WEEK 13 PREDICTIONS: Beware of Snakes, New CFP Rankings & James Franklin to Virginia Tech | College Football - The Solid Verbal College Football

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the solid verbal hulleh for me.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm a man, I'm forty.

Speaker 1 (00:08):
I've heard so many players say, well, I want to
be happy.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
You want to be happy for a day? Edo State?
Is that?

Speaker 3 (00:13):
Whoa? Whoa?

Speaker 1 (00:14):
And Dan and Tie.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
Dan Rubinstein. It is lucky number thirteen. Actually you're here.
It is week thirteen, my friend. Welcome back to the show.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
How are you?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
I'm great? Happy Dan Marino week to all who celebrate.
He was the first number thirteen that came to mind.
I don't know. I'm sure there are a million others
that are noteworthy, but I guess Pitt is playing back
to back weeks to Dan Marino. Is he not a
favorite son of the Pitt Panthers.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
And Miami Dolphins. Yes, so then Miami Dolphins connective tissue. Yeah,
this is whoa. I didn't need Tie.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Look at us, look at us pit Miami acc happening soon. Okay.
I'm very excited that it's week thirteen. I love the
penultimates of basically everything because we are always looking forward
to that huge rivalry week. You know, Thanksgiving weekend is
as college football as it gets. But there is something special,

(01:10):
not that it's a look ahead week specifically, but there
is something special about the like setting of the table
where I think people underestimate myself included, perhaps underestimate the possibility,
the potential for chaos ahead of the perceived chaos weekend.
So we see it with TV shows. We've mentioned it

(01:31):
before that it's always that ninth out of tenth episode.
It's always that twenty first of twenty two where things
get a little bit too electric, and I'm looking forward
to the potential of that happening this weekend.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
Welcome back, one and all. Thank you for joining us
here in the for ballerhood. If you've made it this
far without dry heaving, without deciding that you've heard too
much already, hit follow, hit subscribe so that you do
not miss any of our episodes. Of course, for ballers
dot is where you can go if you want to
help support the cause here by signing up as a

(02:04):
certified or Premium tier verball or. In addition to the
bonus content, the ad free episodes and the discord acts as,
you can also play in Run the Board, which is
our weekly pick them game. You pick twelve games against
the spread. You compete for fabulous prizes. This week a
one hundred and fifty dollars gift card to fanatics is

(02:25):
on the line, and if I could, since we are
in the penultimate week of the regular season, let me
just offer a bit of a tease if I can
do that please. We have something in the queue as
the prize for Week fourteen.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
That we have never done before, and.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
I am honestly still a little bit torn over, but
it is going to be a very very big deal
for people who like and listen to this show and
want to support the team.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Unless unless you don't like competing. Okay, unless you're afraid
to compete. I get that some people are like, I
don't want to put basically no money where my mouth
is too. I am not. I am not.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
Casting any aspersions. I'm just saying Week fourteen, we've got
a little something special that we are working on. So
for ballers dot com or Patreon dot com slash solid ver,
we'll both will take you to the same place if
you want to go and sign up, support what we
do and play in the game.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Of course we would.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
Love to have you, Dan, How do we feel about
Week thirteen thematically?

Speaker 1 (03:29):
You know, penultimate? Sure, there's a lot going on.

Speaker 3 (03:32):
It is a bit of a table setter for what
I think will be a gigantic Week fourteen. But it
is these quiet ones time to time that tend to
like jump up and get you.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Yes, it absolutely is, and we've saw and we're gonna
mention momentarily the newest college football playoff rankings have come out,
so we kind of have an idea vaguely because it
changes by the week, if not by the day of
how the members of the Playoff Committee are thinking about
things nationally with regard to the playoff. But we were
seeing some order or come together at least a little bit,

(04:02):
which helps us as we get into these last couple weeks,
determine what's an upset, what do teams need, what do
teams not need, what do teams need from other teams,
and so we have an idea of where the upsets
may or may not lie, or so we think tie.

(04:24):
This is basically the look ahead week of the season.
Right everybody sits down. If you couldn't interpret the lyrics
to that brilliant song by the Concrete Kids, if you're
sitting down to just go to the bathroom, maybe scroll,
maybe doom scroll, maybe look at TikTok whatever, what's the
last thing you're expecting, Tie.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
The last thing you're expecting is to be bit in
the butt by a snake.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
Snake emerging from the toilets. And there is something about
the emerging of somebody this week, Tie, or somebody's this
week that I can't escape. This is a snake in
the toilet Saturday. You didn't think we were gonna get
to week thirteen without having a snake in the toilet Saturday.
And you look at this schedule, a lot of big
double digit numbers, Texas over Arkansas, Vandy over Kentucky, Utah

(05:14):
over Kansas State, a lot of big big Oregon getting
double digits against a good USC team Oklahoma, and a
letdown spot getting nine or giving nine and a half
excuse me against Miszoo.

Speaker 3 (05:25):
I think that's down now. Yeah, we've had some wine movement,
which we'll talk about.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
We've had movement. But I'm saying that's the thought process,
that these teams are big, big favorites. And if I
said getting instead of giving there, I apologize. I was
trying to indicate potential big upsets there. So there's something
about the line movement. And then also it's so onn
Saturday for some of these teams as well. In the SEC,
I sort of alluded to one specific pick. We'll get

(05:50):
into it later in the show. But I think there
are some snakes out there, Ty, especially like you look
at teams that are maybe well positioned from the G
five ranks to get to the playoff, there might not
be easy sitting for them, right Man.

Speaker 3 (06:03):
I'm never gonna live down some of the emails that
we got in response to the snake and the toilet
Saturday we did a year ago when people sent us
pictures quite literally of snakes that have been in their toilets.
And I can never use the facilities and comfort again,
I'm sorry, I can't.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
Ty has weekly plumbing sweeps at his house, just little
sonar tests, whatever is needed to make sure there's nothing slithering.
James Madison favored by almost two touchdowns ISH against Wazoo.
I mean, is there a chaos program more charming than
the Washington State Cougars?

Speaker 1 (06:38):
I think no, I think not.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
So. I don't know, man, I feel like I'm seeing
some slytherin, I'm seeing some coiling, I'm seeing some boa constricting.

Speaker 3 (06:53):
And hopefully if you're one of the favorite teams. You're
not feeling that bite, come on up and get you.
We will talk through that and much much more in
just a little bit of course, before we go any further,
Dan Rubinstein, Yes, we would be remiss to not talk
about the news of the week, the coaching co the

(07:18):
roar is because we've got a higher and it was
a big one. It was rumored for a while. Of course,
James Franklin. Some of us in this broadcasting do I
know James Franklin a little bit better than others. But
James Franklin was rumored to a bunch of different positions
from Arkansas to the unopening.

Speaker 1 (07:37):
Is that even a word?

Speaker 3 (07:38):
I don't know the current non opening at Florida State,
Oh right, sure to of course.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech real demn.

Speaker 3 (07:46):
They got their guy, James Franklin, I believe, on a
five year contract. Just gave his introductory presser not too
long ago.

Speaker 2 (07:55):
How was it?

Speaker 3 (07:56):
I mean he said a lot of stuff that got
Virginia Tech people fired up. Good and why not. Virginia
Tech wanted this guy. They made a move for this guy.
Virginia Tech has obviously in advance of reeling in James
Franklin announced that there is going to be renewed commitment
to the football program in the name of something like
two hundred and twenty nine million dollars whatever it is, right,

(08:18):
an injection of new funds into the football program. So
James Franklin is taking over a program that was previously
headed up by one of his assistants, Brent Pry. James
Franklin is taking over a program that is very much
in the footprint, the recruiting footprint of where he was
very active and very successful over the years while up

(08:41):
at Penn State. This is a very, very, very big
deal in my opinion, for Virginia Tech. Dan, how do
you feel about this?

Speaker 2 (08:49):
I think largely good. There is still part of me
that says, man, this dude was like awake twenty hours
a day figuring out how to get Penn State to
an national championship in early October, and ahead of Thanksgiving,
he's doing an introductory press conference for another major program.

Speaker 1 (09:08):
It's wild, right, totally wild.

Speaker 2 (09:10):
I can't think of a specific example that aligns with this,
And it's obviously a different time with a different schedule,
with the early signing period and the portal, and you know,
you got to get things going as quickly as possible.
Penn State wanted to jump on the process when they
realized he wasn't going to be the long term answer.
Virginia Tech wanted to jump on the process when they
realized Brent probably wasn't going to be the long term answer.

(09:31):
But there is something very striking about like is this
when you want to hire James Franklin? Like are you
getting the best of James Franklin this quickly after the
dissolution of his previous relationship and so that to me
is cause for pause or favorite pet charity that.

Speaker 1 (09:51):
Man.

Speaker 2 (09:52):
I know all these guys are kind of full of
it to whatever extent, but he was recruiting for Penn
State not that long ago, and now he was just
changing and be like, actually, guys, and I know that
happens in the winter as well.

Speaker 3 (10:03):
It's really weird mid season. It's real weird for me
as a Penn State or somebody who follows Penn State,
it's real weird. I think a lot strange.

Speaker 2 (10:12):
I think a lot of the conversation is like on
the surface, like this guy's recruited really well, he's one
big and now he's going to an easier conference. He's
in an area where he's recruited before. Like there's a
lot of smooth transition conversations happening when I'm just not
so sure this is the moment you want to hire
James Franklin, Like, let him do big Noon Saturday for

(10:32):
a year and then hire him right, Like, let him
get some rest, let him figure out what he wants
to do with his life. And I know you got
to strike when the irons hot whatever, but that's the
thing that that sort of would keep me up if
I were a Virginia Tech fan a little bit. And
you should be happy if you're a Virginia Tech.

Speaker 3 (10:50):
I's gonna say what you're describing here is more Dan
speak than I think it is on behalf of the
Virginia Tech fandom, because.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
I'm not yeah, I'm not speaking on be Like, you
should be happy if you're a Virginia Tech fan because
the upside is obvious. I'm just saying, is this the
right direction of James Franklin's moment? Right? It's heading nothing
but downwards since late September, and then there's Virginia Tech
ready to get him on his feet, get them all

(11:17):
cleaned up. I I don't know. I don't know if
Virginia Tech's the place that is known to do that.

Speaker 1 (11:23):
Well. Listen, listen.

Speaker 3 (11:25):
Yeah, he's going to come in there, he's going to
build it in his image, and he's going to do
a good job.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
There is no chance he is.

Speaker 3 (11:31):
Doing any worse than any of his predecessors, right I
am speaking specifically a Brent Prye and Justin Fuente. He
will do better than both those guys because he's a
better coach than both of those guys. What Virginia Tech
needs in this moment is a program builder, somebody who
could step in, reboot the program, tear it down to
the studs, and inject this thing with a ton of talent.

(11:53):
They're already doing what they think they need to do
on the financial side to bring this thing up to speed.
James Franklin is going to come in. He's going to
give it order. He's definitely going to give it a
purpose and a really strong philosophy. And I think in
addition to all of that, versus his previous stops at Vanderbilt,

(12:14):
at Penn State, when the rules were different when he
got there, he has an opportunity to now come into
Virginia Tech and make a move very quickly to reboot
that program. It may not take three years the way
it takes or the way it took at previous stops.
It might be more immediate because the acc is gettible.

(12:34):
The schedule next year is very gettable for Virginia Tech,
and we're already seeing something of an exodus of some
of the recruits up at Penn State who have now
switched commitment to maybe consider Virginia Tech. So I think
this is going to be very quick. I think it's
going to be a very sudden transition, and it definitely
feels weird for me, Like I kind of feel sad
about all of this because I didn't dislike James Franklin

(12:58):
as a person. I definitely thought there was a moment,
and obviously Penn State thought this as well. Where the
relationship had run its course, that had plateaued, it was
probably best for all parties to go in a different direction.
Does it mean that I'm not a little bit sad
about this?

Speaker 2 (13:13):
It has a little bit of a whiff of Brian
Kelly to ls it was time hit a ceiling now.
Obviously the expectation, the reason Brian Kelly left on his
own accord is because he felt like he could win
on a higher level than what he was able to
do at Notre Dame at LS.

Speaker 1 (13:30):
But listen, Bka was not likable. He was not likable.

Speaker 3 (13:35):
The reason that that move was so shocking was not
because it was Brian Kelly, this magnetic figure that everybody
revers It was because, oh, what what is Notre Dame
going to do for a coach now? Because people didn't
see that coming. But that was the shock involved with
that move. This one, I think is completely different.

Speaker 2 (13:59):
James Franklin was.

Speaker 3 (14:00):
Not the type of guy who was almost hated to
an extent to why that Brian Kelly was right. People
didn't like Brian Kelly. A lot of people like James Franklin.
They did.

Speaker 2 (14:13):
The student section at the end of his time at
Penn State was well, where's unanimously chanting for him to
get fired?

Speaker 1 (14:19):
Where's my sound?

Speaker 3 (14:21):
I just think it's different. I think they're different characters altogether.
And James Franklin definitely had more of a fan base
than Brian Kelly. Brian Kelly had the fan base because
he won. James Franklin had that fan base too, But
I don't think there were a lot of people out there.

Speaker 1 (14:33):
Who thought James Franklin was all around a bad guy.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
Okay, I'm just saying, put a bookmark in this episode. Okay,
when when something doesn't go exactly what you're thinking, like,
you could have just you just played the sound effect right,
thinking about a super successful coach who, Yeah, the ACC's gettable.
What's North Carolina's record right now?

Speaker 1 (14:52):
I don't know, like two wins, three wins.

Speaker 2 (14:54):
Yeah, I'm just saying, easier said than done. I'd rather
have a coach ascending the and d sending right now.
And if you're gonna invest two hundred plus million dollars,
you're not expected to go eight and four.

Speaker 3 (15:07):
You're just not well. And so they're gonna give them
some time. They have to give him some time.

Speaker 2 (15:11):
They're going to give them time, and they should.

Speaker 3 (15:13):
Gigantic hire for Virginia Tech. And I think it was
a good move. I give them a lot of credit
for moving quickly to get out of the coaching market
as quickly as possible, because for the teams that are
still in at Penn State included, it's it's getting very weird.
Look look no further than what's going on right now
with Lane Kiffin, which is the other thing that I
wanted to bring up as part of our little coaching

(15:35):
carousel discussion here. I promise we will talk about the
playoffs and the rankings and the brackets, and of course
we're going to pick a bunch of games here, but
we do need to mention what's going on with Lane Kiffin.
So Lane Kiffen obviously a candidate at both Florida and LSU.
By all accounts, it seems as if he is considering
his options. Ole Miss is also considering their options and
has issued Now Lane came out and sort of denied this,

(15:58):
but there has been plenty of other reporting out there
to say that maybe there's something to it. I don't
know if there is or isn't. All I know is
there's a possibility that Old Miss has gone out there
and has issued something of an ultimatum for Lane Kiffin
to let him know what the hell he plans on doing.
Are you going to take a job or you're not
going to take a job. Please let us know before
the egg bowl, or certainly around the egg bowl. That

(16:19):
would be nice to know so that we can figure
out what we want to do. I don't know what
happens one way or another. I don't know if they
would kick him out and say you can't coach the playoffs. Sorry,
if you're taking another job, we're going to move in
a different direction. I don't know if they would go
to those extremes, but it seems like there's a lot
of weirdness going on right now with Lane Kiffin. Guys
hiding out in bushes at LSU, outside the Baton Rouge

(16:40):
Airport and Camo to get pictures of Lane Kiffin in
a private chair.

Speaker 2 (16:44):
Like all the normal weirdness that.

Speaker 3 (16:45):
You would expect this time of year is very much
on the table right now with Lane Kiffin. As it seems,
as we discussed on the last episode, he is sort
of like the big coaching domino. He's the big one
that everybody's watching. If he decides to stay put or
move on, that is going to dictate a lot of
which direction the rest of this goes.

Speaker 2 (17:03):
I mean, I'm personally watching Bob Chesney, but I guess
that's neither here nor there. Yes, you're right, and I
think there is probably a hazy area between direct request
and ultimatum that you know, they can say something like Hey,
this is when we'd like to know by We want
to give you all the time in the world to

(17:23):
figure out if you're still happy enough here to politely
decline offers potential offers from other SEC programs.

Speaker 3 (17:32):
Right, and by the way, he even though he denied it,
I'm sure the other people aren't just making this up.
It doesn't just happen, right, this becomes a story. I'm
sure there is definitely some grain of truth to it,
whether or not you know it is semantically perfect.

Speaker 2 (17:47):
And there's reporting that is family visited places like Baton
Rouge in Gainesville to sort of do their due diligence.
It's pretty wild that you know, these the program futures
of Florida, Ole Miss and lsu all Hinge on Lane
Kiff and it's it's sort of an impossible position for
him if he is of the mind to say, I

(18:10):
would be doing myself a disservice to not consider everything
before making a decision. And he's been very clear about, like,
you know, it's doing a disservice to our players for
how hard they've been playing to say something. I'm just
you know, living in the joy that is coaching. Ole
Miss and I love it here. There's no real way
to phrase things unless he's dead set on staying at

(18:30):
ole Miss and saying like, if ole Miss will have me,
I'll stay here for as long as I can. But
you know, things change, so saying something like that can
be disingenuous.

Speaker 1 (18:39):
He's touring, he's probably considering it.

Speaker 2 (18:44):
Sure he considered Auburn a couple of years ago.

Speaker 3 (18:46):
Yeah, he's not dead set and determined to stay at
ole Miss. If he's hopping in private jets and going
to Gainsville or going to Baton Rouge. So he's at
least entertaining it. And look, it's his prerogative if he
wants to. I sort of understand where everybody's coming from
here Stan Old Miss Won and Clarity. I understand Lane
Kiffin at least wanting to dip his toe and see
what's out there.

Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah, I get it on all sides.

Speaker 3 (19:06):
It's one of those things, especially this time of year
with Old Miss now being a playoff team. Definitely has
introduced a little bit of complexity to the conversation. But
this is just what we're gonna have to watch next.
Virginia Tech off the board, James Franklin off the board,
Lane Kiffin very much.

Speaker 1 (19:21):
Your time to shine. Let's see what he does.

Speaker 2 (19:24):
This should be a fascinating what is it next? Probably month?
Even if that, I think things are going to go
crazy even sooner than that.

Speaker 3 (19:32):
But yeah, I agree, I agree. All right, let's talk
about these playoff.

Speaker 2 (19:35):
Rankings, seers, Eve will be.

Speaker 3 (19:38):
We do have a new set of rankings, Dan Rubinstein,
guess number one, two and three are unchanged. Ohio State, Indiana, Texas, A,
and m. After that, it starts to look a little
bit different than it.

Speaker 1 (19:49):
Did a week ago.

Speaker 3 (19:50):
Georgia at four, Texas Tech up one to number five,
Old Miss up one to number six. You're Oregon Ducks
up one to number seven, Oklahoma up three to number eight,
Notre Dame holding steady at number nine, Alabama dropped six
to number ten. Then we've got BYU at eleven, Utah
at number twelve, the Miami Hurricanes at number thirteen, and

(20:15):
Vandy at number fourteen. I should also mention, just advance
in advance of some of our picks here, that we're
going to give a short while from now. USC at
number fifteen, Georgia Tech at number sixteen. Dandy got any
immediate reaction no.

Speaker 2 (20:31):
To point out, Yeah, Alabama's down six after their loss,
Texas down seven after their loss. We've got a bunch
of teams. And I always try to pay attention to
this as well, in that like almost eighteen to twenty five.
This week it's twenty to twenty five, which the jaded
person might call like resume boosters, right, Like, oh, this

(20:54):
team okay, interesting that they affect the resumes of these
top fifteen teams, but there's no real clear case for
them to be ranked over any other team, and vice versa.
To be Claire, and when you look at teams like
MISSOO Illinois, you know there's sort of shaky cases in
some of these situations. How do I feel about this?

(21:14):
There's little wiggle room for Oregon, it seems there's little
wiggle room for BYU. It seems these teams are gonna
have to win out. And because the number of two
loss teams that could stay at two losses, like Vanderbilt,
which would have a pretty big win over Tennessee in
a couple of weeks, USC winning out would be a
win over Oregon this week. There's those wiggle room situations.

(21:36):
The explanation from the committee about some of these situations
that they were just like grouping one loss teams, but
not PYU. BYU has played a good schedule this year.
It hasn't always been the strongest way of beating teams,
but their non conference schedule well not amazing. Played Stanford
and ECU ECU in contention for the American as we

(21:57):
record this, No, No, I think BYU got a little
bit of a short shrift there. The way they talked
about like grouping those teams, You're like, nobody made you
group one lost teams together. Nobody made you group two
loss teams or undefeated teams together. You can just sort
of figure out who's stronger than who based on the results.

(22:18):
I didn't love how much conversation was around Florida State,
Alabama and Notre Dame Miami, because I am of the
mind that you should include those things as data points,
but to a lesser extent. Week one specifically, I would
include like I would say, Miami's win over Notre Dame

(22:39):
is impressive and a great data point on their resume,
but it's not as impressive as a team with a
big win two weeks ago. That's just where I stand
on these things, and I think it should be held
against Alabama that they lost to Florida State, but not
like a team that lost two weeks ago to a
bad team or an underwhelming team or an average team
that's looking to compete. So I wish that conversation would

(23:02):
be had, But I understand that's a subjective way of
looking at this when they're trying to present as many
objective data points as possible. I know you have thoughts
about who you think is and isn't good, that you
just like think a team is better right now. I
don't have huge objections to a lot of this. I
know Miami fans are like, we're eight and two, Notre

(23:24):
Dames eight and two. We beat them. But I am
still of the mind when I look at these rankings
that you should both look at head to head and
look at resumes in their totality. And the reality is
Notre Dame lost to two really good teams, and Miami
lost to a Louisville team that's I think pretty good

(23:45):
and lost to an SMU team on the road that's
also pretty good. Sure, but not in these conversations at
the top in the way that Notre Dame's losses are
And so there's a difference.

Speaker 3 (23:55):
Yeah, And by the way, they have Miami again on
this bracket this week, though they had the wherewithal to
label it that they were putting them in as a
placeholder for the ACC champion, which again there's only a
five point six percent chance that Miami could win the ACC,
but they are the highest ranked ACC team, so for
now they are the placeholder, which I understand if you
are a Miami fan, though it is a math problem.

(24:18):
There is a serious math problem that is working against you,
because if you look at this field the way that
they've laid it out, I would say about seven of
the twelve teams are basically locked in at this point,
and it's a near certainty that the winner of the
ACC and whoever they put in as the G six
representative will both be outside the top twelve, which means

(24:39):
if you want to get in, you got to find
a way into that top ten. So they need to
root for two of Oklahoma, Notre Dame Alabama BYU to
take a loss one of these next two weeks. They
also need SMU and Pitt to win this week to
set them up for maybe a rank game against Hit

(25:00):
to close out the year to boost that loss to
whatever extent that they had earlier in the year against
SMU to make that look better. There is also the
possibility now that they could get jumped by another two
loss team. I haven't heard a whole lot of people
talk about this, but USC has Oregon this week.

Speaker 2 (25:18):
USC beats Oregon on the road.

Speaker 3 (25:20):
Pretty good chance USC is going to jump up into
that conversation in a way that they aren't right now.
Vandy still plays a ranked Tennessee team. That's a good game.
Michigan still plays number one Ohio State. By the way,
they've got a four game winning streak against Ohio State.

Speaker 2 (25:35):
They do. I just rewatched Michigan Northwestern. I'm feeling even
less confident about Michigan in this moment.

Speaker 3 (25:39):
Fair enough, But you understand my point, Yes, I do.
You understand my point. So Miami is kind of caught
in the wash right now, in a bit of no
man's land, with what they've got remaining on their schedule
and what the teams in front of them have on theirs,
what some of the teams behind them have on theirs.
And this is not me arguing for against Miami. I
think it's fairly well established that I'm not objective. When

(26:01):
it comes to the whole Miami versus Notre Dame conversation,
what I will say is objectively, it is not just
a Miami versus Notre Dame conversation. There are many other
teams in front of the Canes, rightly or wrongly, whatever
you believe. That is the issue that they are currently
dealing with, and we'll find out. Maybe Snake on the
toilet Saturday can give Miami a little bit of a
gift and bite one of their opponents.

Speaker 1 (26:23):
Who knows.

Speaker 3 (26:24):
Here are some of the other things that I would
posit please one, I didn't think they'd have the stones
to put Bama behind Notre Dame. Like I thought for
sure that they would move Oklahoma up into the top ten.
That does not surprise me, but I expect that they
would move Bama down to nine and bump Notre Dame
down a pig. I am taking this as a signal

(26:44):
that Notre Dame is in so long as they don't
lose to either Syracuse or Stanford. Like if they were
going to drop Notre Dame to make room for Alabama,
that would be a pretty good tell that maybe Notre
Dame is on some uncertain ground. I don't think they're
going to do that for a Big twelve team or
even Miami at this point. So I feel pretty good
as a Notre Dame fan that they're going to find

(27:04):
their way into this thing. The other thing that I
would add is something that you brought up earlier, Like, again,
a bunch of these teams feel kind.

Speaker 1 (27:12):
Of locked into me at this point.

Speaker 3 (27:13):
But the bracket, which I will talk through just very
quickly in a second, is very much subject to change.
So like, if you're a Texas Tech fan, Texas Tech
could very easily end up with a first round by
the way that this is set up right now, they're five.
I actually think your Oregon Ducks have a lot of upside.
They could slide up a spot. They could get a
number six seed, and that's very important because you'd much

(27:37):
rather be a six playing against whoever wins the ACC
having them travel cross country to Eugene than where it
stands right now, which is Oregon at home hosting Alabama.

Speaker 2 (27:46):
Yeah, it could be SMU, I guess that's not as
far a trip.

Speaker 3 (27:50):
Yeah, it could be SMU, It could be Georgia Tech,
it could be Pitt, could still be Duke, could still
be Miami. Most of those teams are traveling a great
ways across the US of A. Certainly it is not
a short fight even for SMU if they end up
being the team. But this is all to say right now,
you're projected lines. I saw this courtesy of our friend
Josh Pate who posted this from a FanDuel. I believe

(28:14):
projected lines would be number twelve Tulane, who they have
in here right now on the road at Texas Tech.
Texas Tech would be favored by three touchdowns. Notre Dame
would be at Oklahoma a nine verses an eight, but
they would be a three and a half point favorite.
Oregon right now would be a four and a half
point favorite over Alabama. That game again would be in Eugene,

(28:35):
and they've got Old Miss right now as a three
and a half point favorite over Miami, But again that
is subject to change because I don't think Miami would
be getting in as an ACC conference champion.

Speaker 2 (28:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (28:48):
The final point here is that they've got Tulane as
the token G six rep and it looks like they
are getting the nod because of their resume, which would
be over Northwestern Duke.

Speaker 2 (29:01):
In Memphis, which by the way, not nothing. Those are
all like at the very least decent Power Conference teams,
and obviously Memphis is a very good team in the
American their strength.

Speaker 3 (29:12):
Of I guess they call it record on the ESPN website,
which is essentially resume. Right now, twenty fifth North Texas
is at twenty eight. Interestingly enough, James Madison is at
twenty fourth. But given the fact that they ranked Tulane
and not JMU at all, to me, it looks increasingly
like the winner of the American gets in, though I

(29:35):
think JMU would provide a better matchup for whoever they
play because of the defense. It seems as though right
now the committee is favoring whoever wins the American.

Speaker 1 (29:43):
So we'll see that's going to work itself out here
as well.

Speaker 2 (29:45):
Yes, the only other thing I would add is, you know,
there are obviously a couple different ways to think about
how these results and rankings should be evaluated, and they
are going to be the One side of it is
like you just look at the wins, you look at
the ranked wins, you look at the record, and you
look at the schedule and you say, okay, this was
a tough schedule. They navigated this, they scheduled well. Like

(30:06):
in the case of Oklahoma, right, Oklahoma's had a terrific
schedule in terms of like, there's a lot of quality
teams on this schedule, and they beat Michigan. They scheduled
a home and home and beat Michigan in Norman. And
that's that's a quality feather in Oklahoma's cap that I
think should be rewarded. But also he says, with some
of these matchups, you're like, Okay, what do we Let's

(30:29):
look at the teams that are ranked. Is Missoo's best
win a close loss to Alabama or Kansas? Right? Is
Tennessee's best win a close loss that they gacked away
to Georgia. Maybe, Like, there's a lot of these teams
that are ranked, Like Illinois obviously beat Illinois ranked well
like twenty third or something like that. Right, Right, So

(30:51):
USC lost to only ranked teams because Illinois is ranked.
Illinois in their losses has lost by an average of
about thirty points. Illinois has been fully not competitive in
their losses, though they did beat USC. And so when
you start looking at the resumes of the teams that
are capital are ranked, what separating those teams from teams

(31:12):
like Cincinnati and Louisville and Arizona. And the answer is
not a tone like there's not a lot of impressive
results when you look at the bot, like ASU has
a huge win over Texas Tech, but like they've also
had like some pretty disappointing results. So obviously, you know,
with sam Levitt's injury contributing, but they won their last
couple without sam Levitt. I just I hesitate to eliminate

(31:37):
too much context. And it's impossible because everybody evaluates context
with you know, different margins. But I'm just I'm wary
of doing too much surface and evaluating these resumes and
BCS was better continue.

Speaker 1 (31:57):
Gotta get that one in there, all right, fair.

Speaker 2 (31:59):
Enough, every time I host a meeting tie there are
fewer and fewer seats. We're standing room only. Soon, tye,
we're standing room only. Let's get to some picks here.
On Snake in.

Speaker 1 (32:12):
The Toilet Saturday, Dan Rubinstein time any picks of the week.

Speaker 3 (32:19):
So look, we didn't do any picks of the week
on Tuesday. We've been doing that all year, but we
took the time, gave back to the Verbawler Hood answered
some questions from the verbowler Hood.

Speaker 1 (32:30):
We've got all of the games locked and loaded and
ready to go for this yere Thursday episode. Are you ready?

Speaker 2 (32:36):
I'm ready?

Speaker 3 (32:38):
Twelve o'clock Eastern Time, high noon on ABC, number twenty two,
Missouri on the road at number eight Oklahoma. This line
is down to Oklahoma minus seven and a half now,
Dan Rubinstein moved a little bit since we put our
initial dock together a few days ago.

Speaker 1 (32:56):
The steaks are pretty clear here right.

Speaker 3 (32:59):
Oklahoma beat Alabama last week, they got bumped all the
way up to number eight in the rankings. As we
just described, the Sooners in effect control their playoff destiny.
They've got two home games left, this one this week
against Maszoo. Next week they are home as well against LSU.
If they win both, they are through. Yes, plain and simple.

(33:23):
Do you think there is any possibility we see a
little bit of a hangover after the win last week,
the big one in Tuscaloosa.

Speaker 2 (33:30):
I think maybe early on in this one. I think
weather's fine because this game is kicking off at what time,
high noon, high noon, so it's an early kick against
a good defense not traveling terribly far in Miszoo. I
just think it's too many points for an Oklahoma team
that has struggled like it has to score points offensively,

(33:52):
not bad, but struggled at times right that they've needed
defensive touchdowns to get to not even that many points
against teams like Tennessee obviously last week against Alabama. Both
performances terrific, really truly terrific performances, both on the road.
I think Miszoo defensively will cause problems for everybody. I mean,

(34:13):
Vanderbilt is one of the best offenses in America. They
allowed seventeen points in that game. This is an angry,
angry defense, perhaps at times too angry early on in
the Mississippi State game. I just think it's too many
points to give for this Oklahoma offense in a potential
hangover spot. They're obviously taking this game incredibly seriously, but

(34:33):
I just think it's this has slog written all over it.
To me, This has you know, seventeen, thirteen, twenty one
to nineteen something like that. Obviously, you know, the focus
for Mazoo is going to be on running the ball
with arguably one of the best two to three running
backs in the country, one of the best rooms in
the country, and this is an Oklahoma defense that stops
pretty much everything. So there is something sloggy about this

(34:56):
matchup to me that all of a sudden, this is
not going to be an Oklahoma offense that scored forty points.
So I'm I'm taking the points happily in this one
because we just have two good defenses in an important spot.
Oklahoma doesn't feel like a team that's going to suddenly
start trying to open it up with as much on
the line as there is, So I don't know. I

(35:16):
have owe you winning by a field goal.

Speaker 1 (35:19):
Yeah, there's been some speculation that Bo Prabula could be back.

Speaker 2 (35:23):
He worked out before the game last week. Eli Drinkwitz
was noncommittal, and Matt Dolars has improved he has.

Speaker 1 (35:30):
I think it's gonna be Zolers.

Speaker 3 (35:32):
I mean, judging from the comments I saw on Tuesday
and we're recording this midday Wednesday, it seems like it's
going to be a stretch for Pabula to get back.
But I just wanted to bring it up on the
off chance that there should be sudden improvement and he's
out there. I don't want people to be caught off guard.
Maszoo is zero and three this year against ranked teams. Yes,

(35:55):
And I think your question is the right one. How
many points so they're gonna be able to score against
the defense like this? You know, it kind of cuts
both ways because you could ask the same question about
Oklahoma with their offense. But I also think you can
ask the same question about Missouri with their offense against
this Oklahoma defense with a backup quarterback. Oklahoma is something

(36:17):
like eighth nationally points allowed. They're very, very good defense.
We saw that on display a week ago. I feel
fairly confident saying that Ammad Hardy is not going to
run for three hundred yards against this defense, thank you, ty,
which I know is a stretch, really going out in
a limb here, putting my integrity on the line. But
by some measures, this is like the best rush defense
in the country.

Speaker 2 (36:38):
Sure, so.

Speaker 3 (36:41):
This is a line on the Missou side that's shown
some inconsistency, and I think Oklahoma is more than good
enough to exploit that to force mad Zolas to beat
them through the air. And I am fairly confident that
Oklahoma is going to win this game. But I am
with you that the point spread is also giving me
fits because Miszoo does have a defense. Lahoma is not
out here blowing out good teams. They're not putting up

(37:03):
forty points a game. That's just not who they are.
So I am going to air on the side of
the points. I think it's something like twenty three seventeen
Oklahoma lower scoring, maybe closer than it should be, But
I think there will be a fair amount of slog
in this game as well.

Speaker 1 (37:17):
I think we tend to agree.

Speaker 2 (37:19):
Yeah, Oklahoma, by the way, has not scored thirty points
in SEC play offensively. They needed I think a scoop
and score against Tennessee to get to thirty three, so
it's hard to imagine against the Mizoo defense. Now, Look,
legs are worn down. We did speed test Saturday last week, right,
this is you you have an advantage I think at
this point in the season offensively that you're just going

(37:40):
to be dealing with beat up defense. Isn't obviously offensive
beat up as well at this point of the season,
more so than any other points, So that to me
is interesting. But even still, I just I don't think
this is a you know, a thirty thirty five point
offense for Oklahoma no matter who they're playing. So yeah,
put me down for point taken.

Speaker 3 (37:59):
Also, at high Hi noon on ESPN two. Louisville on
the road at SMUSMU is a two and a half
point favorite. This may not be a marquee matchup, not
even two ranked teams, right, but.

Speaker 1 (38:16):
This game is a very big deal in the ACC.

Speaker 3 (38:20):
It is a very big deal in the ACC. SMU
needs to win out. They need to win out, and
they need to either have Georgia Tech or Virginia lose
if they want to get back to that conference title game.
But if you're Miami, if you're Duke, if you're Pitt,
you're all rooting for SMU to lose. So there are
stakes here. Whether or not these are ranked teams doesn't matter.

(38:41):
There's a lot riding on this one. A month ago,
when Louisville beat Miami, remember we were talking them up as,
oh my gosh, they might be an ACC contender now.
Who could have ever seen this coming? But now they've
lost the last two games at home. I wonder what's
left in the tank on the Louisville side. Has already
been something of an emotional roller coaster this season. They're

(39:03):
a well coached team. I like their players. There's a
lot that I do like about this team. There are
reasons that I don't think they're gonna win this game,
which I can get to. But I do think we
need to start with what's left in the tank for Louisville,
given the road that they have already traveled.

Speaker 2 (39:16):
You could make the argument, I could make the argument
that Louisville is very quiet elite loser of the year.
I think since October began, they've split their games with
three and three, and I think they've lost those three
games by I combining five points, maybe six points somewhere
in there, right to Cal and Clemson, and I think Virginia.

(39:37):
So I mean, stop me if you've heard this one before,
but a Miller Moss offense has issues closing. I'm with
SMU here. I think winning is a scal Louisville not
finishing it was ugly, ugly by the way the Miami win.
Aside that Miami win was a four turnover advantage that

(40:00):
they needed every single second of to close out. Yes,
so also not an ideal way to get to the win,
but getting to the win is very nice. I think
SMU has improved to a really decent point here with
more on the line. Obviously, it was a slow start defensively,
but they figure things out as the season has gone on.
I just I think Louisville, especially down arguably their best

(40:23):
offensive player, although Chris Bell is quite good as well,
and Keewan Brown has done a great job in the backfield.
Feeling filling in. I'm in on SMU here by you know,
a touchdown, I think they cover.

Speaker 3 (40:34):
Yeah, I'm glad you bring up the defense because the
other layer is SMU creates a ton of havoc plays, yep,
a ton.

Speaker 1 (40:43):
Of havoc plays.

Speaker 3 (40:44):
And this is a louis the Law offense, then that
very much allows them, you know. And so I just
I worry that if the tank's already on E, which
I don't know and I'm just kind of speculating on,
but if this is a situation where they're emotionally physically
on E and they're playing this kind of defense that

(41:06):
creates play as that usually is a recipe for a
handful of these game changing plays for SMU stealing a
couple possessions here and there and winning this game.

Speaker 1 (41:17):
I've got at thirty one to twenty one.

Speaker 3 (41:19):
That SMU off of BUYE as well off of Bye,
so they got the rest advantage and I just think,
like beyond all that this is a Louisville line that
gives me a bit of odjita. Like, I just I
don't really like the matchup in the trenches, and I
think that benefits esseen when Louisville has the ball. Yeah,
when Louisvill's got the ball. I also think SMB is
gonna be out for blood. I think they can smell it.
They want to get back to that ACC title game

(41:41):
they lost a year ago. They did make the playoff
a year ago, but lost that game against Clemson, could
have won. I think they've got some unfinished business and
I don't expect that they're going to sleep walk into
this game against Louisville, who's probably the toughest remaining opponent
on their schedule. They do have to travel to the
hinter lands next week, so we can't take that for granted.

(42:02):
Weird things happen, But I'm on SMU here by ten.

Speaker 2 (42:07):
One other thing to watch is, uh, Louisville is like
kind of average in the red zone when they have
the ball, and SMU might have the best red zone
defense in America this year. Obviously, these are you know,
opponent dependent, but SMU has done a great job, sometimes
bending but rarely breaking. We saw that in the Miami
game as well. So two good defenses. We could see

(42:28):
a lot of kicking here. Uh and I just I
think the Louisville defense has been let down a little
bit too often by its own offense. It's too bad,
because Louisville defense is, you know, quietly one of the
best in the country. So yeah, I think we agree.

Speaker 1 (42:41):
I'm gonna do something for the Miami brethren out there.

Speaker 2 (42:44):
Uh oh, long of the week now, too many hits today?

Speaker 1 (42:49):
Yeah, listen, I was on SMU.

Speaker 3 (42:52):
I was like the SMU cheerleader of all SMU cheerleaders
a year ago. You remember, I was all in on
SMU from the jump, and I'm not not in on
SMU now. I genuinely believe they.

Speaker 1 (43:05):
Are going to win this game by ten points over Lillisville.

Speaker 2 (43:07):
But if if the jink should be a.

Speaker 3 (43:10):
Thing, Miami fans can send their sweet nothings to solid
verbal at gmail dot com, okay, because they could use
an SMU loss here, as could a bunch of other teams. Agree,
Let's go to three point thirty on CBS number fifteen.
USC on the road at number eight your Oregon Ducks

(43:31):
favored now by nine and a half points. We are
going to do an al cast for this game out
on the YouTube channel. Yes, and I'm still working on
a little something special to help us keep track of
the game.

Speaker 1 (43:43):
So we'll see how that goes. Hopefully I can get
it done in time.

Speaker 3 (43:45):
It is byob by the way, So if you're going
to stop by, bring your own drinks, stop on over
to the YouTube channel, say hello, even if it's only
for a minute, we'd love to have you, right, Okay,
really important game for both teams, but it is a
must win game for you. See, I know you have
been on the record many times over saying that USC

(44:05):
and Lincoln Riley simply do not win these games, and
clearly the numbers back that up. I think he's something
like zero for four against top ten opponents, just one
of six in ranked against ranked opponents on the road
in his time at USC. So my question for you
to kind of lead us off here as we talk
about this game, how much are you considering how Indiana

(44:29):
beat Oregon and how USC beat Iowa last week when
you are trying to figure out how these two teams
match up. Because Indiana found something that worked, and I
think we saw a physicality to the way that USC
beat Iowa a week ago that definitely was encouraging. So
are these things that you would all consider when you're

(44:51):
trying to put this game into context.

Speaker 2 (44:53):
Yeah, I mean I try to consider everything, right, because
Oregon's schedule has not been the most impressive in that
you know that non conference portion of the schedule was
Oregon State, Oklahoma State. You don't offer a lot there.
Montana State a very good FCS team playing the Brawl
of the Wild. I think this week right number three,
I believe the fc SO very good team, but perhaps

(45:14):
not on the same talent level. So it's it's hard
to determine because Oregon really has like two and a
half teams to look at in like the Penn State game,
whatever you feel about Penn State now the Iowa game,
and the Iowa game was pretty drenched, and of course
the Indiana game, which was at home, and so Indiana

(45:35):
being the best of those three teams, Oregon loses. It's
that game was largely on the Oregon offense more than
the defense, and of course Indiana obviously, So I look
at all of this stuff, I look at USC against
the better teams on their schedule, which is obviously included
Notre Dame. Now, I guess we have to consider Illinois
or rank team most recently Iowa. Of course, I like

(45:56):
Oregon here. I like Oregon here because of the number
of ways in which they can win this game. USC's
major advantage is they have better receivers, Like they'll have
better receivers against one hundred and thirty teams in this country,
just because of Makay Lemon, just because they have somebody
who can go for one hundred and thirty yards plus
against pretty much anyone. And so that is a major

(46:21):
concern if you're an Oregon fan, that all it takes
is one pass, and you know the complexion of this
game can change that said, I don't think he can
win this game alone. I don't think this passing game.
I don't think Jade Mayov, I don't think a potentially
beat up offensive line with Elijah Page the starting left
tackle out, I don't think it can affect this game
for four straight quarters against what's been an excellent Oregon defense. Now, again,

(46:44):
you got to look at the opposition. You gotta look
at the opposing quarterbacks. There's not much there outside of
Fernando Mendoza that you can say this defense has been tested.
It's true, It's like what is a hunter? Simmons at
Wisconsin and Grenowski and Drake lindsay like just the numbers
can be appreciated. But I think also in that same
tenth sentence, you have to look at the quarterbacks and

(47:06):
offenses faced right. This is by far a bigger test.

Speaker 3 (47:09):
Can I ask a question though, specifically about that matchup?
Because as I was going through this, something that came
to mind was a conversation that we had and obviously
again that we saw with USC and Notre Dame, And
a big part of the build up to that game
was how is Notre Dame going to deal with makay
Lemon kayle Lemon, who works about half the time out
of the slot. He is the primary receiver, the leading

(47:30):
receiver right now. They have other good ones, but Mkaye
Lemon is the dude in that receiving core for USC.
Does Oregon have an answer for a guy who is
working a lot out of the slot? Does that create
any kind of mismatch on the Oregon secondary side of
this conversation?

Speaker 2 (47:48):
Yes, and no. I think their best corner is Brandon Finny,
the freshman, and he works outside. But they've been playing
more zone than they usually have, and so I'm sure
they'll have somebody over the top, whether it's Dylan Thineman
or Aaron Fla or whoever, I'm sure they'll have a plan.
Hopefully it's better than Oregon's plan for Jeremiah Smith last season,
at least in the bowl game. They did okay in

(48:10):
the normal game in Eugene, so yes, that's a concern.
So USC on offense should score some just because they're explosive.
King Miller's been very good. I don't think Wayman Jordan
is back yet, so they're pretty thin. Brian Jackson has
been the guy there with alongside King Miller in the backfield.

(48:30):
I think they'll move the ball some, but I think
Oregon will do enough to get off the field defensively,
maybe forest field goal attempts, maybe you know, get off
the field on downs. Whatever that they'll put their offense
in a good position to wear down USC, especially on
the ground. We saw them turn to Kenyon Sadik Moore

(48:50):
two tight end sets more they've got three tight ends
they like a lot. I think Sadiq is you know,
a game changer when he gets targeted. Oregon's just in
a better health position outside of those two receivers who
are out, and they've figured out ways around that. They've
run the ball really well. I think this is a
sort of a close game in the first half that

(49:10):
Oregon opens up in the middle eight. So eventually I
think Oregon's gonna be able to move the ball on
the ground. I think that's going to open up play action.
The USC is beat up at safety. Arguably their best
defensive player, Kamari Ramsey's questionable. He left the Iowa game
injured alongside the other safety. I think it's Bishop Fitzgerald.
I just think Oregon's gonna have too much for too

(49:33):
long to keep this close. Provided Dante More doesn't turn
over the ball, and if those safeties are out, I
think that becomes less and less likely. So I have
written down here thirty five twenty four Oregon barely covers.

Speaker 3 (49:49):
Yeah, I mean the blinking red light here is USC's
rushing defense, right.

Speaker 1 (49:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (49:55):
Notre Dame ran for three hundred yards, Iowa almost got
to two hundred, and it was pretty well telegraphed that
that's what they were going to do Oregon right now
is averaging two hundred and thirty three rushing yards per game.
They've basically got four running backs averaging six yards per
carry or more. In most cases it's more. And if
you want to count Dante more in that conversation as well,
it's five guys. My ball carriers that average six yards

(50:17):
are more per carry. I don't think USC has an
answer for that, and that's going to be the issue here.
I do think like you that they will score on Oregon.
They will score. They're too good of an offense to not.

Speaker 2 (50:29):
Weather's good score the way these teams weather in the
rain recently, okay, weather should be like fifties, low sixties
and partly sunning good football weather.

Speaker 3 (50:38):
I do think Oregon will have a lot of success
on the ground. I also think that USC will have
limited success through the air when they have the ball
on offense. But I tend to agree with you that
over the long haul, over the sixty minutes, Oregon pulls away.
I know that we have had this conversation about Oregon
ceiling how good is Oregon really? And I think that's

(51:03):
a fair conversation to have. But I don't think it's
up for debate that Oregon is a top ten offense
that can win in a variety of ways, and.

Speaker 2 (51:10):
I think I think if Oregon plays its B plus
game on both sides of the ball, these are top
ten units on both sides.

Speaker 1 (51:17):
I agree.

Speaker 2 (51:18):
I think the pass rush for Oregon will be interesting
because Jade Mayova, who is very Mayava, is very Mayava
talented at buying himself time and rolling out and waiting
for somebody to appear open late. I think the Oregon
pass rush is at sort of a different level than
what USC has faced thus far, and now doing it
with potentially no Elijah Page, who's I think clearly their

(51:40):
best offensive linemen. Sure, and they've had offensive line injury issues.
More generally speaking this year, I think there's gonna be
a lot of issues with Mayava sort of running around
perhaps too happy.

Speaker 1 (51:54):
I mean, I could see it in my head as
you're describing this.

Speaker 2 (51:57):
I could.

Speaker 3 (51:57):
I could see it because we've seen it happen. He's
a very good quarterback. I think he's I think he's
a real deal. I think he is good same and
clearly the talent that they've got around him is also
very very good.

Speaker 1 (52:09):
It is just a question of can they keep.

Speaker 2 (52:10):
Up on the road. Can they give a difficult place on.

Speaker 3 (52:13):
The road in a difficult place to play against a
team that doesn't just need to run it to win it,
which is where I was going with that. You know,
this is a very good Oregon team that can beat
you a number of different ways, and Dante Moore is
completing like seventy three percent of his passes. I think
Oregon's got too many ways to win this game. I've
got it at thirty eight to twenty five.

Speaker 2 (52:34):
Okay, so right around same area. I think it's going
to be a good game. I think USC gets theirs,
but the road stuff with Lincoln Riley and USC especially
beat up man. If Dante Moore finds somebody down the
field early, that's the sort of unlocking key, which is
a redundant phrase, I know, but those are the games

(52:56):
in which Dante Moore really thrives. That he hits somebody
on second and three for thirty one and like there
is a weight that falls off of his shoulders that
suddenly it becomes a very big problem for the defense.

Speaker 3 (53:10):
And whoever wins this game is definitely going to benefit
in the college football playoff rankings. I could see them
bumping Oregon up. I would be very curious to see
if USC were to win this game, how far up
at the committee would put them. They would certainly reward
them for beating a top ten team, Mike Oregon. So
there are state pretty clear stakes in this one that

(53:31):
I want people to be aware of. Let's move to
seven pm on ESPN. It is PIT, it is number
sixteen Georgia Tech. The game is in Atlanta. Georgia Tech
is about a three point favorite right now. I've got
it written down at two and a half points. This
is an elimination game, Dan, correct, there's kind of no
way around it. If Georgia Tech wins, they clinch a

(53:52):
spot in the AC title game. If they're losing their
out and if Pitt wins, then they need to win
next week against Miami. They probably need to get a
little bit of help in addition to that, but they
would be in a really, really good spot to get
to that game as well. So look, you know where
I stand on this one. I've been pretty clear that
I think Pitt is going to win this game out right.

(54:15):
Georgia Tech won this game last year it was at PITT,
but before that it was three straight games that they
played in Bobby Dodd Stadium, and Pitt won all of them.
So I'm a Pitt. I feel good about Pitt. I
am sticking to my guns. My preseason prediction of Pitt
getting to the ACC title game is still alive and well,
and maybe it needs a little bit of help, but
still very much mathematically possible. Right before I tell you why,

(54:39):
why don't you tell me why you're not going to
take Pitt?

Speaker 2 (54:41):
I'm not taking Pitt. I think two things can be true.
I think Pitt's season, the emergence of Mason Heinschel, they've
just been great, right that Pitt and their second half
of the twenty twenty four season. The momentum that they
did or didn't have coming into this year didn't seem
like it existed, and they were able after kind of
a slow, weird start season to write the ship behind

(55:02):
a good defense and sort of surprise play from quarterback
from their quarterback. When you look at the teams in
which they have surprised us all, I guess it leaves
a lot to be desired. And I don't think any
of those teams did any one specific thing in an
excellent way in the way that Georgia Tech runs the ball.

(55:25):
So I don't think Pitt is bad. I don't even
think Pitt is average. I think Pitt's pretty good. But
I think the story around Pitt is perhaps a little
bit exaggerated by the you know, the the pomp pom
cheer cheerleaders like you like.

Speaker 3 (55:39):
So yeah, now did Pitt enthusiast also Penn State grad continue? No, no, no,
but you're you ride for the Keystone State tye h
two baby, I do. I'm gonna I'm gonna blurb that,
by the way, H two p baby, Yeah, ty Hildeman.

Speaker 2 (55:57):
I don't like Georgia Tech's defense at all. I don't
like where Georgia tech defense is in, albeit it's been
on the road these past couple of weeks. It's what
NC stayed in a losing effort where they gave up
like half a hundo and then nearly lost to Boston College.
Now a lot of teams don't look their best against
Boston College, and they're still quality, right, ty right, ty right?
Notre Dame fans, Yeah, absolutely quality, Yeah, continue. I think

(56:17):
Georgia Tech's can be able to control this game enough
on the ground. I think there was enough exposed about
Pit by Notre Dame last week, who they were open
to losing to by one hundred. To be clear, I
think Georgia Tech at home in a look ahead spot.
But Pitt is a team you obviously take seriously because
you haven't had the success against them. I think Georgia

(56:38):
gets enough from the offense to overcome whatever they allow
on their defense. I think they're going to be more
locked in at home. I have Georgia Tech thirty one,
Pit twenty six.

Speaker 3 (56:52):
I have thirty eight to thirty three Pitt. And here's
why I'm on Pitt. This is for sure a very
good Georgia Tech offense, especially on the ground. You're right
to bring that up, but here's where you're wrong. Even
last week against Notre Dame, outside of that one long
run by Jeremiah Lovey, Pitt defended the run pretty well. Sure,

(57:16):
And I'm of the mind that Pitt is actually good
enough defensively to force Haines King to beat them through
the air. Haines King is still pretty good through the air.
Haines King is a very good quarterback, right, This is
on him.

Speaker 2 (57:29):
Their current EPA per dropback is seventh nationally. They're very good.
It's not a lot of stuff downfield, terribly downfield, but
they are very efficient. Absolutely, Eric River, is that a
pretty good year? Yeah, So this is not a knock
on george Tech. It's more a compliment of what I
think is a misunderstood element of the Pitt defense, and

(57:49):
that's that they're actually kind of built to stop the run. True,
and I think they can stop this run. I also
think that Mason Heinschel is going to throw all over
Georgia Tech's defense. They're not good on defense. We've seen
that a couple of weeks running now. They haven't been
good on defense for a while. Well, hold on first
half of the season when they got some guppies like

(58:11):
Colorado and Clemson.

Speaker 3 (58:13):
Sure, but I think Heinschel is gonna throw all over
these guys, and I think this is going to be
a shootout. So I hear what you're saying, and a
lot of it is accurate. But I think Pitt is
better against the run than many understand.

Speaker 1 (58:28):
Right now.

Speaker 3 (58:29):
I think they are going to make Georgia Tech somewhat
one dimensional and it's gonna be a fun acc game.
Never mind who wins, this is gonna be a fun game.
In Bobby Dodd. But I think Pitt emer Yeah, at night,
I think Pitt emerges victorious.

Speaker 1 (58:45):
Thirty eight, thirty three.

Speaker 2 (58:46):
Okay, we just.

Speaker 3 (58:48):
Let's go to this one another night game. This one's
at eight pm on Fox. Number eleven. BYU is a
two and a half point road favorite at Cincinnati. Speaking
of games that are enormously significant in their conference, this
is a very big deal in the Big Twelve. If
BYU wins out this week against Cincinnati next week against UCF,

(59:12):
it is likely going to mean a rematch between BYU
and Texas Tech for the Big Twelve championship. I say
likely because there is still a chance that Texas Tech
could lose next week on the road at West Virginia,
in which case that game could be against Utah, could
be against Arizona State, it could still be against Texas Tech.

(59:33):
There are a lot of possibilities right now in the
Big Twelve, But in case they're interested, there is a
ninety four percent chance that it's either going to be
Texas Tech or BYU winning the Big Twelve.

Speaker 1 (59:45):
Right, the other teams.

Speaker 3 (59:46):
Still have a chance, But between Utah, Arizona State, and Cincinnati,
I believe I saw there's a combined six percent chance
that one of them.

Speaker 1 (59:53):
Is going to win the conference.

Speaker 3 (59:55):
So two teams, very good teams, both on offense and
on defense, especially in the red zone. Often these are
the types of games where we talk about a team
losing because they end up settling for field goals, and
so that is where my mind goes first when I
look at the tendencies of these two teams and these

(01:00:16):
two defenses. Somebody is going to have to hold the
other down in the red zone, and my hunch is
that whoever does that the most is going to be
the one that emerges victorious. Am I saying anything that
is next level? That is galaxy brained in terms of
how football works. No, of course not. Whoever scores the
most points wins. That's the way this damn thing was played.

(01:00:37):
But I am looking first and foremost at the red
zone because one of these two teams has to give
on that side otherwise we're going to get like a
six to three game, which I don't expect. So I'm
looking first and foremost to see who is going to
be more effective on defense, specifically in the red zone.

Speaker 2 (01:00:54):
So, yeah, Cincinnati's been been, but don't break the defense,
especially against the pass has not been good, but they
are good at forcing threes or getting off the field
on fourth down whatever. In the red zone. BYU is
the better team. Yeah, I don't think that is a
controversial statement. But I don't think you judge BYU based
on what they do against Texas Tech. I don't think

(01:01:16):
you judge BYU based on what they do those first
six weeks of the season, three weeks of the season. Whatever.
If BYU is excellent, if BYU has a legit chance
to win this conference and look better than they did
against Texas Tech, obviously they have to win this game.
This is a much more meaningful game than what they've
played recently, just because there's more on the line. It's

(01:01:37):
on the road. They have not been on the They
have not been great on the road this year. Right
when you look at the Iowa State the first half,
the first two and a half quarters, whatever of the
Iowa State game. They go to double overtime against what
I think is a good Arizona team, but nonetheless they
needed every second and maybe a bailout call at the
end of regulation to win that game. Colorado I think

(01:01:58):
was pretty This has not been a team that you
know anywhere anyone will beat you by two touchdowns. That's
just not BYU this year. And that's okay, because once again,
winning is a skill. Winnings the KYU executes, they come
out with a w. I think BYU does the same
thing here, but I think it is by once again
the skin of their teeth. So I have BYU winning

(01:02:21):
this one twenty eight to twenty four and needing every
single second to do so.

Speaker 3 (01:02:26):
I like what Cincinnati has done this year, yep. This
was a pivotal season for Scott Solderfield, and so if
they come away from this thing with seven with eight,
with nine wins, this season is definitely a step forward
compared to last.

Speaker 1 (01:02:42):
He has done a good.

Speaker 3 (01:02:43):
Job this year if we stressed tests the resume though
kind of to your point, Yeah, the best win was
over a four lost Iowa State, And now each of
the last two weeks they have played teams with considerably
better defenses in Utah and Arizona, and they lost both those.

Speaker 1 (01:03:01):
Games, yep.

Speaker 2 (01:03:02):
And they lost the Utah game.

Speaker 1 (01:03:03):
By a lot, a lot that wasn't even closed with.

Speaker 2 (01:03:05):
Like game day in town.

Speaker 3 (01:03:06):
Yeah, and so I think there is something to be
learned from that. I like BYU a lot in this spot.
I think they're more battle tested. I think the way
they responded in particular against TCU after losing was really impressive.

Speaker 2 (01:03:21):
Great.

Speaker 1 (01:03:21):
It would have been very easy to.

Speaker 3 (01:03:22):
Go one, two, three, can't coun and just peace out,
But instead, as I think you pointed out, it might
have been their most complete game of the season. They
looked awesome against TCU, so.

Speaker 2 (01:03:32):
I tend to agree.

Speaker 3 (01:03:33):
I don't think this is a blowout, because BYU is
not a blow them out kind of team. But I
got twenty seven to twenty BYU winning this game on
the road and giving themselves an opportunity again to get
back into potentially a rematch against Texas Tech.

Speaker 2 (01:03:48):
Yes, we agreed on far too much. Yeah, I guess
where it comes out of the ACC. I've got a
dozen here. Let's just do some quickies. You're right, I'm
ready with that.

Speaker 3 (01:03:59):
Yeah, one PM on TNT, it is Baylor, it is Arizona.
Arizona is a six and a half point favorite.

Speaker 1 (01:04:05):
Dan, who you got?

Speaker 2 (01:04:07):
I like Arizona here. Baylor has really struggled. They've struggled
on the road, They've struggled defensively over the course of
the year. Getting worse and worse and worse Arizona at home.
I just I think the defense is going to come
to play. And even if Sawyer Robertson and Baylor moves
the ball some, I think Arizona on the ground should
have a good amount of success against Baylor. So I
have them winning this game by eight, So thirty one,
twenty three, at thirty four to twenty five somewhere in there.

Speaker 3 (01:04:31):
I really like Arizona here as well. Their past defense. Again,
people don't realize how good this pass defense. These safeties
are so good for It's a really good pass defense.
And the job that Brent Brennan has done in year
two has been a complete turnaround story. So they have
a safety named Genesis. Yeah man, yeah, he's kudos to him.

(01:04:52):
The past defense is good. The offense is more than
good enough to score points on this Baylor team. I've
got Zona winning and covering thirty eight to twenty eight.
Let's okay, three point thirty on ABC, it is Arkansas.
It is number seventeen Texas, Texas now favored by eight
and a half point. Stan you mentioned this on Tuesday,

(01:05:14):
but this is a mammoth let down look ahead spot
for Texas right one week after the Georgia game, one
week before the rivalry against Texas A and M. Sometimes
you see teams kind of take this one off or
at least look past it. So is this something you
expect to see now? For Texas favored by more than
a touchdown at home against Arkansas. I mean, who's more

(01:05:35):
of a snake in the toilet than Bobby Petrino. He's
just a regular snake. But continue, well, I mean, sometimes
he gets thirsty and where's he going to go? I
have Arkansas here. Arkansas has competed with the best of
their schedule in the SEC, so not counting the Notre
Dame game, of course, Yep, you can move the ball

(01:05:56):
against Texas as team after team after team has proven
Texas has not separated, with the exception of the Oklahoma game.
But again that's Oklahoma dealing with basically a non throwing
passing attack. In that game, Taylor Green can be quite good.
If Arkansas does not turn the ball over three times,
that's my magic number. Yeah, if they turn it over

(01:06:19):
fewer than three times, I think they cover this game,
and I think they will, So I have Arkansas not
winning this game.

Speaker 2 (01:06:27):
Oh that would be. I'm sort of circling Bobby Petrino.
Arkansas is a snake in the toilet here. Yeah, it
would be a great you know, just outright pick I
can't do it because winning is a skill that Arkansas
just hasn't possessed this year. They've come close time after
time after time. But since the game is in Austin,
I'm gonna go Texas here winning this game thirty to

(01:06:48):
twenty four.

Speaker 1 (01:06:50):
I've got Texas winning and covering here.

Speaker 2 (01:06:53):
Texas doesn't blow teams out, they don't blow teams out,
but it looks like they were going against Vandy.

Speaker 3 (01:06:59):
And then what I stand by what I said before
the Georgia game a week ago, and I still do
feel in my marrow that Texas has improved, that we
have seen real growth from them, that we've seen some
growth from arch Manning. Obviously, last week did not go
as expected or as they hoped it could go, not
as expected, But I am on Texas here minus the number.

(01:07:21):
I think they're going to get a big, resounding win
here against Arkansas and they're going to go into that
game at home week fourteen with a full head of
steam trying to knock off Texas A and M.

Speaker 2 (01:07:32):
That's fine. I just also look at the body language
of Texas in the fourth quarter against Georgia. Man, all right,
fair enough, we disagree. Don they were done TI. Look,
I don't think Arkansas is that good, but Texas is kentuckyish.
They're Mississippi stateish. If they were wearing a, if it
said something different on their uniform, if they had a
different logo on their helmet, you'd be like, what a

(01:07:53):
disappointing team. I don't have faith in them. Okay, they've
scored a touchdown and their biggest games on offense. Gimme
Tech Ohio State. George is the number, Georgetown Georgia. Okay,
we disagree.

Speaker 3 (01:08:05):
Three thirty ESPN, Speaking of which, we got Kentucky on
the road at number fourteen. Vandy number fourteen, Vandy favored
by nine and.

Speaker 1 (01:08:12):
A half points.

Speaker 3 (01:08:13):
Possible look ahead spot Tennessee is on deck their rivalry game.

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:08:19):
For Vanderbilt, they were off last week. They will be
fresh coming into this one. So if there is any
kind of look ahead to be an open, open face
look ahead Sandwich.

Speaker 1 (01:08:31):
Gimme Kentucky, pus the points.

Speaker 2 (01:08:33):
I'm taking Kentucky plus the points as well.

Speaker 3 (01:08:36):
I am going to go Kentucky pus the points because
I feel like Kentucky's found something over the last couple
of weeks. I feel like we have seen a much, much,
much better version of Kentucky. I don't think they win
this game out right, but I do think they've learned
how to score. I think they've turned over something a
new leaf, and I think they'll be competitive here. So
nine and a half points, I understand the line.

Speaker 1 (01:08:55):
I get it. I think Kentucky's going to be within
four or five points.

Speaker 2 (01:09:00):
Vanderbilt same same. I just Vandy has not been a
team to blow teams out, and it's because of their defense.
I think Kentucky should be able to move the ball some.
Vandy obviously had a good week against Miszoo when I
mean Bobabula wasn't that good against Vandy's defense either when
he was in there. But other than that, Vandy's defense

(01:09:20):
has allowed points, most recently to Auburn. So I think
Kentucky's able to move the ball some. I think they're
able to stop Diego Pavia and Kentucky and Vandy some
and so I think Vandy wins this game. But I
don't have this by a ton of points, So I
don't know. Let's call it twenty seven to twenty.

Speaker 1 (01:09:36):
That feels about right. Yeah, that feels about right.

Speaker 3 (01:09:39):
Uh. Three thirty ACC Network Duke minus six and a
half on the road against North Carolina, big old rivalry here, Dan,
interesting nugget on the UNC side. If they can get
to twenty points they win this year. It's a big
if and it hasn't happened often, but when they get
to twenty, they do win the game. I look at

(01:10:00):
the Duke defense and I say, nah, they could probably
score twenty points against that. Yes, I'm not too enamored
with the Duke defense. I'm not sure they can win,
but I do feel pretty confident that they can get
the twenty.

Speaker 1 (01:10:11):
Here, Dan, how do you feel about this one?

Speaker 2 (01:10:13):
North Carolina lock of the week?

Speaker 1 (01:10:16):
Luck of the week?

Speaker 2 (01:10:20):
You go with the fighting Belichicks here?

Speaker 1 (01:10:22):
Huh?

Speaker 2 (01:10:22):
I am well. After I saw the clip of the
rec League cheerleading competition that Bill Belichick was attending to
watch his girlfriend compete. I don't know what roles she
had on. If she was somebody who was launched into
the air or somebody who caught people launched in the air.
I have no idea, But I think the spirit, I

(01:10:44):
think the gusto. I think the electricity is all riding
with North Carolina, especially since Duke has been terrible lately.
Do you know how difficult in retrospect it is to
give up forty five points to the Clemson offense twenty
twenty five. Duke managed to do it. Now, they won
that game, winnings better than losing, but I don't know, man.

(01:11:05):
They lost by nine to Georgia Tech at home. They
lose to Yukon giving up thirty seven. They lose to
Virginia getting doubled up, so they're losing even if they
give up only twenty points in that Georgia Tech game
and that Virginia game. I don't love the North Carolina
offense here, but I think the North Carolina defense can
do enough. They're at home their dogs. I think they

(01:11:27):
beat their rival in Duke, and it's on the back
of the defense. Now, Darien Mensa hasn't turned the ball
over a ton, but I think if at all, I
don't know if he's thrown an acc interception. But I
still like the UNC offense to move the ball just
enough to get to that vaunted twenty point threshold to beat. Duke,
who has not been playing well, has arguably the worst

(01:11:48):
thing in this game in their defense, I have North
Carolina winning this game twenty four to eighteen. Oooo.

Speaker 1 (01:11:54):
That's spicy and I feel great about it.

Speaker 3 (01:11:57):
Do you?

Speaker 2 (01:11:58):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (01:11:58):
Really? You feel great about North Carolina?

Speaker 2 (01:12:01):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (01:12:02):
Man, I mean I made in my lock of the week.
I listen, I'm with you. I'm gonna go North Carolina
as well. They're not outright, I don't know. I situationally,
this feels like a weird spot for Duke. It just
feels like a weird spot. They lost a week go
to Virginia right there there. It's been very lumpy this year.

(01:12:26):
It's been very boom or busty. And I could see
North Carolina here in a rivalry spot, being up for
this game, and I could see them pulling the upset.
I could certainly see them at home in Chapel Hill,
Chapel Bill, four o'clock, ESPN two Kansas State at Utah.
We thought this was going to be a monster game

(01:12:47):
back in Week one. Turns out it isn't. But here's
something interesting for the football nerds in the back Okay.
Utah plays the highest rate of zone coverage and is
also the second most blitz heavy team in college football.
With that being said, even as a seventeen and a
half point favorite, Dan Rubinstein.

Speaker 1 (01:13:08):
Yeah, it's a bit of a risk.

Speaker 3 (01:13:10):
There's a bit of a risk when you play like
that against a quarterback like this and Avery Johnson, because
what happens when you blitz and play a lot of
man are play a lot of man coverage. I said
zone coverage. Yeah, you've got defenders with their back to
the quarterback. The blitz causes him to escape the pocket,
and perhaps you've got our guy, Avery Johnson running clean,

(01:13:33):
clean through the defense. I'm sure they will have a
spy for young Avery Johnson. But I do think that
is an interesting matchup to watch. I don't know why
I wrote highest rate of zone coverage.

Speaker 1 (01:13:43):
Yeah, be clear and coverage.

Speaker 2 (01:13:45):
Utah plays a ton more man coverage, Yes than the
average team. They trust their corners, they blitz, they do
a good job.

Speaker 3 (01:13:51):
So those guys go and pass coverage. They turn their
backs to the quarterbacks totally maybe already blitz in to
try and force the issue. Avery john very good at
escaping the pocket. Perhaps that gives him some running lanes.
Would not surprise me if we see a really good
rushing effort from Avery Johnson in this one against Utah,
and now they'll say they're going to win. It's a seventeen

(01:14:12):
point line. But that's sort of one of the things
that I'm interested in.

Speaker 2 (01:14:17):
Kansas State scored how many points last week against Oklahoma State? Fourteen?

Speaker 3 (01:14:22):
Yeah, yeah, you're going Utah.

Speaker 2 (01:14:26):
I think I'm going to Utah here. I think the
Kansas State defense is going to be having their hands
full with Utah, especially on the ground. I just Utah
has just been kicking teams all night, all day, So
I'm going Utah here. I think defensively, you have less
of a rushing attack to worry about this year with

(01:14:48):
Kansas State than in previous years. Correct, Kansa State's one
of the worst running teams in America this year. For
all you want to say about you know, Avery Johnson
playing against man coverage or whatever.

Speaker 3 (01:15:00):
Saying, I'm just saying that's something that is of interest
to me schematically.

Speaker 1 (01:15:05):
It's, you know, could be a little bit of an
interesting wrinkle. That's all.

Speaker 2 (01:15:09):
Okay, fair enough picking Utah.

Speaker 1 (01:15:10):
I'm not picking k State.

Speaker 2 (01:15:12):
Okay, Yeah, I just Case State has given up a
ton of big plays. I think Utah is going to
be winning this game something like forty two to forty
two to twenty.

Speaker 1 (01:15:24):
Yeah. When Utah beats teams, they really beat teams.

Speaker 2 (01:15:26):
Yeah, they've been scoring and as soon as a team
makes a mistake, Utah is ready to turn that into points. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:15:32):
Yeah, I'm just made that. I screwed up my interesting nugget.
Then I read the wrong word.

Speaker 2 (01:15:37):
But whatever, you corrected yourself. I think correct My All's
well four o'clock on Fox.

Speaker 3 (01:15:41):
It is TCU at number twenty three, Houston, Houston favored
by two and a half points. Dan. If Houston wins out.
If Houston wins out, they go ten and two, correct,
and I gonna play for the Big twelve. But if
they go ten and two, that's a hell of an
accomplishment in year two for Fritz. So they have had

(01:16:01):
a great season already to this point. It does not
matter what happens moving forward. Obviously you would like some
wins here. I think they will get a win here.
I really don't know what TCU is supposed to be
at this point. They're just sort of an average team,
and I think Houston is playing with the full head
of steam. I think they got a lot of momentum.
I think they're playing with confidence. I think they have

(01:16:21):
gotten better as the season has gone on, and I
tend to believe a lot in Willy Fritz. So give
me Houston minus the number.

Speaker 2 (01:16:28):
And you forgot one other. Well, you've got two things. One,
they're coming off of a bye Houston is so they
have the rest advantage. Two, they stayed within ten points
of West Virginia time. They stayed within ten.

Speaker 1 (01:16:40):
I know, it's crazy.

Speaker 2 (01:16:41):
West Virginia is out here ruining the vibes of what
Houston and Pitt randomly this year. Scotty Fox playmaker, I'm
gonna go Houston here to win this game. I think
it being at home, having what they have on the line,
which is huge improvement over last year's four and eight season,
and t see really struggling on defense, really struggling to

(01:17:02):
get off the field on third down. I think Connor
Wigman has had quietly one of the more impressive bounce
back years given all the injury history he's had in
his college career. I'm going Houston here to win by
five or six.

Speaker 3 (01:17:15):
Yeah, I think I'm with you and the Connor Wigman
story has been really interesting. He's been very good on
the ground too. He leads a team in touchdowns, got
nine touchdowns. He's averaging close to five yards of carry.
He's been running the ball, you know, is over five
hundred yards on the ground this season, So not the
leading rusher, but the leading touchdown scorer at least on
the ground, and has been, as you said, a really

(01:17:35):
good bounce back story. So good for him and good
for WILLI Fritz and the Houston Cougars. I am rooting
for them to go ten and two.

Speaker 2 (01:17:41):
Plus. I have my retirement account with Houston starting running
back Dean Connors, so there's that too. I need, I
need the success.

Speaker 3 (01:17:49):
Seven o'clock NBC Nebraska at Penn State. Penn State favored
by nine and a half points. Yeah, it's a lot
of where's my sound?

Speaker 2 (01:17:58):
That's a lot of potatoes.

Speaker 3 (01:17:59):
That is a little lot of potatoes for this cross state, right,
But I TJ Latiff on the road, I guess is
what the odds makers are looking at, and they're saying, Nah,
we're good, We're gonna go Penn State.

Speaker 2 (01:18:12):
Yeah. I really did think it was too many points.
But if we're going to talk about those you know,
you talk about by us bounce back after the performance
against Texas tack or lack thereof, and looking really good
against TCU. Let's not gloss over Penn State losing on
like the catch of the Millennia to a top five team,

(01:18:37):
losing on a miracle catch by I believe was Omar Cooper, right, oh,
Mark Cooper Junior, yet bouncing back winning the Land Grand
Trophy by nearly three touchdowns, and to me, that speaks
to the vibes that everybody's so happy James Franklin is gone,
Which have fun Virginia Tech. I'm obviously kidding here. Uh No,

(01:18:59):
it is it. We shouldn't gloss over the fact that
Penn State did win. They were impressive. They could have
lost that game. They could have lost two games because
of the o Walmark Cooper catch bounce back against Michigan State.
We don't need to talk about the Spartan vibes in
this moment. No, no, but I'm going to go Penn
State here. I don't trust TJ. Latif this would be
Dana Holgerson's master work. If Nebraska is able to get

(01:19:21):
what they got out of the air like they did
against I was at UCLA a couple of weeks ago
against Penn State. I don't know. I think Penn State
wants to finish strong.

Speaker 3 (01:19:30):
I'm going to go Penn State as well. Here, Ye,
Matt Ruhle coming back into town. Maybe he'll stay, Maybe
you'll have a.

Speaker 2 (01:19:36):
Change the heart. So if they're really good, if Nebraska
is awesome, then that's a feather in his cap and
Penn State's impressed. But if Penn State dominates this game,
then they have their answer. I just want everybody to know,
everybody be on alert. Yeah that if Matt Rule.

Speaker 3 (01:19:58):
Should pull the move that he pulled both at Temple
and at Baylor where he signed an extension and then
left a few months later, if he were to do
that and end up as Penn State's coach, not to
say I would be that excited about Matt Rule as
Penn State's new coach. I would gloat to no end
if I ended up being right after all about Matt

(01:20:20):
Rule being the coach at Penn State.

Speaker 1 (01:20:22):
Just same putting that out there. So I don't think
that's going to happen.

Speaker 2 (01:20:26):
But I so what is James Franklin making from Penn
State now?

Speaker 3 (01:20:33):
They negotiated his buyout down to nine million, nine million dollars.

Speaker 2 (01:20:36):
So all I will say as it relates to this
topic you just brought up, is they're down a lot
less money than initially thought. And I know it was
it was going to be an annual payment plan or whatever.
But with regard to Matt Rule's buyout, it's not crazy.

Speaker 3 (01:20:52):
We shouldn't even have this conversation because people are going
to take it the wrong way and think we're saying
something we're not.

Speaker 2 (01:20:57):
I have no intel on the subject out.

Speaker 1 (01:20:59):
I don't either at this point I thought, but I don't.

Speaker 2 (01:21:03):
This would be a kin to you picking Michigan to
win the National Championship all season long two years ago,
only for you to turn your back pick Alabama in
the Rose Bowl and then have Michigan win. So you've
admitted defeat on the rule thing, and it's not technically
off the table.

Speaker 3 (01:21:18):
Yet seven point thirty ABC. If I'm being honest, I
am very uncomfortable that we waited this long to talk
about this game Number twenty Tennessee minus three and a
half on the road at Florida. This is a historic,
an iconic, and important rivalry that almost means nothing right now.
Because Floyda fired its coach. Don't know who the next

(01:21:38):
guy is gonna be. I guess we're gonna have to
wait and find out. Tennessee number twenty right now. They
got a big game next week against Vanderbilt. I did
see that they have like a zero point two percent
chance of making the playoff. I would love for somebody
to game plan for me exactly how that is possible,
because that.

Speaker 1 (01:21:56):
Would be a hoot.

Speaker 3 (01:21:57):
If snake in the toilet Saturday ends up being a
gigantic king Kobra in the toilet, then perhaps that odds
those odds shoot up and Tennessee maybe becomes more of
a player in that conversation. As it stands, I have
no idea how we get there. They're only a three
and a half point road favored in the swamp against Florida, Dan,
what are we saying here?

Speaker 1 (01:22:16):
What are we feeling?

Speaker 2 (01:22:18):
Florida plays well at home? I mean, ignore the USF result.
Florida plays well at home. They played great at home. Yeah,
so Florida at home obviously lost to USF. But they
beat Texas, they beat Mississippi State, then fired their coach
after a win, and they're terrible results recently. Well, it
wasn't even that terrible against Georgia. That was a close loss,

(01:22:39):
but it was away from Gainesville, away from Gainesville, away
from Gainesville these last three weeks, So I don't know,
whatever the situation. The Swamp always wants to beat Tennessee
by one hundred, right, always, so this place will be
amped up. Florida does have a promising quarterback. I won't
say great quarterback. I'll say I sing quarterback. Tennessee matches

(01:23:02):
up nicely in that They're not great against the pass
and Florida's had some issues through the air, and the
turnovers obviously have been an issue this year. And Florida's
defensive weakness has been playing the pass, and Tennessee can
throw the ball well, so it lines up kind of
nicely for Tennessee. I'm just not there. I'm just not

(01:23:23):
there with the balls in this spot. I think this
is the last gasp for whatever this season is for Florida,
and I think they're gonna win this game.

Speaker 1 (01:23:31):
I've got Florida outright.

Speaker 3 (01:23:33):
I do too, And I couldn't quite put into words
why I felt that way, but this is a vibes
thing for me, and I agree with you that this
is kind of like a last last gasp situation for Florida.
Now Florida's got Florida State, I believe, close out the
year right, So they're not short on not short on

(01:23:54):
games that are meaningful within the state of Florida, within
the state of just their program. Beating Florida State would
be a very big deal in its own right. It
could get Mike Norvell fired, who knows. But this is
a classic SEC rivalry goes way back to the years
of Peyton Manning being at Tennessee.

Speaker 1 (01:24:12):
If not much farther back.

Speaker 3 (01:24:14):
So I am I am of the mind that Florida
is winning this game out right. I'm feeling it too.

Speaker 2 (01:24:19):
So Tennessee on the road this year over time, I
want to say, against Mississippi State in which they needed
two defensive touchdowns to have that tide at the end
of regulation, lose by seventeen. Tobama give up thirty four points,
you know, heart that is to Kentucky in a win
they scored fifty six. It's hard to give up thirty
four points to a Mark Stoops team. Tennessee's defense managed
and now they get Florida on the road in like

(01:24:41):
a Florida situation which they have zero to lose. So okay,
I'm going Florida.

Speaker 1 (01:24:49):
Four other games very quickly. Let's buzz through them.

Speaker 3 (01:24:51):
Place Place, Place, seven thirty Big ten Network, Illinois minus
seven and a half on the road at Wisconsin, Dan,
Wisconsin's offense has been dreadful. Illinois, I can finish nine
and three if they went out.

Speaker 1 (01:25:03):
How you feeling?

Speaker 2 (01:25:04):
I like Illinois here, you have to find reasons to
like Wisconsin and if they can't move the ball like
you saw it against Indiana right where they're frisky for
a certain amount of time, but your defense can only
play so long.

Speaker 1 (01:25:16):
I'm on Illinois by about fourteen here.

Speaker 3 (01:25:18):
Yeah, seven thirty ACC Network cal Stanford the Big Game,
CAL favor by three and a half points.

Speaker 1 (01:25:25):
Playing this game at Stanford.

Speaker 3 (01:25:27):
Did you happen to see that next week's Notre Dame
Stanford games kicking off at ten thirty pm Eastern time.

Speaker 2 (01:25:33):
Yeah, that would be South Bend time, right? Is that
what time it is in South Bend?

Speaker 3 (01:25:38):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:25:39):
It's eastern. Yeah, great, the late kick.

Speaker 1 (01:25:42):
Good thing we're doing the stream otherwise I'd be sound asleep.

Speaker 2 (01:25:45):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:25:46):
I like cal here, give me cal away let's go
cal eight pm, ESPN two, Arizona State minus seven and
a half points on the road at Colorado. Let me
just say, Jeff Simmons has actually been decent. He has,
and like I poked a lot of fun. I'm never
picking Arizona State again. It's a Jeff Simms team now.
But Jeff Simms has been decent. The other thing that
I will offer about Arizona State while we're here, did

(01:26:08):
you see that Sam Levitt is likely going to be
in the portal that.

Speaker 2 (01:26:12):
At least he's considering. It was refuted I think by
his brother, but the brother didn't say no, of course not.
He's staying at ASU. He loves ASU. So there was
a report that he is looking to command big money
in the portal. And why wouldn't you if I guess,
if you're Sam Levitt and you don't feel like ASU
is paying you anywhere near your market value, I think
a SE is a great situation for Sam Levitt. But

(01:26:34):
I'm sitting here in the Chicago Burbs. What do I know?
Interesting story? Interesting?

Speaker 1 (01:26:39):
I'm on ASU here. ASU beats Colorado.

Speaker 2 (01:26:41):
Yeah. I think the big thing here with ASU this
week is they get to play Colorado, Yeah exactly, and
Deon Sanders this week sort of said, hey, we just
need a little bit more time. They're getting a new ad,
which is never great, and he said, look, we've made
some mistakes this year with how we handled these games,
in these rosters, in these game plans. I'm like, it's
not what I love to see before a game against

(01:27:02):
the quality team.

Speaker 3 (01:27:02):
I'm going to sc and last Monogast Friday, eight pm
ESPN Florida State minus four and a half on the
road at in C State.

Speaker 2 (01:27:11):
I'm going Florida State here.

Speaker 3 (01:27:13):
Yeah, Florida State needs to win one of their next
two to go to a bowl game. They've got NC State,
they got Florida left, both of them are on the road,
and NC State is also in the same position.

Speaker 1 (01:27:21):
They need one win to qualify.

Speaker 3 (01:27:22):
They got Florida State this week North Carolina and next
both of their games are at home.

Speaker 1 (01:27:27):
I am on Florida State here as well.

Speaker 3 (01:27:29):
I'm not sure where NC State's at right now, so
give me Florida State. I'm not sure what going to
a bowl. I'm not sure what going seven and five
would mean for Mike Norvel, but beating NC State on
the road, being I started on a Friday night. Give
me the knowles done all right, Yan, I have very

(01:27:51):
very very quickly. Yeah, a list of games that I
think are a bit under the radar. And it's because
there are five g six games here that we need
to put on people's radar.

Speaker 2 (01:28:04):
Please.

Speaker 3 (01:28:07):
The first is Friday night, ten thirty on FS one.
It is Hawaii on the road at unlv U and
LV favored by two and a half three points. I
am all over Hawaii right here.

Speaker 2 (01:28:20):
I love UNLV can't wait to watch it early Saturday morning.
This is past my bedtime.

Speaker 3 (01:28:24):
One pm ESPN plus Washington State at James Madison. The
Dukes are a thirteen and a half point home favorite.
They need style points, Dan that is clear from the
college football playoff rankings are I think they can get
those style points against WAZU, So give me JMU.

Speaker 2 (01:28:44):
I like JMU as well, but I I really hesitated
on this one because Wazoo's defense has been good, and
they've played like an unreasonable amount of really good offenses
this year, and they've held up defensively decently well. They
were right there against Virginia, who could win the ACC
right there again, Ole miss likely playoff team. They're in
a great spot to build on a weird year, so

(01:29:06):
it's just traveling across the country. I think Jamie is
too good on both sides of the all give me Jamie.

Speaker 3 (01:29:10):
Three thirty ESPN plus e c U minus two and
a half points on the road at UTSA is a
big game, yeah for ECU, and I think they deliver.

Speaker 1 (01:29:20):
Give me Cu.

Speaker 2 (01:29:21):
I love Utsa here. They're getting aggressive dome in the
Alamo Dome here, Ty give me the road Runners.

Speaker 3 (01:29:28):
Three forty five ESPNU number twenty four Tulane minus eight
and a half points on the road at Temple.

Speaker 1 (01:29:34):
I am all over Temple.

Speaker 2 (01:29:37):
I love Temple, temp damn it.

Speaker 3 (01:29:40):
Temple Dan. Where is my sound here? Where is my
home dog of the week sound? It was here a second?

Speaker 2 (01:29:45):
Here it is if I can make it the Yokos
home dog of the week.

Speaker 1 (01:29:56):
Jimmy Temple plus the eight and a half against Tulane.

Speaker 2 (01:29:59):
This is the mass piece that K. C. Keeler paints
to get that Penn State job.

Speaker 1 (01:30:04):
Maybe who knows, doesn't seem like anybody wants it.

Speaker 2 (01:30:07):
Temple wins this outright continue.

Speaker 3 (01:30:09):
And finally, last game on the slate here for US
seven pm. CBS Sports Network, Your New Mexico Lobos on
the Road at air Force a two and a half
point favorite.

Speaker 2 (01:30:23):
I don't love that it's at altitude, but it is,
and it is no longer October. But I'm still going
to New Mexico here outright, the air Force defense is
terrible and the New Mexico run defense is pretty good.

Speaker 3 (01:30:34):
Fair enough, all right, Listen, this is the week to
go out and do stuff. This is the week. It's
a snake in the toilet Saturday. You and I happen
to think it's gonna get weird, But if you look
just at face value at many of these games, I
understand if you're you're like, Listen, I gotta I gotta

(01:30:56):
spend some time with a significant.

Speaker 2 (01:30:57):
Other pre Thanksgiving weekend.

Speaker 1 (01:30:59):
Pre Right, I've been.

Speaker 3 (01:31:01):
I've been holed up watching football all through October, a
good chunk of November.

Speaker 1 (01:31:07):
We gotta we gotta give a weekend back. This is
the weekend to give it back for bullerhood.

Speaker 2 (01:31:13):
Or maybe you start furiously swiping to find that significant other. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Swipe,
work the apps, whatever you're into, work the grocery stores,
whatever you need to do. Grocery stores. Isn't that creepy? No, No,
you just happen to be ordering the same cold cuts
as you know some somebody attractive next to you. When
I was back in the years when I was single,

(01:31:35):
I remember people saying, go to the grocery store, it's
a great probably maybe it was go to the grocery store,
it's a great way to meet people.

Speaker 3 (01:31:43):
How that seems creepy to me. I'm just gonna follow
somebody from asle to I Like, what is the what's
the strategy there?

Speaker 2 (01:31:51):
No, you don't follow somebody, but you if you notice somebody,
then you figure out how to happen to run into them.

Speaker 3 (01:31:59):
Oh you like cheetos too, that's weird. Like what is
the pickup line there? How do you what is the
entry point into a conversation? I don't I never understood.

Speaker 2 (01:32:08):
If they're buying cheetos and you happen to have cheeto thoughts,
you can like flaming hot too much? I get that right.
You have to come in with a little bit of charm,
tie a little bit, as the kids say, some of
that riz. But it can be done. Our go play
rec league, volleyball or something.

Speaker 3 (01:32:25):
If you met your significant other or just a significant
other at some point in your life at.

Speaker 1 (01:32:31):
The grocery store.

Speaker 3 (01:32:32):
Solidverbo at gmail dot com write in, I need to
know how. Sorry, we never understood that idea.

Speaker 2 (01:32:38):
We can't all meet our significant others at chemical and
gas companies tie the old fashioned way.

Speaker 3 (01:32:45):
I'm not looking down my nose at this. I just
need to understand it.

Speaker 1 (01:32:48):
I don't. I don't get how it works.

Speaker 2 (01:32:50):
Well. I think it's just charm on a level that
you can't connect with. Probably, I mean obviously. But yeah,
speaking of which, tie, Speaking of which, if you could
quickly drop big stanky, nibbling nestling, no drum.

Speaker 1 (01:33:03):
And five baby oh baby, a baby, a baby.

Speaker 2 (01:33:10):
If I know TI, there's gonna be a nibbling nestling
weekend continue.

Speaker 3 (01:33:13):
So I'll BM Fordham one in ten, Merrimac three and eight.

Speaker 1 (01:33:17):
Who you got t.

Speaker 2 (01:33:20):
Stop the music? There is one game this weekend. Don't
insult our listeners. There is one pat League game. In
one pat League game, only who you got in the
only game that matters Lehigh Lafayette in Easton at whatever
the name of the field is. Who you have?

Speaker 1 (01:33:37):
So there are other pet League games. There's four discrede Back.

Speaker 3 (01:33:41):
There's Richmond Bill and Mary, There's Bucknell Colegate, there's Georgetown
Holy Cross. But we speak in hush, revered tones about
this year's installment of Lehi Lafia.

Speaker 2 (01:33:52):
Well, Bill and Mary is not a PAT League team.

Speaker 3 (01:33:54):
I know, But it features a Pett League game or
a PAT League team.

Speaker 1 (01:33:58):
In the game.

Speaker 2 (01:33:59):
Merrimack is not. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:34:01):
Lee High is eleven and zero. There are fourth in
the FCS. Loafayette is eight and three. I believe they're
twenty fifth or twenty fourth in the FCS rankings as well.

Speaker 1 (01:34:11):
The winner of this game will win the Pat League.
I believe, m hm.

Speaker 3 (01:34:15):
Maybe Lee has already clinched it. I have not looked
at the scenarios there the way I'm looking at playoff scenarios.
But you understand where I'm at here.

Speaker 2 (01:34:24):
I do.

Speaker 1 (01:34:25):
This is a very big game. I gotta go Lee
High Mountain Hawks.

Speaker 3 (01:34:29):
I gotta go Lee High Mountain Hawks because I need
them to get into the playoffs. I need them to
play a game or two at Murray H. Goodman Stadium
because I want to go over there and I want
to watch it with my own two eyes. Sure, so
go Lee High, Go Engineers, Go Mountain Hawks. I'm saying

(01:34:50):
this is going to be something like twenty seven to seventeen,
a resounding win on the road in Fisher Stadium. Lehigh
brings home Patriot League. They bring home home at first
round by in the FCS playoffs.

Speaker 2 (01:35:02):
So both of these teams are six and oh in
the PAT League. So I don't maybe I don't understand
the tiebreakers here. But if Lafayette finishes seven and oh
in the Pat League.

Speaker 3 (01:35:11):
Well, all these teams play other teams, so I didn't
know who else they played. Sorry, I know we do this,
but I'm not on the up and up with all
of my Pat League scenarios.

Speaker 2 (01:35:18):
I think this is going to be a low scoring game.

Speaker 1 (01:35:22):
For lehih.

Speaker 2 (01:35:23):
By the way, I'm wearing the shirt seventy seven to
three Lafayette. Whoa, We're wearing the shirt seventy seven to three,
seventy seven to three, Limb from Limb. I'm wearing the
shirt here. You are wearing the Divorzac shirt. It looks beautiful.

Speaker 3 (01:35:41):
Can go to our merch store Solidverbal Merch dot soliverb
dot Soliverbal dot com. We have found a graphical representation.
This is Devorzak you've told me this is sort of
like Creative Commons licensed. So it is the picture. Yes,
we turned it into an illustration. It doesn't look at
this standing up. It doesn't not look like a more

(01:36:03):
distinguished version of Spencer Hall without the glasses.

Speaker 2 (01:36:06):
Some might argue less distinguished, but it definitely looks like him.

Speaker 3 (01:36:09):
It doesn't not look like Spencer correct. But this is
the graphical representation of the often often imitated but never
actually duplicated dramatic drive chart segment that you do, yes,
only once this year, which that's for you to determine
in your own free time. But uh, I've got a shirt,
go and check out the Dramatic drive tea.

Speaker 2 (01:36:31):
Should can I add one more thing? If I can?
I know this has been a long show. It's it's
free audio at this it's free audio. Okay. So I
was thinking about this, and you know about like Chinese
New Years and it's like the Year of the Dragon,
the Year of the blah blah blah. I think this
is college football is a year of the Bear year,
the Bear Year of the Bear. Chris. So yes, of

(01:36:52):
course we have Chris the Bear FeliCa doing bear bets
with our friend Jeff Schwartz. Yep, we've got the calb
playing in big games. Yes, we have the Baylor Bears
potentially beating the ACC champion early on in the season.
Let's not pay attention too much to what those Bears
have accomplished since then. No, we've got arguably the number

(01:37:16):
one freshman quarterback in a power conference named aar Bachmeyer
Bear Bachmeyer. The number one team in the Big Twelves.
Name at quarterback starts with Baron Morton, bar Morton.

Speaker 1 (01:37:29):
Okay, this is a bit of a stretch now, but continue.

Speaker 2 (01:37:32):
We've got the Brawl of the Wild featuring the Montana
Grizzlies this week.

Speaker 1 (01:37:35):
Yep, yes, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:37:36):
We've got the cuts Down Golden Bears Kutztown, Kutztown Golden Bears.
If you say cuts Town people, sorry, outsider, I am
an outsider Kutztown. Well, I'm trying to school you up
so you don't sound like an outsider. But yes, the
kutz Town Golden Bears, they're the Golden Bears. H went
there for her masters.

Speaker 2 (01:37:54):
We are in the middle of the salmon run, always
enjoyed by bears, right, Bears love eating salmon. They're spawning
right now. Yeah, happens every By the way, mamma Age
did undergrad. It cuts down not her masters. Her master's
was at Lee High. Okay, we're a very much pa
college family. Continue, fair enough, And then that brings us

(01:38:15):
to the Mercer Bears, who are about to beat the
Auburn Tigers outright, baby, get ready?

Speaker 3 (01:38:21):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (01:38:22):
Ty you heard it here first.

Speaker 3 (01:38:24):
If Mercer beats Auburn, that'd be something that would definitely
not bode well for DJ Dirkins campaign to be the
next coach at Auburn. No, not at all, but maybe
a look ahead spot with the iron bowl on deck.

Speaker 2 (01:38:36):
Yeah, I'm telling you get ready for it. Prepare yourself.
That's wow.

Speaker 3 (01:38:41):
That'd be sunned. That would be here the bear making
the toilet. Yeah, all right. We covered a lot of
ground an hour and like forty strong here on the
Week thirteen preview episode. Please do tell your friends about
the show. Please do hit follow or subscribe. If you
made it an hour and fourty minutes into this dribble

(01:39:03):
and you have yet to hit follow or subscribe, you
owe it to yourself to hit follow or subscribe.

Speaker 1 (01:39:08):
You're one of us now.

Speaker 2 (01:39:09):
Okay, By the way, Ty, I just brought up the
Chinese New Year It's the Year of the Snake, is it?
It is? Woo How perfect is that?

Speaker 3 (01:39:25):
Go on out to verbowlers dot com sign up as
a certified or Premium member. Play in our game, run
the board, compete for that one hundred and fifty dollars
Fanatics gift card Dan. Enjoy the game, do stop, Buy
Yes our a cast. We're doing it at three thirty
I think I said it for three fifteen Eastern times,
the start time for the usc Organ game. Of course,

(01:39:47):
we've got our midnight live stream where we'll recap all
of the action for that guy over there, my good
friend Dan Rubinstein, for myself, Tie Hildebrant.

Speaker 1 (01:39:55):
Thank you as always, you know the drill, Stay soft, Peace,

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WEEK 13 PREDICTIONS: Beware of Snakes, New CFP Rankings & James Franklin to Virginia Tech | College Football

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}WEEK 13 PREDICTIONS: Beware of Snakes, New CFP Rankings & James Franklin to Virginia Tech | College Football