Speaker 1: It's time to celebrate the previous team sport known to man,
where modern day gladiators collide.
Speaker 2: For all the glory on the grid eye.
Speaker 1: Let's talk some college football, a lot cougar sports with
Ben Critt.
Speaker 3: No welcome back to theater Sports here one O, three
nine and ninety eighty three ESP and the fan Ronald
the three man.
Speaker 2: We were here, Brett always bringing the hammer by my side.
Speaker 3: Gonna get into a little college football segment broadcasting from
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Speaker 2: As I said Bret always bringing the hammer by my
Side'm going to get into some.
Speaker 3: College football talk here with the Big Twelve insider front
of the program.
Speaker 2: A good friend.
Speaker 3: He represents the open Forbidness business excuse me newsletter and
the podcast, the Big twelve podcast that you can catch
on your podcast network. Without further ado, let's get out
to the hotline and welcome in. We got John Kurtz
on the line. John, thanks for doing us today.
Speaker 1: I ain't no problem wrong. Great to talk to you man.
Speaker 2: Of course, let's get right into it.
Speaker 3: Just before we get into the Big Twelve reveal of
overall schedule case state what they have BYU, let's just
go general college football news. Indiana completes the tour. They
complete the journey. Undefeated season, Fernando Mendo is a great story.
It's one you have to be excited about. Everybody thought
college foot ball was broken. It is not, apparently, your
thoughts just on the miraculous season that Indiana had and
that the SEC is not the best football conference in America.
Speaker 1: Yeah, man, I love this story. Like this should be
such a refreshing thing for almost everybody in college football.
Like in the twenty tens, you were just stuck in
this perpetual environment of the same like five or six
schools winning the national championship. It was going to be
Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, LSU. I mean, that's basically your
tier of national championship teams that it was going back
and forth, back and forth between all those. This now
proves that things are wide open and the SEC has
not been able to figure out this new nil transferport
a world of college football as much as the rest
of the sport has. I think it's neutralized some of
their advantages, certainly like proximity to talent, which is something
that it had in spades before that. But it's just
a remarkable story. Not just the fact that Indiana went
sixteen and oh a year after Steve Sarkey at a
press conference said like, hey, no one's going to go
sixteen to zero anymore. But it's the way that they
beat teams too. I know they didn't exactly pummel Miami,
but they were in control for the entire game. They
obviously drilled Oregon and Alabama before that. I mean, they
were just a wrecking crew. And they did it with
seven players that were four star or better out of
high school on their roster, which is just flabbergasting, you know.
I mean, you have people like Bud Elliott pushing the
blue chip ratio what percentage of your roster needs to
be four and five star prospects to win a national championship.
That had been a pre tried and true formula for
a long time. Indiana just took a hammer to all
of that, and now it's like, hey, other teams in
the Big twelve probably should be looking around, like maybe
maybe we can do this. Like if Indiana is able
to put this together with a roster like that, maybe
it doesn't take all five star players or a crazy
blue chip ratio on our roster, or even like a
Texas Tech caliber roster to do this. If you can
identify Obviously, you know, what we're seeing Kurtz Signetty do
at such a high level is basically unprecedented. But if
you can identify talent well, make it fit well, and
then coach him the heck up, it sure seems like
anybody actually could go out and win a national championship
in this era. So I think it's a really refreshing
thing for the sport and should be should be celebrated.
If you're a Big Twelve fan.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they put the I think the college football world
on notice, especially Kirstinetti said in the post game. You know,
in the college football playoffs after winning, they didn't spend
that much money on their roster. You probably saw the
video of ESPN Matt ESPN's Matt Berry and Paul Fineba.
I'm saying that the Big Ten is over spending. I
find that funny of what what's true, what's not?
Speaker 2: Where is the lie? But you mentioned the Big Twelve.
Speaker 3: This is the good news is BYU that team, it
kind of feels like if you look at a not
a Cinderella, but a culture culture who's not gonna do
things maybe the traditional way. It feels like BYU Kansas State,
maybe could be those potential schools, especially I look at
Kansastate and the like Avery Johnson coming back when he
has you know, same with BYU's roster, gotsh go anywhere
they want. They could get the pick of a litter,
but they say, no, let's stay at home and let's
build what we have well.
Speaker 1: BYU is a really interesting case to me for next
year because I think, especially comparing them to Texas Tech,
because I do feel like both BYU and Tech are
head and shoulders above the rest of the conference, or
at least there's a sizable gap between them and like
your next tier of like a maybe Houston, Arizona, Utah
in terms of what the conference is going to look
like next year. But I really do think that BYU's
combo of not just some really key additions in the
transfer portal. Obviously adding arguably the best linebacker in the
portal is huge when you lose a guy like Jack Kelly,
but they maintain virtually everybody else, and so you do
have that culture that you mentioned. The retention helps out
a lot, the camaraderie that you've developed there with that team.
You know, Texas Tech has a flashier transfer portal, Hall
obviously as they did the year before, but you still
have to make that work. You still have to make
those p fit together every single year. I think that's
more challenging than just retaining the core of your entire
team like BYU as well sprinkling in some really nice
transfers there. So I'll be very intrigued to see how
that's going to work, especially as bear Bachmeyer continues to develop,
you know, I mean, I think Brendan Sorosby is a
very good quarterback, but is bear Bachmeyer ceiling higher? And
does that start as a sophomore. So I think BYU
definitely could make a run to the playoff. And the
other thing that's going to help out this year, or
at least has the potential to really help out, is
having that Notre Dame game on October seventeenth. You know,
I mean, you think about the last two years winning
twenty three games, but still being on the outside looking
into the playoff and really on the outside looking in
of even the discussion of being a playoff team, which
was the frustrating part for me as an outsider watching
it unfold. Golden opportunity to change that narrative this year
with Notre Dame. I mean, you look at Notre Dame's
first five games before that one, I think Notre Dame's
probably going to be undefeated. I know they've started slow
under Marcus Emans, but the odds, I think would tell
you that's going to be an unbeaten Notre Dame team
come to town. That could be a monster statement win
for the program for the conference too. But you think
about BYU's on flight with trying to get into the
playoff and take that next step as a program. Everything
has set up this year outside of maybe losing Jay
Hill and Genero Gilford from the staff, But man, I mean,
you kept all that talent around, You kept Kalani Sataki,
No Notre Dame agrees to come to your house to
play that game. It feels like this is setting up
for a year where BYU could be taking that next step.
Speaker 4: John, It's interesting that you bring up that Notre Dame
game because I kind of feel like Notre Dame's entire
season hinges on their trip to Provo because the rest
of their schedule is pretty weak. What do you make
of Notre Dame, Like if they don't beat BYU, I
feel like they don't really have anyone else on that
schedule that really bolsters an independent resume.
Speaker 1: It's a good point. I mean, Notre Dame's for as
much crap as Texas Tech is taking for its schedule,
which I'm not saying it's the Red Raider's fault, but
I understand why they are getting a lot of that
because it's pretty Taylor made to just waltz back to Arlington.
Notre Dame's the team nationally that's getting a lot of that. No,
they do have Miami on the schedule, and I mean,
I think that obviously will be a difficult game, but
that's later on in the year. And assuming that Miami,
you know, gets Darian Mensa in and hits again in
the on their portal editions, generally they're going to be
a pretty good team. But you know, that's sort of
been the deal with Notre Dame. Lad they right, it
feels like they have like one or two high level
games and the rest of the schedules a bit blaw
and we saw this year that if they don't take
care of business enough against that type of a schedule,
they can get left on the outside looking in. I
think we're probably just going to have a twelve team
playoff again next year. For coming right up to that deadline.
For anything to actually change with the format, it doesn't
seem like that's going to happen. So yeah, Notre Dame
will absolutely need that game like that, that's going to
become a really big game for the Fighting Irish. I
think both Notre Dame and BYU have to be rooting
for each other to take care of business leading up
to that game and after that game, to make that
as prominent of a game as they possibly can. Of course,
this is you know, the replacement for USC, So say
what you will about Lincoln Riley and USC. I mean
they were at least a little bit better last year.
I think they're trending in the direction of being a
pretty strong team. So that's a that's a game that
Notre Dame really needs to replace with some actual oops
to it, you know, some strength to it, and BYU
offers that opportunity. So it's a great point. As important
as it is for BYU, it is also going to
be an important one for the Fighting Irish.
Speaker 3: Here with John Kurtz on the line, he has the
podcast Open for Business, a Big twelve Podcasts with John
Kirts you can get all your podcasts Nework. And he
also has the open for business newsletters that you don't
want to miss either.
Speaker 2: You bring up the point about BYU Notre Dame.
Speaker 3: If BYU gets that game against Notre Dame, can they
still afford to have a loss in conference because we
saw BYU this last year John only lose to the
best team in the Big Twelve and you're not supposed
to be punished for the title game, but they were.
So I know they don't play Texas Tech this year,
but it starts to wonder if they lose an Order
Dame or if they win that game, and if they
were to go to the title game again and if
they weren't to win it. It just seems like the
College Football Playoff Committee, unless you're a big brand, they're
not valuing They value good wins and good losses when
they want to.
Speaker 2: That's my point.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was running through the kind of the math
in my head, like how does that work out? Okay,
so if you have one loss and then say we'll
say it's Texas Tech again, Like if we assume that
Texas Tech will be the same type of team, you
know the team is going to be like top seven
or eight in the college football playoff rankings if you
were to lose to them in a closer game. I
think a part of it this past year obviously was
that neither game was really all that close. I mean,
I know, Buyu was in it until mid to late
third core in the Big Twelve Championship game, and it
just snowballed and got away from them. But I think,
you know, final score definitely told the story in a
lot of people's minds. If you can be more competitive
at least this year, then maybe you do have a
chance with a Notre Dame win in your in your
back pocket. I am with you. I'm always going to
be inclined to be cynical about it until I actually
see Byu get put into the playoff to get over
that hump. I do really think the Notre Dame game
could go a long way toward just kind of flipping
that narrative. You know, I view it's sort of like
a seesaw on You just need a little bit more
weight on the one side to just flip it where
it's like, Okay, wait, hold up. They've won twenty three
games the last two years now. They just proved at
home that they could beat Notre Dame, and we just
assumed last year Notre Dame would wipe the floor with them.
Maybe we should be thinking about this differently, and then
maybe that it's the Sea saw On things change pretty
dramatically because of that. I think that would be the
way you hope that it goes. But I understand some
cynicism on that in not being able to afford a
loss possibly the rest of the way.
Speaker 4: John, I'm glad you bring up those two games against
BYU from Texas Tech last year because as the Big
twelve insider, we got to go back after watching what
happened to Texas Tech's offense in that Oregon game, my
brain is a little bit twisting in pretzels trying to
understand just who and just how good that Texas Tech
offense is. I know the season's over, but I'd love
to get your perspective. We know the defense was unbelievable,
we know what they did to Oregon's offense. The problem
was it looked like Baron Morton had money on Oregon
in that one because he couldn't even hit checkdowns. But
it was so uncharacteristic of what we had seen from
that offense through the entire day of the season. What
did you make of Texas Tech offense given again once
what they did to BYU, but then also juxtaposing with
what they weren't able to do against Oregon.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, it was jarring to see that, and
it was definitely a bad look for the conference for sure.
I think the reputation of the conference took a hit
with that in retrospect. To be honest, as I thought
back to it, it really was not. It was surprising
that it looked that bad, but it shouldn't have been
that stuff because Tech Tech offense was not like a
total well oiled machine throughout the year. It was certainly
more than adequate against Big twelve competition when you have
the defense doing what it's doing, you know. I mean,
I think the defense helped it out a lot. Was
frustrating the other team, just completely controlling the game, sending
them up in advantageous spots. But remember games like I mean,
they kicked like seven field goals in the win at
Houston early in the year. I watched them play in Manhattan.
Baron Morton was just coming back from injury then he
still looked a bit off the offense. So many of
these games were fairly close until like midway through the
third quarter, and then Tech finally gets up by two scores.
Then the other team has to drop back all the
time and start throwing the ball, and the pass rush
can sen its ears back. They start forcing turnovers. You know,
I mean exactly the same thing that happened to BYU
and the big Bold Championship game happened to KSE State
in Manhattan that blew open a close game stripsack, touchdown, interception,
interception when case State's just in desperation mode trying to
make up for a multi score lead. So it really
it was not this dominant offense outside of like the
fourth quarter at Utah, which was not even Baron Morton
playing quarterbacks. So I actually did feel a bit vindicated,
and like I always had doubts about Baron Morton, and
nothing against the kid. He seems like a really good dude.
And I understand why you couldn't just hand the reins
over to Will Hammon mid season, and I think ham
had showed that he wasn't totally ready for that either.
But in terms of like having a ceiling to go
win playoff games, I just don't think Baron Morton had that,
and Tech was able to cruise as they should have.
I mean, they played it the right way, but they
were able to cruiz behind the strength of that defense
and a couple pretty solid running backs and an offensive
line that was pretty good and I think was just
good enough to do enough against big twelve teams. But
when it came up against a team in the College
Football Playoff that was good and talented enough to provide
a real serious resistance, I just don't think Baron Morton,
especially a hobbled version of Baron Morton, had it in
him to make the throws and make the plays that
Texas Tech was going to need. I think of that
organ game like they needed a quarterback that could have
gotten out with his feet and made some plays, and
like Barren Morton's not really that type of guy anyway,
But then when he's dealing with a hairline fracture in
his foot, like, good luck making that happen. And I
think you especially saw that come to fruition in the
red zone, you know. I mean it was a thirteen
to nothing game, like late in the third quarter, early
fourth quarter even right, and Texas Tech has goal to
go you know where they can cut it to a
one score game. But that's where I think they were
hurt the most by Barren's physical limitations was that you
can't use quarterback run game in the red zone. They
needed somebody who could do that. I think. Obviously the
hope is that Brendan Soorsby is going to be that
guy throughout the year and hopefully can stay healthy and
do that for them.
Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely if they had Brendan Soorsby, he to use
his legs a little bit more. He did in that
BAU Cincinnati game and kind of gave you Bau Texas
Tech vibes when Texas Tech played orgon the turnovers, the
defense keeping him in it for so long. But ultimately,
you turn the ball over in the red zone, you
throw off your back foot in a double coverage, you
don't float the.
Speaker 2: Ball to the back of the pylon.
Speaker 3: Bad things happened, and they did a lot of people
saying up that didn't help the Big twelve lose in Oregon.
It's in the past now, I mean, to the point,
Texas Tech schedule is just for people that don't know
to give just the listeners they play. Abilene Christian Oregon State,
Houston Sam Houston State.
Speaker 2: As well the Bearcats.
Speaker 3: They play at Colorado, Arizona State at home, at Cincinnati, Arizona, Westernia,
Oklahoma State, Baylor, TCU. Is what the schedule that they
have John, before we get into the BAU schedule, what
you like about it? I feel like they can run
the table. Even beating Norre Dame at home should be
why you be the favorite coming back next year. You've
heard the conversations, You've heard the many of the sound clips.
It's tough with how the Texas Tech is rebuilding a
defensive line. But the continuity of BYU, I feel like
when you look at Indiana, that speaks louder to even
if you pay players who are good players in the
portal to come over, I.
Speaker 1: Would say I think BYU has closed the gap. Now.
Brendan Soorsby holds a lot of the cards here because
if he really is like number one player in the
transferportal good, which I'm a bit skeptical of, but some
have ranked him as that maybe that elevates the Texas
Tech offense enough that it makes just a massive, massive
difference there. But I think the continuity of BYU has
closed the gap on Tech, and I still think both
of those teams to me are the class of the conference.
So I would just have I would still say Texas
Tech number one BYU number two. I wouldn't even quite
go like one A, one B, but I think it's
pretty close. And I really wish that they did play
each other in the regular season. Obviously, I understand that
the schedule was made a couple of years ago, and
you can't just be so reactive that you're trying to
tinker with the schedule based on what happened the previous year.
But no, I think by using great shape to get
back to the Big Twelve championship game, if if you
put a gun to my head right now, I'd say,
I think we just get the same Big Twelve championship
game next season between both of those two. So that's
kind of my feel right now. Somebody always seems to surprise,
and that's that's been a hallmark of this new look
Big Twelve ever since Texas and Oklahoma left. But you know,
I don't know, there's been some love for Arizona State
out there. They I think have the toughest schedule in
the conference. You know, they lost Levitt Jordan Tyson, really Brown.
They awesome guys in that defense. Like, I don't know,
there's a lot to replace there. Houston I think will
be good. Arizona I think can be good. I'm intrigued
by Utah. They've got obviously both quarterbacks back. You know,
those teams might have something to say about it. But
I still would would pencil in BYU to the Big
Twelve championship game right now?
Speaker 2: Do you think they run the table?
Speaker 3: It's so hard to win and going defeated in college
football in general, but in the Big Twelve, do you
do you think they go ing tofeed it?
Speaker 2: Like you said, they don't have to see Texas Tech
this year.
Speaker 1: Yeah, let's see. I'm looking down the schedule. I mean
the Utah game obviously will be very very interesting. It
feels like that game, since both teams now are in
the Big Twelve, it just feels like that game is
going to be a one possession game no matter where
it's played. Yeah right, I think you'll get a knockdown,
drag out no matter what the circumstances are in that game.
I do you know tricky game of Arizona in Week
two is something I would watch out for on the schedule,
because again, to if a feet a back, that should
give Arizona a jumpstart, and they won nine games last
year feeling better as a program. TCU. If their transfer
quarterback from Harvard is as advertised, that's a team that
could be pretty strong too there in week four. But
I think, you know, a lot of this is pretty
darn manageable for BYU. I wouldn't predict undefeated right now.
I think that's within the realm of possibility, but especially
thinking about that Notre Dame game, I would stay away
from a proclamation of unbeaten, but I don't think it's
beyond the Cougar's capability to do that. And really, one
thing I probably haven't talked about enough is just like,
what kind of elite does does bear Bachmeyer make in
year two?
Speaker 4: Here?
Speaker 1: You know, still as the same offensive coordinator, you've got
continuity there, how big of a step forward can he take?
Because you know, I think I'm doing some of this
math in my head thinking of the Bear Bachmeyer you
got last year, who was one of the better freshman
quarterbacks in college football history. But now, what does that
dude do when he has a second year starting under
his Belt, So that could certainly elevate the ceiling of
the Cougars a lot too.
Speaker 2: Definitely could.
Speaker 3: And I like the weapons that they've added to and
he's going to get a full spring ball of full offseason.
It's not going to come in June and have to
compete for the starting job. So you bring up a
lot of good points there. Let's end with Kansas State though,
is to Colin klein Era. I looked at the k
State schedule. Some formidable falls on this, But how do
you feel about the schedule, you know, Avery Johnson coming back,
how do you feel like Hey State can fair in
the first year under Colin?
Speaker 1: Yeah? I think schedule wise, they got a pretty favorable
draw here. The non conference schedule is nothing crazy. They
played Nickel State, Washington State, and Tulane, and will Tulane
has given them fits. They lost the game the year
they won the Big Twelf Championship to Willie Fritzton Tulane.
At that time in Manhattan, they came within an eyelash
of losing at TWU Lane the next year in Averray
Johnson's first year starting QB. This is a team that's
recouping with an internal hire after losing John summerl as
it's head coach, so I think that's going to be
more manageable. Big key here. You've got no Texas Tech,
no BYU on the schedule, so that's a real help.
And I think the toughest team that you're going to
see on this schedule is Houston. That game is in Manhattan,
so you do get that one at home. Arizona's also
at home, which might be the second most difficult there.
So bro trips to Cincinnati, Arizona State, Colorado, Iowa State,
who knows what Iowa State is going to be. That
is the last game of the regular season. But Matt
Campbell being gone there helps because he just had Chris
Clemens number. He put Case State put k State through
hell the last few years, So you know, I'm cautiously optimistic.
It's hard. They have a lot of new players. They
have I think it's twenty six new players for the
transfer portal. I'm trying to remember if there was another
one or two added since that was the number. But
they're going to have close to thirty new player. Avery
Johnson is back, but you lost you lost some guys
to really big programs. Jace Brown went to LSU. Two
of your defensive linemen went to go play for Kurt
Signetti at Indiana Austin Romain. Your best linebacker went to
go play at techs Tech. So they did lose some talent.
I think they feel like they've created a deeper roster
that perhaps won't be his reliant on some of those
frontline guys. They have strategically gone about this a little
bit differently. And yes, they did get Avery Johnson back,
which I think is a big help. And Colin Kline,
a guy who recruited him in the first place and
began working with him a couple of years ago, when
he looked his best, he looked his most confident. He
wasn't doing nearly as much because he wasn't the starter,
splitting time with Will Howard, but he definitely looked his
best running the football when Colin Klein was the offensive
coordinator at Case State a couple of seasons ago. So
cautiously optimistic that this can be seven, eight, maybe nine
win team, but it just there's so much variance. Man
in a transfer portal era with a totally new coaching
staff and a first time head coach. Much as I
love him and much as I think he has a
lot of potential, and you hope that he's KSE State's
version of Kenny Dillingham. It's hard for me to go
out and definitively predict that, Hey, this team is going
to contend or challenge for anything next year. I'm gonna
I'm gonna need to see it and see how it
all looks before I fully get on board.
Speaker 2: Hey, look, he might shock the world. You never know,
he might end up eight to nine wins.
Speaker 3: They could be undefeated through most part of the week.
You know that Houston game is I think the first
real tough challenge. I don't think they'll have any issues
with Cincinnati on the road, and they get a lot
of these guys at home. Uh yeah, Arizona State, you
don't know what they're gonna be. And then Colorado Dion
doesn't seem like they figured it out. But yeah, we're
gonna find out what case State is. I would love
to see BAU and KSE State go out in the
Big twelve Championship if that were to be the.
Speaker 2: Case, but that is a long way away. John.
Speaker 3: Before we let you go, what's the best way we
can support you. The listeners of viewers what you do
and how.
Speaker 4: You do it.
Speaker 1: Hey appreciate that. So check out the Open for Business
Big twelve podcast YouTube channel probably the best way to
do that. Find it on YouTube just search Open for
Business with John Kurtz on YouTube, but you can find
it on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get podcasts also, and
then sign up for the Open for Business Big twelve
newsletter ofbnews dot com. That's ofbnews dot com. To get
signed up for that almost six thousand subscribers from Big
twelve country. Totally free your inbox twice a week. You're
going to get all the Big twelve news that you need.
You can also follow me on Twitter at jl Kurtz.
Speaker 3: That's j l k u r t z jl Kurtz
on X. You can also, like you said, go to
ofbnews dot com. It's great love reading that content as well.
Speaker 2: John. Thanks for you Tom today. We'll catch up with
you shortly.
Speaker 1: All right, sounds good, Ron Take care guys.
Speaker 2: That was John Kurtz. We have to let him go.
Speaker 3: We have to get to break because we have to
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