# TY-POTHETICALS: Vibe Checks for Clemson, Alabama, Nebraska & More

An episode of [The Solid Verbal College Football Show](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/270037732), 16 Apr 2026, 1 h 25 min.

Audio: https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/21437ee1-47d9-4b16-8696-b30d011a2c26/85e23563-be10-4ecf-a99e-b42d014783d9/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=51c7e0eb-425c-4d93-b5a8-b30d011a2c46

It's time for an offseason thought experiment! In this episode, we run through eight "Ty-potheticals" — plausible scenarios for the 2026 season — and debate how they would go over within the Clemson, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Baylor, South Carolina, Colorado, Nebraska, and Michigan State fan bases. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 4:25 - Clemson 15:55 - Virginia Tech 24:57 - Alabama 36:22 - Baylor 46:20 - South Carolina 53:48 - Colorado 1:00:59 - Nebraska 1:11:12 - Michigan State Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Transcript

[0:02] Speaker 1: Welcome to the solid verbal hull. That for me, I'm
[0:06] Speaker 1: a man, I'm forty. I've heard so many players say, well,
[0:09] Speaker 1: I want to be happy. You want to be happy
[0:11] Speaker 1: for Dake Edo State is that whoo whoom? And Dan
[0:16] Speaker 1: and Tie Darre Riverstee, welcome back. I have a very
[0:20] Speaker 1: important question for you today.
[0:23] Speaker 2: Uh. My answer, without knowing the question is, uh, if
[0:27] Speaker 2: a cream doesn't work out for you, Tie, I would
[0:30] Speaker 2: say hydro cortisone cream is probably if the over the
[0:34] Speaker 2: counter stuff doesn't work out, but you lived hard in
[0:36] Speaker 2: your twenties, Tide no regrets.
[0:38] Speaker 1: Well, it's funny you should say that I booked a
[0:43] Speaker 1: non refundable hotel room because I'm planning to go to
[0:46] Speaker 1: the World Cup out in Seattle.
[0:48] Speaker 2: Sure, I got pizza Rex, if that's what you're asking me,
[0:50] Speaker 2: Ak pizza guy.
[0:52] Speaker 1: In the interim, one of my friends who I am
[0:55] Speaker 1: going with, found a much cheaper hotel room. So I'm
[0:58] Speaker 1: currently haggling with the general man at an esteemed lodging
[1:02] Speaker 1: option to try and see if there is some way
[1:05] Speaker 1: I can wiggle out of commitments. So far, I've gotten
[1:08] Speaker 1: them down to a fifty percent refund. I'm hoping to
[1:12] Speaker 1: get closer to one hundred percent before we officially pull
[1:15] Speaker 1: the switch.
[1:16] Speaker 2: Aren't hotels usually like fully refundable until like forty eight
[1:19] Speaker 2: hours before?
[1:20] Speaker 1: I don't think I read the fine print, Oh Ty,
[1:24] Speaker 1: I know. I don't think I read the fine print.
[1:26] Speaker 1: I think I jumped the gun. And now here we are,
[1:29] Speaker 1: what sixty days or something? I guess less than that
[1:31] Speaker 1: away from the World Cup, and I have some lodging
[1:34] Speaker 1: situations that I need to get through. We don't need
[1:37] Speaker 1: to make the show about that. But if anybody has
[1:39] Speaker 1: any tips, soliverble at gmail dot com, your advice would
[1:42] Speaker 1: be much appreciated.
[1:43] Speaker 2: We can take that to the pilot episode of our
[1:46] Speaker 2: new podcast, working title Amateur Moves, where we go through
[1:50] Speaker 2: mistakes people make and how to correct them in life.
[1:53] Speaker 2: Pretty good name, pretty good show, right, Amateur Mods.
[1:56] Speaker 1: Amateur Hour should call it.
[1:57] Speaker 2: Amateur Hour is also good because it talk about how
[2:00] Speaker 2: long the show is.
[2:01] Speaker 1: I'm great with it. Well, this is a college football show.
[2:04] Speaker 1: We're not here to talk about my issues with humanity.
[2:09] Speaker 1: Solidverbotgmail dot com is the email. As I said, verbalers
[2:12] Speaker 1: dot com is where you can go if you want
[2:14] Speaker 1: to support what Dan and I do. That's for Patreon,
[2:16] Speaker 1: you get ad free episodes, bonus episodes, all sorts of
[2:19] Speaker 1: additional perks. We would encourage you to check that out
[2:22] Speaker 1: because your donations there go directly into the bank account
[2:26] Speaker 1: help us keep the lights on. So yes, if you're
[2:29] Speaker 1: not interested in that, that's fine, but please do hit
[2:31] Speaker 1: follow or subscribes that you do not miss any of
[2:34] Speaker 1: our episodes in this here off season or as we
[2:38] Speaker 1: get a little bit closer the regular season. In twenty
[2:41] Speaker 1: twenty six, Dan, what is today's show about?
[2:45] Speaker 2: Today's show is an April special. Today's show we're going
[2:50] Speaker 2: to look at I don't know, probably seven eight teams,
[2:53] Speaker 2: seven eight situations that could come to pass during the
[2:57] Speaker 2: season in terms of basically wins in loss and how
[3:01] Speaker 2: we might think of a program's direction, a coach's direction
[3:06] Speaker 2: based on I think the presentations that you are going
[3:10] Speaker 2: to give me. We're sort of working title. There is
[3:13] Speaker 2: typotheticalypathetic tie Hildenbrandt, hypotheticals, typotheticals. We're going to run it
[3:19] Speaker 2: through the danthropic engine. I don't know that these words
[3:23] Speaker 2: are still learning.
[3:24] Speaker 1: Yeah, danthropic is fine.
[3:26] Speaker 2: I'm public library over AI all day, every day. Sure,
[3:31] Speaker 2: and we are going to figure out. Okay, so if
[3:34] Speaker 2: team starts out six and oh, but they lose these
[3:36] Speaker 2: three games, how are we going to feel about the season?
[3:39] Speaker 2: And then we're going to talk about, okay, well, how
[3:40] Speaker 2: did they get to six? And oh, you know, who
[3:42] Speaker 2: are the teams that got them there? What does the
[3:44] Speaker 2: offense look like, what does a defense look like, what
[3:46] Speaker 2: does this transfer quarterback look like? And we're going to
[3:48] Speaker 2: try to, I don't know, simulate feelings that.
[3:53] Speaker 1: So I think that's a good way to put it,
[3:55] Speaker 1: because this isn't just a thought experiment about how a
[4:01] Speaker 1: team's schedule could lead to weird results, both within a
[4:07] Speaker 1: fan base, within an administration, within a locker room. It's
[4:10] Speaker 1: not just that. But as you mentioned, there are different
[4:15] Speaker 1: levels we need to consider, and we can get into
[4:17] Speaker 1: that and much much more. Again, one more time, hit
[4:21] Speaker 1: us up a solverbogmail dot com if you have thoughts
[4:23] Speaker 1: or on social media you want the first typothetical. I
[4:27] Speaker 1: would love the first tie pathetical. Our first team here
[4:34] Speaker 1: is the Clemson Football Tigers. Okay, here is the scenario.
[4:41] Speaker 1: Clemson beats LSU, Miami and Florida State. Okay, good job, guys.
[4:47] Speaker 1: If I just stop right there, that's like Clemson fans
[4:50] Speaker 1: that sign up for that in a middlesecond, So Clemson
[4:54] Speaker 1: LSU Miami, they beat LSU Miami, and in Florida State,
[4:59] Speaker 1: Florida State, it would be Florida State on the road Halloween,
[5:02] Speaker 1: that would be Miami at home. October third, LSU on
[5:05] Speaker 1: the road, Death Valley, the other, Death Valley the Other
[5:08] Speaker 1: on September fifth to open the season. But there is
[5:12] Speaker 1: a caveat Okay, beat all three of those teams, but
[5:15] Speaker 1: you finish nine and three, you don't win the ACC
[5:18] Speaker 1: and you don't make the College Football Playoff. So you
[5:22] Speaker 1: beat some good teams, you don't get to the top
[5:25] Speaker 1: of the mountain. My question is is that enough for
[5:30] Speaker 1: fans for Clemson fans to feel good about Dabo Sweeney
[5:34] Speaker 1: going into the twenty twenty seven season.
[5:37] Speaker 2: Oh man, you're already there.
[5:38] Speaker 1: Okay, Well, I'm going to say here this is a typothetical.
[5:42] Speaker 2: Yeah. So you're asking me if a nine and three season,
[5:50] Speaker 2: missing the playoff, with headline wins and disappointing losses, does
[5:55] Speaker 2: that leave Clemson fans saying.
[6:02] Speaker 1: Thank you Freddy Mercury. God it that's a really hard
[6:07] Speaker 1: You need a little bit of a fade at the
[6:08] Speaker 1: end of that. Well, I think David Bowie was coming in.
[6:12] Speaker 2: That's why.
[6:12] Speaker 1: Okay.
[6:13] Speaker 2: Now I could add like a little bit of echo,
[6:15] Speaker 2: a little reverb at the end of there, I guess
[6:17] Speaker 2: to sort of mask the abrupt end, a little.
[6:19] Speaker 1: Bit of reverb and maybe just a quarter second fade
[6:24] Speaker 1: I think makes that.
[6:24] Speaker 2: No, that's faded, that's faded. It is a hard fade
[6:27] Speaker 2: to get rid of the Bowie. They get rid of bomb, Okay, Okay,
[6:31] Speaker 2: So if you're just doing back of napkin math right now,
[6:35] Speaker 2: so that's maybe a loss at cal Virginia, Tach, Georgia Tach.
[6:39] Speaker 1: Sure, South Carolina right South Carolina could be lost.
[6:43] Speaker 2: To Carolina's on the road. Agree, I would say it's
[6:51] Speaker 2: just sort of kicking the can down the road. I
[6:53] Speaker 2: don't think it's bad enough to justify the kind of
[6:57] Speaker 2: buyout needed to get rid of Dabbo, even if he
[7:00] Speaker 2: negotiates it down and he's just fed up with, you know,
[7:03] Speaker 2: his life not meeting expectations that he and the fan
[7:07] Speaker 2: base have together. Man, it would depend what those losses
[7:13] Speaker 2: look like. It would depend what kind of act they're
[7:18] Speaker 2: getting together. Because this is a team that's in all
[7:20] Speaker 2: likelihood going to be led by its defense once again, right,
[7:22] Speaker 2: a strong defensive line. Tom Allen is back. He's had
[7:26] Speaker 2: a lot of success in different places as a defensive coordinator.
[7:29] Speaker 2: And so you're saying, Okay, we don't know what we
[7:31] Speaker 2: have out of Chris Zina heading into the season. You know,
[7:34] Speaker 2: offensive lines a question, running backs a question. Receivers should
[7:36] Speaker 2: be pretty good. So it's do they look like a
[7:40] Speaker 2: more complete team? Are we putting this on in the
[7:44] Speaker 2: way that like they lost to Duke? Are there winnable moments?
[7:47] Speaker 2: Are they back and forth of these teams? Are the
[7:49] Speaker 2: teams that they're losing to actually good, Like by the
[7:52] Speaker 2: time we finish the season out, are we going to say, like, oh,
[7:54] Speaker 2: Tosh did an awesome job in year one with Cal,
[7:56] Speaker 2: There's no shame, there's no deep shame in traveling across
[7:59] Speaker 2: the and losing to Cal. And James Franklin did like
[8:02] Speaker 2: a pretty good job in year one at Virginia Tech.
[8:04] Speaker 2: And you know, Alberto Mendoza was a revelation for Georgia Tech. Right,
[8:08] Speaker 2: So depending on who they lose to and how they lose. Now,
[8:12] Speaker 2: I don't think I don't think they've lost at Williams
[8:15] Speaker 2: Bryce in a minute, right, since like twenty thirteen, you
[8:19] Speaker 2: can fact check me out.
[8:19] Speaker 1: Well, games home is important. Games home this year in Clemson.
[8:23] Speaker 2: Games, the Clemson game is at home.
[8:25] Speaker 1: Clemson game is home against South Carolina. Close. That's okay. Yeah, Look,
[8:33] Speaker 1: it's a good question, and I think it's a question
[8:36] Speaker 1: you raise all the right points. We know that some
[8:39] Speaker 1: of the games on this schedule outside of the headliners
[8:42] Speaker 1: are very losable in this version of Clemson football. They
[8:46] Speaker 1: just are. There is a question of offensive identity. Now,
[8:49] Speaker 1: remember they're bringing Chad Morris back for a second tour
[8:51] Speaker 1: of duty. It didn't work out with Garrett Riley. As
[8:54] Speaker 1: you mentioned, Chris f Zena going to be the new quarterback.
[8:57] Speaker 1: I believe after spring they've named Gideon David Saying, a
[9:00] Speaker 1: guy I really liked last year as a true freshman
[9:03] Speaker 1: as sort of the presumed RB one going to the
[9:05] Speaker 1: year should be okay out wide, But there is a
[9:08] Speaker 1: question about line offensively. Offensively, I think that question round
[9:13] Speaker 1: identity is going to drive a lot of the narrative.
[9:16] Speaker 1: The other thing that I would point out, and you
[9:18] Speaker 1: alluded to this, I don't disagree that there will be
[9:21] Speaker 1: something of a leadership role at least on the defensive
[9:24] Speaker 1: side until the offense can get going. But they were
[9:27] Speaker 1: much more aggressive in the transfer portal this cycle. Most
[9:30] Speaker 1: of what they brought in was on the defensive side
[9:33] Speaker 1: of the ball, in particular on the secondary side, So
[9:36] Speaker 1: they're going to need that defense to step up if
[9:39] Speaker 1: there is going to be something of a transitional period
[9:41] Speaker 1: for the offense. And some of these games early like
[9:45] Speaker 1: LSU right out of the shoot Miami first week of October,
[9:49] Speaker 1: should be pretty tough first half of this thing. I
[9:52] Speaker 1: think even the calgame a week before Miami on the road.
[9:56] Speaker 1: There are some matchups here in the early part of
[9:58] Speaker 1: the schedule that I do wonder if there are a
[10:01] Speaker 1: couple of land mines that are hiding sort of in
[10:04] Speaker 1: plain sight as we look at some of these bigger,
[10:06] Speaker 1: higher profile matchups spread out across the schedule here. So
[10:10] Speaker 1: I think this is a very plausible scenario. I didn't
[10:13] Speaker 1: try to do anything too off the wall when I
[10:15] Speaker 1: was putting these together. The question though, of whether it's
[10:18] Speaker 1: enough for the Clemson fan base, I think is really interesting,
[10:22] Speaker 1: and that's almost completely independent of how they finish this year.
[10:27] Speaker 1: For sure, if you go seven and five you know,
[10:30] Speaker 1: I've already seen some Clemson folks tawking like seven and
[10:32] Speaker 1: five is not doable. You go seven and five, It's
[10:35] Speaker 1: time to like reboot and find some way to get
[10:39] Speaker 1: dabbled right off into the sunset and a respectful manner.
[10:42] Speaker 1: And I would agree with that notion as well. But
[10:45] Speaker 1: I think this is part of a broader conversation that's
[10:47] Speaker 1: independent of the Clemson schedule and even how they perform generally,
[10:52] Speaker 1: what is the direction of this program? Right? They are
[10:55] Speaker 1: using the portal a little bit more, but they're sort
[10:57] Speaker 1: of at a crossroads now. Was so much that is
[11:00] Speaker 1: going to be upended on the offensive side of the ball.
[11:02] Speaker 1: And I just think the broader conversation as to how
[11:05] Speaker 1: Dabbo even fits into this modern version of the.
[11:08] Speaker 2: Sport, Well, Dabbo fitting into the modern version of the
[11:12] Speaker 2: sport in your typothetical includes beating a team that was
[11:18] Speaker 2: the clear best team in the ACC regardless of how
[11:20] Speaker 2: they settled tiebreakers last season and went to the National
[11:23] Speaker 2: Championship Game last year. That would have a talent advantage
[11:27] Speaker 2: over Clemson. I don't think that's a crazy thing to
[11:29] Speaker 2: say that Miami is a more talented team than Clemson
[11:33] Speaker 2: is right now, and once again that game Clemson Miami
[11:36] Speaker 2: is at home, So that would be doing it in
[11:38] Speaker 2: front of your own people, from your own people, beating
[11:43] Speaker 2: the class of the conference right now, and then opening
[11:47] Speaker 2: this season beating a team on the road that has
[11:50] Speaker 2: been sort of the team in terms of conversation, it seems,
[11:55] Speaker 2: I guess outside of Indiana defending national championship Indiana CAMPI in Indiana,
[12:01] Speaker 2: in LSU that you're like, they are getting all these
[12:04] Speaker 2: headlines for being the team that is leaning into this
[12:08] Speaker 2: new world of college football and bringing in the portal
[12:11] Speaker 2: guys and bringing in Lane Kiff and all the excitement
[12:14] Speaker 2: around this new look LSU and lean and then Dabbo
[12:19] Speaker 2: gets to lean into the like little old Clemson going
[12:23] Speaker 2: on the road and beating that team. So you're talking
[12:26] Speaker 2: about at various points in the season the vibes being
[12:29] Speaker 2: excellent for Clemson right to start the season and then
[12:32] Speaker 2: midway through the season, and as long as they don't
[12:38] Speaker 2: lose those three games in a manner that's embarrassing, whether
[12:42] Speaker 2: it's because of you his blunders, or whether it's because
[12:45] Speaker 2: they just look crazy flat. They came out of the
[12:48] Speaker 2: gate terribly last year like there are a number of
[12:50] Speaker 2: ways that Clemson can show progress this year. Now they're
[12:54] Speaker 2: going to be showing progress exclusively from hiring within Dabbo
[13:00] Speaker 2: group chats with Clemson assistants and players right with Chad
[13:03] Speaker 2: Morris and what it's like Nolan Smith taking over Nolan
[13:06] Speaker 2: Smith the safety room and Ben Boulware at linebacker, Like
[13:13] Speaker 2: there's just young guys taking over in various positions and
[13:17] Speaker 2: assuming more power. I I think it'd be fine.
[13:24] Speaker 1: I think it's okay. I think it's okay. Excuse me,
[13:28] Speaker 1: Nolan Turner, Yeah, stasy's good. Yeah, I think it would
[13:31] Speaker 1: be fine. I think if you're beating some of those
[13:34] Speaker 1: marquee teams, it's a very easy pitch that the new offense,
[13:41] Speaker 1: the new quarterback can work in a really significant way,
[13:45] Speaker 1: can knock off marquee opponents. But chances are, if you're
[13:49] Speaker 1: going nine to three, if you're not contending for a conference,
[13:52] Speaker 1: if you're not making the playoffs, that also means that
[13:54] Speaker 1: the conference as a whole is pretty weird, and there's
[13:57] Speaker 1: a lot of stuff that's going to make for like
[13:59] Speaker 1: really interesting time breaker scenarios when we come down to
[14:01] Speaker 1: it at the end of November. So I think that's
[14:04] Speaker 1: an easy pitch to make to the fan base, Like, look,
[14:06] Speaker 1: it's we we know that there is a higher ceiling
[14:12] Speaker 1: to be found here with this roster, with the direction
[14:15] Speaker 1: of this program. We've already demonstrated that we're willing to
[14:19] Speaker 1: go out and make things better, hopefully make things better
[14:21] Speaker 1: via the transfer portal. We just need to be a
[14:22] Speaker 1: little bit more consistent. It's tough to get rid of
[14:25] Speaker 1: a guy like Dabosweeney who's been a legend at Clemson,
[14:28] Speaker 1: won multiple national championships going into what like, ye're eighteen now,
[14:33] Speaker 1: right after nine wins and putting fifty million dollars or
[14:36] Speaker 1: whatever in twenty fifty million. Yeah, I mean, the only
[14:38] Speaker 1: way in that scenario that it's a different coach in
[14:42] Speaker 1: twenty twenty seven, in my opinion, is it Dabo decides
[14:46] Speaker 1: he's had enough, right is if he decides to walk away,
[14:48] Speaker 1: but they're not gonna they're not going to cut bait
[14:50] Speaker 1: with him after.
[14:51] Speaker 2: I mean, that's sort of deciding to pay Clemson fifty
[14:54] Speaker 2: million dollars not to coach anymore. It's also its own.
[14:58] Speaker 2: The other thing here is, look, if they go nine
[15:00] Speaker 2: to three with those wins, they're finishing seventeenth in the nation,
[15:06] Speaker 2: fifteenth in the nation. They're not making the playoff, but
[15:08] Speaker 2: they're in the vicinity with the ability to go, you know,
[15:12] Speaker 2: win the Pop Tarts Bowl and beat maybe a decent
[15:15] Speaker 2: team and go ten and three, which is not a
[15:20] Speaker 2: failure of a season. It might be a failure to
[15:23] Speaker 2: meet expectations every so often, but also last year just
[15:27] Speaker 2: feels like more of a failure not missing the playoff,
[15:30] Speaker 2: given what they were returning up front on defense, given
[15:32] Speaker 2: what they were returning at quarterback, given that they had
[15:34] Speaker 2: already made the playoff and were returning that amount of experience.
[15:37] Speaker 2: See this year, I think the expectations are so much
[15:39] Speaker 2: lower that going nine and three with a chance to
[15:42] Speaker 2: win double digit and finish in the top sixteen or something.
[15:46] Speaker 2: I don't know. It feels fine to me, not amazing.
[15:50] Speaker 2: It's not a great feeling. It's not meeting expectations, but
[15:52] Speaker 2: it's not embarrassing.
[15:55] Speaker 1: All right, let's move on. Okay, other type ofthetical here,
[16:01] Speaker 1: let's stay in the ACC Okay, Virginia Tech. Okay. Now,
[16:07] Speaker 1: there is a line to straddle when you're talking about
[16:09] Speaker 1: teams with new coaches, and especially Virginia Tech, because there
[16:14] Speaker 1: is this infusion of cash two hundred and twenty nine
[16:16] Speaker 1: million dollars going into the athletics budget. There is obviously
[16:19] Speaker 1: a new coach that everybody's very excited about, who has
[16:22] Speaker 1: infused the program almost overnight with talent from other pipelines,
[16:27] Speaker 1: notably the Penn State pipeline. So there is real excitement
[16:30] Speaker 1: here and give it where the program has been recently.
[16:34] Speaker 1: It's hard not to have good vibes. This is not
[16:36] Speaker 1: a conversation about is Virginia Tech and a fire James Franklin.
[16:39] Speaker 1: If things don't go swimmingly in year one, that is
[16:42] Speaker 1: not the conversation here. But you know, and we'll do
[16:47] Speaker 1: it at some point here. We'll continue doing it at
[16:49] Speaker 1: some point here in the off season. When we look
[16:51] Speaker 1: back at year one coaches, there is always this post
[16:54] Speaker 1: mortem that needs to take place, wondering aloud, is it working?
[16:58] Speaker 1: We got to see a glimpse of it now one
[17:00] Speaker 1: year in. Is this plan or what we perceive to
[17:03] Speaker 1: be the plan, actually working and is it going to
[17:05] Speaker 1: take us to greater heights? That'd be That's the conversation
[17:08] Speaker 1: at least that I am envisioning when I present the
[17:10] Speaker 1: scenario about Virginia Tech Okay, yes. My scenario here is
[17:15] Speaker 1: Virginia Tech goes eight and four. Okay, they go eight
[17:18] Speaker 1: and four, but they lose the big three road games
[17:23] Speaker 1: on their schedule in the second half of the year,
[17:25] Speaker 1: those boast them out against Clemson, against SMU and against Miami.
[17:33] Speaker 1: So in many ways, this is the same old James
[17:36] Speaker 1: Franklin storyline, losing the big ones, all these on the road,
[17:40] Speaker 1: so that's not easy.
[17:42] Speaker 2: Also, they're not big in year one in the same
[17:44] Speaker 2: way that you know he was criticized at Penn State.
[17:47] Speaker 1: But yeah, it's I understand that, but you get what
[17:50] Speaker 1: I'm going for here. Yeah, eight and four, another loss
[17:53] Speaker 1: along the way, you lose the three Biggins back half
[17:57] Speaker 1: of the schedule again on the road at Clemson, at
[17:59] Speaker 1: SMUT Miami. Is that enough for fans to feel good
[18:03] Speaker 1: about the new direction under James Franklin.
[18:06] Speaker 2: Yes, yes, absolutely it is. And I don't hesitate with
[18:11] Speaker 2: that just because they haven't. When was the last the
[18:15] Speaker 2: last year they won eight games was twenty nineteen, So
[18:19] Speaker 2: we're talking about a pre COVID situation for Virginia Tech, right,
[18:23] Speaker 2: winning eight games that the Brent Priy stretch was marred
[18:29] Speaker 2: by a lack of progress, that the end of Twente
[18:32] Speaker 2: was pretty terrible in terms of lack of progress and
[18:37] Speaker 2: recruiting struggles. That if James Franklin immediately comes in and
[18:42] Speaker 2: wins eight games, and the understanding is he is going
[18:45] Speaker 2: to be and have a staff of great talent evaluators
[18:49] Speaker 2: and developers, and that they're going to be able to
[18:54] Speaker 2: threaten basically everybody in the acc even if you know
[18:58] Speaker 2: they arrive at big games and they're not able to
[19:01] Speaker 2: get it done. Virginia attack has been so beaten down
[19:05] Speaker 2: by struggles at various position groups and sides of the
[19:09] Speaker 2: ball that look, if they can throw the ball and
[19:14] Speaker 2: they can stop other teams sometimes from throwing the ball,
[19:18] Speaker 2: it feels like there will be joy in Mudville, right
[19:23] Speaker 2: that there is going to be the vibes will be electric.
[19:28] Speaker 2: So if they're going eight and four, we are then
[19:33] Speaker 2: assuming if they're losing to those big three Clemson, SMU, Miami,
[19:38] Speaker 2: you're losing the like Pit or Cow maybe even starting
[19:41] Speaker 2: six and one. So establishing some pretty good vibes at
[19:44] Speaker 2: the start.
[19:47] Speaker 1: I think it's fine. So what's totally fine? What's the
[19:51] Speaker 1: cutoff line? Though? What's the cut off line? So if
[19:54] Speaker 1: eight and four, even with losses to the perceived let's
[19:59] Speaker 1: just say, better teams than the sky. I don't know
[20:01] Speaker 1: if Clemson is a team that I would rank above
[20:04] Speaker 1: Virginia ten.
[20:04] Speaker 2: They're in a better place as a program because they
[20:07] Speaker 2: did make the playoff and win the AC I need
[20:10] Speaker 2: I need to.
[20:10] Speaker 1: This is not a full fledged preview or anything. Right now.
[20:12] Speaker 1: I'm with you, keep going, but you lose to those
[20:16] Speaker 1: three teams. If eight and four doesn't do it, about
[20:19] Speaker 1: seven and five, seven and five gonna give you the
[20:23] Speaker 1: willies at all.
[20:25] Speaker 2: I'm fine with seven and five, six, and they won
[20:27] Speaker 2: six and six. They didn't win seven games in the
[20:31] Speaker 2: regular season with correct what about three and nine?
[20:33] Speaker 1: No injuries.
[20:36] Speaker 2: And sort of similar struggles throwing the ball and pass defense,
[20:39] Speaker 2: like the like. Very little has changed, even with a
[20:42] Speaker 2: new coach.
[20:43] Speaker 1: That's it. That's a disaster. Okay, that's a nightmare.
[20:49] Speaker 2: I think if they don't make a bowl game in
[20:50] Speaker 2: year one with this specific schedule, with how it opens
[20:55] Speaker 2: up v M I O du all of the the
[20:58] Speaker 2: You know at Maryland they.
[21:02] Speaker 1: Lost to by the way last year. That was sort
[21:04] Speaker 1: of the deathnell for Brent Prague.
[21:06] Speaker 2: Look, that's progress, beating beating the Monarchs that you get September,
[21:11] Speaker 2: Maryland danger, absolute danger. Boston College seems like they're in
[21:17] Speaker 2: a terrible place right now. You can't lose. That game's
[21:20] Speaker 2: on the road, but even still, you have an opportunity
[21:22] Speaker 2: to get those four games in against teams who are
[21:25] Speaker 2: not obviously strong in the spring before you get a
[21:29] Speaker 2: pit team at home. Right that to me is a
[21:32] Speaker 2: super interesting game. And then look, you're you're flying across
[21:37] Speaker 2: the country and playing Cal. We mentioned that as a
[21:40] Speaker 2: eight potential threat, and I think that's that's the sort
[21:42] Speaker 2: of like stretching there, Pitt at Cal and Georgia Tech
[21:46] Speaker 2: with Pitt and Georgia Tech at home, where it's like,
[21:49] Speaker 2: all right, what is this program? What is Ethan Grunkmeyer,
[21:52] Speaker 2: if he is indeed the starter, what what does that
[21:55] Speaker 2: offense look like with him? With what a first time
[21:59] Speaker 2: play caller? Hi ty Howell Howell yep? What So that's
[22:05] Speaker 2: that to me is the like, Okay, let's see what
[22:08] Speaker 2: this season ceiling can be because the rest of the way,
[22:12] Speaker 2: there's no expectation that they're gonna win at Miami right now. No,
[22:17] Speaker 2: there's no expectation that they are that they are going
[22:20] Speaker 2: to be like competitive SMU is a good SMU team
[22:23] Speaker 2: once again on the road. Right, So I don't know, Man,
[22:28] Speaker 2: you go even seven and five, eight and four, and
[22:30] Speaker 2: there's like obvious signs of progress. I think he's going
[22:33] Speaker 2: to recruit the hell out of apples.
[22:35] Speaker 1: He will, he will. And again, I'm just gonna reiterate.
[22:39] Speaker 1: I know this is not a question of like, does
[22:41] Speaker 1: James Franklin make it to twenty twenty? No, no, No, I
[22:44] Speaker 1: know James frank will be there for as long as
[22:46] Speaker 1: he wants to stay. You're doing a pre vibe check,
[22:49] Speaker 1: pre vibe check. Yeah. Yeah. Now here's the other thing
[22:51] Speaker 1: that I would point out. Yeah, and I think it
[22:54] Speaker 1: Warren's mentioning just because it's so freaking weird that they
[22:57] Speaker 1: retain Brent pry I'm not even saying, and that's a
[23:00] Speaker 1: bad move. Brent Priye was a really good defensive coordinator
[23:03] Speaker 1: for James frank different context now, completely different contexts. And
[23:07] Speaker 1: so my question is to what end does that infusion
[23:13] Speaker 1: of talent make Brent Priye better at coaching defense? Because
[23:16] Speaker 1: the defense that he oversaw last year sucked. That was
[23:20] Speaker 1: a bad defense a year ago. Now new talent gets
[23:25] Speaker 1: an opportunity to reunite with James Franklin. It worked very
[23:28] Speaker 1: well the first time around. That's how he got the
[23:29] Speaker 1: Virginia Tech job in the first place. But my open
[23:33] Speaker 1: question at this point, amid all the other open questions
[23:35] Speaker 1: about Virginia Tech, is does the talent make Brent Prize
[23:39] Speaker 1: defense better or are we going to see more of
[23:41] Speaker 1: the same because it's still Brent Pride Virginia Tech.
[23:45] Speaker 2: Oh, I think the talent, if the talent is indeed better, right,
[23:48] Speaker 2: it should be better if the trimpeps that are coming
[23:51] Speaker 2: in and look, he's focusing on Less, right, Yeah, So
[23:56] Speaker 2: if you're a defensive coordinator and you don't need to
[23:58] Speaker 2: worry about also being a head coach, and there's enough
[24:01] Speaker 2: taken off of your plate institutional familiarity, you would assume
[24:07] Speaker 2: there's some positivity there to be gleaned. So if Less
[24:11] Speaker 2: is on his plate and it looks like the talent
[24:15] Speaker 2: should be an upgrade, it's hard to see a situation
[24:19] Speaker 2: in which they're not noticeably better on defense. Okay, look,
[24:24] Speaker 2: it's an interesting roster of quarterbacks to face, right, but
[24:32] Speaker 2: there's nobody on this like maybe until like Kevin Jennings
[24:37] Speaker 2: and then Darien Mensa near the end of the season,
[24:39] Speaker 2: but before Halloween, there's no obvious quarterbacks depending on I
[24:43] Speaker 2: guess how you feel about you know, Mason Heinschel and Jks.
[24:46] Speaker 2: But there's nobody really Washington. Hello, there's nobody around the
[24:50] Speaker 2: top tier of what we perceive to be, you know,
[24:53] Speaker 2: the best ten to fourteen quarterbacks in the country until
[24:56] Speaker 2: later on in the year.
[24:58] Speaker 1: Let's move on. You just want me to go down
[25:02] Speaker 1: through this list or you want to jump around and
[25:04] Speaker 1: pick a different one than scenario No, no, go.
[25:05] Speaker 2: Through the list. We're good. I want to know you
[25:08] Speaker 2: know who should be feeling there? It is.
[25:13] Speaker 1: Scenario three is Alabama?
[25:16] Speaker 2: Oh so maybe?
[25:18] Speaker 1: Yeah? Well play that again? Yeah, So I'm I'm trying
[25:24] Speaker 1: a couple of different angles with these, right This one
[25:28] Speaker 1: is Alabama goes eleven and one eleven and one oh Man. Okay,
[25:36] Speaker 1: but get to the college football playoff and bomb out
[25:42] Speaker 1: the first round.
[25:44] Speaker 2: Like in similar fashion to how they played against Indiana.
[25:47] Speaker 2: They did win a first round game last season, so
[25:50] Speaker 2: it would be technically making the playoff again and losing
[25:56] Speaker 2: fewer games in the playoff.
[25:57] Speaker 1: Let's imagine for a second that the roles reversed winning
[26:01] Speaker 1: fewer games. Yeah, that the way that Alabama beat Oklahoma
[26:04] Speaker 1: last year, falling behind early and then storming ahead as
[26:09] Speaker 1: the game wore on. Let's pretend for a second that
[26:12] Speaker 1: those two teams meet again in the playoff, but this
[26:14] Speaker 1: time it's the other way around. This time Alabama jumps
[26:17] Speaker 1: out to the lead, Oklahoma or whoever figures it out, yeah,
[26:22] Speaker 1: and their opponent ends up winning. Going away.
[26:25] Speaker 2: You can imagine a question.
[26:27] Speaker 1: You can imagine the type of unrest we would see
[26:29] Speaker 1: on message boards if that were to occur. Yes, please.
[26:32] Speaker 2: Eleven and one means there's a really good chance that
[26:36] Speaker 2: they're making the SEC Championship game. So are you updating
[26:40] Speaker 2: this to twelve and one? Eleven and two? Is there
[26:43] Speaker 2: anything you want to do on that front?
[26:45] Speaker 1: Dude, it's April fifteenth. Okay, we're gonna stick it eleven
[26:48] Speaker 1: I know, but I'm just eleven and one just for
[26:50] Speaker 1: these is the thought experiment. You know, I don't have
[26:53] Speaker 1: all the angles figured out, but no, I'm with you.
[26:55] Speaker 2: But they made the game last year. I'm just giving
[26:57] Speaker 2: you an opportunity to improvise to play with me.
[27:00] Speaker 1: Okay, So eleven and one, let's look at the schedule.
[27:02] Speaker 1: Here is who Alabama has in the schedule. Start off
[27:05] Speaker 1: the year ECU, whatever the rest of the way at Kentucky,
[27:09] Speaker 1: Week two home against Florida State, Week three home against
[27:12] Speaker 1: South Carolina, Week four closed last year at Mississippi State
[27:17] Speaker 1: home against Georgia at Tennessee. And then they close out
[27:21] Speaker 1: the year with these five games Texas A and M
[27:24] Speaker 1: before and off week on the road at LSU on
[27:28] Speaker 1: the road a Vandy close out with Chattanooga, and then
[27:30] Speaker 1: of course the Iron Bowl at home this year against
[27:33] Speaker 1: the Auburn Tigers. So, for the purpose of argument, let's
[27:40] Speaker 1: say let's say that they lose to Georgia. Okay, let's
[27:45] Speaker 1: say if they lose to Georgia and because of SEC
[27:48] Speaker 1: tiebreakers or whatever, that keeps them out of the SEC
[27:50] Speaker 1: title game. That's how you get to eleven and one,
[27:53] Speaker 1: but you're not playing for the SEC, all right. I
[27:57] Speaker 1: don't know if that's gonna happen, but let's just say,
[27:59] Speaker 1: rough man eleven and one not in the SEC title game,
[28:06] Speaker 1: make the playoff bomb out in the first round.
[28:10] Speaker 2: I don't even know if that's mathematically possible to go
[28:12] Speaker 2: eleven and one and not make the Okay, but.
[28:14] Speaker 1: Yes, shut up, Okay? Is that enough? For Alabama fans
[28:20] Speaker 1: to then fully buy into and preach at the altar
[28:23] Speaker 1: of one Kalin de Borr and bring him back enthusiastically
[28:27] Speaker 1: for twenty twenty seven.
[28:29] Speaker 2: So this likely means because the quarterbacks faced on this schedule,
[28:35] Speaker 2: if we're assuming health, not nothing in terms of a
[28:39] Speaker 2: roster of guys. So you're talking about like Kenny Minshey,
[28:43] Speaker 2: maybe Ashton Daniels, Leonora Sellers, Gunner Stockton, whoever wins at Tennessee,
[28:48] Speaker 2: Marcel Reid, Sam Levitt, Byron Brown like a good. So
[28:53] Speaker 2: that means that their pass rush is probably solving issues
[28:57] Speaker 2: and their defensive line linebackers probably working out well because
[28:59] Speaker 2: the secondary should be really good, and it probably means
[29:02] Speaker 2: that is more balanced. I mean, right now, it seems
[29:06] Speaker 2: like Russell has the lead in that quarterback race. They
[29:10] Speaker 2: did have an injury in their spring practice game to
[29:13] Speaker 2: Noah Rodgers, who is the transfer that came over, which
[29:17] Speaker 2: is definitely a bummer, But they still have Ryan Coleman,
[29:19] Speaker 2: Williams and Lottie Brooks. I mean, they'll be fine offense,
[29:22] Speaker 2: They got it. Darian Morgan looks like, yeah.
[29:24] Speaker 1: They got to figure out the line in the rushing attack.
[29:27] Speaker 1: But I do think that Russell gives them, if he
[29:30] Speaker 1: is the guy, a lot of mobility, mobility they didn't
[29:32] Speaker 1: have with ty Simpson, not nearly to the same degree.
[29:36] Speaker 1: And I've already seen he's drawn some comparisons from Ryan
[29:38] Speaker 1: Grubb to Michael Pennox, so maybe they like him more already.
[29:41] Speaker 1: I don't know. I guess we'll find out his fall
[29:43] Speaker 1: camp and training camp as a whole progresses. But yeah,
[29:46] Speaker 1: if they're going eleven in one, all that stuff is
[29:48] Speaker 1: working pretty well.
[29:49] Speaker 2: Okay, but but you are essentially you're capping the season
[29:53] Speaker 2: in a in an extremely disappointing way. That's right, because
[29:56] Speaker 2: it seems that if they're going eleven in one, they
[29:59] Speaker 2: figured stuff. Hell yeah, and then to go into the playoff.
[30:03] Speaker 1: Again.
[30:04] Speaker 2: I'm trying to like not poke holes in this specific typothetical,
[30:09] Speaker 2: but if they're eleven and one, they're likely getting they're
[30:13] Speaker 2: probably a top four team in the country.
[30:15] Speaker 1: All right, pause, I'm just trying to figure out how
[30:19] Speaker 1: you go if you've got this stuck in your car.
[30:21] Speaker 2: Here's what we'll do, Okay, eleven and two. Okay, so
[30:24] Speaker 2: they lose in the SEC championship game once again.
[30:27] Speaker 1: Eleven and two really good regular season, get to the
[30:29] Speaker 1: SEC title game, lose a close game, whatever.
[30:33] Speaker 2: Right they lose to A and M or Georgia or something.
[30:36] Speaker 1: Get to the playoff, bomb out. I'll give you that
[30:39] Speaker 1: extra game in there. We'll say eleven and two. Now,
[30:41] Speaker 1: what do you think?
[30:42] Speaker 2: Do you want to give me a team to whom
[30:44] Speaker 2: they bomb out again?
[30:45] Speaker 1: Oh my god, I know trying that.
[30:52] Speaker 2: Who Ohio State? Do you want to give me Indiana?
[30:55] Speaker 2: Do you want to give me Miami Oregon?
[30:59] Speaker 1: I don't want to say Indiana because that's too soon. Okay,
[31:03] Speaker 1: Well let's say let's let's say Miami. Okay, so a
[31:08] Speaker 1: notable name brand program. It's like, okay, I think the
[31:17] Speaker 1: expectation for Alabama is rightfully given resources, given recent history,
[31:24] Speaker 1: is rightfully to go deep in the playoff basically every year.
[31:30] Speaker 1: And so if you keep making the playoff but coming
[31:34] Speaker 1: up short, have a great regular season, which means they're
[31:38] Speaker 1: either beating like Lane Kiffin on the road, or they're
[31:40] Speaker 1: beating Georgia to go eleven and won during the regular season,
[31:43] Speaker 1: getting revenge against Florida State.
[31:47] Speaker 2: I just I think this is a January program. I
[31:50] Speaker 2: don't know if they have the heart to get rid
[31:52] Speaker 2: of Kaylin de boor with that you know, price tag
[31:56] Speaker 2: on the on the buyout. But if they are once
[32:00] Speaker 2: again not a conversation whenever the playoff is ending in
[32:04] Speaker 2: you know, mid to late January, if they're nowhere near
[32:06] Speaker 2: that conversation, then it becomes a conversation of like, well,
[32:12] Speaker 2: sure we're disappointed, but who can we get that we
[32:16] Speaker 2: feel better about having an ability to get this tied
[32:20] Speaker 2: team over the hump.
[32:22] Speaker 1: That's the question, you know. And I thought about that
[32:25] Speaker 1: a lot.
[32:25] Speaker 2: Too, because it's not as if like Dan Lanning has
[32:28] Speaker 2: a reputation of getting over humps in January. No, no,
[32:32] Speaker 2: and I mean that moment that that's ever the question
[32:35] Speaker 2: at Alabama because they say, for a reason, you don't
[32:39] Speaker 2: want to be the guy that follows a legend.
[32:42] Speaker 1: There.
[32:42] Speaker 2: I think he's fine at eleven and one.
[32:45] Speaker 1: They're going to in perpetuity chase the ghost of Nick Saban, right,
[32:49] Speaker 1: And I just don't know who else you would get.
[32:51] Speaker 1: I understand the expectations that the bar is considerably higher
[32:57] Speaker 1: post Saban than it was pre Saban at Alibat, right,
[33:02] Speaker 1: I just don't know who the better option would be.
[33:05] Speaker 1: I don't know if better option exists as a Kirby Smart.
[33:08] Speaker 1: Do you want to go out and get Dabbo Sweeney Like,
[33:11] Speaker 1: I honestly don't know who you would go with if
[33:15] Speaker 1: not a guy like Adbor who I think there are
[33:18] Speaker 1: a multitude of other programs around college football that would
[33:20] Speaker 1: take him in a heartbeat.
[33:22] Speaker 2: Right, you're essentially saying, are you okay flying business class
[33:25] Speaker 2: after flying in a Gulf stream for all those years?
[33:28] Speaker 1: Yeah? Yeah, But also, this is college football and we
[33:32] Speaker 1: shouldn't sit here and act like this is the most
[33:34] Speaker 1: rational sport of the most rational fan bases, especially at
[33:38] Speaker 1: a place like Alabama that's used to winning these big games.
[33:41] Speaker 2: So something else. Again, this is too far in terms
[33:45] Speaker 2: of an ask from you. Okay, in your typotheticals, Okay.
[33:48] Speaker 1: To finish your thought and then I'm going to present
[33:49] Speaker 1: it to you a little bit differently. Okay.
[33:51] Speaker 2: The other thing I would add is it kind of
[33:54] Speaker 2: depends who would win the national championship too. So if
[33:57] Speaker 2: Alabama is bombing out early, but Georgia is winning the
[34:02] Speaker 2: national championship, Texas is winning the national championship, you know,
[34:05] Speaker 2: take your pick. SEC team does the unthinkable and breaks
[34:10] Speaker 2: the Big ten spell atop the sport. Yeah, Eventually though,
[34:14] Speaker 2: by the way, sidebar, the College Ball Playoff is going
[34:16] Speaker 2: to have to let in fewer Big ten teams. It's
[34:19] Speaker 2: not fair, right, They're gonna have to address the elephant
[34:22] Speaker 2: in this room there.
[34:23] Speaker 1: Yeah, no, if.
[34:27] Speaker 2: If now Alabama fans are saying Georgia is notching a
[34:31] Speaker 2: new hole in their belts or they're you know, they're
[34:33] Speaker 2: stacking another championship while we are fading into late January obscurity,
[34:40] Speaker 2: I think that could color it as well. The impatience here.
[34:43] Speaker 1: Here's my question to you though. Okay, if my hypothetical
[34:48] Speaker 1: is a bridge too far, if you were to repackage
[34:52] Speaker 1: this typothetical into something that you think is a more realistic,
[34:57] Speaker 1: like cut line, Let's say I don't know golf on
[35:01] Speaker 1: the brink, Yeah, what would that look like?
[35:06] Speaker 2: The more difficult thing would be to get into the
[35:09] Speaker 2: SEC Championship after a pseudo disappointing season, win the SEC
[35:14] Speaker 2: and then.
[35:14] Speaker 1: Bombing then bomb out. Okay, right, okay, that.
[35:17] Speaker 2: Would be like you're you're mixing like last season, right,
[35:20] Speaker 2: You're you're mixing a lot of positive things that happened
[35:23] Speaker 2: during the first half to two thirds of the season,
[35:27] Speaker 2: you know, sliding in the wrong direction the back half
[35:29] Speaker 2: of the season, winning a playoff game. We like this
[35:33] Speaker 2: as an Alabama community, Yeah, but then being absolutely embarrassed
[35:37] Speaker 2: and destroyed by Indiana, And so you're hypothetical, You're hypothetical.
[35:43] Speaker 2: Wasn't being destroyed and embarrassed. It was just like losing early,
[35:46] Speaker 2: which is embarrassing in its own way. But Yeah, I
[35:49] Speaker 2: just think there's going to be a lot of in
[35:52] Speaker 2: this sport. And this is not limited to Alabama. There's
[35:55] Speaker 2: going to be a lot in this sport just with
[35:57] Speaker 2: the financial constraints that a lot of these places are
[35:59] Speaker 2: going to be staring at moving forward where they're just
[36:02] Speaker 2: going to have to make peace with a new world
[36:05] Speaker 2: and with new realities. And I think that's just going
[36:08] Speaker 2: to be true of Alabama maybe more than anywhere else,
[36:10] Speaker 2: that they're going to be a really good team and
[36:13] Speaker 2: they're not going to be able to like, oh, we're
[36:15] Speaker 2: going to be able to convince Sean McVay to take
[36:18] Speaker 2: over right that they're just not going to be faced
[36:21] Speaker 2: with that option.
[36:22] Speaker 1: All right, next one, kick it over the big twelve,
[36:28] Speaker 1: Dan please Baylor.
[36:33] Speaker 2: Five and seven last.
[36:34] Speaker 1: Year, five and seven last year. Yeah, they've a Randa
[36:37] Speaker 1: very much on the hot seat Evergreen tweet. I feel
[36:42] Speaker 1: like we say that every year. I've got Baylor going
[36:46] Speaker 1: eight and four.
[36:47] Speaker 2: But okay, but.
[36:50] Speaker 1: With a huge win in Waco later in the year
[36:56] Speaker 1: over Texas Tech.
[37:00] Speaker 2: Okay, so Baylor in front of Bear fans yep, are
[37:05] Speaker 2: beating the new class of the conference in Texas Tech.
[37:09] Speaker 1: Let's assume for our purposes here, and is this.
[37:12] Speaker 2: Texas Tech's only lost they go eleven and one and
[37:14] Speaker 2: Baylor's that one.
[37:16] Speaker 1: I don't know. Sure, yeah, stick in the mumpy Yeah,
[37:18] Speaker 1: absolutely sure, let's see. Okay, I say yes. Now I
[37:23] Speaker 1: should point out that the week before Baylor plays host
[37:27] Speaker 1: to Texas Tech at McLean Stadium in Waco, they are
[37:31] Speaker 1: on the road in Lavelle Edwards Stadium squaring off against BYU.
[37:34] Speaker 1: So that's a really tough stretch. And you could go
[37:36] Speaker 1: a step further and say, well, they close out the
[37:38] Speaker 1: year on the road at Houston as well, and I
[37:40] Speaker 1: think Houston will be maybe not as good as other teams,
[37:43] Speaker 1: but that's not an easy game by any stretch.
[37:46] Speaker 2: Also, Texas Tech is what we think Texas Tech will be,
[37:50] Speaker 2: whether or not it's part of your hypothetical or not.
[37:52] Speaker 2: Independent of that, if Texas Tech is excellent like we
[37:56] Speaker 2: think they should be. That's one hell of a letdown spot.
[38:00] Speaker 2: Oh Baylor, big time. If Baylor's pretty good, yeah, big time,
[38:04] Speaker 2: going to Houston to finish out the air.
[38:05] Speaker 1: Yeah. So I've got an eight and four Baylor, a
[38:08] Speaker 1: big win at home in front of the home crowd
[38:12] Speaker 1: over Texas Tech. Yeah, but still eight and four. It's
[38:16] Speaker 1: eight and four with DJ Lagway coming to town. It's
[38:19] Speaker 1: eight and four with yet another offseason semi reboot of
[38:24] Speaker 1: the defense, or at least who's calling the defense. It
[38:30] Speaker 1: is eight and four. It is still Baylor kind of
[38:33] Speaker 1: trapped in this in between in between of feeling like
[38:38] Speaker 1: they could do better, they might have the talent to
[38:40] Speaker 1: do better, but yet something still holding them back from
[38:43] Speaker 1: getting there. Eight and four, big home win? Is that
[38:47] Speaker 1: enough to feel good about Dave Randa and retain his services?
[38:55] Speaker 2: So basically giving him was that you what do you mean?
[39:02] Speaker 1: Did you do some singing down? Is that me singing?
[39:05] Speaker 2: Yeah? People often mistake the power of my voice for
[39:09] Speaker 2: Freddie Mercury, that's right, yeah, thought, Okay, So some important
[39:14] Speaker 2: things here. So eight and four likely means that the
[39:20] Speaker 2: new defensive coordinator brought over from Kansas State has figured
[39:22] Speaker 2: some stuff out because they were disastrous once again last year.
[39:25] Speaker 2: On defense, they had a pretty bad defense even when
[39:27] Speaker 2: they they went eight and four right a couple of
[39:29] Speaker 2: years ago. So you're saying they have done enough on
[39:34] Speaker 2: offense to be able to take a part on some
[39:38] Speaker 2: level the Texas Tech defense that they've lost. Like if
[39:41] Speaker 2: you're just doing the math here, that their losses are
[39:44] Speaker 2: probably in the range of at BYU, maybe at Arizona State,
[39:49] Speaker 2: Auburn TCU, somewhere and there maybe two or three of those. Yeah,
[39:54] Speaker 2: you're probably also again, if you're going to have an offense,
[39:57] Speaker 2: it's good enough to beat Texas Tech and take it
[39:58] Speaker 2: to their defense to whatever left, Well, that probably means
[40:01] Speaker 2: DJ Lagway is one healthy and two pretty good.
[40:06] Speaker 1: But if he's healthy and pretty good, he might be
[40:08] Speaker 1: leaving after this year.
[40:11] Speaker 2: Just in terms of like how you evaluate Dave Randa's future,
[40:17] Speaker 2: I'm gonna say eight and four is fine. But there
[40:20] Speaker 2: is another element to all of this as well. The
[40:23] Speaker 2: Baylor ad is not mac Rhodes anymore. No, it's a
[40:26] Speaker 2: new ad.
[40:27] Speaker 1: Glad you brought the sub who.
[40:29] Speaker 2: They hired away from Field and Stream magazine. That's not
[40:35] Speaker 2: fully fair. I think it's Dave McNamee. He was like
[40:38] Speaker 2: a senior associate ad for Baylor in the twenty teens,
[40:41] Speaker 2: but the past few years he has been a magazine editor.
[40:48] Speaker 2: So this is not his guy. Specifically, he didn't he
[40:51] Speaker 2: did not hire Dave Randa, even though there is a
[40:53] Speaker 2: Dave two Dave connection here at Baylor. Number one, Taylor,
[40:59] Speaker 2: You're set up number to fish the right glide bait
[41:01] Speaker 2: number three, water in color, choice number four, varier, retrieve
[41:05] Speaker 2: number five, horse the fish to the boat. This is
[41:09] Speaker 2: the lead story on the current website of Field and Stream, which,
[41:13] Speaker 2: by the way, terrific logo.
[41:14] Speaker 1: I really like the f I'm looking at it right now.
[41:16] Speaker 2: Those are five beginner tips for fishing glide baits.
[41:19] Speaker 1: Are you a fisherman?
[41:21] Speaker 2: Not at all a fish I do enjoy fish as
[41:23] Speaker 2: a food, so I've enjoyed snorkeling with fishing exotic tanks.
[41:30] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[41:30] Speaker 2: But and I'm not anti. I would love to go fishing.
[41:35] Speaker 2: I would love to add fishing to my old man
[41:37] Speaker 2: REPERTORIY I'm out on fishing or on Baylor or fushing.
[41:42] Speaker 1: I don't I get bored out of my mind? Oh,
[41:46] Speaker 1: I think it's I think it's a wonderful hobby. Yeah,
[41:49] Speaker 1: for people who are into it. I just get too
[41:51] Speaker 1: bored too quick. I think it's a lot of just
[41:53] Speaker 1: like drinking cold beer as well. I mean, which I'm
[41:56] Speaker 1: not anti right that I would probably enjoy that part
[41:59] Speaker 1: of it more than the actual art of fishing. I
[42:02] Speaker 1: could probably get into fly fishing. I think there's probably
[42:06] Speaker 1: an art there.
[42:08] Speaker 2: You'd like to be on your feet.
[42:09] Speaker 1: Yeah, there's an art there that that if I were
[42:12] Speaker 1: to get into this at all, it would need to
[42:15] Speaker 1: be something that's a little bit more active than just
[42:17] Speaker 1: sort of casting a line in and waiting for the
[42:19] Speaker 1: bob to go, you know what I mean.
[42:21] Speaker 2: So if we're going to connect this to Dave A Randa,
[42:23] Speaker 2: it's waiting and waiting and waiting to turn a major
[42:27] Speaker 2: corner once again and get back to where he was
[42:29] Speaker 2: a few years ago.
[42:30] Speaker 1: Yeah, that was a good time. That was good.
[42:34] Speaker 2: I think it's enough because when you get to that
[42:37] Speaker 2: eight win mark and you have that season of clear improvement,
[42:42] Speaker 2: and it's punctuated at the end of the year, right
[42:45] Speaker 2: with a huge win. Now you're talking about, okay, we
[42:49] Speaker 2: can get to nine and four with a bowl win,
[42:51] Speaker 2: We're talking about nine games being four games that's quick
[42:55] Speaker 2: math better than where they were last year and not
[42:57] Speaker 2: making a Bowl game. So you can talk yourself into
[42:59] Speaker 2: a trend. Now, if you lose the games an embarrassing fashion,
[43:04] Speaker 2: if you're still not fixing the defense, but you're winning
[43:06] Speaker 2: shootouts and they lose maybe to Houston at the end
[43:12] Speaker 2: of the season after beating Texas Tech, the vibes don't
[43:17] Speaker 2: survive in the same way.
[43:19] Speaker 1: Well, here was my next question, and I also thought
[43:22] Speaker 1: about going in this direction with it.
[43:23] Speaker 2: Yeah, is this about Glide Bates or about David Ent?
[43:26] Speaker 1: Now, this is about Dave En. So let's assume that
[43:29] Speaker 1: if we want to spin this a different way. Yeah,
[43:33] Speaker 1: week one loss, neutral site game against Auburn, playing that
[43:38] Speaker 1: one in Atlanta. But then they rip off eight in
[43:44] Speaker 1: a row start the year, eight and one beat Prairie View,
[43:49] Speaker 1: LA Tech, Colorado, Arizona State, and the road TCU, Kansas, UCF,
[43:54] Speaker 1: and Iowa State.
[43:55] Speaker 2: Yeah, which is not a terrible thing to consider. If
[43:58] Speaker 2: Baylor's legitimately.
[43:59] Speaker 1: Eight, you go eight and one against that, you're I mean,
[44:01] Speaker 1: they're top fifteen team, right.
[44:04] Speaker 2: Definitely, if not more.
[44:05] Speaker 1: Yeah, but close out to your zero three at BYU
[44:09] Speaker 1: home against Texas Tech on the road at Houston. So
[44:12] Speaker 1: still still elate and four. But to your point, the
[44:15] Speaker 1: texture of the season is a lot different based on
[44:17] Speaker 1: when the losses occur. What happens. Then, I think they're
[44:22] Speaker 1: still fine.
[44:23] Speaker 2: I think he's still likely fine because those losses are
[44:27] Speaker 2: at least on some level. If they're losing twenty eight,
[44:29] Speaker 2: twenty three or something like that, I think they're more justifiable.
[44:32] Speaker 2: I think you think he's toasted eight and four.
[44:35] Speaker 1: In that scenario. Yeah, but the first one that I presented, I.
[44:40] Speaker 2: Mean, there's a really good chance Houston's like a top
[44:42] Speaker 2: twenty team. Their schedule is great, right.
[44:45] Speaker 1: Houston schedule you just told me, Yeah, Houston schedule is
[44:48] Speaker 1: very workable.
[44:49] Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know, man, Like the long view of
[44:55] Speaker 2: Baylor football, obviously starting in the what was it the
[44:58] Speaker 2: twenty teens with ourles having some really good Baylor teams
[45:02] Speaker 2: and then a year of good Matt Rule and basically
[45:05] Speaker 2: a year of good Dave Randa, like really really strong
[45:10] Speaker 2: Dave Randa, I mean, like finishing the season ranked. I
[45:13] Speaker 2: don't think there's some expectation of annual top fifteen, top
[45:16] Speaker 2: seventeen teams in Waco. So yes, Obviously, the Big Twelve
[45:22] Speaker 2: without Texas and Oklahoma is different than it was in
[45:26] Speaker 2: those eras with dominant Texas and Oklahoma programs. But I
[45:31] Speaker 2: tend to think he's still Okay, Okay, so here's there.
[45:35] Speaker 2: In your all scenario, he's losing a Texas Tech.
[45:37] Speaker 1: So in my al scenario, yeah, he loses the last
[45:39] Speaker 1: three games of the year.
[45:40] Speaker 2: Because you're also saying that he's going eight and three
[45:44] Speaker 2: in the Big Twelve, which puts you in like the
[45:48] Speaker 2: like tie erotic tie breaker zone, right that you're like,
[45:52] Speaker 2: if you're in the the.
[45:54] Speaker 1: Oh, this is t y breaker, I guess at this point.
[45:56] Speaker 2: Sure, if you're in Tie's dreams about what needs to
[46:01] Speaker 2: happen to make the Big Twelve championship game, if you're
[46:05] Speaker 2: in that conversation, which you would be in November at
[46:08] Speaker 2: eight and three, yeah, you're like, well if Baylor, he's like,
[46:12] Speaker 2: I don't know, then you're talking about Baylor on the
[46:14] Speaker 2: ad or near the top tier of the conference, and
[46:16] Speaker 2: I think that's totally fine, if not excellent.
[46:20] Speaker 1: Scenario five. Okay, South Carolina, Okay, you could have gotten
[46:29] Speaker 1: a number of directtionstuf Kakilaki. Yeah, South Carolina starts the
[46:35] Speaker 1: year five and five five and five again kent State Towston,
[46:41] Speaker 1: Mississippi State at Alabama, Kentucky at Florida, Tennessee at home,
[46:48] Speaker 1: Oklahoma on the road, Texas A and M at home
[46:50] Speaker 1: at Arkansas. That is a brutal ten game sleeve for
[46:53] Speaker 1: South Carolina. Yep, start the year five and five. Close
[46:59] Speaker 1: out the year by eating both Georgia and Clemson on
[47:04] Speaker 1: the road. So your five hundred team, you close out
[47:08] Speaker 1: the year on a crazy high note, which is, by
[47:12] Speaker 1: the way, very Shane Beemer, of your extremely Shane Biemer.
[47:15] Speaker 1: That's why I put it down. Yeah, knock off Georgia,
[47:18] Speaker 1: which obviously be a mark he win. Clemson's a rivalry
[47:21] Speaker 1: if nothing more. Yeah, finish the year seven and five
[47:25] Speaker 1: with two baller wins to close things out? Is that
[47:29] Speaker 1: enough for fans in South Carolina have to have confidence
[47:32] Speaker 1: in Shane Beemer building this thing forward, mindful of the
[47:35] Speaker 1: fact Lenora Sellers, Dylan Stewart, Nick Harbor like it teams
[47:42] Speaker 1: gonna look different next year, right? So does that instill
[47:47] Speaker 1: enough confidence that South Carolina fans are like, you know what,
[47:51] Speaker 1: we're all in with Beamer.
[47:54] Speaker 2: It's a pretty good question new ad YEP, South Carolina
[47:59] Speaker 2: hired at the Big twenty twenty five, So not AD
[48:03] Speaker 2: who hires Shane Biemer, who's had sort of an up
[48:06] Speaker 2: and down time seven and six, eight and five, five
[48:08] Speaker 2: and seven, nine and four, four and eight last season
[48:10] Speaker 2: going one and seven in the SEC. So in this situation,
[48:15] Speaker 2: seven and five and you're beating Clemson means that.
[48:22] Speaker 1: You are.
[48:24] Speaker 2: Finishing around five hundred in the SEC, likely which I
[48:31] Speaker 2: don't think he's ever had. He's had one winning record
[48:33] Speaker 2: in the SEC in his time in twenty twenty four, won.
[48:35] Speaker 1: Five and three.
[48:37] Speaker 2: He's never finished in the top fifteen, would not finish
[48:40] Speaker 2: in the top fifteen at seven and five. I think
[48:48] Speaker 2: he's probably done at seven and five. I think he's
[48:52] Speaker 2: probably I think he does not guess one much. I
[48:57] Speaker 2: think that's it. I think that's it for Shane Biemer,
[48:59] Speaker 2: because because I think South Carolina can talk themselves into
[49:03] Speaker 2: somebody who can replicate bringing in the top end talent
[49:07] Speaker 2: that Shane Biemer has been able to do, but also
[49:11] Speaker 2: win some of those weird close losses, perhaps better with
[49:17] Speaker 2: you know, convincing kids to either stay or convincing money
[49:22] Speaker 2: to go to retention on the nil front and on
[49:25] Speaker 2: the rev share front. I just think you've seen enough
[49:31] Speaker 2: at this point.
[49:32] Speaker 1: Now.
[49:32] Speaker 2: South Carolina is heading into the season with like obvious
[49:35] Speaker 2: things that are not necessarily Shane Beemer's doing, which is
[49:37] Speaker 2: what offensive line issues and health and all sorts of
[49:41] Speaker 2: questions once again upfront on offense. But even with some
[49:44] Speaker 2: of those questions, last year, South Carolina was competitive and lost.
[49:49] Speaker 2: So you're saying once again finished strong with the good vibes.
[49:53] Speaker 2: I guess it would have to be so again. You
[49:55] Speaker 2: said the Clemson game is at Clemson Palmetto.
[49:57] Speaker 1: And the game Cometo's at Clemson.
[49:59] Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, Georgia, so you'd be beating Georgia.
[50:03] Speaker 1: Yeah, Georgia comes to Williams Price.
[50:05] Speaker 2: In front of your people. But yeah, it's Oklahoma on
[50:09] Speaker 2: the road, Texas A and m Tennessee on the road.
[50:12] Speaker 2: The beginning of the schedule is not terrible, right, they
[50:15] Speaker 2: were competitive with Alabama last year. Yep, that game is
[50:17] Speaker 2: at Brian Denny. But it's new look Florida, new look Kentucky.
[50:21] Speaker 2: I know you said five and five heading into that
[50:22] Speaker 2: stretch at the end of November, there's two games. I
[50:28] Speaker 2: still think he's done. I still don't think you're offering
[50:32] Speaker 2: something new. At that point, I think he's done because
[50:35] Speaker 2: it's not about the best of Shane Beamers South Carolina teams.
[50:39] Speaker 2: It's and I kind of tell myself this when I
[50:42] Speaker 2: play tennis, is like he you just be more successfully boring.
[50:45] Speaker 2: You're not going for winners, but like you win what
[50:47] Speaker 2: you should win hypothetically. Right, when Florida has a new coach,
[50:51] Speaker 2: when Arkansas has a new coach, did they play Arkansas
[50:55] Speaker 2: this year? They do?
[50:56] Speaker 1: They play Arkansas? They play Arkansas before that stretch at
[50:58] Speaker 1: the end with Georgia and Clemson.
[51:00] Speaker 2: Right, So, if South Carolina's merely taking care of business,
[51:04] Speaker 2: there's decent enough reason to think that they could start
[51:07] Speaker 2: like five and one only lose. Tobama beat Florida, Kentucky,
[51:13] Speaker 2: Mississippi State in the sec Ken stateon Towson should be
[51:15] Speaker 2: easy wins. They get Tennessee at home.
[51:20] Speaker 1: I don't know. If they start five and one and
[51:22] Speaker 1: still finish seven and five, then he's definitely gone.
[51:24] Speaker 2: I think he's done though, right, so then I definitely
[51:26] Speaker 2: be done. So I think the number is eight. I
[51:28] Speaker 2: think the number is eight this year. No matter who
[51:31] Speaker 2: they beat or don't beat, you got to arrive at eight.
[51:34] Speaker 1: I mean, there's always been a question about offensive line.
[51:37] Speaker 1: I'd be lying if I said I looked too deep
[51:39] Speaker 1: into what the line looks like this year. You have
[51:44] Speaker 1: just started that. But I know they were very aggressive
[51:48] Speaker 1: in the portal trying to add a bunch of linemen
[51:50] Speaker 1: to try and come in and make that trench unit
[51:53] Speaker 1: a lot better. But I think the prevailing question would
[51:56] Speaker 1: be if you go seven to five with this unit,
[52:00] Speaker 1: you know Leonora's sellers at NFL Prospect right probably gone. Yeah,
[52:07] Speaker 1: if you go seven and five with Leonora's sellers Dylan
[52:10] Speaker 1: Stewart and a raw talent like Nick Harber, I think
[52:13] Speaker 1: it's a very fair question for the fan based task,
[52:15] Speaker 1: are you actually developing talent? Like we know you can
[52:18] Speaker 1: put a scrappy team out there, and we know they
[52:20] Speaker 1: play hard and their fun is hell to watch, and
[52:22] Speaker 1: as you said at the top, Dan, it'd be a
[52:24] Speaker 1: very beamer thing for them to close out the year
[52:27] Speaker 1: knocking off both Georgia and Clemson. Like he's just he's
[52:30] Speaker 1: got that dog in him to that extent, But the
[52:33] Speaker 1: broader question of is he developing talent in a way
[52:36] Speaker 1: that makes this whole thing sustainable? And not just going
[52:39] Speaker 1: from year to year. Seven and five to me doesn't
[52:43] Speaker 1: get it done.
[52:45] Speaker 2: The first five games, and look, the defense was way
[52:48] Speaker 2: ahead of the offense last season. They were mixed against
[52:52] Speaker 2: the past, but good against the run. But you know,
[52:54] Speaker 2: they were excellent in the red zone. So they were
[52:56] Speaker 2: turning you know, sevens into threes and stuff. The first
[53:00] Speaker 2: five sec. Quarterbacks they play it is their first year
[53:04] Speaker 2: that they'll be starting as a college football quarterback. Yeah,
[53:08] Speaker 2: So I'm just saying there is opportunity, opportunity.
[53:10] Speaker 1: Yeah, that's definite opportunity.
[53:12] Speaker 2: To not go seven and five with was Camaro Taylor
[53:15] Speaker 2: a Mississippi State.
[53:17] Speaker 1: Whoever starts looks good, He's looked good this spring.
[53:19] Speaker 2: Right, but its first year full time starter, Kenny Minshe
[53:22] Speaker 2: at Kentucky, whoever starts for Florida, whoever starts for Tennessee.
[53:25] Speaker 2: And even then you're going to Oklahoma, can you win
[53:28] Speaker 2: that game?
[53:28] Speaker 1: Ugly?
[53:29] Speaker 2: Perhaps we don't know what that offense is going to
[53:32] Speaker 2: look like this year. And then you do have you know,
[53:36] Speaker 2: Arkansas in November, as you mentioned before. Then so like
[53:38] Speaker 2: eight and four is there if they're you know, there's
[53:42] Speaker 2: certain things internally that they're going to need to take
[53:44] Speaker 2: care of. But like, let's not talk about this as
[53:45] Speaker 2: like a murderer's row in April.
[53:47] Speaker 1: Anyway, you think people are enjoying this because they got
[53:50] Speaker 1: three more. If I'm enjoying it, you're enjoying it. That's
[53:52] Speaker 1: all that matters. Okay, scenario six here typothetical. Okay, Colorado, Oh,
[54:03] Speaker 1: this one actually was very easy to me. I think
[54:06] Speaker 1: this one's very easy for me too. But yeah, we
[54:08] Speaker 1: just haven't talked enough about it, which is weird to say.
[54:11] Speaker 1: In the era of Coach Prime, I feel like we
[54:13] Speaker 1: talk a lot about Coach Prime Deon Sanders. But yeah,
[54:17] Speaker 1: Colorado goes six and six against the schedule that I
[54:21] Speaker 1: can read off here, to my eye, does not look
[54:23] Speaker 1: like a very easy schedule. But six and six. Their
[54:26] Speaker 1: Vegas wins total is currently six and a half, so
[54:28] Speaker 1: that would be an under Yeah, what year four now
[54:34] Speaker 1: will be year four for Deon Sanders? Yep is six
[54:39] Speaker 1: and six good enough to feel good about whatever Deon's doing.
[54:45] Speaker 2: No, but it doesn't matter. It's Colorado who goes who
[54:52] Speaker 2: wins six games at Colorado Deon's not at once.
[54:56] Speaker 1: No, but it doesn't matter.
[54:58] Speaker 2: Yeah, you're not gonna feel great but he's gonna be
[55:00] Speaker 2: there if he wants to be so, he had more
[55:04] Speaker 2: health stuff this spring. By the way, who among us
[55:07] Speaker 2: has not had health stuff in the past few Like
[55:10] Speaker 2: this is just a fact of life. We're all getting
[55:12] Speaker 2: older and we wish Deon Sanders the best. It was
[55:14] Speaker 2: a blood clots. What's going on with the I hate
[55:18] Speaker 2: to see hope the best for him from a health perspective.
[55:24] Speaker 2: Not a lot of people. I think Mike McIntyre, like,
[55:28] Speaker 2: did he win more than six once in that like
[55:31] Speaker 2: twenty sixteen year, Say saf.
[55:33] Speaker 1: O loofou that was your guy? You love Safa Lufo?
[55:37] Speaker 1: Of course?
[55:41] Speaker 2: Yeah, Like Dan Hawkins won it six games once, maybe twice.
[55:44] Speaker 2: Like this is not a reality for Colorado in the
[55:47] Speaker 2: modern era and the solid verbal era since two thousand
[55:49] Speaker 2: and eight. How many times have they won six games
[55:52] Speaker 2: in a season? So you have six games, which is
[55:57] Speaker 2: decent for Colorado with a coach who has brought more
[56:01] Speaker 2: attention to the program than any other modern coach for Colorado.
[56:07] Speaker 2: I think you're just like not stuck, but you're just like, yeah,
[56:11] Speaker 2: that's okay.
[56:13] Speaker 1: I mean, they're not gonna fire him, right if he
[56:15] Speaker 1: wants to be there, He's going to be there. But
[56:18] Speaker 1: the question is not so much whether or not they're
[56:21] Speaker 1: going to get rid of Dion right. My question is
[56:24] Speaker 1: more about vibes within the fan base, And okay's the
[56:27] Speaker 1: fan base feeling good about what they are seeing from Dion.
[56:32] Speaker 1: Doesn't mean they're gonna let them go because I don't.
[56:33] Speaker 1: I don't agree with you. I don't think there are
[56:35] Speaker 1: many scenarios where that happens, where the school decides they
[56:38] Speaker 1: want to part ways. I think that would be up
[56:40] Speaker 1: to Dion. But I'm talking vibes here. Vibes within the
[56:43] Speaker 1: Colorado fan base. Is six and six good enough to
[56:46] Speaker 1: keep people still feeling hopeful about what the Dion era
[56:51] Speaker 1: could have down the road.
[56:53] Speaker 2: So what I would say is if they can do
[56:57] Speaker 2: a thing well, especially if that thing is throwing the ball,
[57:04] Speaker 2: that's just inherently a good vibe maker. That Like, if
[57:09] Speaker 2: they go six and six and they're a half team
[57:10] Speaker 2: of some kind, that at least gives you hope that
[57:14] Speaker 2: you can win any given week. If you've got an
[57:16] Speaker 2: excellent offense but a nightmare bad defense. If you've got
[57:19] Speaker 2: an excellent defense but your offense can't get it together,
[57:22] Speaker 2: and you're you know, putting together games with way too
[57:24] Speaker 2: many turnovers. At least you'll get people showing up with
[57:29] Speaker 2: the hope that they can be competitive in a very
[57:31] Speaker 2: specific way. If it's six and six and nothing is
[57:34] Speaker 2: especially fun or exciting, then you're just going to see
[57:39] Speaker 2: the program continue to trend in the direction that it
[57:42] Speaker 2: seems to be trending in, which is losing attention, losing electricity,
[57:46] Speaker 2: you know, losing vibes. Whatever. I just if it's a
[57:52] Speaker 2: limp six and six and not like a well they
[57:54] Speaker 2: beat they upset this team and like a thrilling forty
[57:57] Speaker 2: five to forty two game, or this defensive line has
[58:00] Speaker 2: emerged in this exciting way. If it's just sort of
[58:04] Speaker 2: an up and down week to week, they're like, okay
[58:07] Speaker 2: at times at specific elements of football, they're not going
[58:10] Speaker 2: to get rid of him. But I don't see the
[58:11] Speaker 2: vibes going in any sort of, like noticeably better direction. No.
[58:15] Speaker 1: Yeah, Well, the Brendan Marion higher as offensive coordinator is
[58:21] Speaker 1: interesting to me.
[58:23] Speaker 2: They lost their defensive coordinator like a week and a
[58:24] Speaker 2: half ago.
[58:26] Speaker 1: This is true. That's not great, not good, But the
[58:29] Speaker 1: I'm a fan of the go go offense, I'm not
[58:32] Speaker 1: a fan of Brendan Marian jumping around every eight months, but.
[58:36] Speaker 2: He's on tour man.
[58:38] Speaker 1: I'm curious to see how the scheme fits the roster
[58:43] Speaker 1: and what it looks like getting it installed in your one.
[58:46] Speaker 1: I mean, it looks like it's gonna be Juju Lewis
[58:48] Speaker 1: as you're starting quarterback, the presumed starter. You know, at
[58:53] Speaker 1: least what's been coming out of spring camp has all
[58:56] Speaker 1: been positive about his ability to you know, process and
[59:00] Speaker 1: move about his reads in a really quick way. So
[59:03] Speaker 1: you know, the vibes this time of year are always
[59:05] Speaker 1: pretty optimistic, regardless of who you're talking to, but at
[59:10] Speaker 1: least the early vibes have been okay about what that
[59:12] Speaker 1: might look like on offense. But I just.
[59:15] Speaker 2: Weird, weird non conference schedule too, By the way, it
[59:17] Speaker 2: is Colorado.
[59:18] Speaker 1: There's a lot of weirdness here.
[59:20] Speaker 2: At Georgia Tech. To start the year in that home
[59:22] Speaker 2: and home and then they're at the Temp Stadium to
[59:25] Speaker 2: play North Chip Kelly Aid and Childs in Northwestern YEP.
[59:29] Speaker 2: That's losable potentially, I don't know. So that to get
[59:34] Speaker 2: to six and six, they'd probably have to string together
[59:37] Speaker 2: a couple of like impressive unforeseen wins. So who knows,
[59:44] Speaker 2: But I yeah, I don't think the vibes are great.
[59:47] Speaker 1: I would it's six and six, I would say no.
[59:49] Speaker 1: If I'm a fan, no, I would not. I would
[59:52] Speaker 1: not feel good about directionally where Colorado is headed.
[59:58] Speaker 2: Well, they're also one of the programs. So to be
[1:00:02] Speaker 2: loud as like the wee coming stuff and bringing your
[1:00:05] Speaker 2: own right, MOI.
[1:00:07] Speaker 1: All that be loud and goes six and six credible?
[1:00:09] Speaker 2: Well it's not even just loud and going six and six,
[1:00:11] Speaker 2: it's loud. And having three of your four seasons be
[1:00:15] Speaker 2: losing seasons, right or non winning seasons in this Cinnaria.
[1:00:18] Speaker 1: Yeah, if I were a Finn and again I'm not
[1:00:20] Speaker 1: talking about firings or anything crazy, right, If I'm a
[1:00:23] Speaker 1: fan six and six, I'm I'm looking for exits.
[1:00:29] Speaker 2: But yeah, I mean I just look, it would be
[1:00:31] Speaker 2: four and eight, nine and four, three and nine, six
[1:00:34] Speaker 2: and six. Durrell went four and two in the COVID year,
[1:00:37] Speaker 2: but four and eight and one and eleven, so that's
[1:00:39] Speaker 2: five and nineteen in his last two seasons. Mel Tucker
[1:00:42] Speaker 2: was promising but had a losing record, and Mike McIntyre
[1:00:46] Speaker 2: had one season winning six or more games Before that,
[1:00:49] Speaker 2: John Embry four and twenty one. Everybody tie in this sport.
[1:00:53] Speaker 2: Who roots for a team and closely follows team a
[1:00:57] Speaker 2: team has a long memory.
[1:01:00] Speaker 1: All right, I got this. This next one's my favorite
[1:01:02] Speaker 1: one on here. Okay, yeah, Nebraska, let's talk Nebraska. Yeah.
[1:01:10] Speaker 1: Here is the scenario I put before you. Nebraska gets
[1:01:15] Speaker 1: off to a five and oh start. Tell me if
[1:01:17] Speaker 1: you have heard this before heard it. Nebraska gets off
[1:01:21] Speaker 1: to a hot start, goes five and oh against Ohio
[1:01:23] Speaker 1: Bowling Green, North Dakota, the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, by
[1:01:26] Speaker 1: the way, an upstart Michigan State in Maryland five and
[1:01:31] Speaker 1: oh start to the season going into I guess week
[1:01:35] Speaker 1: six mm hmm. From that point forward they finish one
[1:01:39] Speaker 1: and six. They end up six and six overall. Here's
[1:01:42] Speaker 1: the remaining seven games on your slate. Indiana at home,
[1:01:48] Speaker 1: on the road at Oregon, an off week, back home
[1:01:53] Speaker 1: against Washington, on the road in consecutive weeks against Illinois
[1:01:58] Speaker 1: and Rutgers, and they close out the year at home
[1:02:01] Speaker 1: against Ohio State and on the road for the Heroes
[1:02:04] Speaker 1: game against Iowa. That is a brutal back half of
[1:02:08] Speaker 1: the schedule. So this to me feels very realistic about
[1:02:13] Speaker 1: a really good start a really bad finish, which has
[1:02:17] Speaker 1: absolutely been a hallmark of Rules tenures so far in Lincoln.
[1:02:22] Speaker 1: We've seen this time and again our fans at that
[1:02:26] Speaker 1: point with the six and sixth season and closing out
[1:02:29] Speaker 1: the year with a whimper. Are fans lamenting the rule
[1:02:33] Speaker 1: extension that we saw at the end of last year?
[1:02:36] Speaker 2: So are they not saying that's okay, I should never
[1:02:42] Speaker 2: have been given.
[1:02:43] Speaker 1: You need a fade, or we need to work on
[1:02:45] Speaker 1: that sound because it's got potential, but it's too hard
[1:02:48] Speaker 1: of a cut for me at the end.
[1:02:49] Speaker 2: I really I don't know how to do this in
[1:02:52] Speaker 2: audition or any other audio.
[1:02:53] Speaker 1: What is a DAW? Is that?
[1:02:54] Speaker 2: What a sure digital audio workspace?
[1:02:58] Speaker 1: Yeah?
[1:02:58] Speaker 2: Oh, look at me. I don't you see this in
[1:03:01] Speaker 2: movie trailers all the time where they're playing like a
[1:03:04] Speaker 2: haunting cover of some eighties pop song or nineties pop song,
[1:03:09] Speaker 2: and then there's the the reverb echoe at the end
[1:03:12] Speaker 2: of it, when there's like.
[1:03:13] Speaker 1: Oh, there's nobody in the cabin, right.
[1:03:15] Speaker 2: Yeah, everybody wants too rude the.
[1:03:23] Speaker 1: And I don't know how to do that, so I
[1:03:24] Speaker 1: could do that. Yeah, all right, this is gonna be
[1:03:29] Speaker 1: my like lab experiment that send me that sound. After this,
[1:03:32] Speaker 1: we'll play.
[1:03:33] Speaker 2: Okay, that's fine, do a little bit of playing Little
[1:03:34] Speaker 2: Freddie Mercury.
[1:03:35] Speaker 1: Yeah.
[1:03:37] Speaker 2: I think the worst possible thing is going six and
[1:03:43] Speaker 2: six after starting five. You said five and oh, then
[1:03:45] Speaker 2: one and six, one and six. Yeah, And obviously the
[1:03:48] Speaker 2: meat of their schedule is they've got a MEETI back end.
[1:03:51] Speaker 1: TI.
[1:03:51] Speaker 2: Everybody knows Ty loves the media back end. That's why
[1:03:53] Speaker 2: he gravitated here. Sure, uh yeah, Indiana, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Rutgers,
[1:03:58] Speaker 2: Ohio State, Iowa. I think there are some people who
[1:04:02] Speaker 2: are already lamenting the monster extension. I think the off
[1:04:08] Speaker 2: season is long enough. You give fans a long enough
[1:04:11] Speaker 2: time to think about paying Matt Ruhle like he is
[1:04:15] Speaker 2: a championship caliber coach, because maybe Penn State was interested
[1:04:19] Speaker 2: in him, And then you sit back and you're like, wait, what,
[1:04:22] Speaker 2: like what has he shown thus far in his time
[1:04:26] Speaker 2: in Lincoln? Like you can't pay somebody six million dollars
[1:04:30] Speaker 2: to do what Matt Rule has done in Lincoln.
[1:04:31] Speaker 1: I bet you could.
[1:04:33] Speaker 2: I I don't know, man, I just I think the
[1:04:37] Speaker 2: worst possible thing is people are just gonna be like
[1:04:39] Speaker 2: this again. Yeah, like you can talk yourself into going
[1:04:44] Speaker 2: three and nine and saying, Okay, we're gonna bring in
[1:04:47] Speaker 2: a bunch of portal guys. We're gonna make you know,
[1:04:49] Speaker 2: an offensive coordinator change, Like you can talk yourself into
[1:04:52] Speaker 2: hope after a bad season based on maybe some interesting
[1:04:55] Speaker 2: and powerful changes, going six and six and just losing
[1:04:59] Speaker 2: to all of these tw teams and not being at
[1:05:00] Speaker 2: all a factor, and in the conversation for the best six, seven,
[1:05:04] Speaker 2: eight teams in the Big Ten, all you're doing is
[1:05:07] Speaker 2: just generating more apathy. So yes, you would absolutely have
[1:05:11] Speaker 2: people like I think a wave of people. I think
[1:05:14] Speaker 2: a majority of Nebraska fans would be super pissed about
[1:05:18] Speaker 2: the extension.
[1:05:19] Speaker 1: I mean, Matt Rule in a sense was the biggest
[1:05:22] Speaker 1: winner of a very active coaching carousel, definitely last year
[1:05:25] Speaker 1: and in particular James Franklin getting fired early because Nebraska
[1:05:29] Speaker 1: didn't want to be in a situation where they were
[1:05:31] Speaker 1: looking for a new coach. They felt good enough about
[1:05:34] Speaker 1: Rule back when they still had Dylan Royola at least
[1:05:38] Speaker 1: that they wanted to keep him around and they wanted
[1:05:40] Speaker 1: to retain his services, right, They wanted to keep him
[1:05:43] Speaker 1: there for as long as you want to do being Lincoln,
[1:05:47] Speaker 1: but now as a season unfolded as his stock, I
[1:05:51] Speaker 1: think plummeted down the stretch last year, and especially now
[1:05:56] Speaker 1: after losing Riola and going into this offseason. Now with
[1:06:00] Speaker 1: this schedule ahead of them, it gets harder to justify
[1:06:04] Speaker 1: such a long term extension with such buyout money attached
[1:06:07] Speaker 1: to it. No, it really does. The wind total right
[1:06:10] Speaker 1: now is FANDU. I think this is from FANDUL six
[1:06:13] Speaker 1: and a half, which I would not touch with a
[1:06:15] Speaker 1: ten foot poll looking at the schedule, I mean, it's
[1:06:18] Speaker 1: just a brutal schedule. I think you're right. There is
[1:06:24] Speaker 1: definitely a group of fans that already are lamenting that
[1:06:28] Speaker 1: long term extension for.
[1:06:29] Speaker 2: I wouldn't even say lamenting is probably too strong, but
[1:06:31] Speaker 2: questioning question how wise it is, yeah, questioning the wisdom.
[1:06:35] Speaker 1: Yeah, there is I think enough back this year for
[1:06:42] Speaker 1: this team. I looked at Bill's returning production figures. Overall,
[1:06:47] Speaker 1: Nebraska is number three. That is still after losing the
[1:06:51] Speaker 1: likes of Dilan Royola, who obviously was good enough for
[1:06:56] Speaker 1: a while before he got hurt. They also lose Emma Johnson,
[1:07:00] Speaker 1: who rush for like fourteen hundred yards out of the backfield.
[1:07:02] Speaker 1: So even despite the fact that they lose those two guys,
[1:07:05] Speaker 1: there's still enough back from a returning production standpoint, given
[1:07:09] Speaker 1: what they retain and what they brought in that it's
[1:07:12] Speaker 1: not like they're starting from scratch. And defensively they bring
[1:07:14] Speaker 1: back a little bit more.
[1:07:16] Speaker 2: Yeah, awful against the run and still queshes about the
[1:07:19] Speaker 2: offensive line after how bad it was for stretches last season.
[1:07:22] Speaker 1: Yep. So like I'm I'm I am not super high
[1:07:27] Speaker 1: Nebraska going into this year, but I also think that
[1:07:34] Speaker 1: we need to put a little bit of optimism on
[1:07:37] Speaker 1: what this roster still has. Even despite the fact that
[1:07:41] Speaker 1: this is a brutal schedule. I still think there's a
[1:07:44] Speaker 1: chance that they could surprise some of us. And I
[1:07:46] Speaker 1: love Anthel like I have a sawce spot for Anthony Calandria.
[1:07:49] Speaker 1: I don't know why, okay, but I think he makes
[1:07:52] Speaker 1: things interesting. I think the unpredictability of his game meshes
[1:07:56] Speaker 1: quite well with the unpredicted general unpredictability of Danie Holgerson,
[1:08:01] Speaker 1: which makes for kind of an interesting storyline. So I
[1:08:05] Speaker 1: hope that this is not the scenario where they start
[1:08:09] Speaker 1: hot and they go out with a whimper. I think
[1:08:12] Speaker 1: it's very much a possibility. I am hoping for seven
[1:08:16] Speaker 1: and five. I am hoping they hit that over and
[1:08:18] Speaker 1: we don't have to have this conversation either way. Rules
[1:08:21] Speaker 1: coming back next year, I mean rules coming back forever
[1:08:23] Speaker 1: with the money that they would owe him. But in
[1:08:26] Speaker 1: terms of like giving the fan base something to root for,
[1:08:29] Speaker 1: I think given the schedule, if you finish seven and five,
[1:08:33] Speaker 1: the vibes are still okay. Six and six going out
[1:08:36] Speaker 1: with a whimper, though, is a much different story. I
[1:08:39] Speaker 1: would be very, very pessimistic in that scenario.
[1:08:43] Speaker 2: So we've been doing this ten thousand foot view of
[1:08:45] Speaker 2: going six and six. Let's be more specific. Okay, So
[1:08:48] Speaker 2: if he starts the season off five and zero, that's
[1:08:51] Speaker 2: likely against no ranked teams, no ranks Ohio Bowling Grain,
[1:08:55] Speaker 2: North Dakota at Michigan State, Maryland. Maryland might start the
[1:08:58] Speaker 2: season undefeated and be number twenty three or something. But
[1:09:02] Speaker 2: in September, because that's September Maryland. But if they go
[1:09:07] Speaker 2: one in six and the one is something crazy.
[1:09:10] Speaker 1: Like Indiana or Ohio State at.
[1:09:12] Speaker 2: Oregon, Ohio State, something like that, Okay, that changes a
[1:09:16] Speaker 2: little bit of it.
[1:09:17] Speaker 1: Two.
[1:09:17] Speaker 2: The other thing that could change a little bit of
[1:09:19] Speaker 2: it is Throughout Matt Ruhle's time as a college coach,
[1:09:23] Speaker 2: there hasn't really been an electric, fantastic offense where you're
[1:09:27] Speaker 2: like quarterbacks operating on all cylinders, receivers are developing, it's creative.
[1:09:30] Speaker 2: They're scoring a ton if they're just on the opposite
[1:09:37] Speaker 2: end of when they were the greatest three and nine
[1:09:38] Speaker 2: team of all time. Okay, that they're the greatest six
[1:09:41] Speaker 2: and six team. Right. They're losing the Ohio State close again, right,
[1:09:44] Speaker 2: a couple of years ago, they lose close to Ohio State.
[1:09:46] Speaker 1: Close.
[1:09:48] Speaker 2: They lose close to Ohio State. Again. It's a shootout
[1:09:50] Speaker 2: against Oregon, but they lose, right that, Like there is
[1:09:53] Speaker 2: an excitement to the manner in which, especially on offense,
[1:09:57] Speaker 2: Nebraska's playing football for the first time under Matt rule.
[1:10:01] Speaker 1: Right, you're talking like great planes Auburn right now, Yes.
[1:10:05] Speaker 2: I'm talking about you know, maybe there's it's just a
[1:10:08] Speaker 2: tough fought game and they just are are outmaneuvered and
[1:10:12] Speaker 2: outmanned by a more talented team, but like showing a
[1:10:15] Speaker 2: lot of guts and moxie toxie, and and it concludes
[1:10:21] Speaker 2: with them winning one of those games against Indiana, Oregon,
[1:10:24] Speaker 2: Ohio State, or something like that where you're just like, wow,
[1:10:27] Speaker 2: they really did it. They beat Washington, they you know,
[1:10:30] Speaker 2: a top twenty Washington, and that's like proof of offensive improvement,
[1:10:35] Speaker 2: even though they weren't able to pull it off and
[1:10:37] Speaker 2: they lost close a bunch of other times, and they're
[1:10:38] Speaker 2: the greatest six and six team ever. Then and only then, then,
[1:10:43] Speaker 2: and only then could I make the argument that, like,
[1:10:47] Speaker 2: what a great evaluation and development of Anthony Calandria. You know,
[1:10:53] Speaker 2: what great offensive line development with these whatever two or
[1:10:55] Speaker 2: three new transfers coming in that are expected to start,
[1:10:58] Speaker 2: then we're talking about. Okay, they didn't get it done,
[1:11:03] Speaker 2: but they showed that they belonged then and only them. Okay,
[1:11:07] Speaker 2: am I willing to concede that everybody isn't sad about
[1:11:11] Speaker 2: the extension?
[1:11:13] Speaker 1: All right, Let's do one more? Okay, one more, here
[1:11:20] Speaker 1: is my final one. Let's talk Michigan State. Okay, Michigan
[1:11:28] Speaker 1: State in this scenario goes five and seven against the
[1:11:31] Speaker 1: schedule that I will read to you in a moment, please,
[1:11:35] Speaker 1: and they lose their final game on the road against Rutgers,
[1:11:38] Speaker 1: which in effect keeps them out of a.
[1:11:39] Speaker 2: Bowl game in Piscataway in Piscataway.
[1:11:43] Speaker 1: Yeah, So my question is whether five and seven, with
[1:11:47] Speaker 1: a chance to get to a bowl game but ultimately
[1:11:49] Speaker 1: falling off short, is enough to have the fan base
[1:11:53] Speaker 1: feeling good about the new direction underfits. Now, this is
[1:11:55] Speaker 1: going to be a conversation with Qualify.
[1:11:56] Speaker 2: This is just a vibe check.
[1:11:57] Speaker 1: A pre vibe check is a pre vibe check, and
[1:11:59] Speaker 1: this is certainly going to have This is like less
[1:12:01] Speaker 1: about the record and more I think about the vibes,
[1:12:04] Speaker 1: about what's working throughout the course of the season versus nine.
[1:12:07] Speaker 1: But here's what the schedule looks like. They open up
[1:12:10] Speaker 1: at home against Toledo, They've got Eastern Michigan. Week three,
[1:12:14] Speaker 1: they're on the road at Notre Dame. They've also got
[1:12:17] Speaker 1: a home game against Nebraska, a road game against Wisconsin.
[1:12:22] Speaker 1: They're home against Illinois, They're home against Northwestern, They're on
[1:12:25] Speaker 1: the road at UCLA before a bye week, and then
[1:12:29] Speaker 1: to close things out at Michigan home against Washington, home
[1:12:33] Speaker 1: against Oregon, on the road against Rutgers. That's a tough schedule,
[1:12:36] Speaker 1: tough schedule for an upstart team that's basically starting from scratch.
[1:12:43] Speaker 1: Notre Dame, Early Michigan, Washington, Oregon, late YEP, five and seven.
[1:12:51] Speaker 1: I guess I'm saying five and six going into that
[1:12:54] Speaker 1: final game against Rutgers on the road and then a
[1:12:58] Speaker 1: loss to keep them out of a bowl game. How
[1:13:01] Speaker 1: are you feeling if you're a Michigan State fan?
[1:13:06] Speaker 2: I think fine? If the offense isn't is not disastrous.
[1:13:11] Speaker 2: If the offense is merely disappointing, right, good album name
[1:13:15] Speaker 2: merely disappointed me?
[1:13:16] Speaker 1: Nearly disappoint would be perfect.
[1:13:18] Speaker 2: Yeah, if the offense is merely disappointing. And let's see,
[1:13:22] Speaker 2: Jonathan Smith won five games in his first season, including
[1:13:28] Speaker 2: a win against Iowa. So if we're talking about a
[1:13:32] Speaker 2: five and seventeen with a loss to Rutgers, you said
[1:13:35] Speaker 2: wester Rutgers, Yeah, to finish off the season. Then you're
[1:13:40] Speaker 2: still talking about So it's wins Toledo, Eastern Michigan, maybe
[1:13:44] Speaker 2: Nebraska at Wisconsin, although I don't know. Are do all
[1:13:48] Speaker 2: of our typotheticals live in the same universe? Am I
[1:13:50] Speaker 2: allowed to say Michigan State beats Nebraska?
[1:13:52] Speaker 1: Sure to everyone?
[1:13:53] Speaker 2: Okay, they're all we're talking about in a vacuum. Yeah,
[1:13:56] Speaker 2: maybe at Wisconsin, which, by the way, I don't much.
[1:14:01] Speaker 2: I don't know, man, new ad Chris McIntosh just announced
[1:14:03] Speaker 2: he's going to what the Big Ten? He's taking a
[1:14:05] Speaker 2: job at the Big Ten.
[1:14:06] Speaker 1: Yeah, Cayleaen de Border goes to Wisconsin, Luke Fickle. Somebody
[1:14:10] Speaker 1: would hire a Fickle?
[1:14:12] Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I mean even as a defensive coordinator or
[1:14:15] Speaker 2: like an associate head coach. Yeah, I got you, absolutely,
[1:14:17] Speaker 2: somebody Big Wood. So then some combination of you know,
[1:14:21] Speaker 2: you get Pat Fitzgerald against Northwestern or UCLA. I think
[1:14:26] Speaker 2: the vibes are so low right now in East Lansing,
[1:14:29] Speaker 2: given the end of D'Antonio and then the Jonathan Smith
[1:14:35] Speaker 2: era and the disaster that that was. If it's not
[1:14:40] Speaker 2: like Pat Fitzgerald was amazing and there should be huge
[1:14:43] Speaker 2: expectations for him finishing out his time at Northwestern. He
[1:14:45] Speaker 2: went one in eight in his final three non COVID
[1:14:49] Speaker 2: years in the Big Ten. Each of those years, my
[1:14:52] Speaker 2: math says that's three and twenty four. So I don't
[1:14:55] Speaker 2: think the expectations are like, oh man, he's going to
[1:14:59] Speaker 2: turn us a meet into a nine and three, eight
[1:15:02] Speaker 2: and four type team. I think the most reasonable and
[1:15:06] Speaker 2: the more reasonable Michigan State fans are going to say, like, yeah,
[1:15:10] Speaker 2: let's see what this guy has is what Millivovi Jovidi.
[1:15:15] Speaker 1: You can say. I'll say Alisio as his first name,
[1:15:18] Speaker 1: but yeah, he figures to be the starter taking over
[1:15:22] Speaker 1: for Aden Chiles, who is going to Northwestern, which we'll
[1:15:24] Speaker 1: talk about at some point.
[1:15:29] Speaker 2: My problem with Michigan State right now, this is not
[1:15:31] Speaker 2: like a team and season preview, is that when you
[1:15:35] Speaker 2: the transfers that are coming in, as as much of
[1:15:38] Speaker 2: them are from like bigger places, there's no obvious game
[1:15:42] Speaker 2: changers in this group right now.
[1:15:44] Speaker 1: I don't think so.
[1:15:46] Speaker 2: It's not like they were a team that spent like
[1:15:48] Speaker 2: the upper end end of the Big ten on a
[1:15:51] Speaker 2: portal class. They brought in like thirty guys.
[1:15:52] Speaker 1: I like Ken Edwards, the back from Yukon. I like
[1:15:56] Speaker 1: he was productive a year ago. And I think if
[1:15:59] Speaker 1: we know anything of certainly the Fitzgerald system, Nick Sheridan
[1:16:06] Speaker 1: is the offensive coordinator. He seemingly has an affinity for
[1:16:14] Speaker 1: a strong rushing attack, you know, so Cam Edwards would
[1:16:19] Speaker 1: fit into that. I think theoretically. I just I never
[1:16:26] Speaker 1: saw enough momentum and forward progress on the offensive side
[1:16:32] Speaker 1: of the ball when fitz was coaching at Northwestern to
[1:16:35] Speaker 1: feel great about this now different program. Right, maybe fewer constraints.
[1:16:41] Speaker 1: I don't know, And you know, maybe with the benefit
[1:16:46] Speaker 1: of having some time off, he's figured some stuff out.
[1:16:49] Speaker 1: We'll give him benefit of the doubt for that.
[1:16:50] Speaker 2: But this is also a year by the way, and
[1:16:53] Speaker 2: it's not fully fair to point this out, but when
[1:16:56] Speaker 2: you look at Michigan State schedule, there's no Ohio State.
[1:17:00] Speaker 2: There's no Penn State, which obviously it's a year one
[1:17:02] Speaker 2: at Penn State. But because there is that was it
[1:17:04] Speaker 2: the land Grant Trophy. You know, you get occasional bad
[1:17:07] Speaker 2: vibes between Michigan State and Penn State fans. There's no
[1:17:11] Speaker 2: Penn State, Ohio State, USC or Indiana on this schedule
[1:17:16] Speaker 2: if I'm reading this correctly. Correct now, they do get
[1:17:18] Speaker 2: notre dame not ideal for Michigan State in your old
[1:17:21] Speaker 2: with Pat Fitzgerald. But and I think Oregon's at home right,
[1:17:25] Speaker 2: Oregon's in the.
[1:17:26] Speaker 1: Organ game is as is the Washington game.
[1:17:29] Speaker 2: So basically, if you really want to drill down and
[1:17:33] Speaker 2: we want to do a pre vibe check and talking
[1:17:35] Speaker 2: about the direction, I would argue the entire season is
[1:17:40] Speaker 2: November seventh, that Michigan If you want to go into
[1:17:43] Speaker 2: the off season with vibes and not making a bowl game.
[1:17:46] Speaker 1: But.
[1:17:48] Speaker 2: You have the better first year coach based on head
[1:17:51] Speaker 2: to head between Michigan State and Michigan and you win
[1:17:55] Speaker 2: in ann Arbor.
[1:17:56] Speaker 1: I think the vibes are electric. That's the whole season.
[1:17:59] Speaker 1: I just I want to feel like the team has
[1:18:02] Speaker 1: an identity other than what we saw fits his identity
[1:18:08] Speaker 1: when he was coaching at Northwestern.
[1:18:10] Speaker 2: Yeah, I got bad news that was barely English.
[1:18:13] Speaker 1: Yeah, but I always felt like those teams were just
[1:18:17] Speaker 1: waiting for like a mobile quarterback who could make stuff
[1:18:19] Speaker 1: happen when the plays broke down, and a lot of
[1:18:22] Speaker 1: times built around a tough defense that could keep him
[1:18:25] Speaker 1: in games.
[1:18:26] Speaker 2: Yep.
[1:18:28] Speaker 1: I would like to see more than that at Michigan State.
[1:18:30] Speaker 1: I think Michigan State deserves more than that. And I
[1:18:35] Speaker 1: just I don't know if I'm getting those vibes based
[1:18:36] Speaker 1: on sort of the early reporting on how this thing
[1:18:39] Speaker 1: has taken shape. But I think if it looks like
[1:18:43] Speaker 1: that throughout the course of the year, completely separate from
[1:18:47] Speaker 1: what the final record is, that almost doesn't matter near
[1:18:49] Speaker 1: one to me. But if it looks like that, if
[1:18:51] Speaker 1: it looks like a team struggling to find an identity.
[1:18:55] Speaker 1: That's when I think you're in the right if you're
[1:18:57] Speaker 1: a fan to say, I don't where is this headed?
[1:19:00] Speaker 1: You know, what's the point why'd we hired this guy? Right?
[1:19:03] Speaker 1: But if there is some excitement, you know, maybe they
[1:19:06] Speaker 1: build like a really physical, strong ground attack, Maybe some
[1:19:09] Speaker 1: of these transfers that they brought over in the trenches workout,
[1:19:13] Speaker 1: you know, maybe they're able to build around that. And
[1:19:15] Speaker 1: if it feels like at the end of the year,
[1:19:18] Speaker 1: this is something that like, Okay, this makes sense, I
[1:19:20] Speaker 1: can see where this is headed, then it's a different
[1:19:22] Speaker 1: viball together. I'm not banking on that. I don't really
[1:19:25] Speaker 1: like this higher, but I will wait to reserve judgment
[1:19:28] Speaker 1: until we know more By November of course.
[1:19:31] Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, I don't think has there been a program
[1:19:34] Speaker 2: and we can go through them on another show. But
[1:19:37] Speaker 2: of all the programs who have made a four or
[1:19:39] Speaker 2: twelve team playoff, is there any program that is currently
[1:19:44] Speaker 2: down more than Michigan State since reaching that height? Is
[1:19:52] Speaker 2: there any other program that has had the depths?
[1:19:56] Speaker 1: I mean the Florida State. Okay, Florida State's probably in
[1:20:01] Speaker 1: that conversation.
[1:20:02] Speaker 2: Florida State at least stuck its head above water, you know,
[1:20:06] Speaker 2: three years ago. Yeah, and was you know, the very
[1:20:10] Speaker 2: clear case to be a playoff team once again finished
[1:20:12] Speaker 2: in the top you know, five or six. But yes,
[1:20:17] Speaker 2: they have fallen recently, but it's been more sustained from
[1:20:20] Speaker 2: Michigan State.
[1:20:21] Speaker 1: It has. Yeah, So I.
[1:20:23] Speaker 2: Think you know that's why I say the whole season
[1:20:26] Speaker 2: is November seventh, beat Michigan and here everything else is
[1:20:29] Speaker 2: sort of excusable in your one.
[1:20:31] Speaker 1: So look, we're over time here a little bit, but
[1:20:33] Speaker 1: that's all right. It's the off season, that's fine. I
[1:20:36] Speaker 1: want to hear from the verbawler hood. Oarver bawlers out
[1:20:38] Speaker 1: there have been very active this offseason, be it with
[1:20:43] Speaker 1: emails or comments on episodes or you name it. We've
[1:20:47] Speaker 1: been hearing a lot from the verbawler hood and we
[1:20:49] Speaker 1: read all the stuff. So we would encourage you to
[1:20:52] Speaker 1: keep that up, even if you disagree. No, my drill right,
[1:20:54] Speaker 1: just don't be a dick. But if you disagree, that's cool.
[1:20:58] Speaker 1: Email us. Let us know your thoughts on this. Where
[1:21:00] Speaker 1: we're right, where we're wrong. We'd love to hear from you.
[1:21:02] Speaker 1: Thank you for being here and making it the full
[1:21:04] Speaker 1: way through. If you did make it this far through.
[1:21:07] Speaker 1: If you are new here, and if you've yet to
[1:21:08] Speaker 1: do so, please hit follow or subscribe. If you are
[1:21:12] Speaker 1: a long timer or have just been listening for a
[1:21:15] Speaker 1: few episodes, and you wouldn't mind leaving us a five
[1:21:18] Speaker 1: star review out on your chosen platform that goes a
[1:21:21] Speaker 1: long way towards assuring other people that it's a show
[1:21:24] Speaker 1: worth listening to.
[1:21:26] Speaker 2: And you can no longer criticize us for not giving
[1:21:29] Speaker 2: glide bait tips. That's right, And we've gotten a lot
[1:21:32] Speaker 2: of those critiques like, oh yeah, but they never talk
[1:21:35] Speaker 2: about like specifics with fishing. No, can't have that anymore.
[1:21:38] Speaker 1: Nope, Nope, nope, Field and Stream, I mean we're really
[1:21:41] Speaker 1: we're smoking to it here. Yeah. For Ballers dot com,
[1:21:44] Speaker 1: of course is where you can go. That's the Patreon.
[1:21:45] Speaker 1: If you want to directly support what Dan and I do,
[1:21:48] Speaker 1: we'd love to have you.
[1:21:49] Speaker 2: When are we launching Amateur Hour, our new podcast about
[1:21:53] Speaker 2: people doing things poorly and backwards?
[1:21:55] Speaker 1: We got amateur Hour, which probably exists, aready, somebody probably
[1:21:58] Speaker 1: has that name. Yeah, but amateur Hour is one I
[1:22:03] Speaker 1: just wouldn't want to supersede our other better idea.
[1:22:08] Speaker 2: Don't give it away, ty bleep it out and Pope,
[1:22:10] Speaker 2: you want me to bleep that out, bleep out the title.
[1:22:12] Speaker 1: I'll leave it in for Patreon.
[1:22:14] Speaker 2: You can leave it in for Patreon. They know when
[1:22:17] Speaker 2: we pitched. When I pitched Amateur Hour to you, our
[1:22:20] Speaker 2: friend Kevin reminded me of the two greatest pitches. Then
[1:22:22] Speaker 2: we can leave. I was ever a part of that,
[1:22:26] Speaker 2: you were?
[1:22:26] Speaker 1: Was I? No, this is college, okay.
[1:22:28] Speaker 2: This is in college. And they weren't my pitches. I
[1:22:30] Speaker 2: was just in a classroom where everybody was pitching short
[1:22:32] Speaker 2: documentary ideas because that was the class. It was producing
[1:22:35] Speaker 2: short documentaries, and every one of them was pretty much
[1:22:37] Speaker 2: the same, like, you know, a reasonable idea. And then
[1:22:41] Speaker 2: one guy came up and was like, all right, I
[1:22:43] Speaker 2: got two ideas. First, sex colon, who's having it? I
[1:22:50] Speaker 2: think I've told this story before on like the Patreon
[1:22:52] Speaker 2: only show. Maybe I don't know, sex colon, who's having it?
[1:22:56] Speaker 1: And where?
[1:22:57] Speaker 2: Or something like that, And it was just like an
[1:22:59] Speaker 2: examination of campus sex. I guess okay. The second one
[1:23:03] Speaker 2: was street steam colon, what is it? A full examination?
[1:23:10] Speaker 2: Like when he would see clips of New York City
[1:23:13] Speaker 2: or a major city where there'd be steam coming out
[1:23:15] Speaker 2: of a great. Yeah, he was like, I don't know
[1:23:17] Speaker 2: what that is. Let's investigate colon a documentary. So I
[1:23:22] Speaker 2: just Kevin just texted me that right at the beginning
[1:23:25] Speaker 2: of the show, and it just the innocence of youth.
[1:23:29] Speaker 1: Tie. Well, you know what my big idea has been
[1:23:32] Speaker 1: for a doscumentary, not not for a documentary, just for anything. Okay,
[1:23:37] Speaker 1: this is my best bad idea was to start a
[1:23:40] Speaker 1: store called the Ottoman Empire, which only has Automan in stock.
[1:23:44] Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a very like Cosmo Kramer idea.
[1:23:47] Speaker 1: It's extremely Cosmo Kramer. Yeah. Solid Wife Kate. Wait, Solid
[1:23:51] Speaker 1: Wife k came to me a couple months ago. Mm hmm.
[1:23:56] Speaker 1: You're not going to believe it. They built an Ottoman Empire.
[1:23:59] Speaker 1: Oh really, I'm moving get on the right empire now. Yeah.
[1:24:02] Speaker 2: I see Ottoman Society, but I haven't seen Automan.
[1:24:05] Speaker 1: That's that's a higher browner store, the Ottoman Society. I'm
[1:24:08] Speaker 1: talking Ottoman for the people.
[1:24:11] Speaker 2: So you don't you're not at all? I mean, do
[1:24:13] Speaker 2: you have passion about kicking your feet up?
[1:24:16] Speaker 1: Do I none at all? Okay, not at all?
[1:24:18] Speaker 2: So you're not actually into Ottomans.
[1:24:20] Speaker 1: This is just well, I like a good Ottoman. Don't
[1:24:22] Speaker 1: get me wrong, but okay, this is more about the
[1:24:25] Speaker 1: play on words.
[1:24:25] Speaker 2: Okay, all right, I think you should pursue it. I
[1:24:31] Speaker 2: think it's a great idea.
[1:24:32] Speaker 1: Ty On that note, I hope you enjoyed your typeotheticals
[1:24:36] Speaker 1: and the danthropopic danthrop pop danthropic engine over there in
[1:24:43] Speaker 1: beautiful Chicago, Illinois. Hope you all enjoy your weekend. Thank you,
[1:24:48] Speaker 1: as always for your ongoing support. It is always our
[1:24:52] Speaker 1: pleasure to be here before you, and one more time,
[1:24:55] Speaker 1: Celiverable let you know, dot com is how you can
[1:24:56] Speaker 1: get into for that guy over there, Dan, for myself
[1:24:59] Speaker 1: over here. Until next time, stay soft peace. H m
[1:25:09] Speaker 1: hm

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