Speaker 1: It's time to celebrate the previous team sport known to May,
where modern day gladiators collide for all about.
Speaker 2: Glory on the grid.
Speaker 1: I let's talk some college football on Cougar Sports with
Ben Kripple.
Speaker 3: If you are a Texas Tech fan, or YU fan.
Speaker 1: Or Utah fans, stop, listen to this right now. Share
with your friends. If BYU loses to Texas Tech, they
cannot be moved behind Utah. If Texas Tech loses to BYU,
they cannot be moved behind Utah. So the very least
what the Big Twelve is looking at next week is
still having three top fifteen teams. There will not be
a lot of chaos no matter who wins or loses
the game in Lubock.
Speaker 3: That is great for this conference.
Speaker 1: On top of that, Texas plays Georgia, they're going to lose,
Oklahoma is going to lose. There are teams ahead of
Utah they're going to help BYU, Texas Tech, and the
Utes all get in. If you're looking for a best
case scenario for three Big Twelve teams to go to
the College Football Playoff, we just got that. With the
respect the Committee as giving this conference.
Speaker 4: That is huge, huge, This League three bits.
Speaker 1: It's not a joke anymore. It's not like, oh maybe
like legitimately Utah you're in.
Speaker 4: Let's get into this.
Speaker 2: It's time to talk some college football and it's going
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it out Dental Prosoutah dot com. Today, let's get out
to the hotline. Welcome into an individual that has a
beautiful smile as well. We got Drake tole host of
Locked on Big twelve. Drake, how you living?
Speaker 3: Ben? I don't know who opened the segment here, but
whoever that guy was sounds hot. I like him already.
This is good. Keep keep playing more of those audio clips.
Speaker 4: We'll keep playing all of his clips.
Speaker 2: Drake, why do you believe the committee gave some love
to the Big twelve?
Speaker 4: What happened, what happened over the last few weeks.
Speaker 3: Well, what's interesting is, for the first time it feels
like committee is not using an analytic from the ESPN
that ultimately is more subjective than many people want to admit. Now,
what's what's crazy, Ben, is to start this year, Missouri
had the twentieth ranked strength of schedule in the country
and they were the lowest ranked SEC team. Sixteen SEC
teams got to be in the top twenty in strength
of schedule coming into the year, So that just means
other metrics that we see are skewed based on where
we started. Of course, if you rank somebody high to
begin of the year and it ended up sucking, we're
still going to give you credit in the SEC for
being that team that's ranked so high. So while you
can say these metrics don't lie, the analytics don't lie,
the numbers don't lie, they do based on where we start,
based on where ESPN puts it. You know, BYU's not
on the top twenty and ESPN's FPI and Utah is
knocking down the door to be a top ten team.
Obviously we cannot use those to decide who goes to
the college football Playoffs. Well, the reason I think the
committee liked the Big Twelve so much and that this
was such a favorable move for the conference to have
three teams in the top thirteen is because the coaches
on the committee actually watched the games. They actually see
the football, and given the idea that the committee is
going to watch this year, the Big twelves in business.
Speaker 4: They're in business, all right.
Speaker 2: One of the things that BAYU fans have been debating,
right it, is just how big this game really is.
We went back and forth a little bit on this.
On one hand, it's like, well, bay you could lose
this game and still get to the Big Twelve Championship,
so isn't that big. On the other hand, if you win,
you could lose two more games and you're still in
the Big Twelve Championship.
Speaker 3: Right right. So here's the really tough part about the
game between BYU and Texas Tech, is, as much as
I want to say it's the biggest game in the Big
twelve has had since Texas and oh you weres here,
the only problem with that is is the loser And
I mentioned it. You know in that clip, the loser
is not going to move down that far. We're going
to be in a fine spot as a conference. So
on the one hand, yeah, it's huge a top ten matchup,
and BYU can in essence lock in a playoff spot
with a win against Texas Tech. At the same time,
with a loss, BYU can still lock in a playoff
spot against Texas Tech in the Big Twelve Championship. And
so if Tech loses, this becomes much different for the
Red Raiders and it means more for them. This game
has to mean more for them as far as getting
into the playoffs, going to the College Football Playoff via
the Big Twelve Championship. For BYU, though, this is your
meal ticket, This is your Willy Wonka, Charlie Tough of
Factory or whatever it is. If you want to go
to the conference title this game, you basically booked yourself
a cricket, and for me, that makes it arguably the
biggest BYU game in history.
Speaker 2: It's pretty crazy to think of it that way. And
like from a scattering reports standpoint and what you see
from BYU and Texas Tech, how do you think these
two teams match up.
Speaker 4: Head to head Well.
Speaker 3: I thought it was very funny that my friend Josh
Pate comment on his show that BYU hasn't played from
behind it all this year and that the Cougars have
never had to rely on the pass. Now, this is
a BYU team that is certainly run heavy, and man,
look if you actually watched these games, if you actually
watch the product YU has put out on the field
the last few weeks especially, they are they're prone to
getting down. They're prone to to you know, falling, especially
in the first half, to coming to a slow start
and then finding a way to rally and get it done.
What we know about this BYU team is they played
really well in the fourth quarter. And we know about
this Texas Tech team is they played really well in
the fourth quarter. Meaning to me, the old coach adage,
the coach speak, has it been eight matters the most?
It's the last four minutes, the first half, first four
minutes to the second half you win that you win
the ball game. This week, I think you could outscore
your opponent fourteen to nothing in the middle eight and
still lose because it's the last ten. It's the last
ten that's gonna matter the most. Between two teams that
play so well in the fourth quarter, BYU going on
to take a double digit lead against Utah rallying in
the fourth, or the Cougars rallying late in the game
against Iowa State without L. J. Martin relying heavily on
the path only on the pass and bear Backmeier to
win against Iowa State rallying from double digits down against
Colorado as well, or Arizona, that's what BYU does. They
rally and they win. Texas Tech could start ahead ten nothing,
Texas Tech could lead twenty to ten of in the
third quarter, and by You still win this game. That's
where I think this matchup gets so interesting, looking at
two teams that are impeccable when the fourth quarter rolls around.
Speaker 5: Yeah, Drake, I've made the case today that the winner
of this game should move up at least three spots
in the college football playoff poll, and I think a
loser should not drop below Notre Dame. Do you agree? Disagree?
Should that happen? Will that happen? Depending on the result
of the game.
Speaker 3: Yeah, because I watch football, of course I agree. You
know that's the thing, and I just said, I hope
the committee watches football. That's a good take, that's the
right take, and I hope the committee agrees with that.
But if the if they start to view away somebody
made this point and it could come to fruition, and
that's maybe they just ranked Utah so highly, ranked the
Big twelve so highly. Here in a few weeks they
can say, oh, you had the kopium. You were all
over that coopium, like all right, man, we're hanging out,
we feel good, we're we're we're okay, we're not having
teams in the bottom of the top twenty five. And
then they'll slap you in a few weeks by saying, oh,
because there are no team in the bottom of the
top twenty five, you're missing more key wins down the stretch.
That's where I think the Big twelve could could take
a hit at the end of this thing and then
in four or five weeks. So it is overall important
to me that we understand If Texas Tech loses to
Notre Dame, they're lost to a top ten BYU team
should not knock them below Notre Dame. If Texas Tech loses,
they shouldn't be locked below Notre Dame. If BYU loses,
they shouldn't be knocked below Oregon because they just lost
on the road to a top ten team. Oregon lost
at home to a top ten team. And look at
the strength of record, the way that BYU and Texas
Tech have both been able to win games. You can say, oh, well,
BYU is not blowing anybody out, but BYU's winnings, they're
doing the winning thing. That's the one we're asking them
to win, and they are winning and against top twenty
five opponents as well. Texas Tech is winning and against
top twenty five opponents as well. I think the Thread
Raiders the YU Cougar should both be in the top
ten next week, no matter what happens. So that's again
in the conversation of this being a massive game to
the Big twelve, the loser should not be hurt by
that much. And that's the reprieve that I think helps
this conference no matter the result.
Speaker 2: On Saturday, I'm going to give you my most hated
stat of the Day that I found out ESPN College
Game Day stat of the Day BYU ish and three
all time and featured on ESPN College Game Day Saturday
in Loverpool mark the fourth game in the in their history.
Texas Tech is making its fifth appearance and they're one
and three.
Speaker 3: That sucks. I think that's about as clear as I
can give you an analysis for that one. I mean
that what that tells me is these are two schools
that are I mean, that's a lot number.
Speaker 4: Granted, granted. Let me let me add to this stat.
Speaker 2: The last time both of these teams were, respectively I
think featured. Let's see here, So the last time game
Day was in Lubbock was two thousand and eight.
Speaker 4: I believe that Texas that Texas Texas Tech.
Speaker 2: Game, that Michael Crabtree game, and then the last time
why you had Game Day in Provo was two thousand
and nine. So, I mean, it's been fifteen sixteen plus
years since the last time. And what's what's crazy is
they're kind of on the similar trade when BYU was good.
Speaker 4: The last time BA was really good.
Speaker 2: Like consecut it over like a four year period, you know,
you can say it was six to nine. They were
double digit wins every single year and they were ranked
in the top twenty five every single year. Texas Tech
kind of had a similar deal going on with Mike
Leach and their upward trajectory. Before Mike Leach left was
kicked out and BYU had to go into independence. So
now they could be the bells of the ball the
Big Twelve.
Speaker 3: Right. Yeah, So with that stat it shows me that
these are two schools that when the spotlight is the brightest,
they haven't played well. But honestly, the spotlight hasn't been
very bright. Three times College Game Day, four times College
Game Day, whatever it is. Again, there are SEC teams
that will get that in the span of one year.
And these are programs that in their history aren't getting
the marquee matchups, aren't getting the spotlight of the nation.
And so this is the changing of the guard in
the Big Twelve and in college football there are new
bloods who are establishing dominance year over year. BYU and
Texas Tech will be those brands for this conference because
of their willingness to spend and not forfeit culture that
is the caveat Ten States. Spending money, they're losing you're
seeing across the way at LSU they're spending money, they're losing.
Auburn spending, they're losing the culture of Texas Tech and
BYU is it's going to keep them at the forefront
of college athletics and keep them winning big games. I
mean this year BYU had big neon kickoff and beat Utah.
Texas Tech big noon kickoff and beat Utah. The thing
that I need people to understand this is maybe my
favorite point to make for decades. Texas Tech and BYU.
We're taking two and three star guys from Logan, Utah,
from Lovett, Coronado, bringing them into the program and making
them four and five star college football players. Diversities are
known for culture and development. You take those same guys,
those same guys developing players that were two stars, and
now you give them four and five stars. You're creating
a monster. You're creating NFL talent that these schools have
not dreamed of yet because of the access they're getting
to young stars who are much better than the talent
pool that they're used to. This is the new era
of college football where a school like DYU in Texas Tech,
who can invest with development and culture can succeed at
the highest level.
Speaker 2: Drake Toll lockdown, Big twelve, Big twelve Insider talking some
college football here on your Utah ESPN Radio network, and Drake.
Speaker 4: Let me ask you this.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so Obviously, the Big ten and SEC are the
big the big kids on the block. Right, It's always
been like ACC and the Big twelve have been pitted
against each other.
Speaker 4: Is who's the P three?
Speaker 2: Are we seeing a greater visibility about who that P
three is that third ranked conference is.
Speaker 3: There is a serious conversation happening right now about whether
or not the ACC will make it into the college
football playoffs. We are a few key losses away at
the top of their conference and a few good wins
from the San Diego State, from a North Texas, from
a Navy to say, if Navy beats Notre Dame, this
is real. I don't think Navy will beat Notre Dame,
but consider this. The number one team in the ACC
right now in the polls is Virginia. I mean, you're
you're coming to a gunfight with Virginia. You can't you
can't do that. This is not This is not what
we do to build brands in college football. The AEC
needed the success of Miami and Clemson in Florida State
to stay afloat at the top of the sport and
still have these conversations about them being legitimate and now
without those brands, now looking at Louisville, Virginia and Georgia
Tech flipping up, I just don't think. I mean, and
those schools are losing to NC State of all people,
I just do not think. Where are we said that
the big twelve in the ACC are comparable. One of
these leagues has three teams in the top third team
and an opportunity to get three teams in the College
football playoffs. The other league is looking at a couple
of savvy wins from San Diego State, and they might
be out of the playoff picture altogether because again it's
the top five highest ranked conference champions. If Memphis wins
the conference championship, if San Diego State wins the conference championship,
there's a real conversation about them getting in over a
three lost ACC champion.
Speaker 2: Drake, this team is led by Bear Bachmeyer, and I
know you're gonna appreciate this. This BWA football team led
by Bear bachbyer Texas Tech is led by Baron Morton.
Has there ever been a time that two quarterbacks named
Bear have had had you know, you know, combated on
the grid iron against each other?
Speaker 3: You know, I think specifically we need to take a
look at one of these quarters is seventeen years old
and the other is twenty six. I think that may
be the real storyline.
Speaker 4: It's weird six.
Speaker 3: I mean, he's much closer to twenty six than bear
Backmeyer is to like thirteen, and and there's something to
be said. This is like a cam rising situation that
we all forgot about it a little bit when no
one's making I think I graduated high school the same
year as Baron Morton, and we just left that by
the wayside. It is this quarterback matchup though. If Morton
is healthy, is so great. And when I tell you
you ever play you did, I know everybody did. When
you play Mario and you get the star when you're
you're zooming through there, whether it's you know, just straight
up Mario, the Mario karp and you pick up the
star and then bam, you're going twice as fast. I
am so excited to see bear Backmeyer off a bye week.
He just got his Mario Star. The dude was banged up,
beat up by you asked him to be the entire
offense in that game against Iowa State, And now we
get to see bear Bachmeyer on on ten twelve days
rest that's that's an animal I don't want to mess with.
And Texas Tech is playing its sixth consecutive game. No
one is talking enough outside of local media about how
BYU is well rested and Texas Tech is not. If
we were talking about all BYU's banged up interest, let
me introduce you to Texas Tech, who keeps playing games
weekend week out. They need a breather. BYU is not
going to give them a breather.
Speaker 4: So give me a score prediction or do you you
got something here?
Speaker 2: Well?
Speaker 4: I do have something. Go ahead.
Speaker 5: So BYU is manifestly different on the road than they
are at home in.
Speaker 4: The way that they play games.
Speaker 5: They've got two score deficits on the road in all
three road games. They've trailed for a total of two
minutes and fifty six seconds at home all year. Now,
if BYU falls down like they have on the road,
is there a way b why you can come back
as they have been before?
Speaker 3: There certainly is, And I mentioned this on my show
quite a bit. I believe leave you know, Texas Tech
analytically has a bottom twenty five rushing attack in college football.
From an EPA standpoint, They're a very inefficient rushing offense.
A lot of the rush yards this year have come
later in games. If you really take a deep, deep
look at how Texas Tech has built fairly gaudy runs staffs,
and they've got that two headed monster at running back
that I think will ultimately help them run the ball
to an extent. But BYU's rush defense is so good,
their linebacker corps is so strong that I think the
opportunity for BYU to win this game will be coming
back from down twenty to ten. It will be forcing
Baron Morton into two turnovers. If BYU can turn Baron
Morton over to the third or fourth quarter. And I've
seen versions of Baron Morton that are turnover pron He
has not shown that as much of this season, but
I've seen it in my own two eyes, namely in
the few matchups against Baylor, where I think, ma'am, if
he settles back into old school Baron Morton, I'm going
to give you the football. That's where BYU comes back.
They're going to need turnovers. And you saw the Utah
game from punts to interceptions, that's what helped BYU come
back when they needed a rally and help BYU sustain
a lead late, it will be the case for the
Cougars that they're going to win in comeback fashions.
Speaker 2: So score prediction b YU obviously a heavy dog here
ten and a half. ESPN Analytics also gives Texas Tech
a sixty point nine percent chance of victory over Under
is at fifty two and a half.
Speaker 4: How do you see it?
Speaker 3: You know, I have gone so back and forth on this.
I started the week at twenty seven to twenty four
Texas Tech winning at home, and then I think that's
too many. I think it's too high scoring. The way
I see this game unfolding is Tech getting up thirteen
to three somewhere in that category, and we see this finish,
I mean, Will Farron just comes alive and becomes a
man amongst boys. We see this game finish in the
seventeen in the eighteen to sixteen category BYU winning by two.
I think it'll be a slugfest. It'll be ugly. Get
your field goal team out there. Forget the look. If
I can tell Kyle witting him one thing right now,
it's forget the analytics. Just kick the ball and this weekend.
That should be the name of the game for these
two teams kick the ball when you get when you're
giving the opportunity eighteen sixteen BYU wins and one of
the grossest, ugliest low scoring games. Texas Tech drops maybe
one spot in the polls, the UYU comes up with a
spot or two in the polls, and the Big twelve
is still sitting pretty come Monday.
Speaker 2: Best way to support you what you do, how you
do it, Drake Toll for all of our listeners.
Speaker 3: Yep at Lockdown Big twelve wherever you find your podcast
and on YouTube at lo Big twelve. On Twitter, you know, Ben,
I was logged out for some reason of my at
Drake Sea Toll Twitter account for like four days and
no one said anything. There are no wellness checks, there
are no I mean, are the tweets that bad? Is
it really that bad?
Speaker 2: Follow Drake se Toll for all of these personal comments.
And Savannah Banana commentary is the best stuff for the
party animals and the Savannah Bananas is a broadcaster for them.
Speaker 4: But everyone likes your Big twelve commentary. They don't want
to hear about the Savannah bananas for whatever reason. I do.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2: I did not notice you were off though, I'll be honest,
I'm sorry you don't tweet it up there.
Speaker 3: So Ben, let me I'll give you this before I
run two quick quick things. I saw a guy in
a flight yesterday out of Dallas. He goes, I think
I listened to you every day and I was like,
you must be a BYU fan. And he goes, no,
I just live in Utah. Oh you're a youth fan.
He goes, no, I just live in Utah. Like, what
kind of maniac is this? Taking it into Big twelve
feed also, and I posted this this week. I just
on behalf of myself, my family, on behalf of everybody
that exists in the world. I won't to apologize to
Aaron Rodrick and his entire family the amount of times
that I've asked for that got to be fired. Hey,
that's on me. Hand up, we can he can stick
around for a while, Ben, Aaron Roderick, my apologies to you.
Speaker 4: Oh now an apologist for Ara? I love it? Are
you an apologist or just apologies?
Speaker 3: Apologies? We'll see if apologies but comes in the in
the vernacular. After this Saturday.
Speaker 4: All right, let's go Drake toll, ladies and gentle thanks Drake.
Speaker 3: Well, thanks Ben.
Speaker 2: There you go, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Great
segment with Rake Tall, great comments. So that segment was
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Speaker 4: We'll take a brief time out. We'll be back.
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