Three Guys Around a Table and The Best Of…
Three buddies sitting around a table debating the best of everything and discussing what is on their minds
Three Guys Around a Table and The Best Of…
Tackling Traditions: College Football's New Era of Challenges and Champions
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Prepare to be blitzed by our fiery debate on the college football playoffs and the chaos the transfer portal has unleashed upon the sacred Bowl season! We tackle the tough questions: Can Michigan's impenetrable defense withstand Washington's offensive juggernaut? Is the pay-for-play model, the controversial offspring of the NIL era, going to upend decades of college sports tradition? Our no-holds-barred discussion takes you through the twists and turns of the playoffs, the impact of coaching legends like Jim Tressel, and the strategic plays that make or break a national championship.
Strap in as we dissect the power plays between college football's Goliaths—Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State—and the underdog triumphs that have us all rethinking the meaning of a 'super team.' Feel the ground shake as we debate whether Michigan or Washington will emerge victorious in the national championship—with our predictions based on the latest intel and our signature blend of expertise and enthusiasm. We're not just talking touchdowns; we're talking the future of the game itself. And remember, the conversation doesn't end here—catch us on "Three Guys Around a Table" for more unfiltered insights on the day's hottest topics.
Football Playoffs and Transfer Portal Debate
Speaker 2The Beer Brothers proudly present 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 .
Speaker 1Welcome to the New Year , boys . It is now 2024 unbelievably so and we are going to talk about the college football playoffs that just happened . We're going to review what happened and we're going to preview the final game . Before we get started , though , we're going to also mention that we're going to have a second podcast coming out soon , and everyone needs to be on the lookout for that . This podcast is all about the best of , where we just talk about the best of everything , and we realized as we started doing this that we like to talk about all kinds of things . So this next podcast , the second podcast that we're going to do , is going to be called Three Guys Around a Table , and we are going to just talk about the topics of the day and have some fun doing it , so be on the lookout for that . My name is Mark .
Speaker 2I'm Chris , I'm Greg .
Speaker 1And we are the beer brothers and this is the best of and the best of college football . We've discussed throughout the course of this year a couple different times , but now that the playoffs and the playoffs- you're talking about playoffs .
Speaker 3I'm sorry , in the basketball season in the great state , in the great Commonwealth it is definitely basketball season .
Speaker 2It is basketball season .
Speaker 1Actually more so in Lexington .
Speaker 3Yes , Well , that's true , it is the best week of college football , I would agree I would agree .
Speaker 1Bowl season , you know , we can kind of talk about Bowl season .
Speaker 2Bowl season has little Bowl , bowl Bowl season discussion .
Speaker 1But you know , bowls are not what they used to be .
Speaker 3Most of them are . I don't like the players often out .
Speaker 1I'm not . I don't like it at all . I mean off my lawn .
Speaker 3If you're getting paid to play Yep and that's that's the universe we're in right now Then you should have to play . You play to win the game . Hello .
Speaker 1Exactly .
Speaker 2Here's what they've done , and I agree with what you're saying . I can't stand it . You know when . I mean let's just go and open up the can of worms . When Missouri beat the Ohio State , the , the , the problem is as much as I would if that would been Kentucky . When we beat the Ohio State , the , I would have said the .
Speaker 2I would have said the . I would have said , hey , we beat the Ohio State . And the first thing Mark would say is no , you didn't , you beat our third string quarterback . You beat us without our two best receivers . You beat us with . You know , all these guys transferring .
Speaker 3Well , that goes to the question Should the transfer portal happen before the bowl games are completed ? Absolutely not .
Speaker 1If it would just not open until January 15th , that that should be the opening of the opening of the portal . You know , let's get through the national championship , let's get through the bowl games , then , you know , feel free to pick and choose where you want to go In this new era you like the transfer portal ? I do not .
Speaker 3I do not Get off my lawn Exactly . Look , and I'm a younger guy than you , but I'm . I don't like the transfer portal .
Speaker 1Universities invest a large amount of dollars and I understand that it's a pay for play thing and I don't like that either , and I do . I do agree in some respect that for name and name , image and likeness , a kid should be able to earn while they're in college off of their name , image and likeness . However , this hey , give me a two million dollars and I'll come to your school next year .
Speaker 2But see that that's just that's where we're at , and that's not the way it was supposed to be .
Speaker 2The way it was supposed to be is , they said , kids could have camps , they could sell their own jerseys , make their own deals with shoes , and instead of what you've got is these collectives and all these . You know . I say have a look at Paul Miller Ford , you know we're going to give you a pickup truck . You come here . So now these guys are top in the country can say , well , I'll go to UK and I'll get a free pickup truck from Paul Miller Ford , you know . So basically , what happens is the pay to play . The more money you spend , the better off you are .
Speaker 2Yeah you know it's , it's the Yankees , it's the Steinbrenner law of physics is what it is .
Speaker 1Well , the issue is , you know , in a lot of ways go back to Jim Trestle's last year Ohio State when he had the Well , Jim Trestle was awesome when he had .
Speaker 3Did you know ? He was from Lima .
Speaker 1No , he's , you know what Youngstown guy actually we've already told we told the Lima story , but we've got to do it .
Speaker 2on the new podcast , we'll do it in the first episode .
Speaker 1Yeah , let's , let's push it off till then .
Speaker 3Let's make sure we make a memory . So he's not from Lima .
Speaker 1No , Youngstown .
Speaker 3Who drove through Lima in the last week , I believe that would be you .
Speaker 1That's this guy .
Speaker 2Did you stop and get you something ?
Speaker 3I did not stop in Lima . What are they known for ? They have a .
Speaker 2I was going to say beans , but I didn't .
Speaker 1Football .
Speaker 3That's Ada Same . Thing .
Speaker 1Yeah , it's close enough . Anyway , going back to Jim , Ohio Northern University . Ohio , northern and Ada . Yes , so Jim .
Speaker 3Trestle .
Speaker 1Jim Trestle terrible coach . Yeah , kids .
Speaker 3I'm sorry .
Speaker 2And terrible discipline .
Speaker 3But he wore a nice sweater vest every day and glasses he had nice glasses .
Speaker 1His favorite play was the punt . So , and that's true , ask anyone he loved if he could punt on third down . He'd punt .
Speaker 2Didn't he have the players that got the tattoos in exchange for their jerseys ?
Speaker 1That's what I was getting Details , so so they they received some memorabilia , like every all these players get at these bowl games , and things like that . They traded that for tattoos , which oh all right Fine .
Speaker 3I was hard to grip into right Expensive dude .
Speaker 1No , no , no , no , you know , these were players . You know , like current players , terrell Pryor was the main . Terrell Pryor .
Speaker 3That's who I was thinking . That's right Expensive .
Speaker 1And uh permanent ink is really expensive .
Speaker 1And you know that they lost . Uh , ohio State lost their eligibility to play in a bowl game . The following year , as a result of that , which was Urban Meyers first year , which was the other , ohio State went 12 and 0 under Urban Meyer and couldn't play in a bowl game because they traded memorabilia for tattoos . Now we're giving bags of cash legally to kids and Paul Miller Ford trucks to kids . It's just , you know , that's problem . So , moving on from our discussion about tattoo gate and everything else , how much did your ?
Speaker 2last tattoo cost .
Speaker 1I'm not at liberty to say .
Speaker 2Did you exchange a ?
Speaker 1I am not at liberty to say Remember earlier , so uh , so what did you think about the games this weekend ? The games yeah , in terms of the playoff Playoffs , michigan beating Alabama was uh and and I'm going to be honest here I was following it on my phone .
Speaker 3I watched the whole game .
Speaker 1I got to watch it . Very little of it , but seemed like an amazing game . It was amazing coaching job .
Speaker 3It was a great game . Yep , I think Harbaugh out coach saving , correct . Um . I think the game Michigan should have wanted in regulation yeah , because they had their special teams , couldn't have played worse , including a botched field . Extra point that they should have won the game . When it went into overtime I knew Michigan was going to win . I mean the momentum had shifted , yeah , um .
Speaker 1I think I want to . I want to jump in and say one thing about I don't know that Harbaugh necessarily out coached Saban , and I'm going to explain why . I think Harbaugh , harbaugh , has two amazing coordinators , sure , sure .
Speaker 3As a coaching staff . Michigan beat Alabama 100% .
Speaker 1I think mentor , the defensive coordinator for Michigan , I think he took Tommy Reese to school . You know Alabama's offensive coordinator and every , every time he reads a problem for Alabama though the whole year .
Speaker 3I mean he's look , and where did he come from ? The no traditon and you guys know I'm a big fan of Notre Dame but he's terrible . Yeah , yeah , he wasn't good at Notre Dame . What about the last play ? I've seen a bunch of stuff on the last play . Yep , and I think Alabama's quarterback panicked a little bit .
Speaker 2The snap was a little bit low which , by the way , the snaps had been bad all day long by their center .
Speaker 3I think that he panicked a little bit . There was a hole to the left . He would have had to beat one guy and he would have got in . I don't know that he could have beat the one guy , but there was a hole to the left and why he ran it right up the center's butt . I have no idea that was interesting .
Speaker 1The Saban said after the game it looked like they knew what was coming . I wonder if he was making a reference at that point Awkward . Oh yeah , I didn't think about that . He did say that I mean now .
Speaker 3One of us in this room believes Saban's going to retire . That's a true statement .
Speaker 1That's the one's been kind of quiet over there , I do think he's going to retire .
Speaker 3I think he will retire at some point . I don't think it'll be this year .
Speaker 2I do . I just think he looks so defeated after that last game and I understand it was a let down , but he looked more so defeated than ever . I mean to me , did , and you can just tell this was . It's taken his toll on him and I think you know , as bad as , I hate to say it , Nick Saban was up until NIL the coach . I mean , you think about it , he was basically he got the players he wanted when he wanted .
Speaker 2He's still getting a pretty good class no he's still got the top five class , but you're starting to see diversity across the other teams I mean the good dogs are getting the best To players now . So NIL right , and then you're also getting the transfer portal and Alabama is not the not to use the word dog , but Alabama I don't think is the top dog in the SEC now .
Speaker 3I think George has replaced him . I think so , and and .
Speaker 2I honestly do you think his ego , do you think ?
Speaker 1Saban's ego will , do you think ?
Speaker 3Michigan's replaced Ohio State is up no no , I don't .
Speaker 1I think that they've had a little run here .
Speaker 3Yeah , they have .
Speaker 1I mean , when you look back 20 years , 17 , Ohio .
Speaker 3State's dominated that , and you know so I would say that but if you did that same analysis , then Alabama is still the top dog in the SEC .
Speaker 1Well , that's how I would differentiate it .
College Football Playoff and National Championship
Speaker 1I would say in college football right now , I think you could have gone back a few years and you could say maybe there were four super teams . Now I think there are three . I think there's Alabama , Georgia and Ohio State . I think those are the three teams that since the college football playoff came into existence , they've had more playoff appearances than any other .
Speaker 1They always are in the top three , top five recruiting classes every single year . This year is the first year that we're not going to have a super team in the final . I mean , when you think about it that way Michigan and Washington both tremendous seasons , not taking away anything from them .
Speaker 3You called Washington early in the season . I did ?
Speaker 2You said they were really good . If I'd seen Pinnick's play I would have agreed with it . Pinnick's is legit . He is amazing .
Speaker 3I mean , I don't like a left hand to quarterback . Oh my God though , but he's legit .
Speaker 1Yeah , and you know four . And in terms of four and five star recruits , michigan and Washington have far fewer than Alabama .
Speaker 3Joe .
Speaker 1Iowa State . You know the exactly . So I think Neil is going to level that playing field a little bit . I don't think there's going to be three super teams anymore .
Speaker 2So I think that's what I was saying . Yeah , yeah , that's what I'm saying . Yeah , the first five . Yeah , he also , right I ?
Speaker 1agree . I think if Saban retires it's going to be because of the fact that he doesn't have the ability to have that edge over in the rest .
Speaker 2Correct and that's that's where I go back to and back to what you said , greg , about Harbaugh . Simply , I agree with you Harbaugh coached Saban .
Speaker 3Right , the staff , yeah , yeah , right Now did he have insider information .
Speaker 2One of us at this table seems to think that seems to be a problem in Michigan .
Speaker 3Don't you think ? Don't you think Alabama would have changed their signals between their games and like what they did in the playoffs ?
Speaker 1Yeah , one would think , but I would think so . But the biggest thing is , all these wins are going to be vacated next year , so I am going to enjoy it , allegedly It'll happen , so moving on .
Speaker 2So yes , I think that IELs is having more effect on people like Alabama , because you're not the bags of cash or on the table .
Speaker 3Instead of under the table . Yeah , that's what I was going to say .
Speaker 2Or in the VHS yes , oh , the Emory package Details what Anyhow .
Speaker 3What about the national championship game now , washington versus Michigan ? For those , for those gamblers in the states where it's legal , the line is currently four and a half Michigan's favored .
Speaker 1Before we , before we jump into that , just two seconds on Texas and Washington . I thought that game was over and man Texas made it an unbelievable .
Speaker 3As you guys know , I thought Texas was going to win the game . It was a really close game until the start of the third quarter and then it went pure Washington .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 3But then Texas comes roaring back .
Speaker 1Yeah , washington . You know why didn't they just take a knee ? Well , Washington's .
Speaker 3The thing I like about Washington is they are not afraid to throw it down the field . Yeah .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 3Look , in the Devon Leary , Kentucky teams we're not afraid to throw it . I mean we are afraid to throw it more than 10 yards , that's a true story .
Speaker 2We're afraid for him to throw it and and he's .
Speaker 3I couldn't be happier he's gone . But Washington , they've not seen a bomb that they've not liked .
Speaker 1Yep , yep , they , they sling it . And you know and their quarterback is accurate every time and you know they're running back getting hurt there at the end of the game trying to run out the clock , that's that's disappointing A bit . Quinn Ewers comes out and flings it down the field and they get down and they've got three shots from the 12 yard line .
Speaker 3Yep Couldn't get it done .
Speaker 1Yeah , and so amazing game , but I , as you said , I've been impressed with Washington all year long .
Speaker 2And the .
Speaker 1you know they went through a little bit of a spell where they were just barely winning games . I think that helped them , that you know they they had to play some close games , so talking , about national championship .
Speaker 3What do you think about that ?
Speaker 1I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Washington's going to win the game .
Speaker 3I think I told you both that . I think the national championship game was Saturday .
Speaker 1I understand .
Speaker 3Yep , and I think whoever was going to win and I could totally be wrong , so but I thought whoever won the Michigan Alabama game will win it all- and so I do think the maze and blue will be the national champions .
Speaker 2You do have a 50-50 shot of being correct . That's true , that's true .
Speaker 3But would you put money on Michigan ? That's the question at four and a half , because , what you know , michigan's defense fantastic , yep , they've not seen an offense like Washington's either they haven't , and you know they . But you know what I thought what stunned me about the Alabama game About three plays in . You could see Michigan's playing zone everywhere . So when Alabama sent somebody in motion , their defense didn't move because they're playing his own they don't care where you're lined up at Yep and Tommy Reese couldn't think of anything to do over that .
Speaker 3I mean , that's a 1980s defense and he just couldn't do nothing with it .
Speaker 1Here's why I think Washington has a chance to win . I think they can score points and they have the best offensive line in the country , if not the best , one of the top three .
Speaker 3They're good .
Speaker 1And Michigan's strength on defense is their defensive front . They're strong .
Speaker 3Yeah , they're dominant , strong .
Speaker 2If Washington's offensive line can hold up and give Penic's time to throw , then I think , I think I'm a part , I think Panics legit , yeah , yeah , and he's so fun to watch .
Speaker 1Yeah , he is so fun to watch , yeah , so .
Speaker 3So you're saying Washington wins ?
Speaker 1I've got Washington winning the game outright .
Speaker 3The over under is 55 and a half .
Speaker 1I go under . I don't think it's going to be as many points as you think . I don't you know , but who knows ?
Speaker 3I'll take the over . I took the over and the Texas Washington game and that was a ching ching , yes .
Speaker 1Yes , uh , I think it's going to be under and I think Washington wins . You've got Alabama , or I mean ?
Speaker 3yeah , I've got Alabama winning .
Speaker 1No .
Speaker 3I've got Michigan winning um something like 28 , 21 , something like that .
Speaker 1I'll take . I'll take Washington um 31 21 . Okay , chris .
Speaker 2I just hope everybody has fun .
Speaker 1You've added so much to this episode . Ha , ha , ha , ha , ha , ha , ha ha .
Speaker 3Did you Do you know what a football is ? I think the difference is what what or how Michigan special teams plays . I think that's the difference .
Speaker 2Uh , there are people who are playing football , or how Michigan special teams plays . I think that's the difference . Uh , their punt returners got to learn to catch a ball , you know um overrated .
Speaker 3I didn't get to see you . You don't have to catch it .
Speaker 2How's their kicker , washington's kicker , good ? Can you kick it out of the end zone ?
Speaker 1every time ? Yeah , good , I think . I think Blake Horm can run the ball .
Speaker 3He can run .
Speaker 1And I will tell you that's my concern . That's someone who's rooting for , for Washington . I'm concerned about them .
Speaker 3So do you think you have a dam about the whole state of Michigan ?
Speaker 1Not one tiny thing , by the way . Yes .
Speaker 2Michigan wins . I agree , michigan wins because of Blake Horm .
Speaker 1Give us a score .
Speaker 2Well , I said over on the points , so I'd say it's going to be a 98 to two .
Speaker 3That's a lot of points .
Speaker 2It is a lot of points , but you've got panic slinging that ball . So , uh , I'm not going to give you a point spread . I think they're going to be over , but I'm going to tell you that you've got to give points .
Speaker 3Everybody else did , I'm not giving points .
Speaker 2I say Michigan wins by 10 .
Speaker 1Oh , I got them all . I got them all . All right , michigan wins by 10 . Michigan by 10 .
Speaker 2So he's , going over he's going over .
Speaker 3So I'm going to say it's 38 , 28 .
Speaker 1Okay .
Speaker 3That gets you just over . That's 56 points .
Speaker 1That's reasonable , that's not truly . When is it ? Next Monday it's .
Speaker 3Monday night .
Speaker 1We're going to find out next Monday night . Until then , it's been a fun one .