted stovepipe, original straight, boot cut, and a whole bunch of other fits. They've got every style and everyone covered. You can check it all out at a.e.com or just go to the store. They're revealing it right now, Indiana, obviously. I mean, they're going to go through the obvious first. You've got to build drama and television. Yep. Indiana, they're covering Indiana and the great win last night. But we are revealing right now, folks, okay? How about Mendoza last night?

Unbelievable. I can't wait to watch it. So cool. I'm going to grab lunch. Did you watch the interview? Did you watch the interview? It's so good. I'm not there yet, but I do love how comfortable he is in his skin.

And if you're going to be a nerd and you're going to be wild, like just be authentically you. That's all I've ever asked. Right. I'm starting to become all in on this young man. I really, it was awesome. Ohio State. Oh, that's a surprise.

Yeah, that is a surprise. Ohio State is the number two seed. And you say, well, why is that important? They could have been three. The seeding creates brackets. And so they should theoretically wind up in an easier bracket than Georgia. That's interesting, man. You know what that tells me?

The amount of respect put on that Indiana name right now. Also, did the committee watch that game last night and said, are the two best teams in the country. They felt like, let's see this game again. We'd like to see this match up again. And I'll be honest, I don't, I didn't necessarily disagree. Right. Like truly, watching them, I'm like, this is one versus two.

And yeah, the offensive, but it's, it's not the offense is failing as much as these defenses are just smothering. So that's fascinating. So that's a, that's a, that's a mix up, slight mix up. So it will be OSU two. And I'm just jotting this down so we can stay. on top of it. And Tucker, by the way, folks, Tucker and Dan, Tucker Tashin, Dan Komer, behind the scenes have been grinding, like all night. Like, I got to get five hours

sleep because Dan didn't sleep last night, getting out the McShea report. Tucker's been building graphics like round the clock. And they're literally plugging in stuff right now so that we're following along with the show. And once we get all the reveal out, we're going to be able to show you the college football playoff final top 12. We'll show you the automatic bids and the and the at-large bids. We'll also be able to show you the brackets and then mention I will spend some time breaking down those games.

But with Ohio State at two, then as expected, Georgia is at three. Right. Okay. So I would have to suspect Texas TechNet now is going to be number four. I would be stunned. I've made an argument for Oregon,

after thinking about it overnight. Yeah, it's tech. I would be stunned if it wasn't. It should be tech. So those are, the top four seeds. Indiana 1, Ohio State 2, Georgia 3, Texas Tech 4. And with that, all four of those seeds, unlike a year ago where it would have been the college football playoff, top conference champions. I want you to understand this. That system was so messed up last year that it would have

been, it would have been Indiana, Georgia, Texas Tech, and Tulane would have gotten a buy. Yeah. So at least we've seen progress, but my goodness, as I said on the top, can we have some vision? So those are the top four. They all get a buy. We'll see them in the quarterfinals, which, give me the dates. I know January 19th is the national championship.

I know December 19th and 20th, the first round. Okay, here we go. But when is that, when is this the quarter final and semi-final game so we can- - Quarterfinals are December 31st and January 1st. and the semifinals are January 8th and January 9th. Okay. So Oregon is number five. No surprise there.

This is where it gets interesting though, right? Yes. Because you get old miss. It's kind of a cluster with Old Miss and A&M. And then I would think Oklahoma is definitively before that. Does Ole Miss get dinged for the Kiffin situation is what I think this comes down to? Yes, I agree. So Oregon is.

in is 11 and 1 team with their one blemish being, don't forget, Indiana, the number one team in the country. That loss all of a sudden is like, okay, got it. Yeah. Understood. So you got, no. Are you have it? Yeah, Ole Miss. Ole Miss. Ole Miss number six. Good for the committee. Yep, agreed. Agreed. Agreed. And I don't know, do you think Charlie Weiss, Jr. coming back to coach the offense. I think it doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. I'm not sure it helped, but I know it doesn't hurt. That's a big deal. The difference between the six and seven seeds are a big deal, man. How so? Well, you're getting, you're getting Tulane or JMU in five and six, right? Yeah, I knew the answer. I just wanted you to share the answer. I was like, what about it?

It was so simple. I was like, am I missing something? It's a huge difference. Yeah. Huge. Versus getting potentially in Notre Dame or in Alabama, bud. It's a massive, massive difference. Ole Miss and Oregon are in the pole position. And guess what? Remember last year? It almost played to the benefit of teams being able to play in that first week,

so you didn't have three weeks off. I think it's something to watch. So now you get a little bit of a warm-up game. It's something to watch. Sweet spot. Oregon and Ole Miss, especially Old Miss getting with the new coaching staff, getting, I don't want to say,

a glorified scrimmage, but getting an opportunity to go work through the mechanics of the game without Lane Kiffin there. That's honestly, I don't know that Ole Miss could be in a better spot. I agree. I mean, maybe five could be, but you're playing two lane versus, and they. All right. Okay. Texas A&M, Oklahoma's in at, wait, Oklahoma was seven?

Eight. A&M was seven. Okay, sorry. All right, so the check on those two. Now this is where we're going to find out what the committee's really thinking. Yeah, this is it, guys. Is everyone ready? You ready in there?

That chat, my gosh, I love what's going on in the chat. You guys, it's the McShea show Mafia, whatever you want to call yourself. On Sunday morning before an NFL games. I mean, it's amazing. It's as good as just. People are getting ready for fantasy playoff runs. Yeah, yeah, putting in their fan duel bets for the big day on Sunday. Here we go.

Resumate comparison. You got Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami. 10 and three, Alabama, but in a conference game lost, 10 and two, 10 and two for Notre Dame and Miami, respectively. FPI is eighth for Alabama, the worst of the three, third and seventh for Notre Dame and Miami respectively. We obviously have the head-to-head, and I'll, I want to remind people in Alabama. Alabama. Alabama. And here's what I think it was. I spent a lot of time talking to people via text overnight. They're the only team in the top 10 in all three of these. FPI, FPI, strength of schedule,

and strength of record, okay? And when I say of the top, of those three, the three in this cluster, Notre Dame, Alabama, Miami. They also, this is something, I knew there were some injuries. They had 10 players who contribute that were out of the SEC championship game last night.

And that was factored into this decision. I was told that this morning when I got up, to keep that in mind, 10 players, someone who was there, are part of like all of this. They know. So I was told you got to factor in. Ten players didn't play in that game, which quite honestly was told to Alabama, as far as the college football playoff game, it was irrelevant. Remember, they had a 97% chance to get it. Yeah. So now it comes down

to Notre Dame and my, by the way, this is critical. I didn't even think of this. The committee has said all along through Heather Dinnich, if it goes, if now all of a sudden they're sitting back to back and I thought it was going to be Notre Dame at 9 because then there would be a gap between them. Now you're looking at the same, if you're going to go consecutive at 10 and 11 in the rankings because Alabama comes in at 9 and you don't go Miami over Notre Dame, it's going to incite like riots head to head. I'm not saying the Miami folks are right. I'm not promoting riots either. I'm just, Miami.

Oh, I'm stunned. I'm absolutely stunned. Why don't you look stunned? Because I'm not. I think there was a, we'll get into this and there's more of a nuanced conversation to have. I really do think Miami's a playoff team.

I think they're a good team. This was a, I think they crumbled under the pressure of a head-to-head movement in the national media. The head-to-head is getting overplayed here. And so I'm not stunned. I'm a really good team, man. A really good team. I think the committee got it wrong.

That should be Notre Dame. Like what would be... But I'm not stunned because I just... Write down that graphic for us, Dan and Tucker, so we can... Seven, three, 14, 13... Yeah, I mean, they had almost identical... That's the whole thing. Six, five, 45, 44.

But the strength of record... Miami, sorry, I'm writing this down as we go because I want to have this discussion afterwards. This is wild to me. I did not foresee this happening. The poll is up. Who you got Miami versus Notre Dame. And it was a good poll before we got the answer,

but it's actually more intriguing to me now that we have the answer. Basically, who you got Miami, Notre Dame, did the committee get it right or did the committee get it wrong? Miami, 66%. Oh, this is devastating for Notre Dame. It takes onions from this committee to keep Notre Dame. out with the TV backing, the national and international audience. So I do give the committee credit here.

As a competitor and a former athlete, I don't think like jogging and going to the gym, and playing some recreational sports constitutes me still being an athlete. There are very few things more sacred than head-to-head competition, right? Yeah. So I give them credit in that. I'm not saying they got it right. I'm just saying if you put yourself in their shoes, I give them credit for recognizing that.

I also give them credit for leaving out Notre Dame. But why couldn't we have like an injunction overnight? Why couldn't there be some kind of bylaws and let and let JMU sue the college football playoff committee where Notre Dame's in? Like I know it's irrational. I know what like, why couldn't like Congress step in in the 11th,

hour, like a government shutdown type situation on West Wing. Yeah. Tulane lost to Ole Miss 45 to 10 this season, Steve. And we now have a rematch. And I promise you, John Somerl and everyone in Tulane, I love New Orleans. I can't wait to get back down in New Orleans for the Manning Passing Academy. We'll stay there this summer. I love the city.

I love the food. I just love a lot of stuff about New Orleans. I have one of my best friends in the world, went to Tulane, I visited, like, so many positive things about Tulane. They just don't belong. And now there's a rematch too in a game where they lost 45 to 10 earlier this year. And James Madison is in at 12, and they will be facing off against Oregon in the 12 versus 5 matchup. Let me ask you this.

Yes, sir. Do you think that the matchups played a role in, and the committee taking Miami over Notre Dame. They didn't want a Notre Dame, Texas, ANM rematch, so they put Miami in there. No. Because honestly, if they were concerned about that, they would have found a way to not get Ole Miss Tulane,

because that's a... I think you're handcuffed there by the structure of the system. You didn't really have a choice there. Tulane was going to be the 11th seed because they were the next highest ranked champion. So here, I mean, I know Tucker, working on the brackets and the top 12, and we'll get the graphics up in a little bit,

and we'll start to discuss. I'm just sending out a... All right. So several surprises, the first of which was Georgia at three versus two in Ohio State only moving down one spot. Doesn't necessarily affect... It's not the level of surprise that we just had.

Honestly, one of this most shocking... This goes down as one of, if not the most shocking, based on the intel I was getting. And I think the direction most people in the sport saw this heading, okay? This is arguably the most. If it's not the most, it's top two or three, surprising results of a college football playoff selection Sunday reveal. And that is that Alabama, after that loss last night, stays at nine,

which opened the door for my. and Notre Dame being ranked back to back and gave the committee an opportunity to say the rankings, like the FPI is very close, the strength of schedule is very close, all these different metrics are very close, the strength of record, which I think of all the different metrics and analytics and numbers that get put into all this stuff. Strength of record is absolutely the most critical one because it assesses your strength of schedule with what you did. against that strength of schedule and like what else is there and while there's an eye test and there's a human element and if people watch tape like we do and watch the games and understand

the flow of a season and where like there's all those things to take into account but the strength of record truly gives you an all-encompassing look at what you know where does this program belong from the metrics and Miami was 14th in strength of record Notre Dame was 13. They're back to back. And you say, well, then go Notre Dame. And the counter is very obvious and it's a heavier punch. But Miami beat Notre Dame.

And that's why we are where we are. Yeah. I'm curious what everyone in the... I mean, there's so much to get to. I'm curious what everyone in the chat is saying, like, what's the instant reaction? It's shock for me. Right.

I don't think they got it wrong. I don't think there was, as I started this show with, there was no wrong answer because you could make an argument. Notre Dame is a better team now. Notre Dame finished the season stronger. You could make the argument that they're so similarly matched and the head-to-head goes to Miami, so Miami deserves to be in.

You can go back and forth and back and forth on all of these. The surprising thing for me, though, was that the committee didn't ding. And I told you last night, there's a precedent that has been set for conference. We have to have Alabama played in its conference championship game. And I'm not saying those 10 players weren't injured. But Alabama, based off of all the information,

being told you have a 97% chance to get into the college football playoff, looked at it and said, you know what? We're getting in and we're not getting a buy. And so we better be healthy. In fact, they don't even get a home game, right? They don't get a home game. So when we go on the road, I wish the bracket was up. I need to pull that up.

When we go on the road to play our first game, we got to be healthy. And so if six or seven of those 10 guys, if it was the last game of the year. It's Oklahoma. Yeah, we got to be healthy for Oklahoma. We've got to be healthy for Oklahoma. Here's the bracket. So I have it. And so they sat 10 players.

all of which had injuries. They didn't just like, you know, decide to not show up. But maybe some of them could have played. And they did that based off the knowledge of 97% chance were in. They didn't think that they were going to lose 28 to 7 and have it that lopsided against a team that they already beat on the road, true home game for Georgia. But it got dicey.

But the college football playoff committee stayed true to we're not going to ruin a season. for a program that's in a college football. And it makes sense. Because from that same conference, Ole Miss didn't play in a conference championship games. So they get to sit back and not... Why is Alabama getting dinged for...

They shouldn't be. They shouldn't be. By the way... A&M and Oklahoma. Right? And by the way, one other thing real quickly and take it where you want. So that's... You've got...

Obviously, Georgia, Ole Miss, A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama. We said all along, this is as good at SEC as we've seen in a little while. It wasn't that, it wasn't nearly to the level it was a year ago. South Carolina had a really good year. Could deserve to be in and, you know, Ole Miss had a really good year.

There's arguments to be made that those programs should have been in, but it's not like this year. This year, five deserve to be in. And quite honestly, if you get rid of a, if you get rid of the JMU and Tulane element of it, like I said, like Texas could belong in or 16 team playoff. So this conference was loaded this year, and it deserves five, the most of any conference,

by a significant number. I think the second most would be the Big Ten with three, correct? It's Ohio State, Indiana, and Oregon. So where do you want to go from here, buddy? I love... Go ahead. We'll get into Miami and Notre Dame in a second. I'm a little fired up about that one

because I just feel like the... You know, I'll say it now. I just feel like the people who were pro-Miamy made this seem like it was a no-brainer. And to me, I think there may have been mitigating circumstances, including the fact that there was no ACC teams in there and maybe there's pressure to get an ACC team in there.

This saves the ACC's ass by getting Miami me in there. I mean, really, it saves them. I also think that maybe the rematch played a role of we don't want another rematch of Notre Dame at Texas A&M. I would say, I went through, this is what I was looking at this morning. I'm not, I think Miami is

good enough for me in the playoff. They could make a run. I understand that they played in Miami one head to head and I think that does make a difference. I think that's something that you favor with Miami when you're comparing these teams. I do. It wasn't enough for me. It was a three point win at home

for Miami. And you could say, well, they dominated in this, you know, they were, they dominated the trenches up front in August in Miami. Yeah, sure they did. You can say that. That's fine. But it was a three-point game at the end of the day. And that was it. And then they played, Notre Dame played Texas A&M the next week and lost by one, another playoff team. What did Miami do? They lost the SMU and they lost to Louisville. And I'm sorry. And don't give me this thing about common opponents and Miami won by a bigger margin against whoever it was. It was, you know, Syracuse, NC State, Virginia Tech, and Pitt is I think they're, whatever the common opponents were. They both, they all won by three scores.

It wasn't like this was a big difference where Notre Dame was struggling with these teams and Miami blew them out. That's not really what happened here. So that's not really a data point I care about. I also know that Notre Dame beat a Navy team that beat South Florida and beat him 49 to 10. You know, there's other things here. I also know that Notre Dame beat USC by 10. And that's a pretty good win. And I'm looking at that Miami team and I'm like,

I don't know, like you, it was a little too up and down for me. And then you guys finished with a week schedule at the end and all of a sudden you're back in the mix. And I don't understand the rankings. I don't understand why. How did Notre Dame get leapfrog from last week? What changed?

Not a damn thing. Not a thing for them. So if you had put Miami head of Notre Dame, I would have been like, okay, I get it. That's cool. I understand that that's what they're thinking. But you had Notre Dame ahead of Miami coming into this week. Neither one's in a conference championship game.

So what has changed? What made you now because you have Alabama moved up again? I don't even understand. Like I don't understand how in the world that you could put them ahead of them with last week you had Notre Dame ahead of Miami. It just doesn't make sense to me. Again, I think that Miami team is really good. I think it's close.

I just had Notre Dame. And no one wants to say that. and I am sure I'm going to catch shit for it, and I don't care. Texas A&M was fourth a goal from the 10-yard line, and their offensive line and tackled a defensive tackle from Notre Dame. They didn't call it, and Notre Dame lost that game. I don't, I just, there's so many things, there are so many factors other than, all I kept hearing is head-to-head has to matter.

Head-to-head has to matter. I agree. Head-to-head does have to matter. It doesn't have to be the only thing that decides something, especially when that game happened in August, and Notre Dame hasn't lost the game since September 13th. To me, they had done enough. That doesn't mean I don't like Miami.

It doesn't mean that I don't think Miami's a good team. It doesn't mean that I don't recognize that Miami beat Notre Dame head to head. It's just you have to look at all of these circumstances and factors. And that's, I just think they got it wrong at the end of the day. I do too. No, I shouldn't say, like, I get that argument is what I want to. say. I really do. I can't get over Tulane and in JMU. I just can't. You're right. That's the bigger problem. And I'm here for your argument because it is the biggest discussion.

But it's also, it feels like a suckers. It feels like we're all suckers. If we're sitting here and we're bitching and moaning about Miami versus Alabama versus Notre Dame, they all should be in. Notre Dame should be in. And it goes back to, I'll say this, it goes back to another point. Too lame. I'm being pissed. Being pissed at the ACC.

How do you not have that Miami team playing for the ACC championship last night? Miami wins that ACC championship. They're in and Notre Dame's in. How does the ACC get away with that tiebreaker that makes no sense to me that somehow favors Duke over Miami? Explain it to me.

I don't get it. If Miami, beats Virginia last night. We're having like Notre Dame and Miami are both in. Not a problem. It makes no sense to me. And again, I love John Sumerl and I love

and I love Bob Chesney. But, you know, Tulane lost two games, man. They lost 45-10 to Ole Miss and they also lost to UTSA. They lost to UTSA. I'm trying to pull it up right now.

Yeah, here we go. They lost to UTS. say it wasn't close. 4826. What are we doing? And I know I got to move on. I understand that because now we have a bracket and we want to talk about the bracket. But I just want people to understand that this while we patched the wing last year with the seedings, and I think the committee did some good things with how they, like, they, I actually

You'll see it round two. I respect this committee. I know, I know, give me a minute. I respect this committee working within the confines of the structure. But we patch the wing and the wing's ready to fly. And you feel good about it taken off into this year. But we forgot that the engine is at a critical state. And we didn't, or you know what, we didn't forget.

We didn't have the foresight to realize that the engine has been flying to the desert back forth and has collected a lot of sand in it. So maybe we should get ahead of some of the problems that could arise. Instead of having some problems that arise when we're literally 40,000 feet in the air in the Pacific Ocean. Yeah. That's what it feels like because here we are. It makes sense, man.

There's no going back to land in California. There's no going back to land in Asia. We're too far out in the middle of the Pacific. Right. So we're stuck. And we're stuck with Tulane, a two-lost team that lost 45 to 10 and has a rematch with Ole Miss and lost 42 to 48 to 26 to UTSA. What do you on about? Do you see the spreads they just gave us?

This is my problem. Oregon is favored by, thank you, thank you. Tucker, do we really need to get them fired up any more than he already is? Oregon is favored by 21 and a half. And they should be over JMU. Ole Miss is only favored by 17 and a half versus Tulane. But we're all going to sit here and complain on selection Sunday. Yeah.

About the committee got it wrong because Notre Dame should be in. Why is Alabama still in? We're arguing and yelling about the wrong thing. But it's too late. You're right. You're right. You are 100% right. Now we can move forward.

I got it all off my chest. Someone in the chat just asked me how many stars would I give the committee. Really? honestly, based on like you're framing it really well, probably four and a half. They did the right thing with the SEC teams. They did the right thing by keeping Alabama in. And I think Miami versus Notre Dame is a very difficult decision. I can recognize that and still think that they got it wrong and think it should be Notre Dame.

I'm not sitting here being like, they didn't take some team out of nowhere, out of the wilderness, out of the forest, you know, like that Miami has no business being in there. That's not the case. I think they had a very difficult decision to make between two. teams. I think they got it wrong, but it wasn't, it's not egregious what they did. I understand it. I can understand the logic of the argument for Miami. And that's fine. I just think that there should be an argument made for Notre Dame and it should have been Notre Dame. All right. Here's what we're going to do. Dan just let me know. They have not yet released and I think they're getting ready to pretty, oh, first team out Notre Dame, second team out, BYU. Right. Ahead of Texas. It doesn't matter.

this point. But no. But I actually have a problem with that. BYU in that schedule. I love it. I love it. I love it. ahead of Texas. Yes, they lost to Florida, but they also lost to the number two team in the country early in the season. And they beat three top 10 teams. And they did it late in the season when they started to really tick. So if we're trying to get the best 12 teams in at this point for the college football playoff. But so they're, Dan and Tucker, will work behind the scenes to create a graphic where we can go through the top top 14, top 15 and have that discussion later. But honestly, right now this is about what are we looking at?

What's college football like for the next month or so? And college football kicks back. The college football playoff starts up on December 19th and December 20th with these four matchups. So let's start out the bracket right now, Tucker. And there we go. So JMU the 12 versus the five. the winner plays Texas Tech fascinating.

Dante Moore versus that defensive front, sign me up. Alabama then in the second seating. Alabama, Oklahoma, 9 versus 8 respectively. Then the winner of that goes to play Indiana. I'm here for that, man. And we'll talk about Alabama. And that match up in a little bit. Then the third bracket, if you will.

Tulane, Ole Miss, a rematch, 45 to 10. I'll keep reminding everyone. When Ole Miss wins that game, we have an awesome round two game in the quarterfinals, which Mention kindly told me December 31st or January 1st. I believe that will be January 1st. I can't wait. And by the way, we're doing reaction shows.

We'll give you the schedule for that, but everyone in the chat will be a part of it. We're going to break into those games, and we're going to have a lot of fun throughout the four rounds of the college football playoff, okay? And then the winner of that game, as I said, plays Georgia. It will be Alabama versus Georgia, December 31st or January 1st, I believe it will be January. It would be Ole Miss versus Georgia, right?

Is that what I said or no? You said Alabama, but that's right. Sorry, yes, Ole Miss the sixth seed when they- What a rematch that would be. It will be an awesome rematch, right? And again, I think it's important to note. I've already said it, but I want to say it again. to give Charlie Weiss Jr.

and to give Pete Golding the new head coach and permanent head coach at Ole Miss, the opportunity to go to have a game against Tulane against an opponent they already blasted, to give them a chance to work the mechanics, being on the headsets, making fourth down decisions, halftime adjustment. It's big. It's better for Ole Miss.

They didn't earn a buy. I agree with you, man. you would prefer if you're Pete Golding and Charlie Weiss, Jr., to have that game against Tulane, excuse me, then to have a week off, an extra week off and a by week.

I agree. Finally, wow, the graphics aren't even better. Nice job. And then Miami versus Texas A&M is the final matchup. I'm absolutely here for that. That might be the best.

game of the first round, to be honest with you. I mean, I know I said what I said about Notre Dame versus Miami, but that's a great game. Yeah, Alabama, Oklahoma, because of Alabama, doesn't have a run game against that pass rush for Oklahoma. Either is Oklahoma.

No, I know, I know, but the defensive element to that game, but a clear advantage at quarterback, but then again, where's John Mateer now that he's had a few extra weeks to get that thumb and kind of regroup from what a season that was just like overwhelming, to circumstances that no one could have ever predicted with the thumb surgery and

everything like that. But then Miami A&M, yes, that's December 20th at noon Eastern time on ESPN and ABC in College Station. That's the other thing. Oregon James Madison's in Eugene on December 20th night game, TNT and HBO Max. Alabama, Oklahoma is on December 19th. So there's only one game on the 19th. That's Alabama, Oklahoma. That's 8 p.m. Prime time game on ESPN and ABC in Norman. That's interesting. Brutal place to play now. I mean, it's always been tough, but that place has gotten, like, remember the Michigan

game and the scene there? So Alabama's got to go to Norman on December 19th. Then we have three games on the 20th, okay? Starting at noon eastern time, I assume the 20th is a Saturday. I don't have a calendar in front of me. noon eastern time you've got number 10 10 seated Miami it is Saturday as a and M in college station I'll be honest with you how's that not the night game thank you how is that not the night game thank you because of the rankings because the highest seed gets the best the best um slots that's oh we got

to fix that should be the better matchups and then old miss two lane is it 3 30 that afternoon on tn t and HBO Max, okay, in Oxford, Mississippi, and then that night, as I said, Oregon five seed versus 12 seed, JMU, 730 on TNT and HBO Max. Who, Tucker's saying that we should go live early that day.

What, on the 20th? Yeah, after the, after the, that Miami, Texas A&M game, if not after. Yeah. Yeah, after Miami. Yeah, we'll go live after that game and then maybe do a wrap-up show after the end. We'll figure it out. let everybody know. But this is awesome. Our chat is exploding. Cain's fans are pumped. Notre Dame's fans, Notre Dame fan. If you're a Notre Dame fan, I want to hear from you right now. Like what, what is? Yeah, HBO Max Godden. It's the new world

we live in. By the way, Netflix with... It's wild. Yeah. You're going to be, all of a sudden, you went for just a, you know, a Spotify star and budding star mensch to Netflix and HBO. I hope your family's ready to deal with that ego. Do we get some kind of roll in a Game of Thrones spin-off or something? Does that work? Let's get on it. Let's get on it. So those are the matchups.

Of those matchups. God, a Notre Dame fan, not surprised, by the way. Sorry. Yeah, but I want to say this. So we gave you the odds, the Fandual odds. And we, like, thank you, Fanduel for, like, all the support, the partnership and everything that you do. And if you're not, if you don't, if you don't have the Fandual app, like, what are you doing? Honestly, even if you just make a couple plays here and there, like, it's just the resource that it is.

But to have these odds already up is amazing. We told you already, Oregon in any spread we had last year, right? I think so, yeah. I can go back. Maybe the, yeah. Because what was it, Penn State and Boise State? The Arizona State, Texas game was a big spread too, I remember. But it was, I don't think it was 17.

I don't think so either. I don't either. I really don't. I want to say it was like 13 or 14, if I remember, but that was a long time ago. But important to this now, now we're talking about the big time matchups, the two big time matchups on the 19th and 20th. On the 19th is Alabama, Oklahoma. I know you already know the answer.

that's the December 19th 8 p.m. ESPN ABC. Alabama is favored at Norman by a point in a half. Yeah. Which is interesting, right? It is. And I do want to make this point because Fanduel, and I talked about the partnership and they go above and beyond to help us. And we didn't get to this in the moment,

but now that we're looking at those odds for those games, I do want to state this. Banduel Fandul, when Tucker asked our folks at Fanduel, can you give us the hypothetical, the Todd's odds? Here he goes again, you know?

On a neutral site, Miami versus Alabama, Alabama is favored by a point in a half over Miami. This is why it's interesting, okay? The other one we asked for was, what about if Alabama favored versus Notre Dame? Notre Dame was a four-point favorite over Bama.

And now Notre Dame's on the outside looking in, even though. And again, it's, they, they, Fandle's a very successful company. And they, you know, they, no one's perfect and lines are doing. And there's, you know, but there's upsets and all this.

But if you really study the history of it, they, there's nowhere that's more accurate than when you get these, these odds. I love that it backs up what I'm, saying but you can't it can't factor in you can't I understand yeah I totally understand and now if you're watching on the

going through all the top 25 rankings um JMU is ranked 24th Steve 24th I just I don't I don't I don't know we have a problem and it's it really is unfortunate that we didn't foresee this as a potential problem

because I don't spend it like when this is when the college football playoffs over, we get into the draft and we're 24-7, like, consumed with it. And then we're peeking back in, checking in on meetings and recruiting and portal and all that stuff. But like, we are immersed in it. But there are people who are in positions of power that are looking at this in the entire year round and they didn't foresee this. And that to me is, well, in a multi-billion dollar industry, did not foresee this glitch. How do you not foresee this glitch? I'll say this and forgive me for not knowing exactly what the dates are, but they did move back their yearly, their annual meeting to go over the rules

from, I think, December until early January, which I think is good because it lets them go through another cycle before they start to apply changes. So hopefully that's something that helps them. All right. So I mentioned Alabama's a one and a half point favorite at Oklahoma. We'll get to that in a second. Miami versus A&M. Miami A&M. I love this matchup. A&M's a three and a half point favorite. Remember, at home. Right. I'm actually surprised they're not a little bit more of a favorite, to be honest.

I don't know, man. The way that Miami can run the ball, they haven't always run the ball, but that offensive line, I think that's a great matchup for Miami, I think. Carson Beck under pressure is going to be the story of that game. Mm-hmm. And obviously the defensive front for Miami, the physical. the pass rush ability. Messador opposite, Ruben Bain. Akeem Messador and Ruben Bain, both first rounders, I believe, when it's all said and done at this point. I think Messador's tracking, worst case, top 50. But in talking to Scal, like, I really think that he's going to, so you get two first rounders along that defensive line that both play a physical brand. Messador's a better pass rusher. Bane's a better all-around player, both outstanding players in their own right, to bottle up. Marcel Reed and that and really force him to be a pocket passer and to do it under some duress where his feet get a little wild and we saw in the first half against South Carolina and in their loss to Texas when he gets jumpy and overly caffeinated as I like to talk about it inside the pocket and his feet are never really perfectly right to begin with no matter what the pressure but when pressure starts to happen and he can't bail out that's when he gets into trouble

Now, in the opposite side, Carson Beck, while a little bit more mobile this year and seems to be a little lighter on his feet, is not a mobile quarterback. And Texas A&M with Cassius Howell and that defensive front and the way they dial up pressures and some of the things they do in the back end where if they're tackling well, they can be really successful. But I think you can get at Texas's secondary if you can protect. and if Beck is protected with Malachi Tony re-emerging from the witness protection program that he entered in the middle of the season, that's going to be a fascinating matchup with Lee at the cornerback spot. So there's a lot of matchups and we have plenty of time to get into the nitty and the gritty. But those storylines of those defensive fronts against those quarterbacks are loom large in that huge game.

And then let me see the bracket again. So when Miami... Okay, so Miami... This is the best part, man. Starting to project the winner of Miami in the Texas A&M on December 20th at noon, which Tucker now tells us we're going to be doing a show breaking into the end of that game.

And at this point, we might as well, every game that's played, we should break in because it's going pretty well. I think Tucker's point is the James Madison and Tulane games aren't going to be... There's not going to be a lot there afterwards. I totally understand. I totally understand. Miami and A&M winner goes and plays Ohio State.

So round two, we're going to have the Miami A&M winner against Ohio State. And that's going to be pretty awesome. Even more exciting, if I'm just being honest, that's December 31st at 730. Even more exciting is Ole Miss without Lane Kiffin against Georgia, six versus three, when Ole Miss beats Tulane. then I think maybe the most fascinating because you have finally get to this this is what everyone's been waiting for you are going to have a round two if Texas A&M wins at home as they're favored to do you are going to have a round two sir that features like big 10 SEC for those we still have a great chat going big 10 SEC how many times a year do we do we go through that argument

And the Big Ten's reemerging, but the SECs get back in 2025, all of that. It actually gets decided on the field with top ten opponents in the most important game of the year. Because you're going to have an SEC team, whether it's nine Alabama or eight Oklahoma, that game on December 19th in Norman, the winner of that goes and plays Indiana. Okay? SEC versus the number one team in the country from the Big Ten. other one is Miami versus A&M. If A&M, the seven seed, we just said three and a half point favorites over Miami playing

at home, college station. If A&M holds serve on that one and goes and plays Ohio State, we've got the number 17. A team in Texas A&M that was undefeated, the vast majority of the year was sitting there number one for more than a minute. Not number one, number two, I guess. Yeah. Yeah, sorry with Ohio State.

They were in the top three, but undefeated. one of the three remaining undefeated for a long, long time, going to play Ohio State. That's going to be awesome to see. And then the final one, obviously, is, I mentioned the other three matchups. The final one is Oregon going to play Texas Tech with Dante Moore and hopefully a much healthier wide receiver core. Will Stein is still coaching?

I'm on that's my yeah he's still coaching i just didn't want to say it and all of a sudden there was breaking news in the last 48 hours or something um will Stein in his final final moments as the offensive coordinator and what's been a brilliant run with bone from bow necks to dylan gabriel to dante more three reclamation projects gabriel was bouncing around doing some good things but wasn't there bo necks was a i love i love it and in a happy form but a kind of a mess at auburn and then now he's Dante Morp. Things went so badly. Five starts at UCLA, he transfers, and now he's a first round draft pick, whether it's 2026 or 2027.

But going up against what I told you, it felt like watching an NFL Sunday defensive line against BYU the other day that those guys are all NFL guys. They just happen to have another month left of college before they start prepping for the NFL draft. So that's going to be awesome. All right, before we wrap, Dan puts us on the spot.

Dan wants to know. These are not going to be our final predictions. We need time to sit down and we've been doing a show this entire time. We didn't know 30 minutes ago. 30, 40 minutes ago, we didn't know what the brackets were, how they looked. So let's go on the spot. We don't have to be held to these. We'll come back and do another show where we're projecting all the different things

that people want to talk about in the college football playoff. But right now, looking at this thing the way it currently is, and I'm curious, let's put a poll up. Dan, let's get a poll for all the folks that are in the chat right now. Based now off of what we know with these brackets and where the games are played, who do we have, who do we predict to win the, let's go national championship game and winner. No, no, let's make it harder.

I want a semi-final answer for all four teams. I want the finals, and I want the finals. want a winner. Let's just do it on the spot. You are absolutely welcome. But for the poll, I think we should just ask for the national championship winner. Okay. What do you got? Do you figure out yours? Yeah. Okay. You start because I was talking too much as usual and I want to. All right. I got a, the semifinal is the one seed Hoosiers versus Oregon. And I got, I got Georgia playing Ohio State and the other one.

I think that the seating holds up in that bracket. And then for the final, this is, I'm going to ruffle some feathers here. I got, I got Oregon beating Ohio State. I've been high on Oregon all year. I'm not backing down now. Oregon Avengers has lost to Indiana earlier this year.

It finds a way to beat Ohio State. So you have, okay. I'm going to go from the bottom of the bracket up in the semifinals. I'm going to go Ohio State after a buy and playing Texas A&M Miami winner gets into the semifinals. I'm also going to pick Georgia over Ole Miss. They are rolling right now. Rolling. And playing with a lot of confidence and much more balanced than they have been at any other point during the season.

Then this is the brutal one. I think Alabama is going to get healthy, and I think that they're going to bounce back from this loss and it's somewhat, not, there's going to be a little bit more of a bounce back here than people expect and not totally dissimilar. With that talent level, those receivers from what we saw from Ohio State

when it looked like it was a loss cause against Michigan a year ago, I'm going to say Alabama beats Indiana. Indiana, too much time off, told how great they are, all the things fall into some trappings, even though Signetti, you know my level of respect. I picked him over DeBore and Smart and Ryan Day, and they're the three of the best coaches in the world. Because I just, I had a feeling that he was going to have his team prepared and he probably will and I'll probably look like a jackass. but I'm going to say Alabama beats Oklahoma in Norman and then beats Indiana in a big

upset and gets in the semifinals and I'm going to take Oregon as well. Okay? Then I'm going to take Ohio State to beat Georgia which I don't feel great about but I'm not. No, I don't either. That's a tough one. But I took Ohio's Day too.

And I'm going to take Alabama over Oregon. And yes, I picked Alabama in the preseason and yes to win the national championship. And yes, it is affecting my judgment right now. But I am going to take Ohio State to win it all, back-to-back champions. Interesting. And I don't love it.

And when we circle back next week, I'm guessing that maybe that will change. Can I just say something quickly about that tech team? Because that defense is as good as any defense in the country. I really believe that. And there are some really good defenses this year. I just think that Oregon defense is going to be that that offense for Texas Tech hasn't seen an Oregon defense like or defense like they're going to see with Oregon. So that's that's why I gave Oregon the nod there. I see that.

I don't want to disrespect Texas Tech, man. They've had a hell of a year. They're a good team. No, nothing Texas Tech does in the college football playoff, whether it's a second round after a buy lost in the first game in the college football playoff or if it's a winning in the national championship. would surprise me. Short of winning a national championship, nothing that happens with Texas Tech will surprise me, and that's mostly a positive.

I think their offense is not nearly as good as the numbers say it is. I agree. But I do think there's talent there, and I think you have the veteran leadership and a smart quarterback in Baron Morton, who's been through a lot of wars, and I trust him for the most part. I just don't think that they have the

firepower and the consistency against good quality defenses to But every time you look up, there they are. Because the defense putting the offense in good situations or whatever it is, they're scoring close to 40. Close to or more than. Yeah.

But I think Oregon's underrated, and I agree with you on that point. I think Georgia, in my opinion, Georgia is truly capable. I know they're all capable of except too late. I think Georgia, if I had to make a short list, Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, even though most would disagree, Oregon. If you got to pick five, who are the five? Who are the five teams that you think would, that if you had to put in order, you only got five, it was like an elimination thing.

And I said, you have to bet a thousand dollars of your money. And I'm going to give you five teams to pick. It would be very similar. It would be Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon out of the Big Ten. And then I would take, who am I missing? Sorry. I would take Alabama too. And so that would be four.

Oh, Georgia, Alabama and Georgia. So it's the same five. So you would take Alabama if I gave you five. And if not, you lose $1,000. If the national championship winner is not from these five, you least $1,000. You know, I would like that. You would put Alabama in over Texas Tech. And Oklahoma and Ole Miss, yes, I would.

Okay. Because at their worst, it's bad. I get it. I get how bad it is. But we've also seen, and I love how people. Yeah, they all love how people are like, well, the Alabama over Georgia win was earlier in the season two. But we've seen what Alabama can do. This has been an awesome show.

This has been an awesome run. This last 24 hours has been exactly what we've always wanted this show to be in the college football level. And we haven't even gotten to the draft. And I'm pumped for this run. How about the chat today on a Sunday afternoon? I know. It's awesome. Everyone go enjoy some NFL football.

It all just started. I'm going to go get some food. I'm starving. I didn't get coffee, no breakfast. I'm starving. I'm excited to sit down, hang out with the family,

enjoy some lunch, watch some NFL games. No show tomorrow. No, yeah, no show. Thank you, Steve. Yep. No show tomorrow. We will be back on Thursday morning with rough draft.

I don't know. Honestly, every bit of focus was on yesterday's two shows and today and everything going on. And that's awesome. It's where it should have been. We'll figure out what the hell we're doing the next couple of weeks while we get ready for the college football play. And honestly, this gap between today's the seventh, man. We have games on the 19th. It's only 12 days.

So we'll do a couple of draft shows. We'll do a couple of preview shows. And then we'll be right back doing live reaction shows and getting ready for this awesome run between December 19th and January. It's one month. Was it 31 days or something? One month of all these awesome matchups.

Yeah. Sons Tulane, Ole Miss, and Sons, J.M.U. Oregon. But we're thrilled to make this ride with you and thank you again. The support today in this show has been awesome. back on Thursday, METCH. Like, if I could give you more than five stars, I would. But I am limited to five stars. And you get it, brother.

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