WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:03.040 Four teams left standing after one hundred and thirty four 2 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:05.679 teams to start the year looking for a national championship. 3 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:07.200 It's been a while since. 4 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:09.400 We've chatted with our next guest, friend of the program 5 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:11.320 has spent some time out here in Salt Lake City. 6 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:14.160 Good to have Ryan McGee on the show on a Monday, Ryan, 7 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:15.359 Happy Monday, man, How are we doing. 8 00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:20.480 We're good? You know, it's this expanded COSS Football Playoffs 9 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:24.199 is great. But normally I'd be at the national championship 10 00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:27.519 game like today and we still got like a couple 11 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:30.640 of weeks. So that's weird. But the but other than that, 12 00:00:30.679 --> 00:00:31.359 it's awesome. 13 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:34.640 Yeah, it's you know, I've been talking about this over 14 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:37.880 the past couple of weeks because we're all experiencing what 15 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:40.640 almost feels like a new sport together, right, I mean, 16 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:43.560 all of the dynamics off the field, all of the 17 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:46.039 changes on the field with the expansion of the twelve 18 00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:48.560 team CFP. I want to start out with a couple 19 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:51.280 of local things because you're familiar with Kyle Whittingham, you're 20 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:55.759 familiar with Utah football, and we're unfamiliar with this lot 21 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:58.840 in our life as this U Tough football fans out here. 22 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:01.719 It's been a long time since we've seen this season 23 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:04.480 that we saw behind us. Now, of course they've hit 24 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:08.560 the transfer portal. Combined incoming freshmen and incoming transfers, they're 25 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:11.280 going to be forty one new players for coach with 26 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:13.560 year two in the Big twelve. Knowing what you know 27 00:01:13.560 --> 00:01:15.599 about Utah football, what do you what do you think 28 00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:18.280 is fair to say about expectations for next year? After 29 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:20.040 a rough entrance into this conference? 30 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:23.879 You know, it was really I think I was having 31 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:26.439 this conversation over the weekend with some of my my 32 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:29.959 ESPN dot com colleagues when we were talking about most 33 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:33.599 shocking seasons, and everybody kind of wants to go a 34 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:35.680 certain way with it, you know, like shocking as in 35 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:38.400 I didn't see that coming, SMU or whatever. I didn't 36 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:40.480 see it coming. Only anybody did with Utah. And I 37 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:43.799 kept saying and when I said it, like everyone on 38 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:47.000 our call went, oh yeah, because they just kind of 39 00:01:47.079 --> 00:01:50.519 checked out on us so early. But listen, I don't 40 00:01:50.560 --> 00:01:52.640 worry you guys know how I feel about Wit. I 41 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:55.840 think he's the man. I don't worry about them long term. 42 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:00.200 Sometimes it just doesn't work, and this year was one 43 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:03.920 of those years where it just everything went the wrong way. 44 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:08.159 The ball literally bounced the wrong way. And so the 45 00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:13.800 good news is is that these days, if you need 46 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:16.840 wholesale changes, you can do it. I mean, we're living 47 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:19.919 in a free agency market and so the hope is 48 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:21.520 is that you go get what you want. But yeah, 49 00:02:21.639 --> 00:02:24.240 that's a lot of play. And I know for folks 50 00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:26.199 that have grown up with Utah football and you just 51 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:29.360 get used to guys being around three and four and 52 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:31.879 five and six, and in the case of COVID seven 53 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:35.080 eight years, you know, into the deal, it feels weird 54 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:37.439 to bring in all these different players. But what's been 55 00:02:37.479 --> 00:02:40.560 really interesting is talking to coaches who didn't want to 56 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:44.439 do that and then they did it, and they still 57 00:02:44.520 --> 00:02:47.199 managed to find the chemistry in the locker room, because 58 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:49.879 I think that's the part that we all kind of 59 00:02:49.879 --> 00:02:52.639 thought would just go away. But when I talked to 60 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:56.680 coaches that when I go to the booth, one I 61 00:02:56.719 --> 00:02:59.520 go to Boulivart and you talk to coach Prime and 62 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:03.439 they've had two entirely different rosters with a handful of 63 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:05.680 with the exception of a handful of players over the 64 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:08.680 last couple of years, that was a close knit group 65 00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:11.400 this year, and so you can still do it that way, 66 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:15.240 just the way that you get there is very, very expedited. 67 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:18.599 And I will follow up with that because you know, 68 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:21.879 the topic of the transfer portal can be exhausting, but 69 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:24.240 when you're in a spot like we are here in 70 00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:26.560 Salt Lake City, it is going to be more or 71 00:03:26.680 --> 00:03:28.879 less a complete rebuilt. I mean, it's going to be 72 00:03:29.240 --> 00:03:32.960 a completely different team. It's a new offensive coordinator, and 73 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:36.879 ultimately that could go one of two ways. So you know, 74 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:39.639 as a guy that's been around college football as long 75 00:03:39.719 --> 00:03:41.879 as you've been around it, Ryan, do you feel like 76 00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:45.280 we're getting a little bit closer to putting our arms 77 00:03:45.479 --> 00:03:48.280 around this new normal? I mean, hell, man, like they 78 00:03:48.280 --> 00:03:51.000 have free agency when games are being played. It's so 79 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:54.520 wild to me where we find ourselves, but it's not 80 00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:56.960 going anywhere. Do you feel like we're getting closer to 81 00:03:57.039 --> 00:04:00.599 maybe getting an understanding of exactly the right way to 82 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:03.360 go about it, because if you look at twenty different programs, 83 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:05.159 it feels like you have twenty different approaches. 84 00:04:06.120 --> 00:04:09.479 Yeah, and that's because there's no rules, you know, I 85 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:12.120 keep going by I love the movie Tombstone, right, and 86 00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:15.159 there's the great line from Jason prieflely in tombstones. There's 87 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:17.639 got to be some sort of law, and right now 88 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:20.600 there isn't any. Now what's gonna happen is when the 89 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:23.759 revenue sharing kicks in, which is gonna happen very soon. 90 00:04:24.279 --> 00:04:28.079 When the revenue sharing kicks in, these kids are signing contracts. 91 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:30.959 And when they signed contracts, you know, we already saw 92 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:32.680 it this year. I mean, listen, I was at the 93 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:35.720 I was at the Citrus Bowl, well my daughter what 94 00:04:35.800 --> 00:04:39.079 a week ago, and almost every player who would have 95 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:41.680 opted out the year before were in the game. And 96 00:04:41.720 --> 00:04:44.319 I think in the future, we're gonna see guys essentially 97 00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:47.040 they're gonna be signing the contracts and you get your 98 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:49.000 money now, you're not gonna have it if you get 99 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:51.000 in a transfer portal and you're certainly gonna lose your 100 00:04:51.079 --> 00:04:53.600 nil deals and all that's gonna be officially on paper, 101 00:04:53.720 --> 00:04:56.600 and so you're essentially gonna be as signing a multi 102 00:04:56.680 --> 00:04:58.800 year contract and if you want to get out of it, 103 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:01.000 you're gonna have to figure out way to get out 104 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:04.720 of it. So it's all I think that is going 105 00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:08.160 to force the hand of everyone to come up with 106 00:05:08.199 --> 00:05:13.399 some sort of actual structure because everyone agrees on one thing, 107 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:15.720 and that's you can't keep doing it the way it's 108 00:05:15.720 --> 00:05:18.319 happening right now, because you know, you look at Georgia. 109 00:05:19.160 --> 00:05:21.240 Georgia this year was not as good as it's been 110 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:24.759 because they won back to back national championships and had 111 00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:29.240 starters transfer out and Alabama won a national championship at 112 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:34.279 twenty twenty had starters transferred to Georgia, and so you 113 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:36.600 just can't keep doing it the way that you're doing it. 114 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:39.720 So I think that the happy medium or unhappy medium 115 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:42.000 what you want to call it, is coming because I 116 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:44.639 think everyone can agree and the coaches are the ones 117 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:47.759 that created this monster, and now they can all agree, right, 118 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:52.040 we can't keep we cannot sustain this, and so yeah, 119 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:56.079 there's some level coming. And in the meantime, the good 120 00:05:56.120 --> 00:05:59.160 news is you don't have to wait three years to rebuild. 121 00:05:59.319 --> 00:06:01.319 If you have to do an overhaul, like did you'd 122 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:03.519 feel like they have to do then the way it's 123 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:05.279 structured right now, you can do it pretty quick. 124 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:07.480 On the other side of things, before we get to 125 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:09.800 the national stuff, for remaining games and your thoughts on 126 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:11.839 what we've seen so far. Year two in the Big 127 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:14.399 Twelve was much better for Brigham Young after a tough 128 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:17.160 year one, and they go to the Alamo Bowl and 129 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:20.519 they just put it on Colorado and we saw the 130 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:23.160 ratings come out. Eight million people watch that game. It's 131 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:26.319 a massive, massive number. And yes, Colorado's the main draw, 132 00:06:26.360 --> 00:06:28.639 but BYU is a good brand. So Colladi and his 133 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:31.600 team to go eleven and two overall, seven and two 134 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:34.279 in conference. They beat their eighth conference opponent in that 135 00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:35.879 Alamo Bowl against Colorado. 136 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:36.360 I don't know. 137 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:39.360 Trying to predict what the Big twelve will look like 138 00:06:39.399 --> 00:06:41.959 next year is a complete exercise and futility. 139 00:06:42.040 --> 00:06:44.879 But year two, Big twelve BYU not too bad? 140 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:50.879 Hi? Right, Yeah, not at all. And it's if the 141 00:06:51.160 --> 00:06:55.600 college Football tooth fairy had landed in Provo in August 142 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:01.160 and said you're going to win eleven games and you're 143 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.319 going to defeat Colorado and Prime and the Alamo Ball, 144 00:07:04.360 --> 00:07:07.079 you would have taken that immediately. You would have said, okay, 145 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:09.600 thank you very much, we're gonna go straight to that game. Now, 146 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:13.560 the context is they're disappointed because they didn't win the conference, 147 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:16.439 and they're disappointed because they didn't, you know, obviously make 148 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:19.279 the playoff and all those things. But I think that yeah, 149 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:23.160 and listen. It's a huge transition when you join a 150 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:26.079 new conference. It just is, you know, speaking of the 151 00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:28.279 Big Twelve. Go down to TCU and ask those guys 152 00:07:28.279 --> 00:07:30.759 who changed conferences that felt like eight times and ten 153 00:07:30.839 --> 00:07:33.720 years or something, and it's really really difficult to do. 154 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:36.560 So Yeah, once you get settled in and you figure 155 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:38.959 it out, I expect to see some of those same 156 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:43.000 things from an Oklahoma in the SEC, or from USC 157 00:07:43.560 --> 00:07:45.639 and some of the West Coast teams you know obviously 158 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:47.959 that are in the you know, traveling all across the country, 159 00:07:47.959 --> 00:07:50.000 play Rutgers in Maryland and all that. I think that 160 00:07:50.519 --> 00:07:53.759 once they settle into year two and three, I think, 161 00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:55.439 first of all, we'll all get used to it, and 162 00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:57.319 second of all they'll get used to it. But yeah, 163 00:07:57.600 --> 00:07:59.959 if they if you had come to me and said, 164 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:03.600 come to anybody wearing BYU gear and said I'll give 165 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:05.480 you this right now, will you take this? They would 166 00:08:05.480 --> 00:08:07.199 have said one percent, thank you very. 167 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:08.519 Much, one hundred percent. 168 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:10.319 And give me a quick thought on the Big Twelve 169 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:13.399 because I continue to chuck about up, chuckle about this, 170 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:17.480 uh in an ironic way. Ryan, the most popular preseason 171 00:08:17.480 --> 00:08:20.319 Big Twelve Championship pick in Vegas was Oklahoma State and 172 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:23.920 Utah and obviously that didn't go well for coach within 173 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:28.079 or Mike Gundy, and so I have zero clue how 174 00:08:28.120 --> 00:08:30.040 this conference is going to play out. And of course 175 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:31.879 there are a number of months until we're playing Big 176 00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:35.440 twelve football again. But just generally speaking, your thoughts on 177 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:37.960 what you know we're learning now Being a former Pac 178 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:40.200 twelve City now at Big twelve City is certainly a 179 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:43.279 conference of chaos, and get used to. 180 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:46.440 It, because this is just how it is. You know. 181 00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:49.480 I was talking to Steve Sarkisian, who obviously be coaching 182 00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:52.559 in the playoff, you know, on Friday night for what 183 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:54.799 Texas and Sarka was like, we were in a Big 184 00:08:54.879 --> 00:08:57.240 twelve thirty however many years and he goes, we want 185 00:08:57.279 --> 00:09:00.480 to think like three times it's just nuts and yeah, 186 00:09:01.080 --> 00:09:03.759 but what it'll tell you is, and this is encouraging 187 00:09:03.799 --> 00:09:06.840 for Utah, man, is that you know, it's a spaghetti 188 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:09.519 pile and it's a yo yo. And so the good 189 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:12.399 news is is that even if you finish toward the 190 00:09:12.440 --> 00:09:15.279 bottom of the conference one year, you're really not that 191 00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:17.879 far from the top of the conference. So you can 192 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:20.080 you can get there quickly and if you go and 193 00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:24.039 study what that conference has been certainly over the last decade, 194 00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:28.279 it's not just crazy games. All those crazy games add 195 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:30.600 up to crazy conference races. And so yeah, I mean 196 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:33.840 Oklahoma State, they were very confidence they were gonna be 197 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:36.440 in the College Fotball playoffs and they finished last in 198 00:09:36.519 --> 00:09:39.720 the conference. So it's yeah, there's you can make up 199 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:43.519 room very quickly these days. And yeah, you guys know, 200 00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:46.120 I cover NASCAR and I go to Daytona and Talladega, 201 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:48.759 where you can be running twenty second with two laps 202 00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:50.399 to go and win the race, and you can be 203 00:09:50.519 --> 00:09:53.840 running first and finished twenty second. And that's exactly the 204 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:55.320 way the Big twelve has always been. 205 00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:58.759 All right, moving over now to what we've seen so far, 206 00:09:59.080 --> 00:10:02.240 I'll start here back at the beginning, because honestly don't 207 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:05.720 know Ryan what your opinion is on the new twelve 208 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:08.159 team expanded CFP. So I want to start with whether 209 00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:11.600 or not you're a fan of the format, simply put, 210 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:15.080 and then what we've seen so far, beefs about auto 211 00:10:15.159 --> 00:10:17.519 bid seating, all the things, you know, the deal you're 212 00:10:17.759 --> 00:10:20.039 you know now now that we have seen a good 213 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:22.360 portion of an unfold, are you a fan of what 214 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:24.519 they've done, and what are your thoughts on what's unfolded 215 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:24.919 so far. 216 00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:28.720 Well, I I have been on the record since the 217 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:32.039 jump that they should have started at sixteen out of 218 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:36.200 hate buys. I hate first round buys. That is so NFL, 219 00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:38.399 you know, if you want to be the NFL. I 220 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:40.720 got good news. They're playing every Sunday, you know, I 221 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:42.679 just don't. I don't like buys in the playoffs, and 222 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:46.360 and clearly that did no one any good because you know, 223 00:10:47.360 --> 00:10:49.639 if you had a first round buy, you're gone. And 224 00:10:49.799 --> 00:10:52.200 so I love the on campus games. I was at 225 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:55.399 Ohio State, the Tennessee Ohio State game. I think you know, 226 00:10:55.639 --> 00:10:57.480 I'm from North Carolina, right, I'm not used to the 227 00:10:57.559 --> 00:11:00.960 Highland being eighteen. That wasn't any fun. But I love 228 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:05.799 the fact that the playoffs started in Austin, in South Bend, 229 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:09.639 you know, in Happy Valley, you know, in the Horseshoe. 230 00:11:09.720 --> 00:11:12.840 That was amazing. And so those are the things they've gotten, 231 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:16.600 right people, As you said when we started talking, we've 232 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:19.240 all kind of learned about this, you know, as we've 233 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:22.519 gone along. You know, the seeding obviously is a problem. 234 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:24.519 I mean that was a mess. You know, I think 235 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:26.960 that and I appreciate the fact that they want to 236 00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:31.159 reward conference championships, and that goes back to day one 237 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:33.159 of the college football playoffs. If you've ever done one 238 00:11:33.159 --> 00:11:35.759 of these mock selection committee exercises, which I have three 239 00:11:35.799 --> 00:11:39.759 or four times, there's not much criteria, but of the 240 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:43.080 four things that are listed, they want you to reward 241 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:44.960 a conference champion. This goes all the way back to, 242 00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:47.399 you know, eleven years ago when this thing first started. 243 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:51.639 So I think the receding has to be considered. I 244 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:53.799 think they need to go to sixteen as soon as 245 00:11:53.799 --> 00:11:55.840 they can. I want everyone to play the same number 246 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:58.960 of games. Clearly there's no advantage, certainly based on this year. 247 00:11:59.480 --> 00:12:01.480 But I've enjoy I mean, you know, but I think 248 00:12:01.559 --> 00:12:04.600 what we're what we've learned though, is is that you know, 249 00:12:05.720 --> 00:12:08.320 it's still going to come down to it's pretty obvious 250 00:12:08.360 --> 00:12:10.759 who the best handful of teams are. And the good 251 00:12:10.840 --> 00:12:13.559 news if you got in twelfth or eleventh or tenth 252 00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:17.080 or whatever, you know, congratulations you're in the playoff. But 253 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:20.080 you know, as we learn with four teams, you know, 254 00:12:20.200 --> 00:12:22.120 the semi final games for the most part, for the 255 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:25.639 last decade haven't been great because the two best teams 256 00:12:25.639 --> 00:12:27.639 are way better than the third and fourth best teams, 257 00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:30.519 so I'm curious to see how it plays out this weekend. 258 00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:33.440 I love the fact I'm writing a column for ESPN 259 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:36.159 dot com for tomorrow about the fact that we have 260 00:12:36.279 --> 00:12:39.279 these four programs that I mean, Ohio State won it 261 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:42.960 ten years ago. You know you're talking about Notre Dame 262 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:46.720 in Penn State nineteen eighty eight, nineteen eighty six, since 263 00:12:46.759 --> 00:12:49.320 either one of them won a national championship. So we 264 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:52.240 got plenty of storylines. But I want to I want 265 00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:54.120 to get the sixteen teams as quick as we can. 266 00:12:54.879 --> 00:12:57.360 And there's you know, probably no perfect solution. 267 00:12:57.720 --> 00:12:59.919 And I've always believed that the powers of be in 268 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:04.360 college football enjoyed the discourse around the tournament no matter what, 269 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:07.399 even if it's knocking on the whole thing, It's like, hey, 270 00:13:07.399 --> 00:13:08.360 they're talking about us. 271 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:10.639 I do want to kick the tires with you on 272 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:13.840 the beef that I think is real. 273 00:13:14.039 --> 00:13:17.000 If you're Oregon, you're a fan of Oregon, you know, 274 00:13:17.159 --> 00:13:19.799 you handle your business all year long, you enter that 275 00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:24.120 tournament undefeated, and your gift for that is facing what 276 00:13:24.279 --> 00:13:26.360 most people believe is the most talented team in college 277 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:29.440 football round two in Ohio State and the current favorite 278 00:13:29.480 --> 00:13:31.240 to go win the thing. Like I said, there's no 279 00:13:31.320 --> 00:13:33.639 perfect solutions, but if you're an Oregon fan, you feel 280 00:13:33.720 --> 00:13:34.159 hard done. 281 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:35.559 I kind of understand where you're at. 282 00:13:36.759 --> 00:13:40.200 Yeah, if you're an Oregon fan and you've been number one, 283 00:13:40.360 --> 00:13:42.519 they were number one, what soul second half of the 284 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:47.799 season and being And I love James Franklin. I think 285 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:50.240 the Penn State story is a great story. But it 286 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:54.080 doesn't surprise me that they're playing on Thursday night because 287 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:56.080 of the schedule that they were handed in the playoffs. 288 00:13:56.519 --> 00:14:00.559 And so again, the seeing is a problem. There's no 289 00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:04.519 there's no excuse for the fact that Oregon had to 290 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:07.799 play the game they played and Penn State. It's not easy. 291 00:14:08.039 --> 00:14:11.039 There's no bad teams left in this thing. But when 292 00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:14.240 you looked at it, it certainly felt like it was 293 00:14:14.279 --> 00:14:16.720 like we were looking at a basketball tournament and in 294 00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:18.960 a blind taste test, you would have thought that Penn 295 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:20.960 State was a number one seed based on what the 296 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:25.200 bracket was. So yeah, again there needs to be a 297 00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:28.759 reset on the seating and yeah, if we're going to rule, 298 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:31.679 if you really want to reward the teams for winning 299 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:34.600 a conference championship, and for being you know, number one 300 00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:37.039 the whole second half of the year, and for winning 301 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:39.440 games against Ohio State and doing those things they did. 302 00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:42.320 Then if you really want to reward and reward them 303 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:46.279 and U and it was they did not do that. No, 304 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:46.840 they didn't. 305 00:14:46.919 --> 00:14:49.000 And I will ask you about Arizona State because of 306 00:14:49.080 --> 00:14:52.759 course Big twelve market and you know, Kenny Dillingham my goodness, 307 00:14:52.919 --> 00:14:56.440 like herme doe respect left that thing for dead. 308 00:14:56.720 --> 00:14:58.480 You know, three wins the year before. 309 00:14:58.559 --> 00:15:01.840 Kenny takes over and does a great job of adding 310 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:03.600 talent that most people overlook. 311 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:06.840 There's not a five star kid on that roster, and 312 00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:09.120 he turns it around really quickly. 313 00:15:09.159 --> 00:15:11.919 And if not for what I perceived to be a horrible, 314 00:15:12.559 --> 00:15:16.039 horrible missed call with the targeting situation down the stretch, 315 00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:18.440 Now I ask you had kicking issues all year. There's 316 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:20.720 no guarantee that they go win the thing, But that 317 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:24.720 call that was missed I think really really really hurt. 318 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:24.960 Man. 319 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:27.799 It was a heavy pill, you know, big pill for 320 00:15:28.279 --> 00:15:31.240 ASHU fans to swallow. But the way they played against Texas, 321 00:15:31.639 --> 00:15:34.759 if you think that answered any questions about the Big twelve. 322 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:36.320 As a whole, or is that just kind of being 323 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:38.039 over dramatic about the whole thing. 324 00:15:38.799 --> 00:15:41.360 Yeah, listen, I went out to I went out to 325 00:15:41.960 --> 00:15:45.960 Tempe and spent the day with Dillingham during the week 326 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:49.159 leading into the first round of playoffs. And I'll be 327 00:15:49.240 --> 00:15:51.320 the first one to say I had watched them plenty 328 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:54.360 on television, but when I watch them, I'm sitting there thinking, 329 00:15:54.679 --> 00:15:56.559 I don't know if they're big enough and strong enough 330 00:15:56.600 --> 00:15:59.240 and certainly not deep enough to keep up with the 331 00:15:59.320 --> 00:16:03.200 big money fosters at Texas, Ohio State whoever. But once 332 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:06.360 I went out there and I watched those guys practice, 333 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:10.279 and I spent the day with with you know, with 334 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:13.240 that staff and with Kenny Dillingham, who's like twenty years 335 00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:16.320 younger than I am, and I was like, it was 336 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:19.120 I became a believer. And so it doesn't surprise me 337 00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:20.919 that they did what they did. And I don't care 338 00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:23.960 what level of football it is. You give me the 339 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:27.159 old scataboo. I got a chance that dude. That dude 340 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:30.600 can play, and so it was really fun spending time 341 00:16:30.679 --> 00:16:33.559 with them. And it's fun watch spending time with Kenny 342 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:36.639 Dillingham because I think that he set up to me 343 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:39.120 in his interview for College Game Day He's the first 344 00:16:39.159 --> 00:16:41.279 one to admit he's made big mistakes. Is you're talking 345 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:44.960 about the kicking game. He embarrassed himself when he called 346 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:48.000 out the kicker publicly, and you know, after they've missed 347 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:49.519 a big kick, you know, early in the year, and 348 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:52.360 he announced it gonna have open trials for kickers, and 349 00:16:52.440 --> 00:16:55.720 then he realized he just bashed a teenager on television, 350 00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:59.240 you know, And then then he said, I have learned 351 00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:01.320 so much this year. I mean the fifth that he 352 00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:03.879 pitched at the end of the BYU game. He has 353 00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:06.680 admitted that was an immature mistake, and so it's been 354 00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:11.240 interesting watching him and plusant, I love those stories. That 355 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:15.680 guy grew up fifteen minutes from campus, going to games 356 00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:18.319 as a kid, sitting in those stands at Sun Devil Stadium, 357 00:17:18.839 --> 00:17:21.960 went to college there, met his wife there. He still 358 00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:24.039 lives in the same neighborhood where he grew up. He 359 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:27.440 shares a backyard with his sister. His parents lived two 360 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:30.640 doors down the street. I want those guys to succeed. 361 00:17:31.079 --> 00:17:33.319 It's why I was sad that it didn't work out 362 00:17:33.319 --> 00:17:36.480 at Nebraska for Frost. It was why I wanted Matt 363 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:38.759 Luke to work out at Ole miss It's why I 364 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:43.200 love watching Kirby Smart win at Georgia. The dream is 365 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:45.319 to go back to your alma mater and the school 366 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:48.799 that you grew up rooting for and when and Arizona 367 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:50.839 State has always been at the top of the list 368 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:54.160 of how are they not better at football? And so yes, 369 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:56.599 I thought it was a big, big vot of conference 370 00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:59.920 with the Big Twelve. And listen, Colorado was for real. 371 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:03.160 BYU is for real. There's a lot of teams on 372 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:06.519 that Big twelve lineup that people don't want to play, 373 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:09.240 And so I thought it was an encouraging year for 374 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:12.519 the Big twelve, even though they exited quicker than they 375 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:13.680 wanted to in the postseason. 376 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:16.519 Let me circle back real quick, because your reference BYU 377 00:18:16.920 --> 00:18:20.559 lot of BYU fans and look, it's always and I 378 00:18:20.839 --> 00:18:23.880 enjoy doing radio from a perspective of diagnosing and not 379 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:27.599 prognosticating because this stuff is impossible to predict. But after 380 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:30.000 the fact, I think there's a case to be made 381 00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:33.160 that maybe BYU should have received a little more attention 382 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:37.240 and potential opportunity to qualify for that twelve team CFP. 383 00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:40.039 They had to win over SMU, a loss over another 384 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:43.680 playoff team the Kansas lost really really hurt them, strength 385 00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:46.440 of schedule, strength of the record, quality wins. I mean 386 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:48.480 BYU did have more of a case than I think 387 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:51.480 they were given credit for. And interestingly enough, Ryan, over 388 00:18:51.559 --> 00:18:55.319 the final couple of iterations of the CFP rankings, you 389 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:57.920 didn't even hear much about them, didn't hear that they 390 00:18:57.960 --> 00:19:00.839 were even in the conversation because they did lose two 391 00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:03.000 of their final three, and probably the timing of their 392 00:19:03.079 --> 00:19:04.759 losses is ultimately what killed them. 393 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:07.240 But do you think BYU has a bit of a bee. 394 00:19:07.160 --> 00:19:10.000 For not getting at least more recognition to potentially get 395 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:11.039 in that twelve team field. 396 00:19:11.960 --> 00:19:14.559 Yeah, I was surprised they weren't in the conversation. But 397 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:17.759 timing is everything, And the reality is, you know that 398 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:22.440 committee starts meeting in what early to mid November, and 399 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:25.839 the only time they watch football together, like you all 400 00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:28.319 sit in the room and watch football together, is championship 401 00:19:28.359 --> 00:19:32.799