December 18, 2025 • 21 mins
SEC writer and podcaster Chris Marler (@Vern_Funquist) joins the show to break down the Longhorns' surprising switch-up at defensive coordinator, the coaching carousel around college football, and the weekend's playoff matchups. Which team is under the most pressure this postseason? Could Alabama actually move on from Kalen DeBoer?
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, fired up about our next guest here on Sports
Radio AM thirteen hundred Zone with you from two to
five here on the iHeartRadio app as well. Chris Marler
is with us now. You can read his work at
Louisiana Sports dot Net. He's the social media director at
ESPN one O four to five and Baton Rouge. Also
(00:22):
can be heard on the Fourth and Wrong podcast, the
Locked On game Cos podcast. Frequent guest on that SEC
podcast as well. Chris, you know there is no such
thing as a as a slow news day in college football,
and today no better example of that peakwack Kowski and
Dwayneakeina have been let go within the last hour by
the University of Texas. Will must Champ, the former game
(00:45):
Cox head coach, is coming in. What's your reaction to
this move?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
So, if I'm being honest, one, thank you for having
me outside of my My buddy goes to forty acres
on Twitter. I don't know a ton of Texas fans
that are usually happy, so it's an honor to be here.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
I'm very excited.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I I am very We talk a lot about term
limits in Congress, for senators, for people in politics.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
We need those an SEC assistant coaches.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
It's insane to me that there are Mike Bobo, Will
must Champ, who was the one that looked like a
cop that was with A and M forever, and I
think Arkansas and LSU before that, John John Chavas Stets guy.
He was just I mean, it is crazy to me
how some of these coaches will just always find a way.
I was also just very surprised that that Texas got
(01:37):
rid of the DC. And I'm not gonna try to
pronounce his name was I'll butcher it, but it's it's
it's kind of shocking to me. I don't think it
was a great year by any means, but it wasn't.
I don't think it was the biggest issue with that.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Team, and they certainly they certainly took a step back
in the passing game. I mean, I'm wondering, is this
a higher you make to try and address a Kirby
Smart problem?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
If you are seats are key, that's a good question.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I mean, there's there's very few people that know him
better than Will Muschamp does. I mean, obviously he was
an on field coach for him, I think in twenty twenty,
who's been around that program for a long time then
also was an analyst and coach for them during some
of their their best runs there over the past five years.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
So that's a really good, really good question.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I think the other thing too is, if there's one
thing I know about Will Muschamp, there's years where his
defense isn't great and there's just you know, some of
his things schematically maybe a little bit outdated just with
this day and age of offense that they're facing, Like
we have seen Will Musham defenses not be as dominant
as they were surely when he was in Austin last
But he's a hell of a recruiter. And that's one
(02:43):
thing about Will muscham is he's always going to be
able to be a great recruiter, especially in this region,
this footprint, and it's a footprint that Steve Sharkisian has
traveled to in the state of Georgia, especially over the
past year or so and gotten some elite players to
come out of there.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
We're talking to Chris Marler, you can follow him on
x vern Underscore fun Quist by the way, Verne's and
Austin guy so love that handle. Texas is going to
Baton Rouge next November, they'll see a very different looking
team with head coach Lane Kiffin. I just want to ask,
after a wild couple of weeks, even going back months
to the end of the Brian Kelly saga there, how
(03:19):
have you seen the community and the fan base and
Baton Rouge react to all of these roller coaster moves.
I don't know if there's anything that could have saved
the season more than keivin coming here and all time.
This is my first year in Baton Rouge.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
We moved here in July and kind of hit the
ground running, and you have August, you know, fall camp
and all that kind of stuff, and then you go
into the season.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
I maintained over.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
And over and over again, Man, I don't care how
how bad the roster, how bad the sorry the record was.
I don't think there was a there. There was ten
more talents of rosters than what else you had, and
they could not put it together. If there's anybody that
fits this culture and fits minus the drinking and and
(04:04):
fits just the vibe of Baton Rouge in Louisiana, I mean,
Lane Kiffin's it, and I think you're gonna see a
team that really struggled on offense this past year be
automatically relevant offensively in any way maginable. I think him
and Steve Sarkisian and Ryan Day are the three best
play callers, not just in college football but in all
(04:25):
of football. And so that game between Text and Elshu
next year, I'm already it's an all time uniform and
helmet game.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
That's gonna be sick.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Seeing the burnt orange down here in Tiger Stadium and
death Valley Knight.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
That's going to be sick.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
But it's it is a it's been a saving grace
I think for him to come here, because you look
at a seven and five season and how disappointing it was.
I didn't think they were gonna fire Kelly. Like we
talked to a booster I think the week before he
was fired that the exact quote was, there is no
appetite to fire Brian Kelly and pay a fifty four
million dollars buyout. And then they got trounced by A
(05:00):
and M a week later, and it was like the
same guy was like, yeah, it's done, we'll figure out
the financials later.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
So it's almost like that that gift is it? Is it?
Futurama shut up and take my money. Yes, yeah, yeah,
that's pretty much what they did. And I think that
it's a good investment in the programs.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
I think that you're going to have a new found
it just it breathes like fresh air into the program.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
For one, it's it's also a guy that I think that.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Has now made himself the villain again and can't afford
to be on the wrong side of the sec or
like of success now that he's in vatters, like he
has to win if he's going to maintain the trajectory
he was on. Meanwhile, Frank Wilson, who by all accounts
mister LSU wanted to stay, he gets poached back by
(05:52):
Ole Miss to be the running backs coach. There is
this kind of coaching carousel cycle we're in.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Going to go down as an anoma or in a
few years are we going to say, oh, well that's
just a new norm.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Oh man, that's another great question full of these today. Man.
You know, the thing that Frank itt sucks is that
he he loved l.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
S U. And I think that the there's something to
be said, in my opinion, especially about like how things
just feel different around programs where you have people that
played there that have a tie there that like you know,
grew up as a fan or in that state, that
they just they just realize what it means, almost as
the same amount as with the fans being Kirby's like
(06:34):
that with Georgia. Coach O was like that when he
was here at l s U, even though he didn't
play at LSU, He's from the state and like it
mattered to him to win in the state of Louisiana,
Like it mattered to him almost much as the people.
It mattered to the people of Louisiana. That's how I
felt about Frank Wilson. I think that's how Frank Wilson
felt about being at LSU.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Now.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
I think there's also the part of it too, where
it's like you the on field results have to matter,
and this is an LSU run game. It's been dormant
at best over the past two seasons, and so that part,
it's like having how long can the leash be for
someone in their job and that you feel kind of
tethered to because of how good of a recruit they
are versus the actual on field result.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
So I think it'll be great at Ole mess. I
think it's a great hire.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
I hope this is not the new norm because it
it does kind of suck to see, Like, I mean,
the twelve, I think it's twelve powerful coaches that were
fired this year.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Six in the SEC, six new coaches in the SEC alone.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
I mean, it makes for a lot of fun fodder
and a lot of fun memes. But it's a lot
of change as well. I thought the portal was bad
trying to figure out who's where. I don't know how
Phil Steel does it anymore. Of trying to figure out
who's where going into the season. The coaching staff is
almost as bad now.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
When in doubt, just link Kaitlin de Boor if it's
in a certain region in the country.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
I mean, I know you're Obama guy as well, Chris.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
When we're talking to Chris Marler, is there anything to
this idea that Caitlin de Boor could either leave Alabama
or get fired by Alabama if he loses this first
round playoff game tomorrow night.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
He's not gonna get fired if he loses Oklahoma one.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
It's such a funny thing that you're bringing up because
it's like, I mean, over here in bett Ruge, especially
the amount of graphics I had to make for like
for our social media stuff. It's like Lane Kiffen is
now the front runner for the LSU job, the Florida job,
the New York Giants job, the president in twenty twenty eight,
and it's like, what.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Is going on?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
I think with debor people close to the program that
I've talked to, the conversation they had before the Auburn
game was he does not want to leave Escalosa, but
also he doesn't want to feel like he's on the
hot seat for an entire offseason. I don't listen to
find bottomless. I'm on the show. That's not a dig
at Paul. I love Paul Death, love being on the show.
(08:53):
I just don't like to listen to that level of
a fandom that is like delusional just to be I
think that group of fans probably will say that he
should be.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Fired if they lose or whatever.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Nobody that's rational in mind, and nobody that is putting
money into that program that is like helping move things
along in that program, whether it be nil or just
fundraising in general, is of the mindset that he needs
to be fired. Now, maybe they get blown out and
it's a horrible look and all that kind of stuff.
Sure going into year three after you just took this
team to the playoff in year two, I don't think
(09:28):
that that there's any I hate to Jesus phrase that
it didn't work out well last time in Lship, but
there's no appetite to.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Fire him now.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I will say for Michigan's case, Michigan's coming off the
worst week of PR that they've had in years, which
is tough to do from a Michigan standpoint, and I
think that they have two things that should worry any
ad and president across the country, including the one in Alabama,
and that is they have money and desperation, and they
(09:56):
are going to try and hire their way and throw
money at this issue that they currently have and dig
their way out of it.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Personally, I hope nothing good comes to Michigan.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
I hope Texas boat races Michigan in that in that
Bowl game, and I hope they never win another game again.
Because I will guarantee you I say this all the time,
unless it's hype, unless it's my weight.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
I don't like to talk about hypotheticals.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
The fact that Michigan is talking about how they should
like like they fired and they did the right thing.
They sat on this for a month and hypothetically speaking,
if they beat Ohio State. I don't think we know any.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Of this yet. I don't think any of this is
leaked out.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
And that's the thing that's so frustrating, because it's not
just that you are a really just like I think.
I think that's at the end of day, it's like
just morally bankrupt as a program. But you still have
the audacity to look down your nose at everyone else
in the country about how much better you are than
about being Michigan.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
And that de trives me crazy.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
My Michigan friend said, Oh, Cherome was always in Oklahoma, man,
I said, yeah, okay, that's pretty convenient.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Who did Harbaugh go to when he when Harbaugh was
suspended during the middle of the season for signs.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Stealing and cheeseburgers. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Hey, the Brown jug has removed the sharrow More menuit
and we covered that on this show extensively. But you
keep talking about Texas like this, I think you're gonna
have more than one Austin frem pretty soon. We're talking
to Chris Marler, the host of The Fourth and Wrong
podcast as well as Locked on game Cocks. But now
I want you to wait on something else and maybe
that toom will change. Okay, did Steve Sarkisian have a
(11:26):
good gripe here talking about the CFP rankings? And I
asked that not to be the dead horse and relitigate
the Texas resume a week and a half after the
playoff reveal. But in the context of these new nine
game schedules right where nine to three resumes, similar to
this might become commonplace.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Okay, So I'm wanna preface this by saying this, Jake,
I like you a lot and this it's been great
to be on the show. No chance that a nine
and three Texas team deserve to be in the playoff
this year. I do think moving forward, this is where
you're gonna have some some weird like you're gonna have
to expand because if you're playing nine conference games in
(12:06):
this conference, it's not the same as it is in
the Big Ten or the Big twelve or the ACC.
And I think any logical person with a brain would
tell you that, And like it is something I have
gone to bat for and just and just I wake
up making the same mistake every day, which is I
think I'm gonna get on Twitter. I'm gonna make a valid, credible,
and logical point, and somebody in Indiana or somebody in
(12:28):
Ohio state is gonna say, hey, that's a pretty good
point that I just made about the sec that's never
gonna happen. I think he makes a valid point. Like
with sark I think he makes a valid point for sure.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
This year. Listen, that game against.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Vandy wasn't nearly as close as Vandy wants you to
think it was at all huge When against Oklahoma, which
was closer until the end, but still found a way
to beat him by by three scores. You know, everyone
has a Georgia problem, not just Texas, right, Like Georgia,
they do that to a lot of teams, as you
saw in Atlanta. I think that you cannot lose to Florida,
(13:03):
and you also have three other games where it's like
you kind of eked out by the skin of your teeth,
and so I think the resume kind of falls flat
with that. I think there's also something to be said
for Steve Sarkisian knows is maybe better than almost anyone
because he coached on a Nick Saban and that's something
Savings always say, which is never waste a loss.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
And I was not high on Texas coming into the season.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
I was not high on Archs because I just wanted
to wait and see what all of it's gonna look like,
especially replacing all the talent they lost here before. Yet
keep in mine, man like, Texas is a great program,
it's a blue blood program and all that. It just
constantly like in the top five and recruiting and all
that kind of stuff. But even even how successfully been
the amount of people they put in the NFL the
past couple of years was a lot more than they
(13:43):
were at least used to over the last decade. Sark
havin to replace all that was a pretty big uphill battle.
But I don't think a lot of people were ready
to have the conversation about never waste a loss, and
this season is gonna be looked as a loss. They're
gonna be ten and three, they're gonna beat Michigan in
that Bowl game, and they're gonna have the entire offseason
hearing all the negative stuff about Texas, about arch Manning
(14:04):
and about why Steve sarkisians and over his head and
you can't win the big one and blah, blah blah,
and they're gonna come out like Gangbusters next year and
be a absolute problem.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
For everyone in this conference and around the country. And
you know that messaging is gonna get hambered home. And
what I'm labeling now as hate Watch Weekend. You've got
the two rivals you beat by two scores playing home
playoff games, and I want to get your thoughts on those.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
First.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Oklahoma hosting Alabama in a rematch, Is this as simple
as reversing the turnover margin for Alabama? God?
Speaker 3 (14:35):
I hope.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So listen, man, you know just as well as I
do watching that game, you tell me that you have
three turnovers. They keep mind, Oklahoma had come into that
game at like minus six turnover margin Bama's plus eleven.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
On the year, Bama had won or was at least
even in every single game up until that point in
the turnover margin. Oklahoma had lost in seven of the
nine they had that year. They had at least one
turnover in seven or nine games they had multiple and
four of those seven games, all of a sudden, Materier
doesn't have a single turnover. They hold him to to
(15:06):
one hundred and sixty one yards as lowest formance of
the year. But you have three turnovers and a miss
thirty six yard field goal too. Of the turnovers inside
jer own thirty I think Kaylen Devor is gonna come
out with his hair on fire with with what's left.
I was gonna say, all three strands.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
All three strands, he's coming to not I think he's
gonna be I think this offense is. I mean, you
gotta keep in mind, man, they double him up in
yardage last time, and that's without a run game. They
were able to run decently well against Oklahoma even with
how how one dimension they've been and Tys Simpson came
out and threw for like three hundred something yards. Like
they're healthy. They're the healthiest they've been since that Oklahoma game.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I think.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
I think the Georgia game is more of an anomaly
than anything else. I think that Alabama was going to
go in Norman. It's gonna be the ugliest game of
the years. It's gonna be I keep saying this, it's
gonna be Iowa Nebraska, but both teams are wearing the
same uniform, and it's gonna be seventeen to nine. It's
gonna be awful as far as A and M goes
I love Billy Luds, good friend, great great karaoke Creed singer.
(16:04):
Love him to death in case he's listening. Okay, A
and M's in trouble man. A and M is I
say this all the time. It's great to get to
the playoff. It's great to get the postseason, It's great
to be eleven to one, twelve and oh whatever. You
know what's better than that getting to the playoff and
knowing who you are and being tested along the way.
It's a problem that I think, honestly that Texas had
(16:26):
a little bit last year because they hadn't played anybody
besides Georgia, and then when it got to like crunch time.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Sure they were able to get past Arizona.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
States, but they did not know how to put a
game away or go win a game against Ohio State
when they were knocking on the door for the second
year a row to do it. So it's like that
part for me is I think I would value being
ten and two, playing multiple ranked opponents, knowing who you
are as a program and as a team and identity wise.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
And I don't think A and M has that. A
and M.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I have been very vocal about how much of a
gift Texas got their first year, if we're being honest,
not even just in football, in most of the sports,
especially men's basketball.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
But we'll say that sore subject right now.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
But but with A and M, that the what they
got was much easier than the path that Texas had
the year before. I mean, you had, you had eight
games against conference opponents, seven of them none of them
had a winning record. The seven you beat, those seven
were in the bottom eight of the conference, like, and
they were so close games against against several of those teams.
(17:34):
You escaped a really bad South Carolina team that I've
had to cover all year. It's like that was shocking
that you were able to pull that off. I think
they're a very good team. I think that they are
going to run into a buzz saw this weekend when
it comes to what Miami's gonna be able to do offensively,
because the one thing you would expect to go not Carolina,
to go A and M's way over Miami is hey man,
(17:55):
maybe maybe Carson Beck makes some mistakes and throws in
a couple of interceptions. A and M just so happens
to be the only team I think I've ever heard
of that's eleven and one and has three interceptions on
the season, Like that's insane to me.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
So I think they're in big trouble this weekend.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
As far as the other two matchups go, I don't
want to just breeze by them.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
But I saw your picks column this morning.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
You went with the first half spreads on both Old
Miss versus Tulane and Oregon against JMU. Is it going
to be that smooth in terms of sailing for both
of these teams through to the quarters?
Speaker 3 (18:24):
I I think so.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
I think Old Miss is playing with a bigger chip
on their shoulder than anyone else in the country, just
because of how everything went with Lane. Now you better
pray if you're Pete Golding that it doesn't come down
to the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
I know. I think Pete Golding's great.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
I'm very excited for his opportunity, and I'm pulling for
Old Miss this weekend because I think what happened to them,
like you know, whether who's who's doing or who's doing
it was Like I get the frustration there, and I
hope they have a lot of success this weekend, especially
for my my gambling part.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
But I think that I've seen.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
I've seen Pete Golding firsthand take a guy like Will
Anderson and dropping back in coverage on third downs when
he was at Alabama. And that's the weight owners I
bring that up is it's a guy that's very, very
capable of overthinking stuff. And if it gets tight in
that game in the fourth quarter, that's where I have
a concern because then it's like, oh my god, I
haven't been in this situation before. It's not like you're
(19:16):
playing Eastern Illinois to start the season. This is the
biggest stage that you're being thrust into right off the bat.
And you've got a basically a group of mercenaries that
are playing on the field and in your coaching staff,
but a lot of them are gonna have one foot
out the door. You know.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
I almost feel like that home crowd can can almost
turn them from an advantage into a disadvantage if it
gets tight laid in that situation. Last one for you, Chris.
We're talking to Chris Marler. You can read his work
at Louisiana sports dot Net, who, from the one hundred
foot view of this college football playoff is under the
most pressure to win this thing.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Ohio State like Ohio State is, dude.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
I mean, everyone talked about how Bama didn't drop, which
they should have after losing the SEC championship game. Ohio
State played arguably the weakest schedule of anybody in the
entire playoff not named JMU and and dropped one spot
when they lost on the You had an SEC team
that went twelve and one with with I think four
(20:15):
or five wins of ranked opponents, and they didn't jump
Ohio State, like Ohio State has, has kind of breezed
through this season again without a ton of understanding of
what it takes to win and crunch time against a
really good team. I think that they have been very
benefit They've had a lot of benefits the past couple of.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Years in terms of how talented they were two years ago.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
This is not as talented a team, especially defensively, as
they had a year ago. They're very good, like they
are very talented, but I don't think that they are unbeatable,
as we've already seen with Indiana. Indiana's playing with house money.
Ohio State. I'm telling you right now, Ohio State is
going into the postseason with this beat your chess bravado
(20:57):
of we've already gotten over the hump of all the secs.
Let them lose to Georgia, or let them lose to
maybe A and m if A andem gets there, and
see what that talk says again, because see where that
talk starts again, Because this is a team that up
until last year was like two and twelve or two
and fourteen against SEC teams dating back to like nineteen
eighty eight, and that that is not that long ago.
(21:18):
I don't care what happened against Texas last year on
an inexplicable strip sack, and then also the Tennessee game.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Like we're not that far removed from it.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Once we start talking about that strip sack and the
way the ball just kicked up perfectly to Sawyer, That's.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
How I know it's time to go. This was fun.
Thanks so much for us stopping by Chris.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
You can give Chris Marlo a follow at vern Underscore
fun quis we need a break and then we'll wrap
up our number two of The Craig Way Show on
Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred Zone
Okay, fired up about our next guest here on Sports
Radio AM thirteen hundred Zone with you from two to
five here on the iHeartRadio app as well. Chris Marler
is with us now. You can read his work at
Louisiana Sports dot Net. He's the social media director at
ESPN one O four to five and Baton Rouge. Also
(00:22):
can be heard on the Fourth and Wrong podcast, the
Locked On game Cos podcast. Frequent guest on that SEC
podcast as well. Chris, you know there is no such
thing as a as a slow news day in college football,
and today no better example of that peakwack Kowski and
Dwayneakeina have been let go within the last hour by
the University of Texas. Will must Champ, the former game
(00:45):
Cox head coach, is coming in. What's your reaction to
this move?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
So, if I'm being honest, one, thank you for having
me outside of my My buddy goes to forty acres
on Twitter. I don't know a ton of Texas fans
that are usually happy, so it's an honor to be here.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
I'm very excited.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I I am very We talk a lot about term
limits in Congress, for senators, for people in politics.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
We need those an SEC assistant coaches.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
It's insane to me that there are Mike Bobo, Will
must Champ, who was the one that looked like a
cop that was with A and M forever, and I
think Arkansas and LSU before that, John John Chavas Stets guy.
He was just I mean, it is crazy to me
how some of these coaches will just always find a way.
I was also just very surprised that that Texas got
(01:37):
rid of the DC. And I'm not gonna try to
pronounce his name was I'll butcher it, but it's it's
it's kind of shocking to me. I don't think it
was a great year by any means, but it wasn't.
I don't think it was the biggest issue with that.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Team, and they certainly they certainly took a step back
in the passing game. I mean, I'm wondering, is this
a higher you make to try and address a Kirby
Smart problem?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
If you are seats are key, that's a good question.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I mean, there's there's very few people that know him
better than Will Muschamp does. I mean, obviously he was
an on field coach for him, I think in twenty twenty,
who's been around that program for a long time then
also was an analyst and coach for them during some
of their their best runs there over the past five years.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
So that's a really good, really good question.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I think the other thing too is, if there's one
thing I know about Will Muschamp, there's years where his
defense isn't great and there's just you know, some of
his things schematically maybe a little bit outdated just with
this day and age of offense that they're facing, Like
we have seen Will Musham defenses not be as dominant
as they were surely when he was in Austin last
But he's a hell of a recruiter. And that's one
(02:43):
thing about Will muscham is he's always going to be
able to be a great recruiter, especially in this region,
this footprint, and it's a footprint that Steve Sharkisian has
traveled to in the state of Georgia, especially over the
past year or so and gotten some elite players to
come out of there.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
We're talking to Chris Marler, you can follow him on
x vern Underscore fun Quist by the way, Verne's and
Austin guy so love that handle. Texas is going to
Baton Rouge next November, they'll see a very different looking
team with head coach Lane Kiffin. I just want to ask,
after a wild couple of weeks, even going back months
to the end of the Brian Kelly saga there, how
(03:19):
have you seen the community and the fan base and
Baton Rouge react to all of these roller coaster moves.
I don't know if there's anything that could have saved
the season more than keivin coming here and all time.
This is my first year in Baton Rouge.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
We moved here in July and kind of hit the
ground running, and you have August, you know, fall camp
and all that kind of stuff, and then you go
into the season.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
I maintained over.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
And over and over again, Man, I don't care how
how bad the roster, how bad the sorry the record was.
I don't think there was a there. There was ten
more talents of rosters than what else you had, and
they could not put it together. If there's anybody that
fits this culture and fits minus the drinking and and
(04:04):
fits just the vibe of Baton Rouge in Louisiana, I mean,
Lane Kiffin's it, and I think you're gonna see a
team that really struggled on offense this past year be
automatically relevant offensively in any way maginable. I think him
and Steve Sarkisian and Ryan Day are the three best
play callers, not just in college football but in all
(04:25):
of football. And so that game between Text and Elshu
next year, I'm already it's an all time uniform and
helmet game.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
That's gonna be sick.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Seeing the burnt orange down here in Tiger Stadium and
death Valley Knight.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
That's going to be sick.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
But it's it is a it's been a saving grace
I think for him to come here, because you look
at a seven and five season and how disappointing it was.
I didn't think they were gonna fire Kelly. Like we
talked to a booster I think the week before he
was fired that the exact quote was, there is no
appetite to fire Brian Kelly and pay a fifty four
million dollars buyout. And then they got trounced by A
(05:00):
and M a week later, and it was like the
same guy was like, yeah, it's done, we'll figure out
the financials later.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
So it's almost like that that gift is it? Is it?
Futurama shut up and take my money. Yes, yeah, yeah,
that's pretty much what they did. And I think that
it's a good investment in the programs.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
I think that you're going to have a new found
it just it breathes like fresh air into the program.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
For one, it's it's also a guy that I think that.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Has now made himself the villain again and can't afford
to be on the wrong side of the sec or
like of success now that he's in vatters, like he
has to win if he's going to maintain the trajectory
he was on. Meanwhile, Frank Wilson, who by all accounts
mister LSU wanted to stay, he gets poached back by
(05:52):
Ole Miss to be the running backs coach. There is
this kind of coaching carousel cycle we're in.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Going to go down as an anoma or in a
few years are we going to say, oh, well that's
just a new norm.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Oh man, that's another great question full of these today. Man.
You know, the thing that Frank itt sucks is that
he he loved l.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
S U. And I think that the there's something to
be said, in my opinion, especially about like how things
just feel different around programs where you have people that
played there that have a tie there that like you know,
grew up as a fan or in that state, that
they just they just realize what it means, almost as
the same amount as with the fans being Kirby's like
(06:34):
that with Georgia. Coach O was like that when he
was here at l s U, even though he didn't
play at LSU, He's from the state and like it
mattered to him to win in the state of Louisiana,
Like it mattered to him almost much as the people.
It mattered to the people of Louisiana. That's how I
felt about Frank Wilson. I think that's how Frank Wilson
felt about being at LSU.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Now.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
I think there's also the part of it too, where
it's like you the on field results have to matter,
and this is an LSU run game. It's been dormant
at best over the past two seasons, and so that part,
it's like having how long can the leash be for
someone in their job and that you feel kind of
tethered to because of how good of a recruit they
are versus the actual on field result.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
So I think it'll be great at Ole mess. I
think it's a great hire.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
I hope this is not the new norm because it
it does kind of suck to see, Like, I mean,
the twelve, I think it's twelve powerful coaches that were
fired this year.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Six in the SEC, six new coaches in the SEC alone.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
I mean, it makes for a lot of fun fodder
and a lot of fun memes. But it's a lot
of change as well. I thought the portal was bad
trying to figure out who's where. I don't know how
Phil Steel does it anymore. Of trying to figure out
who's where going into the season. The coaching staff is
almost as bad now.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
When in doubt, just link Kaitlin de Boor if it's
in a certain region in the country.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
I mean, I know you're Obama guy as well, Chris.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
When we're talking to Chris Marler, is there anything to
this idea that Caitlin de Boor could either leave Alabama
or get fired by Alabama if he loses this first
round playoff game tomorrow night.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
He's not gonna get fired if he loses Oklahoma one.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
It's such a funny thing that you're bringing up because
it's like, I mean, over here in bett Ruge, especially
the amount of graphics I had to make for like
for our social media stuff. It's like Lane Kiffen is
now the front runner for the LSU job, the Florida job,
the New York Giants job, the president in twenty twenty eight,
and it's like, what.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Is going on?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
I think with debor people close to the program that
I've talked to, the conversation they had before the Auburn
game was he does not want to leave Escalosa, but
also he doesn't want to feel like he's on the
hot seat for an entire offseason. I don't listen to
find bottomless. I'm on the show. That's not a dig
at Paul. I love Paul Death, love being on the show.
(08:53):
I just don't like to listen to that level of
a fandom that is like delusional just to be I
think that group of fans probably will say that he
should be.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Fired if they lose or whatever.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Nobody that's rational in mind, and nobody that is putting
money into that program that is like helping move things
along in that program, whether it be nil or just
fundraising in general, is of the mindset that he needs
to be fired. Now, maybe they get blown out and
it's a horrible look and all that kind of stuff.
Sure going into year three after you just took this
team to the playoff in year two, I don't think
(09:28):
that that there's any I hate to Jesus phrase that
it didn't work out well last time in Lship, but
there's no appetite to.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Fire him now.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I will say for Michigan's case, Michigan's coming off the
worst week of PR that they've had in years, which
is tough to do from a Michigan standpoint, and I
think that they have two things that should worry any
ad and president across the country, including the one in Alabama,
and that is they have money and desperation, and they
(09:56):
are going to try and hire their way and throw
money at this issue that they currently have and dig
their way out of it.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Personally, I hope nothing good comes to Michigan.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
I hope Texas boat races Michigan in that in that
Bowl game, and I hope they never win another game again.
Because I will guarantee you I say this all the time,
unless it's hype, unless it's my weight.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
I don't like to talk about hypotheticals.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
The fact that Michigan is talking about how they should
like like they fired and they did the right thing.
They sat on this for a month and hypothetically speaking,
if they beat Ohio State. I don't think we know any.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Of this yet. I don't think any of this is
leaked out.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
And that's the thing that's so frustrating, because it's not
just that you are a really just like I think.
I think that's at the end of day, it's like
just morally bankrupt as a program. But you still have
the audacity to look down your nose at everyone else
in the country about how much better you are than
about being Michigan.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
And that de trives me crazy.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
My Michigan friend said, Oh, Cherome was always in Oklahoma, man,
I said, yeah, okay, that's pretty convenient.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Who did Harbaugh go to when he when Harbaugh was
suspended during the middle of the season for signs.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Stealing and cheeseburgers. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Hey, the Brown jug has removed the sharrow More menuit
and we covered that on this show extensively. But you
keep talking about Texas like this, I think you're gonna
have more than one Austin frem pretty soon. We're talking
to Chris Marler, the host of The Fourth and Wrong
podcast as well as Locked on game Cocks. But now
I want you to wait on something else and maybe
that toom will change. Okay, did Steve Sarkisian have a
(11:26):
good gripe here talking about the CFP rankings? And I
asked that not to be the dead horse and relitigate
the Texas resume a week and a half after the
playoff reveal. But in the context of these new nine
game schedules right where nine to three resumes, similar to
this might become commonplace.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Okay, So I'm wanna preface this by saying this, Jake,
I like you a lot and this it's been great
to be on the show. No chance that a nine
and three Texas team deserve to be in the playoff
this year. I do think moving forward, this is where
you're gonna have some some weird like you're gonna have
to expand because if you're playing nine conference games in
(12:06):
this conference, it's not the same as it is in
the Big Ten or the Big twelve or the ACC.
And I think any logical person with a brain would
tell you that, And like it is something I have
gone to bat for and just and just I wake
up making the same mistake every day, which is I
think I'm gonna get on Twitter. I'm gonna make a valid, credible,
and logical point, and somebody in Indiana or somebody in
(12:28):
Ohio state is gonna say, hey, that's a pretty good
point that I just made about the sec that's never
gonna happen. I think he makes a valid point. Like
with sark I think he makes a valid point for sure.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
This year. Listen, that game against.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Vandy wasn't nearly as close as Vandy wants you to
think it was at all huge When against Oklahoma, which
was closer until the end, but still found a way
to beat him by by three scores. You know, everyone
has a Georgia problem, not just Texas, right, Like Georgia,
they do that to a lot of teams, as you
saw in Atlanta. I think that you cannot lose to Florida,
(13:03):
and you also have three other games where it's like
you kind of eked out by the skin of your teeth,
and so I think the resume kind of falls flat
with that. I think there's also something to be said
for Steve Sarkisian knows is maybe better than almost anyone
because he coached on a Nick Saban and that's something
Savings always say, which is never waste a loss.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
And I was not high on Texas coming into the season.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
I was not high on Archs because I just wanted
to wait and see what all of it's gonna look like,
especially replacing all the talent they lost here before. Yet
keep in mine, man like, Texas is a great program,
it's a blue blood program and all that. It just
constantly like in the top five and recruiting and all
that kind of stuff. But even even how successfully been
the amount of people they put in the NFL the
past couple of years was a lot more than they
(13:43):
were at least used to over the last decade. Sark
havin to replace all that was a pretty big uphill battle.
But I don't think a lot of people were ready
to have the conversation about never waste a loss, and
this season is gonna be looked as a loss. They're
gonna be ten and three, they're gonna beat Michigan in
that Bowl game, and they're gonna have the entire offseason
hearing all the negative stuff about Texas, about arch Manning
(14:04):
and about why Steve sarkisians and over his head and
you can't win the big one and blah, blah blah,
and they're gonna come out like Gangbusters next year and
be a absolute problem.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
For everyone in this conference and around the country. And
you know that messaging is gonna get hambered home. And
what I'm labeling now as hate Watch Weekend. You've got
the two rivals you beat by two scores playing home
playoff games, and I want to get your thoughts on those.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
First.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Oklahoma hosting Alabama in a rematch, Is this as simple
as reversing the turnover margin for Alabama? God?
Speaker 3 (14:35):
I hope.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So listen, man, you know just as well as I
do watching that game, you tell me that you have
three turnovers. They keep mind, Oklahoma had come into that
game at like minus six turnover margin Bama's plus eleven.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
On the year, Bama had won or was at least
even in every single game up until that point in
the turnover margin. Oklahoma had lost in seven of the
nine they had that year. They had at least one
turnover in seven or nine games they had multiple and
four of those seven games, all of a sudden, Materier
doesn't have a single turnover. They hold him to to
(15:06):
one hundred and sixty one yards as lowest formance of
the year. But you have three turnovers and a miss
thirty six yard field goal too. Of the turnovers inside
jer own thirty I think Kaylen Devor is gonna come
out with his hair on fire with with what's left.
I was gonna say, all three strands.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
All three strands, he's coming to not I think he's
gonna be I think this offense is. I mean, you
gotta keep in mind, man, they double him up in
yardage last time, and that's without a run game. They
were able to run decently well against Oklahoma even with
how how one dimension they've been and Tys Simpson came
out and threw for like three hundred something yards. Like
they're healthy. They're the healthiest they've been since that Oklahoma game.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I think.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
I think the Georgia game is more of an anomaly
than anything else. I think that Alabama was going to
go in Norman. It's gonna be the ugliest game of
the years. It's gonna be I keep saying this, it's
gonna be Iowa Nebraska, but both teams are wearing the
same uniform, and it's gonna be seventeen to nine. It's
gonna be awful as far as A and M goes
I love Billy Luds, good friend, great great karaoke Creed singer.
(16:04):
Love him to death in case he's listening. Okay, A
and M's in trouble man. A and M is I
say this all the time. It's great to get to
the playoff. It's great to get the postseason, It's great
to be eleven to one, twelve and oh whatever. You
know what's better than that getting to the playoff and
knowing who you are and being tested along the way.
It's a problem that I think, honestly that Texas had
(16:26):
a little bit last year because they hadn't played anybody
besides Georgia, and then when it got to like crunch time.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Sure they were able to get past Arizona.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
States, but they did not know how to put a
game away or go win a game against Ohio State
when they were knocking on the door for the second
year a row to do it. So it's like that
part for me is I think I would value being
ten and two, playing multiple ranked opponents, knowing who you
are as a program and as a team and identity wise.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
And I don't think A and M has that. A
and M.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I have been very vocal about how much of a
gift Texas got their first year, if we're being honest,
not even just in football, in most of the sports,
especially men's basketball.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
But we'll say that sore subject right now.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
But but with A and M, that the what they
got was much easier than the path that Texas had
the year before. I mean, you had, you had eight
games against conference opponents, seven of them none of them
had a winning record. The seven you beat, those seven
were in the bottom eight of the conference, like, and
they were so close games against against several of those teams.
(17:34):
You escaped a really bad South Carolina team that I've
had to cover all year. It's like that was shocking
that you were able to pull that off. I think
they're a very good team. I think that they are
going to run into a buzz saw this weekend when
it comes to what Miami's gonna be able to do offensively,
because the one thing you would expect to go not Carolina,
to go A and M's way over Miami is hey man,
(17:55):
maybe maybe Carson Beck makes some mistakes and throws in
a couple of interceptions. A and M just so happens
to be the only team I think I've ever heard
of that's eleven and one and has three interceptions on
the season, Like that's insane to me.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
So I think they're in big trouble this weekend.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
As far as the other two matchups go, I don't
want to just breeze by them.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
But I saw your picks column this morning.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
You went with the first half spreads on both Old
Miss versus Tulane and Oregon against JMU. Is it going
to be that smooth in terms of sailing for both
of these teams through to the quarters?
Speaker 3 (18:24):
I I think so.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
I think Old Miss is playing with a bigger chip
on their shoulder than anyone else in the country, just
because of how everything went with Lane. Now you better
pray if you're Pete Golding that it doesn't come down
to the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
I know. I think Pete Golding's great.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
I'm very excited for his opportunity, and I'm pulling for
Old Miss this weekend because I think what happened to them,
like you know, whether who's who's doing or who's doing
it was Like I get the frustration there, and I
hope they have a lot of success this weekend, especially
for my my gambling part.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
But I think that I've seen.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
I've seen Pete Golding firsthand take a guy like Will
Anderson and dropping back in coverage on third downs when
he was at Alabama. And that's the weight owners I
bring that up is it's a guy that's very, very
capable of overthinking stuff. And if it gets tight in
that game in the fourth quarter, that's where I have
a concern because then it's like, oh my god, I
haven't been in this situation before. It's not like you're
(19:16):
playing Eastern Illinois to start the season. This is the
biggest stage that you're being thrust into right off the bat.
And you've got a basically a group of mercenaries that
are playing on the field and in your coaching staff,
but a lot of them are gonna have one foot
out the door. You know.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
I almost feel like that home crowd can can almost
turn them from an advantage into a disadvantage if it
gets tight laid in that situation. Last one for you, Chris.
We're talking to Chris Marler. You can read his work
at Louisiana sports dot Net, who, from the one hundred
foot view of this college football playoff is under the
most pressure to win this thing.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Ohio State like Ohio State is, dude.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
I mean, everyone talked about how Bama didn't drop, which
they should have after losing the SEC championship game. Ohio
State played arguably the weakest schedule of anybody in the
entire playoff not named JMU and and dropped one spot
when they lost on the You had an SEC team
that went twelve and one with with I think four
(20:15):
or five wins of ranked opponents, and they didn't jump
Ohio State, like Ohio State has, has kind of breezed
through this season again without a ton of understanding of
what it takes to win and crunch time against a
really good team. I think that they have been very
benefit They've had a lot of benefits the past couple of.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Years in terms of how talented they were two years ago.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
This is not as talented a team, especially defensively, as
they had a year ago. They're very good, like they
are very talented, but I don't think that they are unbeatable,
as we've already seen with Indiana. Indiana's playing with house money.
Ohio State. I'm telling you right now, Ohio State is
going into the postseason with this beat your chess bravado
(20:57):
of we've already gotten over the hump of all the secs.
Let them lose to Georgia, or let them lose to
maybe A and m if A andem gets there, and
see what that talk says again, because see where that
talk starts again, Because this is a team that up
until last year was like two and twelve or two
and fourteen against SEC teams dating back to like nineteen
eighty eight, and that that is not that long ago.
(21:18):
I don't care what happened against Texas last year on
an inexplicable strip sack, and then also the Tennessee game.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Like we're not that far removed from it.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Once we start talking about that strip sack and the
way the ball just kicked up perfectly to Sawyer, That's.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
How I know it's time to go. This was fun.
Thanks so much for us stopping by Chris.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
You can give Chris Marlo a follow at vern Underscore
fun quis we need a break and then we'll wrap
up our number two of The Craig Way Show on
Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred Zone
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!