The Triple Option - Texas Tech Red Raiders Head Coach Joey McGuire Joins, Pac-12 is Back, and Oregon Ducks Preview

Episode Date: July 9, 2025

Will dollars translate to wins? We are about to find out. Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, and Rob Stone take a look at the latest sponsorship deal in the Big Ten and Big 12 to create more revenue for schools and debate what the next move will be to pump more money into college football.  One of the schools that has alums showing up with their check books is Texas Tech. Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire joins the guys to talk about how they are deciding to spend on players, his ideal College Football Playoff format, and how Patrick Mahomes is still affecting those in Lubbock, years after he was QB1. The Pac (12) is Back! Or is it? The guys discuss the new look Pac-12 conference and the conferences place in college football history. They then took a look at the 2025 Oregon Ducks schedule, expectations on quarterback Dante Moore, and debated if Dan Lanning has turned this program into a blue blood. 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. Find your new favorite Frosty Fusions™ flavor today with choices like OREO®Brownie, Caramel Crunch, and Pop-Tarts® Strawberry. https://m-wendys.app.link/frostyfusion25 Thank you to our additional sponsorsNHTSASpeeding Catches Up With Youhttps://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/speeding-catches-up-with-you?utm_source=sinclair&utm_medium=read&utm_campaign=speed2025&utm_content=dogwalker BetMGMBetMGM is giving you the chance to win a prize every day during the baseball season! Step into the batter’s box for BetMGM’s Swing For the Fences free-to-play game! Visit BetMGM app to access the game and you’ll score a prize if you hit a single, double, triple or home run. See BetMGM.com for Terms. This US promotional offer not available in DC, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER, available in the U.S. For New York, call 877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY (467369). For Arizona, call 1-800-NEXT-STEP. For Massachusetts, 1-800-327-5050. For Iowa, 1-800-BETS-OFF. For Puerto Rico, 1-800-981-0023. For West Virginia, visit www dot 1 800 gambler dot net. Subject to eligibility requirements. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you been gone long enough to where you're not gonna get any money or I'm not getting nothing don't bring it up coach Don't bring it up. It starts in like 2016 I'm like I need y'all to go back to oh nine or something triple options gonna appeal we're filling it man I'll get it on that. I just cut your boy out Welcome to the Triple Option presented by Wendy's. Try Wendy's new frosty fusions with flavors like Caramel Crunch, Oreo Brownie, and Pop Tart Strawberry. Light it. You almost synced it up this week. Almost. Just to hair off. Light it. You're still fighting. He's never hair off. Fighting that July 4th. Light it. I'm always on time. Thanks as always for joining us here on the Triple Option. Rate,

subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, as well as across social media. We can be found at 3X Option Show. New episodes coming your way every Wednesday on YouTube and wherever it is you get your podcasts. Urban Meyer, Rob Stone, Mark Ingram, the second back here with you for another edition. We're going to have a really interesting conversation with Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire coming up in moments. But first, it's time to control your game. When you speed, you have less time to react, follow the speed limit to keep other road users safe. Speeding catches up with you.

Paid for by NHTSA. By the way, NHTSA's messaging is always on point, man. On point. It's particularly when you have four teenage drivers. I'm like, you're dang right, NHTSA. That speeding, I got no time for that. Slow down. My kids hate driving with me.

Big 10 and Big 12, trying to control and create rev share space by signing a new sponsorship deal with PayPal. This is pretty cool. The new agreement will allow Big 10 and Big 12 athletic departments to dispense these payments using PayPal exclusively. Talk about the Big 12 deal. Here's why it's significant. Valued at nearly $100 million over five years. So that's roughly a million dollars per school annually, according to sources out there. And Coach, this rev share and then the concept of creating money

had certainly changed through the years. Take me back to like the early Bowling Green and the Utah days compared to where it was at Florida, Ohio state and now. Yeah. The reality is that the revenue has changed over the years. When I first got into coaching, the primary source of revenue were donors. Yep. And then at places like Ohio state, Ann Arbor, Penn state, it was the

game day experience where it was ticket prices and, and, uh State, it was the game day experience, whereas ticket prices and the game day, the concession, the brand, the merchandise, et cetera. Because I saw, in parking, I would sit in those meetings and be like, damn, but you weren't getting that at Bowling Green. And the Mid-America Conference, television contract, you weren't getting that. So where did the money come from?

Donor sources, and the head coach is a big part of that. I did the same thing at Utah. We want to go build a facility. You weren't counting on the Mountain West Conference television contract because it really wasn't that good. So what'd you do? You went out and hit the Utah alums and the big money people of Salt Lake City and we built some facilities, etc. So when I mention that, again, donor revenue, conference and TV, and game day experience, those are primary sources of revenue. However, now you're starting to hear about

private equity come in. You're starting to hear about the student fees. There's a couple schools out there that are gonna slam the students with a big bill. Three, four hundred bucks. When you say slam the students, a lot of times that's slamming the parents. Activity. Yeah.

Like I'm looking at a couple, yeah. But then now you say, how about this creativity? It looks like it's only a million dollars a year, which is, you know, I just can't see. Which sounds great, but they're gonna blow right through a million dollars. A million dollars is nothing. I can guarantee you the staffs are being challenged,

the ADs are being challenged, and creativity is gonna to be the word of the day on how to raise the revenue. Because reality is that time, you know, we witnessed it, I brought it up over and over again. One of the best brands, biggest brands in college sports, the Wolverines had a 10% cut of personnel and are expected a $25 million loss of money on their budget at the end of the year. When that to me, red flags are all over the place on that one. Yeah, Coach. But like you said, man, like where you can no longer just rely on TV deals and ticket sales and stuff like that. Like these conferences, this is just one

deal that we see. There's no, there's nothing that says that they can't have another two or three deals like this. Like they have to start thinking like investment banks, like brand agencies. And when they have success to find these deals, like the big 12 with PayPal, like it directly impacts the stability of, of their schools to stay competitive, like in recruiting and, um, with their facilities and just national relevance. So like, um, the creativity, um, the, the thought process, it has to be more because the landscape of college football is changing. So you have to kind of drive this and find new ways to have some revenue and have some

income to help your school with the losses like you said Michigan is having. So we're not cutting sports and you can stay competitive and recruit and all that. So I'm going to add this mark. 12 man. Shout out to the Big 12. I'm gonna add this, Mark, that there was a time back in the day that the old head football coach had usually become the AD because the focus

might have been on academics, on football, or I mean on the sports and attendance, all the things that maybe a coach knew about. And then in my lifetime, it really changed to business people and marketing people. That's who became the ADs and that's because it became more of a business. When I first started in the 80s, it was not that way at all.

It was, there was no money. It was how do you get people in the stands and how do you solve the athletic problem? Now you can see ADs, the day of a coach becoming an AD, no chance. Bubba Cunningham, the athletic director at the University of North Carolina, they just put in a succession plan and the new guy coming in, it's, you know, he comes from auto racing and it's all about marketing and numbers, the succession plan. And guess what?

You're going to see a lot of NASCAR. Mark, I know you and I are both soccer guys. We've seen NASCAR's infiltration into that sport, right? I mean, the Jersey, you know, has got a sponsor right up there. You know, it's coming. There's going to be a day where, you know, the amazing bullies are going to have something on it. Are we going to see a Jersey with State Farm on the sleeve? Right. I think, like sleeves, I was always okay with, because it wasn't like so in your face. You're going to see logos on fields.

You're going to see officials with patches and things. Where can I get this money from? Yeah, and you know what? It doesn't bother me anymore. Maybe that initial week or two where I saw an odd sponsor on a soccer jersey and I'd be like, really? I think it's on those athletic departments to find the sponsorships that work with your brand. That makes sense, but it's coming. It's coming down the pipeline. Listen, if Colgate Soccer wants to be sponsored by

NHTSA, let's put a slap NHTSA right on the front of their jerseys. I'd have no problem with that. So Wendy's would be on a Buckeye shirt, right? Yeah, why not? I'll put on a triple option jersey with Wendy's all over it, with NHTSA all over it, with Ben MGM. You bet jersey with hey, he's all over it with Nitsa all over it with Ben MGM You bet we're hey man. We're easy brother. What are you talking about right now? You're talking about all professional sports, right? So this is the day and age that we're in college athletics is now a professional sport You're gonna have like you like you're saying like is now a professional sport and they're viewing it as such So how many conversations have we had the last couple of months where we've heard whether

it's coaches or like when Brett, your mark, the commissioner of the big 12 joined us saying, we're all it's going to the NFL model. It's going to the whatever it is, but it was it was going to the NFL model. And this is just another example of going here. We go to the NFL model. Yeah. One of the programs I've been saying this for a NFL model. Yeah, one of the programs I've been saying this for a while, but I think one of the universities out there that is so well positioned to take advantage of these new rev share opportunities

It also happened to be one of our favorite big noon kickoff trips, right? The beautiful town of Lubbock, Texas. We had a chance to sit down with Texas Tech Red Raider head coach Joey McGuire coming your way next. Miller Lite. The light beer brewed for people who love the taste of beer and the perfect pairing for your game time. When Miller Lite set out to brew a light beer, they had to choose great taste or 90 calories per can. They chose both because they knew the best part of beer is the beer. Your game time tastes like Miller time.

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Whatever groceries your summer calls for, Instacart has you covered. Download the Instacart app and enjoy $0 delivery fees on your first three orders. Service fees, exclusions, and terms apply. Instacart. Groceries that over-deliver. Welcome back to The Triple Option presented by Wendy's Rob Urbanmark back here with you. We are happy to welcome in the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Joey Maguire, and Coach Maguire 8. Thanks for joining us here in summer. the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Joey McGuire. And Coach McGuire, A, thanks for joining us here in summer. But B, one of our best stops for Big Noon kickoff last season was when

we packed our bags and went to Lubbock. And man, man, I wanted to bring out some tortillas just to make you feel welcome and throw them up on the screen right now. But I know you've seen enough tortillas. Mark Ingram, by the way, coach, is whipping tortillas at me from like five feet away, just continually pegging me in the side of the head while your fan base behind us is just throwing thousands and thousands of them up. It was such an awesome scene. It was, it was incredible. And that, you know, that was my first opportunity to be with you guys on on, you know, set and I know coach understands this marker. Y'all all three understand this. Like the, the, the tough thing was, uh, man, our, our, uh, stadium was electric and we just didn't get the job done against Dion. I mean, that could only, the only thing that could have been better about that

day, of course, is the wind, but man, it was such a great atmosphere. And I think having y'all even help the atmosphere even more, uh, to carry over into the game because that was such a, uh, incredible atmosphere. You know, the year that, uh, my first year we beat Texas and I thought, um, you know, the game day atmosphere was really cool, but I think the Colorado having y'all on campus and then going into that game. I think since I've been here, it was probably the coolest atmosphere throughout the game that I've been a part of.

So thank y'all for being here, man. Thanks for having us. Thanks for hosting us, it was great. You bet, Coach McGuire, I'm gonna take credit for you because it was my idea to get you on. I saw some comments made and it took me back about that we're talking about the college football playoff and there's some models out there that maybe limit

Big 12 on how many teams can get in. And I saw your comments and I called Rob and I talked to our producers and said, we gotta fire his ass up. And you said that you made reference to a play in, you know, enough with the who's good enough, who's not, it took me back to when I was the head coach at Utah.

And I remember Trev Alberts. Trev Alberts was, he wasn't in AD then, he was on TV and was back in the BCS era, Mark. And you can imagine, I was young, man. Young and fired up myself and he said, they're not a BCS team and they don't belong in the BCS conversation. This is when we had Alex Smith

We were undefeated. I got so pissed off And that's all I used all year every team meeting I started off and I said, you know what? You guys aren't with this shit. Anyways, you're not BCS guys in my mind I'm going we could beat the hell out of most these BCS teams So talk to us about how is the head coach of Texas Tech you have a job to fight for your players and fight for your Team, how do you plan on doing it? Well, first of all, that was one of my questions to you So you just gave me some good stuff and I'll finish it

But you know the reason I say that is I mean perfect example I got to see we got beat but I got to see the game, of the softball world series that was played between two big 12 teams that wasn't an sec team in a, in a, a big 12 team that it was, but they just changed logos that that was like, that's where we're so, you know, like if you're giving us four big 10 teams and I don't know this, y'all will know this more than me. I was going to look it up today and, and got busy cause we were, had a couple of things that was awesome go on and, and, um, but like who was number three and

number four in the big 10 and in the sec. I know who number three probably was Mark, cause you're going to say Alabama, but you're telling me that you're giving me four automatic qualifiers out of those conference. Well, then I want four out of the big 12. If we're not going to fight it out and say, if you're saying, Hey, this is the power for conference and you're going to say, Hey, there's four automatic qualifiers, they give it to all four.

If not, then let's have the conference champions, uh, get in, then let's have the conference champions get in and then let's have play in games of who's going to be number three, number four, number five, number six, whoever, you know, that is, I think you got to settle on the field because I said this last year and I'm going to say it again, a pack 12 team won the big 10 Oregon won the big 10, a big 12 team played in the SEC conference championship with Texas. And then a pack 12 team played and won the big 12. And so we were talking about all these conferences and two of the conference

champions came out of a conference that doesn't even exist anymore. So it's like, it's all of a sudden like, man, if I'm a better football team with a different patch, I just might wear a patch next year and see if that helps us win more games because it obviously helps you be ranked higher. And it obviously helps you get more consideration of getting more people. And you know, I love, I think Rhett Lashley has done a phenomenal job at SMU, but they got beat by BYU and there were not enough people talking about BYU being in the playoffs as they were a team that got beat in their conference

championship, getting in the playoffs. So, cause you got me fired up, man. I know I can get you fired up. It doesn't have to be a young Utah head coach. I know you can get, get, uh, ready to go. Um, but there's just, man, I just want to try to figure out. I don't have the perfect answer, but I want to try to figure out how we figure this out on the field and head to head.

Before, before I hand this to Mark, you got me thinking about something. So how do you handle that? I remember going back to the Utah days, we as a conference and certainly our AD and I talked, we started scheduling as many of those schools as possible because we had to. Have you guys had a chat and saying,

hey, maybe we just schedule the heck out of Big Ten and SEC and prove that we belong? Yeah, I think we're going to have to do that. But the one thing I do think before we can start saying, hey, this is comp, we all four have got to do one thing. We either got to play nine conference games or eight conference games. Right. Right. And then if we play eight, then we got to play each other.

Um, you know, or, or, but we do, there's no doubt, you know, like, uh, Brian Kelly said it the other day about, you know, the SEC and the big 10 need to play each other, you know, and, and, uh, I'm great with a home and home with LSU. I just want it to be the very next year. You know, our schedule was kind of crazy. My first year we played North Carolina state. I'm great with a home and home with LSU. I just want it to be the very next year. You know, our schedule was kind of crazy. My first year we played North Carolina state. I don't think we played for another four years for some reason. So I didn't a home and home it is, but it wasn't a home and home that guys, they

got beat by North Carolina state, get to come back in Lubbock, Texas and play a team to where I can use that loss or win as a motivation factor. Right. Well, hey coach, you know, we always talk about the transfer portal and you, you kind of hit the transfer portal hard this year, showing up both sides of the offensive line and the defense line, brought in Quinn Joyner to running back from USC. What is your idea of balance between, you know, hitting the transfer portal and, you know, recruiting like homegrown talent.

Yeah, we, we, um, I think we were, uh, 18. We ended up being 19 in the transfer portal and we ended up being 20 in high school. So really balanced. Um, you know, you always, to me, especially in the offensive line, it's such a developmental position, uh, you know, we had six high school offensive linemen and I want to develop them for my babies and grow them up. They're big boys, you know, and I want them to grow up in this program. Because of the circumstances really maybe before I got here, they were heavy in the transfer portal in the offensive line. And so we've kind of had to do that.

And then be honest with you, we were a fumble away. We're centering the ball against TCU for kicking a field goal. We still would have had to defend about a minute on the clock and didn't play very good defense in the fourth quarter. So we had to defend about a minute on the clock and didn't play very good defense in the fourth quarter. So we had to defend about a minute on the clock to win that TCU game. Or we're in the big 12 championship. And so because we were so close, which no coach wants to hear, you want to be close. It's better than being far away and not, not being close, but we're so close.

We had some donors, Cody Campbell being one of them, John Sellers, Gary Peterson, Dusty Wamba really step up and say, guys, let's be extremely aggressive to go get what we need to try to compete at the highest level. Um, you know, and, and you guys were out here, you saw the South End Zone. Um, our football facility opened in January. It's as good as anywhere in the country. And then we did get really aggressive in the portal, trying to get better upfront.

Thanks, Coach. Coach, oil and gas money is no joke down there. I've learned that. I got a son who's going to school in the great state of Texas right now. And I know Lubbock has tapped into that, so to speak. So what is it you're asking of your donors, of your NIL friends, that you need to get to that next level? And also, what is that next level for Texas Tech? Where do you need to be and how soon do you need to be there?

So answer the first part of it. I got really, man, I'm so fortunate. Cody Campbell is, man, he's our chairman of our Board of Regents. Dusty Womble is the vice president of Board of Regents. Our nutrition center that we eat at every day for all athletes is called the Cash Family Nutrition Center. Clay Cash is on our Board of Regents.

He's a board member, so we are really aligned right now. More than me asking, it's like a collective group saying, what do we need to do? And that was one thing Cody really challenged us in July, even before the season. There were two worlds. Now there's one world, but there was two worlds that were going to operate at the same time. You had NIL as we knew it and know it. And then you had what was going to happen in revenue share. And we had an opportunity to take advantage of both of those.

And those, those guys said, okay, hey, look, you get a guy on campus and he is your guy, like Mr. Jordan or our running back. Don't let them leave. Don't let them leave. Like whatever that, but whatever that value is, and we've done a lot of research on it, we've got a couple of different companies we work with to really study the values to where we have a real number.

When you say real number and values, you're talking about a position? Yeah, a position. Like a five-star running back is worth X? Yes. Really, with that company, it's more than a college running back a guy that has that has played college football that his NIO value is X and he is going to increase the Percentage of your team winning by why well we so it's a great company Basketball your your alma mater, I think have been the first group to work with them. I could be wrong.

Pobama? Bama. I'm pretty sure they were the first group. And the Leo is on the forefront of cutting edge stuff, coach. Well, at least for the value system of like what the player is. And then we have another group that rates players, college players, again, talking more transfer portal, um, one through 10 based on 10 being the highest NFL ranking down to one. And so we take those two and that's really how we got really

aggressive in the portal. Okay. And so your second question, what needs to happen? We need to win the big 12 this year. Okay. And this is why, um, I don't feel every coach needs to understand, man. Like you, you, I learned this in 2003. I replaced a hall of fame high school coach and in the Dallas morning news,

which is the largest paper paper in the state of Texas, the D the, uh, superintendent, Dr. Gibson, they asked him, why did you let this coach go? And he said, he didn't win enough games. I knew right then that if I wanted to keep my job, I had to win games. Right. So any coach that doesn't understand that they're living in Lala land, you know, there's a whole deal.

So I'm not saying I need to win the big 12 to keep my job. I need to win the big 12. We need to win the big 12 because we have a $250 million football facility that is as good as anywhere in the country. So we have eliminated to where anybody can say, well, there's facilities aren't as good as ours, ours or anybody. I don't care where you go, Mark. If you, when you come out here, I'll give you a tour of it.

And I'll recruit you as a high school athlete. And it is going to blow your mind the facilities we have. So we check that off. We're sharing at the highest level whenever it comes to the revenue. All right. So you can check that off that you can't say, well, this school has more money than we do whenever it comes to NIL revenue sharing. So what's the thing that they're going to say? Well, they haven't ever

won the conference or, you know, they can't get in the playoffs. I want to check that off because I want to get, I want to win it. I want to be in it in the playoffs and I want to create and sustain a winning program at a whole different level. Hey coach, you got me fired up right now. Coach. He's one of the ones coach. Hey, go, go back for a minute. You just said something's intriguing to me.

So do you see parity coming at a level that's never been there before? Because, uh, Texas tech will have the same valued roster as USC, as Alabama, as Ohio state is that, is that what you see happening? Amen. I think we saw it this year. I think we saw it this year. I mean, you know, like I'll give you a perfect example is like Alabama, you know, to where you can legitimately say they, I know some people say, they

should be in the playoffs. They lost the two teams that were six win teams. So you could easily say they shouldn't be in the playoffs. USC, I mean, when we recruit against them, I know they've got the number one class right now. I know some stuff that they're, they're doing on their NIL deal as far as with the high school, but how have they been more relevant than us when you're talking about just wins? I mean, they're an eight, I think they're an eight win team this last year. So are we the year before that you've got the number one quarterback in the

country and you're not in the playoffs. So like they're the parody is, I think, I think parody is real. Um, and we'll continue that way and, and hopefully it'd be really good for college football. We'll find out. Coach, you was talking about the rev share. I'm just kind of interested, like what those conversations have been like. Do you know the plan at Texas tech and how they will split up the money between sports, what have those discussions been like from your experience?

Yeah, you know, we're really basing it off of, of what they've done in, in kind of the penalty of, you know, whenever you look at the back, have you been gone long enough to where you're not going to get any money or I'm not getting nothing. Don't bring it up coach. Don't bring it up. We're going to mark up. We're going to start like 2016. I'm like, bro, I need you to go nine or something.

We are going to appeal that. We're appealing it, man. I'll get in on that. I'll get in on that. I'll get in on that. Just touch your boy out, man. Come on. I've got some, Hey man, I got some of my, uh, GAs and QCs. They're all fired up about this, man.

They're they getting some pretty good money of some of these guys. So we kind of, uh, done it like that as far as like the, the amount that football is getting basketball is getting women's basketball, it like that as far as like the amount that football is getting, basketball is getting, women's basketball, stuff like that. The thing with some of the conversations with the players, and it might not have been the question you asked, but kind of you were talking about conversations. The one thing that I am really extremely, uh, it was planned out and we've done it this way, we've done it this way for the last three years, but we run it more. done it this way, we've done it this way for the last three years, but we run it more, we have a personnel department and I have a GM that really controls that.

I have a spreadsheet that I know what all my players make, right? But I'm not in those conversations with agents or players. They don't want me in there. Um, I'm too emotional. And so I'm really, I really let my GM James Blanchard, who's an absolute rockstar. I let him handle those. He's not emotional. It's all business and they come to some great, um, you know, discussions and come

to some great conclusions on what each player's value is and what they should be making. I want the purity as much as possible. I know it's different, but I want the purity of the player coach as much as possible. Our relationship, you know, I know it's a business, but I mean, I still want that relationship piece. And so it, it helps me kind of put some guard rails around that. Off season conversations around the big 12 coach. And I know you're going to get a lot of various responses, but I think the general consensus is it's a really deep conference

and on any week, anybody can beat anybody. Is that fair? Like just a little quick snapshot. That's fair. It is. I think we're going to see that. Like coach said, I hate to stop you, but I think we're going to see that in all the conferences. I think you're going to see that in SEC. I think, you know, like South we're going to see that in all the conferences. I think you're going to see that in SEC. I think South Carolina is going to surprise a lot of people. So is that a good thing for college football? I think it's great, man. I think that the most watched football is at the NFL.

One of the reasons the most watched football is because anybody can beat anybody every single week. Literally, you're going to turn on the TV and you might have a team that's not won a lot of games and that they still have a chance and the scores are close. I think it is, you know, I mean, I think definitely is with us because we want to be in the mix, you know? And so I think it is. But is it a good thing for the big 12? And I asked this coach because clearly there is a perception out there that the SEC and the big 10. And I asked this coach because clearly there is a, a perception out there that the sec and the big 10 are up here and, and the, the top four teams, no matter what are going to get into the playoffs and maybe a fifth and a sixth. But if the big 12 records are kind of,

you know, a bunch of nine and sevens or whatever it is, I think the conversation out there is going to be like, well, there's nobody really good from the big 12. They're just kind of banging on each other. Uh, where if, if the same thing happened, the sec big 10, they're saying, oh, because they're so dang good. Yeah. And, and you know, I'm hoping that what's happening in baseball right now. Uh, we take a look at that, you know, because you, you know, I, I'm a huge sports fan, I'm a college fan, you know, and the sec were stacked with a lot of.

And look at run, right. I run exactly what's going on right now in baseball. You look at basketball, you did have an SEC team win it, but you had a lot of SEC teams that were going in March madness that got sent home in the first weekend. And so at some point, we, hopefully as this happens, we see that, I think that's why it's important. We figure out whenever, after this happens, we see that. I think that's why it's important we figure out whenever after this year,

what it looks like of how many teams are getting in from each conference, if there's automatic qualifiers. But man, you know what's funny? I guarantee you, as coach, I don't know this, but if you ask Coach Myers, if you're saying, okay, look, if you get a first round by, but no single team won that got a first round by because whether maybe it's TV, maybe it's, I don't know what it is. But if you're telling me that no teams won in a first round by, I don't want the first round by I want now I do want a home game, but I want to play.

So, all right, man, I've got a whole, I know I can't solve this. Uh, Billy Napier, I heard him say this and I started thinking about it. So I've tried to take it to a whole nother level. I want to push our, I want to play. I want the entire nation to play zero week. I want football to start August 23rd. I want the conference champions to be crowned during Thanksgiving. And then I want to go into the playoffs and play it like the NFL that

we're playing every seven days. Yeah. Like it is crazy that you're having to sit and you're saying I get the first round by, Oh, this is awesome. Let's get healthy, but I'm not playing football for a month. Like commissioner McGuire. Hey, you got it. Hey coach, you've got a little something extra in your back

pocket at Texas tech, Patrick Mahomes. Yes. Um, you know, how do you utilize that? How do you go about asking him at certain moments and picking those moments to to utilize what he is and and to lean into what Texas Tech obviously means to him? Yeah he's pretty incredible. I'll tell you a quick story and then I'll tell you how I use him. So we were, I played in this foundation tournament in Vegas. That was not a hard sell to go out to Vegas and and play golf. But he had, uh, we took some red rakers out there and he had a meet and greet,

uh, the before the dinner. And it was the day that the NFL schedule was released. And so I was looking when his bi-week was and what it matched up with. And so I got it. He, as soon as he walks into the building, makes a beeline to me and says, I'll be at the BYU game, man. I'm going to be there. I've already been talking so much trash to coach Reed.

In fact, I'm going to make him come with me. So you better win that game. Like, think about that. He's thought about it and already knows before I do. Oh, that's who he is, man. That guy. I mean, he was at the softball, uh, game two and game three. He gave all that gear to the, uh, our softball team.

I will text him and say, Hey man, I'm going to have so and so on camp on, uh, campus, you know, let's say he's a quarterback 20, 26, tell me a time that. I can get on the phone with you and you can just say hello. Um, he was on our sideline during his bi-week at, we played at Kansas and he was on our sideline, like I just, he, I think he probably sleeps in a double T every night, like he is just all in on it on Texas tech. And he, he'll tell you, man, he, he, he literally says, I am who I am because I came to Lubbock and I'm a red raider. That's great.

And, uh, man, he, it's great to have him. Our walkthrough room is the Patrick Mahomes walkthrough room. You know, our, uh, quarterbacks meeting room is the Patrick Mahomes, you know, quarterbacks meeting room, office coordinator has Patrick Mah' name on it, you know, in his office. The dude's real, I'm wearing Mahomes shoes, or maybe I did this morning for football school. He's, he's real. And what's cool, he's one of the greatest, just humble dudes.

Like he's just a real guy. Yeah. We've been prepping you with questions. What we do on the show is after we just bombard you with questions for 20 minutes, we let you go ahead and ask us some questions, man. I love it. Go ahead and let it rip. I've got, you know, I was thinking of this whenever they said, come on, and I'm asking

both of you guys this and y'all can answer. I mean, you've played on incredible teams, coach, you've coached incredible teams. When you're going into the year and you know, like, man, we're about to be really good. Like we're about to be able to step on the field. We're as good as anybody in the country and we can win this thing. Like for first, Mark, what was the mentality of that locker room? Like what were your guys as a leader of that team and leader of that locker room? And how did y'all talk to each other?

For one, we policed each other and held each other accountable. I think that was the main thing with great teams that I was on. We didn't need the coach to tell us who we need to step it up or we need to have a great practice. Like, no, we held each other to a certain standard. We held each other accountable. If you weren't up to your standard, like we challenged you on it and it wasn't no bad feelings or personal feelings about it. It was all because we wanted to be the best we could be. We wanted to go accomplish something special and that was winning the championship. So when you have that type of policing going on within your locker room and it's through your

leaders, it's through your players, I think that's when you know that you have something special. Obviously the coaches, they know the temperament, they can gauge when they need to be pushed or tapered back, but when you have your players policing each other, holding each other to a standard, holding each other accountable, standard, holding each other accountable, spending time with each other outside of the facility, going to dinners, just genuinely loving each other and caring about each other, I think that's when you know that you have a special team,

is the chemistry and the locker room between the players. I love it. Coach, man, you've won it, man. Yeah, Mark, that was good, dude. Yes. It was. It was. You won it all, man. Yes, sir, thank you.

I just think that's so rare to have that kind of, and I had a couple of them where they're that mature dude. Yes. It was. It was. You won it all, man. Yes, sir. I appreciate it. I just think that's so rare to have that kind of, and I had a couple of them where they're that mature of a team. And you've seen that with the Wolverines and the Buckeyes the last two years. They're grown ass men in the locker room.

I didn't have that luxury. Our guys left after three years. So I would always try to, when I had a team like that, it was very unique. And we had a couple where you just, I mean, it was a player led, but I would always try to, when I had a team like that, it was very unique and we had a couple where you just, I mean, it was a player led, but I would, you know, just like our early conversation, there's nothing like coaching a pissed off team.

There's nothing like it. Anger is one of the greatest motivations, you know, to have a team that plays the game pissed off with something to prove. And I think Texas Tech, with you leading them and just your conversation, I would have stuff all over that locker room and every meeting starting about where the big 10 SEC and I just keep throwing stuff at those players and saying, maybe you don't belong. Maybe, which if you got a real group of alphas, they're going to try to not play that team,

they're going to try to hurt that team. And that's when you get a good team. And that's, our best teams are angry. You know, that 014 or the couple of national championships we had, and you know, the undefeated Utah team, they played every game like they wanted to hurt you. Because they wanted to prove to the country that they belonged. And I think Texas, I just, I'm excited to watch you coach.

Yeah, me too. Me too. Hope we're there, man. Yeah, we had a great time. We had a great time. It was, it was turnt up and loving, man. We might need dinner. We might need dinner help next time though. Coach was a bit of a struggle.

It was short notice. It was short. Where'd y'all end up eat? Uh, the hotel. Okay. You know, I, don't worry about anything. You got, you got it. You got it.

We, you got coach got it back. I've already got a spot. I'll have it set for you. Is it your backyard? Well, you can come to my backyard. So let's go over patio and we can smoke a cigar and, and, uh, you got a job to do. Rob Rob. Don't say he's got a job.

I'll be at the team hotel, but I got a spot for you, man. It'd be one of the best stakes, if not the best stakes you've ever had in your life. Okay. Done and done. Done and done. We're going to take you up on that offer coach. Yeah, finally get back to the stakes. Coach, coach give us, guns up coach.

Guns up man. Coach McGuire, thanks so much for joining us on the Triple Option. Have a great summer, man. Can't wait to see you next season. Yes sir, thank you. Appreciate you coach. Welcome back to the Triple Option

presented by Wendy's, Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram, the second deuce deuce, Rob Stone back here with you. Time now for Treat of the Week presented by Wendy's. Try Wendy's new Frosty Fusions. What a great time for Frosty Fusions. Hanging out in July. It's nice and hot. Get some Frosty Fusions in your system. They got new flavors like Caramel Crunch, Oreo Brownie, and Pop Tarts Strawberry. I say it almost every week. Don't sleep on the Pop Tarts Strawberry. Okay, my friends, I've got some exciting news. Maybe, maybe not. The Pac-12 is back! The Pac is back? Kind of, kind of, Mark. Texas State is the latest program to join the Conference of Champions,

which gives the conference their... Lord. ...member. Yeah. The minimum required by the NCAA of all FBS league So congratulations on them and cobbling together their eight programs and resurrecting the Conference of Champions here Are the teams though? Yeah here are the times in the Pac-12. There's there's a common theme Texas State Oregon State Washington State the two holdovers San Diego State Boise State, coaches old school Colorado State, Fresno State, and Utah State.

In addition to Gonzaga, which signed on for basketball, CBS has signed on to anchor the media package. So listen, this is not your dad's Pac-12, right? But at least it's back. It certainly will not be a power conference or at least considered one for now. Is it good that they're back, Mark, overall for college football or is it just another little blip in a conference that isn't the SEC, the ACC, the Big 12 and the Big 10? I mean, I just got a conference that's going to be pleading for respect again, like, you know, but I mean, it is good for college football. At least the Pac-12 is back, you know, as

they're back from the dead. And yeah, they got some teams in there that need to prove themselves. Yeah. And listen, by the way, Boise State, right? I mean, a really good, strong program. And I think they're going to be the one kind of carrying most of the water for the Pac-12 early on, at least in football conversations. Yeah. Coach doesn't seem very moved by the, by the reverse of the Pac-12. We'm just staring at these teams, man. And I grew up in, you wanted to see Isenman trophy winner, or you wanted to see a national champion.

You want to see Hall of Fame players and coaches. You watch the Pac-12. Yeah. That was what I grew up watching. I couldn't wait to watch it at night. You remember the Pac-12 at night? Even, you know, my entire career at night, what I do on Saturday nights.

The Pac-12. I'd turn on the Pac-12 game of the week and watch it. And recruited against the Pac-12. Turn on the Pac-12 game of the week and watch it and recruited against the Pac-12, think of some of the great, great players that came out of there and, and the recruiting bases out there. So I, I mean, I'm heartbroken that it's gone, but I mean, all due respect, man. Whoever the, they're fighting their ass off, man. Yeah, they are.

They're fighting and fighting Oregon state, Washington state, too, traditionally pretty good programs. I mean, traditionally it'll fight you and here they are. They're fighting and fighting Oregon State, Washington State, two traditionally pretty good programs. I mean, traditionally, they'll fight you and here they are. So I don't know, man. The pack is back, Coach. It's good for college football. You know what I miss?

I don't know if I see Big New and hitting that one. Right. What I miss, outside of Boise State, which we went to last year, even though it was on a Friday night. Oh yeah. There's some good teams in there. Well, no more Ashton Genty. That's all right. There's always the next Ashton Genty out there. That's the beauty of the boys. I think there's only one Ashton Genty.

You might be right. I just like people that fight. They're fighting, man. Yeah, they are fighting. They're ripped out from underneath them. I mean, right out from underneath them. What's the choice? You either lay it out or you fight. Correct. Correct. And I give that credit for standing up and listen, Oregon State and Washington State have been through the real wringer the last couple of years and that fan base sticking by them and they're playing each other constantly. They're doing what's right and I give them credit

and one of my favorite things about the Pac-12 is Pac-12 after dark, right? I love how that just kind of took on and man, I don't know where Matt Liner would be without Pac-12 after dark because we've got these stupid text chains of football and Matt on those Saturdays he lights up like that is his wheelhouse mark, you know it. Like you take a little nap on a plane and you wake up and your phone. 50 messages. Yeah, yeah, you'll be like 50, 70 deep and 70% of them will be from liner and then he'll come home.

You guys will be back East Coast putting your head. And I got to stay up here with liner while he's bombarding me with texts from random games coming out on the West coast. That liner, you and your texting. You know what? That beautiful baby girl of his is going to tone down his texting. I hope. I doubt it.

He's going to be up with her. I'll be up with her. All right. Let's break out the crystal ball. We're going to talk about one of the teams that used to be in the pack 12, the triple option crystal ball brought to you by bet MGM. That MGM is giving you the chance to win a prize every day during the baseball season. Step into the batter's box with bet MGM's swing for the fences.

Read a play game. Visit bet MGM app to access the game and you'll score a prize if you hit a single, double, triple or a home run. All right, this week, Mark, Coach, we're going to take the crystal ball out, head to the Pacific Northwest, take a look at the team that was the top seed in the college football playoff a year ago, the mighty Oregon Ducks. BetMGM has their win total set at 10 and a half, 10 and a half with the over at 105, the under at minus 125.

So again, it's 10 and a half regular season wins. Again, last year, 12 regular season wins. They went 12 and 0, beat Penn State in the Big Ten Championship game, fell to Ohio State in the second round of the college football playoff. They had ranked wins over Ohio State earlier in the season, Illinois and Penn State in that Big Ten title game. The quarterback carousel continues there. They had Bo Nix, they had Dylan Gabriel, all guys who went to New York for the Heisman conversation. Now Dan Lanning has got former UCLA Bruin Dante Moore taking over. What's interesting about Dante, he was a five-star recruit at UCLA,

sat last year in Oregon. So he has been with the program already for a year plus. Wow. I love it. I do too. You don't see much of that anymore. So we'll get more into that in a second. That's huge actually. Let's take a look at Oregon's schedule. It's not that strong, but- No, I agree. We're going to give them a quick three wins right out of the gate versus Montana State versus Oklahoma State. What has happened to you Cowboys and that Northwestern again, that big noon is going to be at so three and oh to start.

We good with that? Yep. Okay. This is a good schedule for Oregon. I'm looking at this thing. This is a great one. And then we've got civil war, the fifth most played rivalry game back to 1894. The schedule goes, it's home to Oregon state 10 and a half. Is that that's 10 and a half. And we're going to give them the Oregon state wins. That's a quick four right out of the gate. Business picks up though at Penn state 0.5 right now. Yeah.

Coach 0.5. You good with that? Agree. Yep. Versus Indiana. When six at Rutgers, when seven first Wisconsin, when at Iowa. When. Six. At Rutgers. Win. Seven. First Wisconsin.

Win. At Iowa. Win. Okay, but that's a mm. Verse Minnesota. Win. Versus University of Southern Cal. Win.

That's home. That's home. Win. That's ten. At Washington. Win. I got 11 wins for this one. So that's 11 and change.

11 and change for Dan Lanning. Man, Dan Lanning has done an awesome job. This will be his fourth season. His first three seasons, coach. 10 wins, 12 wins, 13 wins. You see the trajectory. I mean, Dan Lanning is absolutely elite in what he is building in Oregon, but there's one thing that's missing, coach. One thing that's missing, Mark, something you guys both have. The big gold trophy, man. So I went to visit them last year. I went to spring practice, talked to the team, talked to the staff,

watched them behind the scenes. I think he's certainly one of the top two or three coaches in the country right now. I love his enthusiasm. And here's what's really neat, Mark. He loves Oregon. Yep. I mean, he loves that place. I guess his family loves it, but he's got a niche out there.

He's got Nike. He's a beautiful school. He's got great facilities. This one ain't going away. I'm with you, man. I am really excited to see this quarterback. I saw this quarterback. I made sure I watched him in high school because he was a five star.

I kept hearing about him. And talented dude, man. So I'm with Mark. They're the only thing, and I know you're gonna ask this, but Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Texas. Blue bloods, right? Pure blue bloods. Crystal ball.

You gotta go get it. You gotta win the national championship. But I'm excited about the Dante more because he sat for a year coach We don't see that these days never let's see the kids have a vision They see the long-term goal right now. He's coming in taking over this Oregon team with the heads and fuels of talent has great coaching stability has all the support and I great coaching stability, has all the support, and I think this Oregon team is going to be right back at the top again, like, contending for a national championship.

But right now, when you talk about the brands, can they be compared to Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, the teams who have won national championships? No. Like, to me, they're no better than Penn State wins who has the influx of talent who has great coaching? And has not has won a lot of games but have not won the games that matter And that's what you have to have when you want to be compared to the top tier programs in college football So I I agree. I I agree that that, that's how you earn that blue blood status. But is there an East coast bias at play when we're talking about Oregon football? No, Oregon is, is legit

or how many people are asleep on the East coast when Oregon's playing some of their nighttime not Oregon, not Oregon. It happens, man. It happens. Oregon's not Oregon. I hope it happens man. It happens Oregon's been there even when I was playing they were in national championships play They were playing for now champs a couple years after I left, but they just have not won the game like back going back to Mariana and You know, I mean like they just have not won the game Joey Harrington Yeah, they just have not won the game that matters. Are they a good program? Yes.

Sort of like to your point, Penn State, right? They haven't won the game that matters. Yes. The Penn State has won national titles in the past. That's the difference. In the past. Way in the past. In the far past.

Way in the past. Way in the past. So, Coach, are they... Way, way in the past. So, we're saying they're not a blue Blood, but are they a top tier program? They are a Blue Blood. They are a Blue Blood. They are a Blue Blood. Okay. They are a Blue Blood.

So you can be a Blue Blood without winning a title though? They're historically, they're a relative Blue Blood, but they're not a historical Blue Blood. So as of right now, anybody in their common sense says, okay, give me the Blue Bloods of college football. You say, absolutely say absolutely Oregon even without winning a national title. Yeah Okay, they have not won the national title. No, they have not they have not won the game that matters but they have Everything that it takes to be a blue blood agreed agreed the

the fandom They've been to two title games, right? They lost it. The money behind them. They're a green blood. They're a green blood. Now they just got to, they got to be a blue blood, right? They got to turn to a blue blood. All right.

Follow, subscribe, rate us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, as well as across social media at 3XOptionShow. As always, thank you to our great sponsors, Wendy's, NHTSA, VET, MGM. Light it, Mark! Light it, don't. No, no, no, don't. Hey! Hey!

Hey!