The Triple Option - Tennessee NIL Drama, NFL Draft Talk with Todd McShay, Ohio State Preview & Masters Memories

Episode Date: April 16, 2025

$2.5 million, $4.5 million, what's the going rate for the playoff quarterback? Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, and Rob Stone dive into the Tennessee - Nico Iamaleava situation which has led to the quarterback leaving Rocky Top and what it means for college football. Urban then shares some stories around Augusta after Rory McIlroy completed the Grand Slam of Golf for just the sixth time in PGA History. Just a week away from the NFL Draft, analyst Todd McShay joins the guys with this dark horses, positional strengths in this year's group, as well as a story about Nick Saban having a problem with his mock drafts. With 15 players likely to be picked in the NFL Draft, THE Ohio State Buckeyes have a lot to replace for their title defense. Take a look into "The Triple Option" Crystal Ball to see their future. 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. Clock in for sweet treat time with Wendy’s® classic Frosty®. Get one now! https://m-wendys.app.link/frosty25   A big thank you to the rest of our sponsors: ZipRecruiter  Try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE: ZipRecruiter.com/OPTION   BetMGM Each Wednesday throughout the season, pick the skater you think will light the lamp first in the game. If it’s not your player, but he scores the second goal of the game, you get your stake back! And with Bet MGM at your fingertips, every play and every game matter more than ever. Place your moneyline, prop, and parlay bets with The Sportsbook Born in Vegas today at BetMGM.com First Bet Offer for new customers only. Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. See BetMGM.com for Terms. US promotional offers not available in New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA) 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA),1-800-981-0023 (PR). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all thought Ohio State was just going to Molly spank that thing against the Wolverines last year. And they didn't. Molly spank. Yeah, what's a Molly spank? Mr. Miyagi just wax on, wax off, just wax it. Light it. Light it. A little more energy, Coach, with the light it.

Light it. Stick your chest into it, right, Mark? Stick your chest out there, Coach. Light it. Little more energy, coach, let's light it. Light it. Stick your chest into it, right Mark? Stick your chest out there, coach. Light it. Light it, there we go. Get that chest out with the light. Welcome to the Triple Option presented by Wendy's. Clock in for sweet treat time with Wendy's Classic Frosty Get One.

Now, so glad you're back here with us on the Triple Option. Rob Stone, Mark Ingram, the second, Urban Meyer here with you. Our thoughts on the whole Tennessee, Nico Iamaleava breakup. We continue to prep for the NFL draft this week. Also, what can we expect from the defending national champs, Ohio State regular season, win wise? That'll be a good little conversation later on, on the Triple Option. Remember, rate, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever it is you find your podcasts as well as across social media at 3X option show. Before we get into the nitty gritty

of this whole Tennessee holdout coach, is that a, am I looking at a ball pit in your background? What is going on? Are you like working like a jungle land miniature golf course somewhere? We got a little spring break down here. So we got three kids under three, three grandkids under three. They arrived yesterday. And I mean, the handprints all over windows and just stuff everywhere. And it's awesome. You know, we had a mark we had

to have a family meeting and say, we had, we have three kids under three, three grandkids under three. And we said, you know, whatever you guys are doing to have children stop. You know, it was kind of awkward with your kids, but stop it. No more. We have six grandkids and let's take a timeout for a couple of years and give Mimi and Buddy a chance to take a breath here. How many naps have you taken today already coach? He said, whatever y'all doing to have kids stop.

Awkward with your kid. You're not there yet, Mark. Chat, I wouldn't have tasted that. No, no. Mark, I hope you and I are a long ways away from that. If not, we need to do some serious, some educating with our youngster. It's true.

It is absolutely true. God's gift right now is my boys. It's true. It is absolutely true. It is God's gift. God's gift right now is my actual kids. I can wait on the grandkids. I have no rush, man. I got 10. I'm 10 and under, so they got a long time. We got a long time. But coach, you can't put that little ball selection in storage, and we'll use that in

like a couple decades, hopefully. We'll borrow it from you. Yeah, you just got to hose them them off I guess, because there's a lot of stuff goes on in there, especially when they're little Mark. So yeah. Oh man. It's like never go in the- Power washer is good. Never go in the kiddie pool, right?

Just stay out of the kiddie pool. Let the kids do their business in there. All right, so can we talk college football? Right? Wow. Yeah, wow. We can college football, right? Wow. Oh, man. So the NFL draft is now Mali. I know we're gonna get to Nico in a second. We're gonna continue to get you ready with the second half of our interview with the draft savant Todd

McShay that's coming up a little bit later in the episode. Also, we're gonna throw out an invite to you. We welcome any and all to join us in Green Bay, April 24th and 25th for the Draft House Experience presented by Nissan. We're gonna be located just outside Lambeau Field and we're joining forces guys with our good friends, the throwbacks, Matt and Jerry. We're gonna have a live show each day, the 24th and 25th.

There's gonna be live music, free food, drinks, meet and greets. Coach, I know you love a good meet and greet. Plenty more to come as well. For more information, we encourage you visit drafthouseexperience. It's all one word, drafthouseexperience.com and that's coming your way April 24th, 25th outside Lambeau.

We're looking forward to that one and seeing our guys from the throwbacks. But let's start the show with a good old fashioned holdout, right? Like if there was any debate, if the NFL has leaked into college football, we had it the last couple days, Tennessee starting quarterback, Nico Iamaliava. Let's just call him Nico I, right? Because we're all going to say his last name differently.

He said how to say it. I know. And I it's still good. You're good. Yeah. Just respectful. Yeah, of course. Mark's pretty good at that one. All right.

So he was trying guys, a stent essentially to renegotiate a substantial NI L deal and it came to a head when he surprisingly sat out practice on Friday. His current deal was paying him in that like 2.2, 2.5 million dollar window. His team wanted to increase that guy to right around 4 million. That's a million more than say what a Carson Beck, a proven quarterback has done. What Bryce Underwood, an unproven quarterback is getting at Michigan. So we had an old-fashioned holdout, and Coach Hypple at Tennessee, to his credit,

at least a lot of quarters, said, I'm not gonna play that game. We are moving on. Coach, how does this change team dynamics? How does this change college football? Yeah, I wanna hit that, you know, Coach Hypple making a stand, and it's great. You know, that's his prerogative.

He's the head coach, but I've coached against Tennessee now. I can imagine week four, week five, if they're struggling with it. Right now they have a quarterback, one quarterback, a redshirt freshman through nine balls last year. That's it. Because the backup was a senior. They are not a zero right now. Two young quarterbacks, a freshman, a redshirt freshman. And obviously the transfer report opens up today, I believe, right, for a 10-day window. 10-day spring portal window opens today.

They're gonna go start swinging. But make your stand and that's fine. That's great. Very talented player. Did not have a great year. That's the thing you gotta push back on a little bit. When I saw that he only had one 300 yard game, eight games under 200,

and a playoff 104 passing yards. And we watched them a lot. I watched because I really enjoy, I think he's really super talented, but he did not have a great year. I had a good year and they won games. So he had a great year. The first five games against people who are unranked. Yeah. That's when I got all jacked up watching them.

Showed them on big noon. But here's the reality is, uh, Tennessee is screwed. I'm an AR. They were in a, they got a problem. You lose a potential high draft pick. You, you have the backup quarterback left last year, and now you have a redshirt freshmen at through nine passes and a freshmen, you have zero experience. And the portal opens as we speak, they are going to have to go get one. And the, here's the thing that there's a couple

key elements here. Everybody's saying, hey, nice job, Tennessee, making a stand. I got a little comment on that. Tennessee plays Florida usually every year in October. Can you imagine FTA games going the other way? And Jice Hypple, Coach Hypple grabs a microphone and stands on the 50 yard line in Neyland Stadium

and says, hey, it's okay. I made a stand way back when. So I don't know what the answer is. There are some interesting answers out there, but this, it happened. And think about this, Mark. He threw for 200 yards in eight games or less. 200 yards. He had one 300 yard game and he threw for 100 yard,

four yards against Ohio state in a playoff. So he had a good year first, uh, first year starting quarterback. But I, I, I, as a guy that's been involved almost 40 years in this game, I can't believe this happened. It's crazy. I mean, you, you talk about, you said it, coach, like the man's already making 2.2 to 2.5 million. Then you go out there and just because, you know, you see Carson Beck's numbers, he Bryce

Underwood's numbers, you want to go and get more money, right? But you need to handle what you can handle. That's improving, going to spring ball. Like what is the ultimate goal here? The ultimate goal here is to be a professional NFL quarterback, right? Like, take the proper steps, control what you can control. And I guarantee you, if you ball and take Tennessee to the playoffs, you will get four or five million the next year.

I mean, not just to the playoffs, but deep into the playoffs. Make a run for, you know, the playoffs, but deep into the playoffs, make a run for, you know, the national championship. How about this? It's been reported that they're waiting. They're not, he's not going to, there's a chance he gets $1 million. People are kind of holding on that number. And I called someone in the business to ask and say, is that true?

They're hearing the same thing. They don't think he's a $4 million quarterback. They're going to wait to see if it comes down. If it comes down, then some people might go take a swing at them. And he might end up in a lesser place for less money. This is the norm now, coach. I think in the 2023 recruitment class, seven of the eight quarterbacks have transferred Arch Manning being the only one that hasn't transferred.

This is the norm here. Hey, this is the new norm in college football. You don't get the money you want. Even if you're the starter, you leave like you are starting out a program like the University of Tennessee. You just took them to the playoff. Come back, get better, have come right with your teammates and you will reap what you sow. I promise you will. I think what everyone wants is the gratification. Yeah, I think what's being lost though, maybe is the timing of this. Like this should have been sorted out after the season, right? I think, speaking for Tennessee,

I think they clearly felt that Nico was coming back. Like he had gotten his money, we had a number for him, things were great. And then obviously these negotiations started happening. So to me, that makes it a little wild, wild west. Like, when do you know this player is locked and loaded on your roster, right? Like, when can we know that you're gonna stay with us?

I think there's this great unknown now for these universities. And you're right, coach. Like my initial reaction was, congratulations, Coach Hypal. Way to make a stand. The team is more important than one player. And I couldn't agree with that more. And I hate shady negotiations.

I don't like greed out there. And I feel like Nico should have played it out But also mark and you've been there you want what your value is Yeah, and if he thought his value was more somewhere else then then okay go try to get it But he should have tried to have gotten it after the season a season that he led his team to the college football Playoffs a couple thoughts one of the things we got to quit calling it NIL. It's not it's pay for play. It's a salary. It's exactly what they're doing.

The NFL it's professional sports right now. It's worse than NFL coach. It's worse than NFL. Cause in the NFL, there's no salary cap. There's nothing to work. Well, there's no buffers. Cause the NFL, you have to honor your contract. You can't just say, Oh, I'm making 4 million.

I bought last year. No, I need 12 million this year. No, that's why you hold out. That's what you think about this. There's a rule out there that says that it cannot be tied to measurables. Your stats, winning, losing. What is it tied to? I I'm measured by this.

It's tied to measure. And I played, I read money and I read someone treated like coaches. And if you really want to tie it in, I don't think you're allowed to do it now, but allow buyouts. So if someone wants to go get Nico, they got to go pay Tennessee five million. Yes. And they buy it out.

Or if they don't want you anymore, buy you out and let you hit the road. Right? Yeah. Sure. Wow. This is, this is again, it should be like that though. You have a contract.

You have to, that's why you got GMs coming into college football now. Right. Cause that's, that's what's happening. That's what Carolina is set up for. Right. We bring in a GM because this is what college football is. It's the NFL. It's worse than the NFL actually.

Right now the college players have more power than NFL player does. That'll change. Yes. You hold out in NFL. You get fined per day. Per day. Yeah. But how many of those dudes actually end up paying that fine?

Like it gets reworked in the contract. It's kind of hidden and buried, but that, that, that see, it has to be discussed because you are getting fined per day Thursday. Nico's with the coaches. I, someone said he had dinner at the coach's house. He's, he has good relationship with Nico or with the coach Hypal and their quarterback coach on Friday, they show up for practice and they don't have their starting quarterback, no phone call would not return to calls.

And within 24 hours, coach Hypal stands in front of the media and says we moved on. Wow. Wow. Wow. How did Vegas react to that? I wonder. No notification, no nothing. Just here it is. Learn about it in real time.

This is crazy. This is crazy. You're number one, you're QB1. At a legit SEC school, a team that made it to the playoffs last season, Mark. This is wild. It really is. Right at the start of spring ball, too Yeah, you know, I mean well, no this ring balls like a day

Our betters have this spring game. I think this weekend so this like Towards the end of the spring. So where does Nico go? What happens right the 10-day spring portal window opens today And a was it talking programs out there that need quarterbacks. He'll get some. I also heard this Mark from a pretty good source in the business. He thinks there was already a deal being negotiated, which again, I think that was Tennessee got in trouble

for that, I believe, where there was some tampering going on then the NCA just threw their hands up and said, don't worry about it. There's no there's no rules anymore. So my understanding that there is negotiations, which probably makes sense. How do you walk away from first of all, really good team could be potentially great team, playoff team, starting quarterback Tennessee, they're counting on you great stadium, SEC football,

and I'm going to walk away. Yeah. And there's a rule that doesn't make sense. He can't go play in the SEC. He can't go playing SEC. Yeah, you can't play in SEC. So Ohio State's gonna try to get them or or USC or something. Or North Carolina, right? Somebody who needs a new start. Yeah, so that is the rule. He can't go to the SEC without sitting out a year. Correct. So he's obviously going to go to Big 10. Big 12.

ACC, big 12. ACC. What if he wakes up? He wakes up one with a salary for $1 million in a place that has no chance of the playoffs. Yep. Be careful what you wish for. Right, coach? Be careful what you wish for out there. That's when you look at everybody one day when he's older and say, why'd we do that?

It's the people around you coach. I highly doubt. There you go, Mark. It's Nico being like, I hate Tennessee. I don't want to come back to Tennessee. Like I bet the player, he didn't do that. You want to have million dollars? It's the people in your circle putting stuff in your ear.

You deserve this. You're that they're getting this. We should get that. So I want you not to go to practice. I don't know the logistics. your ear, you deserve this, you're that they're getting this. We should get that. So I want you not to go to practice. I don't know the logistics. I don't know the insider scoop, but I do know it has to be people in his ear. Right. It has to be people close to him.

Yeah. There's no chance he made that decision. No chance. He's not equipped to make that decision. That third uncle. Now there is sad, sad,'s frustrating. Yeah, or somebody even closer. You know, what's interesting to me guys is that I think this is another sign of a trend that we're seeing again, the NFL and college football kind of coming together. We're seeing,

and Mark, you hit on that stat of the eight top quarterbacks in the 23 class, seven have already transferred and Arch being the only one who stuck it out and God bless Arch. I mean, what a what a brave decision on his part, but you're seeing this fluidity at the college football quarterback position. You're also seeing it at the NFL. I'm seeing more and more NFL teams. I think you're also seeing more and more college football teams. Just look at Ohio State, Will Howard last year that are more content to get a seasoned quarterback

in the portal, right? Take your two years of seasoning of growth, put up some good numbers at a quote unquote lesser place. Let somebody else do the dirty work for you. Let them build you, grow you, mature you, and then let me take you from there. And you're seeing that at the NFL, you know, look what, like a Sam Darnold, a Baker Mayfield, there's instances across college football and that's almost like what the Mac is becoming, right? It's becoming like AAA, right? Hey, do well at these Lester conferences and all the big boys are going to look down from the stands and look at the tape and go, thanks for your dirty work, you know? Thanks Bowling Green for a couple years. And I was wrong, Mark, because I said, there's no way that you can win a championship

with a one and done quarterback. I just, I love that. I think that position is so invaluable. The leadership to be with your team, Will Howard comes in and does a hell of a job, wins the national championship, moves on. One and done. Changed.

Changed the dynamic. So I agree, I think this is gonna be kind of a template. The template is, we just watched it. And guess what? There's more to this story. I guarantee you though, of course there'll be more because we got to find out where Nico ends up playing. And we'll talk about that on the next edition.

How much money does he make at his new school? How much he makes, where he goes, how long that deal is for. And you guys talked about Ohio State. Remember, we're gonna talk about Ohio State and how many regular season wins we project them to get in the regular season. But now it is time for treat of the

week presented by Wendy's clock in for sweet treat time with Wendy's classic frosty get one out coach I know you got the grandkids running around throw them in the minivan I know you got a minivan there and take them to Wendy's go get themselves a sweet treat but we're going to talk about sweet transpired time treat time. We're talking about what transpired at Augusta over the weekend. Sweet treat time. Sweet treat time. Sweet treat time.

Hi, quick story. I'm the head coach at Florida. We won the national championship. And it's Tim Tebow against Sam Bradford 2008. We went in. We walk in the locker room by singing dancing and the SID comes over to us and said, hey, President Obama is going to call you in five minutes on your phone. Congratulations, everybody invites you to the White House. I was like, wow, great. So I am turned on to music, President Obama calls.

I said, Mr. President, he said, Coach Myron and Gators, congratulations. And everybody's cheering and put them on speakerphone. And he said, I'd like to invite you to the White House. What a great year, great season, a great game. And I said, Mr. President, we're so honored. We'll be there and boom, and kind of hang up. And I go back to my locker and I sit down and I'm like, damn, we just won this thing.

I look at my phone's buzzing. It's Fred Ridley. Fred Ridley is the chairman of Augusta National. Back then he was rules committee chairman. He's a Florida graduate, two time, uh, all American. And he says, coach, we did it. We did it. We did it.

I got great news. You're coming as my guest to Augusta national. We're going to stay in the Butler cabin. I almost pass out Mark. I mean, that's, that's, that's, that's the promised land in my world. What'd you shoot at Augusta is the question. Get to that in a minute. So, so right, right then our, I mean, I'm jumping around like, my gosh, I'm really going to do this.

Then our SID brings us back in, brings me back in and we got to go to the media. Now there's about 500 meeting members in there. I'll sit down and we're sitting at the table. And one guy to my right says, coach, tell us about the amazing phone call you just got in the locker room. I said, boys, Fred Ridley just called me and I'm headed to Augusta national. And they looked at me and said, wait a minute, doesn't president Obama call you? And I was like, Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, he did.

But we're going to Augusta national. Little priorities there. Augusta, that's mandatory. Augusta in the white house. That's two checklists. That's two box, box list items right, right there, man. I haven't been, I went to the White House, Obama, but I haven't been to Augusta. So I need that. I need that connection coach, please.

Coach has got connections. Yeah. My big takeaway, Mark, was that you and I are headed to Augusta whenever we want to, courtesy of coach. That's what I'm saying. That's all I heard. What you shoot out of Augusta, man. Let me know. I know you a sandb man. Let me know. I know you a sandbagger. Let me know what you shot out Augusta.

Yeah, we got to play five times. I played with Lou Holtz, played with Alex Taylor, played with obviously Fred Ridley one time. So it's really not that hard, of course, especially from the member tees. I mean, it's rugged. The greens are rugged, but it's wide open.

There's no rough mark. So my best round, I believe, was an 82, 83, but then I also had several of them up in the 90s. Okay. Because the putts were rolling, man. But if you have a good caddy, it says hit it here at 20%. You look at yourself, say, why would the hell would I hit it there? Because the caddy knows that's where you hit it. But how about Rory McIlroy?

Man, Rory McIlroy? Man Rory? How about these? man Grand Slam Very rare and his emotion man. I thought that was awesome. Well, I mean you could see it man the career grand slam We saw what happened last year. I forget what tournament that was We missed a little three-foot slider to win and then lost it in the playoff But just look at the ebbs and flows of this game of golf, man. Like, oh, yeah, he lost it and won it. Lost it and won it.

Lost it and won it. Round one, double bogey on seven, on what? 15 and 17. Like he could have been the leader by two, two, three shots. And then even to start the day on Sunday, first hole, double bogey. You go up by two shots and now you're even after one hole. But then, you know, he gets the lead back, fights through, misses the same short putt again to go into a playoff. But then obviously

with Justin Rose, but he wins in the first play out, he won the first hole. So, but just a gritty performance by him, just mentally tough. Maybe my favorite sport and event. I love the match. Bro, golf is just a different beast, dog. You have to chase that ball around and no matter what happens, you have to good shot or bad shot. You got to put it behind you and focus on the next shot because your job is to get the ball in the hole and as less time as you can. And me, I'd be chasing that thing all over.

I take the scenic route when I'm on the course coach. I'd be right and left. See it all baby, see it all. Yeah, I see it all. I'd be seeing the whole entire course when I'm out there. Sometimes, sometimes you see a few other holes that you didn't think you're gonna be seeing again. Revisiting number five.

I'm knowin' you'd be playing from fairway eight to green number seven though. You know what I mean? I knew that. Sure. As a sports TV nerd, you know, the sports Emmy category is already closed. It's done. You know, the Masters 2025 live sporting event done.

Just hand them the hardware right now. I mean, they were just gifted things from, from the gods, right? I mean, the pageantry, the beauty, the camera work, the reaction, that steady cam just following Rory after he won it, you know, finding his daughter, finding his wife, finding his friends, finding all these people and how he was overcome by emotion. It was awesome. It was awesome to just sit, feel it.

I don't wanna hear other voices and that's one of the things they really nailed was not over talking this situation and letting us, a fan, sit there and take it in and digest it. What we call a stoner? Layout, layout. Layout, man. As good as you think Plain Augustus is, it's even better. I need to get over there. You gonna invite me or what, man?

I'm just a little guy, man. I'm not the one to invite. You know people. You know people, Coach. There's peoples out there. There's peoples out there as always. So, but Mark's got peoples. He's got tons of people's, tons of humans. Tons of humans. They don't want me out there butchering they course. That's right. You just spread a little seed on it. You'll be fine. Just stamp it down. I'll pick up your divots for you guys. We're going to be in Green Bay next week. Yep. The draft one week away. We're going to break down the dark horses of this draft. And we've got a

fun Nick Saban story with the ringers, Todd McShay coming up next on the Triple Option, presented by Wendy's. You and I were talking earlier this week, Todd, about recent trends in the NFL draft. You came up with an interesting one, premium picks on premium positions. Can you elaborate? Yeah, you actually you cut into my day yesterday. Sorry about that. It's okay. I was I was studying like third, fourth round safety. So it was a nice little break. Because it got me thinking this year's class is going to be interesting, right? Because we've got two tight ends in Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland, who are going to go in

the first, we've got two running backs, maybe three that go in the first, we just mentioned their names. We've got a couple guys who are guards potentially, you know, Tyler Booker from Alabama, Gray Zable from North Dakota State, we've got non premium position players that are kind of throughout every mock draft if you will. But you go back like just the history of the NFL draft and you go back to last year especially I want you to listen this I went and did this first round last year 32 picks only

three were on what I would call non-premium position players the tight tight ends, the running backs, centers, guards, linebackers, safeties. Only three of those guys. So 91% of the picks in the first round were on quarterback, offensive tackle, wide receiver, which has become a premium position because of how the league has trended. Defensive line, the pass rushers, and then cornerbacks that can cover those receivers. First two rounds last year 64 picks combined. Only 11 on those non premium positions 53 were on the premium positions. So the first two rounds 17% only 17% were on the non premium positions. Now,

in the third round, it all changes. That's when it's like, all right, I'm gonna go out, I'm gonna get my running backs, my tight ends, my interior offensive line, my linebackers, my safeties. 37 picks in round three were on those guys compared to only 17 on the premium positions because those guys got swept up early. So how does that play into this year,

I think is gonna be fascinating when you've got two legit first round tight ends two or three legit first round running backs a couple guards that I mentioned a linebacker and jihad Campbell from Alabama, Alabama, two safeties in Malachi, Starks and Nick Emoret, Eman Wari. So it I'll be interested to see like, do they just go late and do they get pushed back or do maybe a couple two or three of those guys that we're talking about get pushed out where the mid round player now, this is, and I, as negative as there is, there's a lot of positive. There's never been more college graduates playing college football than right now.

Agree. So that's a more mature guy that will maybe step in the NFL, but you are now potentially making more money by staying in college as a result. I've heard this from several people in the nfl The middle rounds are a little thinner than they used to be. Is that a true statement? When I say thinner because people are going back to college I don't think this year. I think last year I think we're starting to see because you gotta remember we still have that weird covid year

I can't tell you how many guys have written up doing these reports i've got like 400 reports it feels like every second or third guy it's like fifth year player and normally it was fifth year player and like red shirted maybe played a few snaps first year second year was a reserve third year started half the games fourth and fifth year starter fourth and fifth years he, he was a starter. Now I'm writing up guys who are like six year player, four year starter, you know, sometimes like five year player five year starter. So it's like this combination of the COVID year still on the very back end, and I L and transfer portal. I know I know

the one group of human beings out there that is just like they're sick about it because their workload has like doubled and tripled. It's the NFL Scouts. I talked to a good friend who's a scout in the Southeast. He said on it, like typically I go to Ole Miss, it's like 12, 13 players in the preseason that I've got to write up. He's like, Todd, this year I had to write up 30. 30.

Now that doesn't mean they're all coming out. That doesn't mean they're all going to be drafted. But he's got to be prepared and do the backgrounds and know all the medical and all those sorts of things. So that's where I think this year might be a little bit deeper, but you're also seeing a bunch of guys go back to school. And so maybe the top of the first round isn't isn't as good as it normally would be. But I, I love it. I love it for the quarterbacks, especially. I mean, look at like Jaden Daniels and the two stops and the 56 starts he had.

You just look at the last couple of years and all of it like Bo Nicks. Bo Nicks was like a fifth round pick. Jaden Daniels was a fifth round prospect going into his final year, getting that extra year and it goes back like all the way back to Parcells and his rules of 23 starts and all that. Like we've always known that experience helps but we've never had the data like we've had from the last few years to say, look, like Mark Sanchez, 13 starts, Mitch Trubisky, 13 starts, Anthony Richardson, 13 starts, like, you're just not ready, you haven't seen enough.

And so for the quarterbacks, especially, I love it. But I think in general, the league is getting players who are ready to play right away. And just look at the rookie impacts We see in the last couple of years Todd on just a little fun question here, man I know you do a lot of these mock drafts We're in the March madness time people love do their little brackets and see how close they can get to the actual results of the Final four in the championship what year?

Was your mock draft almost as close as it could possibly be to like the actual draft? Like, do you follow that? Like how close it lands? Like, and what has been your best year? How close was it? It was like the third or fourth year. And I can't, I've got to go look this up now.

It's going to kill me. It was like the third or fourth year. So it was like 2003, 2004. I got the first 12 picks right. Wow. And I haven't come close to doing that. I mean, one trade and it just kind of messes the whole thing up.

Yeah. I really, it's fun to do. And I'd be lying to you if I wasn't sitting there looking at my mock and then and for the past 17 years, having Kuiper sit right next to me is we're on draft night almost is like this little side project. And then check. Yes, check. You know? Yeah. But but yeah, it fans love it. I understand it. NFL GMs love to

do them too. Yes. The funny part that no one really talks about. Because it helps them prepare and all the scenarios for for draft night. But but but it's it's gotten where it's it's maddening like one guy you're off by one guy and this year is going to be impossible. Yeah, outside of the we don't even know number two. And we barely I mean, we just found I feel like in the last week or so Found out one but but I can tell you this when Duke lost my bracket busted that helps it

Hey, I'm gonna brag on it. I'm gonna I'm gonna actually ask him this question, too But I'm a brag on Todd Todd. I think it's better than most that I've dealt with NFL I mean as far as the homework that he does the how correct he is Have you thought about that as something been I know we discussed this is something come across your table It you said damn I might go do this in the NFL. I Had we go answer it. Yeah, I I've had some some conversations. I've had some conversations some conversations. I've had some conversations. I you know, most most recent, I don't think it's a secret. Joe Douglas, I played college football with at Richmond. And we had some

conversations. But you see that spider behind them? Yeah, yeah. But ultimately, ESPN came back and locked me in. And that was the right thing for, you know, my family and for that time in my career. I honestly love what I'm doing. And here's the hard part. I talked to NFL scouts and I talked to people in the league and they're like, don't you dare ever. Because there's a lot of days where I would kill to just do what you're doing. But I told you, I'll never free it. We had this conversation

the first time you and I talked when you were taking that year off, Urban, and you were just kind of asking like, what's it like? And I was like, listen, you're going to love it for a little bit, because you can finally take a deep breath, you can sit back, you can have fun, build relationships, and I think you've enjoyed all of that. But I also remember saying to you, and I think you've enjoyed all of that. But I also remember saying to you, and I've said this to many people, the hardest part is the competitive gene. I've never been able to scratch that itch.

And it's like beating Kuiper in a top 100 list and ranking or mock draft doesn't do it. So if I ever were to go take that step and take an offer, it would be because I've just always been dying to go compete and do that. Back in the day, guys, I used to do a lot of Mac games and kind of lower tier conferences. And Todd was like my go to weekly, I would send him a note. I'm like, Hey, I've got Akron in Western Michigan. I'm like, any dudes out there draftable. And I don't care what round we're talking. I could care less because he's creating content

and a hit for me. So I'm always curious. We get so caught up in the first round and who's going here and there. I want a sleeper. I want a couple dudes that maybe aren't getting enough attention, aren't getting enough love that might sneak into round one,

but are gonna be an amazing round two, round three fit. Who are some of those guys I Mean no one wants to talk about a guard from North Dakota State, but I mean I do I love guards from North Dakota State Grazeable like we've seen like Cody mock and like a bunch of guys go through have great week at the senior bowl Prove they can do it at this level. He's gonna come off the board in round one now But he he's that one player that that everyone's gonna kind of laugh Just laugh at some of the tape and his dominance Maxwell Hairston, he's gonna be a first-round cornerback and I don't think you know

everyone's talked about the same guys will Johnson from from from Michigan and Jedi Baron from Texas Maxwell Hairston might be the second best athlete most exposed explosive traits outside of Travis Hunter in this draft. And he had the shoulder injury apparently like he got infected from a needle this past year wasn't the same guy in terms of like tackling and all that. But he ran the fastest 40 time for whatever that's worth and it's worth something at the cornerback position of any player and at the combine. He jumps through the roof, he's sticky

in coverage, man and zone. I think Maxwell Harrison is going to be an absolute find for an NFL team. And I just don't feel like he's he's getting an awful lot of love. There are some other like Elijah Arroyo is just getting completely overlooked the Miami tight end in this class because you've got you know you've got this unbelievable talent and Tyler Warren and you've got another great receiver in that like Kelsey line of Colston Loveland from Michigan. But but Arroyo he had the injuries in college and he didn't even have great production they

spread the ball out to a lot of different places at Miami this year. But he's different man like he's and he blocked he's got some like dog in him. I just I think Arroyo in the second round is going to be a player where we look every year we look back like how did that guy get to the second he has everything you look 65 251 pounds runs fast explosive traits was awesome at the senior ball. How did he get to the second round? I think a Royals gonna be one of those guys that we look back and talk about where'd you have a early early stop running back that's when running backs

mattered. So you were surprised when I made it 28. Yeah, I actually was. I remember that. Me too. I remember that. I had somewhere like the top 15. I could go back and look.

Yeah, I appreciate it, man. Because that's what I said. I said, McShay told me I was between 10 and 20, so I knew I couldn't go past 20. That's one of the problems with this job. Coaches called me a couple in the past, me a couple times. Nick Saban. That was always my like, I forget Nick secretary's name. Linda. Yeah, maybe. Yeah, Miss Linda. Yes, Miss Linda. I would every

once in a while they're like five or six times and like, I don't know decade that he was there. I'd get that call from Miss Linda's phone. And I'd be like, Oh boy, setting up a call for for Nick to call and, and get after me. You're too high on this guy. And he was right once or twice. I was right once or twice. But um, was he talking about his guys or other guys, his guys, yes, guys wanted to leave. And he when they were making

decisions, they saw a mock draft with my name on top of it. And he was pissed off. And he he's not the only coach I've had plenty. So I don't like that aspect of it. But um, but I do my best to try to be as accurate as I'm going to ask you one thing. Yeah, did you have Kareem Jackson going number 20? No, nobody did. No, Kareem wanted to leave. Coach Saban wanted him to come back. Kareem like, I'm leaving.

Kareem went number 20. I think he just finished his 15th year too. So kudos to him, but I just wanted to ask you about that. No, I did not. I did not. Hey Todd, from your unique perspective, what do you think NFL scouts, NFL GMs, NFL head coaches are getting wrong or spending too much time and getting wrapped around the axel on when they really need to be focusing on elements A,

B and C? That's a good question. I think the league's come a long way. I think it used to be I don't think it used to be a lot of like, crusty, you know, not understanding the player evaluators who it's our way or it's it's it's no way that kind of thing. I've seen a total transformation and in the in executives in in scouts, people like it's you know, the guys that are starting to rise up. I think that there's been an understanding of like, there's there's no one way like, and you don't have to be exactly this as a human being. It's okay to get paid money. And also adjusting

what we don't love it, but but we understand it is what it is, you know, with the with some of the entitlement, and it's true. And like, I'm not promoting it. But with with money and this prestige and and I mean, they're professional athletes in college now. times, or you can fight them and, and like, you're going to be down to a list of 30 guys in each draft class that you want to draft. But I also think the other thing too is, and it's the hard I remember, Marty Schottenheimer told me this one of my first drafts, he was working at ESPN. He's like the hardest thing to ever predict, I always have found is when you give a human being more money,

more free time, and more fame, how's he going to react to that? And I and I've like talking to scouts early in my career, it was like 7080% was tape, and who's the football players and all that. And it was like 2030% who is he is a human being? Who is like, does he love ball or does he love what ball brings him? I know that's a cliche, but does he truly love this? And Mark, like you know, this thing's a grind, man.

You gotta love it. And you can really, really like it and like to work most of the time, but there are dudes that really absolutely love it. And you see if you go study it over time, those are the guys that kind of rise to the top or just get the most out of what they have. Right. So yeah,

spot on, spot on. He is the legend Todd McShay from the McShay show on the Ringer Network. Todd, man, I know it's like, it's tax season for you, right? This is your busy season. You're in accountant mode right now, so we appreciate you taking the time to join us on the Triple Option. Thanks, man.

Love the intelligence, always love seeing you. Good to see you, Todd. We appreciate your time, brother. Anytime you want. I couldn't think of a better trio to talk to. Be careful what you ask for now. Exactly, Todd, exactly. I'll have you back on the show now.

I'll always make time for you guys. Change that phone number immediately. No. Light it. ["Bet MGM"] Welcome back to The Triple Option, presented by Wendy's. Mark Urban-Raw back here with you.

The Triple Option Crystal Ball is brought to you by Bet MGM each Wednesday throughout the NHL season. Pick the skater you think will light the lamp first in the game. If it's not your player though but he does score the second goal of the game you get your stake back. You only get that here with the sportsbook born in Vegas. Alright bet MGM right now has us looking at the Ohio State, the defending national champs and what they're going to do this upcoming season. They just completed their spring game over the weekend. Right now, they have it at, here it comes Mark, it's the half, 10 and a half regular season win

total that BetMGM has set for them for 2025. The over set at plus 100, the under at minus 125. So 10 and a half regular season wins for the Buckeyes will delve into the schedule in just a moment. But things to keep in mind, probably gonna have 15 players from that national championship team getting drafted next week in the NFL draft. You got a new OC and Brian Hartline, not Patricia comes in as your new DC. You've got a new OC in Brian Heartline, not Patricia comes in as your new DC. You've got a new quarterback coming in. You've got a new running back. You've got all kinds of holes to fill. And I know Ohio State is a, you know, like, let's just, let's

just reload, right? It's stormtroopers. One goes down, another one's in your face. But man, coach, this feels like a big number. This feels like a lot of holes that Ryan Day has to fill this off season. It does, and again, Vegas is right on the mark here. I mean, that's 10 and a half. And I think they'll win 10 games. And remember, the standard's been set by the Wolverines leadership,

a old team, a team full of seniors. Penn State's trying to do that this year with the tailbacks coming back and all are coming back. So I got him at 10 wins. I think they're, you know, they've recruited at a whole different level than anyone else in college football. I think in the last 15, 20 years. Well, I thought we always recruited good. Man, I see these rosters. My gosh. I'm what they've done. And I, you know, they had a good spring game that they love the quarterback saying that the Alabama transfer You have two new coordinators Matt patricia, which that's going to be the biggest change because I think brian heartline is just going to keep going Along with the chip kelly, ohio state ryan day offense. So

I got him at 10 I look at their schedule and i'm going to hand it off the mark here in a second, but at wolverines at wisconsin You know, I don't think those are top 10 teams this year. You know, I don't know if the Wolverines will be a top 10 team. They still got some rebuilding to do. Wisconsin, we saw them up close and personal. That was a top five, top 10 team at one point. I think they're going to get back at that point with Coach Fickel, but the

Wisconsin team we saw last year, that's not that awful trip that it used to be to go to Madison. Yeah. The two, the two toughest tests on paper, at least our home, Texas, Penn State, Texas, Penn State. And that's no disrespect to the Illinois, Wisconsin's and Michigan's obviously just facts at Illinois. That's a tough one. It is. All right. So it opens up August 30. At Texas versus

Texas. Mark, what have we been saying? Like, we haven't been calling it a push. It's just sort of like we're gonna put a question mark question mark. It's just a question mark. Next week, Grambling State win. Next verse. Ohio. The Bobcats win at Washington. What's a long way to go. It is a long way. Got it as a window. I'm taking it as a win.

We're at three. Home to Minnesota. Dub for in at Illinois. We're at three home to Minnesota dub for at Illinois when at Wisconsin when six verse Penn State question mark. Okay. Two question marks. When do when verse UCLA when verse Rutgers win nine here we go at Michigan question mark question mark. So that's nine wins and three question marks. 10 and a half is

the number from I don't have going over 10 and a half. I haven't met 10 wins. I don't have them go they want they went 10 and two last year made the playoff won the national championship 10 and two is more than enough to make the playoff and get yourself in the dance going as championship. Sure I feel like between Texas Penn State which hasn't been able to do the job against Ohio State, but they got the guys coming back. We'll see, we'll see, it's to be said.

And we all thought Ohio State was just gonna Molly spank that thing against the Wolverines last year, and they did it. Molly spank. Yeah, what's a Molly spank? I have no idea what that is. Mr. Miyagi just wax on, off just wax it. You know, we thought they were just gonna polish that ass. You know what

I mean? But um, they did it. So I got three question marks and I got them winning 10 games. I got them going 10 and two going back to the playoff again. So 10 or two I'm taking the under on the time and half that hook. Coach, you're about there. Yeah, I've been I've been 10 one season. I again, I think that's, that's actually a hell of a season with a new team. And you know what the new team is by the end of the year, Mark, it's not a new team anymore. It's an old team. So there'll be a veteran

team by the time they get to Ann Arbor. So coach, does does this year's team need to be better than last year's team to get back to the national title game? Can they be the same? Can they be less? Every coach's dream is to have a grown ass man in that locker room, you know, that take care of the business that remember after that loss to the Wolverines last year, there was a team meeting and the senior leadership stood up and said, we didn't we're enough of that shit. We're coming back and we're gonna, we're gonna get it done. And that's exactly what they did, You know, give credit to the coaches.

But that doesn't happen with a young team. There's no chance that happens with a young team. And they did it. Would you characterize this as a young team coach? And experienced. Absolutely. They have great coaching, great culture. They have talent that they've been recruiting. They're one of those teams, Rob, that you say like, yeah, we're accustomed to 15 guys going to get drafted to NFL.

We're accustomed to that. So we got guys in waiting who are ready to step up to the plate and are ready to step up to the challenge. And I feel like Ohio State is one of those programs, just like, you know, Alabama has been just like Texas and you know, these big programs who are accustomed to guys going to the league, Georgia, et cetera. I think Ohio State's one of those teams where they're just going to reboot, rebuild and fire away again.

So, you know, it's been a long time since the Buckeyes lost anything more than two games. A long time. Yeah. 2011 was the last time that that fan base expects double digits every year. They usually get it. Julian saying again, he seems to be the quarterback. We know Coach Day is going to wait until deep into summer camp and why would need to

You're welcome. Ohio State. You're welcome. Yeah, you're quarterback, right? Former Alabama guy five star recruit welcome. Second year six foot. They've listed him at six foot one, but it's more like six foot. So there's some some concerns about his height in the spring game 17 to 24 175 yards. Are people really still concerned about a six foot quarterback? Apparently they are.

Like what are we doing? We gotta throw over those like six foot five, six foot seven monsters. It's fine. Just put him in the shotgun. Like he's fine. I played with Drew Brees like Russell Wilson. Like we were fine. Justin Fields was what? Well, all the last, the last Buckeye QBs are all like in that six five down to like six, two, six, three window. Haskins and Stroud and all those guys.

So they have a little more length than saying. Coach, what have you heard about saying in Columbus? Yeah, they say his anticipation, his very live arm from different arm slots, where he gets the ball out, he's real dynamic and adaptable at that position and I've been hearing about him. I actually stood next to him and he's not only six foot, but he's a little slight. I'm sure you know another year another year.

He's a little slim. He's in the weight program and getting bigger and because you know, you're gonna get hit. But they, I mean the ball comes out of his hands real nice and they think very high level. And you know what they're doing, they're going to keep the other guys around. But everything I'm hearing, it's saying this is a quarterback. Hey, who's ready for Green Bay, right? Road trip, road trip, the triple option. Hitting the road, live shows from Green Bay next week on Thursday and Friday from right outside Lambeau Field. Looking forward to that. Looking forward to seeing you guys face to face, man.

Face to face. It's been a while. Yeah, it has been a while. I'm looking forward to seeing you too in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Follow, subscribe, rate us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever it is you find your podcasts as well as across social media.

We are at 3X Option Show. Thanks as always to our wonderful sponsors, Wendy's, Bet MGM, and ZipRecruiter. We will see you in Green Bay next week for live shows outside of Lambeau.