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Under the Helmet: Insights and Analysis into the College Football Playoffs
Ever thought about the impact of coaching decisions on college football outcomes? Well, you're in for a treat! Buckle up as we, your hosts Mark, Chris, and Greg, journey into the captivating world of college football. We're leaving no stone unturned, from analyzing the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry game to discussing the Kentucky vs Louisville game and the Iron Bowl. We're sharing our observations, frustrations, and joys as we dissect these thrilling matches and coaching tactics.
Does the controversy of the no-penalty call against Kentucky still linger in your mind? We've got that covered! We're also throwing light on the disappointing performance of U of L's quarterback and Mark Stoops's potential job offer from Texas A&M. We've got the playoff rankings on the table, scrutinizing Florida State's high placement, and even speculating on the possibility of Urban Meyer's return to Ohio State. So, gear up and join us on this rollercoaster ride through the exhilarating world of college football.
Ever thought about the impact of coaching decisions on college football outcomes? Well, you're in for a treat! Buckle up as we, your hosts Mark, Chris, and Greg, journey into the captivating world of college football. We're leaving no stone unturned, from analyzing the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry game to discussing the Kentucky vs Louisville game and the Iron Bowl. We're sharing our observations, frustrations, and joys as we dissect these thrilling matches and coaching tactics.
Does the controversy of the no-penalty call against Kentucky still linger in your mind? We've got that covered! We're also throwing light on the disappointing performance of U of L's quarterback and Mark Stoops's potential job offer from Texas A&M. We've got the playoff rankings on the table, scrutinizing Florida State's high placement, and even speculating on the possibility of Urban Meyer's return to Ohio State. So, gear up and join us on this rollercoaster ride through the exhilarating world of college football.
the best of a podcast about the best of everything, from the mundane to the ridiculous. Just three buddies sitting around the car table talking about things that absolutely matter to no one well, boys, we have finished up the Thanksgiving holiday.
Speaker 1:We have seen the end of rivalry week still hard to say rivalry week rivalry week, and so we need to do a little breakdown of the college football playoff positioning. Rivalry week go cats, all that, all that fun stuff. I'm mark, I'm Chris, I'm Greg. So rivalry week we got it, we got to talk about the game first, I mean it look it was.
Speaker 3:It was the highest rated game this weekend. It was, so we have to talk about it first. So would you like to being an OSU fan? Yeah, put your two cents in about the game.
Speaker 1:Very briefly, I thought it was in all honesty. I thought two good teams played a good, solid game against each other. How we in a row? This is the third in a row brand a gun to to the passionate Ohio State fans who only care about that game. They want to see him gone. Maurice Claret people got to go.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he gave him a positive tweet and then like two quarters later he go.
Speaker 1:So you know it was really disappointing.
Speaker 3:And here has the cop family taking this loss have you? Talked to either one of your brothers or anything well, yeah, I have talked to the good brother.
Speaker 1:Well, and no, that is not, I've talked to Mike yeah listening. God bless you. You know, we all love you.
Speaker 3:How's my loss.
Speaker 1:Mike and I both not taking it too well. Having said that, let me let me say why I'm. I'm very disappointed in the game. Ryan day. Coach that game not to lose, right? I mean, if you watch that game, he had no guts when it came time to for big decisions in big place and he was out coached by an interim coach right.
Speaker 1:I mean ultimately that's. That's what it boils down to. You know they had a chance to go for Very early on on a fourth and short. They had a chance right before halftime on a fourth and short with, you know, 40, 40 seconds left on the clock at midfield Actually, I'm sorry, it was at the 30, 31, 33, 30, 35 issue yard line and and Ryan day elected to run the clock down to three seconds and kick a 52 yard field goal With a kicker who's never made a field goal longer than 47 yards and the offense was humming. They were actually moving down the field.
Speaker 3:I can see you're getting a little riled up. This we need to let go to a different game you need a snickers. First of all does he dies beard?
Speaker 1:Oh, hundred percent. There's no way, that's natural.
Speaker 3:So are you of the opinion that he should be fact?
Speaker 1:I here's. Here's my honest opinion. It's very difficult to fire a guy that's 57 and 6, but when you lose that game at Ohio State three years in a row, you have to make some serious changes. If you don't, then you don't have any right to continue on in that position because you know Ohio State fans don't care about beating Illinois and Purdue.
Speaker 3:Look, let's, let's be honest, yeah, okay, yeah, ohio State schedule.
Speaker 1:There's been three games. Yeah, exactly Notre Dame, yep.
Speaker 3:They won last second gate. Yeah, penn State, who's Penn State's? Typically a pretty good game. Penn State's offense is you're terrible, terrible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and Michigan, yeah, that's it, yeah and, and they had to play Michigan at home. You know, blah, blah, blah. It was a close game it was. They had a chance to win the game. Even at the end of the game, even with as as pitifully as they played and as poorly as they were coached, they still had an opportunity to go down and win the game Like they did at Notre Dame.
Speaker 1:They're driving down the field the same way. And then, of course, the. You know our left guard, let you know let's. In a past, rusher Donovan Jackson does the guard and you know McCord gets hit. Those in interception, game over, game over, shouldn't have come down to that. You know, you've got to be able to what. What special plays did Ohio State run during the game? Nothing. What did Michigan do? They came out in the second half with their backup quarterback, who, who? Ran out of a running package and ran 20 yards. Then, a few plays later, they had a half-back pass, mm-hmm. So you know, michigan emptied the, you know, emptied the playbook, and they had, they had reserved things back specifically for that game. Sure, ohio State, and Ryan Day is arrogant in thinking that, hey, we're just gonna do what we do and we, we're gonna win this game.
Speaker 3:I feel like he's wanting Ryan day gone. Yeah, I concur. I mean I Last year.
Speaker 1:I concur. Said that he was going to give up play calling and let Brian Hartline call the place.
Speaker 3:How's it working out it?
Speaker 1:didn't, it didn't right, right.
Speaker 3:So there's a guy so he don't stay in his lane. So what you're saying?
Speaker 1:He had too many things going on.
Speaker 3:He's, he's trying to die as beard.
Speaker 1:He's trying to do too much and you know, frankly, he needs to make some significant changes. If he doesn't, you know we're just gonna continue to Struggle in that, in that game, and Michigan's gonna be down next year. You know. They're, you know, started 14 seniors. You know. So this is the best Michigan team I've seen in a long time and they didn't make any mistakes in the game. Ohio State turned it over twice, michigan didn't turn it over once and end of story so Ryan day, fired by see it.
Speaker 3:So let's move on to a game. Yeah, a little more uplifting.
Speaker 1:Three of us, kansas and.
Speaker 3:Let's talk about the governor's cup, the cats. So what? What's your take on the Kentucky level game? Kentucky one obviously it was an upset. First time Kentucky's been a top 10 team on the road since I was like born. Seriously, it was like 77, 78. It's what it said on ESPN Wow, to be the top 10 team on the road.
Speaker 1:Wow, well, I'll say, did that earlier in the year, CUTS.
Speaker 3:It's Kits, kits, kits.
Speaker 2:So what's your thoughts on that game? Yeah, besides overall jubilation, yeah, enjoy I gotta.
Speaker 3:and and when we did our predictions before the game Yep, one of us got one rat, one of us didn't pick Yep, one of us got one rat, yep and one of us got two rats. Yeah, I.
Speaker 1:I called the cats victory.
Speaker 2:I called the cats victory. I don't recall the one who didn't pick anything, because he's superstitious and doesn't are you super stature? It's just a little bit stature. Oh, I must, I'm overly stature, magnus Magna stature okay.
Speaker 3:So what you thought?
Speaker 2:Sunday UK I gotta tell you, I think it was masterfully coached. I think Liam Cohen, coming down from the box, coming on the field, made the huge difference. Our offensive coordinator, did you notice?
Speaker 1:he did that in the game I did Liam Liam Cohen does he have a certain set of skills?
Speaker 2:I was set of skills. I will find you and I will kill you. Yeah, yeah, liam Cohen called from the field and I think they played the style of game that that Devon leary is used to playing, like he's playing at NC State. Devon leary is terrible. I mean, look, it's just us talking here, right, and 85 other people that downloaded last episode he's terrible. He's garbage, yeah, but anyhow, we played the style he was used to playing at NC State, so terrible. Oh listen, but he made that interception. I was ready to kill him.
Speaker 3:Right, I yield so did you see the intersection? So so Kentucky's up all we got to do. I mean we're getting ready to pun. It's a long third down. He throws one off his back foot trying to throw it out of bounds. It's like 10 yards shorter going out of bounds but they intercepted on like the 40 with like a minute and a half left to go.
Speaker 2:Wow yeah terrible, yeah terrible. That's right, but I do think, and he came back and hit barry them brown with a great, a great pass, you know to get yeah, and you know he's not good.
Speaker 2:No he made a good. He made a good pass to a Dane and Dane caught it. This time it was pretty good, but I think our defense ruled the entire day. I think the defensive line just shut down Louisville because they wanted to run it up our throats. They want to run it right now, in the middle, every time, and they just couldn't do it. I mean, our line was so much bigger, so much stronger, so much faster and it just made all the difference. I think our defensive line is one of the best. I think we have one defensive line, and he's right in the middle. He's huge, ginormous.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think we have one good one.
Speaker 2:Okay, his name escapes me. I got a. I got a Walker. Dion Walker, dion Walker. Oh my god, he's a stud.
Speaker 3:He's good, he's good yeah but.
Speaker 2:But he, I mean he think about how quick he was and they pressured plumber. I Think about this how many sacks did we get on? I mean how many times we get in the backfield, let's do it that way. But yet again, south Carolina, they didn't pressure the quarterback one time.
Speaker 3:So I think, now look at the game. Okay, now let's talk about this. Then what's the difference between? Okay, louisville is a top two ACC school, mm-hmm, I mean they're, they're in the championship game this week.
Speaker 1:It gets forward to state they have a. They have a very good chance of winning of winning.
Speaker 3:I agree 100%, yeah, and they could be playing in the orange bowl. Kentucky's a mid-pack sec team, just honest about it yeah, mid-pack or lower mid-pack.
Speaker 2:I mean, let's face it, probably lower mid-pack, agreed, I mean sure, yeah, it was disappointment.
Speaker 3:I agree, but is a second team in the ACC the equivalent of a mid-pack SEC?
Speaker 1:I think you can make that comparison simply because it's a rivalry game.
Speaker 3:I don't disagree with that. I don't disagree with that at all, but but like when we get to the bowl games, yeah, everybody's like the sec went Four and six in the bowl games. It just means more You've got, you've got sec 10 playing, playing ACC 3, right?
Speaker 1:I mean, if you had ACC 10 play the ACC 10, it'd be a blowout. I don't disagree with that. But going back to the, you know my point was when you look at the iron ball, for instance, which we haven't had chance to talk about just yet, but Alabama, auburn.
Speaker 3:Alabama's clearly a better team million times, and it was an Auburn close, close, close game.
Speaker 1:Auburn should have won their coach had had that fourth and 31 play.
Speaker 2:Yeah seriously, how does it happen? It happens one time out of 50.
Speaker 3:It's just what well, espn said it was less than 0.01%.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so you rush two guys and let the guy stand back there who's got a really strong arm Right.
Speaker 2:He does, and he showed him and he showed him yeah.
Speaker 3:Um, so that I don't understand stuff like that. When it's fourth in a gazillion, I don't understand why you don't rush five, yeah, and Rush five, rush six, play zone with your other five. Be done, yeah, I mean because they're not going to cover 31 yards by the time you have pressure on they had.
Speaker 1:They had guys spying on milrow on that play. What do they think?
Speaker 2:he's gonna do Spying like michigan spies or Otherwise, not as bad as that Okay not as obvious.
Speaker 3:Hey, why can't?
Speaker 1:you hear what comes out about that, so anyhow, but but fun fact.
Speaker 3:Sheeters baby Sorry, all right, that sounds like just a little bit, like a little bit of anger. I think there's some anger toward michigan. I'm just proud of you for saying michigan, this is it because it's a different week? It's a different week, okay so so you'll say michigan 51 weeks out of the year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sometimes I have, I have a little bit of this basketball, not matter for you guys.
Speaker 1:Um, I'm just kind of like. You know it has in the past.
Speaker 3:I mean, you know, yeah, when y'all y'all had a pretty good team when katoke played, y'all the you guys, how?
Speaker 1:about when they played in the finals against florida and and lost. That was the greg oden years, you know, when he was 30, 30, six years old. Missing link.
Speaker 3:So, do you guys like?
Speaker 2:get, get, really get hype and stuff for like the curling and uh.
Speaker 2:Darks. Hockey, love hockey. Oh, actually those were okay. Anyhow, back to the u of u k, u of l game. Um, you know, I gotta tell you everybody's making a big stink about, or from the Louisville side, I'm making a big stink about no, no penalties against kentucky, who you know they claim to be the most penalized team in the in the sec and you know there's always a bunch of missed calls and that kind of thing. But I gotta tell you the one that everybody's talking about, the holding call. I was talking to my son-law about that. He had the guy turned right.
Speaker 3:He's holding on every play in college football. There's holding every kind of every play in college football.
Speaker 2:There's always holding on the place, but and that's on the run back by barry m brown. But back to that game. The game was great. I think it was coached well. I think it was very humbling for the? U of l fans, with jeb ron being the second coming. Yeah, um, now do I think there'll be floor state? I think there'll be floor state. I did too.
Speaker 3:Florida state without their Florida state, florida state without a brother out.
Speaker 2:And therefore a little bit. In that Florida state Florida game they had their third string guy in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and Florida choked that game.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that was bad, so Do you know who else I think got humbled a little bit this weekend. Who's that? Mark Stoops? Yeah, let's talk about that. I think he got humbled not only by the Texas A&M fans. I think he got humbled a little bit by his assistant coaches. And so my understanding of what's happened, do tell Yep. My understanding of what's happened is he got offered the job Thursday or Friday. He didn't want to talk about it or deal with it until after the Louisville game. After the Louisville game, I think they said we're going to offer you the job If you're interested in it. I think he said he was interested in it and they said they had to get final approval the next morning. Mm-hmm, it got leaked. Clearly, texas A&M leaked it, the money and the fans revolted. And what is going on Kentucky Sports Radio and things like that here is he went and talked to some of his assistant coaches and maybe they weren't going to follow him to Texas A&M Interesting.
Speaker 2:Well, some of them just had a child. You know, one of them had a child. Sure One of them just moved here before the season. One of them just got married.
Speaker 1:You know, they're all reading here now it's coaching man. I mean coaches. When they get into this, they understand. You may leave any second.
Speaker 3:But my understanding is a couple of them said we may not be ready, we can't commit by Nick tomorrow morning. And then he fired someone today, didn't he? He fired the wide receiver coach today. Which the wide receiver coach should have been fired.
Speaker 2:Because he fired the special teams coach.
Speaker 3:Kentucky's got some talented wide receivers and they were terrible this year. But I think he got humbled a little bit because Texas A&M didn't want him. I think it's safe to say they didn't want him. Oh well, the administration wanted him, but the fans and the big money didn't, and some of his assistant coaches here weren't ready to just automatically pack up and go with him.
Speaker 1:You know and my whole take on that whole thing, and I've said this from the beginning he's done a really really good job at Kentucky and I don't understand why he would want to chase something else, I mean.
Speaker 3:Kentucky. If he goes seven and five, eight and four every once in a while, pull out a Tianwen season, they'll put a statue.
Speaker 2:They will fire him, absolutely. They will fire him.
Speaker 3:And if he, goes three years at seven and five. If he does his last two years that he's had at Kentucky seven and five and six and six he'd be gone.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. It will be Mark Stoops field at Kroger Stadium, no question. Okay, I mean, but hold on, let's just be honest.
Speaker 2:Now think about it, though. I mean, you've got to think logically or financially. I guess he goes 75 in Kentucky and they grumble a little bit. You know, I sat through the two and nine seasons back into that and all that, right. They're going to build a statue for him now they're going to. He's the winningest coach. He passed Bear Bryant at A&M. He goes seven and five. They fire him and he takes $75 billion home. That's not a bad gig, right.
Speaker 1:You said a little bit ago do you guys care about basketball at Ohio State? It's a very similar thing to Kentucky football. Of course we care Right and we've had some very successful seasons. How, very how very, but it, but it plays second fiddle yeah Right, and that's yeah and and you know the Ohio State football coach went 11 and one this year and there's realistic talk about firing him, Right?
Speaker 3:Let's think about that for a second. There's there's realistic talk about Calipere getting fired if this team's not good, Right? Yeah, Of course. So all of those kind of coaching things. So I'm like who are you going to get? That's better, Right? I mean seriously, let's say the fire Randy, right? And would it be Heartland, Brian Heartland? Would he be the coach?
Speaker 1:Brian Heartland could be moved up, but I would see him being more of the hey assistant head coach. Offensive coordinator. Call the plays. Let's go after Mike Vrabel and bring him you know back to Ohio State. Urban Meyer, urban is done. There's no chance he comes back. He has a headache.
Speaker 3:Maurice Claret. So college football yeah, playoff rankings come out. Yes, what do you think about it?
Speaker 1:I think Indiana should be pretty high.
Speaker 3:Absolutely so. Georgia was one Yep. Is there any argument there?
Speaker 2:They've got lost. There's an argument.
Speaker 3:You could say Michigan's got the best win in college football. You could make that argument. But they're one and two.
Speaker 2:So, they're both secure.
Speaker 1:There were one.
Speaker 3:There's no real difference between one and two. No, right. No Three is Washington. Yep, I think. I think that's just a fad. They've they haven't lost Four. I've got a problem with OK, they haven't lost either, but I don't think either one of the three of us would say Florida State's fourth best team in the country.
Speaker 2:No way, and they're going to get. They're going to lose Saturday.
Speaker 1:What if they don't? If they don't, someone's getting screwed. Let's just be honest here. Someone is getting screwed. Who should be?
Speaker 3:Oregon in Washington, whoever wins in is in. Right, we agree with that 100 percent. If Michigan is going to beat Iowa, because they're terrible off, I mean yeah. So so Michigan and the winner of Oregon and Washington are in. Yeah, yeah, let's say Alabama beats.
Speaker 1:Georgia. How do you take? And let's say, texas then beats Oklahoma State.
Speaker 3:Yep. Are you going to tell me no?
Speaker 1:SEC teams going to be in it. How do you take Alabama ahead of a team that beat them and beat the? Tar that would be a two loss. Alabama, right, no, no.
Speaker 3:No, I'm saying if Alabama beat Georgia, oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Then you'd have two one loss teams.
Speaker 3:So if Alabama beats Georgia, you're going to have Michigan at one because they're not losing. You're going to have the winner of Ohio or Oregon and Washington probably at two. Yeah, you're going to have. If Florida State wins, they're going to be at three at that point. And then you're going to have Texas at four and you're not going to have an SEC team in it. So I think it comes down to what the four teams are.
Speaker 1:I also think it comes down to how is that game, how does it play out? The Alabama versus Georgia game? Right, because A I don't think Georgia's losing. I don't think so either, but if Alabama squeaks by them? But I think there could be some sentiment to say Alabama and Georgia, no, I think there'd be some sentiment to say you take Texas and you take Georgia. Sorry about your luck, alabama. You played terrible for most of the season. You nearly got beat by USF. You should have gotten beaten by Auburn. You barely squeaked by Georgia. You got drilled by Texas. How do you take Alabama over Texas? I just don't see how you can do it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, I understand. I think you think Ohio states in the rest yeah, I think I think their loss has been better than, but it's it's. I don't think their loss is worse than Oregon's loss and Oregon's ahead of right.
Speaker 1:I think. I think what happens, it'll all settle itself. You know if, if Oregon loses to Washington, you know they're out in Washington's end, no question what. Ohio State still has an outside chance of getting in, but they need a lot of help. They would need Texas to lose to.
Speaker 2:Florida State to lose.
Speaker 1:They would need Florida State to lose, they would need Georgia to win. They, of course, would need Michigan to win. Mm, hmm, right, so then you'd have Georgia, michigan, washington, washington and Ohio State. Yeah, I can't see it happening because a Oklahoma State's not beating Texas.
Speaker 3:I don't think so.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but the other thing is, you know, ultimately I think George is still, until they're knocked off.
Speaker 3:How many games have they won in a row? Total six, no 28 or 29. But I mean it's the longest streak ever in the SEC. Yeah, I mean it's so, but there's a scenario in which there could be no SEC teams in the championship, yep Could be, won't happen. Well, I don't think it'll happen either, but it's possible. Yeah, and Paul Feinbaum may lose his mind.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 3:I mean he may. He may go protest somewhere. I.
Speaker 1:I've never been a.
Speaker 3:I've been never been a huge Paul Feinbaum fan. He loves him some football.
Speaker 1:But I love the fact that he attacked Michigan for what they are.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, he called him out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and and their fans for what they are. Yeah, so yeah, that was fun boys.
Speaker 2:And thanks for listening to this week's podcast, the best of presented by the beer brothers.
Speaker 1:The best of is available on all formats. Wherever you listen to podcasts, Be sure to catch our next episode. You never know what or who will be the best of next. Have a great day, everyone.