<v Speaker 1>Thank you. Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

<v Speaker 2>You are listening to the Daily Dose Sports Podcast, and

<v Speaker 2>I am your host, Clint Daly, coming to you from

<v Speaker 2>my high city here in Denver, Colorado. And we are

<v Speaker 2>back for another week of talking sports with a dose

<v Speaker 2>of common sense.

<v Speaker 1>Hey, happy Wednesday to you. I hope your week is

<v Speaker 1>going well.

<v Speaker 2>I hope you, your family, your friends, everyone in your

<v Speaker 2>world is staying strong and healthy right now.

<v Speaker 1>We are happy to have you here with us today.

<v Speaker 2>And hey, the most wonderful time of the year, is

<v Speaker 2>nearly upon us. Because do not forget that we have real,

<v Speaker 2>live college football games beginning this Saturday. It's not a

<v Speaker 2>huge lineup, but at 10 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, we

<v Speaker 2>get Texas Christian facing Bill Belichick and the North Carolina

<v Speaker 2>Tar Heels in Dublin, Ireland.

<v Speaker 1>Okay, that's not bad.

<v Speaker 2>At 1 p.m., we get number 14 USC hosting San

<v Speaker 2>Jose State.

<v Speaker 1>I might have to watch some of that.

<v Speaker 2>At 1.30 p.m., the North Carolina State Wolfpack go to

<v Speaker 2>Virginia to face the Cavaliers in an early ACC matchup.

<v Speaker 2>At 5 p.m., Hawaii goes to Stanford. Now, that doesn't

<v Speaker 2>sound great. But I'm going to call it now. Hawaii

<v Speaker 2>just might be a little bit of a sleeper this year.

<v Speaker 2>And at 8 p.m. on Saturday night, Memphis goes to

<v Speaker 2>UNLV in Vegas, which actually might be maybe the most

<v Speaker 2>competitive game of the day.

<v Speaker 1>Now, like I said, is it a blockbuster Saturday? Not

<v Speaker 1>even close. But is it real live football?

<v Speaker 2>Yes, and I'm telling you right now, it can't get

<v Speaker 2>here soon enough. Hey, today on The Dose, I've got

<v Speaker 2>a jam-packed show for you today and a very special

<v Speaker 2>guest that is going to be joining us. In fact,

<v Speaker 2>we have so much to get to today, we need

<v Speaker 2>to jump into our 2026 Daily Dose college football preview

<v Speaker 2>with Big Rob right now. Joining us right now on

<v Speaker 2>The Daily Dose, a longtime friend of the show, West

<v Speaker 2>Virginia Mountaineer And of course, the acting president of the

<v Speaker 2>DLDSI team that finds the stories no one else can find.

<v Speaker 2>Big Rob is here to help us break down that

<v Speaker 2>2026 college football season and see exactly what we should

<v Speaker 2>be expecting for the remainder of the year. Rob, I

<v Speaker 2>know college football has some really weird aspects to it.

<v Speaker 1>I know there's some stuff that we both kind of

<v Speaker 1>look at and we don't like.

<v Speaker 2>And also, we're going to have some really good teams

<v Speaker 2>and some really fun games this year, aren't we?

<v Speaker 3>We are, yeah. They're trying to mess it up. They're trying,

<v Speaker 3>but they haven't yet. But like you said, despite all

<v Speaker 3>the chaos that's going on, I think we're going to

<v Speaker 3>have some really good games. And those last few weeks

<v Speaker 3>of the season are going to be exciting like they

<v Speaker 3>usually are.

<v Speaker 1>Oh, yeah.

<v Speaker 2>And, you know, we're going down the schedule. We're kind

<v Speaker 2>of looking at the schedule and looking ahead. And I'm going, oh,

<v Speaker 2>my goodness, some of these games I can't wait for.

<v Speaker 2>There are going to be some amazing games. We have

<v Speaker 2>a chance to legitimately maybe have our best playoff field

<v Speaker 2>because we've kind of eliminated some of the, hey, you

<v Speaker 2>got to get a bid just because you're a little conference, whatever.

<v Speaker 1>No, let's put the best of the best in. Isn't

<v Speaker 1>that doesn't make more sense?

<v Speaker 3>I think so, too. And like you said, they got

<v Speaker 3>rid of the if you win the conference, it's an

<v Speaker 3>automatic top four spot. Now it's just going to be

<v Speaker 3>the ranking. So like you said, you really get a true,

<v Speaker 3>you know, these are the top, you know, one through 12.

<v Speaker 3>It probably gets a little shaky as we get towards

<v Speaker 3>the end. But those first, you know, six, seven teams

<v Speaker 3>are legit going to be, you know, top contenders, regardless

<v Speaker 3>of if they come from the same conference or not.

<v Speaker 1>Definitely.

<v Speaker 2>Of course, the Indiana Hoosiers won their first national championship

<v Speaker 2>in school history last year.

<v Speaker 1>They dominated the rest of the field as Kurt Cignetti. Yeah,

<v Speaker 1>he's kind of a jerk, but.

<v Speaker 2>He's really good. But he delivers the Big Ten Conference,

<v Speaker 2>their third title in a row. Rob has the Big

<v Speaker 2>Ten now past the SEC since everyone can outpay the players.

<v Speaker 3>That's a tricky one. I know we'll get into it.

<v Speaker 3>I still think personally the SEC is the deepest conference.

<v Speaker 3>But again, you can make the case now that everyone

<v Speaker 3>can pay everyone, they are on a bit of a drought.

<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I would agree with you, and I would say

<v Speaker 1>the same thing. I think the SEC top to bottom

<v Speaker 1>still has the most depth, still has the most top-end talent.

<v Speaker 1>I think it's right there. We'll see. We'll see.

<v Speaker 2>And, you know, I wouldn't be surprised as much chirping

<v Speaker 2>is going on about the SEC being down if the

<v Speaker 2>SEC somehow comes through and actually wins one this year. Rob,

<v Speaker 2>we've once again seen coaches, players just jumping all over

<v Speaker 2>the place. There are no rules right now. It's the

<v Speaker 2>Wild West. This can't last, can it?

<v Speaker 3>I don't think so. I don't think so. Like you said, yeah,

<v Speaker 3>with the NIL and just, you know, paying players. And

<v Speaker 3>like you said, now it's just used to be, you know,

<v Speaker 3>a player can up and leave, a coach can leave.

<v Speaker 3>But now we have coaches leaving, taking 20 players with them.

<v Speaker 3>So that's a couple, you know, I'm sure we'll get

<v Speaker 3>into that. But you got a couple of teams like

<v Speaker 3>Virginia Tech, for example, where the coach leaves, takes half

<v Speaker 3>the team with him, half the staff. So, yeah, just

<v Speaker 3>a lot going on right now.

<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it seems like it's going to eventually kind of

<v Speaker 2>bottom out in a way. Rich people don't like their

<v Speaker 2>money being taken from them, and I think that's going

<v Speaker 2>to end up being a problem. Rob, let's go ahead

<v Speaker 2>and jump into our conference previews, and let's start in

<v Speaker 2>that Atlantic Coast conference.

<v Speaker 1>I think all of us have kind of forgotten..

<v Speaker 2>That the duke blue devils actually won the conference because

<v Speaker 2>it was miami hurricanes that went all the way to

<v Speaker 2>the national championship game but rob let's take a look

<v Speaker 2>at that acc before we name our champion do you

<v Speaker 2>have any contenders in the acc that you like i.

<v Speaker 3>Do i do i've got um three i'm gonna say

<v Speaker 3>honorable mentions and then i have three real contenders okay

<v Speaker 3>what do you got first honorable mention i just want

<v Speaker 3>to mention not a full contender uh fsu um I

<v Speaker 3>think they're going to struggle. I think Norvell, that buyout

<v Speaker 3>is $ 50 million. And I know they don't want to

<v Speaker 3>pay it, even though they have deep pockets down there.

<v Speaker 3>Tough schedule. Alabama, Miami, Clemson, Florida in there, too. So

<v Speaker 3>I just don't think he gets it done. But that's

<v Speaker 3>just going to be a good team just to watch.

<v Speaker 3>Like I said, I think they'll be better. But because

<v Speaker 3>of that schedule, I don't know if he's going to

<v Speaker 3>make it out.

<v Speaker 2>I don't either, and that schedule is so tough, and

<v Speaker 2>that seat is getting hot, and one thing, and we'll

<v Speaker 2>talk about it as we go through the day-to-day, expectations

<v Speaker 2>change everything for your coach, for your players, for everything,

<v Speaker 2>and expectations in FSU, hey, it's win or else, that

<v Speaker 2>might not go well.

<v Speaker 1>Who else do you have as an honorable mention?

<v Speaker 3>Another honorable mention, I just mentioned them, actually, Virginia Tech. Interested,

<v Speaker 3>like I said, James Franklin taking over, took a bunch

<v Speaker 3>of people with him. They actually did pretty good work

<v Speaker 3>in the portal. This is another one, though, where that

<v Speaker 3>schedule is kind of tough. But again, Franklin, I still

<v Speaker 3>think is a good coach. You know, he wins the

<v Speaker 3>games he's supposed to. It's just that upper echelon where

<v Speaker 3>he has trouble. So I don't think they're there right away,

<v Speaker 3>but I do think an improvement. I think that's a

<v Speaker 3>team I'm interested to watch this season.

<v Speaker 1>I am too.

<v Speaker 2>And I, I don't want to say James Franklin got

<v Speaker 2>a bad rap, not being able to win big games

<v Speaker 2>because you got to be in the big games to

<v Speaker 2>not be able to win the big games.

<v Speaker 1>And somehow he's getting him there. Did he always come through? No.

<v Speaker 1>Is he a great recruiter? Yes. Is he a very

<v Speaker 1>good coach? Yes, I think he is. And I think

<v Speaker 1>he's going to upgrade Virginia Tech for sure. Who else

<v Speaker 1>you got, Rob?

<v Speaker 3>And my last honorable mention here before we get into

<v Speaker 3>a real contender, and they were right on the line

<v Speaker 3>for me, was Clemson. Yeah. You know, have kind of

<v Speaker 3>fallen off from their heyday here. A lot of it was,

<v Speaker 3>you know, Dabo refusing to get in the portal. I

<v Speaker 3>think I saw, I think the year before he took

<v Speaker 3>three people out the portal. This year it was 11.

<v Speaker 3>But I still don't think that's enough there. So maybe

<v Speaker 3>a little bit better, but that's just a team, you know,

<v Speaker 3>I think still going in the wrong direction.

<v Speaker 2>Well, and, you know, he always had that defense up

<v Speaker 2>to par.

<v Speaker 1>And now that defense has kind of slipped.

<v Speaker 2>He should have a good defense this year, but he's

<v Speaker 2>got to find a new quarterback. He's got to find

<v Speaker 2>an offense. Yeah, I think he's worth a mention. I

<v Speaker 2>want to keep an eye on Clemson, but I'm right

<v Speaker 2>there with you. I don't think they're ready for prime time.

<v Speaker 2>All right, let's get into the more serious stuff. Who

<v Speaker 2>are the contenders?

<v Speaker 3>Who do you got? Contenders. First one I'm going to

<v Speaker 3>give you is NC State. And this is a schedule

<v Speaker 3>play here. They miss Miami, Clemson, Pitt, SMU. They've been

<v Speaker 3>pretty solid, you know, the last couple seasons. This is

<v Speaker 3>mainly a schedule play. They avoid all the big boys.

<v Speaker 3>So I think they can end up in there like

<v Speaker 3>a 10 and 2, 9 and 3 kind of season.

<v Speaker 3>So just because of that schedule, they're a contender for me.

<v Speaker 2>I would agree with that, and he's done a very

<v Speaker 2>good job at NC State. Can he come out and

<v Speaker 2>find enough people? Hey, you're going to be favored to

<v Speaker 2>win almost all your games, aren't you? So go out

<v Speaker 2>there and achieve what you should achieve. All right, Rob,

<v Speaker 2>I've got two contenders here, and I won't be surprised if,

<v Speaker 2>as we usually do, we have the same ones.

<v Speaker 1>Give me your next contender.

<v Speaker 3>The contender for me is SMU.

<v Speaker 1>Yep.

<v Speaker 3>Coach there, Rhett Lashley, 38 and 16 at SMU. This

<v Speaker 3>is a team, again, hasn't, well, you know, playoff team.

<v Speaker 3>I think they're right there. So like I said, right

<v Speaker 3>on the edge. I don't think they take the conference,

<v Speaker 3>but again, this has just been a solid ACC program.

<v Speaker 3>So I think they're going to be in the mix

<v Speaker 3>again for this ACC title.

<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I do too.

<v Speaker 2>I really like quarterback Kevin Jennings. The question for me is,

<v Speaker 2>can he stay healthy? And that hasn't always been the

<v Speaker 2>case with him. Remember, SMU beat Miami last year, but

<v Speaker 2>then they slip up against teams like Cal and Baylor

<v Speaker 2>when their defenses didn't show up.

<v Speaker 1>Can you have enough defense?

<v Speaker 2>I don't know, and I guess that's why I would

<v Speaker 2>kind of put them as a contender, not a champion.

<v Speaker 2>I'm right there with you, though. I have SMU on

<v Speaker 2>my contender, so who is your next contender?

<v Speaker 3>My number one contender is... is Louisville this year. Jeff

<v Speaker 3>Rahm came back in 23, 10 wins, 9 wins, 9 wins,

<v Speaker 3>and another scheduled play here. They avoid both Miami and Clemson.

<v Speaker 3>So again, I think this is a team that when

<v Speaker 3>it comes down to the end is probably going to

<v Speaker 3>be playing for the title here. So Louisville is my

<v Speaker 3>number one contender.

<v Speaker 2>Louisville's going to be really interesting to watch because the

<v Speaker 2>schedule works out nicely for them, but it opens up

<v Speaker 2>difficult for them. You've got Ole Miss. That's not going

<v Speaker 2>to be easy. And you got SMU early. After that,

<v Speaker 2>you're going to skate. Can you start off the season hot?

<v Speaker 2>Like you said, Jeff Brom has done a really good

<v Speaker 2>job there. Can he get them off to a strong start?

<v Speaker 2>I agree with you 100%, which means we're, of course,

<v Speaker 2>going to have the same champion.

<v Speaker 1>Rob, who do you got as your champion?

<v Speaker 3>Miami Hurricanes, again, like you mentioned before, didn't actually win

<v Speaker 3>the conference last year. Of note, I hope they got

<v Speaker 3>their tiebreaker figured out. I heard that they did. Maybe.

<v Speaker 3>That was.

<v Speaker 1>That was bad.

<v Speaker 3>But again, really, Clemson and Notre Dame are going to

<v Speaker 3>be their big test. Outside of that, they should be fine.

<v Speaker 3>But still, Cristobal still kind of loses one that he shouldn't.

<v Speaker 3>So that's in the mix there somewhere. But at the

<v Speaker 3>end of the day, I've got them in the ACC

<v Speaker 3>title game and actually winning it this year.

<v Speaker 1>Yeah, yeah, in the same way. They are loaded. They

<v Speaker 1>bring in Duke transfer quarterback Darian Mensah.

<v Speaker 2>They still have a few explosive playmakers, especially Malachi Toney,

<v Speaker 2>who might be one of the most explosive playmakers in

<v Speaker 2>the country.

<v Speaker 1>Like you said, the schedule is friendly. They've got cupcakes

<v Speaker 1>well into October, and then they get Clemson... a test,

<v Speaker 1>but not a big dog test. And then, like you said,

<v Speaker 1>they go to South Bend in November. That's going to

<v Speaker 1>be the big test. That's basically going to be a

<v Speaker 1>playoff game. But Miami should cruise. I do think they're

<v Speaker 1>going to have to figure out their offensive and defensive

<v Speaker 1>lines because they did lose a lot of people. But

<v Speaker 1>with that cushy schedule, they've got plenty of time to

<v Speaker 1>do that.

<v Speaker 2>I think Miami is a lock to be in that

<v Speaker 2>ACC title game. And I think they're actually a lock

<v Speaker 2>for the college football playoff, which we will get to

<v Speaker 2>a little bit later.

<v Speaker 1>We jump to the Big 12, where last season, the

<v Speaker 1>Texas Tech Red Raiders rolled to the title.

<v Speaker 2>As they beat BYU in that championship game, and Texas

<v Speaker 2>Tech was the only Big 12 team to qualify for

<v Speaker 2>the playoff. Tech was then beaten like a drum in

<v Speaker 2>their playoff game by Oregon. Can the Big 12 be

<v Speaker 2>a little bit stronger this year? Rob, how many contenders

<v Speaker 2>and honorable mentions do you have?

<v Speaker 3>Of the power four, I think this is the weakest

<v Speaker 3>of them all, in my opinion. I've got one honorable mention,

<v Speaker 3>two contenders, and then my champion.

<v Speaker 2>Okay, I've got an honorable mention here as well. Who

<v Speaker 2>is your honorable mention?

<v Speaker 3>I always bring them up. Colorado.

<v Speaker 1>Really?

<v Speaker 3>Yes, just honorable mention. Wow. Again, I'm a prime fan.

<v Speaker 3>Four and eight that first season, and the second season

<v Speaker 3>obviously was a lot better, and then it turned for

<v Speaker 3>the worse again. But I think he did better recruiting,

<v Speaker 3>tried to address the defense, which I think was their

<v Speaker 3>biggest problem. So I got him like an 8-4-ish, I think.

<v Speaker 3>I think they're going to beat him in the upswing again.

<v Speaker 3>Not competing in the end, but I think this is

<v Speaker 3>an upswing for Colorado. Not sure how much it lasts.

<v Speaker 3>And like I said, a lot of that initial awe has,

<v Speaker 3>you know, seemed to wear off. So I think it

<v Speaker 3>turns up a little bit here in the right direction.

<v Speaker 3>Like I said, not fully competing, but better than last season.

<v Speaker 1>Look at Rob.

<v Speaker 2>Look at Rob coming around on Colorado. Rob, I'm going

<v Speaker 2>to go the other way on Colorado. I saw their

<v Speaker 2>spring game. I thought it was a middle school game.

<v Speaker 1>I didn't know. They are the tiniest school I have

<v Speaker 1>seen for a Division I Big 12 program. I had

<v Speaker 1>no idea.

<v Speaker 2>They were so little. I'm going to be fascinated to watch. Hey,

<v Speaker 2>you want to talk about a team I'm interested to watch?

<v Speaker 2>I want to watch Colorado because if they do win, hey,

<v Speaker 2>he's paying for things without money. I don't know how

<v Speaker 2>he's doing it because they are so tiny.

<v Speaker 1>I'm fascinated to see.

<v Speaker 2>I've got an honorable mention as well, and I'm going

<v Speaker 2>to preface it by saying this.

<v Speaker 1>I am sober.

<v Speaker 2>But I'm going to name Oklahoma State as a contender. Hey,

<v Speaker 2>the Cowboys were horrible last year.

<v Speaker 1>They went out. They spent some serious money.

<v Speaker 2>They brought in Eric Morris, who is coaching pro ball

<v Speaker 2>in Canada to replace Mike Gundy.

<v Speaker 1>Crazy Gundy. I'm 40.

<v Speaker 2>Morris went nuts in the portal. He brought in a

<v Speaker 2>ton of talent. Now, are they going to have to

<v Speaker 2>bring everything together and figure it? You can't just throw

<v Speaker 2>people in a room and expect them to be good. No,

<v Speaker 2>but they're going to be better is my, I guess

<v Speaker 2>my biggest thing.

<v Speaker 1>And they might actually be interesting to watch. They need

<v Speaker 1>to beat Tulane in that opener.

<v Speaker 2>Because Oregon is going to beat the absolute dog out

<v Speaker 2>of them in week two. But after that, the schedule

<v Speaker 2>gets a little bit lighter, and the Cowboys could at

<v Speaker 2>least have a respectable season, which they haven't had in

<v Speaker 2>quite some time. All right, Rob, but let's get to contenders.

<v Speaker 2>I have three contenders.

<v Speaker 1>What do you have?

<v Speaker 3>I've got two contenders. First one I'll give you is

<v Speaker 3>Houston for me.

<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

<v Speaker 3>Willie Fritz, that's a good coach right there. It's a

<v Speaker 3>team on the upswing. I like what they did on

<v Speaker 3>the defensive side of the ball. Connor Wegman, not ideal.

<v Speaker 3>We'll see how that goes. But this is the team,

<v Speaker 3>like I said, Willie Fritz, that's a good coach right there,

<v Speaker 3>and I expect them to be in the mix at

<v Speaker 3>the end.

<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, they went 10-3 last year. They beat

<v Speaker 2>LSU in that Texas Bowl. They're a good program. He's

<v Speaker 2>really got them going, and they returned 10 starters from

<v Speaker 2>that team. We'll see how they do. They can win

<v Speaker 2>this conference. They can play their way into the college

<v Speaker 2>football playoff if they do. So yeah, I'm right there

<v Speaker 2>with you at Houston. I'm going to throw out one contender.

<v Speaker 2>I swear, Rob, I know better than this. I shouldn't

<v Speaker 2>do this, but I'm going to do it. I'm going

<v Speaker 2>to mention the Arizona Wildcats, and I'm going to do

<v Speaker 2>it because quarterback Noah Fafita is legitimately... Heisman talented. I'm

<v Speaker 2>not going to say he's going to do it, but

<v Speaker 2>he is that talented. Last year, they went 9-4. They

<v Speaker 2>lost to SMU in the Holiday Bowl. I think they

<v Speaker 2>can be as good or better this year.

<v Speaker 1>The schedule's going to be a little bit difficult because

<v Speaker 1>they've got to go on the road against a couple

<v Speaker 1>of top teams, but I'm at least going to mention Arizona.

<v Speaker 1>All right, we each have one contender left. Will it

<v Speaker 1>be the same one? Rob, who's your final contender?

<v Speaker 3>My number one contender is BYU.

<v Speaker 1>Yep, same.

<v Speaker 3>They return a lot. The schedule gets a little bit tougher.

<v Speaker 3>But again, the coach stayed and they quietly have some

<v Speaker 3>resources up there. They're spending money up there in Utah.

<v Speaker 3>And like I said, schedule is a little bit tougher,

<v Speaker 3>but manageable. So I feel like they're going to be

<v Speaker 3>in the mix right down, you know, those last couple

<v Speaker 3>of weeks again, like they were last year.

<v Speaker 2>So I look at them and they've got quarterback Bear

<v Speaker 2>Buckmeyer and he's back for another season.

<v Speaker 1>He's a dual correct guy. He can hurt you a

<v Speaker 1>lot of different ways.

<v Speaker 2>The Cougars return most all of that defense, and that

<v Speaker 2>may end up being the key for them. Remember, they

<v Speaker 2>will host Notre Dame in October. That could be very,

<v Speaker 2>very interesting. You somehow pull out a win there, look out.

<v Speaker 2>Which means, Rob, of course, we're probably going to both

<v Speaker 2>have that same champion in the Big 12, the one

<v Speaker 2>that is spending like no other, right?

<v Speaker 3>Yeah, almost by default. But yeah, Texas Tech, for that

<v Speaker 3>point you mentioned, they have deep pockets there, returning 15 starters.

<v Speaker 3>And the schedule is pretty soft. I would like them

<v Speaker 3>better if Sorsby was there. But even despite that, like

<v Speaker 3>I said, I think Texas Tech is still the top

<v Speaker 3>of this division.

<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

<v Speaker 2>And let's talk about Brandon Sorsby, because Brandon Sorsby had

<v Speaker 2>the unmitigated gall to try to sue to return to

<v Speaker 2>college football after betting on his own teams. I don't

<v Speaker 2>know who this boy's parents are, but you're failing. Let's

<v Speaker 2>get that on the table. But yes, Tech returns 10

<v Speaker 2>starters from a team that went 12-2, won a conference,

<v Speaker 2>went to the college football playoff.

<v Speaker 1>They should be able to do that again. They might

<v Speaker 1>be better this year. And maybe they're better off without

<v Speaker 1>Sorsby because they just don't have the distraction. I don't know.

<v Speaker 2>Like I said, they're spending like no other. Well, Rob,

<v Speaker 2>we've hit two conferences. We've gone two for two. This

<v Speaker 2>is not uncommon for us, but we're doing it again.

<v Speaker 2>Let's jump into that Big Ten who has now, like

<v Speaker 2>I said, won three national championships in a row. Last season,

<v Speaker 2>the conference sent three teams to the college football playoff.

<v Speaker 2>They might be even deeper this year. You know, every

<v Speaker 2>year we get Ohio State, we get Oregon, we get

<v Speaker 2>Michigan in this conversation. Can we get someone else? Can

<v Speaker 2>someone else step into the fray I don't know, but

<v Speaker 2>I've got a few contenders here. I've got one honorable mention.

<v Speaker 2>I've got an honorable mention, and I've got one, two,

<v Speaker 2>three contenders.

<v Speaker 3>What do you got, Rob? Say it for me. One

<v Speaker 3>honorable mention, three contenders, and then my champion.

<v Speaker 1>Yep. Who's your honorable mention?

<v Speaker 3>First honorable mention is USC. 14 returning starters. They had

<v Speaker 3>the number one recruiting class. This is probably the best

<v Speaker 3>team that Lincoln Riley's had. I think he's right in

<v Speaker 3>the middle of that contract. This is year five of 10.

<v Speaker 3>Defense is always a problem for Lincoln Riley teams. Yes.

<v Speaker 3>So hopefully if that got a little better, the schedule

<v Speaker 3>is tough. But again, I don't think they have enough

<v Speaker 3>to get over the hump. But so like I said,

<v Speaker 3>that's why it's just an honorable mention to me. Keep

<v Speaker 3>an eye on if that defense is better. Again, I

<v Speaker 3>think the offense is going to be good, but I

<v Speaker 3>think the defense ultimately lets them down again.

<v Speaker 2>If Lincoln Riley is ever going to do something, This

<v Speaker 2>kind of has to be the year, doesn't it? Like

<v Speaker 2>you said, he's bringing in his most talent. The schedule

<v Speaker 2>is a little bit tough, but it's manageable, especially early.

<v Speaker 2>Everything's at home. Even their toughest opponents will be at home.

<v Speaker 2>They're going to have a chance to go out and

<v Speaker 2>do something. But yeah, I've actually got USC as a contender,

<v Speaker 2>but it's basically..

<v Speaker 1>Kind of like prove it.

<v Speaker 2>Go do something. Because you've been there before. We haven't

<v Speaker 2>seen anything. Like you said, the defense never ever steps up.

<v Speaker 2>I'm going to name my honorable mention... And I'm going

<v Speaker 2>to name the Michigan Wolverines because quarterback Bryce Underwood is

<v Speaker 2>just a physical freak. I think he will be much

<v Speaker 2>better utilized in a better situation with new head coach

<v Speaker 2>Kyle Whittingham, who comes over after 20 plus years at Utah.

<v Speaker 2>The schedule is tough, though. The schedule might just be

<v Speaker 2>too much for them. They've got an early game against Oklahoma.

<v Speaker 2>They've got road games against Oregon. And of course, they

<v Speaker 2>have Ohio State. I think that might be a lot

<v Speaker 2>for Michigan. But I think, hey, Kyle Whittingham's a really,

<v Speaker 2>really good football coach. He's going to make them better eventually,

<v Speaker 2>but it's going to take some time. So I'll put

<v Speaker 2>Michigan as an honorable mention. Rob, we both have our

<v Speaker 2>honorables up. I have USC as a contender. Who's your contender?

<v Speaker 3>Number three contender for me is Penn State. Okay. Matt

<v Speaker 3>Campbell comes over from Iowa State. This is another schedule play.

<v Speaker 3>They avoid Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana. And again, this

<v Speaker 3>is kind of like a Virginia Tech situation where the

<v Speaker 3>coach came over, 10 of his assistants, 20 some odd players.

<v Speaker 3>So it's basically Iowa State now in the Big Ten.

<v Speaker 3>And like I said, they avoid the big three in

<v Speaker 3>this conference. So for me, like I said, they're a

<v Speaker 3>contender just because of that schedule. I think they can

<v Speaker 3>they might hit the ground running and rack up some

<v Speaker 3>wins here.

<v Speaker 1>Well, and they definitely can.

<v Speaker 2>And you mentioned the schedule, but they also bring over

<v Speaker 2>a quarterback that he's been working with for what, the

<v Speaker 2>past two, three years in Rocco Beck, who should come

<v Speaker 2>over and not have that learning curve that so many

<v Speaker 2>kids have on a new coach because he doesn't have

<v Speaker 2>a new coach. He's got the same coach he's had

<v Speaker 2>for the last few years. Yeah, I could totally see

<v Speaker 2>them coming out not being... Maybe legit, but going out

<v Speaker 2>and racking up wins and racking up wins and going,

<v Speaker 2>holy cow, they're right now in a playoff position.

<v Speaker 3>Playoffs?

<v Speaker 1>Yeah, so that could easily happen. I will give you

<v Speaker 1>that as well. All right, Rob, I have two contenders

<v Speaker 1>and my champion. You have two contenders and a champion?

<v Speaker 3>Yes.

<v Speaker 1>Let's have your next contender.

<v Speaker 3>My number two contender is Indiana.

<v Speaker 1>That's my two.

<v Speaker 3>They keep the staff intact. They lost a lot, but again,

<v Speaker 3>this is just Cignetti, like you mentioned, good coach, 27-2

<v Speaker 3>in two years. Josh Hoover, QB transfer from TCU, currently

<v Speaker 3>the active leader in passing yards and TDs. I know

<v Speaker 3>he has been turnover prone, but I think in this system,

<v Speaker 3>better coaching, he doesn't have to do as much. Schedule

<v Speaker 3>worries me a little bit. I think we do get

<v Speaker 3>a little bit of a downgrade, but again, Indiana, I

<v Speaker 3>think they're going to be contending, and right there, the

<v Speaker 3>drop-off is going to be small.

<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I would agree. with everything you said there. Hoover

<v Speaker 1>comes over.

<v Speaker 2>He's going to be a much more experienced guy, and

<v Speaker 2>he's a guy that's going to really benefit from playing

<v Speaker 2>in Cignetti's system. He could end up being more talented

<v Speaker 2>than Mendoza was, and we saw what Mendoza did. The

<v Speaker 2>early going is very easy for Indiana. They're going to

<v Speaker 2>rack up win after win. They've got a number of cupcakes,

<v Speaker 2>and then it's going to get challenging. But like you said,

<v Speaker 2>I could see them Going to the Big Ten title game,

<v Speaker 2>I could see them playing their way into the playoff very,

<v Speaker 2>very easily. Indiana has all the capability of going and

<v Speaker 2>at least contending for another championship. Well, now it's going

<v Speaker 2>to get interesting. I've got one contender left. You've got

<v Speaker 2>one contender left. And then we have our champion. All right, Rob,

<v Speaker 2>let's have your final contender. We've matched up so far.

<v Speaker 1>How are we doing here?

<v Speaker 3>My number one contender is Oregon.

<v Speaker 1>Oh, we flipped.

<v Speaker 2>Them, but we have the same teams. I know we

<v Speaker 2>have the same teams. Okay, you've got Oregon as a contender.

<v Speaker 2>They're going to be good. How do you have Oregon

<v Speaker 2>as a contender?

<v Speaker 3>Yeah, Dan Lanning, 48-8 since he's been there. They're returning

<v Speaker 3>60% of their production. QB's back, and again, this is

<v Speaker 3>just kind of those unfinished business kind of stories. I

<v Speaker 3>think they're going to be in the mix. Like I said,

<v Speaker 3>I think they're going to lose to Ohio State during

<v Speaker 3>the regular season. I think they're going to meet again.

<v Speaker 3>in the final, and they're going to lose again to

<v Speaker 3>Ohio State. But that's it. They're running the table. They

<v Speaker 3>just can't get past Ohio State. Like I said, in

<v Speaker 3>the title game, ends up losing to Ohio State twice.

<v Speaker 3>But yeah, again, this is a very good team.

<v Speaker 2>I've got Oregon as my champion, but I went back

<v Speaker 2>and forth with them and Ohio State, as I know

<v Speaker 2>you did. They bring back, like you said, quarterback Dante Moore.

<v Speaker 2>He needs to show up better in big games. In

<v Speaker 2>big games, he didn't really prove to be that much,

<v Speaker 2>especially in.

<v Speaker 1>The playoff game. Holy cow, he kind of disappeared. I'll

<v Speaker 1>say this, that defensive line of Oregon, they're going to

<v Speaker 1>be a problem for a lot of teams. You know,

<v Speaker 1>they're going to get a tough early test against Boise State.

<v Speaker 1>And then, like you said, USC, Illinois, Ohio State. Hey,

<v Speaker 1>but you know what?

<v Speaker 2>No excuses this year. Oregon, if you're going to do something,

<v Speaker 2>go do something. Here is your opportunity. They are my champion.

<v Speaker 2>My last contender is going to be Rob Champion. And Rob,

<v Speaker 2>that is the Ohio State Buckeyes. And holy cow, they

<v Speaker 2>are loaded, aren't they?

<v Speaker 1>Loaded.

<v Speaker 3>Like you said, top five recruiting class once again. They

<v Speaker 3>now have two NFL coordinators. Matt Patricia was there last year,

<v Speaker 3>and they added Arthur Smith this year. Schedule is a

<v Speaker 3>little tougher, but again, that talent is there. And I

<v Speaker 3>think they, you know, they just have enough to get

<v Speaker 3>it done. Like I said, they've got Oregon's number twice

<v Speaker 3>this year. So that's going to be my champion.

<v Speaker 1>Hey, quarterback Julian Sane should be better than he was.

<v Speaker 2>Jeremiah Smith might be the best player in the country,

<v Speaker 2>and Rob, I'll be honest, he might be the best

<v Speaker 2>receiver I've seen since, like, Larry Fitzgerald. That kid has

<v Speaker 2>every single tool. The only reason I didn't take Ohio

<v Speaker 2>State is, like you mentioned, that schedule. At Texas, at Indiana,

<v Speaker 2>at USC, and Michigan to close the season. But, hey,

<v Speaker 2>if they get through that with just, like, a loss

<v Speaker 2>or something... Yeah, they're going to be right there. They

<v Speaker 2>are in contention for a Big Ten title, for a

<v Speaker 2>college football playoff title. I have them going to that

<v Speaker 2>college football playoff for sure. All right, Rob, we switched

<v Speaker 2>things up just a little bit in the Big Ten,

<v Speaker 2>but we really didn't come up that differently as we...

<v Speaker 2>I don't know how we do this, Rob. We don't

<v Speaker 2>compare notes. It just always happens. But now let's jump

<v Speaker 2>up to the big dog. The SEC is on a

<v Speaker 2>bit of a cold streak lately. Don't throw dirt on

<v Speaker 2>them just yet. I'm telling you, the Southeastern Conference still

<v Speaker 2>had five teams qualify last year for the playoff.

<v Speaker 1>Rob, the talent and depth this year is going to

<v Speaker 1>be there again. We might be here a minute, Rob.

<v Speaker 2>I've got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven contenders,

<v Speaker 2>and then my champion.

<v Speaker 1>What do you have?

<v Speaker 3>Yeah, this was, again, by far, I think the deepest

<v Speaker 3>conference of them all. I've got six. Honorable mentions, three

<v Speaker 3>action contenders, and then my champion.

<v Speaker 2>Okay, well, let's jump into some of your honorable mentions

<v Speaker 2>because I guarantee they're going to be some of my contenders.

<v Speaker 1>What do you have?

<v Speaker 3>Yeah, first team I want to talk about is your

<v Speaker 3>Florida Gator.

<v Speaker 1>Oh, goodness. You're way too kind.

<v Speaker 3>Honorable mention again. John Summerall, I think you got the

<v Speaker 3>right guy. He was at Troy 15 and 20. Before

<v Speaker 3>he got there, when he left, 23 and 5, two

<v Speaker 3>Sunbelt titles, Tulane, 20 wins in two seasons. So I

<v Speaker 3>think it's the right guy. Hopefully you and the fan

<v Speaker 3>base can be patient because this is the SEC.

<v Speaker 1>No chance.

<v Speaker 3>So that turnaround is not going to happen fast, but

<v Speaker 3>I think if you stick with him, this is obviously

<v Speaker 3>a good coach. So again, maybe a good upset here

<v Speaker 3>or there. But again, just a team to keep an

<v Speaker 3>eye on.

<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think they are a team to keep an

<v Speaker 1>eye on.

<v Speaker 2>And I think that maybe he's a guy that comes

<v Speaker 2>out and surprises a few people that didn't really expect

<v Speaker 2>much from Florida this year.

<v Speaker 1>He'll have the fan support for now. We'll see if

<v Speaker 1>he can hold on to it. All right, Rob. Next

<v Speaker 1>honorable mention.

<v Speaker 3>Who do you got? Next one is going to be Auburn. Okay.

<v Speaker 3>It's another situation. Alex Golish, QB Byron Brown from South Florida.

<v Speaker 3>And again, they basically brought the offense with them. The

<v Speaker 3>schedule is tough, though. They got Georgia, LSU, and Alabama.

<v Speaker 3>But again, this is another one where I think you

<v Speaker 3>got a good coach to ride higher.

<v Speaker 1>I agree.

<v Speaker 3>If the fan base can be somewhat patient. You know,

<v Speaker 3>I think they got the right guy. Maybe you get

<v Speaker 3>an upset this season, but just another team to keep

<v Speaker 3>an eye on.

<v Speaker 1>I would agree with that 100%.

<v Speaker 2>And the only reason I didn't have him as a contender,

<v Speaker 2>because I'm being very, very kind on my contenders, is because,

<v Speaker 2>like you said, schedules are very, very tough. But I

<v Speaker 2>think Auburn's going to be on the rise. They're going

<v Speaker 2>to be improving for sure. Next honorable mention goes to..

<v Speaker 3>Ole Miss. Returned 16 starters. The schedule is tough, but

<v Speaker 3>there's just too many questions. I know last season, after

<v Speaker 3>Lane left, they took over and... It was still kind

<v Speaker 3>of Lane's team, though, right? And you just had the

<v Speaker 3>emotion along with that. But now, you know, you're the

<v Speaker 3>guy in charge. Chambliss is still there. Running back's still there.

<v Speaker 3>So they're going to be decent. But like I said,

<v Speaker 3>with that schedule and a new coach, new team, you know,

<v Speaker 3>I think. Just want to mention, like I said, I

<v Speaker 3>don't think they'll be in the mix. A couple good wins,

<v Speaker 3>maybe early. But just I think the schedule is going

<v Speaker 3>to be too much.

<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I do too.

<v Speaker 2>And I think the defense is going to have a

<v Speaker 2>tough time getting up to speed with where they need

<v Speaker 2>to be. Like you mentioned, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is back

<v Speaker 2>for his, I think, 37th, 38th year? I don't know.

<v Speaker 2>He's back again. He's been there for quite a while.

<v Speaker 2>But hey, he's going to find a way to score

<v Speaker 2>some points. Can the defense keep up?

<v Speaker 1>I don't know. But Rob... I cannot wait to see

<v Speaker 1>LSU go to Ole Miss. That is going to be

<v Speaker 1>must-see TV.

<v Speaker 2>I had Ole Miss as a mention as a contender,

<v Speaker 2>so we're still on the same page.

<v Speaker 1>Give me your next honorable mention.

<v Speaker 3>Next honorable mention, Tennessee for me. Hypo teams average 31

<v Speaker 3>points a game. They have a freshman quarterback, so that's

<v Speaker 3>why they're honorable mention for me. But plenty of talent,

<v Speaker 3>wide receivers, running backs. The defense usually lets them down.

<v Speaker 3>So again, this is a team, like I said, that

<v Speaker 3>can score. Expect them to be in some shootouts, but

<v Speaker 3>not enough to actually contend.

<v Speaker 2>Well, and Josh Heupel kind of took a step back

<v Speaker 2>last year. That team, there were some expectations there. after

<v Speaker 2>going to have such a good year the previous year.

<v Speaker 2>They take a bit of a step back. I feel

<v Speaker 2>like he's going to have them rallying again this year.

<v Speaker 1>I'm right there with you.

<v Speaker 2>I have Tennessee as a team that definitely deserves a mention.

<v Speaker 2>All right, Rob, we're coming down to it. Give me

<v Speaker 2>your next honorable mention.

<v Speaker 3>Yeah, two more honorable mentions. I'm going to give you

<v Speaker 3>Texas A & M. Elko's a good coach. They have

<v Speaker 3>talent there, but the schedule is terrible. Their schedule is terrible. So, again,

<v Speaker 3>this is a good team, like an 8-4 kind of season.

<v Speaker 3>Like I said, competitive, but not ultimately in the mix,

<v Speaker 3>like I said, just because of that schedule.

<v Speaker 2>Well, and you know, quarterback Marcel Reed is back, but

<v Speaker 2>he lost most of his offensive line. The problem that

<v Speaker 2>I have, I have them as a, you know, a

<v Speaker 2>mentioned a contender as well, is you've got games, LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma,

<v Speaker 2>and they're very, very early. So it's not like that

<v Speaker 2>offensive line gets a chance to kind of get their

<v Speaker 2>feet under them.

<v Speaker 1>They're going to get hit in the mouth.

<v Speaker 2>I could see A & M start off and be like,

<v Speaker 2>I don't know, two and three or four And then

<v Speaker 2>kind of get rolling and be like, OK, that was

<v Speaker 2>a respectable year.

<v Speaker 1>But because that schedule is so tough because of.

<v Speaker 2>Their, you know, their losses, I think A & M

<v Speaker 2>does take a step back.

<v Speaker 1>But I'm right there with you. I have A &

<v Speaker 1>M as a team to watch, too. All right. You've

<v Speaker 1>got one more out of a bunch of them.

<v Speaker 3>Yes, one more. And this is borderline contender LSU for me.

<v Speaker 3>Deep pockets. This is the best transfer class in the country.

<v Speaker 3>But again, this is another schedule problem. That Ole Miss

<v Speaker 3>game that you mentioned. And then they go Texas A

<v Speaker 3>& M after that. Then down the stretch, they go Auburn, Bama, Texas,

<v Speaker 3>and Tennessee all in a row. So just, again, plenty

<v Speaker 3>of talent there. Lane is a good coach, but can't

<v Speaker 3>you just bring all that together? Like I said, no

<v Speaker 3>breaks in the schedule, no slow starts. So I think

<v Speaker 3>they'll kind of be in the mix. But like I said,

<v Speaker 3>because of that schedule, I don't have them as an

<v Speaker 3>actual contender here.

<v Speaker 1>I agree with you.

<v Speaker 2>You know, they bring in Arizona State quarterback transfer Sam Levitt.

<v Speaker 2>He should benefit from playing under Lane. They have tight

<v Speaker 2>end trade as Green, who seriously might be a first

<v Speaker 2>round kind of pick.

<v Speaker 1>He's that good. I'm really glad you brought up something.

<v Speaker 1>Shows how wise Rob is.

<v Speaker 2>He brings up the Ole Miss game, but following that

<v Speaker 2>is that A & M game.

<v Speaker 1>You get all hyped up. You got Ole Miss. Oh yeah,

<v Speaker 1>you want to beat us. We're going to beat you.

<v Speaker 3>Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

<v Speaker 2>And then A & M kicks your teeth in the

<v Speaker 2>next week. Don't be surprised by that one single bit.

<v Speaker 2>Here's the problem I have for Lane. That all-star team

<v Speaker 2>he has assembled, which is what it is, they don't

<v Speaker 2>have a ton of depth. So you've got great talent

<v Speaker 2>on the front end. You've got some great starters. They're

<v Speaker 2>going to start fast and hot and play well.

<v Speaker 1>And as they come down the stretch and they're playing

<v Speaker 1>some of their talented teams that Rob just mentioned, you're

<v Speaker 1>starting to slip up. You're starting to lose people. You're

<v Speaker 1>starting to feel, you know, the attrition of the year.

<v Speaker 1>And pretty soon LSU is losing three, four games. So

<v Speaker 1>I'm right there with you again.

<v Speaker 2>And I'm seeing LSU start strong, start fast, look impressive,

<v Speaker 2>and then fade as it goes down the stretch. All right, Rob,

<v Speaker 2>I've got a contender that I don't know if you have.

<v Speaker 2>I don't know if I should put him on here.

<v Speaker 2>I have no faith in their head coach, but South

<v Speaker 2>Carolina has some serious talent. Quarterback Lenore Sellers, he's got

<v Speaker 2>some help.

<v Speaker 4>Why weren't they better last year? They went four and

<v Speaker 4>eight last year. I don't understand it. Hey, do something

<v Speaker 4>this year or Beamer is going to be gone by Thanksgiving.

<v Speaker 4>I'll just say that that is the one mention.

<v Speaker 1>I will have out there. All right, Rob, it's getting serious. Yeah,

<v Speaker 1>got a contender for us.

<v Speaker 3>Yeah, three contenders for you. My number three contender here

<v Speaker 3>and my sleeper of the SEC is going to be Oklahoma.

<v Speaker 3>Very good defense. John Mateer is going to be the

<v Speaker 3>question in the offense. He was good. Then he got hurt,

<v Speaker 3>hurt his hand. I think he tried to came when

<v Speaker 3>he came back. I think he was still hurt. His

<v Speaker 3>play was way worse than before he got hurt. But

<v Speaker 3>I think if he stays healthy, again, the defense is

<v Speaker 3>always going to be good. But I think if he

<v Speaker 3>can still stay healthy and they can get a better

<v Speaker 3>running game going, They could be in the mix. Like

<v Speaker 3>I said, the schedule is tough. But again, I'm banking

<v Speaker 3>on Mateer being back and healthy, the offense being better.

<v Speaker 3>So I have them contending in this.

<v Speaker 1>Rob, early last year, John Mateer legit looked like the

<v Speaker 1>best quarterback in the country.

<v Speaker 2>He was that good. Brent Venables got his defense back

<v Speaker 2>on track. Oklahoma, they're my sleeper team in the SEC, too.

<v Speaker 2>I think they're going to be really, really tough.

<v Speaker 1>The issue for Oklahoma is going to be that tough schedule,

<v Speaker 1>especially early. You've got Michigan. You've got Georgia.

<v Speaker 2>But if you can show well in those, they might

<v Speaker 2>have their best team they've had since joining the SEC.

<v Speaker 1>And that's going to be very, very interesting to watch.

<v Speaker 1>All right. So I've got Oklahoma as a contender. Who's

<v Speaker 1>your next contender?

<v Speaker 3>My number two contender is Alabama.

<v Speaker 1>Yep.

<v Speaker 3>Seven starters back on defense. They're going to need better

<v Speaker 3>QB play. So that's the part I'm a little bit

<v Speaker 3>concerned on, but the good schedule, they know Texas or

<v Speaker 3>Ole Miss and they get Georgia and A & M

<v Speaker 3>at home. So the big thing for me is like

<v Speaker 3>I said, quarterback play. Like I said, we'll see who

<v Speaker 3>it ends up being, but like I said, if they

<v Speaker 3>can get solid quarterback play a little more balanced on

<v Speaker 3>the offense, cause they really couldn't run the ball last

<v Speaker 3>year either. So I think again, similar to Oklahoma, if

<v Speaker 3>we get a little, Good QB play, balanced running game.

<v Speaker 3>I think the defense is going to be good again,

<v Speaker 3>so I have them contending as well.

<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I've got Alabama's contender. You know, the problem for

<v Speaker 2>me with Alabama is I feel like they make too

<v Speaker 2>many mistakes. They just make dumb, silly, stupid penalties, that

<v Speaker 2>kind of thing. They couldn't run the ball effectively. That

<v Speaker 2>has to be better. When they ran into Indiana last year, Rob,

<v Speaker 2>they got the doors blown off them. That wasn't even close.

<v Speaker 2>I think Alabama has to get better on both sides

<v Speaker 2>of the ball at the point of attack. And I'm

<v Speaker 2>not convinced that head coach Caitlin DeBoer is the guy

<v Speaker 2>to do that. But I will say this. There's a

<v Speaker 2>lot of Alabama fans that have no idea this is

<v Speaker 2>how the rest of the country works.

<v Speaker 1>Welcome to it.

<v Speaker 2>You're not always just the number one team, and that's fine.

<v Speaker 2>I have Alabama as a contender as well. I have

<v Speaker 2>one more contender and my champion, Rob. What do you

<v Speaker 2>have as your final contender?

<v Speaker 3>Final contender for me is Texas.

<v Speaker 1>Yep, same.

<v Speaker 3>16 starters back. They just had issues with the old

<v Speaker 3>line and they tried to address that. We'll see if

<v Speaker 3>it works out. This is a tough schedule, but plenty

<v Speaker 3>of talents there. And then again, Arch Manning, probably unfair.

<v Speaker 3>Just the hype around him early because of his last name.

<v Speaker 3>But I think he actually is a good quarterback. So

<v Speaker 3>like I said, I think Texas is going to be

<v Speaker 3>in contention.

<v Speaker 1>I do, too. I've got them as well.

<v Speaker 2>And, you know, a lot of the judgment on Arch

<v Speaker 2>Manning last year was so early. This kid is just

<v Speaker 2>trying to figure things out. But when you look at

<v Speaker 2>what he did down the stretch, he was beating ranked teams.

<v Speaker 2>He was putting up big numbers.

<v Speaker 1>He's really dangerous.

<v Speaker 2>And I'll be honest, he wasn't getting a ton of

<v Speaker 2>help from his receivers. They led the nation, I think,

<v Speaker 2>in drop balls. He's back this year and he's got

<v Speaker 2>more help. Steve Sarkeesian, he's got to figure out a

<v Speaker 2>way to get that run game on track, and he

<v Speaker 2>didn't always do.

<v Speaker 1>That last year.

<v Speaker 2>That would help that defense. That defense should be really,

<v Speaker 2>really good, though. They are capable of winning the SEC.

<v Speaker 2>They're capable of winning the championship. They're capable of winning.

<v Speaker 2>They're that good. Texas could be very, very good.

<v Speaker 1>They're my final contender as well, which means, Rob, that

<v Speaker 1>once again, we are going to have the exact same champion,

<v Speaker 1>and that is those Georgia Bulldogs, isn't it?

<v Speaker 3>Yep, Georgia Bulldogs, 14 starters back. And a big one

<v Speaker 3>for this, very manageable schedule.

<v Speaker 1>Yes.

<v Speaker 3>For an SEC schedule, pretty light. Again, I know it's

<v Speaker 3>the SEC, but, yeah, very manageable schedule. Defense wasn't that

<v Speaker 3>good last year or wasn't as good, so I think

<v Speaker 3>they'll be better. Offense, I think, will be fine. But

<v Speaker 3>like I said, because of the schedule here, this is

<v Speaker 3>going to be my champion.

<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I've got them as my champion as well. And,

<v Speaker 2>you know, it's kind of funny because you look at

<v Speaker 2>Kirby Smart. Guy's got 117 and 21 in Athens, and

<v Speaker 2>people are like, What's wrong with Georgia?

<v Speaker 3>Really? Really?

<v Speaker 2>Is that what it is? Yeah, I'm right there with you.

<v Speaker 2>I think their defense is actually going to be much,

<v Speaker 2>much better this year. I want to see Gunnar Stockton

<v Speaker 2>actually make some big plays and throw the ball down

<v Speaker 2>the field.

<v Speaker 1>He is the king right now of check down. And

<v Speaker 1>just throwing the.

<v Speaker 2>Short one, if he starts to attack some people downfield,

<v Speaker 2>he needs some help to be able to do that.

<v Speaker 2>But if that's the case, Georgia is going to be very,

<v Speaker 2>very tough.

<v Speaker 1>All right, Rob.

<v Speaker 2>Got any independents that might be out there? Any group

<v Speaker 2>of five teams you might want to discuss?

<v Speaker 1>Because I've got one independent and one group of five,

<v Speaker 1>and you probably know both of them.

<v Speaker 3>Well, I know the independent. I'm sure it's the same

<v Speaker 3>as mine.

<v Speaker 1>Yeah. Yep.

<v Speaker 3>And again, I don't know if we have to mention them.

<v Speaker 3>I know we're going to get to our playoffs, but

<v Speaker 3>I think they signed a deal that they automatically get

<v Speaker 3>in the playoffs.

<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think if they just play, if they feel

<v Speaker 1>the team they're in. I don't know why people hate

<v Speaker 1>Notre Dame.

<v Speaker 3>That's so weird. God.

<v Speaker 2>Yeah, they're literally out of a rule, but if they

<v Speaker 2>finish in the top 12, they have to get in.

<v Speaker 1>What if they just get to the stadium? Do you

<v Speaker 1>have to put them in? Wow, okay. Yeah, that's really,

<v Speaker 1>really weird. Notre Dame, they never get favoritism.

<v Speaker 2>Idiots no but and having said that marcus freeman has

<v Speaker 2>done an incredible job rob he's kind of don't get

<v Speaker 2>me wrong we still both hate notre dame he's kind

<v Speaker 2>of got us to not hate him as much though

<v Speaker 2>just because of.

<v Speaker 3>Him i agree yeah i agree yeah it's still notre

<v Speaker 3>dame but yeah you know we give him a slight

<v Speaker 3>pass we don't we hate them less.

<v Speaker 1>I've got i've got a group of five team that

<v Speaker 1>i that i will mention do you have any any

<v Speaker 1>group of fives you want to mention Yeah, I've got one.

<v Speaker 3>This is I know we're about to get into the playoffs,

<v Speaker 3>but this is going to be the best of group five.

<v Speaker 3>James Madison for me.

<v Speaker 1>Yeah. Yeah.

<v Speaker 3>I'm in the Sunbelt again. I know this is a

<v Speaker 3>team that quietly has, NL money and resources. They routinely

<v Speaker 3>lose coaches and players after that first year, but just

<v Speaker 3>the talent that they always seem to bring is in there. Again,

<v Speaker 3>Sun Belt Conference, and because of that NL money and

<v Speaker 3>the resources, they just spend more than anyone in the

<v Speaker 3>Sun Belt. So because of that, I think they have, again,

<v Speaker 3>not a great season, but this is going to be

<v Speaker 3>the Group of five champion with the highest rating that

<v Speaker 3>gets them into the playoffs. Okay.

<v Speaker 1>I would totally see that as well.

<v Speaker 2>They are spending money and they have been, they've got

<v Speaker 2>a track record of doing it. I'm going to mention

<v Speaker 2>a team that, That is going to be in a

<v Speaker 2>brand new conference this year.

<v Speaker 1>And that is the Boise.

<v Speaker 2>State Broncos, who should be the absolute class of the

<v Speaker 2>new Pac-12. That is going to look so wild and different.

<v Speaker 1>Get this, Boise State, Oregon State, Fresno State, Utah State,

<v Speaker 1>Washington State, Texas State. Yeah, they do have a Texas State.

<v Speaker 2>Colorado State and Oregon State are going to be maybe

<v Speaker 2>one of the most odd football.

<v Speaker 1>Conferences in the country. But then one thing to keep

<v Speaker 1>in mind, the Pac-12 adds Gonzaga for basketball. Hey, basketball-wise,

<v Speaker 1>that Pac-12 is going to be legit. But Boise returns

<v Speaker 1>12 starters if they can survive that opener against Oregon.

<v Speaker 1>And I'm not saying win.

<v Speaker 2>If they can survive and not get the entire roster murdered,

<v Speaker 2>then they should be able to run the table probably

<v Speaker 2>the rest of the way.

<v Speaker 1>And that would at least put them in the hunt.

<v Speaker 1>All right, Rob.

<v Speaker 2>Last year, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza came out of absolutely

<v Speaker 2>nowhere to win the Heisman Trophy.

<v Speaker 1>Is he weird? Yes. Is he kind of a Latin

<v Speaker 1>autistic Jameis? Yes, of course he is. But he won it,

<v Speaker 1>and he was really, really good.

<v Speaker 2>Rob, who are your contenders for the Heisman Trophy this year?

<v Speaker 3>Yeah, because of that, I went kind of deep on here.

<v Speaker 3>I've got six contenders and a champion. I can make

<v Speaker 3>a semi-case for any of them, and I'll start with

<v Speaker 3>the guy we mentioned before, Josh Hoover, Indiana. I think

<v Speaker 3>it's a talented kid, and again, he's going to be

<v Speaker 3>in a system with a team where he doesn't have

<v Speaker 3>to do a lot, so I think he has a

<v Speaker 3>chance to put up some really good numbers here, so

<v Speaker 3>that's going to be my first contender for you.

<v Speaker 1>I like that pick a lot.

<v Speaker 2>If Indiana can find a stable tight end for him,

<v Speaker 2>look out, because Kurt Cignetti is going to make him

<v Speaker 2>a much better player.

<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I agree with that one. Who do you have

<v Speaker 1>next on your Heisman contenders?

<v Speaker 3>Next one, the guy you mentioned before, Darian Mensah, Miami.

<v Speaker 3>I think, again, Miami is going to be good. We

<v Speaker 3>kind of talked about that schedule. I think he's probably

<v Speaker 3>better than Beck.

<v Speaker 1>He might be.

<v Speaker 3>And again, more better athlete. So we get, you know,

<v Speaker 3>not just to throw an accuracy, probably lose a little

<v Speaker 3>bit in accuracy, maybe, but make up for it just

<v Speaker 3>with his, you know, rushing as well. So that's a

<v Speaker 3>guy I could see having, you know, a pretty good

<v Speaker 3>season and being in the being in talks towards the

<v Speaker 3>end of the year.

<v Speaker 1>And less crazy eyes than Carson Beck, who you mentioned earlier,

<v Speaker 1>so that's going to be nice as well.

<v Speaker 2>Who is your next Heisman contender? I've got four contenders,

<v Speaker 2>and I bet we're going to have a few of

<v Speaker 2>the same here.

<v Speaker 1>Who's your next one?

<v Speaker 3>Next one, another person we talked about before is Arch Manning. Again,

<v Speaker 3>I know that schedule is tough, but like I said,

<v Speaker 3>I think just a lot of that hype. Was just

<v Speaker 3>because of his name and didn't actually give him a

<v Speaker 3>chance to get into it. So I think he has

<v Speaker 3>a better season. I think he puts up big numbers. Ultimately,

<v Speaker 3>I don't think he wins at all, but I think

<v Speaker 3>he's in the conversation this year.

<v Speaker 2>He is going to put up big numbers. He's got

<v Speaker 2>the big name. He threw for 3,200 yards last year

<v Speaker 2>and 26 touchdowns. And we kind of looked at him like,

<v Speaker 2>what's wrong with him? He's going to be really, really good.

<v Speaker 2>But like you said, that schedule might be tough. And

<v Speaker 2>because of that, he might not win the award.

<v Speaker 1>You lose a few. They don't always like that. I

<v Speaker 1>got him as a contender as well. Who's your next contender?

<v Speaker 3>Next in tenure, Julian Sane, Ohio State. He's thrown to

<v Speaker 3>the best receiver in the country. Just because of that,

<v Speaker 3>like I said, I don't know how much of that

<v Speaker 3>is him and how much of that is Smith. But

<v Speaker 3>like I said, I expect him to put up big

<v Speaker 3>numbers this year. So I think he'll be in the

<v Speaker 3>conversation as well.

<v Speaker 1>I do too. And I think he's going to be

<v Speaker 1>better than he was last year.

<v Speaker 2>I felt like last year it took him a few

<v Speaker 2>games to kind of really feel comfortable in that offense.

<v Speaker 2>I think he's going to come out smoking this year.

<v Speaker 2>Julian Sane should be very, very good. I actually have

<v Speaker 2>his teammate, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, as one of my

<v Speaker 2>Heisman contenders as well.

<v Speaker 1>Like you said, Sayan's going to be better. Smith's going

<v Speaker 1>to be better.

<v Speaker 2>My only issue with putting Jeremiah Smith on there, he

<v Speaker 2>is so talented, but he's a wide receiver. And we

<v Speaker 2>know Heisman voters don't.

<v Speaker 1>Like to do that.

<v Speaker 2>So I know he probably won't win it, but he's

<v Speaker 2>a contender.

<v Speaker 1>Who is your next contender, Rob?

<v Speaker 3>Next contender, CJ Carr, Notre Dame quarterback. Again, the schedule play.

<v Speaker 3>They don't play anybody. I think BYU and Miami.

<v Speaker 1>Miami.

<v Speaker 3>The only two games on the schedule. But again, this

<v Speaker 3>is a guy. Obviously, they lost production at running back.

<v Speaker 3>So I think they're going to sling it a little

<v Speaker 3>bit more. So just I think this is a guy

<v Speaker 3>that's going to have big numbers at the end of

<v Speaker 3>the season.

<v Speaker 1>Heidi too.

<v Speaker 2>And, and, you know, you mentioned, uh, you guys that

<v Speaker 2>are going to win, who's going to win, who's going

<v Speaker 2>to be on top that we know that's how the

<v Speaker 2>husband was going to go for that reason. I'm going

<v Speaker 2>to give the Heisman to CJ Carr. I think they're

<v Speaker 2>going to give it to him because I think Notre

<v Speaker 2>Dame has such a soft schedule that he's going to

<v Speaker 2>be like, well, I'm the top quarterback on the top team.

<v Speaker 2>So I guess I win it.

<v Speaker 1>And that's how the Heisman works, which means I have

<v Speaker 1>one last contender and Rob has a contender and a

<v Speaker 1>champion or just your chance.

<v Speaker 3>No contender and a champion.

<v Speaker 1>Okay. Who's your final contender?

<v Speaker 3>Final contender for me, Dante Moore, Oregon. Again, came back. Again,

<v Speaker 3>like we mentioned, that just kind of chip on the shoulder.

<v Speaker 3>I think he's better, obviously, more experienced. Expect him to

<v Speaker 3>put up good numbers as well, except for in the

<v Speaker 3>Ohio State games. So, yeah, give me Dante Moore. Okay.

<v Speaker 1>And he's my final contender. Same thing. I look at him.

<v Speaker 2>He's going to be one of the top quarterbacks on

<v Speaker 2>the top team. The problem for him is he's going

<v Speaker 2>to be playing in some big, big games. He's going

<v Speaker 2>to have to step up. And, hey, the table's set

<v Speaker 2>for him.

<v Speaker 1>Go win it.

<v Speaker 2>But he's got a tough schedule to do that in,

<v Speaker 2>which means, Rob, your winner is going to be who?

<v Speaker 3>Gunnar Stockton. Again, SEC, like I said, I expect Georgia

<v Speaker 3>to have because of that schedule is a little light.

<v Speaker 3>You know, this is going to be your champion from

<v Speaker 3>the SEC and the quarterback on that team is going

<v Speaker 3>to get the get a lot of the praise here. So, yeah,

<v Speaker 3>give me Gunnar Stockton.

<v Speaker 2>Okay, I like that pick. All right, Rob, we're getting

<v Speaker 2>serious now. It is time to get down to brass tacks,

<v Speaker 2>as they say. We are going to roll through our

<v Speaker 2>top 12 college football playoff. Who are the playoff qualifiers?

<v Speaker 2>We're going to give them to you right now. You

<v Speaker 2>don't even have to watch the season. We'll just tell

<v Speaker 2>you who's going to win it. Rob, who is your

<v Speaker 2>number one team in the country?

<v Speaker 3>Number one overall, Georgia Bulldogs.

<v Speaker 1>All right. rob goes with georgia at the number one

<v Speaker 1>spot i have got oregon at the number one spot

<v Speaker 1>might be a little too high because i think that

<v Speaker 1>schedule is just going to be a little bit tough

<v Speaker 1>all right rob who do you have at two two.

<v Speaker 3>Big ten champion ohio state.

<v Speaker 2>All right at two i have got rob's georgia bulldogs

<v Speaker 2>so we're just kind of flipping some things around there

<v Speaker 2>who do you have at number three rob It continues.

<v Speaker 3>I've got Oregon. They're playing great. They're just two close

<v Speaker 3>losses to Ohio State, but because of that, they keep

<v Speaker 3>a high ranking. So number three team, Oregon.

<v Speaker 2>I've got at number three, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Rob,

<v Speaker 2>who do you have at number four?

<v Speaker 3>Number four, Notre Dame. Fighting Irish for me.

<v Speaker 1>Once again, we just have the same teams. We just

<v Speaker 1>kind of mixed them up a little bit.

<v Speaker 2>At number four, I've got the Miami Hurricanes ACC champion

<v Speaker 2>for the first time, by the way. All right, Rob,

<v Speaker 2>who do you have at number five?

<v Speaker 3>Number five, ACC champs, Miami Hurricanes.

<v Speaker 1>My goodness, it's just absolutely scary.

<v Speaker 2>At number five, I actually have the Ohio State Buckeyes,

<v Speaker 2>so I just have them slid just down a little bit.

<v Speaker 1>Rob, who do you have at number six?

<v Speaker 3>Number six for me, runner-up in the SEC, Texas Longhorns.

<v Speaker 1>All right.

<v Speaker 2>At number six, I have Big 12 champion Texas Tech.

<v Speaker 2>At number seven, Rob, who is your team at seven?

<v Speaker 3>Number seven, same as you just said, champions of the conference,

<v Speaker 3>Texas Tech, number seven.

<v Speaker 1>At number seven.

<v Speaker 2>Seven, I have the Texas Longhorns. So we literally just

<v Speaker 2>switched those. They're the exact same ones. At number eight,

<v Speaker 2>who do you have?

<v Speaker 3>This team missed out on their conference playoff, but they

<v Speaker 3>were right there in the mix. They still get in.

<v Speaker 3>Your defending champion, Indiana Hoosiers, number eight.

<v Speaker 1>At number eight, I've got the Indiana Hoosiers. Number nine, Rob.

<v Speaker 3>Number nine, this is my sleeper team in the SEC

<v Speaker 3>because of the conference. Obviously, they get in as well.

<v Speaker 3>Give me the Oklahoma Sooners at number nine.

<v Speaker 1>Ooh, interesting, interesting.

<v Speaker 2>At number nine, I've got Big 12 runner-up BYU. So, yeah,

<v Speaker 2>we're going to have some similar things here. At number 10,

<v Speaker 2>who do you have?

<v Speaker 3>Number 10, surprisingly, another ACC team gets in.

<v Speaker 1>Okay.

<v Speaker 3>Runner-up to Miami. Give me Louisville, number 10.

<v Speaker 1>All right. And at number 10, I have got the

<v Speaker 1>Oklahoma Sooners.

<v Speaker 2>So we got the same teams in eventually.

<v Speaker 1>Just kind of mix them up.

<v Speaker 3>A little bit.

<v Speaker 1>Number 11, Rob. Now we're getting down to the scary ones.

<v Speaker 1>Who do you have at 11?

<v Speaker 3>Number 11, this team sneaks in. I mentioned them earlier.

<v Speaker 3>This is a scheduled play here, but they do enough

<v Speaker 3>to get in. Give me Penn State, number 11.

<v Speaker 1>Ooh, can you imagine? if Penn State got in after

<v Speaker 1>James Franklin is gone.

<v Speaker 2>Number 11, I've got Lincoln Riley winning the first thing ever,

<v Speaker 2>and he actually gets his USC Trojans into the college

<v Speaker 2>football playoff, which leaves me with just one team left.

<v Speaker 1>Rob, who is your 12?

<v Speaker 3>Number 12, this was my auto bid. James Madison, Sunbelt winner.

<v Speaker 3>So they get in on the auto bid, the number five.

<v Speaker 1>All right. They get the number five conference at large.

<v Speaker 1>And I went with the same thing.

<v Speaker 2>And number 12, I've got the Boise State Broncos getting

<v Speaker 2>into the playoff. All right, Rob, we're going to roll

<v Speaker 2>through these really, really quickly. I've got your schedule going here.

<v Speaker 2>Your games in the first round would be your eight

<v Speaker 2>and nine would be Indiana versus Oklahoma.

<v Speaker 1>Is that correct?

<v Speaker 3>Correct.

<v Speaker 1>And your winner would be?

<v Speaker 3>This is a close one. Goes down to the wire.

<v Speaker 3>Went back and forth on this. But Indiana gets it

<v Speaker 3>done by a field goal. Moves on.

<v Speaker 1>All right.

<v Speaker 2>In my first game, I have got Indiana versus BYU.

<v Speaker 2>And Indiana also gets through there as well. Your next

<v Speaker 2>game up is your 7-10 matchup, which would be Texas

<v Speaker 2>Tech versus Louisville, I believe.

<v Speaker 1>How's that game going to go, Rob?

<v Speaker 3>That's correct. This again, I think Louisville hangs in there.

<v Speaker 3>It's closer than most people think, but ultimately the talent

<v Speaker 3>gets by. Give me Texas Tech to advance.

<v Speaker 2>All right, and in my 7-10, I've got Texas and

<v Speaker 2>Oklahoma playing in an SEC matchup, and I am going

<v Speaker 2>to move Oklahoma past.

<v Speaker 1>All right, you have.

<v Speaker 2>Your 6-11 matchup, which is going to be the Texas

<v Speaker 2>Longhorns against the Penn State Nittany Lions. All right, who

<v Speaker 2>do you have coming on top of that?

<v Speaker 3>Penn State made it. They're ecstatic, but it just turns

<v Speaker 3>out the same. Blown out by Texas. Texas advances. All right.

<v Speaker 1>I've got Texas Tech playing USC in my 6-11, and

<v Speaker 1>USC actually wins a game and advances.

<v Speaker 2>They go on to the quarterfinals. We have one final game.

<v Speaker 2>Our five versus 12. Rob, you've got Miami versus James Madison.

<v Speaker 1>How's that going to go?

<v Speaker 3>Uh james madison is leading going into the fourth um

<v Speaker 3>because it is miami miami squeaks past uh miami advances.

<v Speaker 1>That would be spicy i gotta be honest with you

<v Speaker 1>all right rob we are moving on to the quarterfinals

<v Speaker 1>and i believe in your first game you would have

<v Speaker 1>georgia versus indiana you're one versus eight is that correct

<v Speaker 1>that is correct who's coming out on.

<v Speaker 3>Top This is a good game. Give me Georgia here.

<v Speaker 3>Pulls away late. Close all the way, but ultimately Georgia

<v Speaker 3>moves on. All right.

<v Speaker 2>In my first round game, I have got Oregon versus Indiana,

<v Speaker 2>and Oregon moves on.

<v Speaker 1>We've got four quarterfinal games total, so we've got three more.

<v Speaker 2>Rob, you have in your second game, I believe you

<v Speaker 2>have Ohio State versus Texas, maybe?

<v Speaker 3>Ohio State versus Texas Tech.

<v Speaker 1>Texas Tech. My bad.

<v Speaker 3>Okay.

<v Speaker 1>Ohio State, Texas Tech. Ohio State's got to be feeling

<v Speaker 1>good in this matchup, don't they?

<v Speaker 3>They do. They do. That bye week helped. They come out,

<v Speaker 3>lead wire to wire. Give me Ohio State to advance.

<v Speaker 1>All right.

<v Speaker 2>In my second game, I have got Georgia versus Oklahoma,

<v Speaker 2>and Georgia is going to advance. Number three game, Rob,

<v Speaker 2>you have got Oregon versus Texas.

<v Speaker 1>Is that correct?

<v Speaker 3>That is correct. This game, the buys are helping. Oregon

<v Speaker 3>advances over Texas.

<v Speaker 1>All right.

<v Speaker 2>My third game is I've got number three Notre Dame

<v Speaker 2>versus number 11 USC.

<v Speaker 1>I know they don't want to play it, but they're

<v Speaker 1>going to play it again.

<v Speaker 2>I've got Notre Dame advancing in my third quarterfinal game.

<v Speaker 2>We come down to our final quarterfinal game, which is

<v Speaker 2>our four versus five, which Rob, I believe is Notre

<v Speaker 2>Dame versus Miami for you.

<v Speaker 1>Is that right?

<v Speaker 3>That is correct.

<v Speaker 1>Who's coming out on top?

<v Speaker 3>Notre Dame. Say it should have been us last year.

<v Speaker 3>They prove it. Oh, boy. Notre Dame advances.

<v Speaker 2>I've got Miami versus Ohio State in my four or five,

<v Speaker 2>and I've got Ohio State advancing.

<v Speaker 1>All right, Rob, we get down to the semifinals. You

<v Speaker 1>have got Georgia versus Notre Dame. Who is coming out

<v Speaker 1>on top of that?

<v Speaker 3>This is a good game, but give me Georgia to

<v Speaker 3>advance to the finals.

<v Speaker 1>And in your second game, you have got Ohio State

<v Speaker 1>versus Oregon meeting for the third time. Is that correct?

<v Speaker 3>Third time. Oregon lost the first two, but turns the tables.

<v Speaker 1>Oh, wow.

<v Speaker 3>Oregon advances to the final.

<v Speaker 2>In my semifinal, I've got Oregon versus Ohio State. I

<v Speaker 2>have Ohio State advancing and Georgia versus Notre Dame advancing.

<v Speaker 2>I have Notre Dame advancing. I've got Ohio State versus

<v Speaker 2>Notre Dame matchup. Rob has a Georgia versus Oregon matchup. Rob,

<v Speaker 2>people can say they heard it here first. We already

<v Speaker 2>know the answer. Who's going to be our national champion

<v Speaker 2>when this is all said and done?

<v Speaker 3>Georgia is the favorite. The SEC thinks we finally break

<v Speaker 3>the streak, but they do not. Oregon is their national champion.

<v Speaker 1>Oregon comes out on tops and win it all. I've

<v Speaker 1>got Ohio State versus Notre Dame. Rob, I hate to

<v Speaker 1>do this.

<v Speaker 2>I've got Notre Dame winning a national championship. Oh, I

<v Speaker 2>don't know if that'd sit well with me.

<v Speaker 1>I feel like that might make me physically ill, but hey,

<v Speaker 1>it absolutely could happen. Rob, the college football landscape, it's

<v Speaker 1>kind of weird right now.

<v Speaker 2>You know, we're hearing this stuff about, hey, maybe some

<v Speaker 2>kids that already graduated and played pro ball or whatever,

<v Speaker 2>they might be able to come back. And it's all

<v Speaker 2>kind of weird. And like you said, the NIL stuff

<v Speaker 2>and people transferring, it's kind of weird. But like we

<v Speaker 2>just talked about, there's no shortage of talent. There's no

<v Speaker 2>shortage of.

<v Speaker 1>Really good teams. And some of the matchups we're going

<v Speaker 1>to get, I want everything to get cleaned up, but

<v Speaker 1>it's still highly, highly entertaining.

<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I completely agree. Like I said, NIL, they have

<v Speaker 3>to kind of fix it and straighten it out. But again,

<v Speaker 3>one thing it has done, it's spread out that talent

<v Speaker 3>across the country, like you said, which makes for great

<v Speaker 3>matchups and what's going to be a great playoff, whoever

<v Speaker 3>gets in.

<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we're going to have some really, really fun games,

<v Speaker 2>and it's going to be a really, really exciting season.

<v Speaker 2>I just hope they can clean some of this nonsense

<v Speaker 2>up so we can just get kind of a more,

<v Speaker 2>I don't know, playing field that makes sense. And more importantly,

<v Speaker 2>make it better for the fans, because I do hate...

<v Speaker 2>that we're just cheering for laundry right now. And that's

<v Speaker 2>all we're doing right now because kids are bouncing around

<v Speaker 2>so much. Coaches are bouncing around so much. It just

<v Speaker 2>makes it really, really confusing for the fans. And if

<v Speaker 2>it's not for the fans, I got bad news for everybody.

<v Speaker 2>And none of this is going to happen because the

<v Speaker 2>money's going to run out really, really quick.

<v Speaker 1>You've got to make sure you take care of your fans.

<v Speaker 2>Rob, the NFL is rolling through the preseason, which is

<v Speaker 2>not very fun to watch. But you know, next week,

<v Speaker 2>It's that time of year already. We might need you

<v Speaker 2>to stop by, in fact, maybe next week, maybe even

<v Speaker 2>the week after, and.

<v Speaker 1>Help us get ready for the NFL, too. Are you

<v Speaker 1>up for that task?

<v Speaker 3>Absolutely. Absolutely. It's that time of year, like you said.

<v Speaker 3>I'm going to be locked in a couple weeks from

<v Speaker 3>now in front of the TV all day Saturday, all

<v Speaker 3>day Sunday. So I'm locked in. I'm ready to go.

<v Speaker 2>Well, Rob, at some point, we're going to make you

<v Speaker 2>make the trip up north, and we're going to have

<v Speaker 2>to bring you up here, and you're going to have

<v Speaker 2>to watch some games up here with us.

<v Speaker 1>But we'll feed you well if that is the case.

<v Speaker 1>But Rob, I want to thank you for all your

<v Speaker 1>contributions to The Daily Dose. So many that people don't know.

<v Speaker 1>There are so many times that I have a guest

<v Speaker 1>or I have something going on. I'm like, Rob, I

<v Speaker 1>need to pick your brain about whether or not I

<v Speaker 1>should do this.

<v Speaker 2>Always giving good feedback. Always finding the stories that no

<v Speaker 2>one else can find. Rob, I can't wait for college football,

<v Speaker 2>even though it's crazy. I am looking forward to games,

<v Speaker 2>even though it's a little bit minimal this weekend. But Saturday,

<v Speaker 2>we already get games and I am here for it.

<v Speaker 2>Looking forward to it. Looking forward to you coming back

<v Speaker 2>next week and talking some NFL too.

<v Speaker 3>Absolutely. See you next week.

<v Speaker 2>Hey, next week on The Dose, like I said, the

<v Speaker 2>wait is over. We have some college football this weekend.

<v Speaker 2>And next weekend, we are going to be bringing you

<v Speaker 2>our 2026 NFL preview. At least we're going to be

<v Speaker 2>starting it. We've got so much to get to. That

<v Speaker 2>might take us a couple of weeks to get through

<v Speaker 2>it all. But the NFL is coming quickly and we

<v Speaker 2>will have you ready for it. So be sure you

<v Speaker 2>check out The Dose and be sure you let a

<v Speaker 2>friend know to do the same. I want to say

<v Speaker 2>thank you so much to Big Rob for all that

<v Speaker 2>you contribute.

<v Speaker 3>To the Daily Dose.

<v Speaker 1>And I want to say thank you to each and

<v Speaker 1>every one of you for listening to the Daily Dose

<v Speaker 1>every week. Thank you for the emails. Thank you for

<v Speaker 1>the texts.

<v Speaker 3>Thank you for the tweets.

<v Speaker 2>But more than anything, thank you for sharing the show,

<v Speaker 2>for sharing the videos, and for sharing the articles with someone.

<v Speaker 3>That you know.

<v Speaker 2>We absolutely love it when you do that. Have to

<v Speaker 2>say thank you to JSP. Could not do any of

<v Speaker 2>this without you. I will see you all next Wednesday.

<v Speaker 2>Have a great week, everybody.

<v Speaker 3>Playoffs? Don't talk about it.

<v Speaker 1>Playoffs?

<v Speaker 3>You kidding me? Playoffs?

<v Speaker 1>I just hope we can win a game.