The McShay Show - Week 8 Reactions: Gunner's Growth, Pavia Prevails, and Alabama's Assassin

Episode Date: October 19, 2025

Join Todd and Muench every Saturday night throughout the College Football season to recap and react to the biggest games, plays and prospect performances. 0:00 Welcome to The McShay Show! 1:35 We...ek 8 Live Reactions! 13:08 Conference Scheduling & Realignment Wish List 21:08 Ty Simpson is an ASSASSIN 31:00 (6) Alabama Defeats (11) Tennessee: 37-20 37:20 (13) Notre Dame Defeats (20) USC: 34-24 44:48 Week 8 Heisman Rankings 49:50 (9) Georgia Defeats (5) Ole Miss: 43-35 58:05 (17) Vanderbilt Defeats (10) LSU: 31-24 1:08:05 (7) Texas Tech Upset By Arizona State: 26-22 1:14:40 What's Next For James Franklin and Penn State? 1:29:35 Week 8 Live Reactions! 1:31:45 Projecting Next Week's Top 12 Ranking The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Host: Todd McShay Guest: Steve Muench Producers: Tucker Tashjian, Conor Nevins, Daniel Comer Social: Alysha Tsuji Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 You know what, man, there's 187 days until the NFL draft wire. We tiptoeing around. Yeah, let's do this thing the right way. We got week eight. We've got upsets. We've got top 10 teams, four of them, I believe, getting knocked off. And it's about time that we reset this whole thing and we get into it. Munch, are you good?
Starting point is 00:00:15 I'm great, man. All right, Tucker, one time now, kid. All right, as we do every week in this live reaction show, we break in the games. The game's kind of just duds of endings, and that's fine. Nothing's going to change. We got Alabama up by 17. with just a couple minutes left. Notre Dame is 10 points ahead of USC
Starting point is 00:00:53 and about just under a minute left. So it's time to do our show. And I'm excited for this show because a lot happened in week eight hours. This episode is presented by Duluth Trading Company. Ready to give rival tailgates the foam finger. Duluth Trading Company crafts Hall of Fame Game Day gear
Starting point is 00:01:11 to help you grill hotter, cheer louder, and tailgate longer. Bibbs loaded with pockets, gusseted pants, so you can crouch without snuffing out your coals and free swinging shirts tailor-made for Cornhole Tossin. Stay comfortable from preseason to playoffs in the toughest tailgate attire around,
Starting point is 00:01:32 only at Duluth Trading Company. Best and worst thing, if the first time you're joining us, we appreciate you joining. The chat is growing every time I look over to my left. We'll get to all of you, Cole Marie, and we always trade back. And Haas is back this week.
Starting point is 00:01:47 Where the hell have you been, Haas? We're going to get answers tonight before we get off air. Do you have weddings in the fall, but you're firing everybody? Evan, Holly, and the whole gang, okay? But we always start to show off with our favorite. We call it best things we saw today. The internet wasn't that funny today. I don't know if it's a change.
Starting point is 00:02:10 It wasn't a great day for the internet. It wasn't a great day for social media, the internet and the funny stuff. So we're going to call it today the best and worst things that we saw today. All right. Let's start number one here, Tucker. Let me, let me pin this thing so I can actually see it. I'm not doing my job. There we go.
Starting point is 00:02:24 I think we categorize this as worst thing we've seen all day. Why? While I love you, Lane, and he's a bud. Physical and mental health. He's just taking care of it. Physical and mental health. We were chatting. Here's the, so I had someone asked me today.
Starting point is 00:02:42 Marissa was like, I don't understand. Why would you put that up there? Like, what's wrong? You know, she asked all these questions. I'm like, no, you don't get the trolling here. Like he was on game day this morning and they're at this like really nice resort and they were messing with him because they know he does the hot yoga thing. And it's been part of his like, you know, changing of his life, which has been a wonderful
Starting point is 00:03:01 thing to see. Okay. And we can get to all of those things. But they're kind of needling him a little bit about you going to go to do your hot yoga at the spa. And but meanwhile, during the week he made a comment something. I forget exactly, but something about how shirts fit. no no Kirby's smart it was something about Kirby smart and he's like well I'm walking walking in the offices today
Starting point is 00:03:21 I saw him in the press conference and clearly he's not something about like losing weight or something you know right yeah yeah and so he hasn't done that um and so he posts this today to kind of troll the whole thing and it would be hysterical if they if what happened in the first three quarters and certainly the first half of that game was the end result but it wasn't so now the internet stuck for has a picture of Lane that he posted with, it looks like maybe a mom and a daughter, whatever it is, but he's got his shirt up. Look great, Lane, you look great.
Starting point is 00:03:55 However, just not a good look today, right? I love that he leans into it. I love that he knows what the reputation is, and he doesn't run from that stuff. I think it's great. I lean more Lane than I do the rest of them. In terms of like, we work hard, man. everything's so serious we all focus but there is a human side to this and so if i can get under
Starting point is 00:04:22 someone's skin a little bit then i did that at esPN for 17 years right right right a little you know also i think almost everyone knows this but kirby and in lane have a really a long standing relationship i mean it's not like he was he was poking fun at someone he didn't really know you know what i mean i'm gonna see my remote control like this This is why we do the chat. What's happening? So I didn't realize, Evan, way to have my back, man. Evan Hawley.
Starting point is 00:04:52 We talking about the BYU game? No, Missouri. Oh, what's going on there? I thought that they had a little bit of elite. It's tied up. So let's put that on. Let's have that in the back. What happened to the BYU game?
Starting point is 00:05:07 17. Hey, Evan, MVP so far. They say you're number three with the crown right now. You're number one in our hearts. 1717 minute and seven seconds left I think it is so let's keep an eye on this match as we're going through even though we've reset and we're in our actual recap show all right so that's number one Tucker what's what do you get next for us ah pavia Diego pavia vanderbilt quarterback we couldn't show you apparently there's all sorts of restrictions and also rules yeah we're having to be
Starting point is 00:05:42 careful and we're going to netflix soon and we got like the FCC is checking in on us and some of the rights and stuff. But there was, someone had a great, if you'll find it on social media, it's basically, it's this, but it's,
Starting point is 00:05:56 it's Mansell. And what's interesting is, I don't know, like I've had a couple thoughts about it. And then, and then Mansell, Johnny Manzell was at the, on the sideline,
Starting point is 00:06:10 pulling for Pavia against Alabama, right? Right. And that, and that was a loss. And I'm talking this year's game, not last year. years. And we'll break down that whole game. He's become the most exciting player. I think we can all admit in college football. But I'm watching, there were a couple specific plays. One, when he's
Starting point is 00:06:28 like rolling back to his left and through, I'm like, my gosh, this reminds like that same feeling and the vibes when I was watching Johnny Mansell do this to LSU to Alabama back in the day, you know? And we didn't know all that we kind of, I had stories, but like we didn't know everything else was going on in his life. And now we know, and it's a wonderful thing that he's, you know, that he's recovering and in a good mental health state. But do you not watching him get those same vibes or like that same feeling? Not only like not not even not only like within the plays, which is obvious like when you're watching play, but the way they carry themselves. I mean, Povey's got some swagger to him. I mean some
Starting point is 00:07:13 swagger to him. And he's not afraid to save things. He's not. I'm not afraid to say if we play our game, we're going to route Alabama. I mean, that's a wild thing for a Vanderbilt quarterback to be saying. But he goes out there balls every single time. Like, I mean, he just lays it on the line. So it's, yeah, I mean, it's not only just the style of play, but the way they carry themselves. And like the victory formation practicing that pregame against Alabama was like maybe a step too far.
Starting point is 00:07:42 But the psychology of it, First of all, it's just fun for college football. But more importantly, everyone in that locker room believes, you know? Oh, yeah. And there's a value to that. So I don't know. I just watching him today, like brought me back to the same feelings of like, he ain't tall. He doesn't have a big arm.
Starting point is 00:08:09 Apparently he's fast. He's out running. Carol Perkins. Yeah. Who supposedly runs in the four fours. but he doesn't look the part. Like it doesn't add up, and that's part of what makes it awesome, right?
Starting point is 00:08:23 So there's that. And then the final thing, we're going to classify this as worst. On that last play, that last interception, were you not expecting that defendant to be there? They're running that kind of sim pressure and they're popping out at the snap?
Starting point is 00:08:35 I mean, we have a perfect play for it. We just had a miscommunication with the route and what we were doing. So, yeah, just sort of ran the route wrong, and I went to go through it, because we're hot off of pressure. And again, he made a good play on it.
Starting point is 00:08:51 But it definitely didn't help that we ran the wrong play. That's Carson Beck answering a question after a devastating loss to Louisville. And we'll get to that game and dive in. But like losing at home extra time to prepare a team that you're more talented then, top to bottom. I literally learned, I think it was like, I think it was like 11. maybe 12 years old, like the value,
Starting point is 00:09:23 the importance as a certainty that is not like non-negotiable, it can never and will never happen or else you will not play that position in this town, Todd, where you ever stand up or, you know, turn your back,
Starting point is 00:09:40 drag one of your own teammates. And especially with your body language, your tone, you know, like, and like, certainly not your words, but I wasn't doing press conferences 12 years old. But like I was, I wasn't even allowed to like put my hands up in the air if a receiver dropped a ball or did.
Starting point is 00:10:00 Oh, no, no. Yeah, yeah. Can't do that. You learn that in football like day one. You don't do it. No teammate. But the quarterback has a different level of responsibility when it comes to that. And I talked all off season. Actually, it started last season with the why, what's going on with bad? And there's the injury. Then there's kind of these, the reports. And then why wouldn't Georgia, with all the money and the resources in the world, want this guy back who at one point was considered a top 10 quarterback? And then the Ferraris, the Ferrari stolen, then the Cavander twins, and then the breakup and then all this stuff. And I don't bring it.
Starting point is 00:10:39 Yeah, we get a little laugh because I go through that whole thing every time. Yeah. But I love it. I know. But I wouldn't say it if none of it was. No, there's something to it. Being brought to me by NFL scouts. And people kept asking in the offseason, why isn't, you know, you're doing Arch Manning,
Starting point is 00:10:59 even though you're not really calling him a prospect for 2026. You're doing Clubnik and Nussmeyer and Sellers and Leavitt and some underclassmen and some seniors and all these quarterbacks. But where's Beck? And I said, like, I just need to take a break from Beck because there's a lot of negativity. I want to give him a fair shake, you know, clean break and then like revisit later. And I'm not saying that this means he's a bad guy or this means he can't be an NFL quarterback or he's not going to like everything's not just going to be fine next week and then they went out the rest of their games.
Starting point is 00:11:36 I'm not saying any of that stuff. I'm just saying you never do it, A, B, now you got to go back in that locker room and deal with what you deserve. whatever it is he gets from that receiver, the receiver room, his coaches, you know you've been taught you don't do that. And then on top of all of that, I'm certain somebody in the scouting community has talked to him about like maybe what the concerns are because that's what scouts do. They kind of work as liaisons, to be honest at times. It's not their job. But like what we're looking for. What are teams looking for? And that's not it. So,
Starting point is 00:12:17 That's, it did shock me. Yeah, I mean. Because all the other stuff's been like private or behind the scenes. And this is the first, this is the first bit of adversities had in Miami. Like the first sign of adversity and this is what we revert to. Like right away, we're, we're into the guys running the wrong routes. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:12:40 So, like, because everything's been going well. Everything's been going well in Miami. So maybe that's why everything's going well. The car's back. I don't know. It's concerning. It is. So the clock's ticking down under 10 seconds. Auburn just put a knee on it. They're going to overtime, 17, 17. We'll keep an eye on that. So this is good.
Starting point is 00:12:56 Plus we've got BYU, Utah, obviously a heated, heated rivalry between those two programs that we'll keep an eye on. But this show now is about the reaction to all the unbelievable stuff that went on today. Two things before we get into the actual games bench. And I'll flip flip flip flop the order in which I wanted to. and I didn't tell you I'm going to do this. It's just kind of, it has been weighing on me, but it's just like I want to get it off my chest. And I kind of, and I want to get your reaction. I want to see what the folks in the chat have to say.
Starting point is 00:13:29 I mean, Evan Hawley already got us on this Missouri game. So like the value's there. For everyone who's in the chat, we appreciate you being here. And we're going to have fun tonight. Two things that I wanted to lead this show with. one. And the second one will bring us to the next game. But the first one is, wouldn't it just be nice? And I'm going to preface this by saying, I'm not starting a conversation of conference versus conference.
Starting point is 00:14:00 I understand the logistics of scheduling and it seems to be changing. And it's nine games. It's 10 games. It's conference divisions within the conference. It's all of that. but wouldn't it be nice in a utopian society if like nine nine weeks of the college football season you and i and everybody else who loves this great sport got to see ohio state play ls u.s u.s. and then next week play tennessee and then the next week play uh old miss and the next week play a and then next week play oklahoma and then some shitty school and then the next week play Florida and then to have and then to have like a couple um not another non conference game and then have to play Georgia and then the following week have a letdown game and they get to play Vanderbilt and followed by Kentucky. I hear you some rotation of that and throw in a
Starting point is 00:15:01 South Carolina in a certain year. Do you hear what I'm saying? And so everyone everyone's going to jump me and be like well the big tot's better and they've got this team in the right. No, I understand. I'm just and I'm not slighting one conference over the other. All I'm saying is I'm looking and we've done this, we've done this with different programs at different times or quarterbacks looking ahead to what's upcoming. And it's like, oh, this gauntlet Oklahoma's got, oh my gosh, look at who Alabama's got to play.
Starting point is 00:15:32 Oh my Lord. How's Texas going to get through this? Oh my, like, right? Yeah. And like, I don't, um, Texas A&M today. A&M today, right? Arkansas is two and four, I think, coming into the game. Got all they could handle.
Starting point is 00:15:49 And they had to score 45 to win that sucker. Yeah, they did. Do you know what I mean? Arkansas wouldn't die. I only say this. I'm actually saying this weirdly as a positive. Because that defense might historically be good. I might be historically good.
Starting point is 00:16:09 Ohio State's defense might just be, after losing eight stars of the NFL, historically good. Then I keep waiting for proof. I keep waiting for proof otherwise. Yeah. And I'm just not seeing it. This defense is outrageously good. It is by far the best defense in the country. And A&M before this week, I thought it was really, really close.
Starting point is 00:16:33 Miami's, there's some people who thought that they were on that level. But like Ohio State is at a different level. And here's why, here's what brought me to this, Steve. Don't look now, but this super talented YouTube, YouTube, TikTok star, all the highlights we saw, quarterback with the arm angles, the flicking, the throws and all the stuff before he became a starter at Ohio State from like high school days. Don't look now, but he's developing into an asset. There's never a liability.
Starting point is 00:17:13 It was arched. It was a liability in week one. It wasn't Julian Sayin. But Sayan was just kind of, you know, doing his job. The training goes wrong a little bit. Now I'm looking up. And he, where is not? I mean, the receivers are starting to put up big numbers.
Starting point is 00:17:33 The offense is opening up. I think he went for 300 or 290. Carnell Tate's on a tear all of a sudden. Absolutely. Tate and Smith. had 15 for 208 and two touchdowns today. Julian saying was, listen to me, 36 of 42. And I get it, Wisconsin's defensively isn't what Wisconsin has been, but there's still like, and I know there's some injuries, like I know all of it, but 36 of 42 can be hard to do in seven-on-sevons.
Starting point is 00:18:03 393 yards, four touchdowns, no picks. And this is now stacking games. But then I had to press the brakes and say, my gosh, wouldn't it be nice if like a down week, you're playing Vanderbilt or Missouri, both ranked? Yeah. A down week, like an easy week you're playing Arkansas? Like, ask Texas tonight, just an overtime one. Kentucky's not very good. But you don't show up, you know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:18:38 So I'm just, I don't know. I just, that was the first thought. the second thought was Ty Simpson is a fucking assassin dude here we go can I address the first thing really quickly yeah sorry I don't want Ohio State in the SEC I want and I'm not saying that you're saying that
Starting point is 00:19:00 I want the big 10 to get better I want it to get deeper they're very top heavy the big 10's very top heavy I would like to see them get deeper and there's no reason they can't I don't understand why what signetti is doing in Indiana like they can't better players be more competitive i don't understand why that's not a thing i don't understand why they why you know whatever program i wisconsin let's just pick wisconsin because they're so down right now that they can't build an identity get players in there and become a better program i just wish
Starting point is 00:19:29 that it was deeper but i will say this you can't like you can say those things about the defense and i and i and i agree with you and you can say those things about julian saying and i agree with you but it's a little concerning that iron sharpens iron and these guys are going to go into the playoff and they're going to be, I mean, they, let's see where Texas ends up. They might end up with a schedule that does not have a ranked opponent on it right now.
Starting point is 00:19:54 Like right now, it's only Texas at 21. You look at their entire schedule. Penn State's out of the top 25. Michigan's out of the top 25. So they can end the Reagan now, but yes. Right, whatever. They could end the regular season with, you know, with their best opponent.
Starting point is 00:20:08 being in 20 to 25. That could happen. And that's, you know, for them, I don't necessarily know how good that is for their team because then you get into a playoff situation and you, on all sudden, let's say you get a buy. Now you haven't played a tough schedule. Now you have a buy. Now you, that first week, you don't know who's going to show up. Maybe it's a, it's an SEC team like a Georgia.
Starting point is 00:20:31 And all of a sudden things get real, real quick. And do I still think Ohio State's the best team of the country? Yeah, but it's not about the best team of the country. It's about the best team that day. So it's just, I don't know if it really helps them. I think it's a little bit concerning, to be honest to you. But yeah, all those things are true. Julian's saying is turning into a dude.
Starting point is 00:20:46 And it helps that he has those receivers, but he's still taking advantage of it. And again, I'll say this again, Brian Hartline is a first year play caller. Things seem to be going pretty well. Yeah. He seems to have a good feel for what his team's good at. So that was just a thought. And then the second thought I told you. We did the quarterbacks on Thursday, right?
Starting point is 00:21:10 Dante Moore, Lenora Sellers, Fernando Mendoza have the three upsides, the ceilings. They have the physical traits that you look for, right? varying, varying traits
Starting point is 00:21:26 and levels and all that. But they're the guys that you look at and say, like, it's what the NFL is looking for in this day and age, right? Yeah. And Diego Pavia, is the most exciting player and quarterback, certainly in college football. All those things can be true.
Starting point is 00:21:48 I'm just like, I am now, like I am past the point of no return because we're stacking games against good opponents, week in and week out. I promise you on 25 years of experience, this guy, Ty Simpson, is an absolute anomaly. He is, it's borderline not possible. the level in which he's playing the quarterback position. He is the best quarterback in college football right now, and it's not close because it's weekend and it's week out, and it's controlling the line of scrimmage.
Starting point is 00:22:24 It's pre-snap reads. It's checking. It's kills. It's post-snap identifying the changes in the disguises in coverage. It's knowing where the pressures are coming from. It's the poise in the pocket, negotiating safeties with his eyes. maneuvering inside the pocket, the subtleties of the position that have, like, there's no way in six starts in college football.
Starting point is 00:22:48 You can play the quarterback position at this level. It doesn't happen. So we're watching something that, like, is so special, man. And then I heard some things on the broadcast tonight. And McDonough does, in McDonough, I trust when it comes to broadcast, the stories he tells, the information he gets, like, he just, he, He brings you into those meetings. I felt like I was there with him during the week,
Starting point is 00:23:13 which I was for probably 10 years of my career. Fly in on Thursday, meetings on Friday, discuss those things. Put it like he's a stickler with all of it. But there's a reason. And the reason is he can, so when he starts telling a couple behind the scenes things tonight, the first one was I knew his dad was a coach. Right. And you hear that about a lot of quarterbacks.
Starting point is 00:23:34 Like, yeah, son of a coach, you know, all that stuff. but his dad being there and hearing the story, he's been an 18 year head coach at Tennessee, Tennessee, yeah, UTM, Tennessee Martin, Jason Simpson. And his brother's there, by the way, this is a side note, it doesn't matter. Brothers there is a recruit,
Starting point is 00:23:57 but it actually does matter for one thing I'll get to in a second. His brother's there's recruit. So when you see him as six starts and you see the level he's playing with, and remember I said to you, he's doing the shit that I expected to see from Garrett Nussmeyer this year. Except I didn't know Nussmire was going to be behind.
Starting point is 00:24:13 If I listened to Brian Kelly, he's behind a very functional, maybe the great offense. The best office line ever. Right. But he's not. And Brian was wrong. And Brian has been around a lot of great offensive linemen. He got that part right on the quote.
Starting point is 00:24:29 The other part was that this is a good offensive line. And trust me. Wrong. Because I'm watching it's like a, it's like a, triage. What do you mean? It's like a triage on the field and on the sideline. People didn't realize late in that game against South Carolina. He's limping and being like carried off the field. He's already dealing with an ab injury. He had with the knee tendonitis that we talked about that was kind of news to us in the off season. Today, every time they went to him after a completed
Starting point is 00:24:59 pass or an incompletion, someone's having to drag his half dead corpse up off the grass. But so what I expected to see from Nussmeyer is not what I'm seeing. I'm seeing it from Ty Simpson. Yeah. I thought it was going to be baton-first-year starter. It's Tuscaloosa. I thought it was the second-year guy. It's the first-year guy.
Starting point is 00:25:22 And so hearing, yeah, his coach, his dad was in an NFL quarterback, an NFL quarterback coach, and an NFL now an OC for the Saints, Nuss-Myers' dad. His dad, though, is an 18-year head coach. in 20 years, I guess he's been at the Tennessee Martin program. Makes sense. Connect the dots. The other thing that was really interesting in the broadcasts I heard,
Starting point is 00:25:49 his best friend is Ryan Williams. Ryan can't come out in this year's draft. And his brothers are recruit. They're doing big things. And so maybe you want to be there for the one year lap over, you know, overlap. Just a couple of things to think about. But as we're saying, he's the most NFL ready quarterback in this class after six, now seven starts, right?
Starting point is 00:26:18 Yeah, I would agree with that. Yeah. But maybe he wants to come back anyway. And history told you, and we're not going to do another quarterback draft show here. But history tells you, this may be year one of a two-year stint at Alabama. And if that's the case, you're thrilled. And then the side note, the funny part of all this was the story. I don't know if you heard the story that McDonough told.
Starting point is 00:26:38 when Jeremy Bernard, who's one of my favorite under the radar players in the entire draft, I don't know. Dude, he's awesome. I'm not going to say he's going to be the next Ameca Abuka. I thought Emeka was going to be the next Terry McLaurin. And that's proving after, you know, not even a half of the season. Like that might be the trajectory there. I'm not saying he's going to be that, but I'm saying he's going to be the slot receiver
Starting point is 00:27:01 who's underrated, who maybe doesn't have the workout numbers, goes in the league, he's ready and he produces right away and he does for a long time. But Bernard, he goes to in the officeies, Bernard had a decision to make. He's a Washington transfer. A year last year, had a good year. Scouts I talked to were like day two, but maybe he got to go back to school grade.
Starting point is 00:27:22 Maybe he got a second round grade. I don't know what the advisory committee told him. But he's talking, and Ty goes to him and says, hey, let's talk. I've been thinking about this and it's not just selfishly. You were at Washington. Remember like Romo Dunes A, your guy, he came back for a year, that final year.
Starting point is 00:27:42 He went from, you know, maybe a day two to a first rounder. And you had a Jalen Polk and Jalen McMillan. They all benefited from the final year. So I want you to think about that before you make your final decision. We could take you from a day two to a first rounder. And Jeremy Bernard, if I didn't love the guy enough, quietly turns to him and looks at him in the eye and says, yeah, but they had Michael Penn.
Starting point is 00:28:08 panics. How great is that? That's awesome. That's awesome. By the way, we're double overtime now. I know. I know. Field goals in that game.
Starting point is 00:28:21 Walk the folks through it who are going to be listening to this after the fact. Like, give us a, we call it, we used to call it in network television or whatever you call it, broadcast television, a scene set. Missouri's the first one on offense for the second overta.
Starting point is 00:28:38 time now it's third i'm on third and ten i don't know where you're yeah me too uh Auburn the crowd is going absolutely ape been a tough year for Auburn this would be a huge win for them so just call the time out double overtime uh third and 10 Missouri's got the ball defense feels like it's rolling and the crowd is going crazy and this is a classic SEC can I yeah they they call timeout right yes yeah okay so they call time out i feel like, why aren't you ready to commit to Bernard? I'm ready to commit to Bernard. I feel like you're like, he's, I'm not saying he's going to be this.
Starting point is 00:29:18 I think the more I watch him, the more I'm like, I think he's going to be, he's going to be really good in the NFL, man. I think he's going to be really good in the NFL. And today he was. I love the way he wins at the line of scrimmage man. He had four carries today for 49 yards, I think. He was, I just, he was all over there, the field today. He had a huge part of their game plan.
Starting point is 00:29:38 I love this. I love this about you. Because you're, you're taking a page from my book. And I think I took it probably from Kuiper or somebody else at some point. There's like this passing of the baton. Flipping the script. Turn it on, turn it on the guy. All right. All right, mother, mother bleeper. Yeah, you called him first, but now I'm going to double down on you and see if you're ready.
Starting point is 00:30:01 See if you're ready to push your chips in. I want you to go quickly. I'm not saying he's not going to be. I'm saying I'm not ready yet. Like, let me give me the end of the season. Let me like dive into the tape more. But I, but I want you to think about how good Terry McLaurin has been for the Washington commanders throughout his entirety of his career.
Starting point is 00:30:20 And I want you to think about how good a mecca Abuka has been. He's an immediate star before this hamstring injury that may or might, may not keep him out a week or two. I'm saying he's tracking towards something like that. And the similarities are he's not going to run super fast. he's a slot receiver he's never he's never the star that's the big similarity to me not super fast not going to win the workouts and he was and it's probably why they overshadow because because just like a mecca had with with star wide receivers there at Ohio state yeah he's got Ryan williams
Starting point is 00:30:56 there so he's never going to be the guy um but this transition all this talk is is beautiful because it transitions us into the Alabama Tennessee game and it turned out to be not much of a game. But I do hope people understand that what we're seeing with Ty Simpson is absolutely special. And right now, here's where I want to go. I picked them preseason to win the national championship. Kaelin DeBore. I know you, I know you did. You won't let me forget. I know. But after week one, I was like, oh, man, what was wrong with me? Right. Now I'm looking at them and I'm saying, I think I'm almost positive. Ohio State's a little bit better,
Starting point is 00:31:42 but I'm not really positive anymore. And in a week where we've seen a lot of four teams in the top 10, I believe, we'll get to this in a little bit, get knocked off, including Miami sitting there at number two. There's not many Kings of the Hill left. No. It's an empty, it's, it's, we're going to get to this at the end, though. I feel like you're spoiling the top of 12.
Starting point is 00:32:11 I'm just saying I want you by the time we get to the AP top 25 discussion at the end to truly think about this. Because I'm watching Alabama tonight, truly think about how many more teams, how many other teams in the country you believe in more than Alabama? Because I'm going to tell you that that list for me is so short right now. And so much of it is because of a guy who's going to be next week making his eighth collegiate start. Yeah. I'm with you on all of it, man. I am with you and all of it.
Starting point is 00:32:43 And they just, Alabama feels like there's something going on there too. Like that's a pretty good Tennessee team. And they just never really let it get close. They just handled their business against a pretty good Tennessee team today. Like it was just, it never felt like it was really close.
Starting point is 00:32:59 The defense made enough plays to slow them down. It was just, I don't know, it feels like something's happening there right now. Jay Miller didn't have a great day, but the kid Daniel Hill came in and played well. I think the offensive lines starting to come together.
Starting point is 00:33:11 There's, it's, it seems this is a reason to believe in that team, but it's a good team. It's not just him. It's first and goal for Missouri. Hardy just got the ball. He got stopped for a one-yard loss.
Starting point is 00:33:25 I'm torn in this as someone who's obviously has no, this is Missouri. Auburn's still talking, double overtime. I'm torn because I want, and I don't care. I don't have a dog in either race.
Starting point is 00:33:37 I don't, but obviously I'm not rooting for anyone over anyone, but I'm just saying like, but part of me is like Missouri is a really good team. I think this is like they're closer than the typical good Missouri team is. And then on the other side, I'm like, my gosh, this Auburn defense man, every single week this group shows up and just plays its ass off. And wouldn't it be nice to get a win like this as as Perbula goes diving into the end zone touchdown. So now Missouri is up by a touchdown in Auburn. and has a chance to respond.
Starting point is 00:34:11 They've got to go for two. Let's not forget. Anyway, yeah, I didn't get a sense, too, in this, in this, what was the final score? Let me pull this up. The final score now that we're here, 37. 37.20. Yeah. I didn't get a sense that Tennessee was even playing that bad.
Starting point is 00:34:31 No. Do you know what I mean? They were throwing, that's the other thing about it. They were throwing some big punches. They came out, if you remember, they came out of the first half, and it was 23 to 7. Tennessee broke that 45-yard run. Alabama had three-in-out, and then Tennessee broke that long touchdown run.
Starting point is 00:34:49 I think it was 45. It might have been longer. And it felt like, wow, maybe the momentum shifting. No, not really. It was like, yeah, that was a nice punch. We'll take that punch, and now we're going to punch back. You know what I mean? It felt like they were maybe going to make a move there
Starting point is 00:35:04 and then didn't. And by the way, the absolute, you talk about teams of destiny and making plays in key, key moments. What about the pick six at the end of the first half? Yes. You just can't do it, man. You can't do it.
Starting point is 00:35:18 In Aguilar, like, try to force that ball to the flat. I thought it was a questionable decision even to go for it. I mean, there was no time. It was, it was shaky the whole way through. It was pretty clear they were going to have to throw the ball in that situation and to take it back with the, I thought he was going to tackle, too, by the way. And he threw the hezzy, Brown, the defense back, Brown, threw the hezzi on whoever.
Starting point is 00:35:39 Whoever was left and was able to get all the way down. It was another one of those things. You look back on a season and you're like, man, that was a big play at a key moment. And it's your defense coming up with it. It's, yeah. Yeah. I think, yeah, I think we both agree. What I don't know is, you know, you know, Ty Simpson's thrown one interception
Starting point is 00:36:06 compared to 16 touchdowns. It's just wild. And there's not a lot that I feel like he's getting away with. Those numbers can be misleading sometimes. You throw on the tape and you're like, oh, well, that was a drop. And, you know, I probably wouldn't advise him to do that again. But it doesn't feel like he has a lot of those,
Starting point is 00:36:25 what do they call him on PFF, turnover worthy plays? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I don't, I wonder what the number is for him. I haven't looked at it. But it doesn't seem like there's a lot of those when you're watching the tape. So it's South Carolina next week. then schedule-wise it's LSU, Oklahoma,
Starting point is 00:36:43 then you get Eastern Illinois, and then you're obviously the rivalry game of Auburn. That's what I'm saying. Like, wouldn't it be nice if Ohio State had that coming up? I hear you. Or had had a stretch with Georgia Vanderbilt, Missouri, Tennessee. Anyway. I just think it's attainable.
Starting point is 00:37:03 I don't know, the way they're playing right now. All right, let's move on. Next game. Oh, by the way, that Alabama freshman, Janza Pierre He had two sacks in the first half and one of which was the safety Remember I brought him up
Starting point is 00:37:16 Like I didn't even know who that came. Yeah, yeah Because they've had injuries at that edge position. USC Notre Dame I mean Offense We touched on it before we reset and started the show This is the Jeremiah love that we all signed up for
Starting point is 00:37:33 And I'll be honest, I've been doing this long enough, man Like I've seen so many times where every single year there's a superstar or two or five. And this year it's been some of the quarterbacks. Why is an Auburn offensive lineman dragging the ball down the field right now? That's it, ball game. No? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:37:52 Final double overtime. But now that always something. Riffs are huddling. But I've seen so many times where the star player, whether it's a quarterback or running back or wide receiver. And just think of it. about like Derek Stingley is an example like it always feels like there's a few guys they're coming back for their final year and it's like I'm kind of in I'm kind of out I'm going to protect myself
Starting point is 00:38:20 and I saw that opening night against Miami for Notre Dame and they weren't giving him the ball much and he wasn't having a huge impact and I was like oh no we spent we did a whole show this summer on Jeremiah Love and how he's how he's different and he's special and all the like and And is this going to be the guy? And now to watch him tonight, he was on a mission. He was absolutely possessed. After every run, he was getting in someone's face. It's like someone had stolen his girlfriend from the U.S.
Starting point is 00:38:52 and moved her stuff from South Bend out to L.A. And she was out clubbing in the Hollywood scene. Like, he was that pissed off all night long. And I'm here for it. You looking for his numbers? Yes. 24 for 228 and a touchdown. the average 9.5 yards per carry.
Starting point is 00:39:12 No, he didn't. Yeah, it was insane. It's insane. Say those again. And it's everything, right? Say those again. It's 24 for 228 and a touchdown. He averaged 9.5.
Starting point is 00:39:23 Oh, my God. What? He's a complete back. And he had like five catches too, right? Five catches for 37. So he had like 260 total yards of offense. Yeah. Wow.
Starting point is 00:39:39 Yeah. And he's not even my spotlight player this week. Nope. Should have rethought that. What's really interesting to me about this game is I thought it was going to be closer. Ten points. I think the spread got up to ten and a half, by the way. And the kicker gave away four for,
Starting point is 00:39:55 for give me points too. So the kicker, we missed the field, the kicker missed a field goal. Notre Dame missed a field goal. They missed an extra point. So there's four points there. I think that C.J. Carr, who I talked about the quarterback for Notre Dame,
Starting point is 00:40:12 who I talked about glowingly after watching his tape of his fourth last four game, was not, did not play well. Prest is, I think, the biggest concern for that team going forward. I also think that something's wrong with Christian Gray at the corner. He can't run. I mean, he can't run. I mean, he had a pick tonight, which was a big play for Notre Dame because it was a badly thrown ball, but he cannot run right now.
Starting point is 00:40:35 He looks like a shell of the player that I've seen in the past. So that's interesting to me too. And Notre Dame still won fairly comfortably, which says to me, that team's damn good, man. If they can still beat that USC team like they did tonight with all of those things, it seems to me that that's a really good Notre Dame team. And if they can get Carr to play like he does against the teams that maybe aren't ranked as high and get them not to press and make ridiculous situations in the red zone,
Starting point is 00:41:06 I mean, decisions in the red zone, then they could have something. They could really have something. And Gigerian Price might be the second best running back in the draft, by the way. Kickoff return for a touchdown at a huge moment in this game. Huge moment in this game. It looked like USC was turning the corner and turning the tide, and Gedarian Price takes one back to the house and quietes everyone,
Starting point is 00:41:26 and just calms everyone down. It was an interesting game to me because I really thought USC was going to to throw a big time punch at them. And it looked like they were going to. And Notre Dame just weathered it, just weathered the storm. It's a huge. We also don't, let's not forget, we were here last Saturday night. And then Monday again, Monday morning.
Starting point is 00:41:51 And the epiphany came as we looked at the schedule. This is literally the Super Bowl. The regular season Super Bowl for Notre Dame. This was not only an elimination game. This was, if you lose, you are eliminated. Like they're out. Yeah. If they win.
Starting point is 00:42:07 They can't lose again. They can't lose again. If they win, but they're going to be favored double digits every game moving forward. Yeah. True. Boston. Boston College, Navy, Pitt, Syracuse, Stanford. Pitt is the only one.
Starting point is 00:42:23 It's at Pitt. With this new quarterback. Pitt's the only one that poses anything. It's at Pitt. And it's late in the season. And we see kind of those Thanksgiving-ish time, you know. weird things happen weird things happen um but like they are tracking this was a huge win for notary day and it was against a a ripe worthy opponent USC came to play tonight i i came
Starting point is 00:42:55 i'm more i am more believer in USC under the i've always been a believer in and um and and than Riley Lincoln Riley but I haven't always been a believer that it's going to necessarily work there I'm more of a believer now than I have been since he took that job like I really see the direction
Starting point is 00:43:17 so to get that kind of win and it should have been at least 14 I don't know it was impressive and you get like if you're a Notre Dame then think about the way this season started Mensch yeah Owen two injuries.
Starting point is 00:43:33 Where the hell is Jeremiah love? Why is our defense suck? Is this the right quarterback? Like everything that's important was like up in the air. Give Marcus Freeman a lot of credit too, you know? Yeah, two years in a row now he's been able to, you know, calm everyone down and write the ship. Yeah, I mean, I guess that's the extent of it. Yeah.
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Starting point is 00:44:40 I did get a question here. And the questions are coming in fast and I love it. Someone just asked about Gunner Stockton for Heisman and I lost the spot. So if you sent that in and like I'm not ready to go there yet. I will say this. I think I think I think there's like legitimately i think tie simpson should be top of the list yeah who do you guys right now good question let me start with tie simpson yep i think jeremiah love just put his ass inside that conversation like right in the mix of that conversation 100% and it's probably not going to slow down against those opponents he's got to be there mendoza Mendoza, absolute.
Starting point is 00:45:33 Do you see what he did today? Because I don't plan on covering Indiana and Michigan State. He barely missed. Like, yeah, I mean, it was. It's getting kind of weird. Because it doesn't mean anything for draft stock necessarily. But, like, it's kind of hard to complete that high percentage of throws in, like, in some of these games. And Michigan State's not very good, but like, they feel the team.
Starting point is 00:45:57 They have scholarships. Yeah. they're better than they have been in the last a couple years. He was 24 of 28 for 332, four touchdowns, no interceptions. Ridiculous. And if it's not like last week with Surat, this week is Cooper. And they're always combining for like 200, 200 yards receiving. All right.
Starting point is 00:46:20 So that's that. So Ty Simpson would be my one. After that other guys invited would be, oh, and I'm a husband voter. So as we get closer, I'm not going to tell you who. I'm voting. That's part of the contract, if you will. Ty Simpson, I would say Jeremiah Love, Mendoza. I think Pavia at this point. Really? Right now.
Starting point is 00:46:46 Okay. Like, what is Vanderbilt without Pavia? I'm not saying, but I'm just saying, like, I would keep him in the, in the conversation. But I think Gunner, he keeps this up. And if they find a way to keep winning ugly, like, yeah, we got to start talking about him a little bit, a little bit. Disagree?
Starting point is 00:47:11 Who else would you have? I struggle with because I think Ohio State's got to have a rep of it, maybe they don't, and I would think it would be Jeremiah Smith. And then I think the fifth is... But I don't even think Jeremiah Smith's having that kind of year. 40 for 50, and seven touchdowns. It's not that kind of year. as a wide receiver.
Starting point is 00:47:31 I know. I know, but if you look at Pavia's stats, they're not going to blow you away either. It was the most recent wide receiver, right? I mean, yeah, Travis Hunter, but that was two ways. That was different. If we're being honest, though,
Starting point is 00:47:43 I think it's a three-man race right now. I think it's the Love Mendoza Simpson race. I agree. I'm not sure there's two other serious contenders. But it was Dante Moore was King of the Hill by a long shot. Could get back in the mix. And he could get back in the mix. He had another monster day today.
Starting point is 00:47:59 in a game that I thought I'm glad to see that Oregon came out and played. Yeah. You know, I thought that that could be a hangover. Yeah. Texas on the other hand, exactly what I said. I've been fooled by this before, so I'm not going to do it again. And fools gold, which is appropriate
Starting point is 00:48:19 for that area of the country. Fools, you know, well, I guess oil. Fools oil. So, yeah, so this brings me to the spotlight player of the day. There were so many, like, how do you not have Pavia McShay? What's wrong with you? Jeremiah Love had two, almost 260, too, in total yards from scrimmage. There was something special about what Gunner Stockton did today, man.
Starting point is 00:48:43 I went from like, yeah, he's competitive, he's a good runner, he's making some throws to like, oh, this guy carried. He absolutely carried. I mean, I couldn't believe when I, first of all, they're down 10 in the, I think it was 10 in the fourth quarter, right? Yeah. They scored 17 or 9 in the fourth quarter.
Starting point is 00:49:08 They scored 17 unanswered in the fourth quarter. Gunner Stockton, who's our running quarterback, who we're going to try to kind of supplement the pass with the extra man in the run game and all that stuff and who makes some throws here and there. He completed, and I know Ole Miss isn't great, but it's still, it's old miss. They have players.
Starting point is 00:49:26 80% passing. 289 passing yards, 59 rushing yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions, and get this match. This is what turned me on him. 12 for 12 in the second half. Yeah. Games on the line.
Starting point is 00:49:45 Our receivers are better than they were a year ago, but this isn't Alabama. This isn't Ohio State. 12 for 12, spreading it around. The tight delve into the outside guys. I don't know. I, I, there are certain games that you always look up back on employers where it's like, oh, my opinion changed.
Starting point is 00:50:04 Today, my opinion changed on Gunner Stockton. I couldn't agree more. Today was the first day that I was like, I get it. I understand why they made the move. I understand why they think this guy can, they can compete for a championship with this quarterback. I just, it was clear, clear as day to me that this guy, this was different. This is different than any other performance that he's had.
Starting point is 00:50:28 And I'll say this to, um, getting off on this a little bit. There's the office corner of Georgia, Mike Bobo, I'd love it when he uses the tight ends, and I feel like he doesn't do it enough. Like last year, if you look at the Tennessee game,
Starting point is 00:50:42 Georgia used their tight ends a lot. I thought that was a great game for them. And tonight, the loss and lucky and Oscar Delp had nine for 85 and three touchdowns. And I love when, because that's Gunner Stockton's game a little bit. Like, it's great when you got Colby Young
Starting point is 00:50:57 and he wasn't healthy tonight, by the way. Gunnors Stockton did most of that. With Colby Young, I think, for one drive. Colby Young had the one catch for 36 yards and looked awesome, but then they had to come out. And then they really started getting their tight ends involved. And when you get Stockton making plays on the move
Starting point is 00:51:11 and these rollouts and play action and all of that, man, he was just lights out, did not flinch. He is a, in many ways, mirrors Kirby and their ability not to get caught up in moments. It feels like Gunner Stockton is the epitome of the next snap, next series mentality. Yeah. He changed the way I think about him.
Starting point is 00:51:38 He really does. And they've got something rolling. Now it'll be interesting to see, maybe pull up their schedule if you get a second. It'll be interesting to see, was this an old mess thing? Or is this like a coming of age of Gunner Stockton? You know, is this like something we can start to?
Starting point is 00:51:57 And I'm just watching the highlights. It happens to be on the SEC network. I think it is after that Georgia, of Missouri game. And it's like, it's like Del Pier and it's lucky there and it's wide outs here and it's a back here, like just spreading the ball around. And here's the part two. Lane Kiffin was in his bag today, man. Lane Kiffin, they, they score was the first seven times. They scored. They didn't score. They scored touchdowns or six times. Georgia didn't, Georgia didn't get a stop until 1249 left in the fourth quarter, I think.
Starting point is 00:52:30 I mean, no stops. I mean. I think it was the first time that Kirby as a defensive coordinator or a head coach had not had a stop in the first half. And it went like all the way to the beginning of the fourth. So this is like, this is an era, this is an era low point for the program defensively. But the other side is this is also like,
Starting point is 00:52:55 I don't know that I've seen Lane more in his bag. And he's been in his bag going all the way back to U.S. back in the glory days. And then you talk about like taking Alabama to this new, you know, the millennium of college football and getting him out of the old, you know, previous decades with Nick and into the new. And so he's done it at a high level in different, different ways, the West Coast and then the power game and the spread and then back to the West Coast
Starting point is 00:53:26 with Dart, now this and the RPO's and the tempo. Like he's done it in all different ways, shapes or forms. I don't know that I've ever seen him more in a play-calling rhythm than I did in the first three-quarters of this game. And you could tell when they, when, how did they get, Georgia went for two and they didn't get it and he was celebrating because he knows, we're going to keep scoring. All I get is.
Starting point is 00:53:47 Yeah, right at the end of the first half. All I need to get is this like slender little point advantage. And I could, you've got nothing to stop me. And then you saw a D2 quarterback, fourth quarter, tightened up a little bit of feeling, crowd, tightened up a little bit, throwing that fastball. So like, but, but for three quarters, Ole Miss outplayed them.
Starting point is 00:54:10 And Lane Kiffin outcoached him. Yeah. But Gunner never stopped, man. Gunner knew it was his responsibility. He had to bail out the defense and he, I don't know. It was just, it was something different that I'm not used to seeing. And even Herbie said on the broadcast,
Starting point is 00:54:29 like we've seen them behind. before, right? We saw him behind Tennessee, two touchdowns. What was the other, was it? Auburn. Auburn. Yeah, Auburn, right? But this one feels different because it doesn't, and they, he didn't say this, but I was like, I agree with you. I'm not mine. Yeah. I'm like, I agree. This does feel different. And it's because I don't know that he has the answers. Because even like the X's and O's and fill in the, you know, right this with the safety, insert here, and gap and like, like, and. And, and. And, and. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And now it's instead of like doing the hands or the chalkboard,
Starting point is 00:55:04 like he's over there with the, with the iPads and he's like he's coaching them in game as well as, this is Kirby now, in game as well as any defensive coach in the country. The adjustments, because they're, they're getting out Jimmy and Jod on that side of the ball, which I'm like, it's mind blowing. Unheard of. Unheard of. Think about just a couple years ago. Like the Philadelphia fucking Eagles are the George, is,
Starting point is 00:55:31 George just it's so like the yeah the world champion Philadelphia Eagles yeah so to see in him and that but but he's had answers to fix the problems he didn't have them today and so it had like handcuffed Kirby smart is a weird place for me to be as a viewer and someone had to step up and do this and it was Gunner Stockton today so something if you're concerned and you already hinted at it they've had two away games what do you think the two away games have been Tennessee and Auburn they beat 10 they beat Auburn by 10 and had to come back in that one and they beat Tennessee by three so they've had these away games also they're impossible to beat at
Starting point is 00:56:16 Georgia unless you're Alabama they're impossible to beat at home and they only won this game by eight there are some things here still still and again Gunner Stockton convinced me convinced me that he's a different dude than I thought he was after this game. But that being said, defense still a concern. They've only had two Roan games, and both of them were really tight. And both of them, they looked vulnerable. I thought today, and I want to ask more questions, but we can get it.
Starting point is 00:56:48 I want you to think about this for Monday. Where are you with Ole Miss? Is this something they can, they can slash will recover from? But I don't know that we have that answer tonight. Let's like, really, like, is this defense capable of getting to a level where they can went out and legitimately play in the SEC championship game. But I thought today was the first time all season as a whole, as I was watching the landscape.
Starting point is 00:57:15 And maybe it's like the weather's starting to change. Maybe it's the wear and tear on the players. Maybe it's like the Big Ten is now traveling this coast, that coast, this, whatever it is, today's the first day. Because if you go back and look at some of the upsets they've been at home or on the road, like, if you look at like, Notre Dame with the weather turning the second half at home against a West Coast team, you felt that home field advantage.
Starting point is 00:57:40 Alabama, better team than Tennessee, but you could just feel it. Like Aguilar has been through so much, but like it got overwhelming, right? We talked about a division two quarterback, elevating and playing at an awesome level this year for Ole Miss, but fourth quarter between the hedges. You felt that. Like I felt it. I don't know if you did, but I felt it. I did, yeah.
Starting point is 00:58:06 And so it brings me to everyone's favorite segment of the Saturday Night Reaction Show and our favorite partner, and we're excited to have them as partners, but it's time to get into the special segment of the show. It's called Home Field Advantage, brought to you by our good friends at Home Depot, the place to go to build your dream game day setup
Starting point is 00:58:27 on your own home field, whether it's a tailgate, your backyard, or your living room. And like I said, If you think creating a home field advantage is an important, like look no further than week eight in college football, I just mentioned all of those games. But the one that stood out to me the most, and I'm going to ask you this question, Munch, as part of this, is Vandy becoming a place you kind of don't want to go play? Are you asking me right now?
Starting point is 00:58:52 I'm just saying, like, and I want to get into this segment. And obviously the tie in with Home Depot, and it's building a home and the importance of home and home field advantage. But Vandy now, like, and I know it's not the crowd. But, like, there's this, like, passion brewing that I'm feeling. I can remember watching Vandy on tape
Starting point is 00:59:14 and, like, and they go from, you know, show the scoreboard and, like, a third of the stadium would be filled. Right. And I feel like there's been a flash here and there over the years, but I feel like Diego Pavia has, has, like, brought life to this program. And I think they have a,
Starting point is 00:59:32 head coach that they actually can build, like is building something. And you know they're in a fertile recruiting hotbed in that area of the country. So it's like, I don't know. This thing's getting interesting in Vandy. LSU can't protect. But the LSU had every opportunity to lean on as the bigger team, the faster team. What were your takeaways from this game? But I guess my first was like, this is, it was Alabama last year.
Starting point is 01:00:09 It's LSU this year. When is it not like, and I appreciate they didn't. I don't think they rushed the field, right? They didn't rush the field. I appreciated the hell out of that because they've built something there. It's like an expectation, right? What a, what a statement to LSU? You're not Alabama.
Starting point is 01:00:27 Yeah, right? I love that. I love it, too. man and it just goes to show that they've got something going. I think they were favored going into that game. I mean, there's, I mean, there's clearly something going on there. I think they were favored against LSU, and I think they should have been.
Starting point is 01:00:43 I expected, like, you could say this was an upset, but based on where the teams were ranked. I don't think it was very much of an upset at all, to be honest with you. I just didn't. I think that LSU team. Well, it wasn't. Vandy was actually favored. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:00:57 Yeah. I mean, LSU can't run the ball. I think Nussmeyer's hurt. He, by the way, he gutted it. out today again. It felt like he gutted it out. And then they just couldn't make enough plays when it mattered. And the defense still can't figure out how to handle a mobile quarterback.
Starting point is 01:01:13 It's the same thing that's haunted them for the last two years continues to haunt them. I mean, Pavia was killing them with his legs. So it was it was not that surprising. And what's even better about that is it shows that their fans have an understanding of that. It shows that they're, that Vanderbilt fans get it, that they, get that they're supposed to be better than LSU in that game. And it doesn't matter what history says. And to me, I mean, those are all, I mean, huge green flags for that program going forward. You know who also gets it? Cole Marie. The football tie-ins to the Home Depot
Starting point is 01:01:51 segments are Oscar-worthy, Todd. I just see the tie-in. I'm the guy out there grinding with the pee gravel and grinding with the porch and getting heaters delivered and taking advantage of this. So let's get to the outro here, right? Those stadiums talking about all of them from today, from Georgia to Alabama to Notre Dame to Vandy especially. That's the one I wanted to focus on today. Like you could tell the difference today in the home field advantage. But if you create your own home field advantage, whether you're tailgating, at the stadium watching from your backyard or your living room, the Home Depot has everything
Starting point is 01:02:35 you need for a game day setup that brings the energy from grills and smokers to top brands like Trager, Next Grill or Weber, to fire pits to two and smart lifting speakers, outdoor TVs, and more. Fast free delivery. I'm telling you, I am now like completely sold on the delivery at Home Depot, okay? fast free delivery over two million online items delivered free to your door subject to availability see home depot.com for details the home depot how doers get more done there we go i do want to get back to the vandy though real quickly go yeah they're not as talented they're not as fast i watched them in that tape getting ready for uh for alabama and i told you like i just can't see it because I saw such a significant difference when watching the Alabama tape. Right. But I watch them against an LSU.
Starting point is 01:03:33 LSU, you mentioned, it's always been the Achilles heel and all that. The thing that I'm most convinced of offensive, like defensively when you're facing Vandy, there's a lot of teams that force you to play with discipline in certain fashions or like, maybe like you better be sound with this thing. They test your discipline all three levels for four quarters. And eventually they find something. Or you better just be so damn discipline. That was the thing with Alabama that surprised me the most
Starting point is 01:04:05 because it's been just like LSU, it's been a problem with theirs. But if Vandy can find just one little crack in what you're doing, they kill you. Yeah. That's why I look at the schedule for Vandy. No one wants to do a Vandy show. I get it.
Starting point is 01:04:20 Like I truly do. I'm here for it. Good. Well, the Mench wants to do a Vandy show. But I look at... Do you have any Brad on the show? off for you? Yes, please. Missouri at home at Texas, Auburn,
Starting point is 01:04:32 Kentucky, at Tennessee. They could beat Texas. They're competitive in all those games. And look, man, confidence is a dangerous thing. There are, I think, a lot of parallels between what's happening at Georgia Tech and what's happening at Vanderbilt. And these teams
Starting point is 01:04:51 both have really good head coaches. They both have gritty quarterbacks that make plays. I like Vanderbitt a little bit better in some ways, but I should even say that. I love Georgia Tech, too. They both have gritty quarterbacks, they have great coaches, and they've gotten a little taste, a little taste of what it's like to beat the big boys. And they now know that they can run with them. They know that they can hang. They've had enough success over the last couple years
Starting point is 01:05:14 to be a dangerous team. And you look at that schedule, and it sounds in the beginning, you know, if you said this a couple years ago or a few years ago, Vanderbilt, you know, at Texas, there's no way. I don't know, man. Like, I think they're competitive all the way through. I do too. And they just, add a problem to the SEC, you know? That's why the SEC is the SEC, though. And people get mad about it, but that's just, that's just the reality. And the SEC, the SEC wasn't the SEC last year. I'm here to admit it.
Starting point is 01:05:47 It wasn't. But it's back this year. The problem is the best team in the country is in the big tent as of right now. And that's again. It's again that that's happening. So, I want to get to. a few other games before we get to the AP Top Tool and just tear that thing up. Oh, I should mention
Starting point is 01:06:08 a lot of people have asked. I wish I wrote it down to give you credit. Including Tucker, by the way, during the day. And a lot, two things. Now all of a sudden, everyone's talking about Clark Lee from Vandy going to Penn State. The funniest line on our, on our, go ahead, what? Here we go. What? Go ahead, sorry. Just every name is coming up now.
Starting point is 01:06:32 Of course. Bring Keith from Georgia Tech's going, too. It's, you know. And I saw Port and I were talking about the Army coach today. Like, come on the Port. What are we doing? The best line, someone on our, oh, no, it was always trade back. Dude.
Starting point is 01:06:48 Always trade back. Did you see what? Just now? Hugh Jackson? What? He just said Hugh Jackson to Penn State. No, but he had the best line earlier. There was some, there was some chat on our chat.
Starting point is 01:07:01 Chatter on our chat. someone wants Brian Kelly out of LSU, which I know you're all for. Oh, here we go. And they were, and someone was saying, well, maybe, maybe you could ship them off to Penn State. They're looking for anybody right now. And always tradebacks and said something along the lines. I'm paraphrasing. He said, I just, I just am dying to hear Brian Kelly fake a PA, like a Western PA accent.
Starting point is 01:07:32 He wants Brian Kelly to go full yinzer. We need the AI for that. We got to get to the AI. Oh, I'm sure. I'm not smart enough to do it. That was awesome. By the way, by the way, Matt Mateus coming off the top rope, he really, re-listen to every podcast, McSheye, can confirm that Mensch found Mendoza.
Starting point is 01:07:52 Really? Yeah, that's, yeah, that's, you. That's fine. Check the tape. Check the tape. I, I'm going to check Matt Matthias. I hope you did, but you can't have Jeremy Bernard. And honestly, you can kind of have Mendoza.
Starting point is 01:08:13 I want, I want to, I want Tyso. Oh, here we go. You can't fire me. I quit. No, I'm just, it's never you versus me on this stuff. It's all the other riffraff in this space. It's never like that. Oh, my gosh.
Starting point is 01:08:30 A couple other things I want to get to. Texas Tech. Yeah. All right. No, go ahead. Hey, speaking of you were,
Starting point is 01:08:39 I was first on, I would strongly consider Will Hammond starting after what I saw from one game. You then did the whole Kuiper double down. I'm going to move them up from 50 on my board to nine to let everyone know that I like them more than McShay. So you pulled that bullshit. You went in on Will Hammond harder than I went in on Wilhammon. And you went in on this past week. So how say you mensch?
Starting point is 01:09:01 answer to yourself because he got the start, which I just love that deep Texas stuff. All of a sudden, Baron Morton's like emergency status he can play. It just felt kind of like we kind of want to start Hammond. But then he wasn't at pads, I don't think. I think he was in streetclose. It just felt like a lot of drama.
Starting point is 01:09:22 But the bottom line was Hammond started this game under the strict order that their starter, Baron Morton, veteran. Right. It wasn't a person. Yeah, it wasn't a decision. It wasn't a decision. It was medical. Right. And so Will Hammond got the start. And at one point he was like 11 of 21 for 88 yards passing. And when I said at one point, I mean like going in the fourth quarter. Yeah. I saw his numbers in the first half and I watched a little bit of the first half. And I didn't think it wasn't that bad. I mean, it was it was a lot of short stuff. But the number weren't that bad. And then the third quarter was a nightmare.
Starting point is 01:10:04 But I say that only statistically because I didn't see all of his tape. This will be interesting to talk about on the Monday show because I want to go back and watch it. I'm not really, I'm not, I'm not sure I'm backing off of it yet. I'm just going to be 100% honest. I'm not sure I'm backing off that he's the best quarterback for them. If you look what he did at the end of this game where he rushed for a touchdown when he was getting tackled in the backfield where he threw an absolute dart to go for the to go ahead on a touchdown with all the pressure in the world with an undefeated team I mean this kid made some plays
Starting point is 01:10:41 today and I know the numbers don't look good I promise you get that Steve and and I hope the tape says that he was better than than the numbers said and the result but I promise you when you're six in oh and you the Mattador club has rolled in around 50 million dollars to buy this team here we go and and one quarterback takes over for one start and loses, it doesn't matter, like doesn't matter. He's never going to start a game again if Morton's healthy this year, but he's super talented. They did not have, I'll say this about Texas Tech.
Starting point is 01:11:15 Skyler Gilhauer is a defense tackle for them who's been lights out and is out until at least the playoffs won't be back, okay? So before we start throwing the quarterback under the bus, Maybe we worry about our defense not being able to get off the field. Get the fuck out of here. Arizona State scored nine points in the first half. Arizona State had the ball for 37 minutes and 12 seconds. 37 minutes and 12 seconds.
Starting point is 01:11:40 I get that they only had nine points for that period of time. I get that, but they weren't getting off the field. Like, I don't know. I think there's more at play here. They didn't run the ball. You still have Will Hammond as their top brush. I'm not making excuses. I know it looks bad.
Starting point is 01:11:57 We'll see, we'll see when I look at the tape. I will. But I'm not sure. I'm not pinning this on you. I was dying for him to start too. No, no, no. But if Baron Morton was the quarterback for Texas Tech,
Starting point is 01:12:07 I mean, we're taking a little bit away from how good of a team Arizona State can be with Sam Lev to quarterback. If, if Baron Morton starts this game, I'm not sure Texas Tech wins it. I don't,
Starting point is 01:12:19 I'm not sure it was the quarterback that lost at this game. And I know, I mean, I know, like you've got all this stuff going on the Big Ten. You got all this stuff going on the SEC. And I know the ACC now is kind of like,
Starting point is 01:12:32 what do we do now? But it's still going to be Miami versus one of a couple teams in the ACC. Yeah, the ACC is a mess. Yeah. Right now it's tracking Miami Georgia Tech if Miami doesn't have residual effect from this last one.
Starting point is 01:12:47 Right. And then you look at the Big 12 and it's just not a great conference. We thought Texas Tech was at that level. Doesn't mean that they're not going to be. They may run this thing and look great the rest of the way out, and it's no problem. But Arizona State now, with that win today, one loss in conference. Texas Tech, one loss in conference. You know?
Starting point is 01:13:08 BYU beat Utah tonight by a field goal. They did? So they're in it. Yeah. I might have won my pool. Let's look at my pool real quick. And it's not on, it's not on family. You're ridiculous.
Starting point is 01:13:21 Let's just do it. You ready? List me the result. Yeah, go ahead. So I had three points on. on LSU plus two and a half over Vanderbilt. Lost that one. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:13:29 Georgia minus seven and a half. Got it, four points. They won by eight. Arizona State I had plus nine and a half for two points. That's six points now. It's a total of 28 points. Penn State plus two and a half, seven points. Nailed it, barely.
Starting point is 01:13:48 Alabama minus eight and a half covered that one. That's five points. Notre Dame minus nine and a half. Stuck that one in. should have been 14 though and then BYU plus three and a half so 3 20 i got 25 out of 28 i might have won that sucker this week there you go can we talk about the big 12 now or yeah go ahead because b yu's undefeated 7 and 0 Cincinnati with brendan sorsby at quarterback is is 4 and o in the conference 6 and 1 overall i mean there is i mean Houston's 3 and 1 in the conference and there's 6 and 1 overall it's
Starting point is 01:14:24 It is. And there are five teams right now that could make a run for it. I think legitimately, too. People still are wanting to talk about the James Franklin stuff. I guess it's moved on from Frank. Sales. It's Penn State. Yeah, it's Sell.
Starting point is 01:14:44 They want to know who the coach is going to be. So it's interesting because Greg McElroy came out this week and said Fitzgerald. Yeah. I said to text to our group on Sunday. saying Pat Fitzgerald's in play. The two names I heard from a really good source were they're going to try Urban Meyer. Don't think it's going to happen.
Starting point is 01:15:06 And then Pat, don't rule out Pat Fitzgerald. Then I had a follow-up conversation with someone who said, like, here are some reasons why. From the finances to can get started now. Yeah. To there's been some stuff behind the scenes. And Pat Fitzgerald was basically shipped out of Northwestern under false pretenses.
Starting point is 01:15:29 everyone owes them in the Big Ten an apology. Northwestern and the Big Ten, I think, have given some sort of apology. That's my understanding too. It was the least Northwestern did. So that is the name I keep hearing. He was at their, uh, he was on campus at Northwestern this weekend for reunion. So it can't be that bad.
Starting point is 01:15:48 Oh, it's not that bad. Right. Um, so just keep, the Matt Rule thing, I mean, you don't, the thing. I think it's crazy. I don't want to get into this tonight at all, like at all. I've done enough on it. People understand. I even set out a tweet and everyone's going, getting mad at me. But like, I told you in advance the whole deal with James Franklin was image messaging great at it. And so, of course, while everyone else in the community of coaching, and he's got Nick Saban covering his
Starting point is 01:16:24 getting his back. And I get it like this is a coaching community. But just about everyone else when you get fired you spend time with your family you make sure everyone around you's taking care of you get out of the limelight for a little bit and you don't need to go on and explain your side but when the obsession is and i'm not just talking about james frankly i'm saying like when people are driven by image and messaging and that things like today happen and i'm sure every mother in their living room and father in their living room. It's like, oh, I like this guy. And he did, but he, this came as a surprise. Well, people don't know that. And just go watch. If you don't trust me in my sources and I don't want you to. I don't want to be in this lane at all. Go listen to Bruce Feldman and what he's
Starting point is 01:17:11 uncovering. And I haven't talked to Bruce, but I read something. He's going down the right track. And I know, so I'm telling you to go read, like going behind people, we, I want to raise, knowing that this season might turn it to be something like. I've heard that. Yeah. No, I know that. and so and then I have my own experiences there and then and then go just Google some of the stuff that went on in Vanderbilt and there like in Penn State so like there's just a lot of stuff so out with that go ahead I just don't understand what he's like how was he defending himself like the idea that I don't know I'm not in it not how not how not how no no not how why do you feel the urge to right why but but to go out there and say things like um i was stunned that
Starting point is 01:18:05 i was fired you you were you were stunned that you were fired after losing the last big game of all the big games that you lost and you were stunned that you were fired after you losing the UCLA into northwestern like how are you stunned that you were fired like you could be upset about it. Like you could say you could come out and be like, I really wish, most coaches come out and say, I really wish we could have done more and said he's talking about where he's going to win. And maybe he did do that, but like he's talking about getting excited to coach again and winning a national championship somewhere else. Like what are we talking about? And that's all great, but take a breath. Take a beat. It doesn't need to be six days later. No. Because the people who
Starting point is 01:18:46 yell the loudest and who get their message out first, there's a history there. Study the psychology of all of it. Yeah. And so when you get all this, the other information that you have, the people who have to yell the loudest and get their information out the first, go think about what I'm saying right now. Yeah. They want the, they want the messaging.
Starting point is 01:19:12 They want to take control of the messaging before someone else does. Right. And it's just, yeah. Yeah. So, anyway. But moving forward. Can I say something else? Yeah.
Starting point is 01:19:22 He did a lot of good stuff for Penn State. I mean, I don't want to get lost in the mix of all this. I don't either. He did a lot of good stuff for Penn State. That doesn't like doing what you did for Penn State doesn't ensure you. It's not a lifelong job. And he has a lot of players that will like die on the cross. Like that they like he's done a lot of great things for for a lot of young men.
Starting point is 01:19:45 And like, but but certain people should be in power. to run these programs. And those people should be driven by not the messaging, not the image, not it's important that I'm the only voice and that my voice gets out there first
Starting point is 01:20:13 and the loudest and is the most authoritative. Right? Yeah. Because when that's the importance, the importance isn't on the young men you're developing. I'm not saying, lot of importance wasn't put into them and a lot of good things weren't done. I'm not saying any of that.
Starting point is 01:20:34 I'm saying choose your leadership. Okay. And again, I want to move past and if we're going to talk about it for the next two minutes, what's done is done there. I'm just saying I wanted to let everyone know not surprised he's coming on game day. Go back in the history of game day and find me how many other head coaches that were fired for major programs six days later. we're sitting on that set doing an interview.
Starting point is 01:21:00 Okay. Now, moving forward, Pat Fitzgerald makes a lot of sense. This is, they want, they, on one end, you'd like someone who can come in and start now. Right. I've heard it's not going to, I've, I talked to Craig Hubbard, who does like the ESPN top 300 about the recruiting stuff. And I guess it doesn't really have a big impact. They've lost two recruits, I think, but he said, you know, Hobbert was telling me that, that they, they, they, they, recruits flip all the time, but in the NIL era,
Starting point is 01:21:32 it's less likely for guys to flip when coaches leave because there's money involved. So it's not a, it's not a tremendous, like, they're not overly concerned about losing recruits because Franklin's left. And my understanding is that, you know, they're usually a top 10 class and they were not a top 10 class this year that the recruiting was not, it hadn't fallen off the table or anything, but they were, you know, went from 10 to 17 or something like that. So that's a great point.
Starting point is 01:22:00 And it's actually information I didn't know. You've got Adidas coming in next summer, apparently. And there's all sorts of stuff going on behind this that I don't know it or care about, but like Nike and some issues there. You got a stadium that you put, whether it's 700 million or 900 million, whatever the reports are, there's a lot of money that's gone in there. You've got fans that are now getting frustrated because the prices are really high there. But then you get the messaging coming out from the people in power there.
Starting point is 01:22:24 of like it's never been better and McAfee's down here and we're celebrating and everything's good and the fans are thrilled and the stadium's getting better and all this has been done and their program's better than it's ever been and all that stuff right? So now the tricky part is
Starting point is 01:22:37 the people who are making the decision still currently are going to make a decision based off of that sort of stuff but can they bring in something like ideally at the end of the day this is a results business what Penn says
Starting point is 01:22:56 state has been for entirely too long under Franklin's leadership, has been a good program that has not played the brutally hard schedule, but has won all of the games. And I give them credit. Like, it's hard to do that. When all the games that are in front of you that you should win, until UCLA, this was a program that won all of those, but they couldn't win the big one. So how do we maintain that level of we're consistent? We're going to handle our business. we're a Penn State program, rich in tradition, all of that stuff. But find someone who can take you to do another level. One of two things, there's one or two routes to take.
Starting point is 01:23:36 One is a proven coach and leader who has won big games. That list is small in terms of availability and it's like almost nil. Unless you're bringing in saving, Mrs. Terry told you it's not happened. unless you're bringing in urban I can check with but I'm pretty sure that's not going to have it doesn't feel right yeah I'm actually talking talking to urban on Monday but yeah
Starting point is 01:24:09 then then that group of guys who could be available now who are proven winners at a high level it's like you're out most I'm missing somebody okay so now it's are we going the route of and you've heard like Marcus first Freeman's name and you've heard some people who have won big games and like can you think can take you to another level or and waiting until January, which is a hard thing to do with recruiting and with the NIL period.
Starting point is 01:24:40 Like that's hard. And the transfer portal. Yeah. The transfer portal. Sorry. So you get the portal and recruiting periods and now we're going to bring them in in January when they're fresh off of winning presumably a big game here or there to get to that late portion of the season.
Starting point is 01:24:55 And we've got to buy them out. So now we've got a money problem and a time problem for someone like that. Or is there a Pat Fitzgerald or someone else like a Pat Fitzgerald who could be available sooner? So that's where they are. That's my information on where they are. I get it. Here's what bothers me about that.
Starting point is 01:25:14 You shouldn't be, you shouldn't be. It's not that I don't like Pat Fitzgerald. I want to be very clear about this. I think he should be a strong candidate for that job. I think what he did at Northwestern and how competitive they were with the research. sources that they had is notable. I'm not saying that he's a bad candidate. I don't want to hear about money.
Starting point is 01:25:31 I don't want to hear about recruits. I don't want to hear about Transfer Portal because this should not be a hire that makes you competitive in 2026. This should be a higher where you expect this guy to be there for the next 10 to 20 years and make you a national championship contender and be able to win those big games. And when you think about it that way, when you look at it that way, I think it should when they interview these guys, it shouldn't matter their resume. necessarily. And I know that's hard for Penn State fans to hear. And I know that's hard for the
Starting point is 01:25:59 university because you want someone to come in like a Sabin or a Meyer. But if you have a feeling about a guy and you bring in a coach and you look what's happened at Vanderbilt at Georgia Tech. And I know those are alumni and all that. But if you have a feeling about a coach and you feel good about that coach, you should be pulling the trigger because it shouldn't be about a guy. Like, again, I like Matt Rule. He has not won a lot of big games. I like Mani Diaz. He's not won any big games as a head coach. It shouldn't be about who's there, who you know. It shouldn't be that.
Starting point is 01:26:27 It's about the guy you feel best about ushering Penn State into the next era. And you got to have some onions, right, McShay? You got to have some onions and pull the trigger on the right human being and not worry about what's going to happen in the next two months. And I'm telling you. It can't do it. I'm telling you what. You tell me what I'm telling you.
Starting point is 01:26:55 You're going to tell me that I live in a bubble and there's more two than that. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Okay. I'm telling you, you're actually right. Okay. I would have two or three or four candidates just like that, Steve, just like that. I would narrow him down. And I wouldn't give a Fugach about what anyone on campus thought about what, like, anything,
Starting point is 01:27:19 I want the right man to lead this program. but but what did i just tell you this the leadership here has been driven on what messaging and that we're saying and what i don't know imaging imaging imaging the what it looks right right brand and yeah all that so is that kind of leadership going to go out and get the right get not not necessarily and you know what maybe you maybe you talk someone someone special into coming here and you pay them the right money and it all works out. And hopefully for Penn State fans that are loyal and are awesome and tailgate hard and are 365 guy people, men and women.
Starting point is 01:28:04 The women fans for Penn State are just as crazy and awesome as the guys. Like it is an awesome fun community of people. But I just hope that it matches up because I don't know that I just don't know that they have the right person that's going to ultimately make that decision. that's going to do that unless they find someone that they can woo to come because it is Penn State and Adidas maybe. That would be interesting too. I'm here to see what happens.
Starting point is 01:28:35 But like I'm just getting confused about where Kurt Signetti coached before Indiana. Like apparently he was a Hall of Fame head coach from, oh, that's right, JMU. Like if everyone's looking at Signetti as the model for all of this, why aren't they looking at programs like that that have won at a high level like a summer all? from Tulane. Like, I mean, I don't understand why they're, they're not looking at coaches like that. Yeah, I got some really good stuff on Signetti,
Starting point is 01:29:05 like positive, really cool stuff. We shared it another date. And it was cool to see that Indiana stepped up as, I mean, I said right away, like, IU, like, you're on notice. Timing is everything in life, right, man. Timing is everything. Yes.
Starting point is 01:29:21 Yes. And that worked out well for Signetti, but you know who it worked out even better for? The people who wrote that check. Oh, yeah. because whatever every dollar they spent they'll get back in X you know times time something um all right we don't need to get to Miami was yesterday two days ago now it's 1235 am I do want to say that chris bell you are on him first he's your guy lock him into the first round with our germy
Starting point is 01:29:48 bernard with some of these other receivers and and i got to you know what subscribe to the mickshay show i've got a whole thing in personnel notes and a few other things coming out tomorrow. So you can get dive deeper into that and and bell will be in there. And some other receivers, some other edge rushers that really stood out to me this week. But Bell is on an absolute heater, man. Yeah. I do find it funny that one draft person writes one draft person and I don't know who did it first, but one draft person, what do you call it, the Twitter mafia?
Starting point is 01:30:19 Yeah. He writes he's, he's A.J. Brown. And like I literally saw, five others today. AJ Brown. Like, okay, maybe it's a decent comp. He's, like, AJ Brown's an inch shorter than this guy's verified 20, 2015. Same weight. You got that one, 226 at the combine for Brown 227, was verified this summer.
Starting point is 01:30:44 So they're the same weight. Estimated 445 for Bell. A.J. Brown ran a Brown run a 449. Like, yeah, that's good time. I hear when it gets like, I'm not saying this in this case. Like, it's a fine comp. but like I hate when people start plugging numbers into a computer and don't really watch like the players game.
Starting point is 01:31:02 And I'm not saying that's happening in the situation, but it has happened in the past. The only thing I'm talking about is like, how many times you just comment on a player and you either throw around on him or you talk about I think he's going to be a good day one starter? Or here's the skill set I like, or did you see this catch?
Starting point is 01:31:18 Did you see this run after catch? And you just don't stick a name on it. Yeah. Like a comp is like not a rarity, but like not every tweet. or post has a comp on it. And then all of a sudden. Now all of a sudden I've seen A.J. Brown
Starting point is 01:31:31 comps on every. It's like, come on, let's be better. But devastating loss for Miami. And we'll get to, I'm sure we'll, with the 10 tape truce coming on on a Monday and we'll get to that. I do want to just get to the AP top 12. I feel like the whole show has been kind of waiting for this. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:31:51 It's a mess, mensch. Yeah, I don't know what to tell you. One, two, three, four, five of the, Half of the top 12th. Half of the top 10. Miami at two, loss at home, ugly one. Four interceptions from your quarterback.
Starting point is 01:32:18 Extra time to prepare. You were out-coached and outplayed by a good Louisville team, but a team with less talent, period. Ole Miss, played their asses off. It was a road game, all of that. thought the inexperienced, the quarterback came late, and the defense, like neither, both teams deserve to lose defensively in that game. But you're the number of five team in the country, and you, and you suffered your first
Starting point is 01:32:45 L of the year, so things are going to get shuffled. Texas Tech, like, that's going to knock them back. Arizona State's better than the record, got their quarterback and all that stuff, but that's a game, Texas Tech. If Texas Tech was one of the real ones, and I thought that they might be, that's a game you got to win. Yeah, I agree. And then LSU, we saw this on the writing on the wall.
Starting point is 01:33:08 It's the offensive line play is just not what it needs to be. And the defense is good. But there's some holes. So here we are, Stevie Boy. There we go. Ohio State clearly won. Yeah. Can I say this?
Starting point is 01:33:25 I'm going to actually say this. Alabama, too. Dude, that's recency by it. Because I'm like, because I, no, that's the thing. It's actually not. Alabama is a better, I think Alabama is a better team than Indiana, but I think Indiana deserves to be at number two.
Starting point is 01:33:53 I'm just saying, if you said, if you drop me in, no, if you said Todd, you are charged with, give me the best two teams. Yeah, I hear you. Regardless, I would probably say those two right now. But that's like, that's assinine. Forget, forget.
Starting point is 01:34:13 It does feel like that, hold on, though. But kind of don't. We had this discussion last week, and it felt like Ohio State, Miami and Indiana and then everyone else, right? And Ohio State was kind of on the higher pedestal. I feel like it's the same way, but now Alabama's replaced Miami. The new Miami. It feels like it's those three and everyone else. So I'm getting my pen and paper out.
Starting point is 01:34:33 It truly is those three. And A&M 45 points allowed from the unit that I was actually counting on to be the stabilizing unit against Arkansas. that that adds a seed of doubt that did not exist last week yep because Ohio State is actually incapable of giving up 35 points or was it 40 yeah they won't know it was 42 to Arkansas 42 points to Arkansas I don't know that any team in the country could score 42 points on them in double overtime yeah have they given up 42 points off season I don't know they they've definitely on. Okay. So my point is, I love what Elko's doing. I like some of the growth with Marcel Reed, the wide receivers Craver and Concepcioni have been awesome. I think the run game at times
Starting point is 01:35:30 shows up a little bit better than others, but like they got it rolling this week. Elko, you know what I'm not saying anything. If Elko got what I'm saying right now, he'd be thrilled that I'm saying it. I heard Elko give a half time, no, a post game speech where he said, do you understand how good we could be if we actually played our best games both sides of the ball at the same time? We are like we're one of, we can be one of them.
Starting point is 01:35:55 We're one of the best teams in the country and we've yet to play our best game. And that's exciting. But we've got to figure it out where we're playing the best game on both sides and it's all coming together. And that has not happened yet for A&M. It doesn't mean it can't.
Starting point is 01:36:10 They're my favorite team to watch because I just think it's like, It is a wild ride. It's like they're the John Mater of teams, you know what I mean? Because you don't know what you're getting. Like you're going in and you're like, oh, and they haven't,
Starting point is 01:36:23 it feels like they should have lost one of these. They haven't lost yet. Like they just keep. And then Marcel Reed goes on these like runs where you're like, you know, like this is kind of why you don't think they can be national champions. And then he goes on another run.
Starting point is 01:36:36 You're like, is he maybe the best college quarterback of all time? Like he does these like runs where you're like, what is happening right now? And then the defense, the defense he gave up 42, but the next thing you know, like they've got a game ending sack. And it's just, I love watching this team.
Starting point is 01:36:51 I bet for Elko, it's, it is nothing but heartburn and sleepless nights. And it's probably not that much fun for him. And I get where he's coming from. But as a fan, oh, God, they're electric. It's, they're electric. And it's, you just don't know what's going to happen. So I think we're agreeing on this.
Starting point is 01:37:09 And I love that. That was beautifully. Ohio State 1. Indiana 2, Alabama 3, A and M4. Okay. Then it gets interesting because like the other three teams, the Miami, Ole Miss, and Texas Tech all lost. And I'll be honest, like that Texas Tech is like a double L.
Starting point is 01:37:36 And it honestly, you know what that Texas Tech loss did? It means the Big 12, and we thought this, but definitively is only getting one team. And it's just going to be the winner of the conference champ. it's only going to be the conference champion. And so it kind of doesn't matter where we put them. Just make sure when you do your top 12 as you're getting ready as we get closer to the college football play,
Starting point is 01:37:56 that one team is represented by the Big 12 because the rules say that they have to be. Yeah. That's where we are now after the Texas Tech loss. The committee will put one of those teams in the top, like just to make it look good when they come out with or whatever. I don't think there'll be a top 12 big 12 team in the AP though. I don't think that'll happen.
Starting point is 01:38:18 So now you've got, do we, Bump, like, where does it how far fall? I guess my point is this. Now we're at that threshold. We got one, two, three, four. Does Miami, like, do they fall back to just five? No. Does Oregon pounding Rutgers put them ahead?
Starting point is 01:38:36 Yeah, I mean, Miami, first of all of Miami's wins. Does Georgia go ahead of Miami? Yes. Yes. And how high does Georgia Tech go, bro? I know. That's a really tough one for me, because that comes down to what they've earned
Starting point is 01:38:51 and what I think they are. I think Oregon becomes five. I agree. That's where I have Oregon. And I don't have a problem with that. And I think Georgia goes to six. I have Notre Dame at six and Georgia at seven. I'm going Notre Dame at seven.
Starting point is 01:39:13 I like that Oklahoma win today. I do, too. I think they sneak back in. The tier was not brilliant, but he looked a little bit more like himself. And I think that defense was absolutely awesome. And it was great to watch Armason Thomas with a sack and a half.
Starting point is 01:39:26 but I think Miami would probably go eight. Yep. And the weird part is they beat Notre Dame, but that was a while ago, and this is Notre Dame team feels different from that one. Yep. But at the head to head, and Notre Dame has two losses.
Starting point is 01:39:43 I'm going Miami seven. You went, Notre Dame seven, right? Oh, no, you're flipping them? I'm going Notre Dame eight. Yeah, Notre Dame's got two losses. They're both great losses, supposedly, but that Miami lost now was worse. And they went head to head in Miami won.
Starting point is 01:40:00 Whatever. I know, you're a Notre Dame Homer. I don't need LSU in my top 12. They're out. I don't need Tennessee in my top 12. They're out. I don't need Texas Tech in my top 12. They're out.
Starting point is 01:40:14 Ole Miss. Ole Miss is still in my top 12. Yeah. Absolutely. So I'm going eight. I'm going nine. So now who are the teams I want in my top 12? We've got Ohio State, Indiana, Alabama, Texas A&M, top four.
Starting point is 01:40:30 Five is Oregon for me. Six is Georgia for me. Seven is Miami for me. Eight is Notre Dame for me. I know that's not the exact order for you, but it's the same eight teams, correct? Yep. So we have four teams remaining.
Starting point is 01:40:45 Ole Miss is going to be one of them. Georgia Tech has got to be one of them. Great win for Georgia Tech today. I think Oklahoma should be one of them. and then like if I'm just if you're asking me honestly like I think Missouri is one of the best 12 teams
Starting point is 01:41:02 even though they had that that's a tough spot but is Vandy not in the top 12 after beating LSU? It's interesting man and Virginia I don't think Virginia is at the top 12 but they're not they're knocking on the door man they just keep winning games
Starting point is 01:41:21 they do I give them a lot of credit and we obviously you know but yeah I can't I can't in good faith put them ahead of a Vanderbilt or Missouri. I think that's, that's your 12. I'm going to go, um, I'm going to go Vanderbilt. You got to put Ole Miss in still. Yep. I'm putting Ole Miss in nine. Georgia Tech at 10. Yep. So now it comes down to Oklahoma. Oklahoma is 11. And then I think Oklahoma's 11. And then Vanderbilt's 12 because I like their quarterback situation
Starting point is 01:41:52 a little bit better than Missouri's. Okay. I can live with that. And then OLA outside looking in is BYU, is Missouri than BYU. Yes. and then LSU, Tennessee, Texas Tech, all that. Okay, all right, that was fun. We figured it out. It's all set now. We did. Let's give our, let's give our friends a, why can't I,
Starting point is 01:42:15 I hate when my chat goes. Some people won Oklahoma out. Why can't I see my, this is, this is great live TV. You can't see the chat? There we go. Tell me, you tell me what's going on while I figured out the technology. Get some Notre Dame love. We got a, what about South Florida?
Starting point is 01:42:41 Do you think they're a top 12 team? No. No, they're not a top 12 team. Well, what's wrong with J. Not? That's a good question. I don't know, man. I just don't know. I mean, it was some injury stuff.
Starting point is 01:42:57 Like, we've seen a couple running backs in the country. Am I a hypocrite? The Tulane. Am I a hypocrite? Who is the Tulane running back who went? Oh, Mackay Hughes. We just talked. Yeah, he's going to, yeah, he's going to transfer.
Starting point is 01:43:14 out of Oregon because those freshman running backs are so filthy. I'm closing out of this and going back in. I'm raw dogging it, men. Raw dogging it live on our show. There we go. A lot of people who want Brian Kelly fired, huh? I guess it's just...
Starting point is 01:43:33 Jeremy Godin. Jeremy Godden. Send me a DM. I'm going to give you some Cape Codd spots. You got a big... What is it? Your fiancé or your anniversary, right? Yeah, I thought that was last week. It's still not, he hasn't gone yet. Jeremy Goddons, number one. He's sending me a deal.
Starting point is 01:43:51 Dude, he earns it. Do I follow you? Yeah, well, let's make sure that happens. Joseph Rowling is ready. He's ready for the night to be over. He's exhausted. He gave the five star munch. Oh, dude.
Starting point is 01:44:03 I'll tell you when the five stars go out. By the way, always trade back. I can't pronounce that guard's name. The Ohio State Guard, though, is one of the few weaklings on that team. 77. Okay. Um Yeah, we covered it all.
Starting point is 01:44:23 Dan's, Dan's got to go clubbing. Did everyone get to see Dan on Thursday? Or they could, those cowards cut that out. Did you notice? I didn't actually go back and look at it. We got to find out. I want everyone on this chat. Everyone on this chat.
Starting point is 01:44:35 Almost a thousand deep still here. Go back to the, watch the whole show, please. Give us a five star thumbs up, all that stuff. Dan, God damn. Go to the very end. Go to the very end of Thursday's show. There's a little nugget, a little treat for you. everyone wants to know like tucker's behind the scenes
Starting point is 01:44:51 Dan behind the scenes Connor well for some reasons our good friends who are like the the lifeblood of this entire show Steve and I just come on and talk they make everything else work and come up with so much of the creative and all of it but they're all cowards I wouldn't say that also they don't want to come on the show they saw Dan was on oh they saw him Yeah, Dan made it in there.
Starting point is 01:45:19 What did you guys think of Dan? Dan was pissed because, like, Dan wanted to have, like, a, you know, a Hollywood entrance, right? He wouldn't have a Hollywood entrance, like a nice backdrop. And, like, he's been working out. He's getting a little ripped up, you know, he's a single guy out in L.A. Um, and we just caught him. He's like down in Texas somewhere visiting a friend on like a picnic table, like with a tree and behind him. And he comes on like, like his mom's probably mad at him.
Starting point is 01:45:45 Wonderful southern southern woman. he comes on with the trucker's mouth. Jeremy Godd, we saw Dan. All right. Yeah, let's get Tucker. Jeremy gone. Yeah. So Tucker's got to be there.
Starting point is 01:45:59 So we'll start lining this up. But that was like, I think it almost had to happen by accident before some of the executives are going to be like, all right. Like, I don't care, as you will know. And so now that we've decided we're doing this thing, we're going to make it, we're going to start rolling it up. We need, and I'll get yelling at. We need to get like some merch going.
Starting point is 01:46:15 Evan Holly wants a perone's gourmet Italian hat. we got to get some, you know, some show merch, some Perron's merch. I mean, go, go to the website now. Do they sell hats on the website? Perones, gormay, Italian. Okay. Dot com, I believe. Yeah, actually, I think they have a pull it up right now.
Starting point is 01:46:31 They have a black one, too. I have the white one. They have a black one. Oh, they've got like five different colors. Oh, okay. And Michael will send you a nice note. Just when you make an order, tell them that you're a friend of the show, okay? Because we're literally family.
Starting point is 01:46:45 Perones, the McShays, and now the match. We're all family. and Tucker and Dan but but we're also talking about merch for the show and Mench has got some really good lines that we got to get in there and it's good Mench is going to be one of them but we need we need five stars that we need five stars
Starting point is 01:47:06 Mens you good five stars but what but I have very specific Taylor I don't want like this this could take a while because you're you like this stuff is important to you know I like clean I know clean but we're going to find the right partner with this and we'll get that roll. Hey, if anyone on the chat has people that they work in the industry. I've got a couple of people, but let's find the right partner in this and let's get out some good money.
Starting point is 01:47:34 Can we also ask for some help with the best things we saw? If you guys see things like over the week, like next Saturday, if you guys see things, send them to me and Michet. I'm at you good men. M-U-E-N-C-H. That's, you know, at M-H-H-E-H-13, right? Yep. Yeah, send them to us.
Starting point is 01:47:51 Like if you guys see stuff, we can't use stuff that's just so everyone knows. We can't use stuff that's part of a broadcast. But anything other than that, it's all fair game. Anything you guys think is funny, like shoot to us. Yeah, and it doesn't have to be from Saturday.
Starting point is 01:48:04 It can be best things we saw all the week. So stuff during the week. At McShay 13, good call, Metsch. At McS-E-E-N-C-H, and at you-goodmensch, M-E-N-C-H, if you don't know already. And send us some stuff during the week. Funny stuff only. Like, we're going to test.
Starting point is 01:48:19 the sense of humor which I know is really good from our core group. And but like we want some interesting stuff. And then we'll share it and we'll give credit where credits do. I had fun tonight, man. It was a dud ending for the two games, but thank goodness for, um, it was Evan Hawley for getting us on the Missouri game. Apparently Florida states in a battle now. Stanford.
Starting point is 01:48:40 What's happening? Stanford. Stanford is like a, yeah. So, um, it's time. Total chaos. Total chaos. Mench. Five stars.
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