Karma in Ann Arbor, USC Fails Test, Gators Dominate and Horns Survive

All right.

Welcome to the show.

Others receiving votes.

This is the overreaction Sunday episode.

As usual, Pat 40 here, I'm joined by my SI colleagues, Brian Fisher and Kevin Sweeney.

And we went into Saturday, guys , with 4 ranked on ranked games in the SEC, but I think by the end of everything, the Big 10 had kind of stolen the show.

Things went wild in that league.

Uh, at the end when it's 2:30 in the morning Eastern time, and PJ Fleck is wiping a linebacker's blood on his face like war paint after a win in Seattle, uh, we knew the Big 10 had had a day.

6 out of 8 road teams on the weekend won.

8 out of 8 road teams covered.

Unbelievable road performances throughout the league, some major upsets.

The Big 10 West rides again.

Iowa wins, Wisconsin wins, both in upsets, Minnesota wins in an upset, Nebraska takes care of business.

Northwestern tried hard, nearly won.

They played well.

So we don't have a Big 10 West anymore, but the ghost of the Big 10 West was alive and well.

So let's start there, guys.

Let's talk about the West and, and maybe the statements made there and maybe who they unmasked.

Uh.

Otherwise, in terms of Michigan, Penn State, Washington.

So on and so forth.

Um, first, let's, let's start with the game in the big house and whether the scales of karmic justice were balanced there.

Uh, Kevin, you, I, I, Brian was at USC Oregon, and so we'll talk to him certainly about that game.

That was, that was the Big 10 headliner, and we'll get to that one.

A lot happened in that game.

But, uh, let's start here.

Let's talk a little Iowa , Michigan right off the bat.

Uh, Kevin, your thoughts watching the Hawkeyes somehow pull that thing out and give Michigan the loss it probably should have had in the first week.

I mean, the game itself was everything you would have expected these teams to look like for, for much of the game, much of the season.

Um, I mean, look, the, the, the stretch towards the end where Iowa elected to kick the field goal, down by, down a touchdown, 3 minutes to play.

And Kirk's like, if the choice is 6 yards, or putting the defense back on the field, I'm putting the defense back on the field, and it nearly worked out disastrously because you missed the field goal, which was by no means a gimme, right?

It's a 51 yard field goal, I believe.

Now you'd still need the touchdown, and instead of needing 6 yards to keep your drive alive, you gotta go the length of the field, and that drive, like, that, that was not a Quintessential 2-minute drive, by any stretch of the imagination.

That was, that was the craziest thing of watching it as it developed.

There was never a point until they scored that I thought Iowa was going to score, score a touchdown and win that football game.

Uh, it was ugly, but, uh, yeah, some breaks for the Hawkeyes down the stretch, obviously.

the injury, um, I do think they would have been able to potentially run up and spike the football.

It would have been certainly not a guarantee that they would have been able to get that spike in, but the fact that the injury happened for Michigan, obviously, an unfortunate, uh, way, way for that to happen, but, uh, a break for Iowa, and then.

Yeah, throw a, throw a, throw a little back shoulder ball to to Vander Zee, and he makes the, makes the play of the day.

I thought that, I couldn't tell if he had caught it or not, or if he at least had his feet in bounds, and just seeing him react, launching the ball was really awesome.

I mean, that was a terrific way to celebrate, uh, a great way to conclude it, and then a massive win for an Iowa team that has all of a sudden, quite a lot in front of it.

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, you know, game day coming to Iowa City for the first time in, in 20 years as a result of this, this game, and look, you, you look at the schedule for Iowa, like setting aside the crazy ending there at the big house, they have one ranked opponent left on the schedule this week against Ohio State.

Washington, gettable, Minnesota, gettable, Wisconsin, like they have the old, we were talking about the Big 10 West, like this is the Big 10 West schedule.

And so now you're kind of thinking, hey, maybe this Hail Mary is the difference between Iowa going to the playoffs, making the playoff, uh, and, and not because.

I think that that is how big that play was, uh, for the Hawkeyes.

Now, obviously, they got to follow it up.

I mean, look, they, they barely beat Iowa State a couple of weeks ago.

Maybe that's just a rivalry game and you can explain things away, uh, that way we, we've seen Iowa trip up on themselves.

This is not a, a juggernaut offensively, we know that.

But you know what?

Good defense and a and a decent ground game that that will get you, uh, quite, quite far in the Big 10 and, uh, just a massive win there for Kirk Fran.

He, he had an inkling that there was gonna be, uh, one of those seasons where, where things could align, I think, uh, with, with the Hawkeyes this year and so far that that was certainly the case with the karmic Hail Mary, as, as you said, Pat.

Yeah, that's uh the funny thing you, you mentioned.

They got Ohio State this week, and that is the game to game, and then they're at Washington, and then after that, it's a legit Big 10 West schedule.

It's Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Purdue, Illinois, Nebraska.

It's like, it's the old Big 10 West, all right there, which I, I love, and I talk about gettable, all of it.

Now, yeah, are they good enough to avoid Any losses in there other than I would, I'm gonna go ahead and say they're probably gonna lose to Ohio State, but can they run the table the rest of the way?

I, I don't know.

Um, that you wanna talk overreaction, Pat?

I think Nebraska, Iowa is gonna be a, a playing game for the playoffs because I watched a decent amount of Nebraska against Michigan State.

Now Michigan State's not that good.

That's, that's a good football team.

That, that is the best that they have looked under Matt Rhule.

They are very athletic, they're very fast.

They probably need to steal one.

To do that because their schedule is brutal, but like, even if they're a two loss team heading into that game, they, that, that's a playing game for sure.

So how about that?

There we go.

Kevin Sweet rack, rack that one, Kent, producer Kent needs to rack that on September 27th.

He's calling the, the annual Black Friday, uh, Iowa, Nebraska game, which is usually like 13 to 10, uh, as a potential play-in game for the playoffs.

I, I'm here for that, absolutely here for it.

Uh, yes, they, like what you guys said, the, the, the way Iowa won was, was just hilarious and classic, and You, of course, you kick the field goal cause you're Kirk Ference.

Of course, you got a special teams touchdown because you're Kirk Ference and because you're Iowa.

But then you've gotta drive 91 yards, and Iowa is a little more competent throwing the ball now than they were a couple of years ago and Brian Ference was still coordinating them.

But, but that is not an Iowa specialty.

You don't say, oh, they're gonna go 91 on the road in the big house against a good defense, and they did, and there was like a couple of tipped balls.

I mean, it was like things just kind of lined up.

The injury, like you said, Kevin, and then that play at the end and the throw and.

I don't know if you heard the uh the Iowa student radio call.

I mean, classic, great stuff here.

Uh, Ryan Perris of KRUI.

With the call, said, Western Michigan, and the college football world, Iowa has your back.

Uh, tremendous dramatic pronouncement that I'm sure the, the, the, the young man had that thought up all week and was hoping he would get to use it, but then to be able to pull it out, spur of the moment on a walk-off touchdown pass.

Very good.

Well done.

Um, but, Yeah, that was, uh, let's just say that Michigan lives by the last second play, dies by the last second play, and this was a heck of a way to go down for them.

Uh, Michigan has scored 20 points or more just once this season, out of 4 games.

The last time they went 3 out of 4, not being able to score 20 was 1967.

So we're talking about a 59 year, uh, malaise, I guess you could say right now.

They're last in the Big 10 and places from scrimmage, 10 yards or longer, second to last in 20 yards or longer.

Bryce Underwood's pretty good, but they didn't pay him that much money to be pretty good.

They need to get more out of the offense there.

Uh, all right, let's, let's go ahead and talk about the game in the Coliseum.

That was the kind of the marquee one , and it, for a long time, very good game, um, compelling back and forth.

But the, you know, the thing that, that clearly stood out was the, was the hit on Dante Moore, uh, that laid him out, vicious, dangerous play.

Uh, he's stretchered off, taken off on a cart.

And, uh, the news just broke just before we started here that, uh, Desmond Stevens, the , the running back or linebacker, I'm sorry, for USC who applied the hit has been suspended for one game.

Their next game is against Washington.

Uh, Brian, you were there.

Tell us about that scene, and then we'll talk more about the, what, what came after that.

Yeah, I mean, it, it was one of those tough scenes, you know, just the, the length of time that, uh, Dante Moore was, was down, you know, like it, it it just kind of grew increasingly concerned, uh, with each passing minute.

And, you know, to Oregon's credit, I mean, the trainers, they, they recognized it right away.

Uh, you know, he, he went into the kind of fencing position.

He knew he, he was knocked out, like they, they got to him super quickly.

You know, luckily he was, he was down at the end, uh, right by the tunnel there at the Coliseum, so they could get him loaded onto the cart and onto the, uh, the ambulance that that took him to a nearby hospital right away.

And it was one of those places where you, you could really kind of see it coming in terms of the seats kind of parted, uh, defensively and, and like there was a huge open space, and they, they dropped enough guys in the coverage.

It's like, all right.

He, you knew he's gonna try to take off.

And as soon as he started to slide, you could just see, uh, Stevens kind of coming right over and, and he kind of thought, all right, maybe he'll go right over the top, but, uh, you know, just landed that uh forearm right on the helmet, drove it right into the ground.

And, um, you know, I think we, we can probably discuss what what happened afterwards, but, uh, just, just a frightening play.

And I do kind of wonder if, if You, you know, sometimes coaches will use things that happen elsewhere in college football as teaching points.

I almost wonder if that this is going to be one of those cases to where, stop, stop sliding, stop giving yourself up, you know, because I think the defenders, even in this era where you have targeting penalties, um, that everybody knows about, everybody is, is taught about, there, there's still that natural reaction to go hit, hit the guy that that's starting to slide.

And so I think that's, you know, it's, it would almost would have been better if Dante Moore had just kind of stood stood up, maybe he'd taken a hit and, and, and gone down that way.

He probably would, would be no worse for wear at this point, uh, coming out of, out of that game, uh, if he had done that instead of sliding like this.

So I, I, I wonder if this will actually encourage some coaches out there to say, hey, you know, I, I understand that the, the, the tendency of the last couple of years has been to slide in, in this scenario.

Maybe don't do that anymore.

And I think it's, uh, you know, certainly hoping for the best with Dante Moore, but, um, you know, looking like it, it might be a couple of weeks before it ends up getting back onto the field, given how severe that concussion was, um, there at the Coliseum.

Yeah, I mean, look, I, I thought the, I, I, I'd always try to put myself in the defender's shoes of like, man, you're playing full speed, and this guy sees you coming and starts to slide, and you're ready to pop him, but like, that doesn't necessarily excuse the reaction, like what, like, it's it's natural that there are going to be hits in a football game where you're like, oh, like I, that that was not great, and that was an obvious one.

I, and I get, like, you wanna be, you wanna be fired up , you wanna, like, play with competitive competitiveness and edge, but, like, there's a moment for that and there's a moment for, like, hey, like, I clearly, like, whether I meant it or not, just, like, knocked the guy out, and that, I think, and I and I think you see that in in the apology, which is actually very well written, uh by by by Desmond Stevens, yeah, like, that that that was not how he wanted to represent himself, but, like, look, at the end of the day, that was the very public one.

A lot more people are gonna see that than the apology, and uh.

Yeah, we're we're, we're certainly hoping that that Dante will be OK and um that that does not end up being the story of Oregon's season, whether or not, um, you know, even, even coming out of a huge win that that that we're talking about.

Dante Moore's injury and what it potentially means for, for them going forward, because I thought Oregon looked great, the best they've looked.

Obviously, we've, we've criticized USC's defense.

Um, there's more to do with that today, uh, they were not very good once again, but, uh, a, a really encouraging showing overall, I, I thought from the Ducks, um, that does get overshadowed a bit by the more injury.

Yeah, it's interesting, um, Luke McCown, who played like 14 years in the NFL quarterback, uh, saw him on Twitter saying, I have been saying for years, tell quarterbacks, do not slide feet first.

He said, this is what happens, is your head is back and heading back to the ground, and it's gonna be the thing that gets driven into the ground.

He's advocating diving forward or what he said, knifing, which I don't fully understand what knifing is, but That instead of going feet first, there might be other ways that are safer for you.

As far as the hit, this is a tough one.

I, you know, I think, obviously, yes, as a, as a defensive back, you are flying up to make a play.

And all of a sudden, he goes feet up.

I feel like you should be able to lay off enough that you're not driving in with the forearm to the helmet, which he did.

Maybe I'm asking too much of you as a defensive back, but, but that's my feeling there.

And then, yes, the reaction to it, not just lack of remorse, but almost kinda laughing at it or celebrating it to a degree, I thought was, was definitely unacceptable.

Um.

The, uh, the other element, there, I, there, Kevin, to your point, I mean, I saw several headshots this weekend that left people either out or down on the ground for a long time, and I wonder if we're starting to Get some slippage in terms of, not really calling targeting, but, but coaching against shots to the head.

Cause, man, I saw, I saw a lot of them in a lot of places.

And that's, you know, I think some people hate the targeting rules, and I get that, but I think they're put in place for a good reason.

I mean, look at CTE, look at the, you know, the, the concussion research and, and understand where we're coming from here on this stuff.

Um, now, what it did do, that play did do, is clear the way for the return of Dylan Rayola, former number one quarterback in the country, celebrated, went to Nebraska, was, you know, their biggest recruiting coup in forever.

Uh, broke his ankle in his 2nd season, hadn't been playing that great anyway, and goes to Oregon to be a backup.

It's just, you know, a wild turn of events to see a #1 recruit go somewhere and say, yeah, I'm gonna sit behind somebody else, which has been Oregon's way and kind of Oregon's genius to a degree that they've been able to get people to do it.

So, you've got, you end up with maybe the most qualified backup in America.

In the crucial moment, and Dylan Riola comes in and plays really well.

Brian, what did you see from him and, and talking to him afterwards?

Well, I, I, I didn't see the Dylan Riola from Nebraska, you know, like the, you know, I, I, I mentioned to somebody the other, you know, right before that 2nd drive, uh, where they ended up scoring a touchdown, 2nd to last drive where they ended up scoring the touchdown, and he, he ended up taking the crucial, uh, roughing the passer penalty, uh, that extended that drive.

On, on 3rd down, which we can get to later when we talk about USC, but, um, you know, that I said, I said to , you know, somebody sitting next to me, I was like, this is where the, the Nebraska quarterback would have, would throw an interception.

Like this, this was that tailor-made drive to where, you know, you could see the momentum changing in the game, and, uh , you know, he, he just would throw up a YOLO ball and boom, uh, momentum would shift completely the, the other way.

And, um, you know, he, he, he was accurate.

Um, you know, he played within the offense, like he didn't get, you know, too, too hyped and, and too overexcited.

Um, you know, he went through his reads.

Uh, it's not like they were going through 4 or 5 reads there, there, at times, but, uh, you know, I think the, the game plan was definitely simplified, um, you know, to, to get him used to, to kind of that game environment.

But, um, you know, he, he, he was phenomenal, um, you know, accurate, um, you know, used his legs when, when needed, uh, to, to extend plays.

To stay within the pocket.

I thought his protection was probably the best that I've seen that Oregon offensive line this season, uh, given the way they were kind of pushed around against Oklahoma State and Boise State earlier in the year.

Um, the run game, uh, came to life and that certainly helped him, uh , being able to gash USC for, for, for some big plays.

Um, that, that helped tremendously in terms of getting the Ducks, uh, you know, in, in rhythm offensively.

And I, I mean, you know , Oregon only punted twice in that game.

You know, they, they did, and, and Riola was only.

Responsible for, for one of those drives, uh, that ended up getting stopped.

So I think that shows you just how productive he was in, in that game.

And I, I, I think it was, you know, a, a big moment for him too, because you're, if you, you, you bring up, uh, you know, injuring his ankle, he injured, he, he broke his ankle against USC, uh, last year.

So there was kind of that motivating factor for him, uh, not just to play well, not just to get Oregon back into the college football playoff chase.

And as I wrote in SSI.

com, like this, this was, you, You know, kind of a little bit personal for him as well, um, in terms of not only proving that he, he's capable of being a, a, a top tier quarterback in the, in the game once again, but also making sure that, uh, you know, he, he could elevate, uh, Oregon and get that measure of revenge.

And, uh, he certainly did that.

He was treated like a, a conquering hero at the end.

Uh, you know, he, he did almost a full sprint of, you know, from one end of the field to the other, uh, high fiving Oregon fans, and, uh, you know, it was, it was a good moment for him.

I, I think.

Like everybody, he understood that it's not how you wanted it to come about in terms of, uh, you know, the guy in front of him going down the way he did, but, um, you know, he, he came in and he delivered, and I think it's also prescient for, for Oregon to go out and get a guy like this, you know, like it it it it, it means a lot, and, and he is, he is well compensated, probably the highest paid backup in the country at this point to go out and, and get that, knowing you have a national title roster, um, you know, to, to kind of have that safety net, and, and we saw that show up in this game against USC.

Well, you think about how important it was that the rules changed and so the red shirt was off the table for Dylan, right?

Because, I mean, now, look, I don't know how they would have went about it, they might have let him play 4, because he could have played 4 and still been eligible, and so maybe he would have been kind of ready to go on, on game day regardless, but , like, their whole plan would have looked different if they hadn't changed the eligibility rules from, you know, everybody having 1 red shirt to now 5.

Years of eligibility where he could just play as much as he's needed to.

Um, but I give him a lot of credit for being as ready as he was and continuing to improve.

I thought the decision-making was great, how sharp he was.

Um, again, not trying to do too much, just taking what was in front of him, being quick and decisive with his reads.

Uh, yeah, he was excellent.

And again, I, I think, the, the, again, the, the, the bigger, probably question is how much of that is USC's defense versus Dylan Rayola and the Oregon offense, but Uh, have to be impressed with him and have to feel good for him, um, with, with, with, kind of everything he dealt with at Nebraska, the highs and lows, like, it, it, it, it, it, it felt very ugly and toxic by the end, just the way that it was talked about, the way that he was talked about, the disappointment of being the super recruit that was gonna bring them back and, you know, clearly didn't, and I think, um, for him to, to, to, to Take the humbling of, hey, I need to go get better, I'm gonna go be a backup.

I, it's not everybody else's fault, I'm not gonna go somewhere where I'm not gonna have talent around me, I'm gonna go try to be the superstar and fix it all.

Like, I thought that was a very mature decision and I thought his maturity was certainly on display last night as well.

Yeah, extremely mature decision , kind of the same decision Dante Moore made when he left UCLA there.

Um, so, that's, again , part of the, the, the Oregon's secret sauce or special sauce is, is having the money.

And then finding the, the, a really talented quarterback who's willing to be a backup, um, and making that work.

And they go, look, they've got great players to throw to.

Deorian Moore was the number one receiver in the country a couple of years ago.

He's got a touchdown in every game.

Evan Stewart is excellent, and then Jamari Johnson, the tight end, was over 100 yards in that game, and he's an NFL guy.

So, Uh, it's amazing.

And, we are no longer questioning the, I guess, for today at least, we're no longer questioning the Oregon coordinators.

Remember that was the thing that they lose to Oklahoma State, it's like, oh my God, Dan Lanning promoted a couple of no-nothings, and now they can't do anything and da da da da da.

They go win a big game in the Coliseum.

All the narratives change.

That's how this sport works.

Speaking of which, changed narratives within the Big 10 will hit this one as well.

Wisconsin goes to Penn State.

Penn State so far, they're like they're in love with Matt Campbell.

Oh my gosh, we look so good.

Thank God James Franklin's gone.

Everything's better.

They get up 17-0 in the second quarter on Wisconsin's business as usual.

They're gonna roll and win again, be 4-0.

No, no, no, no, no.

Wisconsin comes back.

And takes the game away.

2 Very Wisconsin places that I loved in this game.

First, tip ball interception by a 333 pound defensive tackle, very Wisconsin, and then the winning the winning touchdown, a 72 yard run by a 265 pound tight end, very Wisconsin.

But huge for Luke Fickle.

I, I, that is, talk about a narrative changer, for again, for maybe for just for a week, but boy, did he need it.

And they got it.

Uh, Kevin, are you, any thoughts there on, on Penn State coming back to Earth dramatically or Wisconsin rising up and taking that game?

Yeah , I mean, look, I think a big part of this is we just didn't know anything about Penn State because of the schedule they played.

I think that hurt them, right?

I think there were weaknesses on this football team that weren't really exposed until you got into the fire of the second half where Wisconsin was charging hard and, you know, they just didn't seem ready for it.

Um, yeah, that was, that was, that was huge, and look, You know, Colton Joseph made an awful decision, had a horrible interception, picked 6, puts you down big, and I think you sense kind of the veteran presence that he brings to this football team.

Yeah, his ability to come, like, like, dusted it off, they scored before the half, which was enormous, and then they came out of the locker room and, you know, very quickly capitalized on a turnover and got it.

Back to one score, and it's like, all right, settle down, we're in this game.

And, uh, yeah, just an enormous win for Luke Fickle.

I will note, uh, Kobe Howard, the stud receiver for Penn State, is out, he's supposedly gonna be out for a while.

He was their most explosive weapon.

Penn State's offense was, was miserable.

And again, give credit to Wisconsin's defense, they're playing better, um, but 200 33 yards of offense will not cut it in, in conference play.

Uh, and again, they, they, they, they had, they were the beneficiary of the uh of the defensive score.

That's, that that's the most explosive play in the game, Rocco Beck, not good enough, or not, not enough talent around him.

Uh, Penn State looked like a very average Big 10 football team that probably should have won a game at home and then, You know, coughed it up late, but, uh, just an enormous loss for , for the Nittany Lions, given, you know, the playoff conversation of, man, the schedule is so manageable, like, you, you give one away at home like that, that, that, that changes the dynamic and Uh, for, for Wisconsin, there's a massive influx of confidence, and with the schedule that, like, we've talked about with some of the other big teams, Big 10 teams, like, it's manageable all of a sudden, like, you look up, all right, we can win at Penn State, who can't we beat?

I mean, that, at UCLA is not gonna be easy.

Bob Chesney's boys are flying, USC won't be easy at home, but, like, all of a sudden, that's, that's a pretty winnable game at Iowa.

I mean, 1st to 1st to 17, see what, see what happens there, like, I don't know, like, their, their November schedule has some real deal quit factor loading up.

Wisconsin has Rutgers on the 7th.

Who knows if Greg Schiano is coaching him by then, right?

Maryland on the 14th.

Who knows if Mike Lock is coaching them then?

Barry Odom and Purdue on the 21st.

I think Barry will be employed at least.

Barry will have a job, and then Minnesota to close of the year, we'll see where they're at.

I mean, I mean, might have more blood on his face, like, who knows what's going on.

So if Wisconsin can simply survive October, man, it could be an interesting November for, for, for the Badgers.

Yeah, it was such a, a, a narrative weekend in the Big 10 for the coaches, um, and, you know, especially with those on the hot seat, because like, you know, there was so much buildup in, in the Coliseum around Lincoln Riley, and this, this was finally going to be the moment, right ?

And then he ends up losing the game.

And I think that the USC fan base streaming out of the Coliseum, you know, with, with more than 2 minutes to go, kind of said the story that, uh , that they're out fully on him.

And then you have another guy who's On an even hotter seat, Luke Fickle, turn around, get a massive win, come from behind, shows the toughness, shows the resilience that, you know, that the fan base was looking for out of the program in the last years that they really haven't been able, uh, to just, you know, kind of, kind of show.

And like, you know, how, how many millions of dollars might that save Wisconsin?

Ironically, and maybe the, the greatest coaching market for them as, as a Big 10 team, uh, that they could find this offseason.

Like if, if you're ever going to get rid of Luke Fickle, it, it would be this year with Jake Dickert pulling out a massive win against Louisville for Wake Forest and looking, uh, you know, you know, having the emotions afterwards because his wife, uh, you know, is, is from Madison.

Her, her, his, her father just passed away.

He, he missed the funeral for that game.

Uh, you got Tim Pulissek undefeated at North Dakota State.

He's a Wisconsin guy.

Jason Eck at New Mexico, like if you're ever gonna make a move, Wisconsin.

You know, this, this would have been the year.

And then Luke Fickle goes out and after spending a lot of money in, in, in the portal and, uh, upgrading the roster, he ends up really kind of delivering on his promise as a coach there for the Badgers, and, you know, versus, you know, Lincoln Riley doing doing the exact opposite from that.

So like a fascinating.

In, in the Big 10 for those in the hot seat.

And then you had, uh, you know, Bob Chesney doing well, Maryland, uh, all, all the other hot seat situation across the conference.

I mean, it was truly like, you know, we'll, we'll, we'll look back, I think on this, this week 4 as kind of an inflection point for a lot of these coaches in, in this conference.

I'm glad you brought up uh Colton Joseph, Kevin, because he, uh, he, the wheels were coming off for a while .

He threw two terrible interceptions, and then he did regroup and, and played, that, that was some veteran poise and wherewithal, uh, there.

And I was sitting there saying, oh my gosh, this, you know, Wisconsin being undone by their quarterback again.

And no, quarterback steps up and helps them win a big game.

So, yeah, we'll see, uh, You know, like he, he said, for now, we can go through the schedule and say, a lot of W's out there.

It's always week to week proposition how it's gonna actually play out.

But, I mean, if we, if we end up having, uh, all right, Kevin, you've, you, you're calling Nebraska, Iowa playoff play-in game.

What about a Paul Bunyan ax playoff play-in game, Minnesota and, uh, Wisconsin?

I don't think so .

I don't think so, but jeez, please let me have it.

I mean, that would be incredible.

I mean, the lower the temperature, the better.

Lower the temperature, the better.

Yeah, yeah, 8 degrees, snow, you know, Fleck, who knows what Fleck will be wearing by then.

I, I will give, I'll give Fleck credit though, he did, he wiped another man's blood on his face and got none of it on his white quarter zip he was wearing, or his white tie even.

I mean, the man's impeccable.

Football is back and the season is already moving fast.

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Um, all right.

Uh, Brian, you kind of went there, uh, with Lincoln.

Let's talk, we're gonna do a little, uh, what do you do about, fill in the blank here with a few different people.

We're gonna start with two from the Big 10, and then we'll move on to that, and then we, we gotta talk SEC cause a whole lot happened in that league too.

But what do you do?

About Lincoln Riley.

If you are USC and you are owed, he is owed 9 gazillion dollars, Brian Fisher.

You know, next week is, is homecoming for UFC against Washington, and I would imagine there are quite a few boosters that are gonna be getting together and saying, all right, how much can, can, can you chip in here for, for this 70+ million dollars dollar buyout?

Because I, I, I just think the, the entire fan base has, has been, been out at this point.

Like, you know, show me, show me that you can get us over the hump, and there has been investments in terms of the roster.

They just opened a $200 million football facility.

Pat, I know you went through there, uh, you know, a couple of weeks ago, like, everything is in place there at USC from a roster standpoint, from a resources standpoint, as Lincoln Riley said, we are aligned as, as best as, as his six years, uh, has been there from school leadership, the athletic director to him, they have been aligned.

So, now you, you're saying that, uh, you know, you're, you're not capable and like this USC team, like you're, you're probably to make the playoffs, you're gonna have To at least split the Indiana and Ohio State games.

What is Charlie Becker gonna do to that USC defense?

What is Jeremiah Smith gonna do to that USC defense?

So I think at some point, whether it's 9 and 3, I, I, I, honestly, I think 9 and 3 might even be a stretch with this team.

You're looking at an 8 and 47 and 5 type of team for, you know, uh, a pretty heavy investment.

I, I just think at this point, uh, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln is out in, in terms of, uh, USC and I think they're, they're probably gonna look at.

Uh, moving on after this offseason.

It's just, it's just so expensive without like a name that I'm dying to hire at USC.

And look, maybe the answer is, we have this front office structure we feel good about, we're pouring money into this place.

We don't need flash and pizzazz that Lincoln Riley was, we just need somebody who can coach ball.

Like, that's not USC and it's never been USC.

So I, I, I, I, I don't know how to square that.

I do think, even if there's initial hold off on this.

What happens if they lose to UCLA the final week of the year?

Like, that would be the one that would be hard to come back from.

Right, if this is an 8 and 4 team, and they were pretty good, and they lost, you know, they, they played a tough schedule against the best of the best, and they, they, they won the games they're supposed to, lost the games they're supposed to.

Is that enough to spend, again, you know, probably $100 million decision?

I don't know that it is.

Now, if they lose to Bob Chesney in UCLA, then it definitely is.

That would be, how do you come back from that.

Um, so, like, I wanna preach patience, but I also completely understand why everybody would be fed up with, with where they're at, because the investments too good, the job is too good, the roster is too good to be this poor, especially on the defensive side of the ball, and like the same weaknesses that we've talked about with this team and program since when Lincoln arrived.

They're not that tough, they're not good enough defensively, it's all, it's all, it's, it's all flash and not enough substance at the moment.

Yeah, and well that was also the case when he was in Oklahoma, so I wonder what the common denominator is there.

It's him.

Um, and that, you know, Kevin, we were in Chicago for Big 10 Media Day.

I mean, Riley could not have been more positive, more confident of all the things you both of you guys said, like, we've got everything we need.

Well, then why are you losing at home by 14 points to a team that's emergency shoving its backup quarterback in the game, even a really good backup quarterback, but still, uh, and their defense hadn't played, they played one good game, and otherwise, they give up 26 in the opener to San Jose.

So a lot of that was late, but still 26, 35 to Louisiana, and 35 to a miserable Rutgers team, and then you give up 41 here.

So, uh, I mean, I don't know where you come up with the money, but it's LA, it's USC.

I mean, it's the University of they have, they have, they have the money.

Like, I mean, I, you know, like this is not a, is it expensive?

Yes, this will be one of, I mean, we're, we're talking about between the staff and Lincoln.

This is even bigger than, than the Jimbo change, uh, there at Texas A&M.

And, you know, I mean, the thing is, like, you know, like, like you mentioned, Pat, there, there's, you know.

They have, they have the money.

Like you, you look around campus right now, they're, they're putting up buildings.

They just, you know, had, had the $200 million football building right there after they already built another building on campus that was literally right across the street for the football program, uh, for, for, you know, nearly $100 million that, you know, the, the Lucas Museum, you can now see it's brand new spring right there next to the Coliseum, like there's a, a, a ton of money being invested in.

In campus and in that, uh, that region, uh, of, of USC and, um, you know, to think they're gonna put up with mediocrity, which this is what the program is at this point under Lincoln Riley, um, you know, I, I, I just don't see that, uh, amongst the, the people because, you know what, Lincoln is right.

They, they are aligned, and that's probably gonna be his problem because it does reflect poorly on him.

He went out and got Gary Patterson.

That was, that was his move.

Uh, to , to quote unquote, elevate the defense.

That has not, not worked out.

It's like every move that he has made, um, you know, reflects poorly on him, and that's, that's ultimately, you know, if, if, uh, the change gets made at the end of the season, I, I do think that's, you know, Lincoln can blame nobody but himself at this point because, uh, it is the same old story.

Uh, you know, the, the, I, I mentioned this on, on social media, and, you know, I got a lot of fans up in arms.

Like, I've seen more.

Progress at UCLA in 4 games for under under Chesney that I have in 6 years under Lincoln Riley.

It's the same old story at USC.

It's not at UCLA.

Like they're they're actually doing things and I, I do think Bob Chesney is probably gonna get hamstrung by just the general UCLA, uh, culture there and and having to overcome that.

But like, he, he's made progress on the field, and I think that reflects even poorly on, on Lincoln Riley across town.

Yeah, I, I mean.

You're right.

I mean, if, if anybody has the money, it's probably USC.

It's just, it's, it's gonna be an astronomical pill to swallow.

But, uh, I wrote last year after they lost to Oregon, I said, he's closer to Clay Helton than Pete Carroll.

And all the USC fans are like, wait till next year.

Well, now it's next year, and I see a lot of similarities.

OK, what do you do about this one?

I think it's a pretty easy one.

Pretty, pretty, pretty quick conversation .

What do you do about Mike Lockley, uh, Brian?

Uh, it's probably a question of when, not if, uh, you, you'll let him go.

I think at this point, I, I don't think, and obviously we're taping at, uh, Sunday, was it, uh, 2, 2:40 or whatever, uh, 2:40 Eastern.

I, I don't anticipate it necessarily happening this week, but, um, you know what, if, if things go off the rails, we'll, we'll see.

Um, I, I do think there's just a, you know, a lot of, again, a fan base checked out.

on their head coach.

And like, this, this, this month was really set up for him to kind of overcome some of those doubts, right?

You're playing Virginia Tech, kind of a regional rival with a guy in James Franklin that, uh, a lot of people hope, you kind of have, uh, fond memories of, you know, there in Maryland as one of the guys that could have taken over for Ralph Regen.

You get blown out by them.

All right.

Now, this happens against UCLA, uh, a first-year head coach who turned over.

The roster, like you should be in a better place than this.

So I think it's, it, it is going to be a question of, of when, not if, and then, um, you know what, I, I, I think at least, uh, on the bright side for Maryland, they probably are gonna have some decent options, uh, being a big Big 10 program, being in that area, and having, you know, probably a bit of the market to themselves, given that this could be a slower coaching cycle, uh, than we were probably anticipating and certainly slower than it was last year.

Yeah, the, the argument for keeping Mike Locksley has been.

Well, who else is getting players like this in Maryland?

We gotta keep these guys, I mean, you're not keeping Malik Washington, you're not keeping these guys if, if you, if you don't have Mike Locksley.

It's like, I don't care about the guys, man, like, the the the the guys just lost by 50 at home, like, that's that's the reality of the situation, like, it sucks.

Again, I, I think everybody, seeming like that Mike Mike Lockley, Mike, it's not an easy job, there's been ups and downs, you got, you got hammered at home, it's, it's time.

Yeah, that Malik Washington threw 4 interceptions in that game, by the way, too, you know, I mean, that, if you, you, they may be talented, they may have been touted, who cares?

They're not playing well.

Your team isn't playing well, get a new coach, and I'll tell you who to get.

I will tell you who to get.

If you want offense, there's one answer.

If you want defense, there's the other answer.

Kurt Signetti's coordinators, baby.

You go get Mike Shanahan or you go get Brian Haynes.

Did they recruit the DMV when they're at James Madison?

Hell yes.

Did they go get 3-star guys that you didn't want and turn them into national championship players?

Hell, yes.

I want that Signetti tree in the Big 10.

That's exactly where, I don't care whether they haven't been a head coach before.

You decide which one of them is more ready, which side of the ball you're more worried about, and you go get one of those two guys.

There's my free advice for Maryland.

You do kind of wonder if, if they had made the move on Mike Locksley last season if if Bob Chesney is coaching there in College Park.

Yeah, yeah, if you move on Locksley last year after a second straight 4 and 8 and a second straight 1 and 8 in Big 10, you might have been in the mix for, for Chesney there.

I do remember we, again referencing old Big 10 Media Day conversations .

Mike Locksley said that they.

They led in, like, 11 of 12 games last year or something like that.

Yeah.

That was a real highlight, and you're going through it, it's like, yeah, you lost 51 to 3, but you led, you led 3-0.

Congratulations, Mike.

Yeah, yeah, that was a good one.

That was a good try, Mike.

I mean, you're trying to find something positive and that's all you got.

Okey dokey.

Um, all right, one more, what do you do with John Mattier at Oklahoma.

Man, the struggle is real.

You know, he, he was a very high profile, high priced, much sought after transfer when he came in from Washington State.

He got injured middle of last year, thumb injury, did not play well thereafter.

Uh, this year was supposed to be all different.

It's not different.

Um, the Oklahoma offense is brutal.

He has been brutal.

He, he threw the game losing interception at Michigan.

And then had 3 turnovers, it might have been 3 straight possessions, I'm not sure, uh, against Georgia.

And one of them, that, you know, the empty hand ball slipping out, then a bad pick over the middle, then trying to make something happen.

The 3rd 1, I think was the least bad as far as, uh, he's trying to make something happen, the rush is all over him, and he, and he gets hit while he's, he's trying to run and , and fumbles again, but, I, I just, I, I don't know.

I mean, that offense is a disaster, and you gotta figure out, man, can we, can we, can we salvage him mentally to come in and play with the verve and the confidence and not the mistakes that we've seen.

Kevin, what do you do?

Uh, I mean, I, I, I was going through yesterday, like, is there any talent left on this roster at quarterback to put in the game, because, and I, I, I, I checked, I checked the sports reference page and the two quarterbacks who've thrown a, uh, thrown a football other than Mattier this year, I'm like straight off the, like, uh, the Sig new uh pledge class list at Ole Miss.

We got Whitt Neubauer and Bo Bentley.

Um, I would like to see either of them.

I would like to see anyone other than John Mat because like, I do the, I don't think this offense is broken, like I, like, I don't think Arbuckle is clueless, like, I think this guy knows what he's doing, I think they have some talent, I think they could be better overall, but this offense, like, to me, this is the most obvious, like.

It ain't all on the quarterback, but it's a lot on the quarterback right now, and it's, it's, it's, it sucks, but I just, I just think it's where we're at, and if Oklahoma wants to salvage this thing, they, they, they gotta do something different.

And I, I do think that in, in the Oklahoma staff's mind and, and you know, the front office and, and really everybody there in Norman, you know , they, they do have this picture of John Mattier before the thumb injury last year when , when he was playing well and he, he did beat Michigan, uh, you know, and, and he did look, look like, uh, you know, a guy that, that translated from, you know, jumping up from Washington State into Oklahoma and, and coming in starting out with a bang and like that, that's, that's their mental.

Picture of, of John Matt at this point, but it's not reality right now.

And it really has not been reality ever since he got hurt.

And I, I do wonder, you know, you, you're right, Kevin, like I, I do feel like there's a lot being placed on, on , on Ben Arbuckle at this point, but I, I think more, more of the blame needs to go towards Bill Beatenbaugh, the offensive line coach.

And look, he, he has produced a lot of guys, uh, you know, and, and developed a lot of offensive linemen, but that is the biggest issue.

They cannot run the ball.

They, they just cannot run the ball.

And that just puts even more pressure on whether it's John Maier back there or any other of those quarterbacks that you just mentioned.

Like, you, you gotta have at least some sort of run game, uh, to, to be able to, uh, you know, kind of, kind of get the defenses, uh, a little bit more balanced, and that is not gonna be the case, and certainly not going to be the case moving forward over these next couple of weeks, given who they end up facing, uh, including Red River, um, you know, in 2 weeks against Texas.

Like this is, um, you know, really An entire offensive problem.

And I, I don't think it's just necessarily on the, on the quarterback, even as bad as he was, uh, against Georgia.

And I do think it almost reflects a little bit better even, uh, on, on the Bulldogs.

Like I, I have a much higher opinion now that they've played a team with a pulse, uh, seeing them do that to, to Oklahoma, seeing them do that to John Matt, um, you know, I, I think I actually take away more, less about the Oklahoma aspect and, and more about the, the Georgia after that game.

Yeah, uh, well, we're gonna get to that here right away, but that, uh, this looked a bit like the Georgia feeding frenzy defenses of a couple of years ago, you know, 2021, 2022, where they're just coming after you.

There's 6 guys coming to the ball, they're taking the ball, they're knocking your ass on the ground.

I mean, just relentless defense.

It's, it's Kirby Smart at his best.

The, uh, the interesting thing here, thank God for UTEP.

If you're Michigan and you're Oklahoma.

That was your one game where you scored some points and racked up some stats.

Otherwise, after beating UTEP 51-0, Oklahoma, 10 points, 14 points, 13 points, not good enough.

But, speaking of Georgia, let's look at the other side of the cocktail party game, which is a, it's a month away, it's irresponsible to look that far ahead, but boy, oh boy, does Florida look good.

Maybe the most impressive performance of anybody who still had something to prove coming into this weekend, uh, when they, they just dismantled Mississippi, just absolutely ran roughshod through them.

And It was a setup for Ole Miss, right?

They are coming off the absolute Armageddon game that they had to win, and it was dramatic and long and physical, and then you got to go on the road and face a hot team that's just waiting for you, and it unfolded that way.

Uh, but Florida is super impressed with the running game, the throwing game, everything, but especially the running game.

Uh, how good are the Gators, Kevin?

I mean, I'm, I'm trying to temper it.

I'm trying to say, oh, it's only 4 games, but man.

They, they, they just look so impressive in in all three phases, you know, the, the, the, the long kick return after the touchdown, that, that was an enormous, enormous play in the game.

The way they control the clock is, is unbelievably impressive, no one's shown that they can stop the run, uh, that, that Florida is putting, putting up, putting up, and Fio continues to make all the throws when it matters, man, like, this team, if you stripped away all the preseason stuff and you just said, like, Look at the dudes on the roster, look at the coach, look at the coordinator, look at the quarterback.

I don't know why we wouldn't be talking about Florida as one of the best teams in college football, and a team that can win a national championship.

And so, yes, we have a tendency to think, yeah , it's year one, it's too early, they need a year, like, this, this roster is talented, is so talented, the running game is terrific, the coordinator is great, the quarterback's great, the head coach is pretty darn good.

Why not?

Why not the Gators?

Sure.

Well, I mean, this is just, just what John Summerall does, you know, and I think that's, that was what the optimism surrounding this move and, and taking this job was, he, he's a guy that instantly, you know, in, in past stops at Troy and, and Tulane, ends up playing for the, the conference title right away.

And you look at that two-game stretch at Texas and, and against Georgia and Atlanta.

Like if you split those meetings right there, you're probably going back to Atlanta, uh, given the way The rest of the schedule is, is shaping out.

And I , I, I think that automatically, obviously makes you a, a playoff team.

And the thing that, that strikes me in, in this is, yes, it was great that every, every time Ole Miss kind of threatened, they, they had a response.

That, that's, that's coaching and, and that's, you know, having that mentality instilled in this, this team.

But I, I think the thing is like, and, and, and we talked about it, uh, I think.

Last week, Pat, you know, you mentioned like they have a, a script in terms of we are going to run the football, we're going to take care of it in terms of Aaron Filer, we're going to limit his passing attempts, and we're gonna play good defense.

And, and I do think like that is a thing that travels from week to week , especially in the SEC.

Now, it's not gonna be easy, uh, necessarily to get through that and, and be, you know, a, a 10 and 2 or, or even, uh, you know, 11-1 type of team, but, Um, when you do that to Ole Miss, even, even in the swamp there, uh, I, I think that was eye-opening for the rest of the country.

And I, I think truthfully, this, this kind of shows that, um, you know, even moving forward, this is a program you're gonna have to take seriously.

And I think that, uh, definitely pays, uh, pays some dividends there for, for Scott Strickland , the AD who he kind of went against the grain there after dumping out of the, the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes to go land John Summerall.

and it's looking like a pretty shrewd move at this point.

It sure is.

Uh, and yes, my formula I mentioned, I can't wait to give you my statistic here.

Updated.

Aaron Fio, this is, it's uncanny.

It is unbelievable.

All right, first game of the year, 16 to 21, 275.

2nd game of the year, 16 to 21, 242.

3rd game of the year, 15 of 22, 204.

Sorry, you had one more incompletion there.

Oh well.

And against Ole Miss.

Did they have to trick it up?

Did he have to do anything special, anything different?

16 of 23, 196.

It's, I mean, they have got it down, and they're running the ball like crazy with Jaden Ball, but also Duke Clark, who was over 100 yards.

So, all credit to John Summerall, all credit to Buster Faulkner, all credit to all the players who, uh, they, they've just re-energized, that program.

Now, the one thing I will say, There were moments when Uh, Will Muschamp looked like he was gonna be the next great one there.

When Jim McIlwain looked like he was gonna be the next great one there, got him into the, the, the SEC championship game, when Dan Mullen was gonna be the next great one there.

There were no moments with Billy Napier.

But the other three, so, we'll practice a little bit of restraint on the hype there, but things look very, very good so far.

Uh, I don't know if there's any restraining the hype at Mississippi State at this point.

One of 5 undefeated teams left in the league.

They won a really good game against uh Missouri, just kind of took it away in the end.

They, that game was up for grabs, and Mississippi State said, we're at home, we're clanging the cowbells, and we're better, and we're gonna take it away.

Uh, Brian, how impressed are you by what's going on there with Jeff Levy, with Kamario Taylor, and everybody else?

Man, what, what, what took you so long to, to throw Kamario Taylor into the lineup, Jeff?

Uh, that , that, that was kind of my thinking, uh, at this point, you know, uh, I, I mean, he, he is so good and like him and that combination of him and Fluff Bothwell, um, you know, in the backfield, like that, that's tough to defend.

And, you know, the, the throws, I mean, it's just effortless.

Like when he throws those downfield passes and he threw that really nice touchdown, uh, that was what, 40, 40, 45 yards, like, just the, the weight jumps out of the ball jumps out.

Out of his hand.

Like, you know, he is just one of those electric players.

Yes, we know about his running ability, but like the way he gets that ball out, uh, you know, and especially in this, this kind of offensive system as well that really can highlight, um, his, him as a runner and a thrower.

Like that, I mean, he's one of the more fun players to watch, uh, in college football at this point.

And I, I can't wait to see this, this team go to, go to, uh, you know, host Alabama.

Those cowbells will be ringing.

Like, I, I mean, this is going to be a really, really big game in terms of kind of setting the, the pecking order then, um, you know, In the SEC because like you, you, you look at this, if, if Mississippi State gets past Alabama, you, you're talking about, uh, not only breaking through that middle class there in the SEC, suddenly you're thinking about doing a little bit more than, than even making a bowl game.

And I think that that was a big proof positive for, for Jeff Levy as a coach, but, um, uh, I, I, I just could not be more impressed with, with what this team is doing right now and, and how they're playing.

Like they're, they're playing loose and, and free, and, and you can kind of see that, um, you know, come through every Saturday, uh, they're, they're when, uh, they, they take the field.

You, you, you just don't feel like.

An underdog when Kamario Taylor has the ball in his hands.

Like, that, that to me is the simplest reality of the situation, is that they have a dude that stops time.

They have a dude that changed, that, that, that changes the way the other 21 guys on the football field feel, and it's very hard to find them, and they got one of them.

So, they, they're, they're really fun to watch.

I also will give credit to, to Zach Arnett, the defensive coordinator, you know, coming back after being the head coach for a year, very awkward, very odd.

But he's a good defensive coordinator.

It's been pretty, pretty obvious for a while he's been a good defensive coordinator, and this team is not great defensively, but they are much improved defensively.

They're good enough defensively to let Kamario Taylor go win football games for you, and uh that has been a huge step.

They've done a nice job here.

It's, it's really impressive what what Lubby has done.

Obviously , it helps to have, you know, a Superman type figure at at quarterback, and, you know, one of the best players in college football, but Beyond that, I mean, they they they're an improved football team, you know, everywhere across the board, and I think you're seeing that, uh, even in the moments when Kamario isn't taking over the game.

All right, uh, real quick, before we hand out the Heisman and before we fire people, uh, real quick, let's hit on, on Texas.

Uh, the whiz kid, uh, Colin Simmons, quite a performance from him.

A lot of things there.

Uh, 5 sacks, incredible.

But the simulated urine act, perhaps not his finest moment.

Uh, this seems to be the way Texas rolls.

You win a big game and then somebody has to apologize for something.

It's Arch, uh, and Sark, the first time when they beat Ohio State, now it's, uh, Colin Simmons.

But big win, the game became an absolute mess at the end, but they get that.

Who's the best team in the SEC?

I'll ask this, uh, Kevin, uh, Georgia or Texas?

I mean, or Florida, if you wanna say Florida.

I know Texas has a resume, but I, I, I think Georgia is a little bit more complete.

Uh, I think they've, again, it, it helps that the schedule has been much more manageable, but they just feel more overwhelming, whereas Texas has incredible moments within games.

But they very easily could have lost on Saturday, with the with with the way that they finished, it was, it was ugly, and, and despite the fact that they had dominated much of the way, and, you know, they got handled for much of the Ohio State game and turned around and they were the greatest show in town for the 4th quarter.

So, uh, I, I just think I know what I'm getting with Georgia a little bit more, so I would take, I would lean towards Georgia, but that's an impressive win, an impressive road win.

I, I think, increasingly in this era, uh, with the way that the rosters are, are more even.

It's gonna get harder and harder to get, you know, breaks of serve like that on the road against good teams.

We'll see how good Tennessee is, but they're clearly, like, a very competitive football club, and Texas dominated that game, the majority of the way.

Yeah, I mean, if, if Texas could get out of their own way for a lot of, a lot of these, it seems like a half, you know, like they just will not get out of their way for a half, and then they'll kind of flip the switch and they'll they'll be fine.

Now, sometimes it's in the first half like it was this one, sometimes it's the second half like it was against Ohio State, but like, um, you know, we'll, we'll see if they can put together full 4 full quarters.

I, I do think the ceiling.

And, and Texas just given the high-end talent there is probably a little bit higher than Georgia, but what, Georgia's floor is so much higher at this point in terms of how they're playing.

Um, you know what you're gonna get out of the Bulldogs week to week.

And yes, that's a reflection on, on Kirby Smart, sure, but it's also a defense that is flying around and, and it's still one of the younger teams, uh, really in the, in the country, not just in the SEC but in the country, and they're, they're, they're growing.

They're, they're getting better.

So, uh, I, I would slightly pick maybe Texas just, just, uh, in terms of the ceiling.

Uh, if, if you're talking about like winning a national title, who's that, that ultimately the best team that you're, you possibly see, you know, maybe I'll, I'll go with the Longhorns, but, uh, I, I do think the floor is super high there in Athens, uh, with, with the Bulldogs.

So, uh, you know, you're kind of splitting hairs at this point, and I, I can't wait to see, uh, a potential matchup between the two of them as well down the road.

Yeah, uh, and when we see that, Georgia wins, but I'm intrigued that on resume to this point, I, I give the edge to Texas just cause they've beaten Ohio State and they won that road game there.

So, all right, guys, uh, let's hand out the Heisman Trophy.

Uh, Brian, do you got somebody you want to give it to?

Uh, I'll go ahead and give it to Dylan Rayola.

I mean, uh, you know, just the circumstances of, of, uh, you know, coming back, uh, in the, in the Coliseum, like, uh, I mean, that was, that was Oregon's season, you know, like if you're staring at, uh, you know, a 2 and 2 type of start to the year after kind of aspiring to, to win a national title and, and having those resources invested in the roster, um, you know, he, he did a phenomenal job, really didn't put a, put a wrong foot forward in terms of, uh, you know, his, his.

There, uh , especially given the difficult circumstances and, you know, credit to, to Drew Marr to the, the OC.

Like we're, we're not talking about him this week, uh, because he, because he actually played, you know, called a really great game with a backup quarterback, um, you know, get, get him in rhythm, some of the short throws, uh, some screenplays, uh, they were able to bust open.

Um, you know, I, I, I think, uh, you know, all credit to him for the circumstances and then also for his play on the field there at the Coliseum.

I've got, I've got Jaden Baugh.

I mean, this guy is an absolute, uh, an absolute monster.

I love a true bell cow back, I tote that thing 29 times, 26 last week, I believe, so 55 carries in 2 games, doesn't seem any worse for where that guy's gonna take some hits, and look, he's fine in the end zone, 11 touchdowns in 4 games, 3 of them again on Saturday and a huge win for the Gators.

Yeah, I cannot uh fault either of your choices there.

I'm gonna go to the team that I saw in person Friday night, and that was Indiana.

And they, they had to battle to beat Northwestern.

I am impressed with what Northwestern is doing.

I'm not overly impressed with Indiana's defense, especially when it got like they could not get Aiden Childs on the ground, um.

They couldn't cover either.

So that, that's a problem.

When you cannot get the quarterback on the ground, you can't cover, that's a problem.

But they won the game because of 203 rushing yards for Lee Beebe, running back, uh, Turbo Richard, he splits the job with Turbo Richard, and that's the way Cignetti does things.

You just get two backs.

And you just divide it almost exactly 50/50.

It's gonna be like 15 carries for this guy, 15 carries for that guy.

And that's it, it's two guys.

Well, Turbo Richard got hurt on a very questionable play, uh, and all of a sudden, it's all up to me because their other back, Kobe Howard, who would be the third guy, is already hurt.

Uh, so they just turn and give it to BB 24 times, he rushes for 203 yards, and, uh, kind of carries Indiana in a bit of a scary game there.

So, It's kind of the way things roll at Indiana.

Somebody steps up, somebody does stuff, and they win games.

So I'm giving that to him.

All right, who are we firing today, uh, Kevin.

I mean, I think I fired Mike Locksley enough.

I fired him last week, I fired him halfway through the show.

I, I don't know that, I don't know that I can do it again.

Uh, I'm firing Matt Campbell.

I mean, that, that's, that's, that's, look, for better or worse, we were all waiting for the first time that Penn State lost the game at home that they were supposed to win for everybody to say, hey, it wasn't so bad, huh?

James Franklin, not so bad, huh?

So, uh, I, I, I, I'm not actually firing, I, I mean, Matt Campbell, I think will do very well, but It's the first time it happened, you're bound to hear the, hear the music, so here it is.

There you go.

Uh, yeah, I mean, tough to, to not go with a Lincoln Riley or Mike Oxley.

How, how about somebody that we didn't mention, uh, necessarily even when talking to the SEC, Shane Beamer, um, you know, two straight blowouts for the Gamecocks and like the regression that I see from Lenori Sellers out there, I, I think that's gonna be hard to fathom for a lot of Gamecocks fans out there.

I mean, I, I think Shane was probably already up against it just in terms of, um, you know, the pressures of that job and having guys like Dylan Stewart having.

Uh, you know, Lenora Sellers, guys that are probably gonna be, uh, talked about quite a bit when it comes to, comes to the NFL draft time, uh, on the calendar, like having those guys and underperforming like they are, seeing the regression on the field and with the players in, in terms of their development.

I, I think that's, uh, that's gonna be a hard one for, for a lot of folks there in Columbia to kind of, kind of swallow and especially after the, the way they looked against Alabama.

I mean, that, that was just, uh, a complete mismatch, you know, really from the opening, uh, kickoff, uh, all the way through.

A mismatch and a just a real lack of uh control of your team.

I mean, Dylan, Dylan Stewart's out there throwing punches and then refusing to come out of the game.

Like, what, what are you doing?

They're, they're.

I, I, I, it's unfair to compare everybody to Nick Saban, but that never happens to a Nick Saban team or most other teams, frankly, you don't have a guy that just says, no, I'm not coming out.

So, there's, there's major issues there, but there's one more in the SEC.

Mike Elko, from the top 10 to 0-2 in the league and a bad 0-2, got absolutely drilled by LSU 35 to 6.

That's after the home loss to Kentucky, 197 yards of total offense, 3.3 yards per play.

Uh, Marcel, uh, Reed looks brutal at quarterback.

They've, they've just kind of lost their mojo, and maybe some of it was a product of a user-friendly schedule.

You know, the schedules can be very imbalanced when you have these massive leagues.

Uh, but still, you're losing at home to Kentucky, and then you're not competitive in your first SEC road game.

That's a very bad sign for where A&M is going.

I'm not firing Mike Elko for real, but for this week, he's fired.

All right, guys, that's the show for this week.

I appreciate it by listening.

Leave us comments, subscribe, give us good reviews, whatever you need to do, uh, and we'll be back.

I'll be back later in this week, uh, with Gene Wojohoski, and we will talk to you all later.