Speaker 1: The previous team sport known to man, where modern day
gladiators collide for all the glory on the Gridie, let's
talk some college football on Cougar Sports with Ben Kripple.
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Speaker 3: For a little college football segment with one of our
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and Grantity's all the news notes coming out of the
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Let's get out to the hotline. Welcome in Aeron Torre's
college football, college basketball insider. You love to follow him
on Fox Sports radio and online.
Speaker 4: What's up, Erina good Man? How are we doing today?
Everything's going to go with you? I mean, b white
teams that I call and ever lose, so you must
be doing good.
Speaker 3: Yeah, the last two years have done BYU pretty gosh
staying good.
Speaker 2: Power for.
Speaker 3: The Power for Labor label combined with the frame market
has allowed BYU to thrive. And I'll remember we wandered
the wilderness of independence for over a decade.
Speaker 2: We were stiff farmed by the power brokers.
Speaker 3: And the conferences for almost fifty years after winning a
lot of games on the hardwood and a lot of
games on the football field. So we're finally finally reaping
some rewards with the you know, being involved in the club.
We finally got invited to the club and now we're.
Speaker 4: Winning brom Well, I'll tell you, I think I'm uniquely
built in some ways to understand that because I am
an alum of one of only two FBS FBS football
independence and it's not Notre Dame, it's the University of Connecticut.
And not to make this a Yukon segment, but the
reason that Yukon is in this situation is because they
were in a power conference, the Big East at the time.
The Big East disc bands, they go to the American
they dominate basketball everywhere they go. They just came off
a nine win football season, back to back nine when
football season, as a matter of fact, and they just
lost their head coach. Because because that, you know, there's
not really a spot in any of these power conferences
for them to join in all sports, and so they're
kind of in this weird middle ground. So I understand,
but it's funny you bring it up because you know,
you and I I think connected really right around the
time that Kevin Young got the basketball job, and I
interviewed him for the first time, probably about two months
after he got the job, when that first rollster that
made the Sweet sixteen was basically set, and I said
to him, I said, you know, what do you say
to people that say the only reason d why he
as good is because of Nil? And I just explicitly
remember him saying, listen, you know there's my MBA background.
But he said the other two things. He said, We're
not going to deny the role that Nil is playing.
But he also said, we're in the Big twelve. And
if you're you know, in his case, you're a basketball player,
why wouldn't she want to playing the Big twelve? Arizona Houston,
Iowa State. And I think it's certainly transitioned to football
as well, where you know, you guys can donate me
to tell you about the success of the football team,
but you know you can't undersell the combination of those
two things, Nil with the Big Twelve and in the
case of Kevin Young and basketball, the Big Twelve with
his NBA background. But either way, just from a distance,
it feels like a great time to vi a coop agan.
It seems like a fun time to be following those
two teams. Specifically, how do.
Speaker 3: You feel about the power conference structure right now? We
got the bowl games under our belt. Now we see
how the the individual conferences performed against each other.
Speaker 2: That's why we like bowl season.
Speaker 3: Some say bowl games don't matter, but when you really
get down to it's like, well, no, they do matter
because we're going to be comparing power forwards versus power
fowards more often than not.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, we actually did this on my radio
show the other day of you know, especially with the
set struggling, is bowl record indicator any more of conference success?
I don't think that it is necessarily, But what I
will say, you know, one, we can't deny that in
the Big Ten they are certainly having more postseason success
than they ever have, and not just because there's a
twelve team playoff but whatever. But also, you know, I
thought it was an important thing for Miami to be
having the success that they have because you know, I
think even BYU finally being in the Big twelve, it
feels like the real power brokers in these sports are
trying to almost make this a big two, big ten
SEC and then you know, especially another two after that
with the Big twelve in the AEC. So I think
Miami being relevant is important. Listen. I know it didn't
go well for Texas Tech, but I think we know
that they're going to be a factor going forward. You know,
I still think BYU could have made noise that they
had made the College Football Playoff. You know, Notre Dame's
kind of a unique situation in their own right, but
I think they could have made noise. So I think
the whole ecosystem is important to kind of you know,
status quo is not really the right word, but to
just make sure that we are not going towards this
again NFC AFC model where one hundred percent of the
power is is in just those two conferences, as opposed
to the power for and maybe an independent like Notre Dame.
Speaker 3: Do you think that the SEC has fallen from grace?
Do you think that they will take a third or
fourth seed in the power conference structure in the years
to come, right, there was in Bruce Feldman did an
article recently.
Speaker 2: I don't know if you've read through it.
Speaker 3: But he quoted a number of anonymous coaches, some in
the you know, all around the country, right, And I
think one of the quotes essentially said, isn't it interesting
that when paying players became proper?
Speaker 2: Right? Because I always said it was legal to do it, is.
Speaker 3: Just proper to execute it, the batman of the SEC
no longer could just do it without any They were
just better cheaters essentially, as what they're they're alluding to.
Now everyone can do it, and now the playing field
is ultimately leveled. You wonder how far well at the
SEC fall now that everybody can do what they were
doing for shoot, the last thirty years.
Speaker 4: Yeah, one hundred percent. You know, And I know this
isn't you know, necessarily applicable to a BYU show, but
you know when last year in the playoff when Georgia
lost to Notre Dame, when the final four was Ohio State,
Penn State. As crazy as that sounds, but it was
Penn State, Notre Dame in Texas. You know, I remember
on my doing a deep dive of you know, you
look at just alumni bases, you look at you know,
living alumni, you look at endowment, and it's like, you know,
I think we are headed towards a world where you know,
I don't think the power is going to be instructured.
You know, well, in college football, maybe more than any
other sport, it just goes through cycles where different things
matter at different points.
Speaker 1: Right.
Speaker 4: I think the SEC had this great run because there
was this you know, one, there's what you said, but two,
you know, it really did. I think for a while,
just mean more. They were paying players. You know, there's
a concentration of really good players in the South, and
there was no transfer portal whatever. Well, now and I
was talking to somebody who basically runs a collected today.
Now it's basically like, you know, how much are you
going to pay me? And can you help me get
to the league? And and I think it's less important
now than ever before of the name on the front
of the jersey as opposed to you know, all of
those other things, you know, And it was kind of
in reference to you know, Lane Kiffen, the whole, you know,
posing in front of the exact quote. Let me put
it this way there you're going to kick out of it.
You know, they were saying, you know how Lane Kiffen
he wants to have all his recruits pose in front
of a Bentley. He goes, you know, half these kids
probably have a Bentley point. Okay, so it's like, well,
you know, what are you going to do for and
once they get to campus. And so I do think
it's just an interesting dynamic, and I think to take
it to BYU, to take it to the big twelve.
You know, I think a lot of these schools are
positioned really well in these two sports going forward. You know,
Texas Tech certainly has set itself apart in football. You
know you would know better, but I do know publicly
what has been said about kind of Kolonie Sataki's restructure
contract or what it will mean for BYU football, and
then in basketball, you know BYU in great shape. Texas
Tech obviously, you know, I think Arizona will have what
it needs on an annual basis to compete. And so
I know you were asking about football specifically and kind
of the the pre nil nil the SEC may have
been doing ten fifteen years ago, But I think it's
a great point overall as to how the dynamics of
what matters to recruits have changed, and maybe it's fading
away from the SEC. And I do think we're seeing
the attact of that on the field right now.
Speaker 3: I'm sure many of the Big Ten would still love
to get the call up right or sorry, the Big Twelve.
Many of the Big Twelve would like to get the
call up to the Big Ten or to the SEC right.
They want to be a part of the power two structure.
Who would be the most likely brands to get the
call up? Utah fans say it's them? You know, I
don't know if any BYU fans think it's them, But
you know, who would be the next to get the
call up to the Big ten or the SEC to
create this power two structure that the SEC and Big
Ten seemingly want and maybe even ESPN and Fox wanted
as well.
Speaker 4: You know, it's a great question. The one thing I
would say, there's so many power dynamics at play right,
you know, to nerd out for a second on old
school realignment. You know, fifteen years ago the Big twelve
almost broke up in Oklahoma, Oklahoma State. We're going to
go to the PAC twelve with Texas and I think
it was Texas A and M. And so I bring
it up because, you know, if Oklahoma State gets hot
with the new coaching staff, Eric Morris and you know
Drew Mestimaker and what they're doing, could they you know,
they could become the best team in the Big twelve.
But if Oklahoma doesn't want him in the SEC, what
does that mean for them? If Texas Tech, If Texas
and Texas A and M don't want Texas Tech in
the SEC, what does it mean for them? So I
just bring it up because I think it's hard to say.
I will say I do think bigger picture. You know,
we kind of know who are some of the programs
that have kind of separated themselves in the current Big
twelve the last couple of years. And so again I
hadn't really given it much thought, but listen, I think
anyone that would be hypothetically, you know, putting out offers
to certain teams in certain programs they'd want to see
winning success, winning results, and so you know, you can
kind of put together from there who those teams could
hypothetically be.
Speaker 3: There was a quote from Joel Klatt. I don't know
if you saw this recently. He's attacking es, you know,
the mothership this is. I know he's attacking him.
Speaker 2: I know, I know. It's pretty crazy. Joe Klatt.
Speaker 3: Has been a hiss and a byword in kugarnation at times,
especially as he had a love fest with other teams
not named BYU. Finally came a little bit of He
came around a bit right towards the end of it.
But I don't know if he was ever really sold
on BYU getting into the college football Playoff.
Speaker 2: It is what it is, But.
Speaker 3: I thought this was an impactful commentary from Joel Klatt.
Not very happy about what's going on with the ESPN
exclusive college football deal, he said this, they chose the
wrong path when it comes to the presentation of this playoff.
There's no playoff that should be a single television partner.
It just shouldn't because the presentation is important, in particular
when you're down to this point in the sport where
you're trying to showcase games. Let's face it, it'd be
better if every network was given an a level broadcast
versus a single presenter, in particular when the single presenter
has a deep relationship with just one conference within college football.
Speaker 2: Your thoughts.
Speaker 4: You know, I love Joel. I do think that's probably
a little bit self serving, given that you know he
would be on the call for one of these games.
But I will say it is an interesting point because,
and this is one of the things when ESPM got
the exclusive rights to the twelve team expanded Playoff, and
I know that they've since sub licensed out a lot
of these games to Turner. With the whole point of expanding,
if you remember, it was right after the Big Ten
signed that deal that with CBS, BOTS and NBC, and
it kind of had an NFL feel to it. Multiple networks,
cross promotion this and that, and the understanding at the
time was type, when we expand the college Football Playoff,
we're going to involve different networks, going to evolve different this,
We're going to involve different debt. And so I just
bring it up only to say that to me, it
always felt weird that the second that this thing expanded
to twelve that it was solely an ESPN property, And
so you know, I don't have much more on that,
but I find it interesting, and like I said, it
was always weird to me that this is where we
ended up once we expanded the playoff. I think there's
probably something to that with what Joel.
Speaker 3: Said, Yeah, well, where does the Big Big twelve standard
all news? How do you feel what's the level of
optimism should there be, what level of optos should there
be amongst the Big twelve members right now about their future?
Speaker 4: Well, you know, I think it's certainly would have helped
if Texas Tech had shown a little bit better. And
I think, you know, I think America got to appreciate
how good that defense is, but they needed a little
bit more offensively. I think the good thing is it
is very obvious with the Brennan Sorsby you know, transaction
if you will, that they're not flowing down, and just
because they had success, and just because we have this
this house settlement that you know, they don't you know,
they don't seem to be abiding by a million dollar
house settlement. And you know, I'll leave it up to
them as how they disfurst their money. I really don't care,
you know, but I do think it's important that BYU
continues on the trajectory that it's on. I do think
it's important that you know, frankly, you know, the guys
across the state continue to have success as Kyle Winningham
starts at another job. And I think that's really what
it is is. I think having year in and year out,
multiple teams or at least one that can really compete
at the highest level. Right. It's funny how we talked
about how bad the ACC was all year. Now all
of a sudden, Miami you know, punks Texas A and
m S Texas A and M punks Ohio State, all
of a sudden, it doesn't seem to be as much
of a talking point. So I think it's on the
Big twelve keep doing what they've been doing. You know,
Like I said, I think there, especially in football, I
think there's probably three to four schools that can spend it,
maybe a different level, that can put together a different
caliber roster. And then I think you just got to
have success once you get to the postseason. I think
as importantly, you know, success in out of conference games.
And actually, then I have one more thought. I don't
want to go along? Can I Can I expand on
one thing really quick? Or are we short on top?
Speaker 2: No? No, you go ahead, we got some time.
Speaker 4: Okay. What I was gonna say was, and you and
I didn't talked during the whole playoff situation, you know,
BYU being left out. One guy that I was pretty
disappointed in throughout the process was Brett you or Mark,
and you know, I vividly remember him at Big twelve
media day all the way back in July saying we
expect to have two teams in the college football playoff.
And for about three weeks, you know, I don't know
how you feel about it or how you did feel
about it then, but you know, for about three weeks
you could see the BYU thaying coming of they're here now,
but if they lose to Texas Tech the second time,
and you know that's assuming there's no crazy up that's late,
you know, Notre Dame doesn't take a weird loss in Miami, whatever.
You could see the scenario where BYU was going to
be left out if they were if they lost in
the Big twelve championship game. And you know, it was
something that I kind of fought on my platforms, but
I was disappointed that Brett Yormark, who for months was
talking about we deserve multiple teams, we deserve this, we
deserve that. All of a sudden you're on the cusp
of having multiple teams, and you got guys like Aaron Torres,
And I'm not comparing myself to this guy because he's
got a way bigger platform than I have. But Dave Fortinnoy,
Why why is Dave Portannoy advocating more for the Big
twelve than than brett Ormark was. So that to me
was a disappointing thing, especially because he was so vocal
about how he believed that the conference as a whole
played good enough football where they should have two teams
in the College football playoffs.
Speaker 2: You think Brett's just positioning himself to enter the.
Speaker 4: Portal conference to USA. You know, I heard Doug Gottlie's
complaining about the commissioner and their conference in whatever, you know,
whatever conference he's in, So maybe that's what brett Ormark.
So then maybe that's where he's transitioning. I don't know, man,
I just you know, listen.
Speaker 3: I think he's sixty one, Sanky sixty one what he said,
I said, Greg Sankeye, sixty one years of age.
Speaker 2: He's almost to the right.
Speaker 4: Time and age. Well, all I'm saying is, you know,
I think he's done a lot of very savvy stuff
in terms of you know, creating the brands of the
Big Twelve and you know, basically positioning the league is
the third power conference of the of the four. But
I thought he really dropped the ball without publicly coming
out and support at BYU until and I couldn't be wrong.
What was it was? It was either the day of
the Big Twelve championship game or afterward when it was
really a two or three or four week story that
you could see coming at your pen attention.
Speaker 3: Yep, yeah, No, I agree with I think there's some
constructive criticism that could be laid on the shoulders of
Brett Yormark really wasn't a vocal advocate what I mean,
or he's his teams that were trending in that direction
maybe didn't buy into what they were building.
Speaker 2: Apparently there you have.
Speaker 3: It, aerin Torris, Aaron, best way to support you what
you do, how you do it for all of our listeners.
Speaker 4: Yeah, man, the Air Tors podcast every morning YouTube you
know podcast you know wherever? Host the Fox Sports Radio
National recap show on Saturday nights. Aaron Underscore Tour is
on Twitter. You want for me? I actually talked BYU
a little bit on the show. I guess it would
have been yesterday. Kind of recapping the BYU basketball opener.
I think that they're the most underdiscussed team in America
thirteen and one. It just feels like nobody's talking about.
Speaker 3: Yeah, the power couple of football and basketball at BYU.
They got to be at least a top a top ten,
top five team with those two teams combined. When you
when you combine both of them, they are trending in
the right direction, no doubt.
Speaker 4: I can't think of anybody who would be ranked higher
right now. But we'll see if Ky and the boys
can keep it up. But I think they will. They're
playing really well. I think just because they don't have
that super signature win, I don't think they get enough credit.
Speaker 3: Yeah, totally get that erin Torre's, Ladies and gentlemen, thanks
so much for joining us today.
Speaker 4: Brother, All right, Ben, we'll do it again soon.
Speaker 3: Brother.
Speaker 4: Thanks, you appreciate you the goo erin Torres.
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Speaker 2: Let's go to break, please, don't go anywhere.
Speaker 3: Still plenty to get you on a Tuesday edition January
sixth edition of Cougar Sports here on one of three
nine ninety eight point three EESPN