Welcome to the solid verbal. Hell that for me. I'm a man, I'm.
For I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy, you want to be happy for.
Dake Edo State? Is that woo woom?
And Dan and Tye, welcome back to the solid verbal Boys and girls. My name is ty hilden Brandt. That fine gentleman over there, his name is Dan Rubinstein and alas we are the solid verbal.
At long last in preview mode, Dan, how are you, Ty? I am hydrated, I am caffeinated. I took advil just in case. Not a sponsor, anti inflammatory shout out to all of you. And I don't know the significance of this conference preview in terms of what it actually means going forward for whatever happens these next few months with
college football and the rest of the world. But as somebody who has led a nomadic existence since late month March, we're talking, oh, six pairs of underwear, Max, We're talking total. I probably left three to four pairs of socks back in California. We're talking my toddler, My eighteen month old toddler definitely practices better hygiene at moments than I do. This single sliver this droplet of normalcy. Tie that we get to do a conference preview on this show after
what Earth has looked like in twenty twenty. It brings me so much joy that I had to harness it by listening to both ACDC and Rage against the Machine waiting for you to connect for this show. So I am thrilled to be here, sir.
Yeah, I am fired up. I'm a little worried that we're gonna run and burn hot out of the gate. Yeah, got to pace ourselves here as we've got a Big twelve preview before us. It's our first in preparation for the twenty twenty football season. We are starting to see a little bit more about what that season might look like, and we'll talk about that as we do a quick news hit at the top here before diving into the Big twelve. But doesn't matter what happens the rest of
the way. They could scrap the whole damn thing tomorrow. At least we'll have one preview, Dan, and.
I'm excited about it.
I can't tell you, and maybe you would echo the same sentiment. How good it felt to sink your teeth into some Kansas offense twenty twenty or West Virginia Running Game twenty twenty. It felt surprisingly good to even look at the bad spots of the Big Twelve.
Yeah, some people have those trashy romance and sexy novels to distract them from their life or the world at large and all of their problems. I suppose I have Malik Knowles, Andrew Parson, and Tylan Wallace while it's coming back from an ACL and we've got a couple of
ACL injury returns, so it was a nice escape. And I am I am hoping for the absolute best in terms of not just this Big Twelve conference preview portending things that we can react to during the actual season, but across the board college football things, and I am hopeful for improvement with everything surrounding the sport and the universe. And we're just gonna we're gonna go from there all.
Right, Before we go any further, don't forget to subscribe to the show if you haven't already. We will be broadcasting twice a week, at least twice a week for the next couple weeks as we build to the twenty twenty season. You can do so on Apple, you can do so on Google, on Spotify. If you like the show, please feel free to give us a five star review.
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like to say, long after the final bell. Also, if you're just finding us for the first time you want to find out more about the show, going out to solid verbal dot com.
It's our website.
You can also sign up for our newsletter there, which you know I've said it a bunch of times, you probably think I'm full of it. We are going to start using that more frequently as we get into the college football season here Dan.
But yeah, we don't want to spam you. You know, I don't want to spam people.
And frankly, there hasn't been a lot of good stuff to talk about. Like we try to be positive if we're going to be sending stuff to your inbox, and hasn't been a whole lot of that so far. In this young or old or whatever you want to call it preseason that we've got so far.
Yeah, you've pitched a weekly visual, a photo segment in the newsletter for the season. It's the race to an eight pack. And I don't know if I'm fully on board with that, but like a week to week progress report, we'll see what happens. We'll see what happens. But we're pitching things to each other constantly about what the newsletter is going to look like and how we're going to be adding to it and making it more. And this is the favorite world of everybody who covers the sport dynamic.
Dynamic, Yeah, the eight pack's all about lighting. I would add just as a pro that it's all about the lighting. Yeah, makeup and shading for me. Do you want to get into some news?
I do want to get into news. Let's do it Pricket news.
So I'm not going to really go for it today. We have a lot of information to transfer. I don't want to ruin my voice. Okay, so we'll start here. I'll follow your lead in this weird, funny form of a preseason that we've been living through. As the season does start to take shape, So have some conference schedules. We saw that from what the big ten in the ACC dan. Yeah, we knew the ACC schedule in terms of what the home and road splits were going to look like before, so we talked about that some of
the bigger winners and some of the bigger losers. But in terms of where bye weeks land and where you know there could be let down, look ahead sandwiches land and you know, tough back to backs and road stretches whatever, we didn't have a full concept of that. I'm sure you looked at what Notre Dame schedule look like, which is pretty good. Not the way Notre Dame schedule works out. They have who Western Michigan is.
They're confirmed correct non conference plus one uh Pitt big loser. I chance Pitt has the final first open week on the ACC schedule. They're the only team that I think they play what what's looking like seven straight games to open the season without an open date, whereas everybody else has one within I don't know, three or four weeks. So there's that. Otherwise, Clemson schedule looks pretty great. It's an interesting end to their year. They have pit sandwich
between road games at Florida State and Virginia Tech. But road games are not road games in twenty twenty in the way that they've been, in the way that we're used to. Louisville has a pretty interesting schedule. The middle of their schedule gets a little bit tricky, but the bread part of that that schedule sandwich is fine. So the powers that be in the ACC, at least the ones that we perceive them to be, look pretty good.
We have what two open dates for each of these teams, and the championship game will either be on December twelfth or December the nineteenth.
That's right, that's right. And also in the scheduling department, we mentioned the big ten, you know, the first thing that jumps out at me, and looking at this schedule matrix here, if Ohio State does not run right through this schedule, then something's wrong. Maybe half their team ops out. I suppose that's a possibility. We're going to talk about some of those notable opt outs next. But starting your season with Illinois, Rutgers, Perdue, Indiana, and then Abye is
a pretty good way to go four to zero. Then it's also a pretty good way to ramp up to I think your toughest game of the year in Penn State in going from Nebraska to Michigan State, to Michigan to Maryland and then Penn State. So they're like they have a natural little ramp up there to the tougher part of their schedule. It culminates in what they're calling Week ten, first week in November against Penn State.
Yeah, most teams have two consecutive tough games Minnesota out the shoot is Michigan State, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, and then we'll see about Nebraska. I know you're pretty high on the Huskers, and three of those five are on the road. I looked for sandwiches here Ty and the team, the meat occupying the letdown look ahead sandwiches that I kept
coming across as Rutgers. So I don't know how profoundly difficult the letdown look ahead sandwich situation is in the Big ten if we're to get a full season, But we won't really know until we have a sense after three or four weeks what teams look like.
Both.
I think Penn State and Ohio State get the Michigan schools and consecutive weeks we'll see what mel Tucker's spartans look like to sort of manage or figure out how dangerous that actually is. We get Ohio State Illinois to open the season on a Thursday night, that would be the third I believe of September. And the other big notable thing is some of the classic traditional rivalry games. And I know the Big Ten has a number of those big trophy games, but the biggest of the big
they're sort of spread out through the season. We have Michigan Ohio State on the twenty fourth of October instead of what the second or third week of November. We have the Acts Minnesota Wisconsin's in week four. Obviously no Syhawk because there's no non conference for Iowa Iowa State, but Iowa Nebraska has been that final week game and that's now week four as well. So the Big Ten sending a not so subtle message of we don't know
how long the season's going to last. We would love for our bigger games to enter into the eyeballs of America no matter what. So, yeah, Penn State Ohio State is later on in the season, so I mean it's a giant win. If we get to that far in the season and we get that game, it's in Happy Valley. Correct, correct, correct. I wonder if they'll do like we'll, will the entire sideline just wear white as like a white out express.
In Michigan's schedule matrix in particular, I forget which game, but one of the games was labeled as a maze out, which we'll see.
How that Okay, how that goes.
We'll talk more about that when we get to the Big Ten preview, but it is notable that we're starting to see dates for starting to see schedules out there, and you know, we'll talk more about that certainly as we move through our previews. The other component of this here is the opt outs.
Right.
We talked about Caleb Farley on I Guess two of our last three episodes, him opting out for his own reasons, and since then we've seen Rashad Bateman, notable wide receiver from Minnesota. We've seen Micah Parsons arguably Penn State's best player and will be the top defensive player in the country, top defensive player in the country, and Gregory Rousseau from Miami,
a red shirt freshman, opting out as well. I saw our friend Adam Kramer from Bleacher Report commenting on Twitter that after the Micah Parsons news broke, he was expecting something of a wave that perhaps that gave clearance for other big name, notable players to follow suit. So I am bracing a bit for who may be next.
Yeah, Gregor Russo had a terrific red shirt freshman year last season and has already been considered to be a top ten ish and maybe the best. You know, Edd Rusher in this upcoming NFL draft, And I don't not that I've seen him say anything that he's going to focus on preparing for the draft, just that he was opting out for safety concerns, right, So, I mean, he certainly has a lot of eligibility left, but yeah, it's
something to monitor. There's all sorts of context. Marvin Wilson at Florida State said that he very much wants to play, and I think there was a headline that sort of misconstrued his words that he said that opting out in the way that you know PAC twelve and now Big ten players in their United Way and in the list
of asks from their conferences. It was sort of misconstrued because he used the phrase the easy way out, but it was it was more about Marvin Wilson saying he decided to come back and not explore his NFL potential, and so the easy way out would be to not play and just sit around. And so he very much is enthusiastic about playing with his teammates. So it's I'm glad there's a conversation around it. I'm glad players are just deciding what's best for them, whether that is playing
or not playing. And it's it's refreshing to see so many players using their voices this way. So okay, yeah, there will be more. I keep seeing that from going to be more college writers, NFL writers is going to be more.
And that's okay, we get it, we get it, we get it. Yeah, one d per, we get it. The other interesting tidbit i'd add here before we move on to Yukon canceling its season for the quote unquote pandemic. You know, one of the arguments against spring I'm not like advocating for a spring move here though we've talked a lot about it, but one of the comments against a spring season is, oh, well, the big names are
just going to opt out. Well they're opting out anyway, So we'll see, we'll see where this goes, but more to come here.
For sure.
I mentioned Yukon. They canceled their season, they opted out of their season. It's notable here that they credited the pandemic for it, and I do think that is obviously the underlying and main reason why. However, Yukon's independent school they lost a bunch of games on their schedule. In a very weird and cruel Twitter world, I saw a lot of commentary around, oh Yukon.
Still plays all is still?
I know, I know, I know, I'm just I gotta mention it.
Damn Orlovsky's school sucks that there's.
Not gonna be Yukon football. We love talking about Yukon on the show.
Wow, well, ty Le's words are important here. We love talking Yukon football. Come on, we love.
It's the roots of Sexier than Edzel.
That's true, that is true. Uh yeah, it's a bummer. I like football, bummer. I have no problem with the state of Connecticut. I've enjoyed watching Khalid la Meine play basketball way back when. Yeah. Sure, yeah. And it was notable that Randy Edsel mentioned that it was a big conversation with players all deciding that this was best for them. And that's also fine. Did you see the coaches poll came.
Out coaches Pole, That's where I was going. Next, we have Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, LSU as you were top five, Oklahoma notably is six. We're going to talk about them in just a little bit. We will have a lively discussion, I believe, over whether Texas at fourteen deserves to be over Oklahoma State at sixteen. Of course, none of this really matters because it's a coach's preseason poll, but it is fodder for idiots like us on a weird podcast like this in you know, mid August, to
be able to have something to talk about. So any big surprises, we got to move on and talk about the Big twelve. But any really big surprises to you.
No, not especially good to see UCF and Cincinnati check in at I think it's twenty one and twenty two, and then seeing Tennessee, Boise and ASU on the outside looking in as the I think the lead others receiving votes. Schools all seems to make sense a lot of the schools that are on the outside looking and I'm you know, you know, I'm high on Louisville tie you know, I'm
high on Louisville. I think they're a top twenty five caliber team and perhaps don't have as many questions as these other schools that didn't make it into the top twenty five, even though the defense does need to improve. We'll get to Louisville at a certain point. But no, nothing, nothing seems dramatically off at this point because these teams didn't even play in the spring. Noice seems we'll know how the fall camp. Have no idea. It's going to
be a very different type of early season. Whatever it looks like.
All right, well again right in sliverbe at gmail dot com if any of these news bullets inspire you to do so, or if you just want to say hi, yeah, we're always here. Okay, so the Big Twelve, Dan, I don't you know, I don't have a sound to play for the Big Twelve. How about this one? That's kind of how I feel about the Big Twelve this year. Yeah, it is not the deepest conference, is it. No?
And it's funny I've mentioned in years past where it seems like, oh my god, there's so many good quarterbacks in the Big Twelve. It's so interesting that you know, even if a team is pretty flawed that they have a good quarterback, like a West Virginia with Will Greer or whoever Brandon Whedon with Oklahoma State. I was looking through some old list of Big twelve quarterbacks, and there are some years where like twenty eleven was great. It
was like casual dress. James Franklin and Colin Klein were like the fifth and sixth best quarterbacks. That's a hell of a hell of a year in terms of quarterback depth. But there were some years like thirteen fourteen where you're talking steal Jance and Clint chellf you'll jet steal within l e at the end, I believe, yeah, chance with a Z, I'll due respect. But there were some years there was like, oh, it's Bryce Petty and nobody else. So I think, I don't know if it's one of
those type of years. I think the floor is pretty high. But in terms of headlining quarterbacks specifically, and it's certainly a football team is much more than just a quarterback, it's tricky. I don't know if spicy is how I would describe it, but you know, there's some cayenne dust in there to be clear.
The floor is still Kansas. It might be about an inch or two higher than it was a year ago. We'll get into that and much much more, but general impressions, general questions looking aroun the Big Twelve. I don't know if anything struck you. I know one thing that struck me. You mentioned the quarterback spot, and we'll get into that as well. The quarterback position is a huge question mark
for me. We know a lot about Sam Ellinger and Brock Party and even Spencer Sanders, but really questions abound across the board. I am, in particular very curious about that number two spot.
In the Big twelve.
You know, like I think we would probably agree that Oklahoma is still the team to beat until proven otherwise. But definitely Oklahoma State and Texas are of particular intrigue to me In Iowa State. Iowa State's gotten a lot better with regard to recruiting. Their depth is a lot better. We know we like Brock Party and Breece Hall. Defensively, they've done a lot of cool stuff over the last three years under Matt Campbell. That to me is the real open question. I'm not going to throw TCU in there.
I don't want to commit the sins of the past and dive back in head first TCU, though there is reason be excited about their defense, but in particular that number two spot in the conference for me is what I'm most interested in right now.
You love talking number two, You love talking number two of the deuces. Yeah, last year, I mean number two to me is it's year two for all sorts of head coaches. Right, It's year one for David at Baylor. So good but so good. But Matt Wells and Neil Brown and Less Miles and Chris climb and all entered their second year. So last year it seemed like those a lot of upheaval and like, what do we expect from year one out of these guys, and what type
of continuity can we expect after you? Dania Holgerson had so much success, and Bill Snyder had so much success, and you know, Texas Tech had all sorts of up and down situation with their coaches over these last few years. But Cliff Kingsbury was fun. Don't get me wrong, Cliff Kingsbury was fun. We only have one new coach and David Randas, so we I think we know what to expect more and we're just more curious about the next step more so than what are they going to look?
So that to me is interesting. That is for sure interesting. But you're right, it's another year of just a wide, wide open middle class of the conference. So here's the way that we structured it. Last year.
We got a lot of positive feedback. Yeah, when it came to previewing conferences, but each of us went through. I took half of the conference. You took half the conference. Both of us looked at all of the conference, obviously to be able to talk about it. But in looking through, we formulated questions about each team, questions that we think are a good build into just where is this thing going to go in twenty twenty. Let's start at the
top with Oklahoma. I know you did the deep dive of the Sooners, but I guess as you look at this team and what they did last year under Alex Grinch, there is no denying that there was improvement in the first year, a much better job of creating those havoc plays that our friend Bill Connolly calls them and likes
to talk about plays behind the line of scrimmage. It's sort of Alex Frinch's thing, right, Is there now a legit reason to believe that the defense is going to take a big enough step forward that they're going to be just like a little dangerous to complement the offense. In so doing, they'd be so much of a better team, they'd be so much more formidable on the national stage. Is there hope for that in twenty twenty? Yes, but but okay, so yes there is. I mean, so the
secondary is largely intact. They have to deal with I don't know how long exactly. Ronnie Perkins is going to be suspended because he was suspended if you remember before the Peach Bowl against LSU a rush and for Oklahoma, really talented, and he was going to be suspended for the first five games of twenty twenty. Whether that's adjusted now that it's a shorter schedule unclear, unclear at this moment. But upfront, they're going to be I think they're gonna
be fine. They're gonna be a little bit different, especially without Ronnie Perkins. The're gonna be a little bit different. They were thinking that they're gonna get Caleb Kelly back in the middle of that linebacking corps, but he hurt himself once again. He missed twenty nineteen with an ACL injury. I think it looks like it's the same thing for
twenty twenty, so that's a pretty significant bummer. The weird thing to me though about Oklahoma is they've struggled with the fact that the offense scores so quickly that they didn't necessarily have the depth to play so many snaps on defense because they've had this crazy prolific offense all these years, you know, be it with Baker Mayfield or Kyler Murray or last year with Jalen Hurts. So they have built up the depth on defense, which is great
this year. Interestingly enough, the offense to me seems to be the overhauled side of the ball, just because Spencer Ratler now steps in and he's had experienced former number one overall quarterback recruit, and they're pretty beat up at receiver. They lose Ceede Lamb from last season, and a couple of guys Jaydon Hazelwood and Theo Howard go down in the offseason hurt. They lost a receiver named Bridges who
was promising, I think a former five star. He was suspended and he's also in that that Ronnie Perkins situation of suspended for a few games to start the year. The good news for the offense is the offensive line is in good shape and Lincoln Riley is still the one wearing a headset and telling the offense what plays to run. But you know, hold on on that point there for a second, please, Spencer Rattler is a lot less experienced than any quarterback that Lincoln Riley's had in
his time at Oklahoma. Now, I think I think we've developed a level of confidence around what Lincoln Riley can do. But this is his fourth different quarterback starter in four years. This guy's got a lot less experience. He sure as hell has not built like Jalen Hurts. He's got a little bit of Baker Mayfield in I'm not gonna lie, but he's not built like a mac truck like Jalen Hurts. And he's got the line in front of him, and you know, all that's fine and dandy, but.
He's got a huge arm, my man, huge arm.
I am interested in what he can do. I think he's going to be really good. I'm most interested in that point that you brought up about who he's throwing to. Because we had d Lamb losing, we had the Hazelwood injury. I want to see the young guns out wide. I want to see theo weees. I want to see Marvin Mims, Arselston Rambo. Yeah, show me what these guys can do. I'm not saying they're not going to perform, but this is a receiving core that I'm frankly just anxious to see.
I don't know a lot about There's a lot of potential there, but how will they all mesh especially in recurring theme here that I'll talk a lot about a very weird preseason and no spring.
Right, I'm with you again. The good news is Lincoln Riley's been there, and we have, you know, teams across the country with new offensive coordinators and new quarterbacks, including
one I happen to root for. So the fact is the benefit of the doubt should lie squarely on the shoulders of Oklahoma's offense because of Lincoln Riley, because and the sort of opposite way of looking at it is Spencer Ratler's the first quarterback who's really had time to get into the system without being counted on right away, like Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield were being thrown into it. Even though Baker Mayfield did read sure when he sat
out a year, he was thrust into it. Yeah. The other great news on the other side of the ball is if you look around the conference in terms of what the offenses look like. Now, I know Texas has interesting talent on offense and a fourth year starting quarterback in Sam Ellinger, new coordinator without time to really implement to a detailed point like they would in a normal season. So it's sort of the same for everybody that's it's
a step back though that that teams usually have. It's a step back from I guess normalcy Baylor new offensive coordinator, new head coach TCU, I don't think. I think Max Duggan's interesting, but he's not Bomber. You're not immediately super scared. Texas Tech has had injury after injury to comedy legend Alan Bowman. West Virginia on offense, especially at quarterback, was not anything scary. Last year. Kansas had moments. Iowa State has rock Party, which is really promising to me. Spencer
Sanders is not all that scary to me. With a new coordinator at Oklahoma State, a promoted associate head coach, receivers coach, which I never am a huge, huge fan of a long time position coach being promoted. So the context of what Oklahoma's defense can do with regard to the Big twelve, it's pretty good. Yeah.
Well, you know two things that jump out at me from last year. They gave not a banger's only conference. It's in terms of scary offenses.
It's not to the.
Initial point, to the initial question. They gave up a lot of big plays last year, especially on the ground. Sure can they shore that up? Short, They've got depth, They've got what nine guys back, so they're going to be fine on defense. I would expect that they're going to take Yeah, eventually, I would expect they're going to take that step forward. The other component here, we're talking about Alex grianch Schreight. What's his deal. He likes havoc plays and he likes turnovers.
Mm hmm.
They didn't create as many as I'm sure he would have liked. To his credit, they should have had more. It does not help when guys drop interceptions the way Oklahoma did a year. Right.
There some randomness, a lot of random.
A lot of Yeah, sure, if they can shore up one or even both of those points to just some marginal degree that will make them much better as a defense, much more dangerous, as we asked at the top of this little capsule here.
So yeah, I don't know how you feel about Oklahoma, Dan.
I think I agree with most of what you said. It is hard to see this team losing more than like one game if they're going to lose at all and look like we we look at Oklahoma on their old schedule, there was like a four game stretch that might have been tricky.
Might have been tricky.
They had a game against Texas, an all time let down look ahead spot, the following week on the road at Iowa State before coming back home for a Bedlam game.
I don't know what that.
Have we seen the Big twelve schedule at time of recording, I don't think so.
No, it's being reworked as we speak. I think I saw that Red River is supposed to stay in Dallas as of a while ago, so we'll see if that changes. But otherwise, no, it's just because they want to It's a nine plus one schedule and they want to rework it to work in bye weeks and different options. And they're not in a cancelations. They're not going to play on August and twenty ninth. Originally they had moved that
Missouri State game. That's not going to happen now, So we're waiting to find out what the Big Twelve schedule is at time of recording here. But my only point is I think the rework schedule is actually going to work in their favor too. Like we already know who they're playing, right, like they always play all these teams. But I think the way that they might rework things to accommodate this new reality is also something else that
will benefit Oklahoma. So again my view probably yours as well, Oklahoma is a team to beat until proven otherwise in the Big Twelve agreed, disagree with Edlam week one. Let's do it. No, they're absolutely there is no clear obvious challenger. The only one from a talent standpoint is Texas. But you know what to expect from Texas year and year out. I leave to you now because I have a question for you as your transition. I am saying, here, let's
do it, let's do it. I'm ready. I'm going to stick with the bread that you like, spreading your intellectual butter on top of time. Yes, you know the the undertaker clip or image or gift of him literally rising from a laying down position, bolting up to ninety degree from the coffin from the coffin, So from zero to ninety if you could give me an undertaker angle with ninety ninety being full on, Vince Young's walking through that door.
There he is Vince Young. He's suiting up once again and laying straight in the coffin being I don't know the worst of David Ash, the worst of any of the case McCoy, Garret Kilbert, I don't know. Give give me an angle, Give me an undertaker seventy two, taken up angle seven seventy two, seventy two.
And by the way, in this analogy, I am Paul Bearer as the weird hype man promoting Texas's back or not back.
I am the ref looking away at the right moments.
What I would like to know from Texas fans is whether or not that Texas being back thing is perpetuated by the fan base or the boosters, or mainly just by the national media, which is frankly a little more disconnected from the program. My sense is that it's more national than local. But there is no doubt, more pressure on Tom Herman to more seriously contend for the conferences here or, if not this year next. Otherwise he would not have hit the reset button on both the offense
and defense the way he did this offseason. So as we enter twenty twenty, Texas went eight and five last year. They beat Utah in the bowl game. They beat Oklahoma in the regular season, which was nice. It's pretty much it still had the five losses. They were decidedly not back last season.
Correct, Agree, Yeah, I mean there were extenuating circumstances for sure, But yes, it was a more challenging year than I think we anticipated given how they ended twenty eighteen. But it happens. It does happen.
It does happen. So I look at what he's doing here. He fired both his coordinators. It does feel a little like he's trying to build Ohio State south and I think Texas fans would be.
Cool with that. Yeah, worst models, TI, worst models.
He got rid of Tim Beck, previous offensive coordinator, who replaced him with Mike Yersich, who comes over from Ohio State. I think we would see that as an upgrade. Also got rid of Todd Orlando, bringing in Chris Ash to run the defense. Chris ad formerly before his Rutgers stop, was the defensive coordinator at Ohio State. Yep, it was the right move. I think, the right move at the right time on both fronts. He just got really unlucky
with the pandemic. It's just hard to start over like this amid all this without the spring, with the in person stuff being so different. Don't be surprised if this does not click right away again, recurring theme, do not be surprised, Dan, if this does not click right away right? Okay, that said, I really like this team. I know you're going to be shocked to hear that, but I said it a couple episodes ago. I think Sam Ellinger is still underrated. I think the running game is going to
be better. I think Friend of the Show herb Hand did an awesome job with the line last year.
Rebuilt the line, Man built the line. Run in a dark place.
Yeah, they were in a perfect world where you know, Mike yoursicch could maybe more prop or more comfortably install the offense. He would build off that line because the foundation is there. What was really missing last year was the creativity. And we knew that because it was Tim Beck. You got to sound somewhere. I should find it.
I should have been prepared here, But we've got the bech Meyer syndrome. Sound is it you're sitch or you're sick. I was always an impression of it's you're sick. I believe it's your sich. But he did something he was at he was at Shippensburg.
Right by the way here it is can't live arm or speak at normal, right, that's the bech Meyer syndrome. Sound whatever, whether it's you're sitch or you're sick.
He knows the.
Conference from his time in Oklahoma State. He did a hell of a job with Justin Fields last year. He wants this offense to be more vertical, no more of the five yard dink and dunk stuff that we saw. I am most interested in what he does this passing game, how it looks differently, how he uses j Smith, how he used Brendan Eagles. Also, treege Black came down from Michigan as a grad transfer, and Jordan Whittingham is now
a converted wide receiver from the running back position. Josh Moore has a ton of upside and just I'm really intrigued in what he can do with this offense, how he can implement some degree of creativity that simply was not there under Tim Back. I think he has the personnel to do it. He's got the best quarterback in the Big twelve to do it with. I am excited about this offense.
Yeah. I think the big name too is Kyanta Ingram. The fact that he took the step forward for the Texas running game last year will only open things up for the passing game. We saw how much success Justin Fields had with play action. I think that that becomes such a major threat now because that was and Texas has had running backs. Certainly, they went into last season unsure of what they had at running back like they
did the last couple of years. But Keanta Ingram being a I think one of the best, probably eight or nine running backs in the country should should be a huge boost for what this offense can do creatively. And yeah, I'm excited to see it. The problem is, it seems like Sam Ellinger and maybe it won't really derail what their season can be if we get a full season. He always seems to have that stinker in him. He
does have you look up. He does you'll look up at at you know, six forty four Eastern and he's got three picks in the first half, and you're like, oh, you're not wrong, You're wrong. There's always a not Sam Ellinger's week week, and I wonder if that once again comes to fruition.
Let's talk about the Texas defense because that's a new installation as well. Chris Ash comes in. Job one has to be back to the basics. Focus on tackling, all right, that will be hard again. Weird off season, no spring.
I get it.
They led the nation in miss tackles a year ago. If they want to get better, that's where they got to start.
Tackle guys.
That is the point of defense. The other thing that Chris Ash needs to do, Like Todd Orlando was so aggressive last year, kind of like the guy in video games just blitzes the house every play in Madden and that's coot.
He didn't have anything, didn't have anything behind it.
It's great when it works and it's fun to do, but it just didn't work last year. Ninety fourth in the country in yards allowed per attempt, ninetieth in quarterback rating allowed one hundredth and completion percentage allowed. Chris Ash needs to just like pull back on that throat a little bit, pull it back. I think that's an instant improvement. Otherwise, what he's switching to a four? It's hard to keep track of all these guys switching. He does like a
sort of four three four to five quarters. Look, Yeah, it's a four to three four two five quarters. Look, Joseph Osai could have gone pro. He's going to play the jack position this year, which is kind of like a stand up defensive lineman. Hopefully he can help generate more of a pass rush otherwise, you know, I I'm in love with Caden Stearns. We talked about that at the back end of the secondary. No disrespect to b J Foster and Chris Brown, they're also very good. But
Cayden Stern's my boy. Hurt, ye know, I know everybody's hurt. They had a terrible time with injuries. But I just think focusing on the basics, throttling back that aggressiveness is going to put Texas in a much better place defensively.
I think that's what Chris ash is going to do. Yeah, I think that's all reasonable. I'm I am high on Texas. I don't know how high but they've recruited so well, and they have the experience of Sam Ellinger, and I'm worried about new coordinators on both sides in terms of just the ability to teach and learn and get reps, mental reps, physical reps and spring camp and all those things. But I think they're going to be relatively simplified, and that works when you can out talent just about everybody
you play. So that's right. If Texas can get out of their own way, they'll be fine.
Why is Oklahoma State's offense suddenly a question? Is it fair to say that the offense is a question because for like the last decade, it has been a powerhouse offense. Mike Gundy has continually done more with less in the talent space. It has really been his calling card for so long. And I look at this team and I actually have more questions about the offense than I do.
I think the defense, Yeah, it's weird. I mean, they're returning a lot on defense, which is why I think the questions are on offense. And they lost Tylan Wallace last year to the season ending injury. I think in late October he's back and practicing, which is great news. And so it is good news. I mean, obviously Chewba Hubbard is fantastic news for any team that has him
in their backfield, which Oklahoma State does. I think the problem is, and it has been the majority of the decade because of how long Mason Rudolphin you had the year of your guy, the corn Dog, Taylor Cornelias, Sure College are just running the offense for Oklahoma State. The problem now is Spencer Sanders had a red shirt ear he had time to pick up some sort of offense because this will now be his third coordinator in three years.
So going from you're sick, to Sean Gleeson who moved on to Rutgers, came in from Princeton, and now to Casey Dunn who and I mentioned this at the top, I'm never crazy, and it's because I've been hurt before. Ty, Yeah, I'm never crazy about the ten year position coach finally getting a call up to coordinator, where usually if you're somewhere for a long time, and maybe he loves stillwater, maybe he's got tremendous roots there. It loves, you know,
coaching at Oklahoma State. And obviously he has developed great receiver after great receiver in stillwater. But the Don Pelham thing really warped my brainwiring, is it not? It is? It very much is. So that's a little bit troubling to me because obviously I think he's had overtures to be hired as a receiver's coach everywhere because he's done such a good job there. So that's a little bit worrisome just for Spencer Sanders because he does miss the last two or three games of the year, I think
with a thumb injury. But he had the highest interception rate of any quarterback in the country as a red shirt freshman. And I understand you can say, okay was his first year starting. He was just a red shirt freshman. But usually for the sake of optimism in a conference without a ton of lockdown defenses everywhere, you want to see something, and especially with the thread of Chewba Hobbard running wild on every single snap and receivers that are
very good. I think I expected more from a quarterback at Oklahoma State, and that I didn't see it, I think tells me right now that Spencer Sanders' ceiling is modest interesting. That's the nice thing I can say that I think quarterback recruitment development, offensive coordinator hiring, and continuity I think has really pumped some breaks at Oklahoma State, So that that has me worried. I like the receivers, I like the skill talent around Spencer Sanders. I like
the recruiting of the skill talent around Spencer Sanders. The line should be fine, I'm I'm just worried that there's no traditional bomber to him in the way that we had with Mason Rudolph going to Junkyard Jim Washington downfield interesting and that that reduces them to maybe an eight and four type ceiling to me, when if they had Brock Purty, then they're at nine and three, ten and two type team to me.
I mean, if they go eight and four this year, Bob Bowlsby's he's working miracles to get twelve games in.
But I sorry, Tak, you know what I'm saying, Give me the winning percentage of eight and four or nine whatever. I take your plant though, it's yeah, it's but the defense does return a ton, and they return their coordinator Jim Knowles, who had them. I think moving in the right direction, they and whatever their schedule looks like, they're at Oklahoma for Bedlum. They're at Baylor and this is new look Baylor for sure, and they host Texas, so it's it's okay.
This is a really big year for Oklahoma stake because they got nineteen guys back, including Chewba Hubbard, who led the nation with almost what twenty one hundred rushing yards something like that, Tyland Wallace coming back from that acl Both of those guys, by the way, could have declared for the draft, but they didn't. And it's like it's sort of an unsung fact about the Gundy era. But he's really good at keeping guys from leaving early, and
he's done it again here. He's retained that three headed whatever you want to call it. In Spencer Sanders, Chewba Hubbard, and Tyland Wallace. There is some depth this year behind Cuba. Likewise, there is some depth out wide with the likes of Dylan Stoner and Braden Johnson, both of whom had you know, good years last year in Wallace's absence. I share your skep decism though about Spencer Sanders. He was Big twelve Freshman of the year, so clearly he did something right.
Yeah, and can run. He can run.
He showed improvement before missing the final two games with that thumb injury. I'm always a little hesitant though, what it does feel like so much comes down to one guy, and that is partially inherent to the quarterback position. I get it, but the interception rate was high year ago, and there was plenty of reason too, I think be skeptical of what he might be just from a ceiling standpoint. So I'm very mixed here. I think I share your kind of just uneasiness around the offense and what it
can be. Weirdly that the defense isn't such a good spot, you know, like it's loaded, there's a good line, it's good secondary.
They're gonna be fine.
You have a good defense in the Big twelve. That's that's a competitive advantage, no doubt, but just a little a little uneasy about so much being on the arm of a young guy like Spencer Sanders.
Yeah, the way I see it in I mean, this is really any conference, but if we're talking about the Big twelve today, you either have to do something really great. You have to be twenty nineteen Baylor, where the offense is inconsistent and pretty sluggish, but the defense you got a bunch of killers, and they're so well coached. You know how I feel about Phil Snow. You run an air raid, that's just you can't guard receivers. You run
the hell out of the ball. Even Texas, Texas, with all of their struggles, they've lined up some killers at receiver these past few years. They've absolutely you know, their killer ability was getting the ball to some speed in space and really making teams pay. That was the best of Texas. And what does Iowa State do great? Well? They really improved their defense and they had a wild card quarterback in brock Purty that really excited you. And West Virginia had Will Greer and a ton of speed
and a really creative offense under Holgo. Right now at home of State, you either have to do everything competently or you have to do something great. And I don't see the Pokes doing either one of those things to be that weekly threat to anybody in the conference. Open to being wrong for sure. The one thing that they do great is run the ball, and it didn't make
a huge, huge difference last year. And so that's what concerns me that Chuba Hubbard, for his runaway ability, unlike any other probably maybe other than Travis etn running back in the country isn't quite enough given where football is in twenty twenty, with how wide open and how important passing is, That's what concerns me.
I think we are like minded on Oklahoma State. Let me stick with the top tier or upper CRUSTA will call it of the Big Twelve and ask about Iowa State because they really are that. I think, oh, just skipping over differendas Baylor Bears in the Big Twelve championship game last year. We'll come back to Baylor in a second.
Yeah, WHOA Okay?
Is twenty twenty the year that Iowa State finally goes from like being this scrappy team that scares the crap out of you to a true substantial competitor given brock Purty, given all the close losses they had last season, is this the year for Matt Campbell where that transition occurs?
When when the tough got going late in twenty nineteen, Iowa State lost close. That's sort of what happened with the Clothes.
They were seven points away from ten to two and fourteen points away from an eleven to one record and making it into that Big Twelve title game.
Man, Yeah, I mean the Baylor game, the Oklahoma comeback that almost was Oklahoma State Iowa they lose by a point. You're not wrong, So Iowa State they're dealing with and reason twenty nineteen. Most notably, I think it was a shoulder injury to Greg Eysworth, one of the absolute best safeties in the country, and rock Party. The end of and we've talked about this already, but the end of that Oklahoma State game last year, we just kept throwing interceptions.
Felt like his Tin Cup moment. Just he's refusing to lay up and it was a rough watch. And that's all correctable. That's the good news. That's all correctable. They have a promising young running back in Bresee Hall. They don't have the same I guess level weapons on the outside, but they're really strong at tight end. They're strong on the line. So in terms of the big humans on offense,
I feel good about the clones. They lose a good amount, especially upfront on defense, but even still they're in good shape. They've recruited well, there's a lot more depth than there was ever before. It's just like you mentioned, it's playing four full quarters. It's not disappearing for a quarter and a half early and then having to furiously come back. It's not coming back, and then blowing it repeatedly. It's okay, you're now at the stage where you're now on the
stage essentially, now it's time to perform well. And I actually feel really good about it. And it's more about the context of what I talked about with the conference as a whole, where there's not a lot of obvious killing units whatever, that Iowa State has the benefit of experience, of coaching, of continuity. I mean, it's their coordinators are
both there. I really like, was it John Haycock who's been there, you know, for a couple of years now and had that sort of defense that a lot of people have been copying that, you know, jamming the middle and the three two six and you know, having speed all over the field. So it's he has been copied because of how effective that defense has been in that
conference against the air raids. So there's a lot to like about Iowa State, and I'm just going to be one of those people liking it, especially since I think they get both Oklahoma and Baylor at home. They're in Austin and we're just we're working under this assumption once again that the home road splits are going to remain for the big twelves nine conference games for each team.
But just we don't know the order. So I think that the continuity thing, the experience thing, the walk before you run, maybe they were walking, power walking and jogging. I think finally in brock Parties third year as a starter, I think they're ready to run if they can find a problem on the outside on offense in a good way.
Well, and they've figured out ways to create that problem on the outside.
Yeah, they've had them. Each of the years that Matt Campbell's been there.
They've had to replace Alan Lazard or a team Butler like, they've had to do this, and they've continuously found ways to get production out wide. I'm just going to come back to a point that you mentioned. I think we're really going to see it pay dividends this year. Recruiting has been better, a lot better. Depth is one of those topics. It never gets mentioned. It's one of the biggest differences between the top rung teams and everybody else. Ioway State was not there at all when Matt Campbell
took over. They are not there yet, but they are going in the right direction.
Yeah. I love their tight end Charlie Cohler, He's Charlie.
Kohler and Chase Allen, who's also very good at tight end position, so he's he's really bolstered that position group.
Cohler led the team in receptions last year. Mm hm.
So I think this is going to be a good team on offense. I have questions about the line. Defensively, they've got a lot coming back, one of the better defenses in the conference. If we had a rank two through four.
In the Big Twelve, where do you come down on that? I think I would go Texas to Iowa State three, Baylor four. Baylor loses so much on defense though there's so much new about Baylor.
I just I have I'm not in on Baylor at all this year.
I was in last year. I'm not this year.
I know.
I just I saw bad Max doug in a little too.
I go, I go Texas, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State in that order.
You like the Pokes over the clones, I think so. Okay, I think so all right?
Yeah, just because of that, because of that Chuba Hubbard, Tylan Wallace Combo.
Okay, I think that's pretty close to me. Yeah, what a brutal history between those two. I love it. Okay, what do you want to talk about?
Can you tell me what questions do you have about Baylor? What am I not answering for you? That I need to answer to prove my case here that they should not be in that top tier.
Okay, so they obviously they're the example we talked at the top about how do you take that next step? Baylor was mister next step these past couple of years under Matt Ruhle. Who damn, you did a great job in Waco. So Dave r Anna gets his first big head coaching job. Everybody sort of thought he was waiting for an NFL job, you know, an NFL coordinator job, whatever, and he ends up going to Baylor. I think his daughter ended up attending Baylor, so he in a way
followed her. I saw that story. What given Baylor and what they return because I know they lose a ton on defense, which is really what led that team to the Big Twelve championship game in a New Year six game, what is realistic to say? Okay, this is how Dave A. Randa has built on the success of Matt Rules Bear squad.
Yeah, okay, biggest issue for Baylor, and another recurring theme is I bring this up every year. I have a hard time when teams are in the situation where they reboot their coaching staff. Yeah, snow advisory tie, No, snow advisory coaching staff rebooted. They're often eleven wins season. A little bit of pixie dust on that eleven wins. If you close wins in there, they got the job done. Okay, don't pay no attention to the West Virginia game. Pay no attention.
It was a plucky team.
They hung in there twice with Oklahoma, there's a good football team. Matt Rule really instilled that culture that I think we've come to know and love about him. But the installation process for Dave Randa is just going to be harder because of the pandemic. Yeah, because they lose Denzel Mims out wide. He's a huge bright spot for the last season. He made Charlie Brewer better. Then they lose nine guys on defense, so he's he's dealing with
a lot here. I think it is a step back year for Baylor, even though Randa is a great hire.
One time.
You need to.
Prepare me for that daily progress. He's a great hire.
Yeah, he's going to get things working, especially on defense. But it's it's too soon to expect too much here in year one.
What does that mean though, I mean you're returning a quarterback. This is a team that even they lose starters, but rotation guys played. They won some games comfortably. There is Matt rule DNA to this team where before you can win close, you gotta lose close. Then you know, win close, win big in some instances. So this is this is a program that has winning infrastruture, have winning infrastructure. I okay, let's start at the top. Year. We'll go offense. Defense.
Chuck Brewer. Chuck Brewer, Chuck Brewer. Yeah, before we get to Charlie Brewer, let's talk about the line. Okay, their line stank last year.
It did it did?
They allowed thirty eight sacks. That was the worst in the Big twelve. They've got a lot of turnover up front this year. You had guys last year bouncing around playing different positions game in and game out. The results were not great. The good news is that it gets seven guys back along the line. I hope it helps it needs to help because Charlie Brewer really felt the brunt of things. He was the engine for this offense, There's no way around it. He led the team in
rushing attempts and in touchdowns in twenty nineteen. Now he's got Larry Fedora taking over the offense, and the track record is he's going to get more carries this year. Larry Fedora does that to his quarterbacks, so.
I don't know what. He can't take that many more hits.
Ty, The line needs to protect Chuck Brewer, Chas Brewer. Yeah, it needs to. I am concerned about the receiver situation. I said Denzel Mims made Charlie Brewer better.
He really did. Did you mention Tae Kwon Thornton? Am I going out of my mind?
No?
Go ahead, He's really good.
He's very good.
Okay, I'm just making sure you mention his name because he's I think the number one receiver for Baylor. Yeah. I think I'm on board with you. But Charlie Brewer is man. Some of those hits he was taking last year, and I know there's some depth and interesting depth behind him, but it felt like, should this dude still be playing football? You know? The concussions. I don't know that that is
just troubling from a human level to me. But I think, yes, the the Baylor offense should be interesting, Baylor did defense should be good to very good, even with a lot of new dudes in there, because I imagine Matt Rule was really good at identifying talent and developing talent, and Dave Randa has done nothing to make me think he
can't continue that. So I mean, I think Baylor is going to win more often than they lose, and they're going to take a step back, but they are one of the probably two or three more intriguing teams in this conference to me.
Defensively, nine starters gone from a year ago. Ron Roberts comes over from Louisiana.
Lafayette. They don't like you saying Lafayette. They just like Louisiana. I'm sorry, Louisiana. I'll let you know. Yeah, Louisiana. Excuse me. Yeah, that's okay.
But Roberts got a little bit of David rand Adam because he's sort of Dave Randa's mentor.
Yeah, he is a really good reputation.
Defensively, Yeah, defense is going to look very similar to Dave Randa's and if you're a Baylor fan, you should be excited about that. These are awesome defenses to watch. They use a lot of versatility. You're gonna see like three down linemen and eight guys who might blitz or might drop back or play a different spot on each play. And if you're a Baylor fan, if you're coming off a year with the Phil Snow defense, which really started to click last season, you know, turnover limits how good
it can be. But I do think it's gonna be a fun watch and probably a lot better next season.
Wait, you think the defense is going to be a lot better.
I'm saying I think it's a step back this year.
Oh okay, and next year. Okay, step back this year is still fun to watch. Next year is where you see the real gains on defense. Interesting, Okay, I'm good with that.
So I'm not high on Baylor.
Do they win more often? Do they win six games?
I think they're like a six and four team. Yeah, I think he got it, six and four, five and five. I think it's that kind of season for Baylor.
Let's go to a team that we're used to discussing. Although I guess there's two of them left on your side that we're used to discussing earlier on and that's West Virginia. Oh no, We've been used to discussing West Virginia as not necessarily a perennial winning contender, but a threat that any given week they could hang fifty And I know last year and they were I think a good example last year of first eight nine weeks like ooh, some there are some low moments that the stinker potential
is a high stinker ceiling tie, very high stinker ceiling. Yeah, but I thought Neil Brown did a good enough job keeping players focused that they were fighting late in the season. They did see some results from that fight. And even though it's been a pretty turbulent offseason for West Virginia, there have to be pieces there. There have to be pieces in Morgantown that after twenty nineteen, which was a bit of a mess after Holgo left, that the fact
is year two is going to be more promising. There's more to be optimistic about in year two. What is that first thing to increase the number of optimistic items? Where do they say, Okay, this is where we need to go. Yeah, to really get things humming it's a good question. It's a good question, and it was a tough spot for Neil Brown. Year one. That offense was a rough watch at times.
It was they scored forty points per game in twenty eighteen and something like twenty point six in twenty nineteen and year one under Neil Brown. And look, that's what happens when you tweet the scheme, when you stink at quarterback, when you have receivers dropping balls, a line that can't block. I think I saw what one hundredth something like one hundredth in the sp plus. The offense was not good, and that's not a formula for success in the Big twelve.
And that's an improvement from where it was two thirds of you know, late October whatever, exactly exactly.
So I almost view year two as year one and a half. I think job one is building on the experience that you built up in year one, find a way to get more fundamentally sound. Because it's still a young team, Dan, They're still learning a new system. Sure, I think it helps that Jared Deegy built some momentum at the end of the season last year. This was
a young wide receiver corps. A lot of those guys are back, including Sam James, who had a crazy one hundred and eleven targets as a freshman, which is saying sile, yeah he's back.
That'll help.
Job two is figuring out how to get more out of the running game, because on a per play basis, this is like the worst ground game in America. It wasn't the worst, at least not in every metric, but they were really bad on a per play basis. From an efficiency standpoint, they stunk as a rushing unit. They got to get more there because this is not a situation where your quarterback is going to be good enough to power the whole offense. He's going to need some
help in the in the in the ground game. Right, So Jared Deggy had moments, He had moments. I like Jared Dagy, but he just he needs more help, needs more help.
Glad they found him.
Austin Kendall still there, by the way, can still reclaim the job, but I digg he's got to be the guy.
I think that helps.
Defensively, we talked about the Vic Canning thing, no longer defensive coordinator, dismissed after some insensitive actions, particularly around racial injustice. How that affects the defense remains to be seen. I think this is again going to be the better side of the football for the Mountaineers. I like Darius and Dante Stills, the brothers Stills in the middle. Yeah, it's still the strength of this defense. Linebacking core looks okay
to me. Josh Chandler had a really good year as a sophomore, second in the team, and tackles secondary kind of a mess. I don't know if we see a ton of improvement from West Virginia. I think they build on their experience from a year ago. I think another year under Neil Brown is going to help. I'm looking for gains next year. I think next year is a year where we start to see a little bit more
movement forward. Dumb you're saying twenty twenty one, twenty twenty one, Yeah, just not enough here for me, Not enough meat on this bone. Yet to get too excited about seeing a big jump in year two.
Home road splits look pretty good, though, right they get Oklahoma and Baylor and yeah, it's not bad.
It's not bad.
Okay, Well that's that's something. I mean. You promise a quarterback defense being ahead of the offense I generally like because that shows efforts. It's hard to you know, if your defense is a nightmareage generally means there's almost no buy and no efforts. So I like that element of things for West Virginia. And you know it's going to be a strange year, whatever it looks like. And perhaps because this is what it was, Kansas State beats Oklahoma
that immediately goes and loses to West Virginia. So maybe it's an opportunistic fall for the Ears. They seem to be at the center of weirdness a lot. That's that's my hope.
And look, there were some games here for West Virginia. You want to talk about buy in an effort, it was. It was there for this team.
Last year.
It really was Baylor very close loss. We alluded to it in the beginning. Baylor was an eleven win team. UH beat k State, Case State was a bowl team. Yes, they were within one score of Oklahoma State. They beat TCU to close out the year, So it was it was not close as well. It was not for lack of trying. It's just he's trying to build something new. I think we both have a lot of faith in
Neil Brown did great things at Troy. I think he's going to do good things at West Virginia, but it's going to take some time to get there, and I hope they give him along enoughleesh.
I think they will. Yeah, they have. It's a dude drought right now at West Virginia. Speaking of dude droughts, I'm ready. I don't. I don't know where you're going with this segue, but I hope it's some very uncomfortable sponsorship or just you're changing the subject away from college football entirely.
All right, hit me Kansas. We can't even talk Kansas State before Kansas Kansas because Kansas State also kind of has a dude drop. But okay, we can talk Kansas. Where is where is the opportunity for realistic growth from a Kansas standpoint.
They've got to win shootouts. If they're able to win shootouts, which is something we say about a lot of teams when we preview them come July August, and it's not a really it's a backhanded compliment because it says, well, I don't know, if things get really weird and it's fifty eight to fifty four, maybe you're the fifty eight it's not a great thing. But the fact is, I like their offensive coordinator. They made the switch to Brent
Deerman early on or I guess midway through this way through. Yeah, and it worked. It worked until it didn't at times. But yeah, they I mean now they're replacing Carter Stanley and it's I think it's Miles Kendrick and Thomas m mcvittie battling it out for the starting job. The skill talent's good. The skill talent is good. I really like Andrew Parschmidt the receiver. I think behind Tylan Wallace, he's the leading receiver, so he's the second receiving, second leading
returning receiver. My english is all askew that so there is on offense, there's some prominent off offensive line that's gonna be great. But if they're able to with Brent Deherman's RPO like they were able to do, especially against Texas, and that was that was eye opening. He was fifty to forty eight in a loss, in a losing effort. But all the same, if Kansas can channel that, they it's a real coaching staff. They are, you know, less
Miles is trying, He's trying. There it's gonna take a while still, just because things are so backward in Lawrence. I don't know. If one of these quarterbacks works out, it's something. Can they win, Can they go three and seven? I don't know. Just I don't know. They're gonna have to win those shootouts. They're gonna have to hope for an injured quarterback or two, making the schedule more interesting than it looks right now. But I think that's what
it is. I think if it's going to be an interesting RPO based offense for Kansas, and that's at least something that is at least something that we can say, Okay, Kansas has gone from embarrassing to more often than not, entertaining. That's the step forward I can see happening.
One interesting name that you did not mention is Jalen Daniels, Okay. Jalen Daniels is their freshman quarterback recruit. Okay, as of a couple weeks ago, he was still kind of quasi a contender for that starting quarterback position this fall, and Brent Dierman, who has a bit of a history with Gus Malson, compared him to Nick Marshall. I saw athlon compared to he said he's the hand picked quarterback of
the future. I don't know what that means for Kansas, but I am interested to see if they decide to play the true freshmen at any point in time, take their lumps now to build for more of a promising future. That that's kind.
Of the question here.
It appears like Les Miles is playing long con.
Ty, I have I have breaking news for you that they're gonna take their lumps either way.
Well, they're gonna take their lumps either way, but but you know less Miles is open to giving the younger guys time. You got Pooka Williams, which is a bright spot. But I'm I'm most interested in seeing are they going to play a true freshman at quarterback. He may be the best fit for that scheme than anyone else on the roster.
Just entertain me, That's all I want, all right. I'll let you fill in your your love Tye sell me on tcuh. Okay, but let's don't. Let's let's not bring emotion into it, ty Let's see rational though, Let's be pragmatic. I don't know why you're so in love with TCU every I honestly don't get it. I don't know why you keep falling for the Frogs. I mean, Fort Worth is great. In Fort Worths, I like the color propowle
is fine. I like that there's the murder frog and you have like the frog had the rose in the mouth for the Rose Bowl. That's all good. What has gone wrong? It just seemed like they were they were there and now they're not. What is what has gone wrong? I don't think they hit five hundred last year. Not a bowl team. I feel like Garry Patterson has recruited pretty well to Fort Worth. He's developed guys. We see them drafted first, second, third round from that team, especially
that defense every year, but sometimes offense. What is what happened?
It's it's such a good question. I'm never inclined to say it's a talent thing with Gary Patterson because.
Why doesn't anybody in the Big twelve have a friggin quarterback other than Oklahoma. I don't know what happened?
I don't know, but you know, like the talent thing with Gary Patterson, his calling card has always been developing talent. He turns through the stars into five stars. That's his that's his thing. So I I think the talent is there. I think it's it was a combination of scheme and experience. Last year, TCU was sort of the anti Baylor in a sense because Baylor won a bunch of one score games. TCU lost six of them, including one against Baylor. They were good enough to be in the close games against
better teams, they just couldn't close. And you could point to a bunch of reasons for that. For one, it took them about a month to figure out that Max Duggan should be their quarterback, and he played the back half of the season as the primary quarterback against the better teams in the Big twelve. And it was rocky right because he was a freshman. But he just gave him more and that was good. That's a building block.
The combination, though, of the musical quarterbacks and whatever scheme they tried that affected Jalen riger He was their best offensive weapon. They couldn't get him the ball eighty eight targets, a catch rate under fifty percent. Some of that's on him, mind you, but he just you wanted to see more out of Jalen Reger. So sure, while the offense was inconsistent and the defense was pretty good, again, they just gave up a ton of big plays. That's like some
combination of all those things really did him in. And especially in a conference like the Big Twelve, you got big plays like you just if they were going to rely mostly on their defense, they couldn't give up those big plays. They couldn't be felled by the big play, and all too often they were. So Now, moving forward, Patterson's philosophy is to go back to the well. I'm always mixed on this. I don't know how I feel. They're bringing Doug Meechim back, they're pairing him back up
with Sonny Cumby. They're also adding Jerry Kill to the mixes like this awkward third wheel.
Okay, I don't mind it. Good coach.
The one point zero version of the Meechum Comby combo had really good results. We'll see how it goes as time around. It hurts to lose your top two running backs from a year ago. But I feel like there's a really good quarterback back then. By the way, they're a really good quarterback. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I'm just I'm a little leery on this. Yeah, it hurts when you lose your top two running backs from a year ago. There's probably enough talent to make it work.
The running back room is crowded with Darwin, Barlow and Foster and de Mercado and Richardson and Miller like they got guys and it's the same deal out why they got a bunch of rising juniors with speed. Tay Barber is a guy to watch. They're going to stretch the field more like they just weren't explosive last year.
The caveat is.
That the line has to hold for Max Duggan. They lose four guys up front. That's the biggest question on this offense. You can ask whatever you want about the scheme and how the three ring circus is going to work with offensive coaches, but the biggest question for me is what are they going to do about that line?
It all starts up front for TCU this year. Are you worried that they're becoming sort of lone star who that they're becoming like the Virginia era of you know, they win six or seven games and now this is a ten game season. They win five six, seven games and they have three you know, top two round picks like they had. It was what Jalen Reger and Jeff Gladney last year. They have two first round picks last year, where Virginia randomly it's to brickishaff Ferguson or Chris Long
or whatever. They don't translate having, you know, developing individual pockets of their team into really top level players into wins. Is that a concern? It feels like year over year they're just keep first round pick TCU, second round pick TC and they're not turning those pockets of talent into anything. I don't know if you ever watched Top Chef, but all the time they're like, yeah, steak was okay, Like these girled peaches are transcendent, where it's like, why couldn't
you turn the whole plate into this magic? So that that to me feel like year over year just doesn't feel like it was. That team in the Big twelve doesn't feel.
Like they've had that quarterback. And you know, when they had the quarterback they were really good.
Well Kenny Trill it was only okay, but yeah he's okay.
But when they've had the quarterback, they've been fine. It's just getting that quarterback has been an issue.
You can say about everybody, but everybody, Yeah.
No, that's fair but in TCUs case, I just feel like we've constantly been waiting for that quarterback, and the defense has been continually pretty good. Four two five defense, A lot of defensive backs out there flying around. He's got two good ones, and Trevin morrig Are, Darius Washington, Garrett Wallow one of the better linebackers in college football. Just a lot of ammo, a lot of versatility in that back seven.
It's going to make them really good again.
They lose Ross Blacklock to the NFL, They're going to need more pass rush this year out of guys like O'shawn Mathis. And they're not the deepest along the line, but they should be. They should be fine. You mentioned, you know, some other losses in the defensive backfield, but I think they'll be fine across the board. I just, you know, it's a mental exercise to not get too excited about TCU this year and every year. I love the defense, I like Max dug In. I have questions
about pretty much everything else. The only thing that I am certain of with this team, okay, is that they're gonna be better than last year. They're gonna be better than last year.
They have to. I don't know what it is? I man, They're just such a sometimes team. They're just like, how is tenu? Sometimes their defense is good, I know, sometimes Darius Anderson goes off and has an amazing game and they're pretty good. They're just a sometimes team, Like they all start and end dating somebody on Friday nights and it totally affects them week to week.
They're like seven and three this year their seven and three team, seven and three, six and four.
What is so appreciably different from a team that didn't make a Bowl last year?
A lot of close losses a year ago. I think that has to turn around. Okay, the defense is still going to be very good, and it's another year under Max Duggin. Okay, did Max Duggin really get you going? There were flashes with Max dugg Okay there.
I just when when players are described as gutty or gamers without actually taking it to somebody for four quarters, the sort of positioning of how we describe players is worrysome When it's not oh yeah, that dude went off. That dude just absolutely obliterated that team. If they don't have a game like that and it's just Max Duggan, just seems like a guy. I hope he's more than that this season, but that's what he appeared to be.
As you know, if as a freshman you're not, you're generally by the end of your freshman year when there's some talent around you, which TCU had talent around him. If if it's just flash air flash there, I just I want I want a flash light, Tye flashlight show me the way. Yeah, all right, let's talk about k State. Okay, I would love to I have k State thoughts.
K State beat Oklahoma and then they scored more than thirty points only against Kansas Yes, including twenty in a losing effort to West Virginia at home. What are the tea leaves for this twenty twenty offense? A lot of new faces. Will they have more pop? How do you feel about year two under Chris Climbing.
A little worried? A little worried. I'm not worried about the defense. Even though they replaced Scottie Hazelton, the coordinator who left follow Meltalker to Michigan State. They promoted from within. There's a lot of continuity at Kansas State, and I was really encouraged by year one the results that they were able to It was like they were hitting corners tie baseball analogy. They weren't throwing ninety nine. They didn't
have a crazy hooking curve or a diving slider. A lot of Greg Maddocks out there, Yeah, a lot of Greg maddocks. The Oklahoma game was obviously terrific. They took advantage of Oklahoma mistakes like good teams do. They were able to make plays in big moments. Skylar to timeson you know, picking up you know, first downs with his legs whatever. It was encouraging. They lose a lot on offense everywhere, and in the specific context of twenty twenty and not having that much time to get in reps
with new receivers. You know, Josh young Blood had the kick return against Texas. He is he is a top end speed dude. Is he is encouraging. I did see a story that he actually lived with Chris Climban during the spring after surgery and had a fantastic time. I'm really hopeful that dudes emerge. But I use that phrase problem problem a few weeks ago on a show, and to be clear, that is a team that has a problem because they don't have enough problems on their roster
for other teams. I screwed that up, didn't I It's okay, it's okay. We're past it. We're past it. Josh young Blood could be smaller dude, but that's okay. He has that high end speed. He could be a problem. I just don't see guys on this offense where a defensive coordinator, you know, Jim Knowles at Oklahoma State or John Haycock at Iowa State, are like, oh man, what do we do with this guy? What do we do with this guy? And Skyler Thompson's fine, but dangerous is not necessarily an
adjective I would associate with him. So it's a new line. It's just a new offense in general, and I'm worried now. Defensively, the back end of their defense is largely intact. They've got a really good rush end in White Hubert, one of the best in the country. The defensively upfront, though they do make some changes on the line, just in terms of new starters. They were a little loosey goosey
against the run. That concerns me somewhat about Kansas State, But in terms of continuity in a weird year, there is a lot to like about Kansas State still, that they were so good on defense on third down that they were just able to get off the field. They won a lot of interesting moments, as we saw, especially
in that Oklahoma game. But if they had that problem putting points on the board, keeping drives going, finding mismatches on offense those last four or five six games, I don't know if I necessarily see that improving in an obvious way in twenty twenty. So I think it's probably more of the same or a step back, but still in every game because they're so well coached and so disciplined. So yeah, six and four season feels about right, and they're not going to get blown out of the water by anybody.
It almost feels like year two could be the transition year. You know, you expect it in year one. Year two could be that year for Chris Climban. Really inexperienced on offense. This is a team that definitely would have benefited from a spring from a more traditional preseason where you weren't afraid to go near people. Yeah, they really have gotten some benefit from that. The line has to replace almost everybody,
interestingly enough, one factoid that mainly interests. Tom Hammond, I'm ready even more interesting than my Josh young Blood lived with the Climban family this spring. We'll stick with Josh Reevis. He was an all big twelver along the line despite not starting a single game.
They moved him around to enjoy that.
And he's going to be obviously starting this year, but they got to find the other four guys around him up front. Just a lot of turnover here. I see the step back year as well. I think Chris Clime is a really good coach really.
At Iowa State, at Oklahoma and at Baylor, just in terms of how the road home splits work out.
Yeah, and just as like an experiment goes, I think he was able to prove out that his North Dakota States system can translate to the FBS level.
Oh yeah, he brought he brought coaches with him.
Yeah, So I feel optimistic about this program longer term. I think he's a good guy for this program.
But if they develop a quarterback, if they develop a quarterback, they're going to be in such And this is again, like I said before, anybody can say this, but I think the infrastructure in Manhattan is particularly interesting. So I think there are really intriguing things to come for the Cats. Yeah, and they're upgrading facilities, They're trying to build something around him. Yeah. I like it. I do like it. Great same page, TI, Do you want to talk about Texas Tech? I would
love to. So the Alan Bowman thing, there's no more Jet Duffy. We know this that he just Alan Bowman has just been just flat out unlucky injury wise. Are their pieces? Are their stretches? Are their units? Are their groups? Is there something about twenty nineteen that tells you twenty twenty? I mean, they have these a ton of weird games in twenty nineteen. So is it like a bounce back thing where it's just going to the universe is going to even out for the Red Raiders and finally Alan
Bohm's gonna be healthy? What is give me some optimism for people in Lubbock? Four and eight a year ago? God, that Kansas loss.
I understand the pessimism. They bring Matt Wells over from Utah State. They did lose four games by a field goal or less, and that includes loss at Baylor and at home against k State again a bowl team. They were not as bad as their four and eight record, which I take as a positive. And when British comedy legend Alan Bowman is not injured, especially pairing him up with TJ. Vasher out wide, I feel really optimistic about the passing game.
They're full on good, they're full on all the Bowman is a full on good quarterback and.
I like the transition to more of a balanced offense. I think it's a welcome change because tech has almost become a caricature of itself over these last I don't know, however many years that we've seen air raid after air raid after air raid. I'm not saying this is not air raid, but it's a little bit more on the balance side of the equation, all right. Plus, look David Yost, their offensive coordinator.
He has top right haber hair.
He's like a mix between Boris Johnson and Harry Dunn and maybe somebody else. But it's hard not to be optimistic about that.
So I am.
I am optimistic because it's year two of that system. Alan Bowman is presumably healthy and their ability has not been his things so far, but he's got a ton of talent. I think he can have a lot of success in this system. Definitely more balanced than the one they ran a year ago.
TJ.
Vasher is one of those, one of those dudes. He's a target. He six six, He's a mountain of a man. I think he can be a walking highlight reel. So I'm optimistic about that. Okay, defensively, I they led the nation in takeaways per game. They play a hyper aggressive system under Keith Patterson and that people.
Have mixed thoughts about him. But yeah, I know, but that's fun.
Just that mentality is fun, that attacking, aggressive mentality that we often like to make fun of.
That's fun. Yeah, and it worked at Utah State really really well in that final season. Huge results there.
There's a lot of returning production on defense as well. Eli Howard up front, he was All Conference last year. Not great that they lose Jordan Brooks to the NFL. They're linebacker, but the cupboard at linebacker is not bear.
They're going to be okay there.
So you know, combined with what is it, three defensive backs, Yeah, three defensive backs who are returning on defense, I feel optimistic that the defense can take another step forward. But reason for optimism if only because it's year two under Matt Wells, and I.
Think he's a good coach for pessimism.
Everything else is a reason for pessimism, But everything else is a reason for pessimism.
Yeah, it was rough, I mean, yeah, the inability to close out games. And it's Jet Duffy, so they didn't want to start him over Alan Bowman obviously, So whatever Texas Tech looked like wasn't fully And Jet Duffy had
incredible moment at the same time. So you hope with health, you hope, with universe balancing out, that they could go five and five something like that, where they're just an entertaining team in games as much as they are on top, as as much as I are, I guess just coming up short something like that.
Well, I don't know, Okay, I want to I want to be more optimistic about Tech.
I really do, so be more optimistic.
And I still think that this is probably an above average team. Like I think if we were in a normal year where bull eligibility was you know, six wins, I think they would get to Bowl eligibility. So I think in that sense, they take a step forward, but it's it's still a long way to go here.
To be honest, needs to go on. Their defense was a full on nightmare a few years ago, and now they're simply average ish, maybe below average, and so and.
They take they take the ball away.
That's fun. They take the ball away, which is if you can't tackle in the open field consistently, if you can't figure out coverages consistently, that's a good consolation tie. No argument from me. The town level needs to be a little bit higher. And I if they're healthy on offense. And by the way, nobody ever mentions TJ. Basher without mentioning his height, so fall into that group of people. Yeah,
I've heard six seven sometimes during broadcasts. But yeah, I think Texas TeX's in a pretty good place just because Alan Bowman, healthy and at his best, is one of the three best quarterbacks in this conference. Four Yeah, yeah, and that's that's a good starting point. I like it's going to be a white We saw the success Jordan Love had at Utah State in this system. David Yost. I mean, the reason we called James Franklin casual address James Franklin is because of that David Yost offense or
partial David Yost offense. So I am. I'm optimistic. There's entertainment. I'm gonna be optimistic and turnovers are random. They're not gonna leave the country and takeaways again. But you know, I like that aggression and I think they're going to be in most of their games, which will have me watching.
And if Alan Bowman should get hurt again, which we're not rooting for. No, his backup is a red shirt freshman by the name of Maverick mckiver.
I did see that year over here. The Texas at quarterback names are just incredible, truly incredible. Yeah, so we'll see.
Yes, give me your top five to close it out here in the Big twelve.
Rank your top five tist Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa State. I don't remember what I said before. I think Baylor, Oklahoma State. Wow, you're high on Baylor. Yeah, I mean I'm I think there's just gonna be a lot of six and four, five and five, four and six in there, with a lot of tiebreaker types stuff. Ugh, I could I could also throw Kansas State in there. Yeah, I think I think we're gonna have a lot of middle class.
I'm gonna go Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and oh god, TCU.
Wow, would it be full on strange if Oklahoma did not win the conference. No, oh, okay, I think it will be.
It would feel awkward. I still think they've got the highest level of talent of any team in the conference. But you know, the the quarterback thing is an open question. Yeah, I think it's I think I think it's possible. I think teams like like Texas have enough talent that they could contend. I don't think they are nearly as reliable at this point, but it helps to have the best quarterback in the conference.
Sure. Wait, you think Sam Allener is the best quarterback in the conference.
Yeah?
Interesting? Okay? Oh, I hope the Sam stinker does not hold Texas back from your your potential hope here? Okay? Great?
Cool?
Can I can I finish the show with one more question? Please? On Instagram? You should be following Solverble on Instagram today, I posted if you are eating takeout this fall on Saturdays and have to choose three apps from the following apps tie. This is an encouragement for everybody to follow our Instagram just because you're missing just dope content like this.
Choose three of these appetizers tie. Now you have to consider how well they'll travel picking up going into the car opening up at home, styrofoam, whatever plastic container they come in, fried pickles, wings, guacamole, onion rings, devilled eggs, mazzarella sticks, Queso, nachos, Tots, quesadilla, chick Intendo. What you expect me to pull up our Instagram right now? Tie Instagram,
dot comp slash, solid ruble. You should be following. I hope you're following, TI, I am, I really really do, all right, So let's see what Pick three of them?
Pick three of these? Okay, well, I am always partial to nachos. You have many o's here in the nachos.
Do they travel? Do they travel?
They don't travel, but they don't travel.
No, we're not going to be watching games in bars this fall.
I would say Casey d is one in that sense, is a good picks is one, probably Tots two and Devil Eggs that does not travel. I just love Devil Leggs. That's why I do like Deviled Eggs. They don't travel. Yeah, they don't travel. Correct, Like the Miami fan based.
Whoa, we'll go.
I'm still going to go nachos three. Still going to go nachos three? Yeah, case is Tots nachos three.
I would probably put mazzarella sticks because of structural integrity and crunch. Yeah, I'm putting monzarella sticks in there, but you know, I'm gonna go Frickles tots and season frove. No, I already have the tot for potato. I'm gonna go wings frickles tots.
All right, Well, covered a lot of ground on this show. I'm glad we did a longer episode than usual. We hope you all enjoyed it. We hope you all have a great weekend. Next week, we will be making some announcements about our Fantasy Things show, which typically we do live.
Typically you can buy a ticket, you can see it live.
We're going to do our best to try and capture the flare of that, but obviously circumstances are a bit different for the moment, so we would urge everybody to stay tuned to all of our social channels as well as our obvious podcast here at soliverbo dot com. Subscribe on Apple, on Google, on Spotify, anywhere you get a podcast. You can not only subscribe, but give us a review.
All that stuff helps. We look forward to still doing our Fantasy Things in twenty twenty, albeit in a very very weird and off season.
Dan, especially if you live on the island of Capri.
For that guy over there, my good friend Dan Rubinstein, For myself, Tie Hildebrand, thanks for hanging with us as we talk.
All things Big twelve. We'll be back next week.
In the meantime, enjoy your weekend, stay safe, and be side peace.