Speaker 1: Grab your coffee, all right, everybody, welcome to It just
means more football and coffee.
Speaker 2: I'm Rob Williams.
Speaker 3: He's craignant Michael, and he just hit record on this
podcast right in the middle of our sentence. So we're
starting off with chaos, which is appropriate because it's fowl
season and we're here to talk about it. You can
find me at Rob Williams, GCP at mcmichah seven for
my guy Craig over there, and you can find us
on X on Instagram.
Speaker 2: I mean, hey, look us up on Facebook.
Speaker 3: I don't care.
Speaker 2: You can find out that's true. That's true.
Speaker 3: You can also find us on Blue Sky because we're
everywhere and we're also real quick. First word, what's up
with Blue Sky?
Speaker 2: Are you digging it? I mean it's Are you forgetting
about it?
Speaker 3: I'm not forgetting about it because I put my daily
morning scripture on there as well as all my other apps.
But I don't scroll it. I think that's the thing.
It hasn't made it into my scrolling rotation yet.
Speaker 2: You're not engaging, is what you're saying. You got it,
so you're looking correct. So so what we're saying out
there is our friends out there, engage us on the
Lusky get us in there because I'm trying, but like you,
it's like, come on Twitter, get it together.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that I have maxed out my social
media is It's the reason that I don't have TikTok.
My social media time is maxed. Hey, don't forget speaking
of social media, to go to at Gridiron Coast to
find college Gridron Coast to Coast Network. There where you
can get access to so many great shows that cover
college football in all different facets across the country. But
we know that you're here for one thing, and that's
the Talk SEC where it just means more. And so
let me just start here, Craig. Any question, who's our
host or I'm sorry, who's our guests? We have no
guests today, and you know what, you know what I
want to say, shout out, shout out to some great
guests that we've had lately.
Speaker 2: Mike was awesome last week. We always loved having Casey on.
Speaker 3: We had Jake Crane on in the middle of the
week for a bonus episode a few weeks ago. We've
had some really cool guests and we brought our guys
in from Last Word to talk about the playoff and
had multiple looks from all over the Power four. But
I personally like it when it's just the two of
us because.
Speaker 2: It gives us.
Speaker 3: It gives us more room to cook. It gives us
more room to cook it up. And I think that,
you know, there's just something about throwing it back old school,
no guests, Robin Craig, let's break it down, and today
is going to be an especially deep sec type of pod.
But before we get there, because it is, it just
means more football and coffee.
Speaker 2: Are you drinking anything tonight?
Speaker 3: Are we on anything?
Speaker 2: So? I know?
Speaker 3: So are you drinking like, are you drinking like some
type of herbal tea or there flu or anything over there?
So shout out too as the voice cracks, Let's make
sure we get that in there.
Speaker 2: Shout out to Earl Gray in English Breakfast. I elevated
the tea game with being a little bit sick this weekend.
As I navigated that, let's just say I just had
a cup of Major Dickinson's blend from Pete's Coffee, probably
one of the best dark gross let me tell you,
I get it. It's Major Dickinson's. Here's here's the bonus
for you. Oftentimes this will be the Kroger special. So
when you.
Speaker 3: Go there, usually ten ninety nine a bag. I've been
known to get a freight ninety out of a bag.
Speaker 2: And again, we're getting We're gonna get whole being every morning,
you know. And and I worked it out just just right.
I'd like my coffee to be a little bit of
a dust basically, I almost want that espresso feel where
that coffee and the water just become one. And so
I needed a cup because we have three days left
to school and we are literally trying to make it through.
We have colds and the flues and everything all around us.
But yeah, so I just finished a fresh prot of coffee.
You you mentioned the tea.
Speaker 3: You mentioned the tea, and it triggered a thought in
my mind because my good friend, we're gonna call him
Intern Lucas, my good friend Intern Lucas has been on
the Korean Pine Needle Tea recently, and so I was
I was very surprised. How great this is Korean? The
Korean Pine Needle Tea is. I'll send you a link.
I'll send you a link. I can't really seat is
this Korean? Now it's in Korean. I don't know what
to tell you, but shout out to intern Lucas. We
hope that's that's a little teaser. We hope to get
him in here soon and maybe bring some new things
to the pod as we get deeper into the playoff
season and maybe into Bowl season and looking forward to
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2: Big things are happening.
Speaker 3: It just means more. And coffee. You never know what
could be right around the corner. All right, coffee, way,
have you have you tried that mushroom cuff?
Speaker 2: No? No, have you?
Speaker 3: No? I haven't. I haven't.
Speaker 2: I'm gonna stay. What about so? So what about like
holiday coffs? Are you doing a hazel nut? Are we
doing a peppermint? Are we doing a candy cane coffee?
Speaker 3: I don't like hazel nut. Really, it's fine. I'm just
not the biggest fan, but I do so. I drink
black coffee six days a week, and on Sundays, I
loaded up with all types of things because I get it.
I get it out at a local coffee spot. Yeah,
buy that coffee once or twice. I know, I know
what you're getting and uh, and so I just mix
and match with whatever they got rolling so right now,
they have the peppermint mocha, they have the toasted white chocolate,
but they also have the brown sugar Christmas cookie as well,
so I've done a little of all of those.
Speaker 2: You remind me of General McRaven. You ever seen I'm sorry,
Admiral McRaven. He's a former Navy seal. Gave a commencement
top ten things to do, you know, basically like life advice.
I would chow this to my student athletes and he
talks about being a sugar cookie and how you cannot
be a sugar cookie in life, and that coffee orders
makes you sound like a little bit of a sugar cookie.
My friend. I'm going to tell you, well, I enjoy.
Speaker 3: I enjoy the the black coffee six sticks out of
seven days, once a week, once a week.
Speaker 2: I'm just letting it up.
Speaker 3: So the other day on the way to school, I
got a it was top to McDonald's, which I'm sorry,
that's the og of coffee right there.
Speaker 2: I actually really like it.
Speaker 3: And here's the deal.
Speaker 2: If you get the mc donald's app, tons of deals.
Speaker 3: Always we're doing free advertising for all these places.
Speaker 2: We should really stop dropping names.
Speaker 3: This is why I said, coffee place, and you said,
Duncan you know you gotta you gotta dangle the fruit
right in front of them, Greg, come to.
Speaker 2: The sip, Come to the sip. But anyway, I got
a coffee. I went to take a drink and I
spit it out. It had two creams to sugar in there.
I am so pinkies up with my black coffee that
I could not drink a coffee with sugar and like
it just it like ruined the whole thing for me.
I was like, I can't do this. This isn't working
for me at all. So I am. I am bougie,
like I'm right there with you. The hazel nut it
doesn't taste right, you know something with the missus tried
to get me to get some candy cane coffee last
year and I said no, like we were hosting like
the family, and I'm totally fine. I'm totally fine.
Speaker 3: If we're talking espresso drinks and we want to dress
it up, I'm good with that. I used to do mocha.
I love mocha. If I'm if we're talking to espresso
and I'm gonna go, what is my bass drink? Anywhere
I walk into it's probably or or if I'm feeling
really black coffee, I'm just going to get an Americano black.
That's also. Those are my two moods though, Mocha and Americano.
Speaker 2: So leave a comment after a five star rating, leave
a comment in your ratings. What is your go to
foo foo coffee drink?
Speaker 3: Yeah? There we go.
Speaker 2: All right, let's get into it.
Speaker 3: It's Bowl season, baby, and if you weren't with us
all Sunday night, then you missed. Craig tell everybody that
he is a part of the horrible media swarm that
says the bowls don't matter. But I heard that clicks
that bowls are still important. We love Bowl season. I
am getting ready right now to flip on, uh the
West Virginia and uh, what's the matchup tonight? It's Memphis,
isn't it? West Virginia. Isn't that We're doing well?
Speaker 2: I was.
Speaker 3: It's the Scooter's Coffee It's the Scooter's Coffee Bowl. And yeah,
West Virginia Memphis. You got Memphis four the half on ESPN.
We got to bring Spencon. We gotta find out who
he is, what he's thinking.
Speaker 2: I'm loving it.
Speaker 3: I'm loving it. I'm loving it Bowl season and you
can't go wrong with Tuesday night football.
Speaker 2: It should be max At the same time.
Speaker 3: At the same time, I'm I'm monitoring South Carolina and
Clemson basketball. South Carolina is leading by four with eighteen
seconds left, so uh, dangerously close to go and undefeated
in the Palmetto Series across sports this year.
Speaker 2: So can I just say one thing to our adience.
This is why we usually record during the week, because
my goodness, if this isn't a thing of like, hey,
junk right, b.
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, okay, if you if you've made it this far,
it's time to talk with bowls, all right.
Speaker 2: So the impressive thing for me.
Speaker 3: When we talk about the SEC and everybody has had
their had their spiel, everybody's had their little spiel this
year about how the SEC is down, and YadA, YadA.
Speaker 2: Here's what we want to say.
Speaker 3: There's three teams that are not bowling, which would be Auburn, Kentucky,
Mississippi State. I have a lot of faith in Auburn still.
I've said this throughout the season about I think he's
gonna turn it around.
Speaker 2: The recruiting class and now the portal class. Watch out
on summer. I'll lick at his chops, is all I'm
gonna say. No, he's head to Kentucky. Who's the next
team we have here at four and eight?
Speaker 3: And I think that he's inevitably waiting to just He's
gonna call them and say let go Stoops, I'm ready
to come.
Speaker 2: And then we have Mississippi State, who I.
Speaker 3: Think is in a little bit of trouble now losing
Van Buren to LSU to be the backup to Nuts
next year. And so did you see, speaking of Mississippi State,
you see former Mississippi State head coach and old miss
analysts Zach Arnett isn't.
Speaker 2: A bidding war right now. He was originally slated yesterday
he had agreed to go join your former offensive coordinator
at Apple ATCHI in State ready to sign. And then.
Speaker 3: Uncle Eddie dan Mullen, I guess called today.
Speaker 2: Basically made are net and offer an Appalachian State said
we can't match it.
Speaker 3: Both of them makes sense, Both spots make sense. And
he's a good degas coordinator, he's a great defensive court
I am I am personally shocked that he did not
get looked at like you know, maybe Florida State. Yeah,
maybe it's somebody really shocked that that that that didn't
go a little bit higher, because I'll tell you, look
at the REGs defense this year that was impressive.
Speaker 2: But anyway, tell me about.
Speaker 3: So you have three teams that are out. Three teams
are out, and the only thing that I wouldn't say
about that is that that leaves us thirteen teams that
are in quote unquote postseason football teams that made it
into the world that is beyond the regular season. I
get it now that we have a playoff, that word
post season can be a little confusing, but formally, what
is the postseason in college football is anything past the
regular season. So we're looking at all of bowl season.
The thirteen out of sixteen teams. Thirteen out of sixteen teams,
So let's just hold the horses on. The SEC is
down and weak and YadA YadA. I think, really top
to bottom, this is one of the stronger secs that
we've seen in a while.
Speaker 2: No, I'm right there. So, So of the three Auburn,
Kentucky to City State, Lexington, Strike Vegas probably looking for
a new coach next year.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think so, and some are all is the
guy in Kentucky, so we can just go plug and play.
Speaker 2: It'll be Mississippi State that we have to worry about.
Speaker 3: I think that. I think some are all wants that job,
and that's why he told Tulane that he wasn't going
anywhere this year. I think he's just kind of waiting around.
It's I heard somebody compare it to another another alum.
It'll come to me anyway. I don't know how Missippi
State that one. That one, uh, that one makes me
shrugging my shoulders a little bit. Auburn I said this
contrary to our guy Phillip Jordan with last word. I
think that Jackson Arnold is a good move at Auburn.
I think it works. I think Jackson Arnold is better
than people give him credit for because I think that
he showed a lot of promise with Levy. Actually coincidentally,
as we're having this conversation, but you just had Dylan
Gabriel there and we see what we see what Dylan
Gabriel is this year, right Like, let's not let's not
sure change him at all. He was that at Oklahoma,
he was really that, he was really that at UCF.
He just has the best supporting Calf this year and
that's why we're getting to see him shine as much
as he is. There's no there's no reason you would
expect Jacksonarnal to come in and start over Dylan Gabriel
as a true freshman at Oklahoma last year, but then
when you had the coordinator change, I just don't think
Littrell's system fit his skill sh I think that Hugh.
Speaker 2: I think Hugh can make this work though, So question
for you on that, like, do you what do you
think was more appealing to Hugh Freeze. Was it the
three interceptions that that that he threw in the bowl
game after Dylan Gabriel decided he was done? Or was
it being benched for half a season this year for
a Oklahoma offense that couldn't get out of their own way?
Which do you think was that that? You know?
Speaker 3: Really, I think that the benching. I think that benching
was premature. I think it was a panic I think
it was a panic move.
Speaker 2: Especially by the way folks sarcasm. Fine, just like firing.
Speaker 3: Just like firing, the trail is is a is a
move that Venables has to make to cover his own butt.
Like I think that it's benching Arnold is the move
that Latreil is using cover his but this is a
trickle down. I don't think that he ever should have
been benched for the Hawkins kid in the first place. Okay,
so we'll also this also is brought to you by
Rob was wrong. But then we'll check it out. We'll
check it out on the play, all right, So hey,
what about those going bowling? Yeah, let's shack it out.
So in this first tier, we do have Oklahoma included
as well as Florida, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas. So just quickly,
let's just kind of run through these games. We'll start
with Florida. They're playing Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl. So
that one is I believe the first one that we
have coming up here, and it's on Yeah, you say
all these things, just tiwe together. Everything we've said has
been relevant. This is on Friday. So I'm excited about
this one because we have playoff football on Friday. But
I like the fact that we that we get a
little lead in, we get.
Speaker 2: A little tease. So Florida's actually a thirteen and a
half point favorite here. That didn't make sense to me
at all, Like I know, two lane's quarterback just at
the porrel.
Speaker 3: But that's yeah, it is. But like there's a chances preseason.
I think there's a chance he's preseason all sc.
Speaker 2: So are we having expectations and so basically what this
is setting up is we're forgetting about the blowout in Austin.
Speaker 3: Yeahkcase he didn't play, it's all about Lagway because he
wasn't in there because they had the Yale walk on
kid in Austin.
Speaker 2: I'm not saying they wouldn't have lost to Texas.
Speaker 3: I don't think it would have been a blowout of
those proportions because they wouldn't have able to the ball.
Speaker 2: Because he's just a problem. I think he's just a problem. Bro.
Speaker 3: He's a matchup from his frame, his ability to throw
the ball, his ability to run the ball. It's it's
it's that Cam Newton, Anthony Richardson, Leonora Seller's build of
a quarterback, and he has shown the ability to throw
it at all three levels. And he's a true he
was a true freshman. So I think getting a full
off season and having some of this game experience, I
think it's going to be people's expectations coming.
Speaker 2: In the next year.
Speaker 3: But I think you have a two lane team whose
quarterback has moved on. And I think I think that
the ways you have to feel these bowl games out,
and this is a good way to kind of get
into this first one because we're going to talk about
it with all of them, is like the opt outs
are an issue. The draft declarations are an issue, and
they come at random times. There's no like cut off
to say we need to know all of the opt outs.
We need to know all of the draft declarations for
bowl games. So when you're picking games, like in the
last word chat, I sent the pick them group a
week or so ago, but you can there's no way
to pick them because we could pick this game, yep.
And then you still have games that are a week,
a week and a half, two weeks later, and you
won't know for ten days after the Florida and Tulane
game that somebody's opting out of.
Speaker 2: A bowl on January second, right, So it's kind of hard.
It's kind of hard to call it.
Speaker 3: So this is kind of I think where it's fun
is these Bowl games become it's like.
Speaker 2: Maction, right, or when the fun Belt was on Wednesday nights,
you kind of watch these games and you let the
game kind of like have a rooting interest. All of
a sudden, some teams doing something and maybe pulling in.
But now you know, the kind of kind of tie
the bowl before before we hit up Oklahoma. Here, what
I'm interested to see from Florida is what does the
bowl game look like? What does an off season look like?
Because now there's gonna be expectations. I'm BILLI named here.
I think there has to be at least an eight
or a nine. I still don't think that success if
you're a Gators fan, but I think that when Colm
nexture has got to be an eight or a nine
for that really to show that that's working and maybe works,
And then then I would owe Christian an apology I
was wrong, Christian.
Speaker 3: I actually agree with you that I think eight is
kind of your magic number. The problem with that is
that they have the same league schedules that they had
this year.
Speaker 2: Do they have them again? I don't know.
Speaker 3: They have the same They have the same SEC schedule,
which we just know was absolutely brutally atrocious. And so
I would be interested to see because this year they
also had Miami, they had you see, f who are
they going to have in their non con that's a heavy,
heavy non con schedule for them too, and they always
have flourish State. So they had what is that eleven? Yeah,
power five games? Eleven power five games is kind of crazy,
and they won seven. So as much as we haven't
wanted to do this, and you think that I'm always
giving him flowers, I'm not. I'm not really a fan
and I and I also don't. I don't believe that
it works out in the long term, but I have
to give Napor some credit. I think seven was a
great number for them this year, and you know, to
show a little bit of progress, you're gonna want to
get to eight next year. I think it's a match number.
Speaker 2: You're right, all right?
Speaker 3: Fair enough Oklahoma, and let's see last one. I last one?
Speaker 2: I turn off to.
Speaker 3: Like, do you think I think? Do you think TWU
Lane covers the thirteen and a half before we moved
to Oklahoma? Yeah? I do, I do, Okay, I do,
I do.
Speaker 2: I think that was close.
Speaker 3: I think summer all again, maybe a little more engagement
with the theaters are Lockey Martin Arned Forces Bowl Oklahoma
so against the navymanshipman, this is December twenty seventh. Oklahoma
is an eight and a half point favorite. This is
this is the one that gets me. This is the
one that gets eight and a half is a little
bit much.
Speaker 2: Here's the deal. Oklahoma is hemorrhaging players right now. We're
talking to Jacob Moss earlier today and our last word chat,
and the highlight for the portal for Oklahoma is the
fact that they got an offensive lineman from Stanford and
a punter. Basically, their entire offense has opted out and
hit the portal. Navy showed that they're still alive. Sorry
Jeff Mounkin, but you know they knocked off Army last weekend.
To me, this is one of those where I'll take
the mids all day along and then how do you
not take the midshipman in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces?
Speaker 3: Yeah, like, actually I'm taking Navy. I'm taking Navy too,
as much as I want to be the sec homer.
And maybe that showed a little bit in my usual
all playoff picks on Sunday night, picking Tennessee in the upset,
I can't I can't put this one together, Like I
don't know Oklahoma. Oklahoma's defense is good and I think
maybe that's the only thing that we're leaning on here,
But I don't know how motivated they engaged. Yeah, right,
they engaged, and I think they I think across the
board with some of these games, you have to do.
Speaker 2: Like a like a temperature check. Yeah, Andrew McClary's laughing
at us and yelling at us on the on the
podcast right now. Oh look, you guys are just saying
these games don't matter because you're gonna lose, and it's like, well,
somewhere of the truth in between.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Well, I think it's I think it's case by
case at this point, because I do think that a
lot of these teams have turned the corner. We talked
about Prime and and sder and Travis Hunter, like they're
locked in. If those guys are playing, that whole team
is going going for it, like they're gonna play hard.
They're gonna go out and try to beat b YU
and make a statement and prove themselves. We'll kind of
get to it in a minute when we talk about
UH South Carolina. But I know from from being and
UH and covering that team last year and understanding what
Shane Member's about and seeing his press conferences as of
late that that team is very well locked in and
we'll get there. And so I think it's kind of
but some some Kahama six and six and their players
are leaving, and who do they even who's even there
they're gonna do anything with. They haven't had a lot
of action, like you said, come in the portal. So
it's not like guys are fired up about that's crazy
and it's honestly, honestly true. All right, So we're gonna
get and and I do think Navy's hot.
Speaker 2: I mean, they just just beat they just they just
beat Army pretty good.
Speaker 3: That's got to be a shot in the arm and
and if anybody's gonna have no opt outs, it's gonna
be a you know, service academy. So I don't expect
any change there. All right. This is probably my favorite.
Speaker 2: Go ahead, Yeah yeah, I was gonna stay. This next
one my favorite one. It might be my favorite one.
Speaker 3: Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl December twenty seventh.
Tech is a two and a half point favorite. I
think Clark Lee is one of the one of the
best coaching jobs in the SEC this year. I understand
that Vanderbilt was six and six. But let's examine that
sentence for a minute. I said, Vanderbilt the sex and
six with a win over Alabama, with a close game
against against Texas, who's in the playoffs. They look they
played well, they schemed well. We talked about this in
the off season. A lot of people have taught about this,
but you not. You don't just get Pavia, you don't
just get Jerry Kill, but you get your offensive coordinator,
your quarterbacks coach. You have three coaches and few players
off the New Mexico State team and they just ran
that system to perfection. But on the flip side of that, man,
the Yellow Jackets, UH, one of my favorites to watch
all year, called the upset against Florida State before we
knew what a dumpster fire that was almost Georgia.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean eight overtimes and we and we understand who.
Speaker 3: Haynes King is yep.
Speaker 2: And I think so.
Speaker 3: I think if you're looking at prop bet, to me,
it's like the first team to pass for one hundred
and fifty yards probably wins this.
Speaker 2: Game, because what do you get maybe twelve possessions? This
is like an Army Navy game. Both of these are
option oriented, ground and pound games like you better have
the wings ready, you better have the food ready, because
this is good. There's gonna be long drives, There's not
gonna be a lot of TV timeouts. You know, the
these two teams are going to turn. So you know,
I think it's it's interesting, similar styles. Curious to see
what does Clarkly do in the portal. He invested heavily.
Jerry Kill helped him, you know, Pavia.
Speaker 3: And every coming in what does he DoD yep and
Frank Kee, I do think it is moving uh the
Technical College or North Avenue in the right direction.
Speaker 2: So definitely interested in this one. I can't wait. I
can't wait for this.
Speaker 3: And I covered Georgia Tech in their bowl game last
year Agains and it was a lot of fun. So
I had a little bit of I had a little
bit of extra belief in them coming into this year
having seen and looked into that roster a little bit
and kind of seeing what they were working with because
Jamal Haynes' studd a running back to so they've been
able to do a good bit this year. That game
is just you know, you got gold gold on both helmets.
You got same scheme, similar schemes, not exactly the same scheme,
but you got, you know, the same philosophy coming at
you from both sides. It's gonna be something fun really quick.
What do you think we've kind of been picking these
as we've been going through. I mean, it's two and
a half, so essentially when it's okay, let's just say,
let's just say this too, about any any freaking Vegas line.
Speaker 2: If it's under three, it's very unlo like that.
Speaker 3: It's very unlikely that that somebody's gonna win the game
less than three points. Like, how often does that happen?
How often I'm doing ramblin wreck? I am one and
two point games? One and two point games. I want
the stat on the on college football game percentage of
college football games over the course of the entirety of
the year in FBS that end in one or two
point margins.
Speaker 2: It can't be that much. So I'm gonna go Georgia
Tech because I'm going to go based on a common
opponent MIAMA Monter Georsey State University. Yeah one, Georgia State Vanderbilt.
It's light week three or something like that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, okay, Yeah, I think I'm going to Georgia Tech.
I think I'm going to Georgia Tech as well. It
was tough to say because as of right now, that
has us picking the SEC one and two. All right,
Arkansas gets Texas Tech one of the hottest. Shout out
to Andrew mc McCleary and the autos talking about twenty seventh.
They're hot, They're hot, They're hot in the portal. Nothing.
The portal does nothing for you during bowl season except
it could motivate your younger players to say, hey, I
got to get out here.
Speaker 2: Number one.
Speaker 3: We're we're gonna pick up some ahead of steam going
into next year. Because I do think that it's motivating
right if you if you play well in the bowl game.
We're talking about this this level, and and teams are
trying to elevate up to that next level because the
reality is we're going to get We're still talking the
bottom of the SEC Bowl games here. But all these
teams have the potential, not all of them.
Speaker 2: Florida up.
Speaker 3: I guess Oklahoma and and and even Arkansas have potential
to get to nine wins next year and make that
bid for the playoff. I don't think that's super realistic,
But I think that it's possible. I think it's possible.
Speaker 2: Are you looking for clicks or where does that know from?
Speaker 3: No, I'm I just think that anything's possible in this league.
As South colin was picked to win four games this
year and what looks look at what they did.
Speaker 2: Remember Mike, Remember Mike? This weekend was like, oh, you
know some of those sec slappies like those are the
cabins that I think Mike was tough. That's fine, that's fine. Okay,
So this game, this game is the complete opposite of
Georgia Tech Vanderbilt because to me, I think I think
this is one of those old fashioned shootouts.
Speaker 3: I feel like the Liberty Bowl is always kind of
has some weirdness to it. Yeah, but I definitely could.
Speaker 2: See first one to forty two wins this one because
Texas Tech, sorry Andrew has no defense whatsoever.
Speaker 3: And I think Bobby Patrino could do something. Yeah, he'll
he'll want to do something with that.
Speaker 2: Arkansas. I'm just not sure, Like like again, Arkansas, Arkansas.
Speaker 3: It's because Taylor Green is jackal and Hyde and I
don't know, to be completely transparent, who's playing and what
those doubts look like in this.
Speaker 2: Game, arkansass and other team that's had quite quite a
few huge portal here. Peter, Peter, Yeah, Birds was talking
about earlier this week how the bottom half of the
old SEC West has basically become the farm system for
the rest of the SEC.
Speaker 3: The only one who's been able to counter that is
Kiffing of the Rubs.
Speaker 2: But everywhere else, I mean, I think you've got Arkansas's
top tight end is going to the Rubs. I think
there's another one.
Speaker 3: I think the linebacker is going to Texas A and M.
Speaker 2: You know, it's it's one of those things where it's farm.
Speaker 3: So they've got a ton of guys in the portal,
A ton of guys in the portal. Okay, so long
story short, I'm Arkansas and a half point favorite. I'm
going to take text takets right up, guns up, baby, Shoot.
There were one and three. All right, let's get to
the middle tier. Hang on, hang on, what is that
that last word article?
Speaker 2: Call this one the disappointment and frustration tier. That's fair.
It is more than frustration. Yeah, starting out with your
speaking of Okay, let's.
Speaker 3: Talk about out out to Craig, because everything we're doing
right now is coming straight off of his sec Betting Lines,
which has been an incredible segment, an incredible segment all year.
You know you did. You did a great job managing
our Heisman vote and writing that up every week, and
I really enjoyed reading those Heisman articles. Our personal conversation
back and forth has just been how much of the
Heisman has lost its luster, especially in terms of week
to week talk. And it's crazy because this year was
such a such a unique year, but I would but
I say that all of that to say, my favorite
installment of yours is dec Betting Lines. Each week. I
really really enjoy getting to see how you just give
these these snippets breaking down the games and and it
doesn't have to be in depth for it to be
meaningful and be substantive. And so shout out to you
for a great, a great piece here that's really helping
us work through this.
Speaker 2: I appreciate that.
Speaker 3: I always always like like, like I love like from
our podcast, but like even covering Georgia, it's like you're
always trying to figure out, you know, what is that
narrative for the week, you know, what are those potential
story lines like that, So like it's it's it's a
fun actually, so I appreciate the shot up in front
and and and the best storylines are always in this league,
and so there's really no need to zoom out further
than that. We get to the COASHU All playoff and
we need to look national. But that's about the only
time of year that I really even even care to
do that. So all that to say disappointment and frustration.
The Star War tasas A and m they have USC
and the SRS Distribution lost Vegas Bowl.
Speaker 2: What is SRS Distribution? What is that?
Speaker 3: I don't know. I don't know, And you know what,
maybe that's why they are sponsoring a ball so that
on December twenty seventh.
Speaker 2: I bet you we're gonna find out. Because what are
those twelfth Man dancers doing in Vegas? You think they're like,
are they groving with the roquets and the show girls.
They're on the they're on the street, They're on the
sidewalk for tips.
Speaker 3: All right, Yeah, soh Vegas Bowl's got to be a
lot of fun. But you're right, I'm not really sure
how tax Am fits into the narrative of Vegas. The
Trojans will be just fine.
Speaker 2: They'll be Okay, that's I is that a few hours?
A few hours there?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think they can manage. I think they can manage.
This will be a really fun, really fun Bowl game.
I think that Vegas is the perfect sports town, and
they host the Super Bowl a couple of years ago,
just you know, spectacular event all the way around. I
think it works really well, and I feel confident if
this has not been announced already, that we will see
the National Championship in Vegas sooner rather than later. Life pod,
it wouldn't be a podcast. Who weren't plugging for someone
to pay.
Speaker 2: For us to go?
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure, I mean, I'm down. I would go
to this game. I think it'd be a lot of fun.
I would.
Speaker 2: I'd have a great time at this game.
Speaker 3: Hey, I don't. I don't need to spend a whole
lot of time on this, Okay, good, because I don't
want to. Look, I'm taking takes a listen, I'm taking
the aggies because I don't believe in USC. Absolutely.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I believe in USC's talent. But then half of
the talent I don't believe in that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't. I don't believe in it at all.
Receiver in the portal. He may he may be a dog.
I'm gonna be honest with you. I think two and
a half's at a little bit less. So I'm definitely go
into et Okay Missouri Steel ranked potentially potentially in that range.
Speaker 2: They're actually going up.
Speaker 3: I know that is impossible. I don't know they play Iowa.
And here's another one. This is in the trans Perfect
Music City Ball. I don't know what that is either.
I don't think that.
Speaker 2: I'm like trans Perfect is like it's like.
Speaker 3: Credit reports or something like that, I think.
Speaker 2: But here's the deal. Is this not like a Big
ten West matchup at like an FS one at.
Speaker 3: Like noon, like typical fall day. It's interesting to me.
So it's December thirtieth, so we're starting to pick up
here in terms of.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, because the three points. So here here's what
I'm looking forward to this one. I almost scored like
forty points like two or three times this year, you know.
Shout out to Tim Lester. Former Western Michigan head coach.
Go'brian Coos comes in for Brian Furntz last year for
the Hawkeyes, who could not score three hundred and twenty
five total points. And has really done a nice job
at revamping the Iowa offense a little bit. I know
Phil Parker has always done a masterful job with that defense.
But I'm sorry, Like, yeah, I don't like it. Like
this is a quadbox where it's like kind of there,
but like I don't even know if it's in my quadbox,
it'll be there because there's probably nothing else going on
at whatever time that is. That's true. That's true. That's true.
That's true.
Speaker 3: And it's December thirtieth, and so that's smack dab in
the middle of we're chilling out the week between the
New Year's and we need we need football.
Speaker 2: The kids are playing and then this is just kind of.
Speaker 3: Like out of the back.
Speaker 2: This is total background music.
Speaker 3: And yeah, and if there's nothing else on, it's gonna
be more. I will change my team quickly. It'll be
much more than the background music because I'll be locked
in if this is the only football option at that point. Okay,
you need help.
Speaker 2: You're locked in from Missouri Iowa. I'm sorry, my friend.
I love I love the CC and college football just
as much as you do. But like I'm a true sicko.
That's then that's exactly what this is gonna be. I
promise you, I promise you I will be locked. I'll
be absolutely locked almost.
Speaker 3: I'm I'm incredibly distracted right now because South Carolina and
Clemson are in overtime in this basketball game, and uh,
South con is up to with fourteen seconds off?
Speaker 2: Should we call Casey case in here live rerection? Yeah,
say if we can see if we can get him in.
Speaker 3: I saw. I looked at it and it was like
forty something seconds left and the game cons were up
by five in regulation. And that's when I made the
comment earlier while during the show that they're headed towards
undefeated the Palmetto Series. Now I look back down and
it's going overtime. So here here it is again. They
turned the ball over with fifteen seconds left up too anyway.
Speaker 2: Missouri memphiships memphisis had nice little readoption quarterback took inside
the five yard.
Speaker 3: I like them, I like I like Memphis And that
was the four and a half four and a half.
Former South Carolina this is super game cocky of me,
but former South Carolina running back pulled up from Newbury
College in the transfer portal to play South Carolina. Mario
Anderson's and started running back for Memphis this year. Had
a great year, had a great year. I think he
had about I think it was I think it was
the twelve hundred yards a thousand play yards on the
year for them.
Speaker 2: So all right, anyway, show you show this. Let's just
replay like so Memphis just scores a touchdown.
Speaker 3: There he is, by the way, that's the guy I'm
talking about.
Speaker 2: Yeah, dancing to the end zone. I don't know if
you want to call it a shovel pass under the
arm pass. I have never quite seen this. I'm gonna
we're gonna have to check him in Memphis, Spence.
Speaker 3: But Craig Craig has showing me his toes right now,
just for anybody who's wondering, that's really you see that
little like Yeah, he threw it. He was rolling to
the right and he and he threw it. He bowled
it is he bowled it. I'm calling it a bowling pass.
Speaker 2: All right? Thanks? What's that? I said? Thanks for the peedicure.
By the way, that was a nice Christmas.
Speaker 3: Yea, absolutely absolutely, I'm I'm glad glad them for you.
Missouri three point favorite and uh in Nashville against Iowa.
I like it. I think Brady Cook's gonna play because
it's the end of his He's that type of guy.
Speaker 2: I was gonna say rock Shock and I'm like, oh,
that's Kansas.
Speaker 3: I could see him. I can. You're going hawk.
Speaker 2: Eyes, I am.
Speaker 3: I don't like drinks. Oh I don't like him either.
But I'm looking at it objectively, and I think that, uh,
I'd never look at things objectively. That's why I'm I
was on the co host. I'm looking at it objectively,
and I'm just telling you that I don't like that
magic bridleway.
Speaker 2: All Right, Lsu? Is Luthor playing? No A's playing? But
if but if we is playing, then not just start him?
Speaker 3: Yeah? All right?
Speaker 2: How about how about the weirdest how about the weirdest
matchup of this disappointment frustration LSU and Baylor in the
Kinders Texas Bowl. Where's the Candors Texas Bowl. I'm gonna
google that, go ahead.
Speaker 3: Where is it located? I'm gonna look it up, Go
ahead and preview it for us. This is December thirty first,
so we get a New Year's Eve game, and so
we're leading up. We've now made it to the let's
lead up to the first big college football playoff games
of the weekend. You got boys. The Boise matchup is
on the thirty, first in the evening, so you got
a few games on this day. As lead INDs to
that game, the LSU here is a two point favorite.
Eight and four was their final record. I think you're
gonna get their roster. They've done well in the portal already,
and so somehow or another, culture is still thriving, and
Brian Kelly has held it together to the point that
they are bringing in more guys.
Speaker 2: I'm gonna say this really quick. We are family. I'm
gonna me major credit, major credit to Brian Kelly.
Speaker 3: And I tweeted this south since I saw it, because
he went from crying about the nil situation and recruiting
and so on and so forth. We can't get guys
from have money to doing a million dollar match, and
I get that choice.
Speaker 2: I actually do think do you think Scott would?
Speaker 3: I actually do think this is his choice because because
you have to you have to remember that he can't
give directly to an il, so this is a facility grab,
so it's a write off. And coaches do this all
the time. I've seen Yeah, every every coach that's coming
to South Carolina has given money towards the facilities, and
so that's that's the same, see what Brian Kelly is doing.
But I love the way they set it up because
it's set up as a match. So it's incentivizing their
fan base to give a million dollars to an IL,
and then he's matching it to give a million dollars
to facilities. So I think a million dollars is kind
of dropping the bucket for Brian Kelly. But I like
the fact that he puts his money where his mouth
is and gets creative with a plan to get people
to give to NIL.
Speaker 2: Kept at a million dollars. He won't give any more
than a million dollars. That's what it will. Yeah, he
said up to So you're gonna give him flowers and
you will be all excited for Brian Kelly. Absolutely when
Mike Absolutely, When Mike Norvell put in four and a
half million dollars into his NIL, well, I.
Speaker 3: Think it's just a it's a anything you can do,
I can do better world. And so which one came first?
The Brian Kelly situation, and so then here comes Norvel.
Now I don't have any insight. There's no source anything
at all.
Speaker 2: Lou's gonna think I hate LSU. I think is what
is what it comes down because every time we talk
about LSU, I get angry and I start ripping.
Speaker 3: On it looks like the game. Cocks won the basketball game.
By the way, so we will not call. I could
stop looking at my I can stop looking at my phone. Now.
I have no information on this, but I can see
the Norvail thing being a not totally voluntary move.
Speaker 2: No, that wasn't voluntary. No, none of this was voluntary.
Speaker 3: But his buyout is absolutely atrocious. So they're stuck. They
didn't have a choice. They didn't have a choice, all right.
Positive positive for the kinder Kinders Texas Bullets in Houston, Texas.
And this is where this game is important. Uh, it's recruiting.
It's the city of Houston.
Speaker 2: Both rights that ones that I know Baylor and LSU
are are looking to have. So it's a great opportunity
for those coaches to try to get out and see
those local kids, to kind of see what's going on.
Speaker 3: By the way, it's right down the roads. It should
be a huge spot for l s U. From recruiting standpoint.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so like Houston is one of those spots too
where I love. I love Austin.
Speaker 3: I want to go to Austin.
Speaker 2: I want to check out obviously down sport Worth for
Houston supposed to have an amazing culinary scene. A lot
of a lot of different cultures have have come there
kind of kind of putting it together. So definitely want
to want to check out Houston. But I agreed, I was.
Speaker 3: I was supposed to do a UH Speak speak at
a conference for a weekend in Houston a couple of
years ago and had some personal stuff that ended up
happening and I.
Speaker 2: Wasn't able to go, And so it's still on my list,
still on my list. Of that's list, how many of
us had, Dave rand is still I'm Baylor's dancing.
Speaker 3: Well there's the other connection too, because where did Dave
Ranna come from.
Speaker 2: L SU l s U.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he was the coordinator for for a coach O
and l at l U before getting the head coach
a job at Baylor. So LSU's a two point favorite.
You just match up talent here. I think it's pretty
I think it's pretty simple to make the call. So
then it comes down to opt out and engagement. To
use your word from earlier, Yep, I kind of think it.
I kind of think LSU is still going to be engaged.
I don't know that. I'm you push back on me
if you want to push back on me, But I'm
going to start with the most influential player on most teams,
and that's the quarterback. And this is coming back. So
why would he not be engaged? He he has every
reason in the world to get his guys fired up
and ready for next year, so maybe they can make
a splash. No, I'm there with it. Like Kelly's done
a really good job.
Speaker 2: Of kind of winning those games he's supposed to do
for the most part. So I'm right there, and I'm
gonna be honest to quote Don Draper. When I think
about Baylor, I don't even think about you. Yeah, Like
there's just not anywhere on my perview. So are you
a big mad man?
Speaker 3: Guy?
Speaker 2: Love mad man? Okay, me too? How have we never
come across that? All? Right? The cream of the crop?
Then there were three those three left out, first three
left out, first three left out of the playoff? Yeah,
is this the source sports? You won the basketball game,
so then we can talk about it. You want to
talk about the game Cracks first year, I'll go to Alabama.
I'm going to I'm going to Alabama first. Okay, rematch
from the playoff last year and the Quest rely Aquest Bowl. Yeah,
these two matched up because it was because the rematch Michigan.
Speaker 3: Yes, it's a league office decision. Yeah, this is really
it has to be a big it has to be
a Big ten team. So who are you going to?
I don't know, seriously, seriously, seriously, you can't go to
Penn State then the playoffs. They'll be out of the
playoff by then, so you have to go to you
have to go to at least fourth. No, No, let's
just let's just play the game, because I agree with you.
It just doesn't seem right if we go to the
Big ten and we look at the standings. Yeah, you
got Oregon in the playoff, Indiana in the playoff, Penn
State in the playoffs. For now, at High State in
the playoffs. Fifth place is Illinois. We're gonna get to them.
So they got the first slot and the other ninety three.
Please stop with the Big two conversation. Yeah, I agree,
that's what I'm saying, this is my whole that's the
whole point of this podcast, Greig, that's the whole point
if we look at these teams, if we look at
the depth of the sec versus the up.
Speaker 2: That's exactly. Okay, six is Iowa.
Speaker 3: We just talked about them. Okay, they were eight and
four on the season, and then the seventh place team
in the Big ten is Michigan. So this is the
way the yes, it is, this is where tonight. I
am all the way blooming onion. Yes, yes, absolutely. And
my family is an outback family. We ate it out
back once a month when I was growing up. And
so I'm going with the I love the loaf of
brown bread whatever it's called. It's it's fantastic. I'm doing
the mustard finger out on the salad. No, I'm I'm
doing that. Sorry, that's like ketchup and noo. Yeah, yeah,
it's great.
Speaker 2: So you gotta try. The mustard finger is so good.
Speaker 3: And I'm going away.
Speaker 2: I'm just gonna call this off the off the reels
and coffee. I think it's fine. It's midweek. This is
a bonus episode.
Speaker 3: We don't have to keep it on the blooming onion,
and I'm doing a half rack of ribs and the
side of cheese fries.
Speaker 2: No, no steak. Nah, I'm going to a red guy.
You're going out back steaks. You're steak. You're not the
loaded baked potato.
Speaker 3: At least tell me.
Speaker 2: You're going the chocolate comner from down under by the.
Speaker 3: Way, Memphis for sure. By the time we get off
this podcast, it's this Bowl game is gonna be worth watching.
It's gonna be a blowout, all right, It's like bowl
games matter, well they do to some people.
Speaker 2: We need to go. We need to go to out
Back because one of.
Speaker 3: Those teams just fired their coach and the other one
went ten to too. So you tell me who's motivated. Memphis,
West Virginia.
Speaker 2: All right, we get I'm still I'm still blowing away
by this cheesy fries and the ribs that out.
Speaker 3: What are we doing?
Speaker 2: The ribs have fallen off? Are you Fosters? So if
you get a beer, you go on Foster's.
Speaker 3: Now it's an Australian beer.
Speaker 2: It's not an Australian restaurant. It is I understand Australian.
It is in the name.
Speaker 3: And they have sheielas and blokes on the the bathroom doors.
Speaker 2: But it's not it's not Australian ude.
Speaker 3: I'm using air quotes, but what is that?
Speaker 2: What about the food is Australian? Have no idea coconut shrimp?
Speaker 3: Okay? Is pumper nickel a bative Australian bread? I'm genuinely asking.
I'm not trying to like an idiot. I'm genuinely asking.
Speaker 2: I don't know. I don't like nobernicles, the fancy steakhouse bread,
like when you when you want bread, you get like
do you ever have a steak in Ale in South Carolina?
Like steak and Ale?
Speaker 3: So saktak and Ale? I don't staking ale, And I
don't have to be honest with you. I don't know
that I've seen a steak and Ale in ten years?
Speaker 2: That literally yeah again, okay, so I'm like ten years
older than you as it is so like middle school,
like things were going well.
Speaker 3: Like you get like yeah like plates yeah no, but
like no, I'll back.
Speaker 2: It's still like one of my favorites.
Speaker 3: Like like if I think about out back lawn, horn.
Speaker 2: Tanks roadhouse, Texas Texas road, like the og there is
the cinnamon, the cinnamon cinnamon butter. Yeah, so let me
tell you at work this week they had a holiday
party and they had like butter. They chopped in either
course salt or they had like strips of like honey
and they put it in there. It's like well done.
It was.
Speaker 3: It was so good.
Speaker 2: We are like we have done up the best tease
ever because we got to the three.
Speaker 3: Best bowl games in the SEC and we've talked about
food for ten minutes.
Speaker 2: All right.
Speaker 3: Alabama is playing the seventh uh seventh best team in
the Big Ten Michigan Wolverines in the Relia Quest formally
and I was the Outback Bowl and Tampa December thirty first.
Alabama is a eleven and a half point favorite.
Speaker 2: Jaylen Milroy has said he is playing. Question is is
the seventeen year old? Because he might be the portal
by then. There there has been some smoke from the
Next Round Live. Ryan Williams hosted yesterday bingo we got
action with a dart and an elephant, and then old Missus,
director of I'm Campus Recruiting, Santana McKnight said, bingo, we
got action. Hashtag come to the sip pipe, hashtag transfer
to the sup.
Speaker 3: I wonder if bingo we had action and the elephant
emoji is saying that they finally got his deal, because
that's the hold up. He said he's going into portal
if he doesn't get his deal done correctly. And the
tweet originally to me looks like, Hey, they finally nailed
it with my deal.
Speaker 2: Can you imagine this Lane gets Ryan Williams.
Speaker 3: Well, if Ryan Williams leaves, it's very clear that it's
just a money grab. So he's gonna go where who
ever has whoever check che Can you imagine? My point
is yeah, no, But my point is I don't know
that Lincoln cut him the biggest check into the buck Eyes.
Speaker 2: The buck guys probably could could do.
Speaker 3: Can we just or or intermit here we go to
tie back into our game inter Michigan. Look at the
bag that portn Or just dropped for Bryce Underwood, Like,
who's saying that they don't cut Ryan Williams the Oracle
guy too? Yeah, I mean Hawaii, Either one of those
guys can drop a check for Ryan Williams. Do you
know that the Oracle guy he owns like ninety seven
percent of the island it is, And so it's like,
so when we were sitting on Maui. We were on
the beach, we.
Speaker 2: Were sipping our our fancy drinks. Then he was off
to our left and Molokai was to our right, and
I kept thinking of like, man knows ninety seven percent
of that island over there. Life is good.
Speaker 3: So you know why you know why we're talking about
alt Back and Hawaii right now because Alabama is going
to smack them.
Speaker 2: I thought that this was proof that the bulls matter.
Speaker 3: Well, I think that it is for that the bulls
matter again on a case my case basis, and they
better matter for Alabama because Caitlyn or can not afford
to so I think at all. So let's say like, uh,
Alabama's already had two or three guys go to the portal.
Speaker 2: I know the defensive back to Anton Smith is going
to know that that Alabama the Notre Dame connection was wild. Yeah,
but like nine and three, you're losing guys to the portal. Oh, God,
Rich Rodriguez is on ESPN right now. Anyway, Caylen de
Bor I think is in trouble. There's a slippery slope
here if Sharon Moore comes correct and engaged the Tuscaluska
crowd of Courtney.
Speaker 3: So I heard I.
Speaker 2: Heard a take.
Speaker 3: I heard a take from our guy j C. Sherbert.
Shout out to j C. H Come on the twenty
four to seven Sports he made the hot take prediction
that the move for Kaitlyn de Bor after next year
is head to head to LA and replace a fired
Lincoln Rilly.
Speaker 2: Come again.
Speaker 3: Yeah, so the so the idea is that he doesn't
have a great year again next year and then he
takes the job with the Trojans before Alamema gets a
chance to cut him.
Speaker 2: Oh my, so we'll see.
Speaker 3: That's a pretty hot one. That would be something, would
be something. Hey, Yeah, I don't really think there's much
to talk there because.
Speaker 2: Michigan's defense is legit.
Speaker 3: They have a ton of NFL draft prospects early NFL
draft prospects still haves on this defense. My question is
how many of them are going to play in this
game because their status is pretty much cemented in terms
of their draft status.
Speaker 2: Might be on your list of the homework that I
gave you this weekend, guys, Yes, he might be.
Speaker 3: He might be because he has said that he's playing,
and I think he's on the fence about I think
he's on the fence about he needs to come back
the NFL. I think he needs to come back one
hundred percent.
Speaker 2: Heeds come back. But that.
Speaker 3: I think it's interesting to me. Let's just say that
this game is very interesting to me. How them a
secondary is questionable in a conversation, Damn right, it's interesting.
Alabama secondary is questionable. But Michigan has the wady to
throw the ball. Michigan's defense is really really good. But
are they gonna play? And then which Jaylen Milroy are
we gonna get? He seems fired up and ready to go,
but we don't know we were gonna until he gets
on the field, Like are we gonna get the world
beater Heisman Trophy candidate Jalen Milroe or are we gonna
get the Oklahoma looks like the first why are these
it is that a Saturday? And then Sundays Junary?
Speaker 2: First?
Speaker 3: Is the it's not a Saturday, It's it's just because
it's a holiday. It's like the old New Year six model.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: But and and the playoff the playoff games just like
this week, it's one game on Friday night and three
on Saturday. The next round is one game on New
Year's Eve, night and the three games on New Year's
Day because everybody is off. So it's a Tuesday Wednesday.
It's a Tuesday Wednesday. But what you're gonna get is
this Alabama game. Then you're gonna get the South Carolina
Illinois game, and they're gonna roll straight into the Boise
State whoever they get game, Tony, don't fire me for
asking that question. That's why.
Speaker 2: Okay, No, that makes sense. All right, I'm gonna take
Alabama to cover eleven and a half. No, take Michigan
cover all right.
Speaker 3: Cool, I'm actually with you. I'm with you, but I'm
taking out going to win that one for sure. I
think it's all right. Don't don't get Khaki. Here comes
the Flowers.
Speaker 2: All right.
Speaker 3: So there was one bowl that got to choose their opponent,
I mean, their teams to play for them out of
the SEC. So you get the three the top SEC
teams in Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee that are in the
College of Ball playoffs. Then for the SEC in terms
of bowls, this is a direct statement from the SEC.
Speaker 2: The Citrus Bowl.
Speaker 3: Gets to choose it's SEC team because the Citer Bowl
is the top non playoff bowl game.
Speaker 2: recC the cheese at Citrus Bawl.
Speaker 3: Yeah, well that that sponsor has moved around because cheez
It was on a different bowl. Yeah, not that long ago.
They leveled up. They leveled up is essentially what happened.
Speaker 2: I know. But but the moment you see chee It,
you automatically discount that ball, even though you see Citrus,
which Tennessee should be here because you can't sell Citrus
at ut Yeah.
Speaker 3: Anyway, so they get to pick and then the SEC
League Office assigns the other bowls. The SEC League Office
sent Alabama to Tampa. They sent Ole Miss to Jacksonville,
if you're going to get to in a minute. But
South Carolina was chosen by the Citrus Bowl, which is
to say two things.
Speaker 2: Number one, we think South.
Speaker 3: Carolina's the best team out of these three, and number two,
we think South Carolina will bring the most people to
our bowl.
Speaker 2: The second one is definitely true.
Speaker 3: And the third one that I think is a major
factor as well, is that Ana has the only of
the three of the three teams that has a star
quarterback who's guaranteed to play in this game. Because at
that point in time, you could have questioned Milroy playing
and going to the draft. You could definitely question Dark
playing and go into the draft. So Leonora sell shirt friend,
he's coming back, that's true. I will be there, Okay,
I will be there, all right. So this is December
thirty first, So Luke Altmeyer in the fighting Alini, who's
Luke Altmeyer's coming back? Former rev quarterback from Starkfille High School. Yeah,
And I actually like I like Altmeyer's in this in
the system. I like Brett b.
Speaker 2: Lama.
Speaker 3: I think that they you know, they have a They've
had a good year and not a great year. They've
had a good year on offense, and so they've been
over five five man, they were great. I like what
I like what Altmar did in at Old Miss when
he came into spot duty. Like I think that he
showed some promise. It just was it ever like quite enough.
I don't think for Lane to make him the next guy.
So he went to the portal and found people that
were gonna kind of leap frog over him. The connection
for me here is that Justin Stepp, who was on
Beamer's staff as the wider wide receivers coach in South Carolina,
was with Beamer for the first three years, and then
Beamer moved him to tight ends coach to make room
for James Coley, who was there for a couple of cuts,
moved over to Georgia. Dember hired a sitting head coach
to come in and be the wide receivers coach, and
Mike Furry, who's had an unbelievable year, and Justin Stepp
ultimately wanted the coach receivers, not tight ends, and I
think the moves to tight end was just a way
of saving face and keeping him on the coaching staff
and not letting him go. Justin step then left his
home state and childhood team of the game Cocks and
is now the wide retrievers coach at Illinois. You've done
a Champagne Illinois, and your bucket list of places to
visit not even close, like not even like the top
one hundred places to visit. But I think if I
gave you a blank map of Illinois, do.
Speaker 2: You think you get No?
Speaker 3: I couldn't.
Speaker 2: I know where Chicago is. That's it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, sorry, Bert, Yeah, I couldn't get it. The
other The other note. The other note here with with
Illinois and Justice seven wide receivers is that their leading receiver,
Illinois's leading receiver on the season is the only notable
opt out that we have so far in this game.
I think it's a fifty to fifty shot with Kyle
Canard on the game Cock side of it. So Negirsky
winner Kyle Canard kind of deciding. I think he's kind
of listening for some draft grades. I think there's a
couple of guys on the game Colls defense that are
waiting out, holding out for draft grades to figure out,
Hey do I do I want to play? Am I?
Speaker 2: You know, borderline third round and I.
Speaker 3: Can bump myself up my second or second borderline second
first round? Can I have to go out there and
do something that really elevates me to get me clearly
into the first round range? Those types of am I
not on a draft board and I need to get
into that. So, you know, I think the Leonora Sellis
is a matchup nightmare for anybody, and I think that
ends up being the thing. I would not have expected
Rocket Sanders to play, but I've heard nothing about him
not playing. Comeback Player of the Year by the AP
was came out today one of three, and so I
think that combination is is a problem is a problem.
So I'm looking for I'm going to getting cuts. I'm
looking forward to this game. It's ten and a half
point favorite. I think it's South chronic covers. Actually, I
have you said, don't get cocky. I have all the
all the cockiness in the world about this one because
just just being close to the program and hearing what's
been said lots of senior leadership on this the defense
is going to lose a ton, but a lot of
those guys have said they really want to get ten wins.
It's only been done four times in the history of
South of South Carolina football has there been a ten
win season. So this will be the fifth ten win
season ever. And so that kind of puts you in
an upper echelon of of gamecock world. So I think
they want to go get it done. So yeah, I
just I'm yeah. And three of those three of those
were Steve spur years. That was twenty eleven, twenty twelve,
twenty thirteen. The nineteen eighty four South Carolina was on
its way to the National National Championship bid and lost
a game to Navy late in the year and that
was their that.
Speaker 2: Was their one loss.
Speaker 3: But uh, the reled it. Yeah, so that was also
an eleven win team or ten wins team because I
only played eleven wins back then.
Speaker 2: So you're going You're going to Illinois and this one
going to kind of cover.
Speaker 3: I like the Game Cocks by my three scores, So
somewhere in that seventeen to twenty one range. What about
in the worst place to have a bowl game? Jacksonville
also not a good not a good spot for an
initial slight game. Well, what's going on with the stadium
in Jacksonville before we get here? I don't know. Are
they still doing construction? No, the starting construction next year
year after, I believe. Okay, so yeah they haven't started yet.
All right, ole miss our last one here against Duke
and the Taxlayer Gator Bowl. This is on January second.
I was at the Gator Bowl a few years ago
when South Carolina had an incredible game against Notre Dame.
It was the exavierately get breakout game, and so Game
Cocks came up a little bit short in that one,
but just just a really really cool game. A quick
quick story there is I found a six spot in
terms of an airbnb. Not in the best area necesserely
in Jacksonville, but two blocks off of a nice little
village where we were able to find a pizza play
set at the bar watch the early earlier games in
the day, split a pie, and we were about a
mile and a quarter from the stadium, so we just
had pizza. Absolutely not. I do think I got Buffalo
chicken though, so Tony would still be unhappy with me.
But it was just over a mile from the stadium
the airbnb, so it was close enough to where we
could justify the walk not pay for parking, because if
you're gonna park, if you're gonna pay for parking, then
it was gonna be a half mile walk anyway, so
you might as well walk a full mile and h
and just walk over to you. At this point, this
is a couple of years ago, So.
Speaker 2: What was this. This would have been the end of
twenty twenty two.
Speaker 3: This is after the Tennessee and Clemson games, So two
years ago I was twenty eight.
Speaker 2: Okay, young man, I get it. Yeah, Hey, can I
ask what's going on in Duke? So Malik Murphy comes in.
Speaker 3: Yeah, this this plays a big This plays a big
factor in this game.
Speaker 2: So this is weird. Everyone knows I love Lane. Everyone
knows that Jackson and let's be honest, Ole miss wins
this game if Lane doesn't get pass happy and if
they try to have some bounds with the run, they
take care of it. But they haven't though.
Speaker 3: That's the thing is, that's why, that's why I would
be up in the air for me a little bit
is that he is not.
Speaker 2: He has been very past happy. It's been very past.
Speaker 3: Happy, right, And I think that's the problem, right. I
think the quarterback situation is what makes me curious. But yeah,
so so Malik Murphy was quen yours back up in
Texas two years ago.
Speaker 2: Yep, spot duty plays good, not great good. He gets
squeezed out by.
Speaker 3: Arch Ye gets squeezed out by Arch top Porld quarterback
last year. Duke does the story the story there as
well as that he he was he was going to
visit South Carolina and he was he was the one
who demanded the starting guaranteed started starting spot and Beamer
told him that Duke go ahead.
Speaker 2: So so so he ends up in Duke Duke was
what nine and three this year? Nice job nine and three.
He had a good year.
Speaker 3: Yeah, good year, good year. He's a coach, old defensive
coordinator of the old Miami coach.
Speaker 2: Many dias, manyas ye, so many of the guys does
a nice job, you know, sets expectations. Well there, then
Malik Murphy hits the portal again.
Speaker 3: By the way, just really sixty percent completion percentage, twenty yards,
twenty six session on twelve picks.
Speaker 2: Good, a lot of picks. That's a lot of interceptions.
Speaker 3: Well yeah, against against the very question of schedule. Yeah,
questionles go to total picture a lot.
Speaker 2: But anyway, Malik hits the transfer portal and it's like
he was kicked out. That Manny kicked him out because
Duke signed two lanes quarterback. Yep, I believe in the
portal which two lanes quarterback was the highest rated guy
and didn't Malik sign already? I want to say he
went to Did he go to Miami?
Speaker 3: I don't think so.
Speaker 2: I could be wrong, though I was wrong.
Speaker 3: Maybe leak while you're while you're while you're checking on it,
while you're checking on it. I'm gonna reduke the schedule
because this really plays into how we picked this game.
Speaker 2: Okay, you didn't need wins and losses. Here's just the teams.
Speaker 3: They played Elon, Northwestern Connecticut, Middle Tennessee State, U n C,
Georgia Tech, and they lost to Okay, we'll give you
that Florida State s m U, which was the one
point loss in overtime, Miami, n C State, Virginia Tech,
and Wake Forest.
Speaker 2: That is absolutely.
Speaker 3: Atrocious, atrocious atrocious. Speaking of atrocious, No, he didn't you
know where he's visiting?
Speaker 2: Where? Kentucky?
Speaker 3: Oh? I actually saw that. I actually saw that. Yeah,
well I heard Brod vander Griffs might hang it up.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he probably should.
Speaker 3: I think he might hang it up.
Speaker 2: That's not good.
Speaker 3: That's interesting. Okay, So Old Miss eleven eleven and a
half point favorite. Here's the one that I mentioned. I
haven't said this the entire time. The totals fifty four
and a half take me over. Yeah, I think so too.
I think so too. And I do think that. I
think Ole Miss covers simply because without your quarterback, who
the heck is behind him? We don't have a clue. Uh,
the schedule does not hold up for me. I think
the Duke is a good team. That's a relative term,
I understand. I think the Duke is a good team
at nine and three. That's a great year at Duke.
But you just heard that schedule, like, oh my goodness,
now part of his leak their fault. And we could
say this for the whole ACC this year because Florida
State was not supposed to be that bad and m
C State was not supposed to be that bad, and
to be fair, probably North Carolina was not supposed to
be that bad.
Speaker 2: Can I give a shout out, by the way to
the one North Carolina school that did not fire their
head coach, Dave Yeah, Dave Doran. I'm very quick to
be harsh on Dave dor Yeah.
Speaker 3: True, Horn was the only Division one head coach in
the state of North Carolina that will actually be coaching
next year with Dave Boston stepping down from Wake for
ut No, no, you just we just talked about it.
Manya is a Duke, So.
Speaker 2: I was talking about publican she wasn't talking about.
Speaker 3: To speaking of speaking of Dave Dori. And this has
nothing to do with the SEC. But I'm interested because
they got e c U, which is interesting. It was
just crazy in their bowl game matchup, and they also
open with e c U next season, so they're gonna
play them back to back with yeah, but how can
you scout in this world because it won't be the
same team anyway?
Speaker 2: Eleven and a half? You like eleven and a half? Yeah,
I'll take it. I'll take this up. So anything about Georgia, uh,
interesting to see kind of Carson Beck U c l.
Speaker 3: And that's all. That's that's the whole story. That's the
whole story for me. And and I don't know. I'm
really on the fence about Gunner Stockton because at this
point right now, I'm operating as if Carson Beck is
not going to play.
Speaker 2: Yep, I see stetson Bennett.
Speaker 3: That can earns me if Carson Beck doesn't play. Is
this enough time to get? Is this enough time to get?
Gunn are starting ready to get? I think that's my
big question, and I'm not gonna answer. I'm gonna defer
to Kirby and Bobo until they prove us wrong because
here's the deal. Beck was the guy and they struggled
this year. Yeah, gunners legs give an him, No, they're
gonna run him.
Speaker 2: And there's the X factor there, so so to me,
Georgia will go as far as Gunner's legs take him.
And can you do just enough, and I think it's
interesting with Notre Dame uh in the Sugar Bowl. I
think that that one's gonna be interesting. So try and
check with the boss to see if I can't get
to that one.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that you probably should so further driving
what you have, well, yeah for sure?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Right? Did you change your mind at all? And
you have the two Tennessee Ohio state?
Speaker 3: No, sticking with it. I'm sticking with it. I think
that I think that we're on the same page. With Texas,
I think that they win, they win easily. I do
think that it's it mirrors the Georgia game for Clemson
in the beginning of the year. Maybe not, maybe doesn't
get quite that far out of hand, but I do
think that they would play them tight for a half
and then sorry.
Speaker 2: He actually disliked the tweet, is what he did. He
disliked the pot. When I saw what he reacted.
Speaker 3: Well, I'm sure he'll be happy to come back on
if they if they prove it's wrong, that'll be an
epic I was Wrong segment, and one of us is
going to have an I was Wrong segment next week anyway,
because we picked differently on some of these games, I'm
sticking with Tennessee because I do think that that game
is the most of is the most coin flip type
of games. I talk about Tennessee and I said the
same I talked about South to Goin and Clemson, where
I said, every outcome is on the table where it
could be a close game in either direction, or it
could be a blowout in either direction.
Speaker 2: Yep.
Speaker 3: And I and I don't think and you can say
about every game, right, but I think like this is
a type of game where there's just so many variables
and so many moving parts that we have no clue
what combination of pieces we're going to get. You don't
know what Nico you're gonna get. You don't know what
what the heck of Higo State we're gonna get. Yep,
we don't know when the Will Howard turnover is going
to happen. We can almost tell you that it's going
to but like when in the game is.
Speaker 2: Going to happen win and where?
Speaker 3: So, Yeah, that one I saw. I'm gonna stick with
Tennessee because you know, I think I'm picking with my
sec glasses a little bit there, but I'm also I'm
not out on a limb. It's not it's not extremely crazy.
Speaker 2: Is it an anti SEC pick to pick Ohio State?
Which is basically an SEC North team? By the way,
could we work a trade Kentucky for Kentucky and Vandy
for Ohio State?
Speaker 3: Now?
Speaker 2: Would you take it? Absolutely? Absolutely? All right? I got
a last word unless you have one that's row all right,
last word because you and I are both last word contributors.
You'll be covering a Bowl game this year. From what
I hear, I cover obviously Georgia and SEC.
Speaker 3: Rob.
Speaker 2: You're going off to dinner on Saturday. You're taking the family.
What steakhouse chain are you going to?
Speaker 3: What steakhouse chain am I going to? Does Firebirds count
as a chain? Have you heard of this restaurant?
Speaker 2: I have no idea what firebirds are, so please enlighten my, my, my, my,
Yankee is.
Speaker 3: I've seen I've seen multiple firebirds down here, so I'm
going to call it a chain. It feels changish, it
looks changish. Anything that I get at this place is phenomenal.
Now it's it's a little more expensive than your outback
Longhorn text roadhouse. If we're going with that here, Yeah,
we're going to Longhorn because because if I'm taking the family,
they have the best food for my daughter. Yeah, that
she's gonna she's gonna thrive the best there. Texas Roadhouse
is great, and if I was picking, I'd probably go
Textas Redhouse because I just happened to like it like
that environment the Yeah, I agree with you on that too.
The problem Textas Roadhouse is the wait, it's just slammed
slam slam slammed at like three thirty in the afternoon,
and it doesn't get it doesn't get unslammed. We went,
We went just a couple of weeks ago from my
wife's college roommate's birthday. Yeah, and I partner on the street.
Wow with seven other cars. Are they still doing the
peanut shells? They're not, like what happened with it, but
they did.
Speaker 2: But they did celebrate seven birthdays.
Speaker 3: While we were there, not including the one at our table,
and brought the saddle out multiple times for people to
get on so they could sing to them. So so
that's a lot of fun. But yes, firebirds, the rib
ribs are great. But if we're doing steak, which I'll
actually do there because I can't pass it up, I'm
doing bacon wrapped fil a with some Port Port mushrooms
and uh and uh, maybe a little salad, a little salad.
My favorite, of course, my favorite thing. My favorite thing
there is the bread that they do at at Firebirds.
The waiter a waitress is gonna come out after you've
cut it because it has a kind of a thicker
exterior crust to it, and it's really it's really flaky.
And so the waiter a waitress is gonna come out
with this this fancy little stick I don't even notice
called here I am in come. It really sounded like
he'll be at this point and they're gonna and they're
gonna just scrape up the crumbs onto a cleaning board
and scrape them off of your table before they come out.
Speaker 2: And put your food down.
Speaker 3: So, uh, that's my that's that's my thing.
Speaker 2: You get the no, that's good off.
Speaker 3: To you where you're added.
Speaker 2: So out back as the o g But like absolutely
I used to always set up for the Longhorn when
I was down at Peetree City, Georgia. There's a nice
one there right on fifty four and seventy four. Shout
out to uh, you know pea Stree City and Sandy
Creek High School all m Calvin Johnson. You know what's
great about Longhorn is the lunch specials.
Speaker 3: I can eat. I can lunch.
Speaker 2: Keep going to steakhouses and not getting steak.
Speaker 3: I can. You can get a steak. I can go
to I can go to Long prob'bly getting a cheeseburger.
Speaker 2: I can get some ribs I could get.
Speaker 3: They do have. They do have a pretty good burger.
I'm a big burger guy. You can go to Longhorn.
You can go Long Horn and get lunch for the
same price that you can get lunch at like Zaxby's.
Speaker 2: Can we agree that Zaxby's is not fast food?
Speaker 3: I don't know that we can, because I think Jackson
is the best, the best fast chicken place.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but like I remember, so I remember again, this
is the Yankee move in South right, like like they're making.
Speaker 3: It to order and you're like, why why did we
go to the drive So this is a horrible idea
because it's slow. Oh yeah, I just order ahead at
this point, I don't. It's right, it's ready for me
to pick up almost like.
Speaker 2: Two thousand and five, was there order ahead in two
thousand and five in the first grade order. What do
you know? You could have called him? Now my grades
corresponded the year, so I.
Speaker 3: Was in fifth grade.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's that's why I was at Georgia State two
thousand and five.
Speaker 3: All Right, I think I think it's time to wrap it.
I think we've made our rounds. We've talked about bowls
and food and a little bit of and a little
basketball and everything else.
Speaker 2: And we've even ventured out of our sec window. We
have Malik Murphy, Yeah, Lexington brother Black.
Speaker 3: Vander Memphis, Memphis and uh Memphis and West virgin You
are still rolling. I'm ready to I'm ready to hop off.
I'm ready to hop off and go post up and
finish watching it. I might get a little for some reason,
I feel like it's the weekend.
Speaker 2: For some reason, I feel like it's the weekend.
Speaker 3: My my Christmas season goggles are setting in and tomorrow's Wednesday,
and I have a big day ahead, so it is
time to get out of here. It just means more
football and coffee. I'm Rob Williams. He is Craig McMichael.
Tune in for all of the bowl season and thanks
for hanging out with us for this bonus episode this week.
We'll see you next week as we recap all of
the initial college football playoff games. I look forward to
the next rounds matchups. We'll see you next time.