Let's do some college football, some pro football now with our buddy Max Chadwick from PFF.
Max. Happy Tuesday, Man, How you doing good?
How are you guys doing good?
Man?
Appreciate the time.
Obviously, it was a chaotic weekend here in Salt Lake City with the rivalry game as Brigham Young rolled up to Salt Lake and went back to Provo with the win. So now, simply but BYU's undefeated, their number seven in the AP. We'll get to the CFP release tonight. But what did you make of a very dramatic night in Salt Lake City on Saturday night?
Yeah, it just seems like by us a team of destiny, it doesn't it?
Right now?
Guys, right over that Oklahoma State game, they had the game winning drive and nobody thought they they would win that game. Obviously had another game winning drive against Utah on that one. You know, every great college football team obviously has got to be a good team first and foremost, but also you gotta have a little magic as well, and I think BYU is starting to capture that magic
a little bit. And yeah, I think what they've done this year is incredible, and I think, you know, seventh and eight people is way way too low for what they've done this year resume wise, I personally haven't number three of my ranking because I think right now, at this point of the season, you've got to be ranking off of their resume and not in terms of, oh, how good you think.
A team is.
So that leads me to the CFP release tonight. B YU rolled in at nine last week. I viewed that as a damning indictment of the Big Twelve Conference as a whole. And Max, I don't think they're going to be higher than six or seven tonight.
Maybe I'm wrong.
Where when the release happens tonight, where do you think Breaking Me Young ends up?
Yeah? I'm with you. I think you know, the AP is probably you know, going to be around where they had it at, you know, which is the seventh overall. Like I said, I very much vehemanly disagree with that. I mean, just look at what they've done this year. Right They beat SMU, who's still fighting for a playoffs but right now is one of the top playoff contenders. Maybe could even win the ACC this year the way is going. They also beat Kansas State, who's still fighting
for a playoffs pot as well. To be Kansastate by twenty nine points. Right, see be two teams that are easily top twenty teams in college football are now and will be in the top twenty the CFP ranking tonight. You look at a resume like Texas, for example, what have they done this year? Right? Their best win is
against Vanderbilt and they beat them by three points. Other than that, like they beat a Michigan team's most six and six this year, they're they beat an Oklahoma team is probably go five and seven this year, Like Texas does not have the big wins like BYU does right now. And Texas, by the way, has a loss this year as well. I think BYU has not had yet. So I think BYU at minimum should be number three in my opinion, but they're gonna be a lot lower than that's And I bet.
You know the other issue with the low ranking, certainly last week at nine and we'll see what happens tonight, is it does feel like the and I'm sure it's a combination of the CFP Committee, powerful television executives and everybody involved in this entire thing, and their look.
Brand bias is real. That's not new. It always has been.
It's not a breaking news situation as far as how these things are analyzed. But I feel like there's still a scenario in playmax where Brigham Young could win their final three games, enter the Big twelve championship game at twelve and oh and lose to like Colorado or whoever, and potentially be left out of the CFP.
Tell me your thoughts on that.
That would be criminal. That'd be absolutely criminal if they were left out. And I'm with you though, I think it's not a it's not out that far out there. I think it's certainly a possibility, but that'd be criminal because then all of a sudden, you're BYU, You're gonna make the armand like, okay, why would we be playing
the Big tell title game in the first place. Then, you know, if we're twelve and oh and all that can happen for us is is to miss the playoff, we lose, we might as well as not playing it right and the just go in as an at large team because it would be an at large team at twelve and oh, So that to me would be criminal if they're twelve and oh, No, matter what happens in
the playoff in the Big twelve championship game. Now the Big Troal title game will determine whether or not b YU gets a buye in the first round in my opinion, but I do not think, you know, if they're twelve and oh, they're making the playoffs no matter what, even if they win or lose that game.
So as you reference, it certainly feels like a team of destiny either four and oh in one score games. They've had miracle wins on four three three three occasions for sure, if not for but they've answered every question thrown at them when you dig into b YU, what what what are.
They most elite at?
And what areas do you still have questions about as far as what makes them who they are?
Honestly, what makes them so elite is the fact that they don't really have any glaring weaknesses right now. Right There isn't really one thing like Miami is clearly like okay, that's cam Ward right carrying this team b YU. This is really not a lot that they are you know,
weak at right now. And I think that's what's been so good with the team is that, hey, if one part of their team is off on any given week, they have a multitude of ways they can win games, and honestly, the best teams in college football and the best teams in football in general and in sports in general, are the teams that can win in the most ways possible, right in case one thing's can work out, you as
you have something else to fall back on, right. So that, to me, it's been what's the most impressed about b YU this year is they're really playing great, complimentary team football. Obviously, Jake Retslop his improvement has been unbelievable and he's been maybe the most improved quarterback in college football this year. But that, to me, the biggest strength of BYU right now is that they don't really have too many glaring weaknesses.
I saw on your Twitter page you had a chance to sit down with Jake recently. I wonder what that conversation was like and what stands out most to you about how much he's improved.
That actually was an amazing interview because I don't know if you if you know this, but that whole ranking that Jake hold up of the picture of him holding up the ranking of having him as the worst quarterback in the Big Twelve entering the year, and he used as motivation and ESPN's and flashing that graphic all the time that actually was made by my co host Dn Wasson with that ranking, right, So having him on the
show was really funny. You know. We made dal Nie Crow a little bit, which is very funny as well, and Jake was such an amazing sport about it. But you could tell that he is always looking for the next chip on his shoulder. Honestly, you mentioned the the betting odds and how UCF was somehow a favorite over BYU. He didn't really understand that. He's like, man, I love being the underdog. I've been an underwock my whole wife.
You know, I went to JUCO, I came out of Juco. Obviously, you guys ranked me as the worst quarterback in Big twelve. I'm trying to ProView wrong. I'm trying to prove everyone wrong right now. I think that's what really stood out to be the most is that this is a kid that is always always looking for the next chip on his shoulder and always wants to be the underdog in every situation possible.
So they have Kansas Max coming up on or coming up on Saturday. It's a late kickdown in Pro vot it's an eight to fifteen kick. And Kansas was one of those teams before the season that a lot of people thought could be like a sneaky contending team, and it didn't turn out that way. However, they've been better as of late. They smoked Houston, and Houston has been
beating some good teams, namely Utah. They probably should have won in Manhattan over k State, but they lost, and then they hung forty five on Iowa State and BYU into Saturday as a three point favorite over Kansas. What do you think happens in Provo on Saturday night?
Yeah? I think I would warn BYU fans just don't look at the record too much with Kansas. Right, Obviously, they're three and six on the year. It doesn't really look right on paper. But at the same time, only one of their six losses was by more than six points this year, Right, So they've basically been playing one possession games and being on the wrong end of them a lot. Now, this is a lot better team. They're
probably the best three and six team in comfortable. I look, it's really your net argiment there, honestly, So Cans is a dangerous team and you saw it last week against Iowa State. Obviously they're a very dangerous team that's not seem to look over too much. How do I think y Used toll gonna win the game? Yes? I do, But I do want to caution BYU fans from overlooking them just because they're three and six record. They are a lot better than that record indicated.
I want to go back to Saturday night as by you rolled up here then rolled out of town with a win, and you know the deal man, all the controversy after the game about the holding call on fourth and ten as Jake was about to be sacked and there was a wide receiver split out left, and you know, the hot takes have been widespread.
The opinions all are all over the place.
You have a lot of people that did say it's a foul period, like Terry McCauley. You have a lot of people like Joel Klatt saying it's complicated because of the lack of consistency with officiating. I don't know if you noticed, Utah's athletic director wasn't thrilled about it, and the head coach wasn't either as a chair or was accosted by coach went after his pressure. First of all, your opinion on the call, and then your take on the reaction after the game.
Yeah, I think the call was it was fifty to fifty. I personally thought it was the right call. Honestly, I think there's enough there to throw the flag on that one.
And honestly, if you're BYU mean absolutely, if you're a Utah Like, if you're a Utah fan, I'd be more upset with the way your team performed than just one penalty call, right if you leave it up to the refs, like, that's on you, honestly, And listen, in Utah scored twenty one points in the second quarter, they just score any points and the other three quarters combined, right, So I think that's really what you should be looking at right there is that you know, really, for fifteen minutes you
played great football. The other forty five minutes you did not, honestly, So that's me That's what I think is most disappointing part for the Utah fans. They're lost, but obviously they always look for a scapegoat, and that palty call at the end of the game is a pretty easy I thought it was the right call personally. I understand people who don't think it was the right call. That was very very close, But I don't think it was the
biggest reason why they lost the game. Honestly, I think there was a lot of other reasons why Utah I just did not put a white BYU.
So Mark Carlin after the game with some very spirited comments, I wonder what you make of those comments and the reaction of the Big twelve to fine him forty K and then give him a public reprimand.
Max, Yeah, it was I've never seen that stuck orter do that before. Right, that was first of all, it was very rare. Do you see that fleck director after a game do his own press conference. I don't even think Utah was planning on that. I think he just went for the podium and started talking. Honestly. He had something to get off his chest, clearly. Yeah, obviously it
wasn't a great look. And anytime you started accusing a conference of, you know, rigging the game when you're an eclectritor in the conference, that's not a very good look. So the fine and the reprimand the reprimanding, that was not a very big surprise to me. I'll based off those comments again, that to me wasn't a great look for Utah as the flex department. I understand they're frustrat I understand it was a very very close balcohol and I understand you know, being upset about that, But I
just I don't think as about Pucker. That's something else fans could say. If you're an AD, you can't be going out to the media and saying those kinds of things. So I completely understand the fine and everything that happened afterwards.
So to pan back, you know, of course, and you and I have talked all season long, and I continue to believe that you really can be as reductive as saying Cameron Rising was never right this year and that's changed everything. But at this point, with five straight losses, it feels like it's a lot more than just one position.
Although coach Wit always talks about the effect that Cameron has on his teammates, and we've seen it here in Saul Lake firsthand, and when he's right, when he's healthy, for whatever reason, his presence simply does lift the group. I mean, that's what great leaders do. But it can't be the only thing to blame. When you've lost five straight, You've only won one conference game, and Vegas thought you
were going to win it. The media thought you were going to win it, and certainly you fans were very very front facing about their belief that they were going to win it too. Why do you think we're sitting here in Saul Lake with a four and five team overall, with a one in five record in conference play.
Yeah, I think as starts at quarterback, you know, right now, I think Utah is the worst passing grade in the entire Power four. I just don't think they had too much of a plan if Cam Rise and got hurt again, which is not great considering he's a guy who's very, very injury prone obviously, so Isaac Wilson is a true freshman, wasn't really ready to go out there and perform. And Brandon Rose deal it did. Actually an admirable job, I thought in that bby U game overall, but he's not
obviously a star quarterback either. It's just they don't have a lot a long offensively right now. The receiving corps as well. Like braand Keith, he's not done for the year. They didn't really have much at wide receiver either. It would be really too concerned with either so that I also thought the front seven for Utah is just not as good as years passed. Honestly, they obviously lost the big time players like Jonah Ellis to the draft and they just didn't have much of their place and was
so they they struggled in their front seven as well. Yeah, it's been a all on the team. I would say you can't really put it blame on one thing, but I do think that cameras and going down with an injury, not only for on field purposes but also off field, is leadership. Like you said, that to me was really what killed Utah season.
So one more thing on Saturday, then we'll move on here. Because Utah hangs twenty one points in the second quarter, and this is an offense that has not been able. They haven't scored twenty four or more against a P four team all year. And then in the second half, Bringham Young hold Utah to seventy nine total yards, four first downs, and Utah's possessions went like this, punt interception, punt, punt, punt, punt.
They I think they didn't even have a play in the BYU territory in the second half, and they had good field position. The final three possessions ten plays, ten yards, and if they found a way just to get three in one of their six second half possessions, they might win the game. So tell me what you saw from your eye in the second half as Utah's offense completely stalled. Was it BYU's defensive adjustments. Was it a cautious approach from Utah's offense, A little bit of both?
What are your thoughts?
I think it was a little bit of both. I thought bo did a great job of adjusting to to Utah and making sure that Mackay Bernard does not beat you. And I think that's really the key for Utah's offense, just whether or not they can get but Kai Bernard, but not only him. Their their offensive line this year is like one of the best in the country that I'm blocking too. So it's a combination of those two things that make Utah a pretty dangerous team on the ground.
I think b Yu made a concerted effort in the second half just make sure he did not beat him, and make sure Brandon Rose is the guy that has to beat you. And then if you do that, like he was the right of the third string quarterback for Utah, entering the year, so yeah, they I think that was that to me was the biggest reason why b YU was able to win that game, honestly, So yeah, I think you know, obviously Utah is not having great a
passing game was a big factor as well. But yeah, I think there's a lot of issues there that you could see that b YU is able to pull out the win.
So Utah had Zeboulder Saturday morning, ten am early kicktime. As far as local stuff goes, that will be on Fox. Utah enters the game as a ten point underdog. There are a lot of rumors going around, but we haven't heard anything official from the university, so I can't I can't coroborate. We known brand Keith he's out for the year, but since the game there's been some rumors about some other players have lost for the year too.
We'll have to wait and see what that looks like.
Tell us about these Colorado Buffalo's, what's Deon being able to do to really turn that season around? And you give Utah at least a puncher's chance on Saturday and Boulders, Yeah, I think.
Puncher's chances is certainly fair. I mean, there are always a well coached team with Kyle Whittingham there, so you can never count them out. And obviously they almost pulled it off against byuh obviously right, so you can never count out Utah. But Connor has done a great job of just addressing their weaken system last year, which has really been in the trenches, both offensive line and defensive
line and linebacker. And I think that's really why they've went from a four and eight team to one that's gonna be maybe in the Big twelve file game, maybe even in the coffrotable playoff at the end of the year as well. So that's what's really been the most improved portnapsis to have maybe the best quarterback in the Mayer Arca and Shugart Sanders and myra in my opinion,
the best player in college football in Travis Hunter. But to me, the biggest reason why Colroad so much better this year is that they really attacked the portal in the trenches offensive line and defensive line. Also got the number one offensive lineman in the country coming out of high school in Geordan Steens playing great left tackle. That's the biggest difference between Colorado last year and this year.
All right, from a Macro standpoint, Utah needs two wins in our final three games to go bowling, and the only thing Max wors than playing in a throwaway bowl game is not being eligible for one. So it's Colorado on the road, as we talked about, it's Iowa stayed at home, and then it's UCF on the road.
Can you talk get two of the final three to go bowling.
I don't think it will happen, but it's certainly possible. I think you can look at the Iowa State and UCF games is most likely. I don't think the Colorado game is most likely one right now. Obviously you host Iowa State and Iostate. It's been having a lot of issues. I think Iowa Say could be an interesting one because Iowa State's frost seven not very good right now, and then not even a front seven. They actually run like a front six. It's like a three deepens alignment, three linebackers.
I think Mackay Bernarca have a big day against Iowa State. Honestly, that could lead to Utah to a victory. Then UCF is another team I think Utah could beat as well. Will they win both those games? I don't know. Will they win to these three games. I don't know, but I think those last two, especially, those are the most winnable in my opinion.
All right, Mack, So, as you know, to start the season, everybody was wrong about the Big Twelve, as we know, and it seemed to be and there was a little bit of variance, but not much. You know, the three teams that were picked most to win the conference where Utah, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State. So there were a few Iowa states in there, but really not nobody picked Brigham Young. I didn't see anybody pick Colorado, at least any serious person. And so it leads me because Kansas State is still
had a very good year. But if Utah is disappointing, Oklahoma State is shocking. They have not won a conference game. They're three and seven overall. What did we get so wrong about Oklahoma State? Why has their season just been so disastrous?
The reason, biggest is for me that Oli Gordon is a shell of himself right now. He went for the best running back in college football last year to nowhere even close this year, honestly, And I understand the offensive line run blocking wise, still wasn't very good, but it wasn't very good last year either, he still ran for almost two thousand yards, so that you take away that, and now all of a sudden, you know, they were really planning on, you know, riding Oli Gordon on their
offense and they just haven't had that. So now all of a sudden, you got to rely on the quarterback play and the receivers to do that. I like the receivers, but the correct position for them has just been a disaster for them, honestly. And then defensively, they have the worst run degrade in the entire Power Four and in the Big Twelve, where pretty much everyone can run the football on an elite level, it was a big problem,
right if you can't defend the run. And like I said, Oklahoma State has the worst run degrade in the entire Power four this year, So that to me, their inability to run the ball and their inability to stop the run, that's just led to a disastrous year for the cow All.
Right, before I set you loose, one more question about BYU because we'll see what the CFP rankings have to say tonight, and then you know, as the season goes on, we'll understand what the bracket looks like. Because the rankings are not the seedings as we know. But if we operate off the hypothetical BYU goes to Dallas, they do what they have to do to get to the Big
twelve Championship. They win that, they're in as a top four seed first round by if the second round matchup is what is you know, Ohio State or somebody like that, Like somebody who is either Ohio State Penn State lives in that cul de sac. We know BYU is good. You can't have any questions left about that. If you still have questions, it means you're probably a hater or ultimately you know you're poking holes in things that at this point through nine games have not led to a loss.
You beat the teams across from you. You do it however you have to. If there's a little luck or magic involved or whatever it is, that's the deal.
So we know they're good.
Are they good enough to compete with the legitimate top you know, three, four or five teams in college football this year?
I think I can compete. I'm not gonna pick them to win. Honestly, I think, like I said, I think be what you deserve to be ranked in the top five in the nation right now, Does that mean I think they're actually a top five team in the country. No, But I think it's a whole different argument. Right, So they're definitely not gonna be favored against those teams and probably even maybe even more than a touchdown spread to be honestly, you know, in that second round playoff game.
But I think it's possible they could beat them up. Obviously, like Penn State or Ohio State, they're very beatable. We've seen that in the past, and BA is a pretty good team as well. But I'm not I'm probably gonna pick BYU to lose in the second round depending on who they play. Uh, but they are certainly they're very good to know me wrong, But I just as a whole different level that you're talking about the highest state
as well. So they certainly have a chance and I'm not taking that away from them, But we'll see what happens in the second round.
All right? Where can people go get all your work? Max?
Yeah, you can find it all and you want to watch the PF COLLG Football Show US on Youtube're actually going live at about forty five minutes to go for our Week twelve preview show. Actually previewing the BYU game and also the Utah game as well. Make sure you guys check out the people Comfootball Show on YouTube and anywhere you get podcasts.
All right, buddy, appreciate the time, have a good show today.
Okay, thanks, ma I appreciate you, all.
Right, Max Chadwick.
Pro Football Focus PFF has got you covered all season long with the best data tools and analysis in the game. Sign up for PFF plus today to unlock all of their famous player grades in premium stats, push to the playoffs in your fantasy league within season tools, and award winning rankings from fantasy experts. No matter what you're looking for, PFF plus has what you need to make winning decisions all season long. Sign up for PFF plus today for less than ten dollars a month.