Will Cain Country - Barstool’s Kayce Smith on the CFB Coaching Chaos About to Explode

Episode Date: October 17, 2025

On this Friday sports edition of ‘Will Cain Country,’ Barstool Sports' Kayce Smith joins Will to talk about the biggest stories in football, from the rise of Texas Tech and chaos in the College Football coaching world to Aggie insecurities and red-hot rivalries. They also share personal stories about growing up in Texas and debate why the SEC and Big Ten cultures feel so different. Plus, Kayce gives her picks for this weekend’s biggest College and NFL games, including why Alabama might be unbeatable again and which teams are poised for playoff surprises. Subscribe to ‘Will Cain Country’ on YouTube here: ⁠⁠Watch Will Cain Country!⁠⁠Follow ‘Will Cain Country’ on X (@willcainshow), Instagram (@willcainshow), TikTok (@willcainshow), and Facebook (@willcainnews) Follow Will on X: ⁠⁠@WillCain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I'm here for Bet Rivers Online Casino and Sportsbook with poker icon Phil Helmuth. Thanks to Bet Rivers, I'm also a slots icon. Great. And a same game parlay icon. Cool, cool. A blackjack icon, a money line icon. A roulette icon. If you love games, Bet Rivers is the place to play in bet.

Bet Rivers. Games on. Must be 19 plus in present at Ontario. Void or prohibited. Terms and conditions apply. Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact ConX Ontario at 1-866-531-2-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge.

Check out the big stars, big series, and blockbuster movies. Streaming on Paramount Plus. Cue the music. Like NCIS, Tony, and Ziva. We'd like to make up for own rules. Tulsa King. We want to take out the competition. The substance.

This balance is not working. And the naked gun. That was awesome. Now that's a mountain of entertainment. Paramount Wolf. It is Wilcane Country, normally streaming live every Monday through Thursday at 12 o'clock Eastern time at the Wilcane Country YouTube channel, the Fox News Facebook page, but always available to follow at Apple or on Spotify. Hanging out with us today to talk not only about the college football games, this Saturday, but the reclamation projects that are quarterbacks in the NFL, like possible

best team and possible MVP, Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts will be Barstools Casey Smith. Casey hosts the Barstool College Football Show, the pro football football show, and unnecessary roughness. She also appears on Big Noon kickoff. She's a native Texan, living in New York, working for Barstool. Here is Casey Smith. What's up, Casey? I'm just happy to be here, Will, and I knew what I was walking into.

You're a Texas guy. I'm an A&M girl, so I wanted, you know, to make sure I'm wearing my A&M sweatshirt. You know, it's a nice Friday. It's cool outside. Why not talk a little college football, you know? I had to do it. I had to. You wore your A&M sweatshirt and you're feeling good, and you're feeling good right now.

How, how insecure are you that this is just a fleeting feeling, that you're just good, for right now. I mean, granted you're right now this year as an Aggie has lasted a little longer than it does in other years when you come out of the gates, maybe two and oh, three, you know, and you're like, we've got it. It's lasted longer into the season this year, but you have to have this feeling that has been validated throughout your life. Sooner later here, the wheels come shooting off the car. You know, we'll see, this is when people ask me why I feel like this as an Aggie, that I just need to take what you just said and clip it and send it to them, because this is what I've dealt with my entire life. This is the patronizing question that I always get.

And to be fair, it's a very fair question. So I, this is where I am currently. It's like every week I try to tell myself, things can change, right? Things can change. Mike Elko is different. This culture is different. And right before kickoff, every single week, I'm like, just know, just know it could happen. And it hasn't happened yet.

So I will say that also, you know, we haven't won a conference championship since 1998 national title since 1939. Everything you just said is completely correct. But right now, I need the hope that I have, okay? I need you to let me have it. So I can, I can be patronizing or give you a little bit of grief because history has validated exactly what will happen with the Aggies for the season is over. And then you end up a three or four lost team. But I can at the same time, be gracious and say, no, your team looks different. Your team looks good. Your quarterback has what it takes to be a winning, at least right now, it seems like, a winning quarterback in college football. So, I mean, you've shown a lot more than my team.

Let's just put it that way. I have, like, half of football against Oklahoma. That's what I've got. All my hopes rest on the second half in the Red River showed up. You've got a season. But to be honest, I mean, and I feel like a lot of my friends who are Texas fans would take beating OU 10 out of 10. So at least you have that.

Like, had you guys gone in and lost that game, especially with John Mateer not being 100%, you have that. Arch did look good. And here's the thing is, like, somebody who's, you know, an Aggie, you know how this goes. Like, you're a Texas guy. You understand, like, in our worlds, it's we hate Texas. We hate OU. You guys hate A&M, like Texas Tech who's good this year, like, you know, they can catch

some of it too. But as a college football person and somebody that covers it nationally, like, it was shocking to me to see what Arch looked like early in the season. And it was not something that I expected at all. So that now that we've seen a little bit of it against OU, it's like, okay, maybe it just took a little bit for it to click. And then the Aggie side of me is like, I don't want it to click because we got to play on Thanksgiving. So let's let's just keep that, you know, keep it away from us, please. But I will, like I say patronizing, I know it's absolutely true. When you used

the word insecure, that tapped into my insecurity. And that's where this, that's where this is coming from. You know, this is an Aggie insecurity that I'm born and raised with. My two-year-old son is going to be born and raised with. So we just, you know, we got to hash out a little bit. Little brother. That's right. It's a little brother. see and this is this is where you like we're already off to a bad start here okay i'm i'm sitting here happy we're Arkansas this week you're a future me problem so we're not going to make this i'm here with casey smith at bar still we're not going to make this a texas exclusive episode but we are going to dive into some of the things that casey and i share in common and some curiosities

that we share we're going to talk about national college football and pro football but you said something interesting to me you know you said we you may have been speaking in the royal we as a Texan, but we hate Texas A&M. We hate OU. But of course, I think the we for you is always Aggies. So I'm curious who the second most hated team for you is. Obviously, number one is Texas. Who do you hate second? At this point, I think you guys want it to be LSU, but hatred has to be mutual. And I'm not sure that's a mutual hatred. I don't know who your second biggest rival is after Texas. So because I grew up, so I'll be 37 next week. So I grew up in the Big 12 era when college football for me was like at its peak you know as a kid and so oh you would be there and when

it comes to fans and back and forth like i i oh you fans and i still go at it i do have a lot of friends now that are ls u fans or a lot of co-workers at barstle and they're the worst they are like i think lsu fans are just hateful and mean and nasty so they're there but as far as on the field if i had to rank who i would want to beat it would absolutely be texas you know number one with a bullet and then oh you. The Red River shootout, my dad said growing up was always, it's the only game he ever wants both teams to lose. Like that is the way I feel as well.

Like no one needs to win that game. And I would be okay if that game went into, you know, a hundred ties and there was no winner. So I would say that. But I do think from the SEC standpoint, it is LSU. But they've also, you know, when we were in, when A&M was in the Big 12 and we played LSU a few times, they were always very mean and always beat us really badly.

So I feel like I, you know, that's maybe another little brother syndrome that I would never tell them at work, but I can tell you will. Well, I think I think the other team that you mentioned that deserves a conversation, not just locally but nationally, is the one that's not only been little brother, but it's like, it's like the first cousin that only makes it around to the family reunion once a year. And everybody's like, oh, yeah, Texas Tech is here. But I don't, looking for a rivalry, looking for someone to hate, looking for someone to hate them, but Texas Tech is for real. And I have been saying, you know, within two or three years, Texas Tech is going to be an annual entrance into the college football playoff. And by virtue of that, they're going to just keep getting more and more national attention, better and better recruits. And I don't think they're going to be a one and done in the playoff. But the timeline I had was off because it looks like it could be this year.

This weekend, by the way, Texas Tech goes all the way out to Arizona State. And nationally, people are starting to recognize it. Oh, this team is really good. So I think everybody in Texas, and then I think, by extension, everybody in the nation, better get ready for the Red Raiders. Absolutely. And what they have done there and having the money that they do, which we all know, you know, the oil money in Texas is for every school. And they went into this transfer portal, this NIL era. And they said, we're going to fix everything that's wrong with us.

We're going to put as much money as we possibly can into this program. And you're right. It immediately hit. Then you get a guy like Joey McGuire who does have the culture and he's got an understanding of it. The guys love to play for him. And we were actually at Utah when Texas Tech was there because Barstle travels with big noon kickoff now. And so, you know, our show probably would have never gone to Utah for that game. But we did because they were covering that game.

And the Utah fans that week were ecstatic. They were so happy. And Texas Tech just dismantled them. Everything about that game from start to finish was Texas Tech. And they keep doing it every single week. And so, you know, they go to Arizona State this week. I don't know if Sam Levitt's playing or not. I know that that's still a question.

I don't think it matters. I really truly don't. I think Texas Tech is the class above everybody else in that conference. And again, from a professional standpoint, it's like, wow, I love watching this team play. And then from a personal standpoint, it's like, I don't want this either. Like, we don't need Texas Tech all of a sudden having a leg up, you know, in this conversation. But they are. They're for real. And it would shock me if they don't win the Big 12 and make a run in the playoff. Let's take a quick break. But continue this conversation with Barstool Sports Casey Smith on Will Kane Country. You know, I have a Texas tech theory that even my buddies in Texas have a hard time stomaching. Now, I'm a little biased. I did marry a girl from Lubbock, but my theory, and I want to see what you think as a fellow Texan, you're a little younger than me.

So times change. And from what I hear now, if you're a young man and you're looking for the best-looking girls in Texas, you need to go to Fort Worth that they're at now at TCU. But growing up, the answer was they were at Texas Tech. And my theory is also, I've never met a dude that went to tech that I didn't like. Like tech guys are quintessentially Texan. And so I think what's going to happen here is instead of all of these kids in Texas who can't get into A&M or Texas, instead of running off to Auburn and Georgia, which is happening within a couple of years, they're all going to be going to Texas Tech. I agree with you. So my, and I, you know, I know my parents are listed, by the way, my mom's a big fan of yours.

So she's very excited. She's been the most excited she's been that I've done something professionally and forever this morning. So she's listening. I'm sorry, Mom. I was a sophomore in high school, and my best friend had a cousin that was at Tech, a female cousin. So we took our, quote, spring break in Lubbock. And it was the first time I ever had anything to drink. Again, sorry, Mom.

But I had so much fun. And Statue of Limitations is out now. I'm way too old for this to matter. It's been 20 plus years. But I had so much fun. And the one thing that I said when I got back to high school was, listen, if I don't get an A&M, I want to go to Texas Tech because there were some really hot guys there. There were some really good-looking people there.

It was so much fun. And when I got to college and I had friends who went to tech, we would make that drive from College Station. We were like, we got to go. It's a blast there. I never went to Lubbock and had a bad time unless A&M lost, and then I could get over it because Lubbock was so much fun. So I agree with you.

I agree with you. It is a little bit too far out of the way. You know, it's in the middle of nowhere for me. But once you got there, it was phenomenal. Okay. So again, I promise everyone listening, this isn't going to be just an indulgence of Texas talk. We have to talk about national sports. But Casey and I started talking about this right before we came on air. She lives in New York and has been there for eight years. I lived in New York, Casey, for a long time, 15 years. And I asked her, are you going to come back? Do you want to come back? And her answer was no. But you have a young son. So I just am just out of curiosity. So you're from the DFW area. You end up at Texas A&M. The career takes you. around the country. Media does. And you end up in New York. But I, both of my sons were born in New York, Casey. And it took a while. But we finally got back. We're back. We're in Dallas. And you love the energy of the big city, but my prediction is you're going to want to be back.

I don't know when, but you're going to want to be back in Texas. It's already started to happen a little bit. Like I said, it was, had you asked me this? So my son's two and a half. Had you asked me this three years ago, I would have said absolutely not. never mark it down with a Sharpie. It has gotten a little bit more because, you know, every time I take him, you know, out of this, he does love the city, but, you know, you had kids who grew up, like, this is all they know. He, when he sees a backyard, he's like, this is great.

Like, this is amazing. It's also hard because my whole family's still in Texas. So I always say this. I loved my childhood in Texas. I would have never wanted to go anywhere other than A&M. I think that I was in Boston for a little bit first and that I've been in New York, that it was almost like so different than what I grew up with, the energy of the energy of the. the East Coast and, you know, the difference in even their sports teams. Like I grew up,

you know, in the Dallas area, I love college football. Like professional sports were so far down the list for me. Like that was something that I loved when I was in Boston was the different feeling of that. And I can totally see your point because I don't want, I know there's a lot of great schools for people to send their kids around here. I don't want my son being a Manhattan teenager. I can't have that. They're scary people. You know, like they're, like they're afraid of nothing. Like, I want him to have a childhood that I grew up with. So I do agree with you. And I'll tell, again, shout out my mom and dad.

They want your prediction to come true, obviously. They want my son back in Texas. So we'll see. I did that. I did that for your mom. I did that entire conversation for your mom. See, now, see, this is what's going to happen. Now they're going to be like, see, Will said you need to move back.

Like, so are you going to look to this is, I knew what you were doing. I knew what you were doing. You wanted it. You know she likes you said now. The media is moving. The media center of the universe is moving out of New York. So you might as well help pioneer it back back into Texas. I mean, Fox News hosts a show from Dallas.

The Texas Stock Exchange has been listed. Goldman Sachs is moving their biggest offices to Dallas. So I don't know why anyone anymore needs to be in New York. But this, okay, now this is a good transition. Okay. It's a good transition because you brought up Mike Elko, and I'm going to use this as a conversation to get into some bigger issues. Your colleague, your buddy, Brandon Walker over at Barstall, he put this tweet out.

He said, this is going to be the wildest coaching season ever in college football. You reposted this, Casey. Penn State, Florida, Oklahoma State, Virginia, Tech, UCLA, Arkansas, already opened by mid-October. Auburn's going to come available. I wouldn't rule out Oklahoma. Madness. Do you think, and we'll talk about some of these coaching openings, but with the news this morning that Kurt Signetti signed an $11 million a year extension with Indiana, it essentially

takes the biggest name, the hottest commodity, out of it. I think the guy that probably would have been the front runner for Penn State. Does that make you a little nervous in keeping Mike Elko? It does. It does. And even when it first happened, so first of all, one of my biggest things going to the season was that I was just not high on Penn State. You know, James Franklin kept them in the conversation for a long time. The 12 team playoff was made for somebody like James Franklin because he could never beat the Ohio States and the Michigan's when they needed to get into the four team. The 12 team was there.

But he's just, he could never win the big game. It's the narrative that we all heard, and it doesn't matter now because their wheels fell off so fast. It was such a disaster that even after they lost to UCLA, you know, we had conversations on our shows, on our podcast. It was like, they're going to let him finish the season out, right? You can't lose the way that they did at home versus Northwestern after, you know, just mere two weeks before being where they were. And then all of a sudden, it's like, well, now they're going to look around the country and say, who are the hottest coaches in the country right now? Kurt Signetti, obviously being that number one answer, especially after what they did against Oregon last week. And then Mike Elko, who has, you know, he turned Duke around very quickly.

He was at A&M before as a defensive coordinator, comes in and after the disaster that A&M was with Jimbo Fisher, with all the money in the world, all the talent in the world. So that does make me a little nervous. I just don't, and maybe this is my bias. And also you mentioned, like living in Texas and all these things. I don't know what Penn State could offer him that A&M wouldn't give him right. away just to keep him. And I know that that's what everybody wants to say when it's their coach, but that is the way that I feel. I think there's only one answer. And you're right. Like A&M's not going to get beat on the money. No. It's, my understanding is Elko is a northeast guy. He's from

somewhere up there. I'm not sure where. But if there's some appeal for him on returning to the region, I guess, that he's from, you know, as opposed to being a thousand miles away, I guess that could attract him to Penn State. If it's not Elko, is it obvious then that the answer for Penn State and them specifically is Matt Rule? I mean, does Matt Rule have to continue Nebraska at some level of winning this season to be the guy? Or apparently he's like really, really good buddies with the Penn State AD. Like they vacationed together.

And Rule has his own connections to Penn State. So does that make, I think even with Signetti in the pool, Rule was a serious candidate, out of the pool, like the one thing that should make you feel better as an Aggie fan is it seems like it's got to be Matt Rule. It seems like it has to be. And I think that, you know, and to Brandon's tweet and to, you know, all of us are talking about it, this is an insane amount of openings. So there are so many holes that need to be filled that it's like, we're going to have to go into, you know, maybe NFL coordinators or who, who knows, former players are going to get

into the game. But it makes sense. My question is, and this, we've had this argument a lot. And it's, when you look at schools who have sustained success, you know, to a certain, level. And, you know, Texas, like, I mean, Mac Brown won a national title. So you'll always have that. But at some point, it was okay, we need to move on. And it does take a little bit for most schools to even get back into that conversation. And you have to go through, you know, a few different coaching hires to go then go find your Steve Sarkesian. The only example that I can think of in my lifetime where it immediately got better from sustained successes at Georgia with Mark Ricks, like he kept them around, you know, nine to 10 wins every year. They go and get

Kirby. And then all of a sudden they are where they now. they are now. So I don't think Matt Rule can do that. And I think Matt Rule has done a great job. I thought he was a great hire for Nebraska. But if Penn State fans think that he's immediately going to come in and take Penn State to a level that James Franklin couldn't, I think that that's a little bit wishful thinking.

But it makes the most sense to get him of all the names because of his connections. And they can obviously probably pay him more and give him more resources than Nebraska can. Well, I think it's a little early. But the other, there will be several big jobs. People are talking about Florida State. You know, Florida, people are talking about it could be, and I think it's a little early to be saying this, but the conversations already started about Oklahoma.

It makes me wonder about James Franklin. Like James Franklin will get another opportunity, and he might get another opportunity at a really big program, and I'm not sure he doesn't deserve that opportunity. To your point about the 12-team playoff, he did take Penn State on an easy path, granted on an easy path, but he did take Penn State to the semi-state. final. I know the record of not being able to win the big game.

And I know that it's beyond sort of a statistical anomaly. It's enough to say he's doing something wrong at Penn State to being so unable to beat Ohio State, Michigan and every other top ranked team. But honestly, if I'm an AD, I'm digging into that a little more because if I'm getting a guy who put my program in the top 10 every year, took a team to the semifinal, I'm real interested. And I'm not sure there's a lot of competition. with all of these jobs open that is you're going to end up with names on your desk and one of those best names I think is going to be James Franklin. Oh, absolutely.

When we do, you know, our top 10 quarterback or coach rankings going into the season, you always, we always would say, well, James Franklin has to be there, right? Even though he can't get over that hump at Penn State, but there are schools across the country that would kill to go nine and three, 10, and two every single year. That, you know, this is something that you look at a place. like Arkansas, like they, you know, that they would kill to do that. And I'm not saying James Franklin would be a good fit for them. But when you look at the expectations that he had at Penn State, like those were so high because of what they expect. A lot of schools would

say, hey, this guy's a really good coach. It just couldn't happen for whatever reason at Penn State. So, you know, Maryland, like he, you know, that those are, that type of place would make the most sense for James Franklin. All these different places, it's also just a product will of there's so many openings. There are going to be so many openings. by the end of this college football season, that it's, like, almost impossible to say who's going to be a candidate at everywhere because there's so many different holes

that need to be filled. And it's crazy. Let's take a quick break, but continue this conversation with Barstool Sports, Casey Smith on Wilcane Country. Let's take the worst case scenario. Let's say that Oklahoma, Auburn,

Florida, obviously Penn State, are all available jobs. All of them fire their coach. You are now, let's just let's play it completely hypothetically you are Kurt Signetti you didn't sign that deal and say I want to retire as an Indiana Hoosier so now you're the bell of the ball you could have any job that you want if you were going to leave Indiana and I'm only using Signetti because I think

after Signetti there's not an obvious oh that's the guy I want I'm not sure Matt Rule is going to be everybody's number one I don't think James Franklin will be everybody's number one if Mike Elko were a guy looking for a job I'm not sure he's going to be everybody's number one he'll be but it won't be like all those programs are competing for the same guy with signetti you could argue that could have been the case so let's just say you're this hypothetical version of signetti and you have in front of you Penn State Florida Auburn Oklahoma which job is the one that you want set aside money I'm going to get paid wherever I go and let's set aside geography I want to live here I'm really asking which one is the one which you're going to be set up the best for success I do think

that it's Penn State because I think that in the big 10, you know, and you mentioned guys, like Dan Lanning is another guy. And I understand like we're coming off of recency bias of them just losing Indiana. But I do think Dan Lanning is somebody that, it's not full Kurt Signetti level, but he's right there where a lot of people would want them. But you look at how good Ohio State is. And you can make the argument and a lot of people do that Ohio State's even better than they were last year. Well, they won the national title last year. You have Oregon. You have, you know, USC has a big, big game this weekend, Center Day. But bigger picture, those four schools that you just named,

three of them are in the same conference, one of them is in the Big Ten. And if I was to go right now and say what Penn State would give me in the Big Ten and the ability to make the playoff, even when I wasn't beating Ohio State, beating Michigan at their prime, I would want to go do that

because clearly Penn State is set up for the, I don't want to say the easiest path because I don't believe the Big Ten is anywhere near easy. But when it comes to playing in the SEC, and I've been having this argument with my Big Ten colleagues for weeks now, like playing in the SEC, is a grind every single year. You know, you have teams like Vanderbilt that are going to pop up.

You have teams that are down one year and great the next year. We're in the Big Ten. If you keep Penn State at a good level and even an 11 season is going to, 11 win season is going to get you into the playoff every single year, 10 wins. Like, that's where I'm going. I'm going where I think the path is the easiest. And being a good Penn State team is the easiest to the playoff. Okay, I want to, let's go fast. Let's go fast because we may end up doing like five or six games this weekend.

I want to get your picks on some games. You just mentioned Vanderbilt. So it's the early kick. Vanderbilt is host to LSU. It's number 10 LSU, number 17, Vanderbilt. Okay. 10 LSU is overrated. I do not think they should be number 10.

I think this is one of those games where we look and we say Brian Kelly and this offense who has looked awful, they're going to beat Vanderbilt and we're going to be talking about Garrett Nussmeyer was able to put up all those yards. No disrespect to Vanderbilt. I'm taking LSU. Okay. This is a rivalry. People don't know that, honestly, outside the state of Texas.

And they want it to be. They really want it to be. But it is. It is a rivalry. TCU, Baylor, both unranked. And you talk about teams I hate. I low-key hate Baylor. I'm going to take TCU.

I was very high on TCU going in. I mean, Baylor with Dave Arando's been great. But there's something that's just, no, there's something that's not working for Baylor for me. I'm going to go TCU. Okay. Number five, Ole Miss, at number nine, Georgia. I feel like Georgia's going to want to get revenge

from last year, you know, Lane beat them in Oxford. Kirby is one and two against Lane. It's the Nick Saban Coordinator Bowl. It's in Athens, but I don't know. I like Ole Miss. I like Ole Miss. I like Trinidad Chamblis. If I'm talking, you know, to win the game,

it makes me nervous keep it in the number, but I feel like Ole Miss is going to do it again. Okay, the two best teams last year in the ACC are playing each other. It's SMU and Clemson. I'm going to take Clemson. I had Clemson winning the national title going into this year is one of the worst things I've ever predicted.

looked really bad, but Clemson also, yeah, no, it was terrible. It was a terrible pick. I can own that. Clemson is another one of those. They've got all the talent in the world. He's got one of the most retained rosters in the country. I just, I don't think SMU's going to hang with him. But I also feel, you know, Davos got to figure something out. He's got to evolve with the game. Okay, this one's the source of all the debate at Barstool. And big new kickoff. It's number 20 USC at number 13, Notary. Dame. I'm taking USC to win the game. I think that the line right now, or at least yesterday for our show, was nine and a half. I think USC's offense is unbelievable, but this is a de facto

playoff game. Well, I mean, we know Notre Dame lost to Miami. They lost to A&M. If they're going to make the playoff, they have to win out. But USC's two-point loss to Illinois, like that, I feel like that was an anomaly. I think Illinois is a pretty good team. I love this USC offense. I think it's great. They can run the ball. They can throw the ball. And again, maybe it's a little bit biased, I know when a quarterback and an offense can move the ball against Notre Dame, they do win this season. So that's where I'm going to go, USC. We had this conversation a little bit earlier, I think this week on Will Cain Country about the idea of who's a true blue blood. And the athletic, I think, actually writes some really good articles about this on who's a true blue blood in college football.

And the idea is that once you arrive at a blue blood, you don't really move. You've got to the top of the mountain as a college football coach. But that idea was undercut when we saw Brian Kelly go from Notre Dame. to LSU. And when we saw Lincoln Riley go from Oklahoma, USC. So I will be curious back to this chaos that will be the offseason of hiring coaches. Will we not see more of that, actually? Will somebody, maybe like a Mike Elko or A&M, but others lose their coach and sit there scratching their head like, why did we lose our coach to Auburn? You know what I mean? We're supposed to be on the same level or higher than Auburn. Well, Lincoln Riley is a great example. I mean,

talking about USC Notre Dame. I mean, this is the biggest game of Lincoln Riley's USC career because when he left Oklahoma and he took Caleb Williams with him, it was like, they're going to go win in the, you know, then PAC 12. And he hasn't had that happen. And the defenses have looked the same as they did at Oklahoma. But you talk about the way OU fans acted, like they felt like they were the most cheated on person on the planet. Like coaches that make those moves, if it doesn't pan out for them, then it's a very tough scene. But yeah, I think this whole world of Transfer Portal and NIL and like, you're right, everybody has money. So I think we'll see it. But as long as it doesn't happen to me,

I'm okay with it happening anywhere else. If it's my coach that goes somewhere, then I'm going to be very angry. But if it's your coach, I don't care. All right. Last game, number 11, Tennessee, traveling to number six, Alabama. So I doubted Alabama, obviously, like most people did, after they lost to Florida State, disgusting game.

I cannot bet against Alabama right now. Ty Simpson looks incredible. What Kaylyn DeBore has done since that week one loss, like every single week they seem to get better. Tennessee has the best scoring offense in the SEC, the worst scoring defense in the SEC, and I think Ty Simpson and those guys are going to feast against it. I just until Alabama proves to me that they don't get better

every single time they step on the field, I have to take them. All right, Casey is the host of the Barstool College Football Show, but she also hosts the Pro Football Show. And I'm going to ask her really quickly because I want to talk about pro football if this is not true. Okay. If you look at record, one of the best teams in the NFL. If you look at point differential, far and away, far and away, the best team in the NFL.

First of all, let's just play a game of quiz, pop quiz, trivia. Do you know what team I'm talking about? Which team has the best record and far and away, the best point differential in the NFL? The best record, it's not the Detroit Lions because they lost. It's not the bucks. I love Baker Mayfield. I feel like I'm put on the spot. I'm not good at pop quizzes.

Maybe that's why I didn't get great grades at A&M. Who is it? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 5 and 1, but their point difference is only plus 14. It's not the Tampa Buccaneers. Oh, it's not. Okay. The Indianapolis Colts, the Indianapolis Colts are 5 and 1

with a plus 78 point differential. Are they the best team in the NFL? You know, we had this conversation yesterday in the office in Chicago, because that's where I work out of that office. And John Gruden is on. the NFL show with me. And we were having a debate of who would be the NFL MVP right now if the season was to end today. And the two answers that everybody said were either Daniel Jones or Baker Mayfield, which is crazy to think about, you know, like both those guys, Daniel Jones,

like what happened with him in New York? It's just a true example of it's a product of where he was. It's just like Indiana Jones is killing it these days. I mean, I don't, it's shocking to me. But that's what makes the, this, you know, the NFL, there's so many injuries right now. But like to see a guy like Baker Mayfield, you know, shout out oh you. It's like he's always been the villain and had to play from behind. I feel like Daniel Jones had such a chip on his shoulder from what happened in New York. Like it's, it's fun to watch. It's crazy.

It's insane, but it's fun to watch. Let's take a quick break, but continue this conversation with Barstool Sports, Casey Smith on Wilcane Country. This NFL season has given validity to an idea that I've toyed with. And actually, most expert I've ever asked about this has rejected the idea, but it's the idea of the reclamation project or the second chance project at quarterback. And most guys I've spoken to, Armando Salgaro, or Outkick is like, no, when there's a sample size and guys have had their opportunity

inside of a professional environment, if you're not going to make it, you're never going to make it. I think this was a conversation I had with him last year about the future of Bryce Young. Because I just like, I like Warren Buffett-style value investing. Like, I like the idea of buying a guy low and seeing if you can kind of ride the wave if he can salvage the career.

It's just another path to, oh, my God, we got a quarterback in the top 10 in the NFL draft, and now we have our guy for the next 10 years. And if you look at the NFL standings right now, it's actually full of teams that are doing pretty well with second, third chance and reclamation project quarterbacks. Of course, Daniel Jones at the Colts, I'm going to count Aaron Rogers on his third team with the Steelers. And even though they lost last night, it isn't because of Aaron Rogers. No, first of all, it's because Joe Flacco and Jamar Chase were incredible last night.

And speaking of reclamation quarterbacks, yeah, Joe Flack. Blacko. Mac Jones with the 49ers. They're all over the place right now. And I'm just like if you're a team and you've missed on your top 10 draft pick or you can't get that high because you're kind of a seven and nine type team. So you're never going to get yourself in line to draft. I don't know. Maybe it's Garrett Nussmeier, Lenora Sellers or whoever it may be. I don't think it's Cape Club Nick anymore. Marcell. Okay. Yes. How dare I forget? Marcel Reed, maybe you dip into the second or third chance reclamation quarterback like Daniel Jones. See, and I completely agree with you. I respectfully for anybody who makes the other side of the argument, I mean, I feel like it's not just in sports, but it's anywhere. It's like it's all about fit. It's all about who, you know, the style of it and whoever your boss or your coaches. And for me, it's like these guys make it to the NFL and they make it, they have that much talent and that much ability.

And if it just doesn't work with a system or the chemistries off or maybe the weapon, aren't there or the offensive line like there are so many different reasons why it not might not work out and sure you could go and you could prove like hey I'm just not a next level quarterback but you have to go be able to prove that and I feel like Daniel Jones is a great example that I mean Baker Mayfield's been all over the place and look at Baker now that to me is you know Baker Mayfield is much must watch television and when he got drafted to Cleveland it was like well is he going to be you know a bus like what's he going to do and then he's you know made his rounds and now he's finally found his fit

I love when guys can do this. And I think it's really cool. And then you look at New York with the Giants and you have Jackson Dart, who right out of the gate seems to like reinvigorate this fan base. And that's awesome. So why not give a guy a try? Like you never know who you're going to get. So yeah, I completely agree with you.

And it's cool when you see guys get to go to another city and prove that they're good. Baker Mayfield is the perfect example. Another one, by the way, doing really well right now, Sam Darnold in Seattle. So I don't know. Say you're the Miami Dolphins and it's not working out with two of, First of all, I would be as a team interested in being Tua's second landing destination. But if you're Miami, maybe you look, I don't know, for another Mac Jones, a guy who was highly thought of, who needs a second home.

That's definitely what I would be doing as an NFL front office. But Casey talks about pro football as well, the pro football football show and unnecessary roughness. You can also catch her on Big Noon kickoff. Where are you guys this weekend? So we actually are not traveling with them. Dave will be there. So Dave goes with them every single week. they're at the Holy War.

They are in Provo, which we were in Utah, we were in Salt Lake City a few weeks ago. Those two teams, you talk about heated rivalries, Matt. Like, they hate each other, Will. They cannot stand each other. So they're there. We will be on the road next week. The location depends on what happens this weekend, but it will be in the Big Ten. But it's been awesome.

Like, we get to travel. You know, I tell people, like, we get to do the Barstle Flare. And then I, like, turn around and get miced up and go back into my network TV days and get to, like, wrangle grown men toddlers on national. TV. So it's been a blast, but they're, they're in Provo this weekend. I get to watch it from New York. So I'm very excited to have a couch weekend watching those guys out there and then watching games all day. Hopefully A&M beats Arkansas. And then I do a podcast at midnight every Saturday night, which is crazy. So it really just depends on my day, it depends on my day, you know,

with the mood. But I'm happy to be spending a weekend in New York. By the way, Holy War, one of the best names for a rivalry game. I would put, I would put Bedlam up there. and I would put the Civil War the Civil War in Oregon Bedlam, the Holy War what else? Those are some of the best rivalry names. You know, usually with, and I say Red River

Shootout, which I know some people say you're not allowed to say it's supposed to be Red River rivalry, which is too hard for me to say. A lot of the best names they try to take from us, right? No, you're not taking the Holy War from us. That is the Holy War. It is the Civil War. Like, I'm all in on that. But no, and like I said, I had never been to,

I'd never been to the state of Utah, alone around those football teams. They were playing Texas Tech, and it was like 5 a.m. in the morning, and Will, all they wanted to talk about was how much they hate BYU. They didn't care that Texas Tech was there. All they wanted to do was just have us chant their chant about BYU. It's like, okay, I'm in. I'm in on the Holy War.

I think BYU is going to win because it's at home, but I'm all in on the hatred for them. So really quickly, before we go with Casey Smith here, you and I both grew up in Texas. You're younger. So I think you had some, I think you said you grew up during the era. of the Big 12. We've both been to Austin College Station, Dallas for the Red River Shootout, I'm sure. You've been to Lubbock. So you've, you've been around SEC and Big 12 pregame and college football environment. I have been around Big Ten a little, primarily because I work at Fox. Right. And it's different. It's as much about a vibe,

I would say, as anything else. But I think also the behavior of the fans. it's just everything is a little different. So you're now, you've probably had much greater exposure through your job now to all of these Big Ten environments you just were talking about Utah. But I'm curious, like, what's your favorite environment that you got exposed to in the Big Ten? But while you're answering that, kind of give me what you think is the difference between going to a game, say, for example, in Columbus or Ann Arbor or Happy Valley, versus going to a game in college station.

Well, so like I said, growing up, it was all college football to me. I feel like the South stays true to that. Like the Big 12 and the SEC, I mean, it's everything you could possibly care about is happening on Saturday. So it all depends. We've gone all over the Big Ten with Barstall, especially now with Fox, but because, you know, Dave went to Michigan, Dan Katz went to Wisconsin. So we've been all over.

Wisconsin is awful right now, and you want to talk about another job that's going to come open, like they should fire Luke Fickle, I don't know, like right this second. when Wisconsin is good I loved going to Madison Madison has been so much fun just everything about that that game day atmosphere and it was also when like

the brewers were making a run in the playoffs so it was very fun Ann Arbor is obviously great I do feel like the one so the biggest difference to me is one the weather I'm a cold weather girl that's probably another reason why I don't want to go right back to the south

I love the cold I love this I think that the I know I'm a crazy person I think the biggest difference is is just like the energy around the difference between cold weather football and like hot weather football. Like the girls, you know, it's like all the hot girls go to Ole Miss. All the hot girls go to Georgia and Auburn, right? Well, it's also because they get to wear sun dresses and boots. Like, that's the big difference to me.

You know, it's like a whole different energy. But I'm an SEC girl. I would much rather, if I could take Big Ten weather and put it in college station, perfect game day for me. Yeah, but then you'd fundamentally change it. You'd take the boots and skirts away. be all wrapped up in puffy coats and a little bit of a dower attitude because you're you're an anomaly not you and the people of buffalo like cold weather football everybody else we we we like to now granted we look for seats in the shade you don't want to be in the seats in the sun but we do like

we do want nice I don't like to melt you know I people ask me all the time like how do you not like hot weather you grew up in Texas I said I have no idea but the idea of nothing I can put as much as many layers on as I possibly want, Will, I can't just take everything off when I'm at a game. Like, I need, I need to be bundled. I love the snow, sweating at a football game that I'm not playing in is not for me. It's just not for me. So maybe that's the root of all of this, okay? The root of all of this of me loving the East Coast has nothing to do with anything,

but the fact that I love cold weather. All right, mom, we still have some work to do. I know. The weather's not right. She likes the energy of the village, but I think you can get her back to Texas. Trust me. I've been there. I've been there. You can get her back to Texas. All right, check out Casey Smith at any of her number of shows, the Barstall College Football Show, the Midnight Show on Saturdays, which is a perfect time to get a breakdown of what just happened that day in the Pro Football Football Show. Casey Smith, it's been really fun. It's really fun. And when you get back to Texas to visit your family, make sure you come into the Will Kane Country Studios.

Oh, I would love that. Thank you so much. My mom will be very happy. So she's probably going to bother you about getting me to move back to Texas so that it's a full circle thing. But we'll definitely do that. anytime. All right. Thank you, Casey. Thanks. There you go. I hope you enjoyed that conversation with Casey Smith. Check her out at any of the number of programs that she hosts over at Barstool. I hope you will follow us on Spotify or Apple, and we'll see you again next time. Listen to Ad Free with a Fox News podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcast. And Amazon Prime members, you can listen to this show ad-free on the Amazon Music Out.