1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:05,599 Speaker 1: Checking out college football on the West Coast. This is 2 00:00:05,639 --> 00:00:08,640 Get Off My Pylone, a look at the PAC twelve 3 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:12,160 and more, part of the College Gridiron Coast to Coast 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:13,519 podcast network. 5 00:00:13,919 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 2: Here's your host, Matt zemon. 6 00:00:16,839 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 3: Welcome to the last edition Let's Get Off My Pilon 7 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:22,719 college football podcast. This is your host, Matt Zemmick, part 8 00:00:22,719 --> 00:00:25,199 of the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast Network. 9 00:00:25,559 --> 00:00:28,719 Speaker 2: Go to Apple or wherever else you listen to your 10 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:32,439 podcasts for all the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast shows, 11 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,920 whether it's Jason Powers and Florida Football Insiders, or the 12 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,280 All Sports Discussion Crew with the ACC. 13 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:44,039 Speaker 3: After the very compelling Clemson SMU game and SMU and 14 00:00:44,079 --> 00:00:46,399 Clemson both getting to the playoffs, so the All Sports 15 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:51,039 Discussion guys have the ACC covered the SEC podcast that 16 00:00:51,079 --> 00:00:53,240 we have at College Gridiron, They're going to be talking 17 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,759 about the Alabama College football playoff snub. Lots of interesting 18 00:00:57,840 --> 00:00:59,920 shows for you to consider, So go there, to Apple, 19 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,200 go to Twitter at Gridiron Coast to get all your 20 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,879 favorite grid Iron College Gridron Coast to Coast college football podcasts. 21 00:01:08,879 --> 00:01:11,480 Here at Get Off My Piline, we cover college football 22 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,400 in the Western United States, and so what a magnificent 23 00:01:14,439 --> 00:01:18,799 weekend it was for Western college football. Boise State gets 24 00:01:18,799 --> 00:01:21,519 the number three seed, Arizona State gets the number four seeds, 25 00:01:21,519 --> 00:01:24,760 so they both get buys, and you have Oregon as 26 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:25,439 the one seed. 27 00:01:25,519 --> 00:01:28,879 Speaker 2: So the West, the West has three of the four 28 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:30,280 top seeds. 29 00:01:30,439 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 3: Just a terrific year for Western college football after the 30 00:01:34,159 --> 00:01:37,799 breakup of the PAC twelve and you know, Oregon Arizona 31 00:01:37,879 --> 00:01:42,760 State both conference champions. You know, like the PAC twelve 32 00:01:42,879 --> 00:01:45,200 had some really good teams, right, I mean not that 33 00:01:45,239 --> 00:01:47,879 we were expecting Arizona State to be great, but you know, 34 00:01:48,079 --> 00:01:49,760 it does reinforce the point. 35 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 2: Why do we have to break up the PAC twelve. 36 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 3: Washington went all the way to the National Championship Game 37 00:01:55,159 --> 00:01:57,680 last year. I mean, Western teams have been getting it 38 00:01:57,719 --> 00:02:00,319 done in the past two years in college fotball. 39 00:02:00,319 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 2: It makes the death of the PAC twelve that much 40 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:07,159 sadder and that much more unfortunate. 41 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:11,039 Speaker 3: It was so unnecessary. It still is unnecessary. It will 42 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:14,199 always be unnecessary. And I know it's going to be 43 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:19,960 reconstituted in twenty twenty six, but it's not going to 44 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:21,840 be the same, right, It's going to be basically the 45 00:02:21,879 --> 00:02:27,199 glorified Mountain West. So just just a different vibe, a 46 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,680 different reality with the PAC twelve in the future. But Oregon, 47 00:02:31,759 --> 00:02:34,319 Arizona State, and also Boise State from the Mountain West 48 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:35,879 all getting buys. 49 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:37,879 Speaker 2: In the College Football Playoff. 50 00:02:37,879 --> 00:02:42,199 Speaker 3: Arizona State dominated Iowa State from you know, early to 51 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:43,360 mid second quarter on. 52 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 2: That was a route. 53 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 3: It was close in the beginning, but last three quarters 54 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,520 totally owned by the Sun Devils. And you know you're 55 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:54,840 gonna get the Heisman finalists announced. I'm recording this right 56 00:02:54,879 --> 00:02:58,159 before the time when the time window when the Heisman 57 00:02:58,439 --> 00:03:01,800 finalists are being announced. And so Travis Hunter, the favorite, 58 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:07,599 Ashton Genty is going to be a finalist, and you know, 59 00:03:07,759 --> 00:03:13,560 Genty he performs, you know, magnificently once again in the 60 00:03:13,599 --> 00:03:17,439 Mountain West Championship game against UNLV And I'm fine with 61 00:03:17,479 --> 00:03:18,919 Travis Hunter winning the Heisman. 62 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 2: You know, tremendous year both sides of the ball. 63 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 3: It's like if Shoheo Tani was pitching as well as 64 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,960 hitting moonshots and stealing fifty bases for the Dodgers. You know, 65 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,120 when you have a two way player who's excellent on 66 00:03:33,159 --> 00:03:36,120 both sides, that's just that's very impressive. 67 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 2: It's unique. It's compelling. 68 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,879 Speaker 3: But on the merits, on the merits, Ashton Genty just 69 00:03:40,919 --> 00:03:43,800 popping off these two hundred yard games. He's had six 70 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,319 of them this season, and he's been so consistent for 71 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,479 a team which is getting to buy in the college 72 00:03:50,479 --> 00:03:54,560 football playoff. That's more impact on a team. And as 73 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:58,240 great as Hunter was, you also have Shreder Sanders on 74 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,800 that Colorado roster, and that teams as well as it played. 75 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,120 You know, Colorado was a lot better than I expected, 76 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,680 a lot better than most people expected, but still didn't 77 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,759 win its championship, didn't even make its conference championship game 78 00:04:11,199 --> 00:04:15,800 nine to three. Boise State goes twelve and one. I 79 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,360 see Travis Hunter and Ashton Genty as being pretty much 80 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:23,600 on the same plane. And Genty was the primary focus 81 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:28,439 of every defense Boise State faced, and he kept producing. 82 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:30,759 He did not have a single clunker, did not have 83 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:34,079 a single game with fewer than one hundred yards rushing. 84 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,240 I think the actual minimum number is something like one 85 00:04:37,319 --> 00:04:38,120 hundred and twenty eight. 86 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 2: He was just a dude in all twelve games. 87 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:43,879 Speaker 3: And Travis Hunter, as great as he was, you know, 88 00:04:43,879 --> 00:04:47,879 he struggled against Kansas. He had a few moments here 89 00:04:47,879 --> 00:04:51,639 and there where he wasn't that effective. I mean, but again, 90 00:04:52,399 --> 00:04:55,079 these two guys are pretty much on the same plane. 91 00:04:55,399 --> 00:04:57,959 And if you wanted to say Travis hunters the winner, fine. 92 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,399 If you want to say Ashton Gent's the winner, also fine. 93 00:05:01,519 --> 00:05:04,240 Either of those guys. Those are the top two players 94 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,319 this season. I would only object to anyone who says, well, 95 00:05:08,399 --> 00:05:11,199 it should be Travis Hunter. And there's no question about it. 96 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:15,199 Ashton Genty distant second place because he plays at Boise State, 97 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:17,600 because he plays in the group of five, because he 98 00:05:17,639 --> 00:05:18,480 plays in the Mountain West. 99 00:05:18,519 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 2: Now that's a viewpoint I will not take seriously. 100 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 3: Just say, Travis Hunter's two way excellence is better than 101 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:27,319 what Ashton Genty did at one position. That's the argument 102 00:05:27,399 --> 00:05:30,240 to make, all right, and Colorado being a lot better 103 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:34,000 than people expected, that's the argument to make for Travis Hunter. 104 00:05:35,319 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 2: But Ashton Genty is right there. 105 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 3: Brock Heward made the statement that a lot of coaches, 106 00:05:41,439 --> 00:05:43,839 you know, if you ask coaches who their heisman would be, 107 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,360 it would be Ashton Genty, just because you know that 108 00:05:47,439 --> 00:05:50,240 guy was there every week that he was asked to 109 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,000 do so much, and he lived up to the billion 110 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:56,680 each time for Boise State. So that's part of the 111 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,639 Heisman picture. The other picture, and this circles back to 112 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,839 Arizona the state and that game against Iowa State. Cam 113 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,439 Scataboo just such a transformative player, and we have to 114 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:10,399 realize the impact that cam Scataboo had on Arizona State, 115 00:06:10,519 --> 00:06:13,199 like he made everything else possible. He makes the passing 116 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:16,199 game go because everyone's focused on him. That opens up 117 00:06:16,199 --> 00:06:18,560 the passing game for the Sun Devils. It opens up 118 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,680 Kenny Dillingham, a very creative coach who's had an absolutely 119 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:26,240 brilliant season. Cam Scataboo was the central cog who made 120 00:06:26,319 --> 00:06:29,959 all the teammates around him better and he significantly elevated 121 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:34,519 that program. If you were to ask me Cam Scataboo 122 00:06:34,759 --> 00:06:37,800 Dylan Gabriel, which player would I have higher in my 123 00:06:37,879 --> 00:06:40,600 Heisman rankings, I would go with Cam Scataboo. And this 124 00:06:40,759 --> 00:06:44,680 is not a criticism of Dylan Gabriel. Dylan Gabriel magnificent player, 125 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:48,240 having a wonderful season, Oregon thirteen to zero Big Ten champion, 126 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:50,959 number one seed in the playoff. Dylan Gabriel's been great, 127 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,319 all right, But Dylan Gabriel is surrounded by elite talent 128 00:06:54,639 --> 00:06:58,439 and the way to characterize Dylan Gabriel, He's a really 129 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,959 good piece surrounded by other really good players. He's gonna 130 00:07:01,959 --> 00:07:05,600 get the ball to the other really talented skill position 131 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:09,399 pieces that Oregon has. He's really a great leader, a 132 00:07:09,439 --> 00:07:13,920 great game manager, skilled mobile, could buy time in the pocket. 133 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,120 You know, he just does a lot of things really well. 134 00:07:17,399 --> 00:07:20,879 Just a solid, well rounded player who you put him 135 00:07:21,319 --> 00:07:25,040 on a roster with great talent, as Oregon has done 136 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,240 under Dan Lanning, and it's gonna work out, and it has. 137 00:07:28,839 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 2: But that is different from Cam Skataboo. Cam Skataboo took 138 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,240 a team that was three and nine last year and 139 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,079 he's just raised the ceiling. He's raised the ceiling for 140 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:42,000 every every one and everything at Arizona State. You take 141 00:07:42,519 --> 00:07:46,839 Dylan Gabriel out of Oregon and you put in a 142 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:52,120 moderately worse quarterback, Oregon's probably still in the playoff ten 143 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:56,720 and two. Maybe, you know, like you trade swap out 144 00:07:56,759 --> 00:08:00,680 Dylan Gabriel for a quarterback that's you know, modestly worse, 145 00:08:00,759 --> 00:08:02,480 you know, not a lot worse, but just a little 146 00:08:02,519 --> 00:08:05,920 bit worse, not quite as good. Oregon still probably gets 147 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,079 in the playoffs, albeit on the back end, not a 148 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:12,560 number one seed, not an unbeaten team. But if you 149 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,959 take away Cam Scataboo from Arizona State, like the Sun 150 00:08:15,959 --> 00:08:19,759 Devils are nowhere near this conversation. They're probably six and six. 151 00:08:20,639 --> 00:08:23,199 You know, they would have gone down to the wire 152 00:08:23,399 --> 00:08:25,439 to become Bowl eligible. 153 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:28,839 Speaker 3: It's not a criticism of Dyan Gabriel like he's been. 154 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:33,120 He has been as advertised and more. But Cam Scataboo 155 00:08:33,159 --> 00:08:36,840 took Arizona State from nowhere to the top, to a 156 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:38,000 number four seed. 157 00:08:37,759 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 2: To a Big twelve championship. So just just measuring those 158 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,799 two guys, I put cam Scataboo higher. Cam Skataboo to 159 00:08:45,879 --> 00:08:48,759 me would be in my top five for the Heisman, 160 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:53,399 along with gent along with Travis Hunter, along with cam 161 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:57,960 Ward of Miami. That's a that's another guy I would 162 00:08:58,039 --> 00:09:02,960 have in my top five as well. So that's part 163 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:03,879 of the Heisman picture. 164 00:09:03,919 --> 00:09:06,559 Speaker 3: And one other thing to say about the Heisman, because 165 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:08,960 I say it every year when the Heisman finalist are announced, 166 00:09:09,159 --> 00:09:11,879 they shouldn't limit it to three or four, which is, 167 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,240 you know, the usual modus operandi. 168 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 2: They should have ten players. 169 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:19,879 Speaker 3: Make this a celebration of college football from all backgrounds 170 00:09:20,159 --> 00:09:23,240 and all perspectives, You should have a group of five player. 171 00:09:23,399 --> 00:09:25,519 Now GENTI is going to be a group of five player, 172 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,200 but usually there isn't a group of five player. 173 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 2: Have a lineman, interior lineman, have a defensive player. Those 174 00:09:33,519 --> 00:09:36,320 perspectives should be should be honored as well, and just 175 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:40,759 invite at least ten people. Ten guys, you know, have 176 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:44,360 a wider cross section of players, and that way you 177 00:09:44,399 --> 00:09:46,919 get so many more fan bases and therefore so many 178 00:09:46,919 --> 00:09:50,840 more Americans interested in the Heisen ceremony. Why limit it 179 00:09:50,879 --> 00:09:53,519 to three or four? It has never made sense, will 180 00:09:53,519 --> 00:09:56,480 never make sense that that part of the Heisman needs 181 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,639 to be reformed. All right, so you've gotten my. 182 00:09:58,639 --> 00:10:03,559 Speaker 3: Heisman takes the rich representation of players from Western schools. 183 00:10:03,639 --> 00:10:05,480 Let's now get back to the playoff of the national 184 00:10:05,519 --> 00:10:09,000 picture covered Arizona State, kind of covered Boise State a 185 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,200 little bit, but that was through gent Let's talk about 186 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:15,960 Boise State more broadly. Boise State playing at home in 187 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,200 the cold against UNLV it turned out to be as 188 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:21,759 much of an advantage as many people thought. You know, 189 00:10:21,879 --> 00:10:26,120 UNLV lost to Boise State in the regular season in 190 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,200 in Vegas, in a domed stadium. 191 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 2: UNOV is a Dome Stadium team. You put that team 192 00:10:31,519 --> 00:10:34,200 outdoors in the cold in December. 193 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,679 Speaker 3: Yeah, that was not a good combination for Vegas looking 194 00:10:37,799 --> 00:10:41,200 very much out of its element. In Boise State conversely, 195 00:10:41,519 --> 00:10:44,559 very comfortable, and Boise State played better than it had 196 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,720 for much of November. You know, you could kind of 197 00:10:47,759 --> 00:10:50,960 see it lining up for Boise State that the Broncos 198 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,200 after kind of you know, drifting through November. There was 199 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:59,919 a sense that Boise State was conserving mental energy in November, 200 00:11:00,039 --> 00:11:02,279 it was gearing up for the bigger games that that 201 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:06,519 lay ahead. Boise State got better against Oregon State on 202 00:11:06,519 --> 00:11:09,360 Thanksgiving weekend and then played even even higher than that 203 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:16,159 against UNLV. So just a magnificent season for Spencer Danielson 204 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:21,159 putting all the pieces together with the Broncos. They their 205 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:25,879 defensive line dominated UNLV as well. The Boise State defensive 206 00:11:25,879 --> 00:11:29,879 line feasted on the UNLV offensive line in both meetings. 207 00:11:30,519 --> 00:11:31,039 Speaker 2: Uh, it was. 208 00:11:31,279 --> 00:11:34,559 Speaker 3: It was a sack festival in both games. And so 209 00:11:34,759 --> 00:11:37,600 that's why Boise State, I know, this is UNLV. It's 210 00:11:37,639 --> 00:11:41,279 not you know, a powerfour champion or a Power four 211 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:44,440 runner up that that Boise State's gonna face. Uh in 212 00:11:44,519 --> 00:11:46,840 the Fiesta Bowl. You know, Boise State could very well 213 00:11:46,879 --> 00:11:50,200 face Penn State. That's how the bracket lines up. Penn 214 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:54,440 State has obviously bigger dudes than UNLV does. Nevertheless, Boise 215 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:58,919 State's defensive line and pass rush that's no joke. So 216 00:11:58,919 --> 00:12:02,039 so Boise State might be able to hang physically with 217 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,440 Penn State. And you add Ashton Gent to the mix, 218 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:08,399 and you look at how Penn State's defense got absolutely. 219 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 2: Shredded by Oregon. Hey, Oregon's faster than Boise State, no 220 00:12:11,639 --> 00:12:15,159 argument there. But you know, Oregon and Boise State played 221 00:12:16,039 --> 00:12:19,000 a pretty close game in Week two of the season 222 00:12:19,039 --> 00:12:23,159 in Eugene. You wonder just how similar are Oregon and 223 00:12:23,759 --> 00:12:28,039 Boise State. So that that's a really interesting conversation to have. 224 00:12:28,799 --> 00:12:33,000 And so you know, as we consider, as we consider everything, 225 00:12:34,639 --> 00:12:38,000 we have to ask, you know, how would Boise State 226 00:12:38,039 --> 00:12:41,759 and Penn State line up? Given what we saw in 227 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:45,559 the Big Ten championship game between Oregon and Penn State. 228 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:49,200 That you know, a lot of elements of mystery in 229 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,399 that particular part of the bracket, and really there's elements 230 00:12:52,399 --> 00:12:53,320 of mystery. 231 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 4: Throughout the whole bracket. 232 00:12:54,519 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 3: Like I see this college football playoff bracket as being unpredictable. 233 00:12:59,759 --> 00:13:00,759 Speaker 2: Every where you look. 234 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:05,440 Speaker 3: And obviously you know we're focused on the Western schools Oregon, 235 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,480 Boise State, Arizona State, but really every matchup, to me, 236 00:13:10,279 --> 00:13:12,559 it feels like a matchup that could go pretty much 237 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:16,200 either way. Clemson versus Texas might be the one exception. 238 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:22,200 I don't see Clemson's offensive line being able to handle 239 00:13:22,759 --> 00:13:23,960 that Texas defense. 240 00:13:24,639 --> 00:13:26,679 Speaker 4: You know that that might be. 241 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,679 Speaker 3: One of the bigger mismatches that Clemson cannot run the ball. 242 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:35,919 If you saw against SMU in the fourth quarter trying 243 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,679 to run out the clock and protect a lead, Clemson 244 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:41,879 could not run the ball, and so that that might 245 00:13:41,919 --> 00:13:44,519 be a mismatch against Texas. But all the other matchups, 246 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:49,399 and so with Boise State potentially playing Penn State and 247 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:53,159 Arizona State might play Texas, like ASU Texas, I don't 248 00:13:53,159 --> 00:13:56,360 think that's a foregone conclusion. I would certainly favor Texas 249 00:13:56,360 --> 00:14:00,480 if Texas does beat Clemson, as I expect will happen, 250 00:14:01,879 --> 00:14:04,200 but I don't see it as a mismatch. You know, skataboo, 251 00:14:04,919 --> 00:14:07,279 Kenny Dillingham getting all that time to prepare. 252 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 4: You know, Texas has to play a first round game. 253 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 3: Arizona State has a bye, so Arizona State gets a 254 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:15,919 full month off and is going to be able to 255 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:20,720 study Texas film. That doesn't seem like a slam dunk. 256 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:26,000 So really, with the exception of Clemson Texas, I think 257 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:30,399 all the games are pretty much up for grabs. 258 00:14:30,399 --> 00:14:32,039 Speaker 4: I think it's a very even tournament. 259 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 3: And so Boise State you might think that, you know what, 260 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:40,519 they shouldn't be seeded third, But hey, Penn State, you know, 261 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:43,559 under James Franklin, when does Penn State win big games? 262 00:14:43,799 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 2: Right? 263 00:14:44,039 --> 00:14:46,759 Speaker 3: And we saw that again against Oregon in the Big 264 00:14:46,799 --> 00:14:49,799 Ten Championship game and Penn State's defense did not show up. 265 00:14:50,279 --> 00:14:54,159 Oregon Speed was just you know, it was a mismatch. 266 00:14:54,639 --> 00:14:58,240 Oregon Speed just raced right by Penn State. So are 267 00:14:58,240 --> 00:14:59,919 you really going to say that Penn State should dead 268 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,480 me beat Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. And we 269 00:15:02,519 --> 00:15:05,919 all know about Boise State in the Fiestaval right Oklahoma 270 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:11,120 Statue of Liberty Chris Peterson several years later against TCU, 271 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:14,720 and then in the twenty fourteen Festa Bowl against Rich 272 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,919 Rodriguez in Arizona. Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl pretty 273 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:23,559 darn good track record. I wouldn't feel comfortable betting on 274 00:15:23,639 --> 00:15:27,399 Penn State against Boise State. If that does become the 275 00:15:27,399 --> 00:15:31,159 Fiesta Bowl matchup in the playoff quarterfinals. 276 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 4: That's going to be on New Year's Eve, and then the. 277 00:15:32,399 --> 00:15:37,279 Speaker 3: Other quarterfinals at the Peach, the Rose, and the Sugar 278 00:15:37,879 --> 00:15:42,600 on New Year's Day. I'm not saying that Penn State 279 00:15:42,759 --> 00:15:45,279 is an obvious favorite over Boise State. 280 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:47,759 Speaker 4: I think if we get to that game, if Penn 281 00:15:47,799 --> 00:15:48,360 State does. 282 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 3: Get by SMU and does advance to play Boise State, 283 00:15:52,399 --> 00:15:55,080 yes Penn State will be favored, but I don't think 284 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,639 Penn State will be favored by that much. Penn State 285 00:15:58,759 --> 00:16:03,080 is I believe, a nine point favorite over SMU, but 286 00:16:03,159 --> 00:16:06,000 that's at home. So you go down to Glendale for 287 00:16:06,039 --> 00:16:09,240 the Fiesta Bowl, maybe maybe Penn State will open it 288 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:11,879 as like a four point favorite. Again, we have to 289 00:16:11,879 --> 00:16:15,639 get that matchup first, but that would be my initial 290 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,919 inclination in terms of a Penn State Boise State ohn 291 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:23,279 if we do get that matchup, so Boise State don't 292 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:26,559 don't underestimate the Broncos against Penn State. I think that's 293 00:16:26,559 --> 00:16:31,200 a matchup Boise State can work with. I think that, 294 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,000 you know, in terms of the bracket and how it 295 00:16:34,039 --> 00:16:39,240 worked out, I see a lot of even matchups. I 296 00:16:39,279 --> 00:16:41,399 think I think Notre Dame would have been more of 297 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,919 a problem for Boise State. I think Notre Dame could 298 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:49,720 smash mouse against Boise State a little bit more. I 299 00:16:49,759 --> 00:16:54,840 think the muscular matchup would have been more favorable to 300 00:16:54,919 --> 00:16:58,080 the fighting Irish. But Penn State I don't. I don't 301 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,600 see quite as much frontline strength compared to Notre Dame. 302 00:17:01,679 --> 00:17:03,399 So I think that's a match of Boise State can 303 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:09,319 work with if we get that. Let's talk a little 304 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:14,359 bit more about Oregon. So the Ducks offense dominated Penn State, 305 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:18,119 but that defense made Drew Houerd look really good. And 306 00:17:18,839 --> 00:17:22,319 you know, in terms of the bracket, we could see 307 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:26,640 a rematch Oregon against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl 308 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:31,359 the quarterfinals. And if we get that quarterfinal, I will 309 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,240 take Dan Landing over Ryan Day. I mean, it's really 310 00:17:34,279 --> 00:17:37,880 hard to trust Ryan Day, but you have to acknowledge 311 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:41,559 that if Ohio State's able to get through Tennessee, then 312 00:17:41,759 --> 00:17:45,720 the Buckeyes will have, you know, at least done something 313 00:17:45,799 --> 00:17:51,359 to make the Michigan humiliation less central, less prominent in 314 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,920 their minds. It would restore a feeling of confidence, it 315 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:56,039 would restore a sense of Hey, we can do this. 316 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:58,359 Speaker 4: And so if Ohio State does. 317 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,160 Speaker 3: Get to the Rose Bowl to play Oregon, it's going 318 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:05,319 to be a rematch, and rematches with teams that have 319 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:09,359 comparable talent, you know, it's just there's just that natural 320 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:16,440 innate hunger that the the losing team has going into 321 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:19,680 a rematch. The winning team is going to be hungry itself, 322 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,319 like Oregon. If it plays Ohio State on New Year's Day, 323 00:18:22,759 --> 00:18:24,559 Oregon's going to be all in for that game and 324 00:18:24,599 --> 00:18:26,960 Oregon's going to be jacked up and and you know, 325 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,880 the adrenaline through the roof. It's a playoff quarterfinal and 326 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,559 all that, but Ohio State will have revenge. And it's 327 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:37,200 just there's just that natural element of motivation that Oregon 328 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:40,400 will lack in Ohio State will have and that has 329 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:43,400 to be a concern for Oregon and the And the 330 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:46,480 first game was in Eugene, so this game, you're still 331 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:48,519 gonna have a ton of Oregon fans in the building, 332 00:18:49,039 --> 00:18:51,160 but it's not gonna be Autson Stadium. It's going to 333 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,640 be a split crowd, you know. So the circumstances are 334 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,759 going to be a little bit more favorable, uh, for 335 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:02,000 Ohio State. And so that's a tricky matchup, like Oregon 336 00:19:02,079 --> 00:19:07,680 did not get a favorable bracket because you have Ohio 337 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:13,240 State lingering as a possible quarterfinal opponent, and then Texas 338 00:19:13,279 --> 00:19:16,079 could be the semi final opponent and the Texas defense, 339 00:19:16,799 --> 00:19:19,000 you know, the Texas needs to sort out the offense 340 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:23,039 that sarks a challenge, but the Texas defense has been money. 341 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:27,160 Texas defense has been so relentlessly consistently good. And if 342 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:30,400 it's Oregon Texas in a semi final that would be 343 00:19:30,559 --> 00:19:35,119 on January ninth or tenth, that that could be a 344 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:38,000 game in which the Oregon offense runs into really tough 345 00:19:38,039 --> 00:19:41,119 sledding Texas makes that game a rock fight, and it 346 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:44,039 just becomes like a twenty to seventeen game that's going 347 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:46,200 to go down to the wire and Texas will have 348 00:19:46,279 --> 00:19:49,720 a chance. I'm not saying that Texas should be favored. 349 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:54,400 I don't think Texas would be favored, but that game 350 00:19:54,519 --> 00:19:57,920 is likely a one score game either way. Like I 351 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:02,119 don't see that game spiraling either way on either side. 352 00:20:02,519 --> 00:20:05,599 But that that's not an easy assignment. Oregon would love 353 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:10,000 it if Arizona State could upset Texas in a potential 354 00:20:10,039 --> 00:20:15,160 Peach Bowl. But but if Texas is able to make 355 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,799 its way past Clemson and then beat Arizona State in 356 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,880 the Peach Bowl, than that semi final Oregon Texas not 357 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,240 gonna be not gonna be easy for the Ducks. So 358 00:20:25,279 --> 00:20:28,839 the Ducks did not get the path they wanted. You know, 359 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:33,799 if if we're just to compare playoff paths, I think 360 00:20:33,839 --> 00:20:36,920 that Georgia as a two seed, actually got the better 361 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:40,319 path in the bottom of the bracket. Georgia getting to 362 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:43,839 play Notre Dame. Like Notre Dame is not gonna hurt 363 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:48,480 Georgia's defense down the field. In the passing game, maybe 364 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:53,079 Notre Dame can lean on Georgia's defensive line, but but 365 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,599 Notre Dame doesn't have the speed that's gonna make Georgia 366 00:20:57,279 --> 00:21:00,880 really worry on defense. And of course Georgia gets the 367 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:04,119 bye because it won the SEC title. Georgia doesn't have 368 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:06,279 to play in the first round. I think that there's 369 00:21:06,319 --> 00:21:08,960 a lot about Georgia that Kirby Smart can fix, that 370 00:21:09,039 --> 00:21:12,240 he can address. And you know, the Carson Beck injury, 371 00:21:12,559 --> 00:21:16,000 Gunnerstockton looked fine. You know, it wasn't great. He threw 372 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,319 that big late interception, But I think you can see 373 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:22,119 with a month off you can see the pieces coming together. 374 00:21:22,559 --> 00:21:26,119 For Georgia might not have a dynamic offense, but you know, 375 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,039 it wasn't dynamic under Beck. Most of the time. Beck 376 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:34,279 had his moments, but he wasn't relentlessly consistent. So I 377 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:36,559 you know, I think Georgia. You know, if Georgia plays 378 00:21:36,559 --> 00:21:39,319 to the Kirby smart standard in the trenches, Georgia is 379 00:21:39,319 --> 00:21:42,200 gonna be fine. And I think that Notre Dame or Indiana, 380 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:46,200 either one, that's a matchup Georgia can handle. I don't 381 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:49,480 think it's the worst matchup Georgia could have received. And 382 00:21:49,519 --> 00:21:52,680 then there's a possible semi final for Georgia against either 383 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:55,680 Boise State or Penn State. And I take Georgia over 384 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:57,799 those two teams. Not that I think Georgia is a 385 00:21:57,799 --> 00:22:00,359 clear cut favorite, but I'm just trying to compare teams here. 386 00:22:00,799 --> 00:22:05,119 I think that Oregon's Ohio State Texas path potentially is 387 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:09,599 tougher than Georgia's Notre Dame and then either Penn State 388 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:11,160 or Boise State path. 389 00:22:11,759 --> 00:22:13,319 Speaker 4: Georgia just got the best bracket. 390 00:22:13,319 --> 00:22:15,119 Speaker 3: That doesn't mean Georgia is gonna win, but I do 391 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:18,079 think there's an opportunity for Georgia, where if you switch 392 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:19,920 some of the teams, if you switch some of the 393 00:22:20,319 --> 00:22:24,440 bracket paths, it would look different, it would feel different. 394 00:22:25,799 --> 00:22:28,519 So Oregon's going to have its work cut out, especially 395 00:22:28,519 --> 00:22:30,720 if Ohio State beats Tennessee. I think if your Oregon, 396 00:22:30,799 --> 00:22:34,799 you want to see Tennessee Beatlehouse State. Now, if you're Oregon, 397 00:22:34,839 --> 00:22:37,319 you're the number one team, You're thirteen to zero, don't 398 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:41,839 you don't really care which team you face because you 399 00:22:41,839 --> 00:22:44,839 you should rightly think that you're the best. So we 400 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,599 can say that, we can be very clear about that. 401 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:52,079 But just in terms of likelihood of winning, ease of matchup, 402 00:22:52,759 --> 00:22:56,799 you know, probability of advancing, it would be better for 403 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:02,119 Oregon if Tennessee not Ohio State is the opponent in 404 00:23:03,319 --> 00:23:06,799 the Rose Bowl on January first, five Eastern, two Pacific, 405 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,960 a tradition unlike any other, not just the Masters, but 406 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:14,119 the Granddaddy, the Rose Bowl, which you know doesn't want 407 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:16,039 to be a national championship game. And I love that 408 00:23:16,079 --> 00:23:17,920 about the Rose Bolt. The Rose Bull wants to be 409 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:22,759 January first, just after two o'clock in Pasadena, in the 410 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:27,440 Arroyo Sicco nestled in the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains, 411 00:23:27,519 --> 00:23:30,640 you know, as Keith Jackson would always tell us on 412 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:35,160 New Year's Day in the past. So Oregon with the 413 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:39,599 tough path, Arizona State with an amazing opportunity, Boise State 414 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:43,480 not to be overlooked as a number three seeds. So 415 00:23:43,559 --> 00:23:47,279 many compelling stories in the College Football Playoff from Western 416 00:23:47,279 --> 00:23:50,200 schools and Western programs that have had a magnificent year. 417 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:51,759 Speaker 4: All right, that's not. 418 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:53,880 Speaker 3: Quite the end of everything here on the get off 419 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:56,400 of my pilin College Football podcast. There's one other thing 420 00:23:56,759 --> 00:23:58,720 we need to talk about, and that's the Big Twelve. 421 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:03,119 So SMU, as you all know, got into the playoff 422 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,079 as an at large team. Lost to Clemson, so not 423 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,960 the ACC champion, but still got in. I'm fine with 424 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:13,960 SMU getting in over Alabama. Alabama lost three times. Alabama 425 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:17,680 got blown out by Oklahoma. Alabama played Mercer instead of 426 00:24:18,039 --> 00:24:21,559 a real team. And in the past, Alabama would play 427 00:24:21,599 --> 00:24:25,240 Mercer and it wouldn't cost the Crimson tide, it didn't matter. 428 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,640 And so Alabama finally got punished for playing Mercer, and 429 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,079 I think that's great, sends a great message and the 430 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:33,119 Alabama people saying, well, we're not going to play a 431 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,960 tough conference, a tough non conference schedule. Ever, again, I 432 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,920 don't get that. I don't understand that Alabama's best non 433 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:44,079 conference game was against five and seven Wisconsin. Now, obviously 434 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,119 Alabama expected Wisconsin to be better, and so you know, 435 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:50,680 playing a game at Wisconsin in September, you know that 436 00:24:50,839 --> 00:24:57,400 was aspirational scheduling, and that's the reason to commend Alabama. 437 00:24:57,519 --> 00:25:01,160 It's reason to praise Alabama. But Wisconsin didn't turn out 438 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:04,000 to be good, and Alabama still did schedule Mercer and 439 00:25:04,039 --> 00:25:07,920 the other non con games for Alabama, Western Kentucky, South 440 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:12,599 Florida not exactly Murder's row. So the thing to realize 441 00:25:12,599 --> 00:25:17,000 with Alabama if Mercer had been replaced with Penn State 442 00:25:17,839 --> 00:25:22,279 or an Order game or you know another you know, 443 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:26,160 really good team that won nine to ten eleven games 444 00:25:26,319 --> 00:25:30,079 this season, If Alabama replaces Mercer with a good team 445 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:33,559 and wins that game, Alabama gets in over SMU. So 446 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,960 the message should not be don't schedule anybody out of conference. 447 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:41,680 Alabama didn't lose out of conference. Okay, if Alabama had 448 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,880 better non conference games across the board, it might have 449 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:48,119 actually been able to get in over SMU. Even with 450 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:54,519 the three losses Alabama's non conference schedule. Playing that Wisconsin 451 00:25:54,559 --> 00:25:57,880 game is why Alabama was actually in the conversation as 452 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:00,960 much as it was. But here's where we pivot to 453 00:26:01,039 --> 00:26:05,039 another Western school. While I am fine with SMU being 454 00:26:05,039 --> 00:26:08,240 in over Alabama, I'm not fine with SMU being in 455 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:14,839 over BYU. BYU has the better resume than SMU, and 456 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:18,200 we can split this up in a lot of different 457 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:21,000 ways and view it from different vantage points, but there's 458 00:26:21,039 --> 00:26:23,759 one core reality. The two teams met head to head. 459 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:27,640 It was on SMU's home field. BYU won, So BYU 460 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:29,599 not only one head to head, it won on. 461 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:32,160 Speaker 4: The road against SMU. 462 00:26:32,599 --> 00:26:36,039 Speaker 3: Now, if you lose head to head and you have 463 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:40,160 the same amount of losses both teams lost twice, there 464 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,319 better be some pretty compelling evidence. There better be some 465 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:49,200 really substantial results to offset a head to head loss 466 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:53,039 at home. And so SMU fans will say, hey, BYU 467 00:26:53,079 --> 00:26:56,279 lost at home to Kansas a five and seventeen. Not 468 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:58,559 a good loss for BYU. But Kansas is not like 469 00:26:58,599 --> 00:27:01,519 a two to ten team. It was a mediocre team, 470 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:05,119 a team that underachieved, but you know, not a bowl team, 471 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:09,359 but not an absolutely horrible, awful team like Kansas is talented. 472 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:15,480 Kansas beat Colorado. Kansas, you know, really was a difficult 473 00:27:15,559 --> 00:27:20,240 team to play. Kansas almost won at Arizona State, lost 474 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:23,240 that game in the final minute. So Kansas is not 475 00:27:23,279 --> 00:27:25,880 a terrible team. But again it's it's obviously not a 476 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:28,920 good loss for BYU, And that's the argument many people 477 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:31,720 would make for y b YU didn't make the playoff, 478 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:36,119 it obviously didn't help. But if we're comparing BYU and SMU, 479 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,000 both teams with two losses, BYU with the head to 480 00:27:39,039 --> 00:27:43,839 head win at SMU UH, BYU's one loss to Kansas, 481 00:27:43,839 --> 00:27:46,559 that's not enough to override ahead to head. You know, 482 00:27:46,599 --> 00:27:48,359 it's a it's a it's a it's a data point, 483 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:50,160 but it's not that much. 484 00:27:50,279 --> 00:27:51,319 Speaker 4: Like, so, does. 485 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:55,400 Speaker 3: SMU have a really big high end win UH in 486 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:59,200 a too in addition to BYU's lost to Kansas. You know, 487 00:27:59,319 --> 00:28:01,839 then we might be able to say, hey, even with 488 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:05,880 the head to head, SMU's profile is still clearly better 489 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,880 than b YU. Do you have that big high end win? 490 00:28:10,599 --> 00:28:14,839 SMU won at Louisville decent win, not an amazing win. 491 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:17,960 Louisville did not turn out to be all that good 492 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,960 this season, you know, decent team, but not a great team. 493 00:28:22,279 --> 00:28:26,559 Louisville was not a factor in the ACC title chase, 494 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:31,160 so you know that now that's unfortunate for SMU. 495 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,400 Speaker 4: But nevertheless, you know Louisville didn't turn out to be good. 496 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:37,200 Speaker 3: SMU clobberd Florida State, and of course we were all 497 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:39,519 expecting Florida State to be a really good team this year. 498 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:44,599 Florida State instead cratered and again not SMU's fault. But nevertheless, 499 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:48,640 you can't call that a high quality win for the Ponies. 500 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 4: You just can't. 501 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:55,119 Speaker 3: And so SMU did not play Miami. SMU lost to Clemson. 502 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:59,000 Of course this past weekend. There's just no high end 503 00:28:59,039 --> 00:29:03,839 win for that's not an amazing body of work. It's 504 00:29:03,839 --> 00:29:06,880 a decent body of work, but it's not so good 505 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:11,799 that it eclipses BYU's head to head win over the Mustangs. 506 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:15,160 So we are left with the reality that you know, 507 00:29:15,279 --> 00:29:18,279 BYU had a better resume than SMU, And yet where 508 00:29:18,319 --> 00:29:21,440 did BYU finish in the final College Football Playoff rankings? 509 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:27,960 Seventeen below Alabama, below South Carolina, below Ole Miss. BYU 510 00:29:28,079 --> 00:29:30,640 was not even a conversation for ESPN. And it's a 511 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:34,400 Sunday college Football playoff selection show. It was all about 512 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:38,240 SMU versus Alabama for that final spot. And so the 513 00:29:38,279 --> 00:29:40,759 Big Twelve really, you know, has to be angry that 514 00:29:40,799 --> 00:29:46,160 BYU got excluded. And the BYU situation needs to lead 515 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:50,440 the Big Twelve and Brett Yormark to reform their scheduling 516 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:54,160 practices for next year. And this is something I wrote 517 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:56,880 about it at Trojan Schore the site word that I 518 00:29:57,039 --> 00:30:01,079 edit under the Gannet USA Today banner the Big Twelve 519 00:30:01,599 --> 00:30:04,079 and all. This also applies to the ACC as well. 520 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:08,039 The non SEC, non Big Ten conferences need to pursue 521 00:30:08,359 --> 00:30:12,400 one of two things. Either you have conference semifinals for 522 00:30:12,559 --> 00:30:15,559 your top four teams, play semifinals in late November and 523 00:30:15,559 --> 00:30:18,839 then a championship game in early December. That's one avenue. 524 00:30:19,279 --> 00:30:23,480 Or you just flex out your final conference game on 525 00:30:23,519 --> 00:30:27,519 Thanksgiving weekend or late November, whatever it might be. So 526 00:30:28,079 --> 00:30:31,359 let's consider this in the Big Twelve. As things were 527 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:36,680 on Thanksgiving weekend, you had Colorado playing Oklahoma State, the 528 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,079 worst team in the conference, and that game was a 529 00:30:39,119 --> 00:30:43,759 total blowout. On Friday November twenty nine, BYU hosted Houston Houston, 530 00:30:43,799 --> 00:30:46,839 a not very good team sub five hundred team not 531 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:52,200 a bowl team. On November thirtieth, Colorado and BYU did 532 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,480 not meet this season. Now a flex plan, a flex 533 00:30:55,599 --> 00:30:59,799 game plan would mean that you arrive at the middle 534 00:30:59,799 --> 00:31:02,400 of the season, let's say week eight, week nine, you know, 535 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:05,400 mid to late October, you find out who's good and 536 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:09,200 who's not in your conference. Flexing out the final game 537 00:31:09,279 --> 00:31:11,880 on your conference schedule and playing it in late November 538 00:31:12,319 --> 00:31:14,440 means that you know your top teams play each other 539 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:16,960 in a flex game, your middle teams play each other, 540 00:31:17,559 --> 00:31:21,000 and your bottom teams play each other. Just whatever teams 541 00:31:21,119 --> 00:31:25,559 have not met on the schedule, you put equivalent roughly 542 00:31:25,599 --> 00:31:29,960 equivalent teams together. So BYU Colorado would have been a 543 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:33,160 flex game for Thanksgiving weekend. The other flex game would 544 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:35,960 have been Iowa State Arizona State, the matchup that we 545 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:39,240 ultimately got in the Big Twelve championship game, but they 546 00:31:39,279 --> 00:31:42,440 hadn't played during the twelve game regular season. They had 547 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:45,599 not played yet during the Big twelve conference schedule, So 548 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:48,559 you just could have flexed out your final game in 549 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:53,519 late November to have Colorado play BYU in one flex game, 550 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:55,759 and you have Iowa State and Arizo State in another 551 00:31:55,799 --> 00:31:56,359 flex game. 552 00:31:56,559 --> 00:31:59,160 Speaker 4: If we have that YU could have gotten a quality 553 00:31:59,200 --> 00:31:59,559 win on. 554 00:31:59,519 --> 00:32:00,279 Speaker 2: Its resident. 555 00:32:01,839 --> 00:32:07,319 Speaker 3: To bolster its playoff credentials, but instead BYU was playing Houston, 556 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:11,359 a game that had no real positive value for the Cougars. 557 00:32:11,519 --> 00:32:14,640 You know, for the BYU Cougars, I should say, playing 558 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:17,599 Houston that did not give a BYU a resume boost. 559 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:21,880 So flex games really for the non SEC, non Big 560 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:24,960 ten conferences, like you want your top teams to play 561 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:27,839 each other so that they get more quality wins on 562 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:31,200 the board and in the twelve team playoff. And this 563 00:32:31,279 --> 00:32:34,079 is a this is something we saw over the past weekend. 564 00:32:34,119 --> 00:32:38,079 We saw how Georgia, Texas did not matter the same 565 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:41,359 way or at the same level that the SEC championship 566 00:32:41,359 --> 00:32:44,559 game used to me. You know, in a four team playoff, 567 00:32:44,559 --> 00:32:49,039 that conference championship game was almost always central and necessary. 568 00:32:49,559 --> 00:32:51,240 I mean not one hundred percent of the time, but 569 00:32:51,359 --> 00:32:55,119 usually usually the conference championship game and a four team playoff, 570 00:32:55,319 --> 00:32:58,279 you had to win that game to get in. You know, 571 00:32:58,359 --> 00:33:00,640 Georgia went twelve and oh last season and loses the 572 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:05,240 SEC title game, misses the playoff. So yeah, the SEC 573 00:33:05,279 --> 00:33:08,799 title game was necessary in a fourteen playoff, but now 574 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:12,640 with twelve it's different. Georgia was getting in even if 575 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:17,000 it lost to Texas, and that really took away from 576 00:33:17,039 --> 00:33:20,079 that game. And it's something I've been talking about and 577 00:33:20,119 --> 00:33:23,960 writing about all year that hey, didn't we know, Like. 578 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,559 Speaker 4: Couldn't we have seen this coming? Shouldn't we have seen 579 00:33:26,559 --> 00:33:27,039 this coming? 580 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 3: That in the twelve team playoff, these conference championship games 581 00:33:30,279 --> 00:33:33,119 weren't going to mean as much. They weren't going to 582 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:35,759 be the same as they used to be in a 583 00:33:35,839 --> 00:33:40,079 fourteen playoff or even before that in the BCS. These 584 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:43,519 games do not mean as much, and so the conferences 585 00:33:43,759 --> 00:33:46,920 need to adjust their scheduling for the end of November 586 00:33:47,279 --> 00:33:49,880 and the end of the regular season and these conference 587 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,400 championship games as well. They need to handle it differently, 588 00:33:53,599 --> 00:33:56,839 especially in the ACC and especially in the Big Twelve, 589 00:33:56,839 --> 00:34:01,519 which BYU also Colorado to a point being the representative 590 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:09,440 examples of why scheduling practices and conference championship practices need 591 00:34:09,519 --> 00:34:13,159 to change. I mentioned in recent weeks that you know, 592 00:34:13,199 --> 00:34:15,639 Oregon had no business playing in the Big Ten title game. 593 00:34:16,079 --> 00:34:17,199 Speaker 4: Oregon was the one. 594 00:34:17,159 --> 00:34:20,320 Speaker 3: Unbeaten team in the in Big Ten play, and overall, 595 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:23,159 Oregon should just be declared Big Ten champion, and you 596 00:34:23,199 --> 00:34:26,039 should have had Penn State playing Indiana and what would 597 00:34:26,079 --> 00:34:29,719 basically be a Big Ten bubble game, a play in 598 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:34,800 game for the playoff, so much more interesting, so much 599 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:38,239 more relevant than having asking Oregon to play a thirteenth 600 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,800 game win It already was the best team of the 601 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:44,039 Big Ten during the twelve game regular season. Why ask 602 00:34:44,159 --> 00:34:47,119 Oregon to play a thirteenth game when it already was 603 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:51,360 first in the Big Ten? Clear cut, no debate, you know, 604 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:54,519 so it's just asking Oregon to play that extra game. 605 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:58,800 That's just an extra imposition on Oregon. And yet the 606 00:35:00,039 --> 00:35:02,840 one unbeaten team in the country, the team that was 607 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:05,440 sitting first place in the Big Ten and in the 608 00:35:05,559 --> 00:35:08,719 number one spot in the College Football Playoff, that's not 609 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:10,800 the team that should be playing the thirteenth game. You 610 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:14,119 should be asking the teams lower in the conference to 611 00:35:14,199 --> 00:35:16,760 play that thirteenth game. You know, those are the teams, 612 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:20,039 the teams on the fringe, should be playing that thirteenth game. 613 00:35:20,079 --> 00:35:23,480 You know, Ohio State lost twice. Oregon did not lose 614 00:35:23,519 --> 00:35:25,800 at all. Ohio State is the team as a team 615 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:29,639 that should be asked to play a thirteenth game. You know, 616 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:33,559 Indiana didn't beat anybody this season, Indiana should play a 617 00:35:33,599 --> 00:35:38,719 thirteenth game, not Oregon. So all of this should have 618 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:42,039 been seen, it should have been planned for. And I'm 619 00:35:42,079 --> 00:35:45,039 really you know, people will say, Matt, you shouldn't be 620 00:35:45,039 --> 00:35:48,719 surprised that college football is slow to react, and fair point, 621 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:52,880 but really, didn't we know that these conference championship games 622 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:54,960 were not going to mean as much? Didn't we know 623 00:35:55,039 --> 00:35:58,159 that there was going to need to be reforms to 624 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:01,519 those conference championship games to adjust to the times, to 625 00:36:01,559 --> 00:36:03,800 adjust to the realities of the twelve team playoff era. 626 00:36:04,199 --> 00:36:08,760 It's really notable that that didn't get done this year. 627 00:36:09,039 --> 00:36:10,119 Speaker 4: Maybe we'll see it get. 628 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:13,559 Speaker 3: Done next year or at the certainly no later than 629 00:36:13,559 --> 00:36:15,639 twenty twenty six. Right, they've got to get this in 630 00:36:15,679 --> 00:36:20,280 place for twenty twenty six under the new playoff contract. 631 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:24,079 So maybe we go one more year without reforms, but hey, 632 00:36:24,119 --> 00:36:28,199 if I'm Brett Yormark of the Big twelve, I definitely 633 00:36:28,199 --> 00:36:30,920 want to make these reforms as soon as possible so 634 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,360 I have a better chance of getting more teams in 635 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:37,639 the playoff in future seasons starting with twenty twenty five. 636 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:39,920 Speaker 4: So a lot to talk about in. 637 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:42,199 Speaker 3: The college football world here on, get off my pilon 638 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:46,360 and we are sponsored by ticket Smarter college football fans. 639 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:49,760 With the season now heading into the playoff and the 640 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:53,239 bowl games, you have Army Navy this coming Saturday, we 641 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:54,880 know you're looking for the best seats at the most 642 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:57,719 competitive prices. 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