January 23, 2025 • 50 mins
In this college football podcast episode, we reflect fondly on the players, teams, and happy circumstances that made the 2024 college football season so much fun. From Diego Pavia's folk hero status to Travis Hunter's two-way wizardry to an even wackier Big 12 than we initially thought, last season was one to remember. Plus, a quick chat through way-too-early top 25s from On3 and ESPN.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the solid verbal holl that for me. I'm
a man, I'm for.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I've heard so many players say, well, I want to
be happy. You want to be happy for a day?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Edith Steak is that woo whoo? And them and Tie
Dan Ruberstein happy off season, my friend, we are back.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
There is no off season, Tie, Yes, we are back.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
How you feeling, I'm good? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I got you sell it like in that those two words,
you were both assertive and trying to convince yourself that
you're feeling good.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
I don't know how you are well. I don't know
if it's I mean, I know it's because we do
this show and everybody knows. I'm the Notre Dame fan
between the two of us, and I got a lot
of those messages. It always cracks me up. You get
the text messages, you get the messages on social media.
Everybody asks you, how are you, How are you doing?
How are you doing? How are you feeling? I'm fine.
I didn't play. I wish they would have won. I
(01:00):
figured they were going to lose. I like the way
they made it tight at the end. At least made
a game of it. Sleep did you lose sleep? Did
you like what could have been? Oka Rock? The only
reason I didn't get a full night's sleep on Monday
night was because you and I were up late recording
the recap episode. But otherwise, yeah, like I said, wish
they would have won. Thought in the very end, they
(01:20):
ended up equitting themselves decently well, made a game of it.
It wasn't meant to be congratulations Ohio State, But don't
send me your condolences. This all sign okay, I.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Think there actually is a time to send people condolences
with regard to sports and big losses or big moments
and a loss. This wasn't a situation of like if
not now when for Notre Dame, given the injuries given
like it was kind of two thirds of an offense
without an ability to go downfield, even though in that
(01:53):
game specifically and it was Jaden Greathhouse and Mitchell Evans
even more specifically generating those bigger plays downfield, especially after
the catch. But this wasn't like this was a three
year starter, NFL caliber, top level first round quarterback. This
is you know, he's been with these receivers for a
couple of years. They were unusually healthy the field of
opponents they were playing was especially down. It was all
(02:15):
set up for Notre Dame. It wasn't that. It wasn't.
I don't follow the NFL, but it seemed like it
was kind of that for the Ravens and they lost
kind of.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
I mean, there's two reasons I have sent this style
message to people that I know. The first is when
it feels like this was supposed to be a moment
of culmination. Everything built to this, as you described, and
the window is open. The window might be shut next year.
And if they're not going to get it now, when
are they ever going to get it right? Sorry to
(02:46):
hear that. Hope you're feeling okay after the loss. That's
the first one. The second is if you've got a
crazy stomach punch game that you lose on a hail
Mary or something of that nature, something that takes your
breath away. Those are the types of ins is where
I would you know, I'd be okay with receiving a
message of support.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
By the way it would have been on the other side,
if Ohio State would have lost to you know, Texas
punches it in and the strip sack doesn't happen, game
goes to overtime, Texas beats Ohio State and whatever happens
in National Championship happens. That's when you would text an
Ohio State fan in your life, unless you're you know,
Michigan or whoever that like man that this was the year, right,
(03:27):
the number of guys they had coming back, adding Will
Howard having the Jeremiah Smith explosion out wide, that's when
that would have been the situation that which is obviously
why Ryan Day was under the pressure that he was
under after the Michigan loss, that would have been the
team that, like, oh if Ohio State didn't win it
this year, especially getting the Mulligan after the Michigan loss, Like,
(03:50):
what are we talking about in terms of this tenure.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
But they made it happen. They made it happen, and
we're making this show happen just a few days after
the National Championship. Did you say earlier the iron is
still warm? We got to strike while the iron's hot. Dan,
you had a great idea for today's episode, which we'll
trot out here in just a few moments. We will
be with you throughout the course of the off season.
So if you are with us now, if you've been
(04:13):
with us all season. Maybe you're just finding us for
the first time. Lord knows how people find podcasts these days.
Hit follow hit subscribes that you don't miss any of
our episodes. We want to thank everybody out there who
watcheses on YouTube. We didn't just go over twenty over
twenty one thousand subscribers now, so we're oh, we're cooking
with gas here as we round the turn into twenty
(04:34):
twenty five, and we're excited to have the baller hood
with us again. Go on out to overballers dot com
if you are interested. I did update our Patreon tiers
to reflect more of what we're doing this off season.
So if you want to further support what Dan and
I are doing again all throughout the course of the year,
go and check us out at forballers dot com. We
got a five we got a ten dollars tier. We
(04:54):
also have a free tier, which we'll send some crumbs
out to throughout the course of the off season as well.
So if you're not in the position to like do
the pay thing, it's cool, don't worry about it. Sign
up for the free tier. You'll get some perks, we
promise you. I think you should worry about it. You
should worry because Ty has now had to shut off
his heat for the winter in eastern PA because you're
(05:17):
not supporting all of the hard work. When I'm just kidding,
can I ask you something? Do you pay mind? Do
you pay heed to the way too early? Top twenty fives?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Is that something that at least stirs something in your brain?
Speaker 1 (05:30):
It does for me? It? Well, okay? Do I pay
a whole lot of attention to it? Do I put
a lot of weight on it? Absolutely not. It is
an interesting point for conversation, though. I saw that Andy
and Auri put one out and understand why they did.
I think it's an interesting conversation to have. I don't
(05:50):
fully agree with what they had. I think I take
more exception to some of the odds that we discussed
on our recap episode, and it's not fully understanding why
teams are where. Right. It is that time of year now,
right to the point that you made me earlier before
we hit record, like everybody is still kind of in
(06:10):
the moment here with college football. This is the moment
to either reflect on some of the fun things that
we're going to do today or look forward to what's
ahead in twenty twenty five. So whatever form that takes
on for you, I get why it's out there. I
just can't make a whole lot out of it personally.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Okay, So what I like to pay attention to with
that is kind of twofold at the top near the
top it. You know, there are some years where it's
so obvious who like those top one, two, three, four
ish type teams should be this year with the number
of new starting quarterbacks for a lot of these programs,
I guess other than Penn State, who's in that conversation,
(06:49):
but Texas and Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, in terms of
new full time starting quarterback, it's presumably gun or Stockton.
I don't that's just you know, a toss up to me,
like they're they're gonna jump each other and it's going
to be you know, likely five of those six teams
are going to finish in the top six or seven. Anyway,
to me, it gets a lot more interesting when you
(07:09):
start getting to like nine to ten through twenty five,
because that is like the perception of quality that we
see like oh, by us number nine, Like what byus
number nine? And you're like, well, maybe that makes sense?
I don't know, they're returning a bunch of dudes in
the Big twelve. Just seems like it's always going to
be pretty wide open. Okay, Illinois at thirteen, returning a
(07:30):
bunch Luke Altmeyer coming back. I don't have their schedule
in front of me in this moment, but in terms
of like the other teams that seem higher than usual
at this point of the season, South Carolina being where
they are makes sense to me, just not used to
going into February, which is like there is South Carolina
hype in a way unlike previous South Carolina hype recently.
(07:55):
So I think all that's like pretty fascinating. And then
you get the usual schools that seem to always be
in the top ten or twelve, Michigan or Tennessee or
something like that, falling into like the twenty ish zone.
Understandable given what some of those both of those teams lose,
and some of the questions surrounding key positions with both
of those teams. But I like that we are not
(08:16):
automatically over ranking all of the traditional powers, and that's
interesting to me. I'm looking at the ESPN one, by
the way, That's why I was making those references.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
I just say you the one that Andy and already did.
I saw that. Yeah, they have Illinois seven. Am I
reading this correctly?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
They have Illinois So ESPN I think at Illinois thirteen.
I'll confirm where ESPN is. Who did the ESPN one,
I think it was it Mark Schleabaugh. Yeah, so yes,
Ari and Andy have Illinois seven. Maybe they're schedules great, Okay,
what were you going to say?
Speaker 1 (08:48):
No, that's just that one kind of catches me off guard.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
I'm looking at Illinois schedule right now. But yes, Illinois
in this sort of position.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
It's unusual preseason top ten in any poll for Illinois. Yeah,
that's a big deal. I understand why there is a
lot of steam on Ohio State. Obviously, they just won
the national championship. Andy and already have them two. I'm
not sure where ESPN has them in their way too early.
Ohio State one one in the odds that Brett McMurphy
(09:20):
sent out from CIRCA just right after moments after the
National championship. Ohio State was the odds on favorite to
win the title in twenty twenty five five to one.
Ohio State's gonna lose a lot to the NFL or
just in general, there's gonna be a lot of attrition
off of that ross. This is not to say they
don't have incredible star power behind those guys. It's just
(09:42):
a stretch for me to think that they're going to
come into next season with a brand new starting quarterback,
with a bunch of brand new difference makers, mostly on defense,
and they're suddenly going to be odds on favorite. I
don't know that one. To me, I'm not fully buying yet.
Ohio State is going to be a top ten caliber
team for sure, but yeah, I need to wait and
see a little bit more before I'm ready to take
(10:03):
that leap with them.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Illinois, by the way, is at Indiana a week before
they host USC, two weeks before, or three weeks excuse me,
before they host Ohio State. So Illinois does not get
Penn State, Michigan, or Oregon on this schedule. Whatever we
think Michigan may or may not be in twenty twenty
five likely and improved Michigan team. So in terms of
(10:26):
the powers faced and the home road splits, they get
one clear obvious power in Ohio State, and they get
them at home, and I believe it's a Purdue week before,
so it's not as super challenging back to back situation
in this moment. I don't think Illinois is good enough
to beat Ohio State.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
No, but maybe they.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Said that in two thousand and seven too, So yeah,
it's interesting to see where Illinois is, especially if the
defense can continue to take steps forward and the offensive
line can get a little bit better from where they
were run blocking last year but finished strong against South Carolina.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Yeah, I just think.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
It's it'll be good for the sport if this kind
of thinking carries into the a people and how we
look at these teams early on next season.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
By the way, just for what it's worth to give
you a little bit of context, Andy Narri's top five
was Texas, Ohio State, your Oregon Ducks, my Penn State,
Nitney Lions, alongside my Notre Dame fighting Irish at five,
and then six through ten was Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina,
Florida at nine, and then Clemson at ten. I won't
(11:30):
read through the whole thing, okay, Georgia Tech at twenty four,
Georgia Tech at twenty four, Indiana twenty three, Michigan all
the way up to twelve, Auburn all the way up
to eleven, LSU down to fifteen. Definitely some interesting choices here,
and I think all of them are pretty defensible. I
get where they're coming from.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Oklahoma eighteen little R buckle Matier, I like it. I
like it because here's what you can do. You can
say we had this when Oklahoma is good next year,
we had this way back in mid to late January,
and if they're not good, you're just like, wow, it's
a two. We said too early. It's a nice little
(12:10):
strategy there.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Okay, I would buy stock in Tennessee, Tennessee at You're
buying stock in Tennessee, Tennessee at thirteen feels low to me.
I think they'll be much better than thirteen next year.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Okay, I have no opinion. I don't know their schedule.
I don't have they're too deep in front of me.
But yes, we know what their upside can be. So
should we talk about what we're doing today?
Speaker 1 (12:32):
I think we should. Why don't you describe this concept
again for the people at home? Obviously, there are a
whole list of shows that we could put together in
the immediate shadow of the National Championship. I could sit
here and probably talk for forty five minutes about Notre Dame.
Nobody wants that unless you're a Notre Dame.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Hold On, hold on. Do you have any thoughts on
Mitchell Evans route running? Do you have any thoughts on
Xavier Watson the angles he took against?
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Okay? Nothing, Okay, talk to me about this concept. What
are we doing today? All right?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
So we have spent what has felt like the last
fifteen weeks talking about the college football playoff and the
first year of twelve teams. So I wanted to do
a show completely devoid of playoff talk, or at least
direct playoff talk as much as we can to celebrate
the non playoff novel elements of the twenty twenty four season.
(13:26):
I don't know if we just want to limit it
to twelve, but and there's lots of different ways twelve
has appeared in popular culture. Charity X signs twelve, markis months, whatever.
But I wanted to say, like, hey, let's celebrate what
was new about the season beyond the playoff. And by new,
I mean hey, it was new that like Sam Houston
(13:48):
won ten games in their second year as an FBS
team after starting out three to nine in their first year, Like,
let's I want to celebrate the good and novel. I
don't want to like say, like, hey, it was novel
that Florida State went in ten, Like that's not nice,
that's not fun, that's not cool. I should mention unless
you're a Florida familist or a Miami fanalist, you're a
Clemson fan. Yeah, but I want to celebrate and go
(14:11):
through bullet points with context and why it was novel.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
And new and fun in the twenty twenty four to
do it in ooh, thank you in no particular order.
I just pulled that sound out of the archives. Yes,
in no particular order. By the way, if you see
me getting up here, it's because I have a six
month old puppy at my feet that is chewing on
my carpet. So doing my best to not be distracting
(14:38):
to you, not be distracting to myself as we go
through very important non playoff items.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Dan, this is like a combination oscars in Memoriam, a
little bit of verbies, a little bit of we do
the fantasy things before the season, So this is kind
of like a celebration of things that could have been
fantasy things if we were time travelers.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
I think so. I think that's where we're at.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yeah, and so like, let's let's just take a knee,
as you like to say. Yeah, and weighed in the
recent nostalgia Jacuzzi.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
The recent nostalgia Jacuzzi. My first item Dan from this
past season not so much a playoff thing, though I
supposed on some level it could be. I've labeled this
overpowered kickers. Okay, you know that. I've wanted to do
a show about what is going on with college kicking
(15:33):
for a few months running. Now we're gonna find some
way to do that in the off season. But I
found stats that are just mind blowing. If it felt
like you saw more fifty yard field goals than ever
this year, it's because it was up fifty percent from
the twenty three season. There were one hundred and ninety
five successful kicks of fifty or more yards this year.
(15:54):
Last season there were only one thirty. I believe the
season prior there were only like sixty seven. So whatever
is going on in the kicking world is having some
real world ramifications. There were nearly two hundred two hundred
successful field goals of fifty or more yards this past season.
You cannot tell me. After years of making the college
(16:14):
kicker joke, and there still still are college kicker moments,
but clearly one hundred and ninety five successful kicks of
fifty or more yards being so at jump fifty percent,
kickers have gone to a different level now in college football.
They are now a weapon as opposed to a liability
for I would say most of the top tier teams.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
It's sort of like when I don't know if it
was Nerve or some other company added the missile tail
to the football and all of a sudden, you could
throw a NERF football like you were John Elway on
your knees at the goal line. That seems to be
what has happened to the kicking game. And so yes,
I know you want to further investigate. Let's do you
have a favorite kicker or a favorite kick from this
(16:54):
year to put you on the spot.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I got a favorite moment. I mean, I'm the guy
from Michigan was frigging nails. Yeah, he was nails. He
was tied for the most in college football kicks of
over fifty yards. He had seven on the season, and
I just think, you know, the offense was limited the
fact that he was as big a presence as he
(17:17):
was helped Michigan get to where they got. You know,
it wasn't maybe the most successful year, especially no especially
kind of drafting off of a national championship season, but
you got to score points somehow, and that guy got
a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
So I have Nolan Hauser with a fifty six yard
walk off in the ACC Championship with SMU coming back
and making it a game, and yet you can just
casually kick it from fifty six to basically play your
way into the playoff via an absolute.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Boot of a kick. What do you got next? Next item?
How about Army winning the American in year one.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
And still losing to Navy and still like getting kind
of demolished by Navy in the process.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
It's incredible. It is incredible. Now, we were both pretty
high on Army before the start of the season. The
fact that they came in and were so successful, I
think is first off, a testament to the prep that
you and I put in, but secondly a testament to
what Army stands for. You know, they certainly had their
moments this season where I e. The Notre Dame game
could have gone better. I E you know, I mean
(18:25):
there were it wasn't all bulletproof, but it's a really
difficult system to stop, and when you've got that much
senior veteran leadership. I don't know. I just I was
like all about it before the season, and I'm even
like happier now that it happened.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Looking back, Army finished with either the number two or
number three points per drive defense or excuse me, points
for drive offense in college football. And even though it
didn't work out against Notre Dame nor did it work
out against Navy, a nice bounce back gear for Army.
My next item, by the way, is Kansas just are
(19:00):
like the ing seasons, ruining seasons, starting out not terribly
because it turned out like Illinois was pretty good, UNLV
was pretty good, the West Virginia loss was kind of crazy,
but it turns out TCU was pretty good. Turns out
Arizona State was really good, losing to ASU by four,
and then so they lose five in a row, and
(19:21):
then they win four of five before losing to Baylor
to end the season, and that is basically last second
against Kansas State in a weird game, but then beating
Iowa State beating BYU, beating Colorado, and changing teams postseason,
changing team's playoff ability or inability, changing team's ability to
(19:42):
get to the Big Twelve championship game. Kansas affected everybody
like UNLV's like big thing early on in the season
was like they just took this holy Cross quarterback and
beat like a legit Big twelve contender. And even though
said holy Cross transfer quarterback left under weird circumstance, which
is another item, still Kansas getting it together. Losing their
(20:05):
offensive coordinator before the season start. Jalen Daniels healthy ish
and is playing and works out really well for Kansas,
specifically in November, as Kansas was able to sort of
steady the ship.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
That's great. Yeah, I mean it also was a different
way of talking about Kansas than I think we have
grown accustom over the last two years, where it felt
like they were rising, where they were building to something.
It was not the same Kansas season, but still the
fact that they were playing a meaningful role down the
stretch in the Big twelve season was pretty cool. It
was interesting. It's always interesting to talk about Kansas. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
What about the f animal, the phrase this is your guy,
the for animal, I love the energy. I love the enthusiasm.
I love the confidence from Fran Brown coming in at
Syracuse and immediately saying that he should buy Ryan Day
champagne for letting Kyle McCord leave Columbus. Obviously, Ryan Day
(21:01):
went on to win the national championship this year with
a different quarterback. But I just I loved the explosive
offense going downfield, recognizing the system that should be in
place on offense, the sort of weird I only shower
when I win, I only get clean when I win.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Energy of the for animal.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Like, I just love a quality higher working out immediately
and hopefully, you know, taking that energy and taking that
enthusiasm onto the recruiting trail and the portal trail, and
Syracuse becomes and what was it, Syracuse beating Miami to
clinch the ACC championship berth for Clemson. Right, So I
(21:44):
just I love an outspoken dude at the top who
is excited about his team, and so the future of
Syracuse football seems bright, and.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
I don't know that seems like a good thing to
me one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Let's talk about the calgarithm baby stay the ACC, because
why wouldn't you a meeting. I think Cal when ACC
talk begins, let's talk about the damn calgorithm. For my money,
this is my favorite story all season long, non playoff story,
because look, Cal.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Has many things. Cal is now kind of an outsider,
literally an outsider in this new conference. They play a
country away from the I guess center of gravity of
the ACC. So it's just a weird union in that sense.
It's more out of convenience and necessity than it is
any real like geographic or cultural similarity. But that being said,
(22:38):
I was unaware that the Cal twitter game was so strong.
I was unaware that they were able to mount this
sort of fan led effort to drum up support for CAL.
Went to a bowl game now losing friends. Uh, Fernana Mendoz,
excuse me. He's going to be playing quarterback in Indiana
next season, so you know, it'll kind of be a
different conversation. In twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Devin Brown officially signed by the Way with RAL moving
forward from Ohio States.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
I saw that, yeah, so I mean there's there's there's
going to be some change on the Cal side of things.
I do hope the calgarithm continues, though. I suspect. As
long as it's the same group of fans rooting on
the cal Golden Bears, we get to see a little
bit more of this next season, and I'm all for it.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Yeah, those those Twitter users or ex us or whatever
may now all be on a list though, So let's
pray for the Calgarithm moving forward rooting for you guys. Yes,
and look, they went to Auburn and beat Auburn. They
somehow also lost to Florida State, which is very difficult
to do in twenty twenty four, but they found a way.
So there was something you know, fun about the Calgarithm
(23:41):
at all in all moments, and you know, there were
conversations about him on I think Game Day went to
cal for the Miami game. I believe because of the calgorithm. Yeah,
I think because of the calgorithm. I was pretty good.
I've got another one, tye you ready, I am. I
have it down here. Diego pavia coma ongoing folk hero.
Is he going to play next year as of now?
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (24:01):
As of now, there's like the juco injunction to allow
further eligibility for anil reasons, so I hope it sticks.
I don't know why not okay. Interesting Interesting Vanderbilt Bbama.
Vanderbilt beat an Alabama team that actually wasn't terrible in
that game. On offense, they just couldn't The Alabama defense
(24:22):
couldn't get off the field because Diego Pavia kept converting
first downs with his arm and his legs and they
were able to close it out. Defense came up big
in spots for Vandy as well, but for Diego Pavia
to constantly just come up and you know, whether it
was beating Auburn, I guess this year and last year
when he was at New Mexico State, just a winner,
(24:43):
and I can appreciate the ability to drag a team
to win after win. They closed the gap late against
Texas in a losing effort, But I don't know. It
was pretty great that the New Mexico State quarterback who
I think went to like a that when talking about
junior college, I think he went to a military school
(25:04):
for post high school year or two. That to go
from New Mexico State to the SEC and not miss
a beat end up Vandy, what they beat Georgia Tech,
I want to say in a bowl game to finish
things out.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
That's pretty rad. One of my favorite moments, and this
was more the first half of the year than the
back half of the year. Announcers who couldn't remember that
they were supposed to say two minute timeout instead of
instead of the two minute warning. I have not found
a good reason for why they are calling it a
timeout versus warning. There are articles online. I read through
(25:41):
most of them. I didn't understand any of them. It
still seems like it's a bit of fuzzy math to me.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Was it not wanting to like get into the NFL wording?
Speaker 1 (25:51):
I don't think so. I think it had something to
do more with their calling a timeout, and they want
this time out to signify sort of a way to
avoid back to back commercials on play stoppages. It doesn't
make any They should just call it a two minute warning.
That's what everybody's used to calling it. That's what we've
known it once forever. But whatever, it took a few
(26:13):
weeks for announcers to get this one straight that I
found pretty funny. I just wanted to throw that one
on our list. I should also add, just on a
personal level, even though it pained me deeply. Tom Hammick,
the coach for NIU, being emotional in the manner that
he was after beating Notre Dame. Right, and then the
(26:33):
story that came out after the game. You remember what
story I'm talking about?
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Yes, I do that he was gonna was like, all right,
I'm gonna help Marcus Freeman out.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
He wanted to help Marcus Freeman out. He was willing
to kind of open up his strategy and talk through
what he saw on the Northern Illinois side to help
make Marcus Freeman a Notre Dame better. Do we know
what that was? I don't know what it was. I
know people asked him about it and he didn't want
to comment on it. Like he saw vulnerability in the
(27:03):
Death Star, he saw something and he offered to talk
to Marcus Streaman about it. I don't know if that
happened or not, but it is definitely atypical. It is
not something you're used to hearing. I know all these
coaches talk in the offseason, most of them know each
other pretty well, but in the bros of the season
to kind of offer up this help, whether it's commonplace
(27:24):
or not, it was as a Notre Dame fan, it
was definitely one of those moments where I'm like, Okay,
please take him up on this help because we can't
have this happen again if we want to make the playoff.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
I have USC in exclusive tight fourth quarter games. This
is not intended to be a knock on USC not
always winning these games, because they did sometimes win close
games when you look at I think it was the
Nebraska game. They may have been down one heading into
the fourth quarter and pulled it out long, long drive
(27:55):
down the field. But it was that like it could
be against it's a good team, it could be against
a bad team. It could be against an up and
down team, it could be against an excellent team. And
for instance Penn State USC was just good enough to
be in the thick of it, you know, torching Notre
Dame Corners on their way to like being in that
game late and then it not working out, and there
(28:19):
was the constant cutaways to like a growing in.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
I don't know how to describe.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
I was gonna say link even Lincoln Riley's face on
the sideline as he was like, all right, now we're
getting into the thick of it.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
What is going to happen?
Speaker 2 (28:34):
He eventually benched Miller Moss in favor in favor of
Jade Mayava, But there was always like, Okay, the end
of the USC game is nearing and it's going to
get weird. It's going to get frustrating for somebody involved
in this game.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
We have gone far too long without mentioning Northwestern's temporary stadium. Ooh, yes,
we were there Week two for the Friday night game
against Duke. It was awful. The state was great, The
weather was awful, it was cold, it rained, We left
at halftime. One more season, one more season, and then
the new Ryan Field is done. In twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Yeah, are they going to host Orgon in that stadium?
They are hosting Oregon in that stadium. Michigan is going
to be at Wrigley, but Oregon's coming to the banks
of the Mighty Michigan Lake. Michigan is going to host
the Oregon Ducks and Northwestern Wildcats. I think pretty early
on next year.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
That's wild man, You're going to go to that. I'm
going to that game. Yeah, absolutely, I'm going to be.
I can't. I mean, they're doing that at the temporary state.
It's not a big stadium, right, They did a good
job building it. They did a good job kind of
making it feel like almost a festival, and truly it's
one of one. Yeah, you're never going to go to
another stadium like that. It is one of one. It
(29:47):
is unique and at least the game that we saw,
whether aside, they did a pretty good job making it
feel different and unique and fun. Need to work out
some signage issues that we discussed in the aftermath of
our experience. Yeah, but beyond that, hosting a big game
in that stadium this pretty wild.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
It's also funny because it's the waste management people, I think,
who have involved in it somehow, and so they go
really big with the introduction and light show and music
and stereo stuff. And it's Northwestern, which I mean it
might it might happen where Northwestern's reputation changes, like the
(30:28):
college football reputation changes. But like I think it's fair
to say Northwestern's football reputation is defense and offensive linemen. Yeah,
like randomly NFL caliber corners and you know, edge rushers
and then like a top ten pick at left tackle
or right tackle or something, and so it's just it's gritty,
(30:51):
non flashy whatever. Then you go to a game at
this like beefed up high school stadium and it's just
like handsrans, just like what Okay, cool, they're trying and
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
But yes, it is very much a temp stadium that
popped up in the middle of the night. But it works.
It worked. We have not mentioned Travis Hunter yet. Travis
Hunter win the Heisman Trophy as a two way, genuine
two way player, played a lot of snaps this year.
Now going pro in all likelihood going to be a
top three, top five pick by somebody whoever is looking
(31:27):
for his services. But Travis Hunter, his ability to put
a mark on college football just in two short years
of being at the FBS level in Colorado, it's clear
they turned him into a superstar in Colorado. He's planning
on playing both ways in the NFL? Was that? I
(31:47):
think he's open to it. I suspect it comes down
to who drafts him. Regardless of who takes him, whether
or not they play him every snap on both sides
of the ball, whether it's just one of those deals
where he plays primarily as a corner and then take
some snaps as a slot receiver, various packages, whatnot. That
I think remains to be seen, but clearly, as a
(32:09):
proof of concept, he proved that he's got great ball skills,
could be a wide receiver at a very very elite level.
He showed that this season obviously won the Heisman, and
clearly he's got great skills as a cornerback as well.
So however they choose to deploy him will be fascinating
I think to watch at the next level. But suffice
to say, since Charles Woodson, we haven't had, primarily right
(32:33):
what we view primarily as a defensive player win the
Heisman Trophy in a while. That is how Travis Hunter
was recruited out of high school. Clearly, you know, cornerback
one of his primary positions, but for him to genuinely
be a two way player the way he was the
season to nagu want to win the Heisman, it's you
just don't find a lot of guys like that. So
(32:53):
that's a.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Cool story college football. Egot, that's what it is. He
got right, the Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar. I mean, yeah,
I suspect it'll be like a one point four way
in the NFL, Like he will play corner and then
he will be in certain you know packages, if it's
like a four receiver thing, you know, whatever, three receiver
(33:14):
like something in the NFL that will showcase his abilities.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
I don't know if it's red zone.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
I don't know if it's when we are going two
minute and we're getting more guys on the field. Whatever
it is, I don't know how you keep that kind
of skill off the field.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
What do you got? What do you got next?
Speaker 2 (33:30):
Next one, I'm gonna go with Iowa finding an actual offense.
And I wrote here in a Hopeless Place deal those
are for all my two thousand and fourteen thirteen I
Love and a Hopeless Place, Dan Calvin Harris, I want
to say fine in love in a Hopeless Place.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
So it was bye bye. Brian Farrens, who has since
been hired as a tight ends coach out in Fresno.
They went a different direction at coordinator. Didn't do I
don't think anything too far beyond the pale. It was
a lot of what you'd expect to see from other
teams running normal offenses. It was a slightly below average offense,
(34:14):
but from an Iowa standpoint, that was an enormous step
forward given what we got used to seeing over the
last decade or so under Kirk Farence. So that in
and of itself, I think is a pretty cool story
moving forward. It'll be interesting to see if they're able
to progress things next season and get a little bit
more explosive. But they were better. They look, we can
(34:35):
make the jokes here, but they were absolutely better.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Oh yeah, between Cade McNamara, who is now at I think.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
East Tennessee is Tennessee. Yeah, competing with I think Chriswell
from North Carolina for that job. That's right, that's right.
Will Healey new coach at East Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Yeah, But between him and Brendan Sullivan, who I thought
was pretty good, like kind of ballsy going downfield, and
of course Caleb Johnson. Sure, maybe you don't have to
over think that. If you have just enough of a
passing game to keep defenses honest, then you can afford
to give it to Caleb Johnson and get some big
plays out of it. And their defense didn't fall off
that much given that they were taking more chances on offense.
(35:12):
They scored forty two against Wisconsin, forty against Northwestern, forty
against Washington, twenty nine against Maryland. They scored twenty four
in a losing effort against Miszoo in that tight game.
In the Bowl game, thirty one against Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
Like I don't know. Sometimes scoring thirty points can be good.
It can't be Iowa. It can be good, all right?
BYU Dan Yeah, BYU pick to finish fourth last in
the Big Twelve, ends up going eleven to two. They
beat a college football playoff team nearly too, almost beat ASU. Yeah.
(35:49):
And then of course so it was my dog barks.
Here we had Jake retz Lef, who you know, had
a incredible season this past year. He's going to be
back again next season. He's got the il deal with
men of Chevitz. It's like everything clear up. Jake retzlif
and BYU again. BYU offensively didn't fit neatly into any
of the boxes that I think we have, but they
(36:11):
played fundamentally sound football, and obviously they had a really
successful campaign, winning eleven games. So hats off to Killani's.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Stock stomped Colorado and I think the Alamobile as well.
Thirty six to fourteen final. There, so huge turnaround here
for BYU. My next one is, and this I know
people with the context of the playoff, was how people
are thinking about them.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
You know.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
In December January, South Carolina getting nearly to ten wins
with basically an untackleable first year quarterback who wears glasses.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
Which I always got the rest watching this on YouTube.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Go and rexpec and two just like angry cyborg edge rushers.
Now there are more dudes on this team that contributed
and that were great and Rocket Sanders all that, but
at the core of it, it was South Carolina beating
Clemson because thirty seven different Clemson defenders couldn't tackle Lenoras
Sellers at the end of that game, and that they
have these two crazy dudes on the edge that gave
(37:11):
every single offensive tackle fits and with whatever holes the
offense and the defense had, it didn't matter as much
because Lenora Sellers could pick up a first down and
pick up huge plays both with his arm and his legs.
And you just have these terrors on the edge making
teams uncomfortable constantly. And so South Carolina another one of
(37:33):
those teams are just like down year after down year,
the end of like the year of cup Birth, I
guess three years ago now with Spencer Ratler was promising,
but you know, it seemed that they were a program
that whenever things appeared to be heading in a good direction,
the bottom fell out. And I don't think there was
a ton of hope coming into this year that it
was going to be all that different because of the
unknown quantity of Lenora's sellers. They were crazy fun, winner
(37:55):
lose all year long.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Did you mention UNLV yet?
Speaker 2 (37:59):
Have I mentioned UNLV just within the context of Kansas
but not specific to UNLV?
Speaker 1 (38:05):
How easy it is to forget about how weird that
Matt Sluka thing was. Yes, did he declare where he
is going next? He's joining Bob Chesney and James Madison.
There we go. The UNLV story, though, was pretty wild
because for a hot minute, UNLV was like our playoff
team du jore sure coming out of the G five,
(38:28):
and that circumstance was weird. With Sluca, oh, he was
pretty good, obviously, showed flashes. For him to walk away
mid season definitely sucked. It was a horrible situation, But
then they were even better. I think with Hodgemena League Williams.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
Shout out Campbell Campbell's Yeah, shout out Campbell Campbell.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
They found a way to kind of rebound from that.
It seemed as if the team rallied around Hodgemena League
Williams in a way that maybe they didn't. Sluka and
UNLV went on too a hell of a campaign as well.
They obviously did not get to the playoff, They did
not win their championship. They lost to Boise State on
two separate occasions. But all that to say, I just
(39:06):
thought the way they rebounded from what was a peculiar
thing we don't see a lot of in college football
and then seemingly got better was a cool story. The
other thing I'd add now is so Bury Odom left,
Buriodam going elsewhere, going to Purdue right, And now we're
going to have Dan Mullen coming out of retirement, out
of the ESPN booth, going to be taking over in UNLV.
(39:29):
So what that offense looks like, if it looks all
that different, remains to be seen. But I think he's
geared up and ready to go after a few years
away from the game. I'm curious to see how that
shakes out in the Mountain West.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
What Harold Fannin about Harold Fannin bowling green, tight end,
large receiver, whatever you want to call him, being an
unstoppable force of nature, not just against teams that they
played on their max schedule, Penn State and Texas A
and M two of the probably twenty best defenses in
America that he ran rough shot over. And then in
(40:04):
the bowl game Bowl Season Winter Wonders, we set his
catch total at like eight and a half, yeah, eight
in the bowling.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
Grade at eighteen, undershot it by just a little bit. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
I love the smaller school guys against whoever, are so
unstoppable that the word I really like is undeniable. And
I remember, look, this happens all the time that you know,
a small school kid goes on to become like an
NFL Hall of Famer. It doesn't mean that we should
always be looking at you know wherever, uh you know,
(40:39):
Khalil Mack, you know, playing at Buffalo. We shouldn't be
looking at those schools like closer because if you're good,
everybody's going to find you. But those situations were like
was it against Ohio State. I want to say that
Khalil Mack was like he had nine tackles, were lost,
three sacks, two forced fumbles, seven tips. It was I
think it was Khalil Mack against Ohio State. You're like, well,
if he's doing this Tohio State, he's probably an NFL
(41:02):
player and was the NFL good Yeah, Yeah, it was
like he filled up the stat sheet in a crazy
way against Ohio State. So Harold fan in doing that
against Penn State and Texas A And I'm you're just like, well,
if those if Mike Elko and James Franklin can't figure
out something to stop this dude, he's a guy, and
he was all year long.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
We've only got a couple more here that I want
to make sure we call out. The Oklahoma and Kentucky situation, Yes,
was frustrating to say the least. I mean, I spent
a fair amount of energy talking up Kentucky in the preseason,
and I don't think I was quite as high on
(41:45):
Oklahoma as some others. I had questions, but I didn't
expect it to look like this. I really didn't. It
was just not a good campaign. Oklahoma was just consistently
injured week in week out, especially out wide, but them
being some combination of bad. Having like so many injuries
but yet still finding ways to pull stupid upsets was
(42:06):
almost the epitome of college football in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
There was a it was a really good year, and
maybe the every years like this, I don't know. I'm
just reflecting on the twenty twenty four season. Like look,
the year was a disaster, but at least so between
Michigan beating Ohio State, Oklahoma beating Alabama, UH Kentucky beating
Ole Miss, Washington State beating Washington in the Apple Cup,
after being left out of major conference football, losing their
(42:33):
quarterback obviously after the season, losing their coach Dickert, heading
to Wake Forest, but sort of being left for dead
by a team in their own state and going to
Seattle I think it was Quest Field or wherever it
wasn't the actual Husky Stadium and John Matteer running roughshot.
And that's like a sub item too. John Mattier like
just like thrown into this job. As you know, he
(42:55):
was cam Ward's backup, not thrown in, but you know
it was his turn. And as soon as he gets
his turn to play major college football, his team is
left out of a conference like dealt a bad hand
and yet and loses I think one of the two
best receivers to Texas Tech. Yet he becomes the hottest
quarterback in the transfer portal and ends up at Oklahoma
(43:16):
the aforementioned Sooners.
Speaker 1 (43:18):
So that's right there, there was.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
It was an especially good year for a team that
was like catastrophically bad at times. Maryland beat USC, right,
you're gonna rush the field. Season's kind of a nightmare.
Was that was that Maryland's only win in the Big Ten?
Speaker 1 (43:32):
It feels it. I think it was.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
A very good year for hilarious silver linings to bad seasons.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
A couple other ones here on the list. We had,
let's see, oh, Baylor's offense suddenly getting good. Yes, didn't
start out that way, but Baylor I think turned in
in the year. Robertson, Yeah, decent offensive effort.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
How about TCU, Both Bail and TCU with really nice
bounce back years. TCU very quietly got to I think
nine wins after bowl season, which is just sort of
improving to them like they should be an eight nine
ish win program at this point. Now the Big Twelve
is more chaotic, but you're also losing Texas and Oklahoma,
(44:17):
so perhaps there is room for more security at or
near the top. I don't think right now in the
Big twelve you can be like, here is going to
be the annual hierarchy, Like one of these two teams
is probably can't say that, like ASU is super well
positioned moving forward. But there's a lot of quality in
the Big Twelve. I don't know if it's top tier quality,
(44:39):
but there's enough that going into a year you can
say like, yeah, there's five or six teams easily who
could you could see winning this conference.
Speaker 1 (44:47):
I've got something here on the list that I think
is a pretty good example of the emotion in college football,
and that is that Jackson Dart game against Florida. OK So,
not a positive thing, not a positive, not a positive thing,
but Jackson Dart throwing two interceptions late, having sort of
(45:09):
an emotional meltdown on the sidelines as they lose to Florida. Yeah,
obviously you don't want to throw interceptions if you're Jackson Dart.
But Jackson Dart, I think, is known for wearing his
heart on his sleeve, and so he cares, you know,
he cares, clearly he wishes it would have gone better.
But that, to me was something I think of immediately
when I think of what happened this past season. I
(45:30):
just thought that was like a really interesting moment in
college football. And then, as sort of a sub point
with miss emotion, how about the Lane Kiff and Twitter
meltdown at season's end. I know you say a lot
of that non playoff things, but Rank Kiffin just sort
of became a fan, right, became a super fan in
that moment, and did not shut up on Twitter, just
(45:51):
kept going. He might still be going and we're beyond
the national championship now. Lane kiff had a lot to
say about Old Miss, about the SEC, about pretty much
everything with respect to his team not getting in the playoff.
Speaker 2 (46:04):
It's a calculated risk from Lane Kiffen that the risk
being that SEC teams in the playoff and outside of
the playoff need to acquit themselves in such a way
that like, yes, of course I'm right, of course I'm
right taking this stance. And then with South Carolina losing
to Illinois the way that they did, with Alabama losing
(46:24):
to Michigan the way that they did during bowl season,
with Tennessee losing the way that they did early on
in the playoff, Georgia losing to Notre Dame, it just
wasn't a great postseason playoff or non playoff for the SEC.
And it's the closest I've ever felt to Lane Kiffen
that literally anybody can be wrong about college football, no
(46:45):
matter how close you are to the sport that you
can take a hard stance and then quietly have to
stop taking that stance as you're proven incorrect.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
It's great. Let us know if there's anything that we
missed off of our list, it is not, by the way,
on that token, I know what you're saying. On that token.
Did you see Matt Rules tweet today? Today? No? Today?
Speaker 2 (47:07):
So Matt Rule tweeted out? So he had he had
given a press conference that basically said that, like the
road through the Big Ten is the hardest in college football.
I'm paraphrasing here, but that you know, there's nothing like it.
How difficult the Big Ten is week in and week out.
And Paul Finebaum mocked that when he said that. I
think it was before the season or middle of it
(47:29):
was at some point before the playoff whatever. And then
somebody at Nebraska maybe Matt Rule is just like deep
in the final cut game. I don't know, somebody cut
that against after the National championship, Paul fine Bomb going on,
oh it was get up or something, saying like, I
don't know how you can say otherwise, but the Big
Ten is the king of college football, and he like,
(47:50):
I think there was an Alan Jackson, like a two
second clip of an Alan Jackson songs like Rememberable, Sure,
Matt Rule, Internet, Troll, Internet, great with it?
Speaker 1 (48:01):
Good stuff all right. Now, on that note, if there's
anything we missed on our list, that's on yours right
insoliverble at gmail dot com or hit us up on
social media. Again, this is not an all inclusive list,
but it is just some sampling of the things that
got us going. Non playoff items. Were there any?
Speaker 2 (48:18):
Were there any like like super esoteric things other than
kickers and the two minute timeout, anything like that, calgarithm,
anything else that was very specific to twenty twenty four.
I'm putting you on the spot here because we have
a Google doc that you could have added it to.
Speaker 1 (48:32):
I thought it was a pretty.
Speaker 2 (48:33):
Good year for puke, so we had a title game.
We saw Riley Leonard after that first drive, we didn't
see it. We've seen it a couple times that somebody
caught in a replay, like a defensive lineman quickly puking
before an attempted red zone stop. I want to say
there was something. It either happened or was close to
happening with Pat McAfee and Ireland and like a pub
(48:56):
that he was doing a show and either had to
like boot and rally or was just like really feeling it.
It was a good year for puke in college for.
Speaker 1 (49:04):
A good year for that was not something I had
on the bingo card. But okay, I'll take your word
for it. Right in solid verbal at gmail dot com,
let us know what we got right, what we got wrong.
I've got a dog that's biting at me at peak.
That's okay. My apology is to anybody who was distracted
by the little white fluffball barking behind me and trying
to wrestle the other dog here. But alas, thank you
(49:25):
for tuning in, Hit follow, hit subscribe if you have
yet to do so, we will be with you all
off season long. Just keep it right here on the
solid Verbal and of course leave a rating, leave the
star review. All that stuff helps make sure that other
people can find what we are doing, Dan Rubinstein.
Speaker 2 (49:40):
Yes, especially if you like college football and samoy its.
Speaker 1 (49:45):
Oh my god, this is cheer hole of my carpet.
This is why I was freaking out back here. You
chewed a hole of my carpet behind me. I should
have left them upstairs, but that's that's fine. That's an
unforced are on me. Mark me down for a turnover.
It's been a pleasure to be with you for the
last hour or so, though I will see the best
as always for that guy over there, my good friend
(50:06):
Dan Rubinstein, for myself, Tie hilden Brandt for this dog
biting at my elbow. We'll talk to y'all soon. In
the meantime, stay solid, peace,
Welcome to the solid verbal holl that for me. I'm
a man, I'm for.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I've heard so many players say, well, I want to
be happy. You want to be happy for a day?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Edith Steak is that woo whoo? And them and Tie
Dan Ruberstein happy off season, my friend, we are back.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
There is no off season, Tie, Yes, we are back.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
How you feeling, I'm good? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I got you sell it like in that those two words,
you were both assertive and trying to convince yourself that
you're feeling good.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
I don't know how you are well. I don't know
if it's I mean, I know it's because we do
this show and everybody knows. I'm the Notre Dame fan
between the two of us, and I got a lot
of those messages. It always cracks me up. You get
the text messages, you get the messages on social media.
Everybody asks you, how are you, How are you doing?
How are you doing? How are you feeling? I'm fine.
I didn't play. I wish they would have won. I
(01:00):
figured they were going to lose. I like the way
they made it tight at the end. At least made
a game of it. Sleep did you lose sleep? Did
you like what could have been? Oka Rock? The only
reason I didn't get a full night's sleep on Monday
night was because you and I were up late recording
the recap episode. But otherwise, yeah, like I said, wish
they would have won. Thought in the very end, they
(01:20):
ended up equitting themselves decently well, made a game of it.
It wasn't meant to be congratulations Ohio State, But don't
send me your condolences. This all sign okay, I.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Think there actually is a time to send people condolences
with regard to sports and big losses or big moments
and a loss. This wasn't a situation of like if
not now when for Notre Dame, given the injuries given
like it was kind of two thirds of an offense
without an ability to go downfield, even though in that
(01:53):
game specifically and it was Jaden Greathhouse and Mitchell Evans
even more specifically generating those bigger plays downfield, especially after
the catch. But this wasn't like this was a three
year starter, NFL caliber, top level first round quarterback. This
is you know, he's been with these receivers for a
couple of years. They were unusually healthy the field of
opponents they were playing was especially down. It was all
(02:15):
set up for Notre Dame. It wasn't that. It wasn't.
I don't follow the NFL, but it seemed like it
was kind of that for the Ravens and they lost
kind of.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
I mean, there's two reasons I have sent this style
message to people that I know. The first is when
it feels like this was supposed to be a moment
of culmination. Everything built to this, as you described, and
the window is open. The window might be shut next year.
And if they're not going to get it now, when
are they ever going to get it right? Sorry to
(02:46):
hear that. Hope you're feeling okay after the loss. That's
the first one. The second is if you've got a
crazy stomach punch game that you lose on a hail
Mary or something of that nature, something that takes your
breath away. Those are the types of ins is where
I would you know, I'd be okay with receiving a
message of support.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
By the way it would have been on the other side,
if Ohio State would have lost to you know, Texas
punches it in and the strip sack doesn't happen, game
goes to overtime, Texas beats Ohio State and whatever happens
in National Championship happens. That's when you would text an
Ohio State fan in your life, unless you're you know,
Michigan or whoever that like man that this was the year, right,
(03:27):
the number of guys they had coming back, adding Will
Howard having the Jeremiah Smith explosion out wide, that's when
that would have been the situation that which is obviously
why Ryan Day was under the pressure that he was
under after the Michigan loss, that would have been the
team that, like, oh if Ohio State didn't win it
this year, especially getting the Mulligan after the Michigan loss, Like,
(03:50):
what are we talking about in terms of this tenure.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
But they made it happen. They made it happen, and
we're making this show happen just a few days after
the National Championship. Did you say earlier the iron is
still warm? We got to strike while the iron's hot. Dan,
you had a great idea for today's episode, which we'll
trot out here in just a few moments. We will
be with you throughout the course of the off season.
So if you are with us now, if you've been
(04:13):
with us all season. Maybe you're just finding us for
the first time. Lord knows how people find podcasts these days.
Hit follow hit subscribes that you don't miss any of
our episodes. We want to thank everybody out there who
watcheses on YouTube. We didn't just go over twenty over
twenty one thousand subscribers now, so we're oh, we're cooking
with gas here as we round the turn into twenty
(04:34):
twenty five, and we're excited to have the baller hood
with us again. Go on out to overballers dot com
if you are interested. I did update our Patreon tiers
to reflect more of what we're doing this off season.
So if you want to further support what Dan and
I are doing again all throughout the course of the year,
go and check us out at forballers dot com. We
got a five we got a ten dollars tier. We
(04:54):
also have a free tier, which we'll send some crumbs
out to throughout the course of the off season as well.
So if you're not in the position to like do
the pay thing, it's cool, don't worry about it. Sign
up for the free tier. You'll get some perks, we
promise you. I think you should worry about it. You
should worry because Ty has now had to shut off
his heat for the winter in eastern PA because you're
(05:17):
not supporting all of the hard work. When I'm just kidding,
can I ask you something? Do you pay mind? Do
you pay heed to the way too early? Top twenty fives?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Is that something that at least stirs something in your brain?
Speaker 1 (05:30):
It does for me? It? Well, okay? Do I pay
a whole lot of attention to it? Do I put
a lot of weight on it? Absolutely not. It is
an interesting point for conversation, though. I saw that Andy
and Auri put one out and understand why they did.
I think it's an interesting conversation to have. I don't
(05:50):
fully agree with what they had. I think I take
more exception to some of the odds that we discussed
on our recap episode, and it's not fully understanding why
teams are where. Right. It is that time of year now,
right to the point that you made me earlier before
we hit record, like everybody is still kind of in
(06:10):
the moment here with college football. This is the moment
to either reflect on some of the fun things that
we're going to do today or look forward to what's
ahead in twenty twenty five. So whatever form that takes
on for you, I get why it's out there. I
just can't make a whole lot out of it personally.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Okay, So what I like to pay attention to with
that is kind of twofold at the top near the
top it. You know, there are some years where it's
so obvious who like those top one, two, three, four
ish type teams should be this year with the number
of new starting quarterbacks for a lot of these programs,
I guess other than Penn State, who's in that conversation,
(06:49):
but Texas and Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, in terms of
new full time starting quarterback, it's presumably gun or Stockton.
I don't that's just you know, a toss up to me,
like they're they're gonna jump each other and it's going
to be you know, likely five of those six teams
are going to finish in the top six or seven. Anyway,
to me, it gets a lot more interesting when you
(07:09):
start getting to like nine to ten through twenty five,
because that is like the perception of quality that we
see like oh, by us number nine, Like what byus
number nine? And you're like, well, maybe that makes sense?
I don't know, they're returning a bunch of dudes in
the Big twelve. Just seems like it's always going to
be pretty wide open. Okay, Illinois at thirteen, returning a
(07:30):
bunch Luke Altmeyer coming back. I don't have their schedule
in front of me in this moment, but in terms
of like the other teams that seem higher than usual
at this point of the season, South Carolina being where
they are makes sense to me, just not used to
going into February, which is like there is South Carolina
hype in a way unlike previous South Carolina hype recently.
(07:55):
So I think all that's like pretty fascinating. And then
you get the usual schools that seem to always be
in the top ten or twelve, Michigan or Tennessee or
something like that, falling into like the twenty ish zone.
Understandable given what some of those both of those teams lose,
and some of the questions surrounding key positions with both
of those teams. But I like that we are not
(08:16):
automatically over ranking all of the traditional powers, and that's
interesting to me. I'm looking at the ESPN one, by
the way, That's why I was making those references.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
I just say you the one that Andy and already did.
I saw that. Yeah, they have Illinois seven. Am I
reading this correctly?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
They have Illinois So ESPN I think at Illinois thirteen.
I'll confirm where ESPN is. Who did the ESPN one,
I think it was it Mark Schleabaugh. Yeah, so yes,
Ari and Andy have Illinois seven. Maybe they're schedules great, Okay,
what were you going to say?
Speaker 1 (08:48):
No, that's just that one kind of catches me off guard.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
I'm looking at Illinois schedule right now. But yes, Illinois
in this sort of position.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
It's unusual preseason top ten in any poll for Illinois. Yeah,
that's a big deal. I understand why there is a
lot of steam on Ohio State. Obviously, they just won
the national championship. Andy and already have them two. I'm
not sure where ESPN has them in their way too early.
Ohio State one one in the odds that Brett McMurphy
(09:20):
sent out from CIRCA just right after moments after the
National championship. Ohio State was the odds on favorite to
win the title in twenty twenty five five to one.
Ohio State's gonna lose a lot to the NFL or
just in general, there's gonna be a lot of attrition
off of that ross. This is not to say they
don't have incredible star power behind those guys. It's just
(09:42):
a stretch for me to think that they're going to
come into next season with a brand new starting quarterback,
with a bunch of brand new difference makers, mostly on defense,
and they're suddenly going to be odds on favorite. I
don't know that one. To me, I'm not fully buying yet.
Ohio State is going to be a top ten caliber
team for sure, but yeah, I need to wait and
see a little bit more before I'm ready to take
(10:03):
that leap with them.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Illinois, by the way, is at Indiana a week before
they host USC, two weeks before, or three weeks excuse me,
before they host Ohio State. So Illinois does not get
Penn State, Michigan, or Oregon on this schedule. Whatever we
think Michigan may or may not be in twenty twenty
five likely and improved Michigan team. So in terms of
(10:26):
the powers faced and the home road splits, they get
one clear obvious power in Ohio State, and they get
them at home, and I believe it's a Purdue week before,
so it's not as super challenging back to back situation
in this moment. I don't think Illinois is good enough
to beat Ohio State.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
No, but maybe they.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Said that in two thousand and seven too, So yeah,
it's interesting to see where Illinois is, especially if the
defense can continue to take steps forward and the offensive
line can get a little bit better from where they
were run blocking last year but finished strong against South Carolina.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Yeah, I just think.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
It's it'll be good for the sport if this kind
of thinking carries into the a people and how we
look at these teams early on next season.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
By the way, just for what it's worth to give
you a little bit of context, Andy Narri's top five
was Texas, Ohio State, your Oregon Ducks, my Penn State,
Nitney Lions, alongside my Notre Dame fighting Irish at five,
and then six through ten was Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina,
Florida at nine, and then Clemson at ten. I won't
(11:30):
read through the whole thing, okay, Georgia Tech at twenty four,
Georgia Tech at twenty four, Indiana twenty three, Michigan all
the way up to twelve, Auburn all the way up
to eleven, LSU down to fifteen. Definitely some interesting choices here,
and I think all of them are pretty defensible. I
get where they're coming from.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Oklahoma eighteen little R buckle Matier, I like it. I
like it because here's what you can do. You can
say we had this when Oklahoma is good next year,
we had this way back in mid to late January,
and if they're not good, you're just like, wow, it's
a two. We said too early. It's a nice little
(12:10):
strategy there.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Okay, I would buy stock in Tennessee, Tennessee at You're
buying stock in Tennessee, Tennessee at thirteen feels low to me.
I think they'll be much better than thirteen next year.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Okay, I have no opinion. I don't know their schedule.
I don't have they're too deep in front of me.
But yes, we know what their upside can be. So
should we talk about what we're doing today?
Speaker 1 (12:32):
I think we should. Why don't you describe this concept
again for the people at home? Obviously, there are a
whole list of shows that we could put together in
the immediate shadow of the National Championship. I could sit
here and probably talk for forty five minutes about Notre Dame.
Nobody wants that unless you're a Notre Dame.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Hold On, hold on. Do you have any thoughts on
Mitchell Evans route running? Do you have any thoughts on
Xavier Watson the angles he took against?
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Okay? Nothing, Okay, talk to me about this concept. What
are we doing today? All right?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
So we have spent what has felt like the last
fifteen weeks talking about the college football playoff and the
first year of twelve teams. So I wanted to do
a show completely devoid of playoff talk, or at least
direct playoff talk as much as we can to celebrate
the non playoff novel elements of the twenty twenty four season.
(13:26):
I don't know if we just want to limit it
to twelve, but and there's lots of different ways twelve
has appeared in popular culture. Charity X signs twelve, markis months, whatever.
But I wanted to say, like, hey, let's celebrate what
was new about the season beyond the playoff. And by new,
I mean hey, it was new that like Sam Houston
(13:48):
won ten games in their second year as an FBS
team after starting out three to nine in their first year, Like,
let's I want to celebrate the good and novel. I
don't want to like say, like, hey, it was novel
that Florida State went in ten, Like that's not nice,
that's not fun, that's not cool. I should mention unless
you're a Florida familist or a Miami fanalist, you're a
Clemson fan. Yeah, but I want to celebrate and go
(14:11):
through bullet points with context and why it was novel.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
And new and fun in the twenty twenty four to
do it in ooh, thank you in no particular order.
I just pulled that sound out of the archives. Yes,
in no particular order. By the way, if you see
me getting up here, it's because I have a six
month old puppy at my feet that is chewing on
my carpet. So doing my best to not be distracting
(14:38):
to you, not be distracting to myself as we go
through very important non playoff items.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Dan, this is like a combination oscars in Memoriam, a
little bit of verbies, a little bit of we do
the fantasy things before the season, So this is kind
of like a celebration of things that could have been
fantasy things if we were time travelers.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
I think so. I think that's where we're at.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yeah, and so like, let's let's just take a knee,
as you like to say. Yeah, and weighed in the
recent nostalgia Jacuzzi.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
The recent nostalgia Jacuzzi. My first item Dan from this
past season not so much a playoff thing, though I
supposed on some level it could be. I've labeled this
overpowered kickers. Okay, you know that. I've wanted to do
a show about what is going on with college kicking
(15:33):
for a few months running. Now we're gonna find some
way to do that in the off season. But I
found stats that are just mind blowing. If it felt
like you saw more fifty yard field goals than ever
this year, it's because it was up fifty percent from
the twenty three season. There were one hundred and ninety
five successful kicks of fifty or more yards this year.
(15:54):
Last season there were only one thirty. I believe the
season prior there were only like sixty seven. So whatever
is going on in the kicking world is having some
real world ramifications. There were nearly two hundred two hundred
successful field goals of fifty or more yards this past season.
You cannot tell me. After years of making the college
(16:14):
kicker joke, and there still still are college kicker moments,
but clearly one hundred and ninety five successful kicks of
fifty or more yards being so at jump fifty percent,
kickers have gone to a different level now in college football.
They are now a weapon as opposed to a liability
for I would say most of the top tier teams.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
It's sort of like when I don't know if it
was Nerve or some other company added the missile tail
to the football and all of a sudden, you could
throw a NERF football like you were John Elway on
your knees at the goal line. That seems to be
what has happened to the kicking game. And so yes,
I know you want to further investigate. Let's do you
have a favorite kicker or a favorite kick from this
(16:54):
year to put you on the spot.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I got a favorite moment. I mean, I'm the guy
from Michigan was frigging nails. Yeah, he was nails. He
was tied for the most in college football kicks of
over fifty yards. He had seven on the season, and
I just think, you know, the offense was limited the
fact that he was as big a presence as he
(17:17):
was helped Michigan get to where they got. You know,
it wasn't maybe the most successful year, especially no especially
kind of drafting off of a national championship season, but
you got to score points somehow, and that guy got
a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
So I have Nolan Hauser with a fifty six yard
walk off in the ACC Championship with SMU coming back
and making it a game, and yet you can just
casually kick it from fifty six to basically play your
way into the playoff via an absolute.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Boot of a kick. What do you got next? Next item?
How about Army winning the American in year one.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
And still losing to Navy and still like getting kind
of demolished by Navy in the process.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
It's incredible. It is incredible. Now, we were both pretty
high on Army before the start of the season. The
fact that they came in and were so successful, I
think is first off, a testament to the prep that
you and I put in, but secondly a testament to
what Army stands for. You know, they certainly had their
moments this season where I e. The Notre Dame game
could have gone better. I E you know, I mean
(18:25):
there were it wasn't all bulletproof, but it's a really
difficult system to stop, and when you've got that much
senior veteran leadership. I don't know. I just I was
like all about it before the season, and I'm even
like happier now that it happened.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Looking back, Army finished with either the number two or
number three points per drive defense or excuse me, points
for drive offense in college football. And even though it
didn't work out against Notre Dame nor did it work
out against Navy, a nice bounce back gear for Army.
My next item, by the way, is Kansas just are
(19:00):
like the ing seasons, ruining seasons, starting out not terribly
because it turned out like Illinois was pretty good, UNLV
was pretty good, the West Virginia loss was kind of crazy,
but it turns out TCU was pretty good. Turns out
Arizona State was really good, losing to ASU by four,
and then so they lose five in a row, and
(19:21):
then they win four of five before losing to Baylor
to end the season, and that is basically last second
against Kansas State in a weird game, but then beating
Iowa State beating BYU, beating Colorado, and changing teams postseason,
changing team's playoff ability or inability, changing team's ability to
(19:42):
get to the Big Twelve championship game. Kansas affected everybody
like UNLV's like big thing early on in the season
was like they just took this holy Cross quarterback and
beat like a legit Big twelve contender. And even though
said holy Cross transfer quarterback left under weird circumstance, which
is another item, still Kansas getting it together. Losing their
(20:05):
offensive coordinator before the season start. Jalen Daniels healthy ish
and is playing and works out really well for Kansas,
specifically in November, as Kansas was able to sort of
steady the ship.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
That's great. Yeah, I mean it also was a different
way of talking about Kansas than I think we have
grown accustom over the last two years, where it felt
like they were rising, where they were building to something.
It was not the same Kansas season, but still the
fact that they were playing a meaningful role down the
stretch in the Big twelve season was pretty cool. It
was interesting. It's always interesting to talk about Kansas. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
What about the f animal, the phrase this is your guy,
the for animal, I love the energy. I love the enthusiasm.
I love the confidence from Fran Brown coming in at
Syracuse and immediately saying that he should buy Ryan Day
champagne for letting Kyle McCord leave Columbus. Obviously, Ryan Day
(21:01):
went on to win the national championship this year with
a different quarterback. But I just I loved the explosive
offense going downfield, recognizing the system that should be in
place on offense, the sort of weird I only shower
when I win, I only get clean when I win.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Energy of the for animal.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Like, I just love a quality higher working out immediately
and hopefully, you know, taking that energy and taking that
enthusiasm onto the recruiting trail and the portal trail, and
Syracuse becomes and what was it, Syracuse beating Miami to
clinch the ACC championship berth for Clemson. Right, So I
(21:44):
just I love an outspoken dude at the top who
is excited about his team, and so the future of
Syracuse football seems bright, and.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
I don't know that seems like a good thing to
me one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Let's talk about the calgarithm baby stay the ACC, because
why wouldn't you a meeting. I think Cal when ACC
talk begins, let's talk about the damn calgorithm. For my money,
this is my favorite story all season long, non playoff story,
because look, Cal.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Has many things. Cal is now kind of an outsider,
literally an outsider in this new conference. They play a
country away from the I guess center of gravity of
the ACC. So it's just a weird union in that sense.
It's more out of convenience and necessity than it is
any real like geographic or cultural similarity. But that being said,
(22:38):
I was unaware that the Cal twitter game was so strong.
I was unaware that they were able to mount this
sort of fan led effort to drum up support for CAL.
Went to a bowl game now losing friends. Uh, Fernana Mendoz,
excuse me. He's going to be playing quarterback in Indiana
next season, so you know, it'll kind of be a
different conversation. In twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Devin Brown officially signed by the Way with RAL moving
forward from Ohio States.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
I saw that, yeah, so I mean there's there's there's
going to be some change on the Cal side of things.
I do hope the calgarithm continues, though. I suspect. As
long as it's the same group of fans rooting on
the cal Golden Bears, we get to see a little
bit more of this next season, and I'm all for it.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Yeah, those those Twitter users or ex us or whatever
may now all be on a list though, So let's
pray for the Calgarithm moving forward rooting for you guys. Yes,
and look, they went to Auburn and beat Auburn. They
somehow also lost to Florida State, which is very difficult
to do in twenty twenty four, but they found a way.
So there was something you know, fun about the Calgarithm
(23:41):
at all in all moments, and you know, there were
conversations about him on I think Game Day went to
cal for the Miami game. I believe because of the calgorithm. Yeah,
I think because of the calgorithm. I was pretty good.
I've got another one, tye you ready, I am. I
have it down here. Diego pavia coma ongoing folk hero.
Is he going to play next year as of now?
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (24:01):
As of now, there's like the juco injunction to allow
further eligibility for anil reasons, so I hope it sticks.
I don't know why not okay. Interesting Interesting Vanderbilt Bbama.
Vanderbilt beat an Alabama team that actually wasn't terrible in
that game. On offense, they just couldn't The Alabama defense
(24:22):
couldn't get off the field because Diego Pavia kept converting
first downs with his arm and his legs and they
were able to close it out. Defense came up big
in spots for Vandy as well, but for Diego Pavia
to constantly just come up and you know, whether it
was beating Auburn, I guess this year and last year
when he was at New Mexico State, just a winner,
(24:43):
and I can appreciate the ability to drag a team
to win after win. They closed the gap late against
Texas in a losing effort, But I don't know. It
was pretty great that the New Mexico State quarterback who
I think went to like a that when talking about
junior college, I think he went to a military school
(25:04):
for post high school year or two. That to go
from New Mexico State to the SEC and not miss
a beat end up Vandy, what they beat Georgia Tech,
I want to say in a bowl game to finish
things out.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
That's pretty rad. One of my favorite moments, and this
was more the first half of the year than the
back half of the year. Announcers who couldn't remember that
they were supposed to say two minute timeout instead of
instead of the two minute warning. I have not found
a good reason for why they are calling it a
timeout versus warning. There are articles online. I read through
(25:41):
most of them. I didn't understand any of them. It
still seems like it's a bit of fuzzy math to me.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Was it not wanting to like get into the NFL wording?
Speaker 1 (25:51):
I don't think so. I think it had something to
do more with their calling a timeout, and they want
this time out to signify sort of a way to
avoid back to back commercials on play stoppages. It doesn't
make any They should just call it a two minute warning.
That's what everybody's used to calling it. That's what we've
known it once forever. But whatever, it took a few
(26:13):
weeks for announcers to get this one straight that I
found pretty funny. I just wanted to throw that one
on our list. I should also add, just on a
personal level, even though it pained me deeply. Tom Hammick,
the coach for NIU, being emotional in the manner that
he was after beating Notre Dame. Right, and then the
(26:33):
story that came out after the game. You remember what
story I'm talking about?
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Yes, I do that he was gonna was like, all right,
I'm gonna help Marcus Freeman out.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
He wanted to help Marcus Freeman out. He was willing
to kind of open up his strategy and talk through
what he saw on the Northern Illinois side to help
make Marcus Freeman a Notre Dame better. Do we know
what that was? I don't know what it was. I
know people asked him about it and he didn't want
to comment on it. Like he saw vulnerability in the
(27:03):
Death Star, he saw something and he offered to talk
to Marcus Streaman about it. I don't know if that
happened or not, but it is definitely atypical. It is
not something you're used to hearing. I know all these
coaches talk in the offseason, most of them know each
other pretty well, but in the bros of the season
to kind of offer up this help, whether it's commonplace
(27:24):
or not, it was as a Notre Dame fan, it
was definitely one of those moments where I'm like, Okay,
please take him up on this help because we can't
have this happen again if we want to make the playoff.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
I have USC in exclusive tight fourth quarter games. This
is not intended to be a knock on USC not
always winning these games, because they did sometimes win close
games when you look at I think it was the
Nebraska game. They may have been down one heading into
the fourth quarter and pulled it out long, long drive
(27:55):
down the field. But it was that like it could
be against it's a good team, it could be against
a bad team. It could be against an up and
down team, it could be against an excellent team. And
for instance Penn State USC was just good enough to
be in the thick of it, you know, torching Notre
Dame Corners on their way to like being in that
game late and then it not working out, and there
(28:19):
was the constant cutaways to like a growing in.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
I don't know how to describe.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
I was gonna say link even Lincoln Riley's face on
the sideline as he was like, all right, now we're
getting into the thick of it.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
What is going to happen?
Speaker 2 (28:34):
He eventually benched Miller Moss in favor in favor of
Jade Mayava, But there was always like, Okay, the end
of the USC game is nearing and it's going to
get weird. It's going to get frustrating for somebody involved
in this game.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
We have gone far too long without mentioning Northwestern's temporary stadium. Ooh, yes,
we were there Week two for the Friday night game
against Duke. It was awful. The state was great, The
weather was awful, it was cold, it rained, We left
at halftime. One more season, one more season, and then
the new Ryan Field is done. In twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Yeah, are they going to host Orgon in that stadium?
They are hosting Oregon in that stadium. Michigan is going
to be at Wrigley, but Oregon's coming to the banks
of the Mighty Michigan Lake. Michigan is going to host
the Oregon Ducks and Northwestern Wildcats. I think pretty early
on next year.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
That's wild man, You're going to go to that. I'm
going to that game. Yeah, absolutely, I'm going to be.
I can't. I mean, they're doing that at the temporary state.
It's not a big stadium, right, They did a good
job building it. They did a good job kind of
making it feel like almost a festival, and truly it's
one of one. Yeah, you're never going to go to
another stadium like that. It is one of one. It
(29:47):
is unique and at least the game that we saw,
whether aside, they did a pretty good job making it
feel different and unique and fun. Need to work out
some signage issues that we discussed in the aftermath of
our experience. Yeah, but beyond that, hosting a big game
in that stadium this pretty wild.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
It's also funny because it's the waste management people, I think,
who have involved in it somehow, and so they go
really big with the introduction and light show and music
and stereo stuff. And it's Northwestern, which I mean it
might it might happen where Northwestern's reputation changes, like the
(30:28):
college football reputation changes. But like I think it's fair
to say Northwestern's football reputation is defense and offensive linemen. Yeah,
like randomly NFL caliber corners and you know, edge rushers
and then like a top ten pick at left tackle
or right tackle or something, and so it's just it's gritty,
(30:51):
non flashy whatever. Then you go to a game at
this like beefed up high school stadium and it's just
like handsrans, just like what Okay, cool, they're trying and
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
But yes, it is very much a temp stadium that
popped up in the middle of the night. But it works.
It worked. We have not mentioned Travis Hunter yet. Travis
Hunter win the Heisman Trophy as a two way, genuine
two way player, played a lot of snaps this year.
Now going pro in all likelihood going to be a
top three, top five pick by somebody whoever is looking
(31:27):
for his services. But Travis Hunter, his ability to put
a mark on college football just in two short years
of being at the FBS level in Colorado, it's clear
they turned him into a superstar in Colorado. He's planning
on playing both ways in the NFL? Was that? I
(31:47):
think he's open to it. I suspect it comes down
to who drafts him. Regardless of who takes him, whether
or not they play him every snap on both sides
of the ball, whether it's just one of those deals
where he plays primarily as a corner and then take
some snaps as a slot receiver, various packages, whatnot. That
I think remains to be seen, but clearly, as a
(32:09):
proof of concept, he proved that he's got great ball skills,
could be a wide receiver at a very very elite level.
He showed that this season obviously won the Heisman, and
clearly he's got great skills as a cornerback as well.
So however they choose to deploy him will be fascinating
I think to watch at the next level. But suffice
to say, since Charles Woodson, we haven't had, primarily right
(32:33):
what we view primarily as a defensive player win the
Heisman Trophy in a while. That is how Travis Hunter
was recruited out of high school. Clearly, you know, cornerback
one of his primary positions, but for him to genuinely
be a two way player the way he was the
season to nagu want to win the Heisman, it's you
just don't find a lot of guys like that. So
(32:53):
that's a.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Cool story college football. Egot, that's what it is. He
got right, the Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar. I mean, yeah,
I suspect it'll be like a one point four way
in the NFL, Like he will play corner and then
he will be in certain you know packages, if it's
like a four receiver thing, you know, whatever, three receiver
(33:14):
like something in the NFL that will showcase his abilities.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
I don't know if it's red zone.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
I don't know if it's when we are going two
minute and we're getting more guys on the field. Whatever
it is, I don't know how you keep that kind
of skill off the field.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
What do you got? What do you got next?
Speaker 2 (33:30):
Next one, I'm gonna go with Iowa finding an actual offense.
And I wrote here in a Hopeless Place deal those
are for all my two thousand and fourteen thirteen I
Love and a Hopeless Place, Dan Calvin Harris, I want
to say fine in love in a Hopeless Place.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
So it was bye bye. Brian Farrens, who has since
been hired as a tight ends coach out in Fresno.
They went a different direction at coordinator. Didn't do I
don't think anything too far beyond the pale. It was
a lot of what you'd expect to see from other
teams running normal offenses. It was a slightly below average offense,
(34:14):
but from an Iowa standpoint, that was an enormous step
forward given what we got used to seeing over the
last decade or so under Kirk Farence. So that in
and of itself, I think is a pretty cool story
moving forward. It'll be interesting to see if they're able
to progress things next season and get a little bit
more explosive. But they were better. They look, we can
(34:35):
make the jokes here, but they were absolutely better.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Oh yeah, between Cade McNamara, who is now at I think.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
East Tennessee is Tennessee. Yeah, competing with I think Chriswell
from North Carolina for that job. That's right, that's right.
Will Healey new coach at East Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Yeah, But between him and Brendan Sullivan, who I thought
was pretty good, like kind of ballsy going downfield, and
of course Caleb Johnson. Sure, maybe you don't have to
over think that. If you have just enough of a
passing game to keep defenses honest, then you can afford
to give it to Caleb Johnson and get some big
plays out of it. And their defense didn't fall off
that much given that they were taking more chances on offense.
(35:12):
They scored forty two against Wisconsin, forty against Northwestern, forty
against Washington, twenty nine against Maryland. They scored twenty four
in a losing effort against Miszoo in that tight game.
In the Bowl game, thirty one against Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
Like I don't know. Sometimes scoring thirty points can be good.
It can't be Iowa. It can be good, all right?
BYU Dan Yeah, BYU pick to finish fourth last in
the Big Twelve, ends up going eleven to two. They
beat a college football playoff team nearly too, almost beat ASU. Yeah.
(35:49):
And then of course so it was my dog barks.
Here we had Jake retz Lef, who you know, had
a incredible season this past year. He's going to be
back again next season. He's got the il deal with
men of Chevitz. It's like everything clear up. Jake retzlif
and BYU again. BYU offensively didn't fit neatly into any
of the boxes that I think we have, but they
(36:11):
played fundamentally sound football, and obviously they had a really
successful campaign, winning eleven games. So hats off to Killani's.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Stock stomped Colorado and I think the Alamobile as well.
Thirty six to fourteen final. There, so huge turnaround here
for BYU. My next one is, and this I know
people with the context of the playoff, was how people
are thinking about them.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
You know.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
In December January, South Carolina getting nearly to ten wins
with basically an untackleable first year quarterback who wears glasses.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
Which I always got the rest watching this on YouTube.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Go and rexpec and two just like angry cyborg edge rushers.
Now there are more dudes on this team that contributed
and that were great and Rocket Sanders all that, but
at the core of it, it was South Carolina beating
Clemson because thirty seven different Clemson defenders couldn't tackle Lenoras
Sellers at the end of that game, and that they
have these two crazy dudes on the edge that gave
(37:11):
every single offensive tackle fits and with whatever holes the
offense and the defense had, it didn't matter as much
because Lenora Sellers could pick up a first down and
pick up huge plays both with his arm and his legs.
And you just have these terrors on the edge making
teams uncomfortable constantly. And so South Carolina another one of
(37:33):
those teams are just like down year after down year,
the end of like the year of cup Birth, I
guess three years ago now with Spencer Ratler was promising,
but you know, it seemed that they were a program
that whenever things appeared to be heading in a good direction,
the bottom fell out. And I don't think there was
a ton of hope coming into this year that it
was going to be all that different because of the
unknown quantity of Lenora's sellers. They were crazy fun, winner
(37:55):
lose all year long.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Did you mention UNLV yet?
Speaker 2 (37:59):
Have I mentioned UNLV just within the context of Kansas
but not specific to UNLV?
Speaker 1 (38:05):
How easy it is to forget about how weird that
Matt Sluka thing was. Yes, did he declare where he
is going next? He's joining Bob Chesney and James Madison.
There we go. The UNLV story, though, was pretty wild
because for a hot minute, UNLV was like our playoff
team du jore sure coming out of the G five,
(38:28):
and that circumstance was weird. With Sluca, oh, he was
pretty good, obviously, showed flashes. For him to walk away
mid season definitely sucked. It was a horrible situation, But
then they were even better. I think with Hodgemena League Williams.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
Shout out Campbell Campbell's Yeah, shout out Campbell Campbell.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
They found a way to kind of rebound from that.
It seemed as if the team rallied around Hodgemena League
Williams in a way that maybe they didn't. Sluka and
UNLV went on too a hell of a campaign as well.
They obviously did not get to the playoff, They did
not win their championship. They lost to Boise State on
two separate occasions. But all that to say, I just
(39:06):
thought the way they rebounded from what was a peculiar
thing we don't see a lot of in college football
and then seemingly got better was a cool story. The
other thing I'd add now is so Bury Odom left,
Buriodam going elsewhere, going to Purdue right, And now we're
going to have Dan Mullen coming out of retirement, out
of the ESPN booth, going to be taking over in UNLV.
(39:29):
So what that offense looks like, if it looks all
that different, remains to be seen. But I think he's
geared up and ready to go after a few years
away from the game. I'm curious to see how that
shakes out in the Mountain West.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
What Harold Fannin about Harold Fannin bowling green, tight end,
large receiver, whatever you want to call him, being an
unstoppable force of nature, not just against teams that they
played on their max schedule, Penn State and Texas A
and M two of the probably twenty best defenses in
America that he ran rough shot over. And then in
(40:04):
the bowl game Bowl Season Winter Wonders, we set his
catch total at like eight and a half, yeah, eight
in the bowling.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
Grade at eighteen, undershot it by just a little bit. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
I love the smaller school guys against whoever, are so
unstoppable that the word I really like is undeniable. And
I remember, look, this happens all the time that you know,
a small school kid goes on to become like an
NFL Hall of Famer. It doesn't mean that we should
always be looking at you know wherever, uh you know,
(40:39):
Khalil Mack, you know, playing at Buffalo. We shouldn't be
looking at those schools like closer because if you're good,
everybody's going to find you. But those situations were like
was it against Ohio State. I want to say that
Khalil Mack was like he had nine tackles, were lost,
three sacks, two forced fumbles, seven tips. It was I
think it was Khalil Mack against Ohio State. You're like, well,
if he's doing this Tohio State, he's probably an NFL
(41:02):
player and was the NFL good Yeah, Yeah, it was
like he filled up the stat sheet in a crazy
way against Ohio State. So Harold fan in doing that
against Penn State and Texas A And I'm you're just like, well,
if those if Mike Elko and James Franklin can't figure
out something to stop this dude, he's a guy, and
he was all year long.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
We've only got a couple more here that I want
to make sure we call out. The Oklahoma and Kentucky situation, Yes,
was frustrating to say the least. I mean, I spent
a fair amount of energy talking up Kentucky in the preseason,
and I don't think I was quite as high on
(41:45):
Oklahoma as some others. I had questions, but I didn't
expect it to look like this. I really didn't. It
was just not a good campaign. Oklahoma was just consistently
injured week in week out, especially out wide, but them
being some combination of bad. Having like so many injuries
but yet still finding ways to pull stupid upsets was
(42:06):
almost the epitome of college football in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
There was a it was a really good year, and
maybe the every years like this, I don't know. I'm
just reflecting on the twenty twenty four season. Like look,
the year was a disaster, but at least so between
Michigan beating Ohio State, Oklahoma beating Alabama, UH Kentucky beating
Ole Miss, Washington State beating Washington in the Apple Cup,
after being left out of major conference football, losing their
(42:33):
quarterback obviously after the season, losing their coach Dickert, heading
to Wake Forest, but sort of being left for dead
by a team in their own state and going to
Seattle I think it was Quest Field or wherever it
wasn't the actual Husky Stadium and John Matteer running roughshot.
And that's like a sub item too. John Mattier like
just like thrown into this job. As you know, he
(42:55):
was cam Ward's backup, not thrown in, but you know
it was his turn. And as soon as he gets
his turn to play major college football, his team is
left out of a conference like dealt a bad hand
and yet and loses I think one of the two
best receivers to Texas Tech. Yet he becomes the hottest
quarterback in the transfer portal and ends up at Oklahoma
(43:16):
the aforementioned Sooners.
Speaker 1 (43:18):
So that's right there, there was.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
It was an especially good year for a team that
was like catastrophically bad at times. Maryland beat USC, right,
you're gonna rush the field. Season's kind of a nightmare.
Was that was that Maryland's only win in the Big Ten?
Speaker 1 (43:32):
It feels it. I think it was.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
A very good year for hilarious silver linings to bad seasons.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
A couple other ones here on the list. We had,
let's see, oh, Baylor's offense suddenly getting good. Yes, didn't
start out that way, but Baylor I think turned in
in the year. Robertson, Yeah, decent offensive effort.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
How about TCU, Both Bail and TCU with really nice
bounce back years. TCU very quietly got to I think
nine wins after bowl season, which is just sort of
improving to them like they should be an eight nine
ish win program at this point. Now the Big Twelve
is more chaotic, but you're also losing Texas and Oklahoma,
(44:17):
so perhaps there is room for more security at or
near the top. I don't think right now in the
Big twelve you can be like, here is going to
be the annual hierarchy, Like one of these two teams
is probably can't say that, like ASU is super well
positioned moving forward. But there's a lot of quality in
the Big Twelve. I don't know if it's top tier quality,
(44:39):
but there's enough that going into a year you can
say like, yeah, there's five or six teams easily who
could you could see winning this conference.
Speaker 1 (44:47):
I've got something here on the list that I think
is a pretty good example of the emotion in college football,
and that is that Jackson Dart game against Florida. OK So,
not a positive thing, not a positive, not a positive thing,
but Jackson Dart throwing two interceptions late, having sort of
(45:09):
an emotional meltdown on the sidelines as they lose to Florida. Yeah,
obviously you don't want to throw interceptions if you're Jackson Dart.
But Jackson Dart, I think, is known for wearing his
heart on his sleeve, and so he cares, you know,
he cares, clearly he wishes it would have gone better.
But that, to me was something I think of immediately
when I think of what happened this past season. I
(45:30):
just thought that was like a really interesting moment in
college football. And then, as sort of a sub point
with miss emotion, how about the Lane Kiff and Twitter
meltdown at season's end. I know you say a lot
of that non playoff things, but Rank Kiffin just sort
of became a fan, right, became a super fan in
that moment, and did not shut up on Twitter, just
(45:51):
kept going. He might still be going and we're beyond
the national championship now. Lane kiff had a lot to
say about Old Miss, about the SEC, about pretty much
everything with respect to his team not getting in the playoff.
Speaker 2 (46:04):
It's a calculated risk from Lane Kiffen that the risk
being that SEC teams in the playoff and outside of
the playoff need to acquit themselves in such a way
that like, yes, of course I'm right, of course I'm
right taking this stance. And then with South Carolina losing
to Illinois the way that they did, with Alabama losing
(46:24):
to Michigan the way that they did during bowl season,
with Tennessee losing the way that they did early on
in the playoff, Georgia losing to Notre Dame, it just
wasn't a great postseason playoff or non playoff for the SEC.
And it's the closest I've ever felt to Lane Kiffen
that literally anybody can be wrong about college football, no
(46:45):
matter how close you are to the sport that you
can take a hard stance and then quietly have to
stop taking that stance as you're proven incorrect.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
It's great. Let us know if there's anything that we
missed off of our list, it is not, by the way,
on that token, I know what you're saying. On that token.
Did you see Matt Rules tweet today? Today? No? Today?
Speaker 2 (47:07):
So Matt Rule tweeted out? So he had he had
given a press conference that basically said that, like the
road through the Big Ten is the hardest in college football.
I'm paraphrasing here, but that you know, there's nothing like it.
How difficult the Big Ten is week in and week out.
And Paul Finebaum mocked that when he said that. I
think it was before the season or middle of it
(47:29):
was at some point before the playoff whatever. And then
somebody at Nebraska maybe Matt Rule is just like deep
in the final cut game. I don't know, somebody cut
that against after the National championship, Paul fine Bomb going on,
oh it was get up or something, saying like, I
don't know how you can say otherwise, but the Big
Ten is the king of college football, and he like,
(47:50):
I think there was an Alan Jackson, like a two
second clip of an Alan Jackson songs like Rememberable, Sure,
Matt Rule, Internet, Troll, Internet, great with it?
Speaker 1 (48:01):
Good stuff all right. Now, on that note, if there's
anything we missed on our list, that's on yours right
insoliverble at gmail dot com or hit us up on
social media. Again, this is not an all inclusive list,
but it is just some sampling of the things that
got us going. Non playoff items. Were there any?
Speaker 2 (48:18):
Were there any like like super esoteric things other than
kickers and the two minute timeout, anything like that, calgarithm,
anything else that was very specific to twenty twenty four.
I'm putting you on the spot here because we have
a Google doc that you could have added it to.
Speaker 1 (48:32):
I thought it was a pretty.
Speaker 2 (48:33):
Good year for puke, so we had a title game.
We saw Riley Leonard after that first drive, we didn't
see it. We've seen it a couple times that somebody
caught in a replay, like a defensive lineman quickly puking
before an attempted red zone stop. I want to say
there was something. It either happened or was close to
happening with Pat McAfee and Ireland and like a pub
(48:56):
that he was doing a show and either had to
like boot and rally or was just like really feeling it.
It was a good year for puke in college for.
Speaker 1 (49:04):
A good year for that was not something I had
on the bingo card. But okay, I'll take your word
for it. Right in solid verbal at gmail dot com,
let us know what we got right, what we got wrong.
I've got a dog that's biting at me at peak.
That's okay. My apology is to anybody who was distracted
by the little white fluffball barking behind me and trying
to wrestle the other dog here. But alas, thank you
(49:25):
for tuning in, Hit follow, hit subscribe if you have
yet to do so, we will be with you all
off season long. Just keep it right here on the
solid Verbal and of course leave a rating, leave the
star review. All that stuff helps make sure that other
people can find what we are doing, Dan Rubinstein.
Speaker 2 (49:40):
Yes, especially if you like college football and samoy its.
Speaker 1 (49:45):
Oh my god, this is cheer hole of my carpet.
This is why I was freaking out back here. You
chewed a hole of my carpet behind me. I should
have left them upstairs, but that's that's fine. That's an
unforced are on me. Mark me down for a turnover.
It's been a pleasure to be with you for the
last hour or so, though I will see the best
as always for that guy over there, my good friend
(50:06):
Dan Rubinstein, for myself, Tie hilden Brandt for this dog
biting at my elbow. We'll talk to y'all soon. In
the meantime, stay solid, peace,
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