The Triple Option - College Football Playoff Is Set, Todd McShay Joins, Urban to the Hall of Fame, and Heisman Picks

Episode Date: December 8, 2025

Alabama...IN! Notre Dame....OUT! Miami...IN! James Madison...IN? *checks bracket* Yup, you're 2025 College Football Playoff field is set! Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram, and Rob Stone break down the final CFP bracket and debate if Notre Dame deserved to be in over Alabama or Miami. They then discuss Indiana's Big Ten title win over Ohio State, why that doesn't mean you should sleep on the Buckeyes, and what this all means for future scheduling. The boys are in Las Vegas for Coach's Hall of Fame induction and he discusses what it means to him. Could we see Todd McShay as a General Manager for a college program? Urban makes his pitch to get Todd into college and the guys discuss this year's quarterback class, the insane Ohio State defense, and go back to down memory lane talking mat drills. We go three and out with Mark and Rob picking their championship favorites before our resident Heisman voters (one who has won the award before, we will let you figure out which one) make their final Heisman picks in 2-minute drill. 2:25 CFP Bracket breakdown 10:31 Was Notre Dame snubbed? 26:40 Coach Meyer into the HOF 32:54 Todd McShay, The Ringer 57:08 Our favorites to win it all 1:01:15 Heisman favorites New episodes of The Triple Option drop every Wednesday. Make sure you’re subscribed on YouTube and following on all podcast platforms. Also make sure you’re locked in on social @3XOptionShow on all platforms for highlight moments, bonus content, and to engage with the guys and the TO community. (⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tripleoptionshow.com⁠⁠⁠⁠) The Triple Option is presented by Wendy’s. Join Team Tendy’s and enjoy a line-up like never before. Crispy. Juicy. Tendy’s Now at Wendy’s. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tendys.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you to our additional sponsors Google – No matter what question comes next, you can just ask Google. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.google.com/gasearch?udm=50&aep=46&source=25q4-US-JAG-YouTube-NCAAPo⁠⁠⁠⁠ FanDuel – Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Fanduel.com/TripleOption⁠⁠⁠⁠ to download the app and take advantage of a 50% Profit Boost today! USAA – Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.USAA.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ #CollegeFootball #CollegeFootballPlayoff #CFP #Heisman #BigTen #SEC #Indiana #Miami #NotreDame #Alabama #OhioState #FernandoMendoza #Indiana Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're all going to come in with proper chains. Oh. Oh, yeah, yeah. We're going to have them HOF chains. You know what I mean? We don't call it. Rob, don't forget that, Rob. We got to do that.

We're going to call it the chain gang. Get out of your hotel right now, Mark, and go get coaching H-O-F chain for the week, brother. Nighting. The Triple Option is presented by Wendy's. Join team Tendies and enjoy a lineup like never before. Crispy, juicy, Tendies, now at Wendy's. Time for another edition of the Triple Option presented by Wendy's.

I can already tell how this show's going to go because I'm looking at some new backgrounds. We'll get into the backgrounds in a little bit. I'm Rob Stone. He's Deuce, Deuce, Mark Ingram the second. He is the soon-to-be Hall of Famer, Urban Meyer. Great to have you guys here with us. As always, thanks for joining us. always we love it when you can rate when you can subscribe when you can share it you can find us on

apple podcast Spotify we're on social media 3x option show i don't know if you've noticed lately our social game has picked up lately i know coach has been all over it very excited about the impact of our social game lately new episodes coming your way every wednesday on youtube and wherever it is you find your podcast leave those questions leave those comments we love to get at them guys are we ready for this we're ready to finally take in the bracket and get some responses let's go All right, time now for any given Saturday. Pretty wild conference championship weekend we had leading into the final college football playoff bracket. Of course, we had Duke beating Virginia to win their first ACC outright title since 62.

The three of us were in Indianapolis to witness, to really witness history. Indiana defying the odds, taking down the top ranked and unbeaten Buckeyes to win their first big 10 titles since 67. Quick reminder, we're going to show you the 12-team bracket right now in a second. 12 teams make the playoffs, five highest ranked conference champions, get an automatic bid that came into play this year because three conferences were represented the way you expect it, and then two kind of outsiders, if you will. Welcome to the dance, Sunbelt.

Welcome to the big show, American. Good to have you here. And after those five conference champs, it was the seven highest ranked teams to fill up the field. So give us that bracket, please. There it is. All right, JMU, James Madison, your 12 seed, ranked 24th at Oregon. Bama is in, Mark, at Oklahoma, Tulane at Ole Miss.

That's a rematch, as is the Oklahoma, Alabama game, and then the other opening weekend game, Miami at Texas A&M. So let's just start with Alabama real quick, Mark. We were all together on the floor there inside Lucas Oil Stadium, and you were saying, Bama's out. Bamma's out because of what happened to the SEC championship game. But they're back, baby, they're Rasputin, they're resurrected, and they're sitting there at number nine.

No, I think people misunderstood me. Like, oh, what was to misunderstand? You said they're out. I am, I want Alabama in the playoff. Do I think they belong there after that performance? No, I did not. Now, if I'm sitting here as Alabama, I'm whatever, 10 and 2, whatever question,

whatever the record is. And I'm sitting here watching the number nine team and the number 10 team get beat the smithereens in their conference championship. I'm pounding the table as Alabama at number 11 and 12, like there's no way we shouldn't be in this game. So me being unbiased, obviously the way they performed,

I thought BYU was out. The way Alabama performed, I thought that they would get dinged and be out. But I also understand the committee setting that precedent that the championship games do matter, but also BYU's out. They lost to the number four ranked team two

times, so why that president wasn't set for the Big 12 as well? So there's still a lot of questions. I think they made the right decision. Head-to-head matters, put in Miami in over Notre Dame. By the end of the day, Alabama, I felt the way they performed were the third loss.

There's never been a conference champion that had three lost. There's never been a non-conference champion with three losses in the CFP. So I thought that the committee would possibly ding them and leave them out. So I'm glad they're in. They get a rematch against Oklahoma. I understand they had a lot of injuries.

I understand they got their butt whooped by 21 points in the SEC championship. But hey, roll tide. We're still alive. We got playoff season, man. And so Oklahoma rematch, we'll see how it goes. But, yeah, Tulane, Ole Miss. I mean, the thing is here, Stone, we got jam you a Tulane in this thing, bro. I'm all for the little guy, but

Ole Miss beat Tulane 45 to 10 earlier this season. Yeah, September 20th, Trinidad Chambliss went off on them, 419 total yards, so a 35 point win. And it's a rematch. So, Notre Dame gets a free of the stick. Yeah, yeah, Notre Dame gets a short end of the stick here. But, hey, roll damn tied. Did Notre Dame, did Notre Dame?

We in it. I didn't think we were going to be, but we in it. Coach, did Notre Dame. belong in over Miami? No, no, they lost to them head to head. Okay, so you're good with that. And I love Notre Dame. I love Marcus Freeman.

You know, they had two quality games early in the year, and then they lost, and then they won on a run. I think they beat boys in USC, which, you know, it's okay. I mean, those aren't great wins. Those are good wins, good, solid wins. So, no, there's a couple precedents I just want to point out. My biggest fear is that you're going to see the worst non-conference games in the history of our game. And I love non-conference games.

As a coach, I wanted to play a big, big, big dog, medium dog, little dog. Every year we try to do that. And it tests your team. You know about your team. You prepare harder. But that's gone. And I don't know how you get it back. You know, I'm going to finish later on about get rid of the committee.

but also the real reality that you better take more consideration who teams play. And that was my whole deal with Alabama. You know, you cannot, the precedent would have been an awful thing to set. That you finish in the top two in the SEC, you've learned in a playoff, man. I mean, I don't know what else to say. It's over. It's done. You're in the playoffs.

So whatever, whoever has someone to say about that, go coach. in the FCC one time. Mark, go playing it. I'll challenge you any day of the week as someone says, well, you finished second in the SEC. You're in a playoff. The same, I feel the same about the Big Ten. Those two conferences are better than the other conferences. Does that mean that's going to change everything? But you finish in the top two and those two, conversation ceases. You go playing a Big Ten championship game for a ring, but do not say, well, you know, you played that extra game stop it you know I don't first of all I don't

understand anyone that says anything other than that you know if you get my point yeah because I guess I got some unique experience mark no I coached in that league yeah every week I saw what I saw I also coached in the Mac and I also coached in the Mountain West Conference

I get it great it ain't that right it ain't and same with the Big Ten when I first got the Big Ten mark it wasn't that right it's closer the Big Ten as much better and this is once again coming from one of the few people that really know so i i think i'm worried about the valuation of playing a real schedule and i think some of that i'm going to point this out too with toulain and james madison i coached a bowling green i love that but i would put a mandate

in the cfp that you have to play three top 30 teams to be considered in the so if i'm james Madison and you you have a great season in your conference and all that's fine but you can't your non-conference games we've got to be against pit against west virginia against you know maybe louisville maybe you don't have state that sounds nice coach but are those programs going to schedule a two lane are they going to schedule a james madison for fear of losing to them right i mean they're they're just good enough that you don't want to play them and face them no you would i mean uh yeah i i i i can't speak for other people James Madison played Louisville and lost 28 to 14. Yeah, James Madison played,

they played Weber State, Louisville lost. They played Liberty, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, Old Dominion, Texas State, Marshall, Ave State, Washington State, Coastal, Troy, and they got to go to working now. It's a hell of a road trip. hell the road trip well and i and i and i can go back to james madison no i'm happy for them i hope they put up a good fight but let me throw a let me throw a disclaimer because i can say this is that at utah we finished 12 and oh i think

finished the season number three in a country after the bowl game um and we were the first non-bcs team and we caught some i remember trev albert saying that we didn't belong in the bcs and i got really pissed and said i'll buy your ticket trev you come watch us practice watch my Heisman Trophy quarterback, and these guys going to get drafted and tell me what we don't belong. But we beat Texas A&M by, I think, three scores, four scores. You know, we beat Arizona. We beat Oregon.

We beat Cal. Oregon and Cal, I don't believe, in that year. So my challenge would be you have to go play to get recognized or great season. Get your ring, but you can't go in the playoff. If I'm Notre Dame, I definitely feel like I have a beef, and this goes to your scheduling conversation coach. If they had scheduled Miami of Ohio instead of Miami.

They're in the playoffs. If they had scheduled Texas San Antonio instead of Texas A&M, they're in the playoffs. Look for their schedule. You can say that about Texas. If Texas doesn't lose to Ohio State, then they're only two losses. They're probably in the playoff.

Listen, this is the reality of it. You know, here's a couple things for Notre Dame. I thought they belonged in the playoffs. I put them in my final 12. So who goes out? Well, hold on. I'm not done with Notre Dame. Number one, though, if you want to solve this problem or make it a little bit easier, join a conference. Okay, Notre Dame, join a conference. Get over it. Join the ACC, join the Big Ten, do something. We can solve that. And then I know they're hurt.

I know they're, you know what's your chapped right now and they're stung and they're upset and they're bailing on a bowl game. You know, I don't like that. That just feels like we're taking our ball home and game over. But it's the sad reality because there's, Right? It's the sad reality because if you're out of Notre Dame, if you're at Ohio State, if you're at these big programs, it's playoffs or nothing. And that is being shown quite evidently right now with Notre Dame saying, we're done. Season's over. All right, more time to go recruit, re-recruit, watch some film or whatever. But I don't like the fact that they're bailing on a bowl game. That's still an experience that matters for coaches and players and alumni. I'm sure this will come up. I kind of read it that there was Notre Dame players. I made this decision. And so you're getting a lot involved here now. So there's a lot of value in these players.

And there's always been value in players, but not the financial value now. So if they did go to a bowl game, I'm saying over half that team would refuse to play. Crazy. Yeah. So if that was the case. Yeah.

If that was a case and if the players did, and the way I read that, the players probably got together and visited with their coach and said if this, we don't have a chance to raise that big, beautiful gold trophy, then we're good. I'm going to get ready for the next part of my career. And others are opting out of bowl games right now, Kansas State, Iowa State.

The ball games are going to die, man. They're going to be fine, half a million. I know. I hate it because I love bowl games so much. Yeah, so do I. They were a special event. I had great experiences at my bowl, but when you have a college football playoff, we have guys who have drafts and might hit the portal,

go to a different team. And I'm not about the risk injury for a Pop-Tar Bowl. Don't you diss the Pop-Tart Bowl now, man. I love Pop-Tart Bowl. By the way, but I got to go back to you. You said you think Notre Dame belongs. So who goes out? Miami.

And I understand the head-to-head battle. I 100% understand the head-to-head battle. But if you're looking at two teams right now, and again, I understand it devalues what head-to-head is, and that is the ultimate test, right? And that's literally what it came down to because they had them essentially. I didn't know there's another test. They had, right, coach.

They had them essentially with all the metrics, all the numbers, whatever you want to say. They basically, they judged them, the committee as a dead heat. And then they finally, finally decided to look at head-to-head. They hadn't used head-to-head. Oh, you're saying because I think that's what Brady was pissed about, is that all year long. They had the last five weeks.

Yeah. So, Coach, here we go. Real quick, just to wrap this up, we go back to November 25th. Notre Dame's at 9 and Miami's at 12th. The following week, December 2nd, Notre Dame, goes down 1 to 10 Miami stays at 12 Miami is two spots below Notre Dame

both teams did not play over the championship weekend they sat there the committee was trying to avoid that yes they had to choose between oh on Virginia come on Virginia win right they was trying to bail on that yeah yeah and instead both teams not playing

somehow Miami moves up two spots and Notre Dame goes down another spot so I want to add so Mark and I laughed on the plane about this. So I was reading with the chairman of the college football playoff committee, he said once BYU got bumped, then it became those two, they had to put the two together. And then they did all the metrics, strength of schedule, da, da, da, da.

And then this is the thing that just, I shouldn't laugh, but I did, is he made the committee go back and watch film of game of August 31st. Now, once again, I marked Antonio, who is one of my, favorite coaches of all time. I don't respect the coach more than Mark Dantonio. He's on that. But my question is, what are you watching? Like, that was

three months ago. You're coming back and saying, well, there are lines good. Once again, I don't know. I would love to ask that question to the committee to say, when Mr. Chairman, when you asked them to go back and watch that, what were you looking for?

Other than the final score, at the end of the day, the team won. I agree. Let me do a counterpoint real quick, and I'm curious, this will be a fast question for both of you. If everything was even between Notre Dame and Miami, right now, Mark and then coach, who's the better team? Who would you be taking to the playoffs? I personally think Notre Dame is the better football team right now. But I also believe we played this game already this season, and Miami won it. And Notre Dame was favored in that game.

So you say in this matchup, Notre Dame was in Miami, by the way. So it's a road game for Notre Dame. Yes. You said Notre Dame would be favored, but Notre Dame was favored in this matchup earlier this season. So I have to respect that. But right now you say Notre Dame is a better team, right? That's all that is all that. I think Notre Dame is one of the most complete teams that has a shot to really compete for this thing if they were in it.

Coach, you agree or disagree? I'd probably agree. Yeah. I'd probably, we don't cover Notre Dame. I'm a Notre Dame fan and Mark is Freeman fan. That's why I watch them, and I love the running back, play out words there. But, yeah, I think, but once again, that doesn't matter. You know, who's better, if Indiana played Ohio State 10 times, you know, it doesn't matter.

Don't, those conversations got to stop. It's over. They played. Let's pop up the bracket one more time real quick. I want to pivot to the Big Ten right now. So this is something I'm really proud of how the committee handled the one, two, three, and four. The four that get the buys. And we said it at the end of the Big Ten championship game broadcast.

I hope Ohio State doesn't get penalized more than dropping one spot. You can't do it. Very easily, it could have been Georgia up to two because they happened to win. And Ohio State falls from one to three. I'm really happy that they said, Indiana, yes, you're deservative number one. Ohio State, we're only going to ding you one spot. You go down to number two. I'm so proud of Texas Tech and what that program has done.

I'm happy for the Big 12. I'm bummed for the Big 12 that they didn't get too. two teams in. I don't know what the Big 12. I think the Big 12 would have rather had two teams in, although Texas Tech probably might have lost that buy. But now Texas Tech is a strong little team, and they've got the winner of JMU and Oregon. So let's talk about Ohio State and Indiana real quick here. Is Indiana right now? I know they're the number one seed, but coach, are they the team to beat when you look at this 12-team bracket? I think so because the three wins they had were real wins.

Once again, on the field, they did it. They went to Oregon and beat Oregon. They went to Penn State. I know, but Penn State had, on paper, better players in Indiana. They beat them. And then they went to Ohio State, arguably, the most talented team in the country, and they beat them.

So I think they are going in. They are the number one team in America. Are they, can they run in the same speed? do. I watch that damn Georgia team, man. That's the shit that I'm used to see in the SEC. They look real. They look real, real. Yeah. But answer your question, yes. Okay. Affirm yes. Mark, how about you? Yeah, Indiana is a problem and not because...

I love when you say that, by the way, now. That's like your new line. They are... LSU is a problem. They are going to be a problem. Moving forward, LSU is going to be a problem. But right now, Indiana is one. And now they always believed in themselves, but now they have confirmed validity that they can do it. Coach already said it. They went to Oregon. They came back against Penn State. They went to the Big Ten championship against the best team in the country and they went toe to toe with them. They outgained them. They outran them. They, they, uh, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they won that. They won the game. And now they have belief.

They have a process. They have a great head coach, but they have confirmed validity. And if they go in, And they play Indiana football that they can beat anybody in the country. That's why Indiana now is one of the, that's why they're the number one seed, and they'll have a real shot to compete for a national title. I'm going to tell you this, though, I am not running from Ohio State. I still believe in those buck eyes. You can't. No, you're insane if you are.

Two fourth and one moments change that game, right? End of the third quarter, they went for it, fourth and one inside the five. They initially gave it to Julian Stain on the QB sneak. they go to commercial comeback and it's Indiana ball, right? Had they kicked the field goal, who knows what happens, right? The second one, of course, is fourth and one. They learned from it in the fourth court and said, let's kick the field goal and they miss the chip shot, right? But that was not the best that we've seen from Ohio State.

And I'm curious, coach, this is going to be the second straight year that Ohio State is going to enter the college football playoffs off a loss. And I know you said the other night, all right, the template has been built, right? Like, this is what Ryan Day and the staff did last year to get them back to the national championship. But this is a different team. And I think the big concern is this feels like a younger, less mature team than what the Buckeyes were last year. Yeah, the Buckeyes last year. They followed the Wolverines, just a quick history lesson. Wolverines are the most veteran team in college football, recent history a couple years ago.

I think 23 and they won it. Buckeyes followed suit. They won it. and I you know obviously very close to that program still you know I made this comment mark many many times coaching a grown-ass man is much different than coaching a young player and I love saying that because that's true you have been in the locker room man that's great I mean we

you can you can talk real with a grown-ass man with you know young players and I don't know enough about that locker room yet because I've been gone long enough you know I knew the Jack Sawyer and I knew some of those old cats that were there and you know Will Howard was a you know tough tough cat that was a great leader i got to know him do they have that i don't i don't know that question if they do because they're the scratch the talent issue there there's no they will not play another talented team like a more talented team they might you know georgia might

be close but there will not be a more talented team ohio state fates it's just the mindset last year same thing if the seating holds it's georgia and ohio state in the semifinals if the seating holds, it could be Texas A&M taking on Ohio State as well. Nobody's running from Ohio State. You brought up Indiana.

Nobody's doubt in Ohio State. They win and they have still the most complete team in college football. You have a couple of states. And if I'm Ohio State, I'm going into practice and I'm teaching Julian saying

how the quarterback sneak. This is two weeks in a row. We saw him like... He can't grow, though, man. He can't grow, Bro, he can't get any bigger right now. Drive your legs behind this big center and guard. Or give it to Bo Jackson.

Or just drive your legs forward. Yep. They'll be right in the conversation. They're going to use the ball as a motivation. Ryan Day is a great coach. He knows how to rally his troops. And they have leaders. They have Caleb Downs.

They have some of the best players in the country. They're going to be ready to play. Yeah. Ray, Rob, before we move on to subject, I just, again, wants to hit this so it's out there again, is that the, you know, I've been saying the committee's got to go away. And that's not a assault on any person on that committee because I made this point. You have Mark Ingram, Matt Leiter, Brady Quinn, myself, you. We have Bear who really studies the game.

And we disagree on everything. We disagree on everything. So the committee is in a situation they can't win. They can't be right. You know, they're doing a fine job. But committees don't deserve to determine champion. games, the play-ins do. And so I think they're going to reset this whole thing.

You're right, coach. And so Big Ten gets four, SEC gets four, two from the Big 12, two from the ACC, ACC. You got 4-4-2-1-1, one for Notre Dame and one for some team that has that great season. But they play in. Three, play, six, four, plays five on. And this is also, you can't have teams playing these. extra games and other ones does one of the issues I have at Notre Dame

good you know they why do they get why do they get the weekend off why do they get it right so everybody plays that I'd call that championship week and I would fill the schedule with games and by the way I'd give them the Fox too but that

of course you would all right let's pop up the bracket one more time I have one more question I just want just one more visual so five SEC teams make it to the big dance three from the big 10 one from the big 12, one from the ACC and two from the group of six, again, the Sunbelt and the American sending Tulane and James Madison. Coach Signetti joined us on the set after Indiana's upset win over Ohio State. And coach, he had this great line, and I wanted to follow it up, but it just, the time just

wasn't right and our time constraints cut into it. But he said, I have three and a half weeks to make these kids humble and hungry. A hell of an achievement that they just accomplished. Saturday night beating Ohio State, winning that Big Ten title, getting the number one overall seat. And I know they need to enjoy the win, right? They need to enjoy this title. Hell, they've deserved it. Their alumni should still be soaking it in right now. But how does he get them hungry? How does he get them humble after they have reached this amazing, amazing peak, which has never been seen before in the history of Indiana University? Yeah, I respect Mark and I both, because we know I have so much respect. and his on-the-field production as a coach,

as coordinators, obviously, his players. But when he said that, that was a real, that was real. That's a head coach. You can tell what's going on in his mind. Enough with, okay, great. We're going to celebrate this. We'll give you maybe 12 hours.

I'm sure he's going to put that trophy away. It's done. And by the way, Tuesday practice is going to be the hardest shit you've ever gone through in your life. It won't really. I would say that to my team. Say, congrats,

but I'm going to get you guys on Tuesday now. Because you can, here's a great day, Mark. and I know Coach Saban did it, you can find 30 things in that game that India did not do well. So I can promise you he's going to be showing those third. I know the great passes.

Because you've got to give love. But you better get that mindset right back. We actually, way out would handle the meeting, hey guys, this shit would have been close. Watch these 30 plays or 10 plays. If we block the edge better, we tackle better, we do this better, we do this better. And I kind of dive into the coach.

coaches and the players to get their minds right back to right on it because when that team's on it, they're really good. I love that. I love that shit, by the way. I know you did. That's why I wanted to ask you. That was your fresh take of the week presented by Wendy's join Team Tendies and enjoy a lineup like never before. Chris, juicy Tendies now at Wendy's. Okay, we talked about it at the outset of the show. I'm looking at your backdrops. I can I can tell already you're not even looking outside. You have no idea what the time of day is. You've been downstairs. You guys are in Vegas, baby. My outside looks really good. I just had to close it for lighting.

I know you did. I know you did. I have a nice panoramic view of the strip right here. So I'm heading there. I'm coming to join you. And we are going out there because coach is going in on Tuesday night. I'll tell you this. And it ain't a Hall of Fame. Coach Irvin ain't in it. It ain't a Hall of Fame. So they had to get my boy in there because that legitimizes the Hall of Fame. And that's. Which has it set in yet, man? Like, is it starting? Like, I don't know, maybe you're starting to see more faces

and you're getting closer to the, to some of the press responsibilities and the dinner and whatnot. Is it hitting you? It is. And what really hit me is this year, the National Football Foundation sets up, you know, visits to the schools you coached at. And it started off at Bowling Green with Eddie George's first game

and the athletic director and the president, everybody couldn't have been better. A bunch of former players came back. We celebrated our run at Bowling Green. And then we went to Utah. You guys are part of that. And the crowd and the, you know, the athletic director, Coach Whitingham, you know, we celebrated our two years undefeated season at Utah.

Then obviously, Florida. We celebrated down there. And then at Ohio State, Penn State game, we did. So that's when it really started to hit. You know, I'll be honest with you. I'm glad it's here. You know, I just want to, what's really cool is Mark, and you guys know this because you're so strong family people.

My kids and my spouse are. all here, Shelly's here, and that's all. And my Fox team is here, and then so many former players are going to come back and former coaches. So it's going to be, it's going to be very emotional, very appreciative. If you need us, Mark and I will be in the back, probably with the repisado, like the other night, Mark. Los Lenders, right? Los Lendero. I don't know. I don't know what Mark and I stumbled upon the other night, but we went back. We went back. It was a She was bailed by then. It was in a Naho old-fashioned.

Oh, man. No. Oh, yeah, right? Eyes just popped up. Like, let's go, man. Let's go. That's a winner. Hey, coach, we're so proud of you.

We're so excited for you. We're humbled that we get to work with you, and we're honored that we get to partake in it with you in Las Vegas over the course the next couple days. I'm coming in hot. Hey, coming in hot for you, brother. Three-time natties.

Let's go, man. You know what I mean? You know, I had, and he blessed me with that highs and he let me go for two. I love that. We're going to talk Heism in a second. Also, we need to book the trip for next year because Duce Duce. We'll be in. You're going to be going in, brother.

They're going to be going in. They're supposed to put me in with both my coaches. I know. I know. But we wanted to give you a little limelight just for Mark Engram, just for Duce Duce. That's all good, man. We're all going to come in with proper chains. They were different.

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And we're going to have them HOF chains. You know what I mean? We don't call it. Rob, don't forget that, Rob. We got to do that. We go to call it the chain gang.

Hey, hey, get out of your hotel right now, Mark, and go get coach an HOF chain for the week, brother. Yeah. Oh, my goodness. I love you guys. So amazing. Coming up next, we're going to talk about the top NFL draft prospects, including a bunch of guys you're going to see

in the upcoming college football playoff. We got the ringers. Todd McShay, joining the triple option next. Canada's Wonderland is bringing the holiday magic this season with Winterfest on select nights now through January 3rd. Step into a winter wonderland filled with millions of dazzling lights, festive shows, rides, and holiday treats. Plus, Coca-Cola is back with Canada's kindest community, celebrating acts of kindness nationwide with a chance at 100,000 donation for the winning community and a 2026 holiday caravan stop. Learn more at canadaswunderland.com. Get to know yourself and your roots better with Ancestry DNA.

Want to know where your family comes from in northern France? Maybe you'd like to see how your genes influence certain traits like diet, fitness, and allergies. There's so much of you and your heritage to discover. Visit Ancestry.ca and get started with an Ancestry DNA kit today. We welcome you back to the Triple Option presented by Wendy's. Nice-looking Tendie jacket there. Two, stoos? The letter, man.

Oh, man, I like it. The details. What you think about that, Todd? Your varsity, tendy, baby. He's a barquee, I'm just happy someone's in cold weather gear like me. I mean, I'm looking at Urban and his golf shirt down in Florida. And I know Rob Stone, when you, you still out in man, oh, yeah, there it is. Yeah, yeah, I got my little lightweight hoodie on.

I love it. He's Todd McShay from the Ringer, joining us every month. Talk about the NFL draft, which is getting closer and closer. So, Todd, we just wrapped up championship weekend. All eyes are on the playoffs right now. If you're an NFL executive, if you're an NFL draft expert like you are, where are we right now in the whole NFL draft timeline? Well, obviously, we've got to finish the college football playoff.

And then we've got June 15th for most prospects, the underclassmen have to declare. January. And a lot of guys. January 15th. Yeah, January 15th. And a lot of, a lot of, I do appreciate that there's an advisory committee with the NFL. And so a lot of the underclassmen will throw their names in through their school and see. And you get one of three grades back from that committee. It's first round, second round,

or return to school. And so after that, we'll know somewhere between 50 and 70 prospects will wind up coming out. And it's been less in the recent years with the NIL money. It's bringing players back to college, which is one positive of what's going on in college football today. But then we have the senior bowl. And then obviously it ramps up with the combine. the pro days and everything else. So it's, we're kind of, we're turning the corner, but not there yet. All right, let's talk about these quarterbacks, Todd. We did it about a month ago, and you made the comment.

I've been saying it all along, and, you know, and after, you know, my respect I have for you with your analysis of this, these guys should all come back. I'm with you on this, and I don't know if it's changed, but Fernando Mendoza, we had them on our show. It was great on your show, by the way. I'm telling you, that's one of the best. That was one of the best. That was Alex Smith, J.T. Barrett, those kind of guys that would sit in our meetings

and they would give more input than most of my coaches. But that's what I saw at Mendoza. Has anything changed in your mind? I'd like to see all of them come back and not just for college football, but for themselves in their NFL future. I think what, unfortunately, what happens is from kind of this point until that date, right, that I talked about the January 15th. You get a lot of outside noise and agents and different people talking about the draft class.

And it's understandable. It's a business decision, right? And so you're looking at this year's quarterback class for guys like Mendoza and Dante Moore and Ty Simpson. And you're saying, well, Clubnick didn't have a good year. Drew Aller fell off. Garrett Nussmeyer with the injury. So there's this opening. If you're close enough to being ready, why not come out in this class versus next year when

you're going to be dealing with potentially guys like Arch Manning, Julian Sayan, Lenora Sellers, see what happens with Lenoris, and I assume he's going back to school. Will it be at South Carolina? There's just, there's a lot of prospects. I mean, next year, the 2027 class shapes up to be one of the better quarterback classes we've had in a long time. And we just a couple of years ago had six go in the top 12 picks, starting with Caleb Williams and Jaden Daniels and Drake May.

So that's kind of the business part of it, right? The most fascinating one to me is Dante Moore. Because Dante Moore, I was told about a month ago. I'm not sure if it was just before I was on with you guys last or if I shared that with you. But I've talked to a couple different scouts who had been through the building in Oregon. And I was asking about Dante. And the immediate response is like, now, like, he's going back. So, like, I talked to the mom, the dad, coaches, Dante.

like everyone's aligned, he's returning. But now you got Will Stein taking the head job at Kentucky. How will that affect his decision and the fact that he's really played well down the stretch this season before the college football playoffs? So I think with Simpson, with Moore, and with Mendoza, those are the three guys that the scouts will be looking for and NFL teams will be really intrigued.

You'd like to see him go back for another year and be more ready for when they get in the NFL. However, you got the Cleveland Browns with two first. round picks you got the new york jets with multiple first round picks you've got the la rams stafford's playing great right MVP type level but he's what 35 you know he's 37 years old whatever his age is so they're looking for the future of that position all three of those organizations are looking for the future of their quarterback position all three of those organizations have multiple first round picks so they're sitting back saying yeah i get it go back to school next year and be in the 2020

27 class, but my goodness, we'd love for one, two, or all three of those guys to come out to get an opportunity to bring in a quarterback and develop them. Hey, Mark, before I hand it off to you, you hit something real quick, the Browns with two first picks. Tell me, should Orr Sanders future in pro football? What's your thoughts? I don't think it's in Cleveland. And I say that because I'm not convinced that the coaching staff wanted to draft him. and you could kind of see that they blocked with with everything they had him playing or even being feeling like he was a player that they were developing you know i never got that sense that they were putting the effort in this season with shadour even as a backup to get him prepared for the moment that that arose with the injury to dillon gabriel now you know obviously he played really well in the first start the second start he gets nicked up and so we'll see how that goes the rest of the season but honestly my guess is depending on what you know is it the same general manager andrew barry is it's the same head coach kevin stefansky next year if it is i i think that he's playing now to get the attention of the other 31 organizations to try to get an

opportunity whether that's in a it would most likely have to be in a trade or else he's going to have to ride out the remaining three years in his uh rookie deal can he start in the NFL i mean on a good team because he does he have the skills i think he can i think he can i think he has a lot of maturing to do urban i really do i think both as an individual and as a as a quarterback and learning to play within the the scheme i think there's a lot of drifting and sliding out of the pocket i think there's this innate because of the way he played at colorado and throughout his college career there's this kind of like hero brand of quarterback that he likes to play where every every play has to be a home run and he's got to run around and do all those things i

think even i always called him coming out he had the the bad tendencies that caleb williams had that he developed at USC but he doesn't have the arm and the mobility that caleb possessed to get out of that trouble and we've seen caleb make big strides with ben johnson but he's still not there yet and so he shouldur would have to make those same strides and doesn't have the athleticism and the and the arm strength well he has a good arm, but Caleb has a special arm. So I think that to me is kind of the difference. I think three, four years down the road like we've seen with Baker or Sam Darnold, some of these guys who are quote unquote retreads that have success. I think there's a chance down the

line. I don't see it in the near future, though. We saw this Ohio State team put a number of players into the draft last year. This year, this defense give up less than eight points per game throughout the regular season. They have, obviously, you talked about Julian San, we talked about Jeremiah Smith, Carnel Tate, Caleb Downs, Arvel Reese. How many first rounders do you see on this Ohio State team right now? I mean, they had eight guys drafted last year,

Mark, from the defense. And this year's group's better? Yes. Like, you know, it's just, I'm still, you know, this deep into the season, still trying to compute all of that. Arvel Reese is absolutely a top 10.

Yeah. I think NFL teams are looking at him as an off-ball linebacker that can also rush off the edge. Just behind him is Caleb Downs. I think both of those guys deserve to be in the top 10. If Downs isn't in the top 10, it'll be because of the position he plays. Yeah, but so, but it'll be top 15 pick, immediate starter in the NFL. He's an absolute dude in every sense, you know, physically and what he does on the field, but just as much so for the approach to the game and his instincts.

sunny styles will be an early pick i don't know if that's late first or early second but i believe he's a top 50 pick and the player to me that's been the just a revelation this year is kaden mcdonald i went back and watched his tape he's six three three hundred and twenty six pounds not an elite pass rusher but dexter lawrence wasn't an elite pass rusher going back to college i look at him he is so there are guys that plug up space and they're great versus the run because they help the rest of the guys around him in the scheme he's great versus the run kind of like a derrick brown was at auburn and that has been with carolina because not only does he do his job with the gap discipline then he gets off of blocks like you got to have great vision and the ability

to disengage in a flash and do it all in unison you know what i mean in order to make you know 51 tackles during the regular season and be fifth on that yes in tackles so i think those are the guys that you'll see all in kind of like the top 50 range and curry it at edge is another guy to keep an eye out on as well think tate at the wide receiver position one top receivers oh absolutely carnell tape this wide receiver class in general there have been so many guys that have stepped up this year because i remember doing in the summer and going through all the tape and saying you know what like jordan tyson's a first rounder at arizona state carnell tate's kind of fringe and uh boston from washington is kind of fringe and but

all of these guys at Mackay Lemon, USC, K.C. Concepcion at Texas A&M, there's just a lot of guys that have elevated their play from a year ago. And now all of a sudden, it looked like a wide receiver class that was going to kind of emulate last year, where Tetaroa McMillan obviously had all the talent in the world. And you saw with the Mecca, Abuka, wasn't the elite talent, but just an elite football player and receiver. But there wasn't that it wasn't like four or five, six. guys, and it wasn't like Julio Jones and AJ Green.

AJ Great, right, that year where it's like, oh, like, these are top five guys. I'm not saying that there's a bunch of top 10 guys here, but I do think you're going to see maybe one or two in the top 10, top 12 picks, and I think you're going to wind up seeing maybe four or five receivers go in the first round. Every year we see head coaches, GMs, or scouts fall in love with a guy, right? Here we are early Decemberish. Who's a guy that you're finding yourself starting to fall in love with? more than you thought you would.

I just mentioned Lemon from USC. I just, I appreciate his game because it translates to the NFL, thick, sturdy, physical, but also run after catch, knows how to uncover, tough catches, like contested situations. There are certain guys, like, Emeka was one of them last year. You knew, like, maybe he's never going to be top five receiver in the league, but you know right away he's ready to go. Ladd McConkey was another one.

a few years back, right? Like, may never be top five, top seven receivers in the league, but he's ready to go. I think, I think you can say that now about Tate, but I think Mackay Lemon has kind of come out of nowhere and become a guy that I just, his brand of ball translates to the NFL. And it wouldn't surprise me if he had like 60, 70 catches as a rookie next year. So he's one player. Akeem Messador from Miami's another one. All the attention's been on Ruben Bain, right?

if you go watch the tape Messador's been a better pass rusher and then the excuses start to happen with Bain and well you know he's all the attentions on Bain so it's made it easy on Messador

it's not what the tape says like teams on passing downs teams are more afraid of Messador than they are Bain and so he's a player that I think has kind of come out of nowhere is viewed as a good player day three pick to

I won't be surprised at all if he winds up going in the first round of Bain and Messador, both the edges for Miami wind up being first round picks. How much tape you watch each week? Oh, gosh. It's interesting because it's kind of this combination during the season of watching, like, units and watching teams and downloading, like, you go on the exos, the catapult now,

and downloading, like, you know, whether it's Georgia's defense versus Alabama to get ready. So, but then, but also keeping an eye on individual players, I'd say, I don't know, during the season, probably 20 plus hours a week, and then the second the season's over. And even before, kind of in this gap before the college football playoff, now starting to go through positions and ripping through them. And it gets kind of ugly in January and February, if I'm honest. So I was up at Florida. I was at Florida last night and that we welcomed John Somerall as the new head coach of the Gators.

And I don't know them. I spent some time on the phone with them last couple weeks. and what a press conference, what a dude. I mean, he's a tough ass. He's exactly what the doctor ordered, in my opinion. He's the only guy that Todd and you, I am. All he talked about was off-season program, Matt Driel's, strength coach, who's a green beret, he's bringing with him, Tuesday practices.

I mean, just this shit that, you know, that I, not one time did NIL and all this other nonsense come up. He's a football coach, and I loved it. He runs a special teams. and they hired Dave Caldwell. First time I met him. I really liked the guy. I mean, he was fantastic last night. I spent some time with him.

And I'm sitting there, so Mark and Rob, Todd McShay and Mark Van Tony, that when they speak of talent and evaluation, I believe them. I've never had, and I've had hundreds of coaches I used to have been around and other people and the NFL and everything else. So Todd, me and you go to college, you be my GM.

What do you think? I'm intrigued by it, man. I'm out. I'm just kidding. I know you are, but I am intrigued by the whole. You would be unbelievable at that job. I appreciate that. Here, the hard part is like the high school aspect of it, right?

Like, what? From the grainy tape to the, you know, it's no more grainy tape anymore. I know, I'm joking. But, but honestly, just. I'm pushing this, Todd, in case you didn't notice. I'm not afraid of it. I'm really not. And the money they're paying isn't bad now these days as well.

We're going to have Jake Rosenberg on who he was with the Philadelphia Eagles. I went to college with Joe Douglas, who was the general manager of the Jets and spent a lot of time with the Eagles during their championship run, the first one, and then is back with the Eagles now. But when he was in Philly, he worked with Jake Rosenberg, who was in their front office. Jake left prior to the most recent Super Bowl and started this company where they're kind of guiding and helping college. is developed front offices. So we're going to talk to him next week. He did it with Oklahoma. He helped with Oklahoma with Jim Nagy and Florida, now with Caldwell.

You have to have one in this day and age. I mean, Belichick kind of did it by himself in the NFL, but very few do. And he always, like his best years was like Scott Pioly, it's just too much to manage. And then the recruiting part, Urban, like, you know that it never stops. And now you're recruiting the portal. You're recruiting high school. you there's no there's not enough time in the day to do your job the right way at a very high level without that support i forget the name of the gentleman at texas tech but how how they've

structured that where they have a general manager who literally like he makes the decisions and he goes out and yes they the mattador club gave him a lot of money to work with and everyone says well anyone could go do that but to handpick like a third string defensive tackle who had played in a similar system at Houston and was durable and the importance of that this year now. There are a lot of little things going on in college football in terms of like the personnel aspect that are different. But Mark, I want to ask you this question. When coach says Matt drills, do you have the physical reaction?

Like, I started to sweat away. Yeah, I get chills. Like, I don't want to do that stuff again. Like five in the morning, coaches screaming at you inside a gym. Yeah, fourth quarter drill. That's what we caught it in Alabama was fourth quarter. and we used to go at it, man, and I don't miss those days.

I do not miss those days at all. No, no. But no, you're right, though, man, in this day and age, you got to show love to, like, the GMs who are picking the right players to fit their system because you have this money, but you can easily pick the wrong player that doesn't fit the system,

and now you're wasting money. So I respect all those teams that are picking the right guys. And I think the challenge for some schools, right, is when you look in the NFL, like Brett Beach and Andy Reid, this you know what i mean and they like if you sit down and talk to brett you can kind of hear some of the same manner or see the mannerisms and hear the speech like they're they're they're

connected and you see like howie roseman with seriani and and there are certain organizations where if the head coach and the gm are connected and there's an understanding of like yeah you can go find me great players but if they don't exactly fit what we're looking for not only just like from a scheme standpoint, but psychologically in the locker room, the character, then what are we doing? We're working against each other here. And so I think that's going to be a challenge for some college coaches that are used to be. I mean, coach, no offense, I love you dearly. But the thought of having to give up some of that power, right, that would be a challenge. But to find someone that you truly believe in and to help them with what I'm looking for as a head

coach. It's a new element now in college football that is going to be a little bit of a hurdle for some head coaches, but the ones that embrace it and work, work hand in hand with the general manager in the personnel group, those are the ones that are going to be able to kind of ride this massive wave that we're going through. I tried to resist that, but I mean, I mean, when I hear people talking about it, but it's a mandate now. The way I'm watching this thing unfold and I, you know, I'm very close to the high state guys. And basically, Mark Pantone does that. He puts together the roster. Ryan Day is not in there negotiating with the backup right tackle.

You know, he's not doing that. And you need to find. Nor should he be. Yeah, and that's what Dave Colwell. I was talked to him at length yesterday. And I, you know, he was hired by Scott Strickland before Somerall was hired. So, I mean, you know, that was kind of, that's interesting. Yeah, but they get along great and they knew each other. So Todd, you got me tripping right now. Now I'm like relapsing on the mat drills, the fourth quarter program. Drills. I told you.

Puerto Eagle. He's got that seat rolls. What was your wrestling? What was the one you hated the most? We would go through drills. I forget if it was like three or five minutes. And we'd go from one coach to the next to the next to next. Oh, I would have got it after McShay's ass.

Oh, I know. Oh, my God. We had, Joe Cullen was our defensive coordinator. Nut job. Absolute freaking lunatic from mall. I think Malden or Medford Mass. Right. So like we would, we were down at University of Richmond.

It was in there was the James River. But he had the mass accent. He's like, I can feel the breeze off the James River. And meanwhile, it's like, it's like a hundred and two with 90% humidity. And there's not, there's not a leaf blowing, right? But when I could always remember like three or four ahead of his, of his station being like, all right, I got to not gear down, but like I better be ready. I better have a little bit in the tank because when I get to Joe,

and he's the guy at the combine with the green ball, you know, That was a scary three or five minutes, and it was like five, ten in the morning. It was bad, yeah. By the way, Mark with that varsity jacket, courtesy of Wendy's 10, he looks like he's ready to roam the hallways, you know, pick a date for prom. Like, yeah, 1980s high school, right? Right? Yeah, now he's got the hood up, maybe give him like the walkman's stereo headphones as well. I know, the jacket don't do me.

No justice right now, bro. No, we got to come up on that bad, you know, because I'm still vascular, Coach. Don't play with me. He's the best in the business. We're lucky to have him once a month with us here on the Triple Option. He is Todd McShay from the Ringer. Todd, thank you so much for joining us. As always, enjoy your holidays.

Coming up next, we make our Army Navy and Heisman Picks when the Triple Option presented by Wendy's returns. Still vascular now, Coach, don't know. I ain't 250. Light it. Welcome back to the triple option. Rob Stone, Mark Ingram with you. We released our Hall of Famer.

Urban Meyer's got Hall of Fame activities to do. So it's up to the two of us to handle three and out. Brought to you by Google as we take a look at what fans are searching for this week. Remember, no matter what question comes next, you can just ask Google. Mark, we have seen a 250% increase in searches asking about the college football playoff picture. Makes sense. So we finally have a playoff picture. We've got a bracket, and the question is, who are our three teams that we feel have the best shot to win at all?

I'll start, all right? Ohio State, they're still number one for me. I know they lost to Indiana. I still value them more than any other team in college football. You take away those fourth and one moments in the third and the fourth quarter, and you flip them around, and the Buckeyes are still unbeaten. They're still number one, and they're your big ten champs. Indiana, they have proven that they are for real. I worry about their depth and how can they get off that cloud nine high and come back to reality.

But boy, I got a lot of faith in Coach Sig, his staff, Mendoza, and everybody else with the Hoosiers. Number three, how about this one, Mark? I wanted to say Georgia. I want to give Texas Tech their flowers. But it's a sweep of Big Ten schools. It's Oregon. I like their path to the semifinals. I like their path to a rematch with Indiana.

they're going to get by James Madison at home. That's no problem. Sorry, Dukes. I love Texas Tech. Neutral site, Orange Bowl. I think Oregon has the team and the quarterback and the skill guys to get by Texas Tech. And then we're looking at a potential rematch from a regular season showdown in Eugene, won by the Hoosiers over the duck.

So those are my three teams that I see have the best path to get on to the national championship game and win it all. Mark, how about you? Ohio State, Georgia, and I ain't learned my lesson. Why Georgia? Kirby Smart is him. Kirby Smart, man, and how he gets that team prepared, how tough they are defensively, how offensively they're hitting their stride. They run the football.

Gunnar Stockton makes good decisions. They got Zachariah Branch on the outside explosive playmaker. Kirby just knows how to get his team ready to play tough championship level football. Back-to-back national titles. It took Alabama to beat them in the SEC championship game to stop them from having a three-peep or else they probably would be back-to-back-to-back. Georgia, Kirby Smart, they just have championship caliber.

They have championship pedigree. And I can't put nothing past Kirby. I think he's the best coach. Yeah, Georgia waiting for the Tulane Old Miss winner at the Sugar Bowl, so very much looking like an all-SCC quarterfinal. All right, so you got Ohio State, Georgia. Who's your third? I love Indiana, man.

But there's something about this team in Lubbock. Oh, we're going to Red Raiders. There's something about this team in Lubbock, man. They do it. I keep telling you, they give it to you how you want. You want them to throw vertically, they can do that. You want them to throw outside the numbers, they can do that. You want them to run the football, they can do that.

You want them to rush the passion, they can do that. You want them to turn the football over? They can do that. And they're just on a mission. Great head coach. And there's just something about that team, man, that I like a lot. There's a lot to like out there They play football the right way

They run the football They throw the football They play tough defense They hit extremely well coached I like Texas Tech I think they are a true national title contender The Texas Tech waiting in the quarterfinals Waiting to find out their opponent

It'll be either James Madison or Oregon You know who has a high ceiling in that playoff There ain't nobody talking about I wanted to get I don't know I'm gonna say either A&M or Ole Miss the damn crimson tie there we go at Oklahoma

at Oklahoma a little payback maybe a little payback there are our father the last two years November 15 Tuscaloosa Oklahoma 2321 over then number four Alabama Our ceiling is high but our bottom is blew out Yeah So we got to play through that ceiling to that bottom is blew out.

Well, maybe Alabama has seen the bottom, right? Maybe this is as much of the struggles as it can be, and it's all up from here. I hope so. I know you do. I know. Kailen DeBoer hopes so as well. Time now for two-minute drill brought to you by Fandul. Visit fanduil.com slash triple option to download the app and take advantage of a 50% profit boost today. All right, Mark, it's Heisman Week.

A Heisman trophy gets handed out Saturday in D.C. Here's the current Heisman odds. Fernando Mendoza, your leader at minus 3,000, Diego Pavia at plus 1,400. Jeremiah Love at plus 40,000, Julian Sand, plus 50,000? Am I seeing these numbers right? Gunter Stockton, Jeremiah Smith also at plus 50,000. So only Fernando is sitting there in the minus at minus 3,000, which means I think a lot of people believe that Fernando Mendoza is going to win the Heisman.

Who are your three favorites to win it Saturday? I think Jeremiah Love is the best player in all of college football. I think he deserves to be in New York. I think he's worthy of hoisting the trophy. He's had over 1,600 scrimmage yards, over 20 touchdowns. We talk about a player who is extremely important to his team. And he shares the ball with another top five running back in the entire nation. So I think Jeremiah Love, he's definitely on my ballot.

I'll put him number two. I think what hurts him is they didn't have a conference championship game. When you have a conference championship game, it's a big stage. You have another chance to persuade voters one way or the other. And that's why I lead Fernando Mendoza. Fernando Mendoza, the biggest platform of his career, of Indiana's career, number one versus number two, all eyes on this Big Ten championship, the two best teams in the country. Fernando Mendoza continuously, persistently, makes off-platform plays, makes big throws and clutch moments.

Until he gets hit, he gets back up, and he delusely. delivers a victory to the Hoosier Nation. Who, who, who, Hoosiers? And that in itself is a Heisman moment. Talk about Penn State. Yeah, he didn't play great in that game. But when it mattered the most, two minute drill, no timeouts, goes down, gets a touchdown. Oh, he played bad.

It's a Heisman moment. Listen, you go to the Big Ten championship, I feel like I won my Heisman in the SEC Conference championship game versus Coach Meyer. And I think Fernando Mendoza did the same thing for herself last night in the Big Ten championship. Do you have a third place guy? I'm on the fence. Obviously, you know, Diego Pavia had a huge season, statistics, I believe. Yeah, a huge statistical season, but they didn't plan a conference championship. Julian San, he could mention him as well.

Who else is up there? I mean, Stockton, Jeremiah Smith. I mean, Jeremiah Smith is nasty. like he's nasty but right now I got Fernando Mendoza winning I think it's over I think he solidified it it doesn't even matter who two and three is Fernando Mendoza won the higher than a trophy last night

you and I both went home after the Big Ten championship game and logged on and voted our Hizman filled out our Hysman ballot Mendoza's he's got our votes I think he's going to win it Jeremiah Love I agree I think he's going to be there at number two the third place finish is going to be interesting

and it might really kind of play with the whole voting scheme as well, like the southern base, if you will, the SEC world might kind of push a lot of votes towards Diego Pavia and understandably so that, you know, they've witnessed him, they've seen what he's done. Again, it's a similar story to Mendoza where you're doing it at a non-traditional powerhouse and putting up big numbers and getting your team in the weekly conversation, getting them ranked and getting them in position to be a threat to make the playoff. So I think that's going to be fascinating. What I found interesting, Mark, is when we were. walking out of Lucas Oyo Stadium, leaving the field. Remember, this game was really tight for a while, and Julian Sane did not have a Heisman moment, right, in that game. He really didn't have a Heisman moment all season long, right? And had Ohio State won that game, and Mendoza's game was just okay.

Granted, he had two really important throws, particularly that one in the late in the fourth quarter, but had Ohio State won that game, you know, I think Mendoza's odds and the number of votes Mendoza was going to get would have went down would really gone down with and all of sudden my brain is like I don't know man Jeremiah might sneak in there Diego Pavia might sneak in there you know I think saying I think saying you know with the loss that that took him out same with jeremiah Smith so hard for a wide receiver to do it and I was kind of thankful that it wasn't going to be this really ugly nasty decision and conversation I felt really good walking off that field saying I'm giving Mendoza the vote you know and and Jeremiah love is my number two

number three I'm going to have to play with because it's very much a say in pavia type conversation but congratulations also not only did Fernando win the Heisman trophy on the field he won the Heismat trophy his interview he talked about faith he talked about his teammates he talked about his coaches talked about his support system he talked about everything that matters everything that we love about following these young athletes and you see a young man who was truly excited and ecstatic to be in the position he was in he was genuinely happy authentically happy and and I felt that interview was magnificent and I felt like he won a lot of voters and persuaded it was almost as good almost as good as his interview on the triple option a couple weeks

ago almost he totally blew us away everyone everyone found out about Fernando Mendoza with his triple option interview. Right. Now you're seeing him on a lot of different interviews, a lot of talking, a lot of features. And now the worlds get to see, but they started with the triple option. Great kid. Great kid. And you write that smile. By the way, you know, the one play that hasn't been talked about in the Big Ten championship game, first play of the game. First play the game. Pop. Wow. Pal, when doze it down. And everybody's like, ooh, I don't know what that is. Is that a collarbone? Is that his shoulder? Is he at his head? Is he going to get up? Is he going to continue? He sat out one play, popped right back in.

Didn't even notice it. On the third play. He was dead, and the Lord breathed life into him. And he was out for the second play, but he rose on the third play. He resurrected on the third play. Is he reincarnated? He's your he's your husband winner. That's all I know, brother.

He's going to be your husband winner on Saturday. Make sure to follow, subscribe, rate us on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast. We're on social media at 3X option show. Our social media game, Mark, It has picked up dramatically lately. Pay attention to our social media channels, please. Plus this Friday, we have not one but two chances to see us, Mark, myself, Urban in Baltimore. We are going back to the Army Navy game presented by USAA.

This year you can join us at the USAA rendezvous point located at 201 East Pratt Street. And we'll be there at 2 p.m. Eastern on Friday. And if you can't make it, follow us on YouTube at 3X. show for the live stream that later that night head on down to the horseshoe casino have you been there no sir the casino wasn't there when you were playing it was it was it was but you just didn't you didn't find your way to the horseshoe casino i don't think i went to the horseshoe though that's all right well you're going to be there on friday maybe i did go to the horseshoe one time maybe you did uh we've got a tailgate tour at 530 there at the horseshoe casino live music food beverage question and answer

with the three of us as well looking forward to another trip out to the army navy game thanks as always to our amazing sponsors, Wendy's Fandul, USAA, and Google. Look forward to seeing everybody Friday, whether it's on YouTube or in person in Baltimore, and enjoy another college football week.