1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: Check it out college football on the West Coast. This 2 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:08,000 is Get Off My Pylon, a look at the PAC 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,839 twelve and more, part of the College Gridiron Coast to 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:13,519 Coast podcast network. 5 00:00:13,919 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 2: Here's your host, that Zemma. Welcome to late's vision of 6 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,120 Get Off My Pilon college football podcast. This is your host, 7 00:00:23,199 --> 00:00:25,280 Matt Zemich. We're part of the College grad Iron Coast 8 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,440 to Coast podcast network. Follow the College Gradron Coast to 9 00:00:29,519 --> 00:00:33,119 Coast network for all your favorite college football podcasts, whether 10 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:38,320 it's the All Sports Discussion ACC podcast, the Florida Football 11 00:00:38,399 --> 00:00:43,920 Insiders podcast with Jason Powers, podcasts on the SEC, other conferences, 12 00:00:44,039 --> 00:00:47,320 other parts of the country, other slices of the larger 13 00:00:47,439 --> 00:00:51,960 national college football experience. Go to Apple or wherever you 14 00:00:52,079 --> 00:00:55,759 listen to your podcasts, and also go to Twitter. At 15 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,799 Gridiron Coast they tweet out the links for all the 16 00:00:58,799 --> 00:01:03,359 college Gridiron Coast those podcasts there as well. Get Off 17 00:01:03,359 --> 00:01:06,959 My Pilon focusing on western college football in the United States. 18 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,599 And so we've arrived at the end of the twelve 19 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,959 game regular season, we head onto the conference championship games. 20 00:01:13,439 --> 00:01:16,680 Heisman Trophy is on the menu, very much so in 21 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,719 the West, as we will discuss so plenty to get 22 00:01:19,719 --> 00:01:24,359 to before we get to the conference championship games and 23 00:01:24,439 --> 00:01:27,079 the College Football Playoff. As it relates to the Western 24 00:01:27,079 --> 00:01:31,560 schools that we Cover's deal with the Western teams that 25 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,280 concluded their seasons. I mean, they have a bowl game 26 00:01:35,359 --> 00:01:39,159 in some cases, some of them don't. But it's just 27 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,560 worth just hitting on some of the various schools. So, 28 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:49,719 you know, Utah ends its season a bowlless season under 29 00:01:49,799 --> 00:01:53,879 Kyle Whittingham. I mean, no one, absolutely, no one saw 30 00:01:53,959 --> 00:01:58,640 that coming, but it does reinforce that without Cam Rising, 31 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,840 if Cam Rising hurt Utah and Kyle Whningham did not 32 00:02:03,959 --> 00:02:07,680 have a Plan B. And so if there's still being 33 00:02:07,799 --> 00:02:10,439 some mystery and uncertainty, will Cam Rising come back to 34 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,120 Utah in twenty twenty five, Whether he does or not, 35 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,800 Utah needs to pick up another big time quarterback. And 36 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,479 if that quarterback, you know, wants to be the undisputed 37 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,919 QB one. You know, if you're Kyle Whittingham and Cam 38 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,639 Rising is still making up his mind, you can't really 39 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,240 guarantee that, but you can also say, hey, you know 40 00:02:32,319 --> 00:02:36,560 that Cam Rising has not been very healthy, Chances are 41 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:38,759 we're gonna need and chances are you can be a 42 00:02:38,759 --> 00:02:41,680 big part of this Utah team. You can be a 43 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,360 big part of this Utah project as we try to 44 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,879 restore our identity and on our brand name after a 45 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:52,000 brutal twenty twenty four, When we think that Kyle Werningham 46 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,759 can make the selling point, you can make the argument 47 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,560 to a top transfer portal quarterback, Hey be part of us, 48 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:03,680 be part of our effort here at Utah. That's obviously 49 00:03:03,879 --> 00:03:07,039 the top of the line element. Because let's remember Cam 50 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,479 Rising is the guy who brought Utah the back to 51 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,319 back Pack twelve championships and the back to back Rose 52 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:18,080 Bowl appearances. Like he was the solution. He elevated Utah 53 00:03:18,199 --> 00:03:22,759 at the quarterback spot and when Utah was failing in 54 00:03:22,879 --> 00:03:25,520 previous years to win the Pack twelve and get back 55 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:30,120 to a big time Bowl game, quarterback play, quarterback depth 56 00:03:31,319 --> 00:03:34,479 is what really prevented Utah from getting over the hunt. Remember, 57 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,520 Utah played Washington in the twenty eighteen Pack twelve champions 58 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,680 of game, played a brilliant defensive game, but lost ten 59 00:03:41,719 --> 00:03:47,719 to three. Quarterback quarterback depth quarterback attrition was an issue. 60 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,479 Utah fell short against Oregon and Merrio Crystal Ball in 61 00:03:50,479 --> 00:03:54,280 twenty nineteen offense just wasn't able to do enough. It's 62 00:03:54,319 --> 00:03:57,560 been the quarterback spot. When Cam Rising was able to 63 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:03,159 stay healthy, everything fell in place. So it's quarterback time 64 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,400 at Utah. That is what the youths need to be 65 00:04:06,479 --> 00:04:08,280 able to figure out. They need to be able to 66 00:04:08,319 --> 00:04:10,719 put the pieces together, and they need a plan B 67 00:04:10,879 --> 00:04:14,080 for Cam Rising if he calls it a career, they 68 00:04:14,159 --> 00:04:18,480 need that plan B for twenty twenty five. Arizona finishes 69 00:04:18,519 --> 00:04:23,920 a miserable first season under Brent Brennan. And Brent Brennan 70 00:04:23,959 --> 00:04:26,920 did great work at San Jose State. It's not easy 71 00:04:26,959 --> 00:04:29,800 to win at San Jose State. Brent Brennan is a 72 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,720 good coach. You know, this might not work out at Arizona, 73 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,639 like good hires don't work out. I'm going to talk 74 00:04:35,639 --> 00:04:39,120 about that in a little bit as well. Like you, 75 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,920 the hire might not work, but you can't necessarily say 76 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,319 this was a flawed process or this was not a 77 00:04:45,319 --> 00:04:48,839 good hire on paper. Good hires on paper often don't 78 00:04:48,879 --> 00:04:51,519 work out. So with Brent Brennan, they have to remember 79 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:56,000 he did keep Noahafita and Tetroy McMillan, you know, the 80 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,759 star quarterback and the star receiver. But Arizona did lose 81 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:04,720 several players to Jedfish and Washington. It's not as though 82 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:11,319 Jedfish quote unquote won the transfer portal in the offseason. 83 00:05:11,439 --> 00:05:13,560 He didn't get what he wanted. He wanted to bring 84 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:17,519 Fafita and McMillan to Seattle, and maybe Washington would have 85 00:05:17,519 --> 00:05:20,399 been a lot better if that had happened. So we can, 86 00:05:20,439 --> 00:05:23,560 really we can lump this Arizona conversation in with the 87 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:27,680 Washington conversation talking about two Western programs that fell short 88 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:32,240 of what they hoped for this season. But the larger 89 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,920 point is that neither side neither Arizona nor Washington got 90 00:05:35,959 --> 00:05:39,519 all of what it wanted. Arizona got some, Washington got some. 91 00:05:40,079 --> 00:05:44,000 But really, instead of both programs being better, it was 92 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,680 more of a case of both programs were weakened. Both 93 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:51,319 programs were eroded, and that I think is the takeaway 94 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:56,879 with both Arizona and Washington. So Brennan has to basically 95 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:59,519 beef up his roster, like no one's gonna argue with 96 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,920 that one. I don't think this season was a referendum 97 00:06:02,959 --> 00:06:06,480 on the quality of his coaching. Arizona did not have 98 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:10,720 the dudes, Arizona did not have the players, and Jedfish 99 00:06:10,759 --> 00:06:14,800 took enough of them away from Tucson to Seattle that 100 00:06:14,879 --> 00:06:18,199 Arizona was shorthanded. And then with Fish, while we're on 101 00:06:18,199 --> 00:06:21,560 the subject of Washington, it's a pretty similar dynamic. And 102 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:23,800 I would also add that you know Will Rogers from 103 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,079 Mississippi State, he was not the guy. That's very clear. 104 00:06:27,319 --> 00:06:30,319 He was not the guy to replaced Michael Pennox with 105 00:06:30,439 --> 00:06:35,800 Kalin Deboor left. Washington needs a home run hitter at quarterback. 106 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:38,759 That that much is clear. So Washington Utah can be 107 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:43,680 linked together in that regard. So you know, obviously the 108 00:06:44,199 --> 00:06:47,040 extent to which Arizona wasn't just losing, It was getting 109 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,199 blown out, and it got blown out by Arizona State 110 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,600 this past weekend. That is definitely concerning. I'm not gonna lie, 111 00:06:52,639 --> 00:06:55,879 I'm not gonna ignore that. But Brent Brennan did not 112 00:06:56,079 --> 00:06:59,600 have the ideal roster. It's your one. Now we see 113 00:06:59,639 --> 00:07:02,360 how he just going into year two, and if year 114 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:05,920 two is anything like year one, then you have to 115 00:07:05,959 --> 00:07:09,639 consider a two year coach firing. And we're getting into 116 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:13,279 the coaching carousel. Ryan Walters of Purdue, I know that's 117 00:07:13,279 --> 00:07:16,920 not a Western program, but just to briefly offer the example. 118 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,160 It was a two year coach firing for Ryan Walters 119 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,279 at Purdue, and you don't ordinarily fire a coach after 120 00:07:23,319 --> 00:07:29,079 two years. But but if year two bottoms out, if 121 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:33,240 the program completely craters in year two, then a two 122 00:07:33,279 --> 00:07:36,319 year firing, you know, not giving the coach a year 123 00:07:36,399 --> 00:07:40,000 three makes sense. And so Purdue going one and eleven 124 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:42,879 oh to nine and the Big Ten and losing sixty 125 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,160 six nothing to Indiana, I would say that pretty safely 126 00:07:46,319 --> 00:07:50,040 fits the definition of cratering. So if we see Arizona 127 00:07:50,079 --> 00:07:53,079 at three and nine next year, then you have to 128 00:07:53,199 --> 00:07:57,879 consider Brent Brennan not getting a third year in Tucson. 129 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:02,759 He needs to be able to show modest and noticeable 130 00:08:02,839 --> 00:08:05,800 improvement in twenty twenty five if he's going to get 131 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,560 a third year in twenty twenty six, because yeah, this 132 00:08:08,959 --> 00:08:12,279 season was not acceptable, but you don't fire Brennan. He 133 00:08:12,399 --> 00:08:15,319 was caught in between with the roster changes that went 134 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,519 on in Arizona and Washington. You give him a second 135 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:22,160 season without question, but you expect him to do a 136 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,000 lot better than he did this season. And as for 137 00:08:25,079 --> 00:08:28,720 Jeed Fish in Seattle, again you need the big time quarterback. 138 00:08:28,759 --> 00:08:31,759 He didn't have it this year. We saw over across 139 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:36,759 the country Florida State, Auburn, various other programs Iowa as well. 140 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,039 Coaches did not get the big enough upgrade they needed 141 00:08:41,799 --> 00:08:45,200 at quarterback in the transfer portal and it left their 142 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:52,279 programs crucially shorthanded in this college football season. Continuing with 143 00:08:52,279 --> 00:08:54,720 our survey of western college football programs, let's make a 144 00:08:54,759 --> 00:08:59,519 brief tour of Los Angeles. So UCLA manages to beat 145 00:08:59,519 --> 00:09:04,000 Fresno's state but his home for the holidays. Nevertheless, UCLA 146 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:09,159 wins five games. That's two or three more wins than expected. 147 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,759 So Deshaun Foster, he's not going to a bowl, and 148 00:09:11,799 --> 00:09:14,600 yet he still did a really good job. And we 149 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,360 mentioned on a previous episode of Get Off My Pylon 150 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,039 that last year Kenny Dellingham didn't make a ball at 151 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,639 Arizona State, but with all the injuries that he had, 152 00:09:23,399 --> 00:09:26,320 getting what he got out of that team last year, like, 153 00:09:26,399 --> 00:09:28,360 he did a really good job. And we showed that, 154 00:09:28,399 --> 00:09:31,240 you know, with ASU getting healthier on the offensive line 155 00:09:31,639 --> 00:09:34,720 this season, Man, it really came together for the Sun 156 00:09:34,759 --> 00:09:37,200 Devils and more ONSU in just a little bit. But 157 00:09:37,279 --> 00:09:40,159 Deshaun Foster, he's not in a bowl game, but don't 158 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,039 let that change the overall verdict. He did a really 159 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:48,960 good job with the meager talent level he had on 160 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,960 this UCLA roster this season, so that offers cause for 161 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:56,639 optimism going to twenty twenty five. Let's see what UCLA 162 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:00,519 can get at the quarterback spot, whether it's in the 163 00:10:00,519 --> 00:10:03,720 transfer portal or recruiting. And the goal for UCLA in 164 00:10:03,759 --> 00:10:07,000 twenty twenty five. It's very clear won five games this year, 165 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:08,919 so next year you want to get that extra win, 166 00:10:09,399 --> 00:10:12,919 get to a bowl game. If de Sean Foster does that, 167 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:16,279 he will be on schedule at UCLA. Because this is 168 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,799 not a quick fix. This is a long term thing. 169 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:22,360 UCLA does not have as much money as USC as 170 00:10:23,039 --> 00:10:26,960 various other powerhouse programs in the West, and it is 171 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:30,679 a basketball school as well, So when the collectives talk 172 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,240 about nil money, you know just how much is there 173 00:10:33,279 --> 00:10:35,720 to go around. But ball is not going to get 174 00:10:36,279 --> 00:10:42,200 you know, the obvious, unquestioned number one percentage of resources 175 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:47,000 over there. So what Kashaun Foster is doing is pointing 176 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,600 UCLA in the right direction in a bowl game. Is 177 00:10:49,639 --> 00:10:56,480 the target for twenty twenty five? Elsewhere air Force, let's 178 00:10:56,639 --> 00:10:58,879 briefly go to the Mountain West. Air Force is not 179 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:00,919 going to go to a bowl game, but it beat 180 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:05,639 San Diego State and the Falcons closed their season with 181 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:09,840 three straight wins. Troy Calhoun struggled so much with that 182 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:11,879 team through the first two months of the season, but 183 00:11:11,919 --> 00:11:15,000 he figures things out late. And so now air Force 184 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:18,120 as it goes into twenty twenty five, you know, air 185 00:11:18,159 --> 00:11:21,720 Force has been a steady, solid winning program. Air Force 186 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:24,200 should expect to be a seven to eight win team 187 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,600 next season, and if not, then then something will have 188 00:11:27,639 --> 00:11:30,919 really gone wrong. But Troy Calhoun stuck with his players 189 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:34,360 and he eventually figured out how to win in November 190 00:11:34,399 --> 00:11:41,080 after just an awful September and October run. So air 191 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,279 Force is definitely looking up. The San Diego State team 192 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:48,759 that air Force defeated just didn't have an answer at quarterback. 193 00:11:48,879 --> 00:11:51,960 And Sean Lewis, you know, a very talented offensive mind. 194 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:56,200 He was Deion Sanders offensive coordinator at Colorado last year. 195 00:11:56,639 --> 00:11:59,960 You know, head coached at Kent State. Viewed as you know, 196 00:12:00,159 --> 00:12:04,240 a talented young coach, a talented offensive mind. In this business, 197 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:07,919 he has to go out and get himself a quarterback. 198 00:12:07,919 --> 00:12:12,440 And Meller moss Uh the USC starting quarterback for most 199 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:15,080 of the season before being benched for Jade and Mayava. 200 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:18,200 In November, he entered the transfer portal. Millar Moss would 201 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:21,960 be a great fit I think at San Diego State. 202 00:12:22,039 --> 00:12:24,600 That could be a great move for Moss. He doesn't 203 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:27,200 have to travel far from Los Angeles. He stays in 204 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,279 southern California and he'll get all the snaps he wants. 205 00:12:30,279 --> 00:12:33,399 He'll be QB one if that's what Sean Lewis and 206 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,679 San Diego State want. If there's mutual interest there, that 207 00:12:36,759 --> 00:12:39,360 could be a good transfer portal landing spot for Milar 208 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:44,320 Moss and so usc USC finishes six and six, loses 209 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:48,720 to Notre Dame. Jade and Mayava just mentioned earlier, he 210 00:12:48,799 --> 00:12:51,600 has elevated the USC passing. He's willing to throw the 211 00:12:51,639 --> 00:12:54,440 ball deep. He's willing to trust his receivers more than 212 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:56,919 Meler Moss did. Miler Moss is really good at the 213 00:12:57,399 --> 00:13:01,759 short intermediate routes. You know, throwing was quick, precision timing 214 00:13:02,399 --> 00:13:05,919 patterns in shorter areas. But Jade Mayava can throw the 215 00:13:05,919 --> 00:13:08,240 ball deep. He's willing to throw the ball deep. He's 216 00:13:08,279 --> 00:13:13,240 an aggressive playmaker and this led to the interceptions from 217 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:16,440 Notre Dame late in the game. But you know, Mayava 218 00:13:16,519 --> 00:13:19,240 was not going to figure all of this out in 219 00:13:19,399 --> 00:13:22,480 just three games, right, And so that's why Lincoln Riley 220 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,320 gave him three games, you know, giving him some meaningful 221 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:28,360 snaps and giving him a run of games, not just 222 00:13:28,399 --> 00:13:31,159 a bowl game, but a run of games to really 223 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,200 get his feet wet. And I think USC has more 224 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,600 upside with Mayava heading into twenty twenty five than with 225 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:40,080 Molra Moss. And that's part of why Moss entered the portal. 226 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,240 He knew he was never going to start for USC 227 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,559 next year. It was Mayava's team at least if Mayava 228 00:13:46,639 --> 00:13:49,519 chooses to stay at USC. So Miler Moss saw the 229 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,159 riding on the wall was a necessary move for Miller Moss. 230 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:54,960 It wasn't acrimony, he wasn't throwing a tantrum. It was 231 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,759 just everyone knew Miler Moss was not going to start 232 00:13:57,799 --> 00:13:59,840 next year, and so Milar Moss has one more year 233 00:13:59,879 --> 00:14:02,960 of college eligibility left. He needs to go somewhere he 234 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,320 can play. So it's a good move for Miller Moss. 235 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:08,919 It makes sense. Everyone at USC loves Milra Moss knows 236 00:14:08,919 --> 00:14:11,679 that he wanted to stay there. You know, he waited 237 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:15,399 patiently behind Caleb Williams for multiple years to get his 238 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:18,919 chance this year. And he had some bright moments LSU, 239 00:14:19,399 --> 00:14:23,600 Penn State, also Wisconsin and Rutgers had some moments when 240 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:27,120 he looked great but wasn't consistent enough. Through the crucial 241 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:30,919 interception against Maryland through three picks against Washington, he did 242 00:14:30,919 --> 00:14:34,159 not steadily improve over the course of the season. Boss 243 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:38,919 security remained an issue. And so you get you know Mayava, 244 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:43,279 who he's not a fully formed, fully polished quarterback, but 245 00:14:43,679 --> 00:14:47,159 he can run, He throws a better deep ball. He 246 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,000 brings more upside to the USC offense. So Miller Moss 247 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:54,399 could do the math. He transfers. He's entering the transfer portal, 248 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:57,360 and this is Jade Miyava's USC team, And so Jade 249 00:14:57,360 --> 00:15:00,759 and Mayava, who know his passing game made Notre Dame 250 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:05,360 Secondary look pretty ordinary. USC's passing game looked better than 251 00:15:05,399 --> 00:15:08,399 it had for most of the season until those final 252 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,639 few interceptions. But like the Trojans were finally chucking the 253 00:15:11,679 --> 00:15:15,759 ball down the field getting big results, drawing past interference 254 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:20,960 flags like this looked more like a Lincoln Riley offense. 255 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:23,600 US He scored thirty five and easily could have scored 256 00:15:23,639 --> 00:15:26,720 more the way it consistently moved the ball through the 257 00:15:26,799 --> 00:15:31,240 air against the Notre Dame defense. So that is the 258 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:34,720 element of optimism for USC, but there's a lot of 259 00:15:34,879 --> 00:15:39,320 reason for pessimism as well. Emanuel Pregnant a rock solid 260 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:43,759 offensive lineman for this team. In twenty twenty four, he 261 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,399 accepted an invite to the East West Shrine Bowl, So 262 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:51,919 that means his USC career, his collegiate career is over. 263 00:15:52,039 --> 00:15:56,759 He's pursuing his NFL dream. And USC offensive line depth 264 00:15:57,519 --> 00:16:00,639 was a real thing, and actually that line did not 265 00:16:00,759 --> 00:16:04,600 get carved up by injuries. It's a line that stayed 266 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:07,519 relatively healthy over the course of the season. It was 267 00:16:07,559 --> 00:16:10,159 the USC defensive line that really got chewed up with 268 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:17,679 injuries to Anthony Lucas and to other top performers on 269 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:20,440 the d line. The offensive line stayed healthy and it 270 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,320 did get better over the course of the season, but 271 00:16:23,399 --> 00:16:28,159 it got better moderately, like this did not become a 272 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:32,159 dominant offensive line. And one of the things that has 273 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:34,960 been a point of annoyance in my coverage of USC 274 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,600 football for Trojans Wire is that people will say, hey, 275 00:16:38,639 --> 00:16:42,360 we're averaging five point five yards per carry. That might 276 00:16:42,399 --> 00:16:47,080 be true enough, but if you watch USC football this season, 277 00:16:48,759 --> 00:16:51,639 a lot of running plays would get ten eleven yards 278 00:16:51,679 --> 00:16:53,480 with what he marks, and a lot of plays would 279 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:58,639 get zero yards one yard, so the averages right around 280 00:16:58,679 --> 00:17:02,559 five yards to carry. But if you're getting eleven yards 281 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,319 here and zero yards there and ten yards here and 282 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:09,359 one yard there, you know when you run for one 283 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,680 yard or zero yards on a given series of downs, 284 00:17:13,079 --> 00:17:15,240 then you have to pass the ball on a predictable 285 00:17:15,759 --> 00:17:20,960 passing situation. So it's not as sustainable as the stats 286 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:24,519 would would suggest. If, on the other hand, you are 287 00:17:24,599 --> 00:17:27,799 getting five yards on this carry and five yards on 288 00:17:27,839 --> 00:17:31,640 the next carry in five yards on the carry after that, 289 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:35,519 that is consistency and that is when you know that 290 00:17:35,599 --> 00:17:39,160 you can run the ball more. Now, should Lincoln Riley 291 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:43,720 have used Woody Marks more this season? Yes, unquestionably. He 292 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,519 should have built the offense around Boody Marks because he 293 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,640 was the best offensive player on the team, because he 294 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:53,839 was so dynamic, because he was so dependable. But it's 295 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:58,160 less about run versus pass. It's more about getting a 296 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,119 defense confused. And that's where Jayden Miava comes back into 297 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:04,079 the picture. At USC, Mayava had the running threat that 298 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:06,720 nol R. Moss never had, so USC was able to 299 00:18:06,799 --> 00:18:10,759 put RPOs and option plays into the Lincoln Riley playbook. 300 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,559 An option keeper from Mayava gave the defense something new 301 00:18:15,599 --> 00:18:17,680 to think about. And you saw against Notre Dame if 302 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:22,240 you watch that game after a QB keeper, which Lincoln 303 00:18:22,319 --> 00:18:24,920 Roddy didn't use a lot, but he used it a 304 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,559 few times when he used a QB keeper, and when 305 00:18:27,559 --> 00:18:32,160 he used Mayava as a running threat, Notre Dame was 306 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,400 on its heels the next few plays after that. So 307 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:37,920 it was less about running the ball, it was more 308 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:42,240 about using Jade Mayava's running threat. That's a more specific angle. 309 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:45,440 It's not so much you have to hand the ball 310 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:48,839 off to your running back. It's are you using your 311 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,839 quarterback's legs as an extra dimension? Are you using the 312 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:56,599 full width of the field to make a defense account 313 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:00,079 for all areas of the field. That's where link and 314 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,559 ride of these play calling fell short. It wasn't so 315 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:06,200 much the pure run versus pass mix. That's a simplistic view. 316 00:19:06,599 --> 00:19:09,400 It's how are you using all the weapons you have 317 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:12,880 at your disposal. That's what USC didn't do enough of, 318 00:19:13,319 --> 00:19:15,960 and that's why a lot of Trogns fans very realistically 319 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:18,799 and reasonably think, you know, Jade and Miava should have 320 00:19:18,839 --> 00:19:22,319 been playing the whole year, and in many ways, think 321 00:19:22,319 --> 00:19:26,039 about it. Think about it this way. Miller Moss played 322 00:19:26,039 --> 00:19:30,039 well in the season opener against LSU, but if he 323 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:35,119 had been accompanied by Jade Miyaba against Michigan Minnesota some 324 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:37,519 of the big ten road games that USC lost, what 325 00:19:37,599 --> 00:19:40,480 if Mayaba plays fifteen to twenty snaps in those games 326 00:19:40,759 --> 00:19:43,000 and he has a QB keeper, he runs a few 327 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:48,240 option plays. USC could have put opposing defenses off balance 328 00:19:48,319 --> 00:19:51,519 in those big ten road games that it lost. And 329 00:19:51,599 --> 00:19:54,279 so Mass and Mayaba were both turnover prone in the 330 00:19:54,319 --> 00:19:57,039 games that they played. They were both good quarterbacks, but 331 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,599 not great quarterbacks. And so when you don't have great 332 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:03,400 quarter and you have two quarterbacks with different skill sets, 333 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,599 you play them both. And that really is the lesson 334 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:10,759 for me watching USC this past season. And we'll see 335 00:20:10,799 --> 00:20:13,880 what kind of a lesson Lincoln Riley learns from all 336 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:16,759 of this, and he enters a huge off season where 337 00:20:16,799 --> 00:20:19,319 he has to beef things up on the defensive line 338 00:20:19,599 --> 00:20:22,000 and the offensive line. US he just has to get 339 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:25,720 nastier and tougher, so that skill positioned talent is able 340 00:20:25,759 --> 00:20:29,079 to shine through. We will see what happens with USC 341 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,599 in twenty twenty five. All right, So talked about a 342 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:36,839 lot of the schools that you know are gonna go 343 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:40,200 to a third tier bowl game or whose seasons are 344 00:20:40,559 --> 00:20:43,079 fully done and aren't going to go to a bowl. 345 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:46,039 Now we can deal with the big ticket items coming 346 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:51,160 up on Get off my pilon, so Big twelve Championship game. 347 00:20:52,039 --> 00:20:57,039 Arizona State, Iowa State, So Kenny Dillingham, cam Skataboo, they 348 00:20:57,079 --> 00:21:00,759 make their way to the main event in Iowa State 349 00:21:00,839 --> 00:21:04,039 is their opponent in Arlington this Saturday. It's gonna be 350 00:21:04,079 --> 00:21:07,079 in that in the noontime slot, the Neon Eastern slot. 351 00:21:07,319 --> 00:21:10,039 So that's gonna be an eleven am kick in Texas 352 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,480 College Football playoff bid on the line. And as I 353 00:21:14,559 --> 00:21:19,119 size up this game, uh, both Arizona State and Iowa State, 354 00:21:19,559 --> 00:21:21,519 you know, you look at their seasons. They both won 355 00:21:21,599 --> 00:21:26,680 a number of games late after struggling early. They haven't 356 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:30,640 been generally dominant teams over the course of the full season. 357 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:34,440 You know, the Arizona State had to come back to 358 00:21:34,519 --> 00:21:38,319 beat Kansas late. Uh, it was in a it was 359 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:41,079 in a nip and tuck game with Utah before finally 360 00:21:41,519 --> 00:21:46,480 pointing away late in the fourth quarter. Uh. There were 361 00:21:46,519 --> 00:21:49,880 there were other games uh, Arizona State played this season 362 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,200 which it had to scramble back from an early deficit. 363 00:21:52,519 --> 00:21:56,440 The Texas State Thursday Night game early in the season. 364 00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:59,839 That was another one. So you know, Arizona State has 365 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:03,359 had to play catch up, It's had to rally on 366 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,319 a number of occasions. And Iowa State did the same thing, 367 00:22:06,799 --> 00:22:13,079 seeing it against Baylor, saw it against UCF. Iowa State, 368 00:22:13,279 --> 00:22:16,559 you know, has also had to be a really good 369 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,880 second half team in order to get this far, in 370 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,599 order to get to the Big Twelve championship game. So 371 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,319 on many levels, these teams are mirror images. And I 372 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:28,839 will say that as good as they are at coming back, 373 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:31,839 you don't want to keep testing that theory. You don't 374 00:22:31,839 --> 00:22:35,319 want to keep chancing it. So it's not as though 375 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:39,039 if it's a ten point game at halftime that the 376 00:22:39,079 --> 00:22:42,319 team that's trailing is in a good position. It will 377 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:44,680 be worth noting that like the game is certainly not over, 378 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,319 or that you shouldn't, you know, mark it down as 379 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:51,200 a likely win for the team that's leading. But you 380 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,519 can't keep playing from behind you can't keep playing with 381 00:22:54,559 --> 00:22:57,000 fire like we saw that with the BYU team which 382 00:22:57,039 --> 00:23:01,240 lost those two games in November, or to get knocked 383 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:04,880 out of the Big twelve championship game. You know, b 384 00:23:05,079 --> 00:23:10,640 YU just kept getting into precarious positions and it finally 385 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:14,200 caught up with the Cougars. So we'll see if Arizona 386 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:19,200 State and Iowa State, you know, if they're both both 387 00:23:19,319 --> 00:23:22,880 able to play at the same level, or if one 388 00:23:23,079 --> 00:23:25,720 team gets off to another slow start, we'll be able 389 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:28,200 to come back. That that's going to be an obvious 390 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,440 plot point in terms of evaluating who's likely to win. 391 00:23:32,039 --> 00:23:34,880 Arizona State is playing better football at this point, and 392 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:36,839 I did say that. You know, for much of the season, 393 00:23:36,839 --> 00:23:41,039 Arizona State has been scrambling, rallying, coming from behind, and 394 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,440 that's true. But in recent weeks you've seen Arizona State 395 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:48,000 put its foot down to a much greater extent, getting 396 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:52,039 the twenty eight nine lead over BYU, getting the biggerly 397 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:55,799 lead at Kansas State, and this past weekend just racing 398 00:23:55,839 --> 00:23:59,119 to the huge early first half lead over Arizona Like, 399 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:05,279 Arizona State has serious momentum, even more so than Iowa State. 400 00:24:05,319 --> 00:24:10,839 Iowa State played well against Kansas State this past weekend, 401 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,839 but the week earlier, Iowa State allowed Utah to make 402 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:17,960 a real game of it. ISU barely won that game 403 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,039 with a go ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, and 404 00:24:21,079 --> 00:24:24,599 that was the Utah team with Isaac Wilson at quarterback. 405 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,559 That game should not have been as close as it was. 406 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:30,720 Iowa State played with its food a little bit. Arizona 407 00:24:30,759 --> 00:24:34,119 State is the team that's in the ascendancy going into 408 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:36,240 this game. So if you had to ask for a winner, 409 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:39,759 I would say Arizona State more likely to do it. 410 00:24:39,839 --> 00:24:44,119 What an amazing opportunity this is Matt Campbell and ISU. 411 00:24:44,759 --> 00:24:48,279 By the way, ISU winning ten games this year saw 412 00:24:48,319 --> 00:24:51,920 a stat and with ISU winning ten games this year, 413 00:24:52,039 --> 00:24:55,720 Vanderbilt is the only Power Conference program that has not 414 00:24:55,839 --> 00:24:59,279 won ten games in a season. I didn't double check 415 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:02,599 that in in the stat book, in the historical record, 416 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,920 but you know, if true, that is an absolutely astounding statistic. 417 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,599 It also speaks to the amazing year that Matt Campbell 418 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:12,480 has had with Iowa State. But I think Arizona State 419 00:25:12,559 --> 00:25:14,640 has the edge going in here. And if Arizona State 420 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:17,240 plays the way it has been playing the past few 421 00:25:17,279 --> 00:25:22,160 weeks with the strong offensive line. With Cam Scataboo being 422 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,640 such a dynamic, consistent force for the Sun Devils, I 423 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:28,039 think ASU has the edge. So we'll see what happens 424 00:25:28,079 --> 00:25:32,519 in Jerry world for the Big twelve Championship game before 425 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,440 we moved to the Big Ten Championship game in Oregon. 426 00:25:37,559 --> 00:25:44,519 Let's deal with Colorado. Colorado dismantles Oklahoma State, but the 427 00:25:44,559 --> 00:25:48,319 Big twelve Plinko chips, you know, a little price is 428 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:51,559 right reference there. The plinto chip did not fall into 429 00:25:51,599 --> 00:25:54,759 that ten thousand dollars middle slot. Colorado gets the zero 430 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:58,720 slot and gets bocked out of the Big twelve Championship game. 431 00:25:58,759 --> 00:26:03,000 And so that lost Kansas proved to be decisive for 432 00:26:03,079 --> 00:26:09,319 the Buffalos. And let's not get this confused. Deion Sanders 433 00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:13,440 did a really good job this season, several wins better 434 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,240 than what I and most other people expected. So I 435 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:21,720 got this team wrong. I greatly underestimated Colorado and that 436 00:26:21,759 --> 00:26:26,519 remains very much the case. However, However, having Travis Hunter 437 00:26:26,599 --> 00:26:29,960 and Shader Sanders, two players liked to be taken in 438 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:32,960 the top three or four picks of the twenty twenty 439 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:36,000 five NFL Draft, and this was a parody filled Big 440 00:26:36,039 --> 00:26:39,680 twelve with no really good team, no team that has 441 00:26:39,759 --> 00:26:44,119 lost fewer than two games in this conference. It was 442 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:47,000 a mess. And the teams that were all predicted to 443 00:26:47,079 --> 00:26:51,359 finish in the top five, they all were big disappointments. 444 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:55,440 Kansas State lost four games, and the other teams that 445 00:26:55,559 --> 00:26:58,160 were predicted to finish in the top five of the 446 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:02,079 Big Twelve they lost more than four games. Arizona, Utah, Kansas, 447 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,359 Kansas did not make a bowl Kansas lost to Baylor, 448 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,440 so Kansas will not even go to a bowl game. 449 00:27:07,559 --> 00:27:12,240 Hugely disappointing season for Lance Leipold, and then the Utah 450 00:27:12,279 --> 00:27:14,559 team that we mentioned, Utah not going to a bowl game. 451 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:19,160 This was an absolute disaster for the teams that were 452 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:22,799 expected to finish in the top five of the Big Twelve, 453 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:28,319 and so Colorado benefited from that parody and yet was 454 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,240 not able to get to the Big Twelve championship game. 455 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:35,759 You wonder if Colorado's going to have a competitive state 456 00:27:35,799 --> 00:27:40,039 of play advantage to the same extent that it had 457 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:44,319 in twenty twenty four. And now that Colorado loses Hunter 458 00:27:44,519 --> 00:27:49,119 and chadur you wonder what the ceiling is for this 459 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:52,720 Colorado program in the future. Now, maybe the Big twelve 460 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:58,079 will remain a paradise of parody in future seasons. And 461 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:01,079 if that's the case, then Colorado seems to be getting 462 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:04,480 the recruits it needs to continue to give itself a chance. 463 00:28:04,519 --> 00:28:08,000 But if some of these other Big twelve programs straightened out, 464 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:12,519 I'm thinking particularly about Kansas State also Utah, if those 465 00:28:12,519 --> 00:28:16,640 two programs get themselves sorted and get back to the 466 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:20,519 standards that they hold for themselves, it could be very 467 00:28:20,559 --> 00:28:23,799 difficult for Colorado to get as good a look, as 468 00:28:23,839 --> 00:28:26,839 good a sniff of the Big twelve Championship game in 469 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:30,079 future seasons as it did this year. So as great 470 00:28:30,079 --> 00:28:33,720 as this season has undeniably been for Colorado, make no 471 00:28:33,799 --> 00:28:37,640 mistake about that, it's still very true that this feels 472 00:28:37,759 --> 00:28:42,960 like a huge missed opportunity for the Bus. And so 473 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:47,640 that leads us into the Heisman Trophy part of our conversation. 474 00:28:48,039 --> 00:28:49,960 We'll get to the Big ten Championship game in just 475 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,720 a bit, but before that, let's deal with the Heisman. 476 00:28:53,319 --> 00:28:57,039 So Travis Hunter will not have a Big twelve Championship 477 00:28:57,039 --> 00:28:59,599 game to play in. It will not have a thirteenth 478 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,599 game Ashton gent and Boise State. They get that game 479 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,000 against UNLV in the Mountain West title game, a rematch 480 00:29:07,079 --> 00:29:09,240 of a game that Boise State and UNLV had in 481 00:29:09,319 --> 00:29:12,759 Vegas earlier in the season. So that game is on Friday, 482 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:17,400 December sixth, in prime time. Gent gets the extra stage. 483 00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:21,599 He'll have it auto himself on Friday night. You know, 484 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:25,079 the other bigger conference championship games on Saturday, but Genty 485 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:29,480 has Friday night to make one final Heisman statement. Now, 486 00:29:30,079 --> 00:29:32,759 in terms of the politics, in terms of where the 487 00:29:32,839 --> 00:29:35,480 votes stand, in terms of where the betting markets are, 488 00:29:36,359 --> 00:29:38,880 they all think it's a done deal. Travis Hunter is 489 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:42,640 going to win the Heisman Trophy. I'm just putting that 490 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,920 out there, like that's not even an editorial comment. If 491 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:47,880 you look at the betting noves, if you look at 492 00:29:49,079 --> 00:29:53,039 the widespread assessment of who will win, it's Travis Hunter 493 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:57,640 all the way. There is a widespread belief that that's 494 00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:00,160 how it's going to be. Now, in terms of of 495 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:04,000 what should happen, in terms of how this should be handled, 496 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:08,680 that is a much different conversation. And with Ashton Genty 497 00:30:08,839 --> 00:30:13,559 being so consistent throughout every game this season, you know, 498 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:17,039 defenses are game planning to stop him, and he's still 499 00:30:17,079 --> 00:30:19,440 pounding out one hundred and fifty one hundred and seventy 500 00:30:19,759 --> 00:30:23,200 two hundred yards per game, even though he's the primary 501 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,599 focus of a team which has a decent but not 502 00:30:26,319 --> 00:30:31,920 amazing quarterback Maddox Madson. The fact that Gent he's doing 503 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:35,400 what he's doing every week, that should offer some appreciation 504 00:30:35,559 --> 00:30:39,640 for what he's achieving. And if he goes off against 505 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:44,079 a good UNLV team, UNLV's ten to two. UNLV's had 506 00:30:44,119 --> 00:30:49,079 a definitely a good year under Barry Odom. If Genty 507 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:51,920 goes off against UNLV and he leads Boise State to 508 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,480 the College Football Playoff, whereas Colorado is sitting there at 509 00:30:55,559 --> 00:30:58,519 nine to three, not even getting to the Big Twelve 510 00:30:58,559 --> 00:31:00,440 championship game in a year when the Big Twelve was 511 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:05,400 completely upside down and totally up for grabs on the merits, 512 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:09,519 on the merits, should it be such a foregone conclusion 513 00:31:09,519 --> 00:31:12,960 for Travis Hunter not even saying that gent should win, 514 00:31:13,039 --> 00:31:15,440 but I am saying that, like, this is a close call. 515 00:31:15,519 --> 00:31:19,039 To me, this is a close call on the raw merits. 516 00:31:19,359 --> 00:31:22,680 I don't think it's a slam dunk. I think there's 517 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:26,279 a definite strong case to be made for ashtra Genty being, 518 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:29,640 you know, so much the focus of everything Boise State does, 519 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:32,720 and he still delivers the goods week after week at 520 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:39,720 a physically demanding, punishing position. To me, that that puts him, 521 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:43,440 That puts him pretty much on the same plane as 522 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:47,640 as Travis Hunter. So so that that much has to 523 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:54,839 be established now as we as we move into, uh, 524 00:31:55,319 --> 00:31:58,119 you know, the the other elements of the Heisman race. 525 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:01,480 You know, Dylan Gabriel of Oregon has been mentioned as 526 00:32:01,519 --> 00:32:05,079 a candidate. But if we're sticking with the best college 527 00:32:05,119 --> 00:32:08,279 football players in the country and those who have made 528 00:32:08,319 --> 00:32:13,000 the biggest difference for their respective teams this year, there's 529 00:32:13,039 --> 00:32:17,680 another player on a Western school who frankly should be 530 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:20,160 invited to the Heisman ceremony in New York, and that's 531 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:25,079 Cam Skataboo of Arizona State. Think about it, who's made 532 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:28,599 a bigger difference for his team this year? Genti would 533 00:32:28,599 --> 00:32:32,359 obviously be one Hunter another Cam Ward of Miami deserves 534 00:32:32,359 --> 00:32:35,880 to be there. He's been amazing throughout this season. But 535 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:38,680 Cam Scataboo of Arizona State, he has been a rock 536 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:40,519 star for the Sun Devils. I mean, if you don't 537 00:32:40,519 --> 00:32:44,680 have if you take Cam Skataboo out of this Arizona 538 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:47,759 State roster. What do you have? What do you have left? 539 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:53,400 How what's the ceiling for Arizona State this particular season? 540 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:57,319 So you know, I would put Cam Scataboo ahead of 541 00:32:57,359 --> 00:33:01,799 Dylan Gabriel for instance. You know, Gabriel has been very good, 542 00:33:02,559 --> 00:33:07,240 but not spectacular. Oregon struggling against Wisconsin, struggled early in 543 00:33:07,279 --> 00:33:11,319 the season, including against Boise State. Oregon needed to kick 544 00:33:11,359 --> 00:33:15,000 return touchdowns to win that game. I would put Cam 545 00:33:15,039 --> 00:33:18,440 Scattaboo ahead of doing Gabriel if you ask me, you know, 546 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,079 maybe Gabriel gets a ticket to New York, I would 547 00:33:21,119 --> 00:33:24,480 put Scataboo ahead of Gabriel. But there's one other thing 548 00:33:24,519 --> 00:33:26,359 for me to mention here while we're on the subject 549 00:33:26,359 --> 00:33:28,920 of the Heisman Trophy, and that is there should be 550 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,359 ten in vities. There should not be an exclusive three 551 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:35,640 or four person gathering in New York. We should be 552 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:39,599 inviting more players. More players get to be profiled and 553 00:33:39,720 --> 00:33:43,960 have their moment in the sun on national television for 554 00:33:44,039 --> 00:33:47,920 this prestigious award. We should have more players, more schools, 555 00:33:48,039 --> 00:33:52,319 more fan bases interested in this ceremony. Given a reason 556 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:55,559 to invest in the Heisman ceremony, there should be a 557 00:33:55,599 --> 00:34:01,519 defensive player for every he ceremony. There should be an 558 00:34:01,599 --> 00:34:05,519 interior lineman for every ceremony. I mean, linemen are part 559 00:34:05,559 --> 00:34:10,480 of this sport. Linemen are hugely important. You should definitely 560 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:13,599 have alignment. Okay, now gent is going to provide a 561 00:34:13,599 --> 00:34:17,119 group of five presents, but he's a finalist. So you know, 562 00:34:17,599 --> 00:34:20,679 in years when you don't have a group of five finalists, 563 00:34:21,119 --> 00:34:23,559 there should always be a group of five players. So 564 00:34:23,559 --> 00:34:26,760 there should be a set aside, guaranteed slot for a 565 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:32,719 group of five player every year. You should you should 566 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:38,480 have ten invitees with you know, first off, you increase 567 00:34:38,559 --> 00:34:41,760 the at larges you know, to like five or six, 568 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:45,559 and then you add a group of five defensive player 569 00:34:46,119 --> 00:34:50,320 interior liignment. You should be able to arrive at ten players, 570 00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:53,960 so that you're you're giving a wider cross section of 571 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:59,639 football players and players from different conferences, different perspectives, different 572 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:04,320 van points in the larger college football universe, their day 573 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:07,559 in the sun at the Heisman ceremony. So that is 574 00:35:07,599 --> 00:35:10,119 a larger point about the Heisman. It goes beyond the 575 00:35:10,159 --> 00:35:14,280 immediate but in the immediate sense, you know, on the merits, 576 00:35:14,599 --> 00:35:17,960 Genti versus Hunter is a close call. You know, let's 577 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:22,760 just give Travis Hunter his due credit since he is 578 00:35:23,119 --> 00:35:26,920 almost almost certain to win the award. Travis Hunter getting 579 00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:32,960 the award in many ways is an argument for like, 580 00:35:33,039 --> 00:35:37,119 let's say, let's compare this to baseball. Baseball you have 581 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:40,960 everyday players, and you have pitchers, and the everyday players 582 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:45,519 the players who are you know, taking offense, performing on 583 00:35:45,599 --> 00:35:51,079 offense and defense, and aren't just pitching, or to cut 584 00:35:51,079 --> 00:35:55,480 this in another direction, position players versus a designated hitter. 585 00:35:56,159 --> 00:36:00,880 If you're having an impact on both sides of the ball, 586 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:06,719 not just one, that is a significant extra level of impact. 587 00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:08,760 And that is what Travis Hunter brings to the table. 588 00:36:09,119 --> 00:36:13,480 So I'm definitely not trying to dismiss or or minimize 589 00:36:13,599 --> 00:36:16,920 Travis Hunter's excellence, and I recognize the strength of his 590 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:20,400 heisman candidacy. You know, if you tell me Travis Hunter 591 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:22,920 is gonna win the award, which he's likely to, I 592 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:24,719 don't have a problem with that. What I do have 593 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:27,320 a problem with is this idea that, oh, it's a 594 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:29,599 done deal. Now. Now in terms of like the betty 595 00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:32,360 the betting markets do think it's a done deal, the 596 00:36:32,519 --> 00:36:39,280 larger political media focus angle suggests it's a done deal. 597 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:43,719 That's what I don't like this should be presented as hey, 598 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:47,039 there's a real conversation to be had between Travis Hunter 599 00:36:47,119 --> 00:36:50,119 and Ashton gent But that's not the way this Heisman 600 00:36:50,199 --> 00:36:52,760 race is being portrayed. And that's a real shame because 601 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:58,199 Ashton Genty deserves his chance to make this statement against UNLV, 602 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:02,440 and let's watch this poise UNLV game and then we 603 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:05,559 can evaluate these two Heisman candidacies. But the idea that 604 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:08,639 Hunter has wrapped it up, see, I don't like that. 605 00:37:09,039 --> 00:37:12,280 I'm not saying Hunter shouldn't win the award. I'm saying 606 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:15,559 that we shouldn't treat this as a done deal, even 607 00:37:15,599 --> 00:37:18,960 if the betting markets say it is, because hey, should 608 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,239 we be devoting our coverage to how the betting markets 609 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:26,320 are treating something. I don't think that's healthy, don't. I 610 00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:29,400 don't think that's a good model for how we go 611 00:37:29,519 --> 00:37:35,000 about covering college sports, or really any significant sports story 612 00:37:35,679 --> 00:37:40,519 that's part of the landscape. All Right, danced around this 613 00:37:40,639 --> 00:37:44,039 for a lot, but now we get to the final 614 00:37:44,079 --> 00:37:47,079 big topic. And it is a big topic because it's 615 00:37:47,079 --> 00:37:49,960 the Big Ten. It's the Big Ten championship game Penn 616 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:57,000 State versus Oregon this weekend in Indianapolis. There was a 617 00:37:57,039 --> 00:38:00,360 big late plot twist with Ohio State lose seen as 618 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:05,480 a twenty one point favorite against Michigan at home, and 619 00:38:05,559 --> 00:38:11,440 so Penn State replaces Ohio State as Oregon's opponent. Now 620 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:14,519 let's get down to brass tacks on a couple levels 621 00:38:14,679 --> 00:38:19,960 about this game. First. First, if we did this right, 622 00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:23,360 and I've mentioned in previous weeks that the conference championship 623 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:26,719 games in a twelve team playoff era, they need to rethink. 624 00:38:27,119 --> 00:38:29,599 They need to be thought about in a different way. 625 00:38:30,039 --> 00:38:33,519 The structure of a college football season and the schedule 626 00:38:34,079 --> 00:38:37,480 needs to be adjusted. We have the perfect example here 627 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:40,719 in the Big Ten. Oregon was the only Big Ten 628 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:44,320 team to have a perfect twelve to zero season, to 629 00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:47,599 have a perfect Big Ten conference record. Indiana, Penn State, 630 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:50,320 Ohio State all lost games. They're all going to get 631 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:54,320 into the playoffs, but they all lost games. So what 632 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:58,840 we should do in future seasons when we encounter a 633 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:01,440 season such as what we have this year in the 634 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:05,320 Big Ten, we should declare Oregon the Big Ten champion. 635 00:39:05,559 --> 00:39:09,159 So Oregon gets that top seed in the twelve team 636 00:39:09,159 --> 00:39:13,360 playoff and it gets the first round, by okay, Oregon 637 00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:16,519 should be declared Big Ten champion right now. So Oregon 638 00:39:16,559 --> 00:39:21,679 should not have to play in Indianapolis this upcoming Saturday 639 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:25,280 and the Big Ten Championship game. With Ohio State losing 640 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:29,119 that second Big Ten game to fall to fourth in 641 00:39:29,199 --> 00:39:33,360 the standings, the Big Ten Championship game should be renamed 642 00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:37,679 the Big Ten Playoff because it's not a conference championship game. 643 00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:41,559 We've decided that Oregon is the conference champion, okay, but 644 00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:45,079 Penn State should be playing Indiana in a Big Ten 645 00:39:45,159 --> 00:39:48,679 playoff game. And here's the extra part. Like Penn State 646 00:39:48,679 --> 00:39:51,840 in Indiana, they didn't play during the regular season. We 647 00:39:51,880 --> 00:39:54,880 want to know how these teams match up against each other. 648 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:58,159 Shouldn't they play before we go into the college football playoff? 649 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:02,199 And and I and you know, this is kind of 650 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:04,119 a tricky thing. Indiana is probably going to get into 651 00:40:04,159 --> 00:40:06,639 the playoff at eleven and one, but if you have 652 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:10,840 Indiana play Penn State, you this would be a risk 653 00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:14,119 for the Big Ten in that if Indiana loses to 654 00:40:14,159 --> 00:40:17,480 Penn State, Indiana might fall out of the playoff. So 655 00:40:17,519 --> 00:40:19,920 you could say this is not you know, for the 656 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:23,639 Big Ten's bottom line interests, but in terms of determining 657 00:40:23,679 --> 00:40:28,840 the twelve best worthiest teams in the playoff field. Having 658 00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:32,199 Penn State play Indiana makes so much more sense than 659 00:40:32,239 --> 00:40:35,719 having Oregon and Penn State play. And here's the other thing. 660 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:40,519 So Oregon has gone twelve to zero, it's already in 661 00:40:40,559 --> 00:40:43,440 the playoff. No one disputes that. And Penn State, even 662 00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:46,280 if it loses to Oregon, is almost certainly in the playoff. 663 00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:52,239 Why have them play an extra game before the actual 664 00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:55,800 playoff begins? And the first round begins on December twentieth 665 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:58,760 and twenty first, you know, whoever loses this game will 666 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:02,719 have to turn around and play You're making this team. 667 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:05,920 These teams play a thirteenth game, then the loser has 668 00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:08,400 to turn around in two weeks and play the first 669 00:41:08,519 --> 00:41:11,480 round game. And then if it's able to get through 670 00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:14,400 the first round game, we'll have to play three more games. 671 00:41:14,559 --> 00:41:19,920 So or asking Oregon to play this extra game ahead 672 00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:24,280 of the playoff, you're just you're throwing extra unnecessary work 673 00:41:24,639 --> 00:41:28,039 and risk on the Ducks. They should be able to 674 00:41:28,159 --> 00:41:33,400 have the week off rest up for their quarterfinal. And 675 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:37,679 you're so you're rewarding Oregon for being first, for being 676 00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:40,599 Big ten champion, and you let Penn State in Indiana 677 00:41:40,679 --> 00:41:44,599 do get out, and again there is risk attached to 678 00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:48,119 the game. But we let's also say this Ohio State 679 00:41:48,199 --> 00:41:52,000 with two losses and that embarrassing loss to Michigan Penn 680 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:55,000 State in Indiana could be playing to cement a birth, 681 00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:58,079 and the loser we shouldn't necessarily think that the loser 682 00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:01,920 is somehow out. In fact, we could say that we 683 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,719 could offer this stipulation that if you play in the 684 00:42:06,039 --> 00:42:09,039 no I'm being very specific here, if you play in 685 00:42:09,079 --> 00:42:12,639 a conference playoff game, because again Penn State, Indiana, if 686 00:42:12,679 --> 00:42:15,519 we had that game this weekend, it would not be 687 00:42:15,639 --> 00:42:20,519 a conference championship game. Again, we're having Oregon declared Big 688 00:42:20,519 --> 00:42:25,760 Ten champion right now. If in this hypothetical Big Penn 689 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:28,760 State in Indiana play in a Big Ten playoff game, 690 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:31,639 there could be a stipulation that the loser of a 691 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:35,760 conference playoff game should not be penalized for losing a 692 00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:39,639 second game, in which case we could say that Indiana 693 00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:42,840 is ahead of Ohio State in the pecking order, the 694 00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:47,159 Big Ten pecking order, regardless of outcome the playoff game 695 00:42:47,559 --> 00:42:50,840 Indiana Penn State would be to determine who's number two 696 00:42:51,519 --> 00:42:56,400 in the Big Ten, and then everybody can judge Indiana 697 00:42:57,559 --> 00:43:01,760 versus the rest of the playoff field, but of Ohio 698 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:05,199 State because Ohio State lost that second game. So there 699 00:43:05,199 --> 00:43:07,880 are a lot of reforms that college football can put 700 00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:11,719 into place, and the Big Ten really is the perfect 701 00:43:12,159 --> 00:43:18,159 example of how college football should reform. The conference championship game. 702 00:43:18,199 --> 00:43:20,639 You still have the television rights, you still have the 703 00:43:20,679 --> 00:43:23,480 time slot on the first Saturday of December, but you 704 00:43:23,519 --> 00:43:25,559 don't call it a conference championship game. You call it 705 00:43:25,599 --> 00:43:30,079 a college a conference playoff game. And so Penn State 706 00:43:30,119 --> 00:43:33,400 Indiana just makes so much more sense than asking Oregon 707 00:43:33,480 --> 00:43:36,679 to play an extra game that you know, obviously this 708 00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:39,199 game is for Oregon so that it gets the first 709 00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:42,320 round by. We should just be giving Oregon the first 710 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:45,480 round by right now. We shouldn't have to make Oregon 711 00:43:45,559 --> 00:43:48,079 earn it. Oregon's already earned it by being the clear 712 00:43:48,199 --> 00:43:51,159 number one team in the Big Ten this season. Let 713 00:43:51,199 --> 00:43:54,360 Penn State Indiana fight it out to see which team 714 00:43:54,400 --> 00:43:57,519 is better and to help with a playoff seating. That 715 00:43:57,679 --> 00:44:01,239 just makes so much more sense to the game itself. 716 00:44:02,119 --> 00:44:06,880 This game is going to be another test of James 717 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:10,400 Franklin in big games. We've seen it so many times 718 00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:13,719 over the years James Franklin goes up against Ohio State 719 00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:17,119 or Michigan at Penn State and he falls short. Penn 720 00:44:17,159 --> 00:44:21,280 State lost to Ohio State this year. James Franklin couldn't 721 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:23,320 get it done against the buck Geys, and hey, we 722 00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:29,679 saw how flawed and mortal Ohio State football was this season, 723 00:44:30,320 --> 00:44:33,559 so you know, Penn State had that game at home, 724 00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:36,599 got out to the early lead, still couldn't nail it down, 725 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:41,119 still couldn't finish the job. So can James Franklin finally 726 00:44:41,159 --> 00:44:44,519 beat an elite team? He has struggled so consistently with 727 00:44:44,559 --> 00:44:48,639 this it's been the ghost which has haunted him and 728 00:44:48,719 --> 00:44:52,519 his career. Can Penn State finally get the job done 729 00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:55,280 in a money situation? It's Penn State's first Big Ten 730 00:44:55,360 --> 00:45:01,159 championship game since twenty sixteen. It's been a long long 731 00:45:01,280 --> 00:45:05,480 time for Penn State to get back to this game, 732 00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:09,320 eight whole years. And Penn State backdoored into this because 733 00:45:09,360 --> 00:45:13,039 Ohio State and Brian Day has completely slipped on a 734 00:45:13,039 --> 00:45:16,719 banana peel against Michigan. So Penn State's being given a 735 00:45:16,760 --> 00:45:20,880 special gift, a special opportunity, Like no one was expecting 736 00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:23,719 Penn State to be here a week ago. But Ohio State, 737 00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:26,519 you know, stepped on the rake and so can James 738 00:45:26,559 --> 00:45:30,880 Franklin get it done. So Drew Hollur going up against 739 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:33,400 this Oregon defense, I can't say I like the matchup 740 00:45:33,440 --> 00:45:36,559 there for Penn State. I mean Dylan Gabriel versus Drew Hollard. 741 00:45:36,679 --> 00:45:40,679 Definitely like Gabriel in the matchup. But this is this 742 00:45:40,719 --> 00:45:42,880 is a time where you know, it's this has put 743 00:45:42,920 --> 00:45:45,360 up a shut up time for Drew Hour couldn't deliver 744 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:49,039 the goods against Ohio State. You know, he he had 745 00:45:49,039 --> 00:45:52,519 his moments the second half rally against USC at the 746 00:45:52,519 --> 00:45:55,159 Colisseum that was impressive, but he was bad in the 747 00:45:55,199 --> 00:45:57,679 first half of that game. So, you know, when have 748 00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:01,280 we seen Drew Hollur play an elite game complete sixty 749 00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:05,039 minutes against a high end team. Very few instances of 750 00:46:05,079 --> 00:46:10,599 that in his Penn State career. We saw at Penn 751 00:46:10,599 --> 00:46:13,480 State a few years ago. We saw Sean Clifford, you know, 752 00:46:13,639 --> 00:46:16,000 struggle a lot in his Penn State career. But when 753 00:46:16,039 --> 00:46:19,119 he had that moment against Utah in the Rose Bowl, 754 00:46:19,320 --> 00:46:21,039 played one of the better games of his career, and 755 00:46:21,079 --> 00:46:23,519 he left Penn State on a high note. And after 756 00:46:23,559 --> 00:46:26,599 all the criticism that he received. Sean Clifford was able 757 00:46:26,639 --> 00:46:29,119 to rise above it play an elite game on a 758 00:46:29,159 --> 00:46:34,360 big stage. This is Drew hours equivalent of that Penn 759 00:46:34,400 --> 00:46:37,480 State Utah Rose Bowl for Sean Clifford. This is Drew 760 00:46:37,519 --> 00:46:40,760 hours time to put his stamp on this season and 761 00:46:40,840 --> 00:46:43,679 on his Penn State career. We will see if he 762 00:46:43,719 --> 00:46:45,440 can do it, but I would I would not be 763 00:46:45,519 --> 00:46:48,840 optimistic about that. And you know Oregon. One thing to 764 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:53,039 note about Oregon is that it had the week off 765 00:46:53,119 --> 00:46:56,880 before this recent game against Washington, So Oregon was able 766 00:46:56,920 --> 00:47:00,199 to get healthier Dan Lanning than was able to know 767 00:47:00,480 --> 00:47:03,760 disposed of Washington pretty easily. You know, that game didn't 768 00:47:03,800 --> 00:47:08,079 go down to the wire, so Oregon is pretty fresh. 769 00:47:08,159 --> 00:47:13,159 Oregon that doesn't have everyone available, doesn't have all of 770 00:47:13,159 --> 00:47:16,159 its high end players. But Oregon was able to get 771 00:47:16,199 --> 00:47:19,840 a week off, So that certainly has to point the 772 00:47:19,840 --> 00:47:25,239 needle in Oregon's direction. I see this game as being 773 00:47:25,280 --> 00:47:28,280 Oregon all the way. It's in Indianapolis, so you're probably 774 00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:30,559 gonna have more of a Penn State crowd, but it 775 00:47:30,639 --> 00:47:33,360 is indoors, you know, it's so Oregon's not gonna have 776 00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:37,239 to deal with nasty, big ten weather. You know, we 777 00:47:37,320 --> 00:47:41,400 saw it snow in Buffalo, and we're looking at the 778 00:47:41,559 --> 00:47:45,280 very distinct possibility that and actually likelihood, I should say 779 00:47:45,639 --> 00:47:48,159 that Notre Dame is going to host a first round 780 00:47:48,519 --> 00:47:52,119 playoff game in South Bend, Oh Mine. So you know, 781 00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:54,880 if Notre Dame is hosting a team from a warm 782 00:47:54,960 --> 00:47:58,679 weather school, you know that's gonna really help the fighting 783 00:47:58,760 --> 00:48:01,360 Irish or at least what would think it will. But anyway, 784 00:48:01,440 --> 00:48:06,000 Oregon's not gonna have to deal with inclement weather December 785 00:48:06,039 --> 00:48:10,880 weather in Lucas Oil Stadium. So you know, the Ducks 786 00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:13,639 are set up for success, and they're set up for 787 00:48:13,679 --> 00:48:16,360 success for a lot of reasons. But the main thing 788 00:48:16,440 --> 00:48:19,639 is that James Franklin just hasn't proved that he can 789 00:48:19,679 --> 00:48:23,960 get it done in those kinds of situations. So so much, 790 00:48:24,039 --> 00:48:27,960 so much to be interested in for the Big ten 791 00:48:28,039 --> 00:48:30,800 championship game between Oregon Penn State, and it's gonna be 792 00:48:30,800 --> 00:48:36,679 fascinating to see how that shakes out. So we come 793 00:48:36,719 --> 00:48:39,480 to the part of our show when we give you 794 00:48:39,519 --> 00:48:43,159 a word from our sponsor. So college football fans, this season, 795 00:48:44,079 --> 00:48:46,199 you know it's flown by, but there are still the 796 00:48:46,199 --> 00:48:49,400 conference championship games there's Army Navy, and then we get 797 00:48:49,440 --> 00:48:54,599 to the playoff in a college football bonanza, this new 798 00:48:54,639 --> 00:48:58,960 twelve team event. And so you're gonna be wanting to 799 00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:00,760 pair with tickets smart or if you want to get 800 00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:04,440 into these games. So with the season heading toward the 801 00:49:04,440 --> 00:49:07,360 finish line, we know you want the best seats at 802 00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:11,119 the most competitive prices. 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In these final 822 00:50:14,280 --> 00:50:17,480 few weeks for the best selection of college football seats 823 00:50:17,639 --> 00:50:20,599 to the biggest games. And these next games are really big, 824 00:50:21,159 --> 00:50:24,000 so check out the selections in pricing now with ticket 825 00:50:24,039 --> 00:50:27,400 Smarter and remember our code grid Iron two to two. 826 00:50:27,760 --> 00:50:32,719 Think smarter at ticket Smarter. That's all for this edition 827 00:50:32,800 --> 00:50:35,960 of Get Off My Pylon, covering Western college football in 828 00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:38,159 the United States, part of the College Gridwind Coast to 829 00:50:38,199 --> 00:50:42,119 Coast podcast network. This is Matt zemeck Enjoy the conference 830 00:50:42,159 --> 00:50:44,679 championship games and thank you very much for listening.