Welcome to the Solid Verbal.
I'll that for me. I'm a man, I'm forty. I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy, you want to be happy for a day? Edith Steak is that woof woof?
And them and Tye welcome back to the Solid Verbal. Boys and girls, my name is ty Hildebrandt, joining me as always over there, still in the wonderland of Chicago, Illinois, the one and only Dan Rubinstein, Sir, how are you.
A little foggy? A little achy? I got shot number two yesterday and it was a jab. I got the jab, and I feel a lot better. It was a sore morning, an achy sore morning. But I'm persevering. I'm sitting down for this episode. Normally I stand when we do these, but I want to give you my full focus, and I feel like that's you're not getting that if we are doing our what is this that we're doing Sweet sixteen and Elite eight And I don't know how far we can go.
I don't even know what we're down to.
I think it's a Sweet sixteen. I think we came up with thirty two plus one and then we're going to insert we need a Georgia person next to Dan Pollock. If we're going to do that direction, I know we've talked about doing Matt Stafford and Ajgreen, Gino Atkins Violent Angry Bowling Ball.
Right, I mean, do we have any policy with swapping out some of these it's our show, it's our show. Yeah, it's true, it is true.
Okay, we promise nothing.
Well, welcome back in. I'm ty. He's Dan Soliverble at gmail dot com is where you can email us if you're I don't know, interested in doing so, you got something to get off your chest. You can also go to the website solid verbal dot com. We got a contact form there. Newsletter dot soliverble dot com is where you can sign up for the newsletter. Of course, don't forget to follow along on social as well as with
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Maybe some newsletter stuff as well.
Yeah, you have some newsletter stuff. We would like to see some writing samples. That is what we are asking for at this juncture, So you can send all of those to submissions at solidverbal dot com. Submissions at soliverbal dot com. Send us some writing samples. We'd love the chat. No guarantees, of course, but do you have any sort of direction, like do you want it to be very serious? Do you want it to be analytical? Do you want it to be lighthearted? Do you want it to be smart?
Do you want it to be takey? What are you looking for? Ty be specific. It doesn't need to be super taky, and it doesn't need to be super silly. Just please spell and use good grammar.
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I will read what people send us. I'm not putting any limits on this. See submission. I want to see submissions are nicer than I. I don't think I would read more than eight hundred words, well, eight hundreds a lot. Yeah, try to keep it under eight hundred. But otherwise, writing samples are now welcomed with open arms at submissions at solid verbo dot com. Dan on today's show, we are going College Football Jam Round two plus Yeah thirty three teams actually on the Tuesday show because we had a
weird numbering issue and had to add in Georgia. After the fact, Georgia thankfully made it through with Matt Stafford and AJ Green. We're now down to the sweet sixteen. So I think if time permits, and we should have enough time, we can go through each of these matchups, we can select our winners, and we can eventually get to some conclusion where we're determining the best college football dynamic duo at associated positions in the last twenty years.
I'm going to be more specific, it's not necessarily the best I want to be as somebody who completely invented this out of thin air. It is the person who arouses your college football senses the most. Percy Harvin probably
not the best college football player of all time. All go as far as saying he's not the best college football player of all time, No, but what he's able to do in the open field, or what he was able to do in the open field at Florida is something that's indescribable that maybe a crazy efficient quarterback like I would say that Percy Harvin would advance over Trevor Lawrence.
Yeah.
Right, with Yeah, there's we're sort of gauging electricity and pants tightening is with the phrase I used the other day. So there is. It's that electricity quotient. And now that could be large dudes up the middle, that could be you know, anything. Positionwise, they're associated positions. So like somebody asked us about von Miller and Miles Garrett and we said, well, sort of an outside linebacker and defensive vent edge players.
We want like a Stockton Malone. We wanted that, you know, Peyton Kemp element of NBA jam where you have two players who compliment each other but don't play the exact same position, because that, to me, was the way you played that game and approached strategizing which team you would select. Right, Okay, so pants, that's the explanation pants tightening. It's a very scientific measure that we're going with here.
We're going to play this. I think by ear because I used I think both of my overrides okay last time around, and you may have used one. I don't know, but either way, you have one override that I do not have. We also, as you said, can make up rules as we go.
You know, it's our cones of dun sure. Yeah, if we.
Want to swap anybody out, we can. We can do that. So why don't we start here at the very top. It's a classic, shall we say, Rose Bowl potential matchup between your Organ Ducks and the Wisconsin Badgers, Dan Badgers.
They've they've literally played, you know, I was both twenty eleven with Russell Wilson and Anthony Thomas involved. So we have Marcus Mariota and d Anthony Thomas taking on Russell Wilson and Melvin Gordon. Just in terms of pure electricity, pure you know, making you sweat, making your you know, heartbeat is tho is the word I'm looking for, palpitations. I think this is an easy decision. I think this is Mariot and de Anthony.
I think it's got to be Marcus and de Anthony.
Yeah.
For as good as Russell Wilson was, and for as much fun as we had with Melgre love Melgre, I agree, Mary was sensational, sensational. Mariota and Thomas though, that's that's gonna be tough to beat in my view. Yeah.
Also, Mariota had four years of memories for you Yeah, yeah, twelve thirteen, now three years, three years of starting memories, so you know, we just didn't have that with Russell Wilson and Wisconsin. So I mean, I think the advantage in terms of big playmaking goes to Oregon, and so that's the direction I think we should do.
We had a lot of debate over I think I may have even used an override to get Wisconsin through over Baylor. Insane with RG three and Kendall Wright. Would you have gone RG three and Kendall Right over Marcus Mariota and d Anthony Thomas?
Probably not. You have two Heisman winning quarterbacks who were dual threats. Obviously RG three a little bit faster, the top end speed is there. D' Anthony Thomas's versatility takes me over Kendall Right with his ability in the return game and as a receiver he played a position called the taser, the tad az R and sort of his slot back position. He would line up all over the field. Yeah, the Z receiver. So I would not have taken Baylor over Oregon. But that's what is that? A Lake seastrunk
match up. I'm trying to find the connective tissue something like that. But no, I go Oregon. There as a Homer.
This next one is unfair. It's unfair these two are going to be matched up against each other. But look, it was probably gonna happen sooner or later. Anyway, We've got USC with our dynamic duo of Matt Liner and Reggie Bush squaring off against Texas A and m Johnny Manzel and Mike Evans. We're going to lose sleep over this matchup. I feel like I could lose.
I don't think it's that difficult because you're comparing two electric players to one. Now. The one in Reggie Bush is amazing, But I don't know if you've ever seen Matt Liner run.
I've seen Matt Liner run.
He runs like and not that that's the responsibility a quarterback, but with electricity, we need some athleticism. We need something in terms of like physical ability. And he read a defense, didn't have a big arm and was just crazy successful at USC. But Matt Liner kind of runs like a monkey stole his wallet in Cambodia. He's just making every attempt in his tourist clothes to run after something and it's not going to work out. So I think I'm going JFF and Mike.
But is there not any kind of nostalgia value to the Bush era of USC football. I mean you didn't even want to put linerd in here. You wanted Carson Palmer.
Yeah, I mean Carson Palmer has the physical capability. His arm was just enormous. If you were starting a football team in the Year of Our Lord twenty twenty one, would there be any question to you whether you'd run Matt Liner, Reggie Bush, and or Johnny Manzil Mike evans.
Man. It's tough not to go. Reggie Bush. It's tough not to go. I hear you clearly. For you, the pants tightening is coming via physical tools.
If this were a literal video game, who would be more fun to play with? Is that what you want to do? Who would you rather? You know, after eating your Tomorrow and your orange Julius in the mall, do you understand those reference? I? Okay, and you sidle up into the Golden Nugget Arcade whatever it's called that your local mall? What was your local mall called? Growing up?
We have? Yeah?
Are you selecting Matt Liner and Reggie Bush knowing you're gonna have to like buy time and throw the ball downfield and like an NFL blitz style game. I know that was more players than just two, but are you going to select Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans.
If we are using NBA JAM as our go by.
Here whatever college football dunk is.
Yeah, there there is a Muggsy Bogues quality to Matt Liner in that he was very limited, sure, very limited in the game. Fun to play with, but limited in the game. Reggie Bush, though, Reggie Bush is just you're picking this team because of him, explicitly.
Sure.
With that, With that being said, now yeah again, NBA JAM is the go by. Manzell is very versatile and fun as hell, and Mike Evans was just a freak records. So I mean it comes down to what are we using as that pants tightening variable? For you, it seems to be the physical tools you're you're all about that. For me, Look, maybe I'm an old school romantic. I don't know, but the nostalgia, man, the nostalgia of Liner and Bush, to me, I still think rules out here.
You think, no, absolutely, Matt Liner. It's like a video game out there.
No, no one's ever said that.
No, I'm not this game after not to.
Find what leads to the pants tightening. So for me, their.
Physical physical attraction to their abilities.
For you, that's what it is.
For me.
There's a nostalgia factor here.
I'm over writing going Jff and Evans. I mean it's just a no brainer.
I'm fine at that selection. I mean, okay, I said going in this is going to be impossibly difficult.
Could you imagine any like who would Matt Liner be if he were a street fighter character?
Like?
I couldn't make cases for most of these guys. You have a big arm, you're sort of a huge defensive tackle like. There's analogs there.
But you need to define what the measure is here for who's making it through and who isn't? Is it the pants tightening thing? And if so, what about the pants tightening? Are we allowed to pick otherwise? Is it a video game thing? Who would you like to play.
In a video game?
You need to pick here, Dan, this is your game. You need to tell me what the rules of the road are here when.
You play a video game? Is there an ability bar for nostalgia? Generally?
You did not define this game.
It is whatever we wanted to did. It's an electricity, all right.
Reggie Bush is the most electric player in the last twenty five years.
Yeah, we could even have a more nuanced conversation if it we're like Sam Darnold and Reggie Bush. Oh my god, no respect for a liner is an electric video game esque player.
All right, fine, fine, have it your way, use your overhead.
I know you got destroyed by him on fourth down. I didn't in South Bend.
I really did, no personally. Yeah, okay, fair enough that that's a good override. Dan amazing quarterback, probably better than my Wisconsin override. But well, you know, I applaud you for using it smartly. Florida with Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin or Texas and Vince Young Jamal Charles. So look, if we are going to follow the same logic as that previous matchup, this should be a clear winner in the t Bow and Harvin direction, shouldn't it?
Not? Necessarily? I would argue that Vince Young is a lot more athletic and electric a player than Matt Lioner.
Sure, but what about Jamal Charles?
Amazing and I'm very good running back for Texas. Amazing, amazing running back.
But I feel like you've got two stand out electric players on the Florida side. And sure, Jamal Charles is really good. All these guys are really good. But the standout on the Texas side is Vince Young.
Well, I mean, this whole game is subjective. Vince Young physically is in a class with very few other players at quarterback or with the ball in his hands to be able to move that quickly with the ball and play that most important position. Tim Tebow really strong runner, obviously strong power runner between the tackles. Vince Young, I would say, had a bigger performance on the biggest stage. I don't think that's a take of any kind, more so than what Tim Tebow is able to do on
that same stage. Percy Harvin a more electric player than Jamal Charles, a more versatile player with what he did in the return game. It's a receiver taking sweeps out of the backfield. This is tough because Vince Young has the highest ceiling I think of any of these players. Yes, and you could make that case for Reggie Bush as well in the previous matchup. I understand if I were playing college football jam the video game with the Golden Nugget,
who would I be more likely to play with? I think it's Florida.
It's got to be Florida, right.
I think Harvin is like, it's just a subjective thing. When you have that much speed, that can do that much, I think I'm going t Bow and Harvin. Yeah, I think it's so difficult for me.
I think I agree. I think I think I got to agree with you here. Dan. You know, we talk about Vince Young as a generational player, but Tebow's up there, of course, is one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of college football. Maybe not guite Heisman as a sophomore basically imposing as as view why, but nonetheless just an incredible body of work. Got to be t Bow and Harvin gotta be.
Oh yeah, and Jamal Charles was pretty good out of the backfield, but it was like, you know, one hundred and some odd yards a season, whereas Percy Harvin just all over the place everywhere. So I get it. I mean, Jamal Charles went for eighteen hundred yards from scrimmage his final season two thousand and seven for Texas.
Not bad, No, not bout it all. Okay, this next matchup I think has potential to be very interesting. Okay, We've got for Florida Jamis Winston and Dalvin Cook. Uh huh Florida State. Excuse me, for Tennessee, we've got Albert Haynesworth. Derek Barnett.
Yeah, it's another personal preference. So you have ball movement versus ball destruction. Right, So Dalvin Cook fantastic with the ball. An all time running back for Florida State, Jamis Winston, of course, highlighted by his twenty thirteen an all time successful quarterback, not necessarily a big time athlete, but just pinpoint at quarterback for Florida State, and just let an all time attack Albert Haynesworth Derek Barnett.
Man.
Yeah, this is.
Interesting because we've got two defenders against two incredible offensive talents.
Yeah. So it's the magnitude of their ability to control a game.
Correct, correct? Man?
How many? How many teams have had noses or defensive tackles like Albert Haynesworth? Many Since that happened, We've had a lot of really strong quarterbacks and it doesn't have to be a unique quotient to it. It's just what they were able to do themselves in the game. We've had a lot of great pass rushers like Derek Barnett, but a lot of good you know, all purpose running backs like Dalvin Cook, oh Man, in terms of pure video game, who you'd want to play with.
I mean, Dalvin Cook should not be overlooked here, Dalvin Cook. Dalvin Cook had touchdowns so freaking good. In each of his last two seasons as Florida State running back. Came really close to seventeen hundred yards and twenty fifteen went over seventeen hundred yards. In twenty sixteen, did a lot more from scrimmage in the passing game. His final year at Florida State finished with something like I think it was close to twenty three hundred yards.
I'm gonna go Jamison and Dalvin Jamison, Jamis and Dalvin. Yeah, that's I guess what happens when you put their names together. Yeah, that's what I'm gonna do. I mean, just that twenty thirteen season was just Jamis was unstoppable that year. Yeah, and that was his red shirt freshman freshman ye opener. Yeah, when he started out like twenty four of twenty five or something.
Unstoppable to throw and complete sixty seven percent of your passes for over four thousand yards and forty touchdowns as a freshman. Mm hmm is quite the accomplishment, stupid. Yeah, and this wasn't even necessarily like a pass happy system like it was a pretty balanced offense at the time where they could do a bunch of different things, and Jamis was just a clear standout.
Yeah, I'm going Jamis there, Jamis.
It is next Notre Dame with Mike McGlinchey and Quintin Nelson squaring off against Miami Ed Reid an Entrell Role.
Ah Man, these are two of my favorite football players of all time, in Quentin Nelson and Ed Reid. I'm going to go Miami because if you're talking purely about video game, you're talking about an emotion that comes with the character you're playing with. And I get more of an emotion from Ed Reid and Antrell role, who played all over the field, But I mean ed Reid was a pure safety andrel role played good amount of corner.
I like Mike mcglinchy a good deal, but I don't think he pops in the way that Quentin Nelson did. Former top ten, top ten ish pick. I believe Mike McGlinchey.
Yeah, ninth overall, Quentin Nelson went sixth, and I believe McGlinchey went ninth.
Nice. I I could watch Quentin Nelson Notre Dame highlights, especially that hit I think it was on Georgia. He might have had a big hit on Lcu as well. I could watch those all day. I don't have those for Mike McGlinchey. I feel like I have highlights for Edward and Entrell role that are more attractive than that duo. So I'm gonna go Miami here in our Catholics First Convicts matchup.
Yeah, the answer here is ed Reid, Nontrell, Roll Dan. It has to be. I love mcglinchy, I love Nelson. There is definitely a nostalgia in looking back at that era of Notre Dame's offensive line. At one point they actually had Nelson mcglinchy and Ronnie Stanley on the offensive line at the same time. That was before they moved McGlinchey over to left tackle, who was playing right tackle
when Ronnie Stanley was on the line. But I look back at it with almost a frustrated nostalgia that they that those teams didn't do better because they had such a boss offense of line.
Yeah, I mean they had big running back seasons, so that was what Josh Adams had a big year in there. Yeah, I believe, but you know, the trigger man. The quarterback position was never never lived up to what the offensive line put forward as the standing.
Incredible offensive line. And so I look in I see mcglinchy Nelson for sure, that's that's a tag team. But Entrell roll ed Reid. There's just like so much dynamic playmaking on the defensive side of the football. It's to find our error past that. It's hard to pass that Ed Reid's and all Timer. Yeah, of course, absolute all timer. So I think we got to go in the direction of Miami here, Dan as much as it pains.
Think about Yeah, think about how hard it is as a guard to produce highlight tapes that our mainstream. That's what Quentin Nelson did. Yeah, okay, that's I mean occasionally you'll get that from guys. I mean, who had the out and running? Was it Joe Staley for the forty nine ers. Yeah, it's the Saints. Like we do get those eye popping highlights, but it's difficult.
It just is. We have three more matchups here before we get to the Elite eight.
I love it.
The first is Georgia with Matt Stafford and AJ Green up against Denard Robinson and Braylan Edwards.
So we're eliminating the Iowa offensive lineman because we've been biased against offensive line and clearly, Yeah, I'm gonna take Stafford and Green over Pollock and Geno Atkins and oh man, this one's difficult.
I think with Nard Dog, don't you.
I'm gonna go with the Nard Dog.
I am Nard Dog man A.
The best of AJ Green was an unstoppable force. But what the Nard Dog did in terms of carrying Michigan on its on his back when that defense cratered and fell off a cliff. I'm gonna go to Nard and Braylin, who had his own issues, but really strong receiver obviously for Michigan and big Dude, I'm gonna go. Yeah, I'm gonna go blue here.
Let's go blue. This next one might be the best matchup. This is wonderful Louisville with Louisville Lamar Jackson and DeVante Parker squaring off against Stanford with Andrew Luck and Christian McCaffrey. So look, the obvious thing here right out of the shoot is that DeVante Parker, though an NFL player, though very good in college deserving of being on this team with Lamar m HM. Clearly does not rise to the
level of the other three. He doesn't rise to the level of Lamar, of Andrew Luck, or of Christian McCaffrey. In my view, he.
Had some unbelievable catches.
Unbelievable catches. But Okay, going back to your point then, which I think is the new scale for how we're determining who goes through and who doesn't in terms of electricity, in terms.
Of who really gets who the palpitation. Yeah, like who gives the vapors? Yeah, you're picking DeVante Parker over any of these three. Well, it's essentially this comes down to who would you rather align your buttons and joystick with. I know that sounds weird now that I hear myself say it out loud. It's Lamar Jackson or Christian McCaffrey, Like if we're going to cross out common denominators or
something like that. Andrew Luck was fantastic, but not electric, you know, it's more cerebral, and Lamar Jackson mixed the you know, he grew as a cerebral quarterback and was an electric runner and bought time for himself as a thrower and definitely evolved as a quarterback. And then Christian McCaffrey, who was the Swiss Army Knife of Swiss Army Knives of the modern era as an all purpose player running back, lined up at receiver and return guy wasn't touched in
that first half against Iowa. Right, as I like to point out as often as humanly possible, who would you rather play with?
To me, it's Lamar, I think for me it's Lamar as well, I think I think it's Lamar. I do have some sour grapes over this selection though, because it is well, I mean again, I know you don't really care for Matt Linert, but we're clearly selecting Louisville here on the merits of Lamar Jackson and not so much Devontae Parker, who is the Manchester to being a video
game player. Devonte Parker and Matt Linert. Okay, again, enough with this, Okay, I will agree with you on Lamar Jackson and Devonte Parker.
We've named the game after another video game.
Whatever.
Okay, Yeah, I'm bullying you like I did with what did we do at the end of the season in the years past.
I think that was no. That was when we grated out our fantasy things, wasn't it.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, that's when I got the bullying accusations.
Okay, that's fine, I'm okay with this. By the way, I would have been okay with that same logic with Liner and Bush, so I'll split the difference. Okay, final matchup here, Wow, are probable most difficult? Yeah, this is actually impossible. Oklahoma with Adrian Peterson ap all day A D and Kyler Murray m H. Or Clemson with the
Sean Watson and Sammy Watkins. This is a matchup Dan, this this is this is like Oklahoma got a stray eighth seed and they're squared off against a number one seed in the second round of the tournament.
I don't know. I honestly don't know. So physically Adrian Peterson video game doesn't begin to describe the best of him. Sammy Watkins was incredible, but I debate whether or not he was actually better than Luke Hopkins for Clemson. And then Kyler was physically just different physically, his ability in
his arm. You know, Deshaun Watson was fantastic and was a warrior and was a dual threat Kyler Murray, though, I mean even just watching him slide, there was a certain amount of comfort former baseball player, don't know if you have, of course I do. I think I'm gonna go Kyler and ad are you? I am?
I think really what.
Kyler was able to do in terms now, are we going to give Kyler credit for playing in a slightly friendlier and more explosive offense because of Lincoln Riley. Now Clemson incredible offense, but Oklahoma otherworldly with Kyler Murray won the Heisman. I think there's that element of We've seen receivers like Sammy Watkins, Adrian Peterson's don't exist coming out of high school all that often. You have like Derrick Henry, you have Leonard Fournette. But this is like generational type
builds and ability. So I think I'm going Kyler and Adrian Peterson because it just doesn't happen all that often when you have that after freshman year nflready type of player.
Yeah, Peterson's once in a lifetime.
Yeah. Now, the weakness he has is he wasn't that much of an all purpose player, Whereas I think you could probably do a little bit more creatively with Sammy Watkins in terms of taking you know, sweeps out of the backfield stuff like that. I don't have the numbers in terms of how much he actually carried the ball or you know, was a motion jet kind of guy
for Clemson during his time. I don't know if they were running a lot of that then, but there is there is that element of you could do that with Sammy Watkins that wasn't necessarily you know, Adrian Peterson lining up out wide.
In my recollection, it also should be noted that Kyler Murray accounted for fifty four touchdowns his final year, not bad, not bad, fifty four touchdowns, threw for forty three hundred and forty two touchdowns now, and ran for over one thousand yards and twelve touchdowns. So then he did it all.
Totally did But if you get into counting stats, Kyler Murray probably on like a per game basis, was on the field longer because Oklahoma's defense during his time tended to keep opponents in the game, whereas Clemson's defense was locked down. So Deshaun Watson's probably not playing four quarters every week, so that is a difference. But yeah, there is something, especially given now I can't give them credit
for their their height or anything like that. But Kyler Murray at five to eleven, Deshaun Watson considerably taller than that, six two sixty three whatever. What Kyler Murray was able to do in terms of withstanding big hits and avoiding contact and making plays, extending plays, man, Kyler Murray was something else.
So now, to be fair, if we're if we're being fair about this.
Yeah, Also, Deshaun Watson scored, i mean, led a Clemson National championship in like a crazy shootout against Alabama, and Kyler Murray didn't for sure.
For sure, And I just wanted to, you know, as a point of comparison, here the Sean Watson in twenty fifteen thirty five touchdowns, twelve on the ground. In twenty sixteen forty one through the air, nine on the ground.
So that's fifty.
Yeah, that's a lot. It's an awful lot. And he had forty five hundred passing yards his final season at Clemson, which is just, you know, remarkable that eclipses what we saw from Kyler Murray in his final season.
What were their rushing numbers.
Yeah, in Watson's best season running, which was twenty fifteen, he had eleven hundred yards and twelve touchdowns. You'll recall he ran less in his junior season, only yeah, one hundred and some. That was a story that they were saving his legs for the playoff, right, And in those playoff matchups he came through. He did what he had to do on the ground to get them to the promised land. I think I agree with you, though, I
think I agree with you. You can get Kyler Murry if we're thinking of this an NBA jam terms, not the biggest player in the world, but very versatile. He's quick, he can do a lot of everything. And Adrian Peterson is just sort of like a stalwart.
Right, Adrian Peterson is more of an absurd video game creation than Sammy Watkins.
Agreed, one hundred percent.
Agreed, all right, And like both of these teams, the cases for other players occupying these positions is quite simple. Like we could have a conversation about We've mentioned this, but any of these receivers that have come through some I JP Ryan going for what three hundred plus yards? Like, there are guys all over the field for both of these teams that are just easy, easy calls, easy cases and these just the ones that we had to take.
I guess Alrighty, that brings us back up to the very top of this, Dan, We've got your Oregon Ducks squaring off against Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans from Texas san And it's Marcus Mariota the Anthony Thomas against Johnny Manziel Mike Evans. This is for a trip to the Final four.
So Marcus Mariota, Johnny Manziel committed to Oregon at the same time. That was a thing, very briefly, but that was a thing, and then A and M offered Manziel. Yeah. Now this is sort of a size and power versus pure speed from D Anthony and Mike Evans. Mariota and Johnny football both win the Heisman. I would say Manzel had a slyly higher all purpose ceiling as a quarterback. I don't know if you agree or disagree beating Alabama
on the road to the way that they did. Sure, it's right, Sure, freshman.
Year, I think the answer is obviously A and M. It's obviously Manziel and Evans here.
Now, Manzel did have some down games in the postseason and later on in the season, and Mariota the same against against Ohio State had some you know, a decent bowl game against I think it was Kansas eight twenty twelve, and certainly had a pretty good game against him. I say it was Texas and Mac Brown's last game in twenty thirteen. But video game wise, man, it's this one
is more Johnny Manziel versus Anthony Thomas. D Anthony Thomas didn't really work out when he was handed the reins as a more full time running back, and that's not necessarily his fault, or it's not necessarily the coach's fault. It just wasn't his position traditionally, right, So.
Man, I think I think it's gotta be Texas A and M And I don't think it's so much to Anthony against Johnny Manzel. I think I think Mariota and Manziel sort of cancel each other out, all right.
For better or this.
I think they sorts power speed versus power. And look, if you look at Mike Evans did how dominant he was in the college game versus the Anthony Thomas, who was good and fun to watch and fast, it's a clear, clear advantage from Mike Evans.
Well, Mike Evans was slightly more dependent on quarterbacks, whereas d Anthony Thomas made his hay somewhat in the return game, somewhat as a running back that he would just take the ball and find himself in the open field. If you remember that Wisconsin highlight, there wasn't much that Darren Thomas did in that game. Sure, I know he did a good game, but there wasn't on that play to spring to Anthony Thomas for eighty or ninety yards or whatever.
So there is an element of d Anthony Thomas just by the position ish that he played, that he was more responsible for his electricity than Mike Evans.
Okay, I mean Mike Evans caught nearly fourteen hundred yards of football's his final year in twelve touchdowns. There is not a single season here Ford Anthony Thomas where he got over twelve hundred yards total from scrimmage. Right, the advantage clearly between those two in my book, has to be Mike Evans.
Okay, I'm I'm totally okay with this. Who who do you think is a rarer type of player at his position? Got it Evans physically?
Mike Evans.
Yeah, let's go JFF and Mike Evans.
Mike Evans is what six' five two twenty five something like.
That Mike evans currently currently listed at sixty five two thirty. ONE i don't know what he weighed at AN a and m. Okay next, Matchup.
Next, Matchup we've Got Tim tebow And Percy harvin Against Jameis winston And Dalvin.
COOK i, THINK i, MEAN i like. That It's, Florida Florida state.
Here, yeah it's.
Nice i'm gonna go T Bo Percy. HARVIN i think it's got to be T Bo. Harvin, yeah, yeah for just the reason that do you want somebody who is more of which is more excellence downfield as a passer In Jameis? Winston or do you want somebody who's definitely not the passer but more of the video game? Character? Right And Tim tebow because AND i Think Percy harvin had a higher ceiling electricity wise Than Dalvin. Cook So i'm Going tebow And.
Harvin Tim tebow accounted for one hundred and forty five touchdowns in his four years At, florida which is. Ridiculous that is absolutely totally. RIDICULOUS Tbo. Harvin it is moving. On that was moving, On, Yeah, miami Ed reid An Entrell, Roll, Michigan Denard robinson And Braylon. Edwards oh, man this is sneaky, tough isn't.
It, Yeah i'm gonna Go miami here, Though i'm not gonna think twice about. It and it has nothing to do with any deficiencies Of Denard robinson And Braylan. Edwards it's just those dudes were too.
Good, YEAH i THINK i think what super superun too? Effective what swings this in The miami direction for? Me Whereas dinard And Braillen edwards were clearly the class of the, team the classes their generation and a ton of fun to. Watch Ed Reid nontrell role were Like alheimer's in.
College, Yeah. Alzheimer's, No it's one of those things where you think about what came to define a program in the long. Term they do so more THAN i Think. Michigan, now that's not, electricity that's not pants. Tightening but there's a reason, why AND i think the reason is just like the crazy smarts and athleticism of those, two and, again nothing to do with any deficiency Of Denud robinson And Breylan. Edwards but If i'm picking, characters in a video.
GAME i think they would just be more fun to play.
With it's great versus all time, great and there is a difference between the, Two SO i agree with. You final matchup, Dead Lamar jackson And DeVante parker For louisville Versus Adrian peterson And Kyler.
MURRAY i Guess i'm moving ou.
Forward, WOW i.
DON'T i, MEAN i thought the The Shawn Sammy watkins matchup was a little bit more. DIFFICULT i Think Devanta parker was a great, receiver but we're talking about to all timers And Kyler murray And Adrian. PETERSON i.
Agree moving, On, yeah not even gonna think twice about.
It lamar's an Al, teimer, period BUT i NEED i need two of.
Them Final, Four final Four TEXAS a AND M Johnny, Manzel Mike evans squaring off Against Tim tebow And Percy Harvin dan sort of inverted. Duos, yeah this is extremely. Difficult The manzell side of, THIS i think is THE x. Factor manziel's not gonna have the numbers Of Tim, tebow not even.
Close, WELL i only played two, years played.
Two, years so if you compare them at least heads, up you're gonna see That Tim tebow's got a clear advantage, there.
So laid relatively in the same, era And Johnny Manzel's heisman season was superior in terms of production and electricity To Tim. Tebow's does it.
Matter to you That tebow won a lot more Than manziel just in terms of, no you, know championships and high LEVEL A cec. Play, NO i mean the totality of The florida experience With Urban meyer Versus Kevin somelan and the defense That florida fielded for chunks Of Tim tebow's time there in terms OF nfl, Players and there were great players FOR a And m's defense, too but they were Just florida was a more complete. Team SO i don't Give Tim tebow Or Percy harvin credit for
just being on more complete. Teams if we're just looking at this duo in a, vacuum, RIGHT i Think i'm, Going i'm Going manziel.
And, Evans, okay why there was there's an element of top end speed and creativity For, Manzel AND i, mean What's Tim tebow's defining? Play the jump pass or like the touchdown run Against South carolina early on sort of weaving in and. Out it's something like, that Whereas Johnny manziel's is the ball popping out as he's getting rushed By alabama and then grabbing it and then throwing it to a wide OPEN i Believe Ryan swape or the play where he's just heaved it up after escaping a
bunch of pass rushers And Mike evans caught. It the end Of Tim tebow's career where he was just used as a battering ram is not as. Fun, Now Johnny manziel had down, games but even the good That Tim tebow did was sort of there was a lot of three yards in a cloud of dust or seven yards in a cloud of, dust but it wasn't that exciting to watch essentially an h back play quarterback on those running. Plays So Percy harvin brings that electricity, up that arcade element.
Up But i'm gonna roll With Johnny manziel And evans.
HERE i think if we're talking arcade, element the arcade element Is manziell And. Evans.
YEAH i, mean think About Bo jackson weaving in and out In Techmo Super. Bowl there is that element Of Johnny, manziel.
Almost reggie Bush.
Lake you could, Say, yeah, DEFINITELY i.
THINK i agree with, You, DAN i think I'M i Think i'm on board WITH a AND. M and that's really difficult for.
ME A Cotton bowl game Against oklahoma that he was fantastic and he had That duke, comeback and, YES i know it Was, duke But duke was okay that, year and possibly The chick Fil A.
BOWL i THINK i Go manziel And. EVANS i think it.
Was more, fun more fun To Johnny, manziel the best Of johnny manzielvint to the best Of.
Tiba the arcade, element to me is kind of key in determining That manziell is a. Pinball he was a pinball behind the line of scrimmage and he made circus plays on the. Regular whereas as he, Said Tim tebow again an all, timer let's be, clear all timer a million, touchdowns but definitely a different kind of. Player, Yeah manzell And, evans all, right, next next, up we've got Ed Reid nontrell role okay Versus Adrian peterson And Kyler. Murray this is this is.
DIFFICULT i, mean this is just an offensive electricity versus defense. Electricity this is.
Very difficult for, ME i feel Like i'm inclined to go Ed Reid nontrell role that is my.
Initial Adrian peterson. Fun Adrian peterson electric and? Fantastic was he? Fun more of a straight ahead, guy one cut and, Go unlike perhaps anybody other than Maybe Derrick henry in terms of that power and speed combination the modern, Era all due, respect who's that who's that running back For Notre, dame who's helmet popped? Off and he was like in a model post, McDaniel all due respect to, Right, Yeah Adrian peterson was a. MACHINE i think there's a. Man this is so.
Tough the answer here Is. Miami the answer here Is. Miami with no disrespect To Kyler, Murray Adrian peterson's an all. Timer BUT i feel like when we look back at the heyday of Edri Nontrell roll Versus Peterson, kyler my eye is drawn To. Miami my eye is drawn To miami because those two guys are just ridiculous out, there totally.
Ridiculous not to say the others. Weren't BUT i like the fact that we've got a defensive matchup here that's meaningful to me to be inclusive of that side of the football because we don't have much diversity in terms of positioning. Here it's a lot of quarterbacks and running backs or. RECEIVERS i like the fact that we've got two just boss defensive. Backs So i've given this one To. Miami, Okay so here we. Go final, Matchup Dan TEXAS a AND m And Johnny Manziel Mike evans squaring off in
our weird last second video game against The Miami. Hurricanes In Ed reid In entrell Roll, Dan.
Yeah you have a Lean, yeah My leen Is TEXAS a AND m because they complement each other physically in a way That Ed, reid an intro role on trail role don't necessarily. Do if we are parsing and picking apart this, matchup it's not like AND i know that we're going with associated. Positions But Ed reid not a huge safety in the way THAT i Believe Sean taylor was and who could have easily made this list. TOO i don't know the years he. Played if he, QUALIFIES
i believe he. Does oh. Man it's just that complimentary element and it's a position group luck factor That Mike evans is a big receiver And Johnny manziel is a, smaller speedier. Quarterback WHEREAS i think if we are literally playing pitting these two against each, other which we can do we can do in a video, game, POSITIONALLY i THINK i would give the. EDGE i think there is that mismatch element with Having Mike evans be as big
as he. WAS i can look up What Ed reid played At Ed Reid miami as a. Pro he looked like it was about two oh, five so not, small BUT i imagine In miami he, was you, know ten fifteen seventeen pounds. Less entrell ROLL nfl combine was two to oh. One, okay that's a pretty good size for A, dB but that's him probably putting on a few pounds for the. Combine and he's six feet Ed reid five eleven two oh, one so about the same size As, Manzelle whereas you're getting bodied By.
Mike, evans oh five six inches, taller twenty five pounds. MORE i think the answer here is. Clear It's manzell And, evans DAM i think think. SO i Think manzell And evans are our college Football jam national champions here.
Because did they get did they get a fortuitous? Path would you, say like would you have Taken manzell And. Evans let me see who they, Avoided so they didn't have to play Against they didn't have to play Against Notre Day sean And Sammy, watkins like didn't.
Have to play Against. Sean, yeah they Skipped Andrew lucke And christian. McCaffrey that's, Fine tua And davante because That Oklahoma clemson matchup was.
Brutal BUT i guess choosing, YEAH i guess transitive, WISE i would take AND i THINK i said this in round, One i'm gonna have a hard time picking anyone Over manzelle And.
Evans.
Right, well you think about playing a football video game just in, general is they're having that element of that huge pass catcher that you know you can count on third and. Eight that that is very telling of The Mike, Evans TEXAS a AND m. Experience, MAN i did not see this, coming to be. Honest great, matchup great put this. Matchup thank. You, yeah when we put this, TOGETHER i
didn't know. WHO i was. Thinking Probably. Oklahoma, now if we are looking At Kyler murray And Dede, Westbrook ceedee, lamb any of these like crazy, fast versatile receips instead of a workhorse running, back a straight ahead but physically crazy imposing running back in. AD i wonder if that changes the math on any of this the way that we grated.
Out if we did, Jeps, yeah if we Did kyler And Ceedee, Lamb, Right, so.
Who do we Have oklahoma losing To oklahoma has the deepest?
Bench to, me we Have oklahoma losing To. Miami.
Right so, hypothetically if we did Do Kyler murray And Cede lamb Or Hollywood brown or any of these guys that were just total game, breakers does that change anything for?
YOU i still THINK i probably go Ed Reed natrell. Role but, okay it's it is slightly different, calculus isn't. It, yeah if it's something Like kyler And Cede, lamb or even if it's Like, baker.
Even if It's, Baker, yeah and one of those.
Guys SO i agreed to the extent That oklahoma's got a very very deep bench. Here there were some, teams as you, know we went through we struggled to find who the right counterparts would. Be good teams, Too, yeah good. Teams we're not talking bad teams, here but really good. Teams but we did not have that problem with With oklahoma at. All it was pretty clear that we had a number of guys we could pick.
From did you like THAT i pivoted to what if they actually played near the end of the. Game, YEAH i just added an element to my. Qualifications, yeah that's WHAT i.
Do all. Right so it's Late, april Late. April thank. YOU i am going, TO i, guess make A pdf out of. This oh, nice make it posted theF out of. This i'm going to make a crack and. Pdf, Yeah i'm going to post it somewhere and you, know, writing let us know solverblegmail dot. Com let us know your thoughts on our selections, here the, pathway the, bracket the
whole nine. Yards would as always welcome your feedback on where we got it, right where we got it, wrong mostly where we got it, wrong because we know people are going to be talking about.
That but so there is another what if in, here and that's if we went offense With Ohio, state and if we, did Like Justin fields And Zeke, elliott.
Would you Mention Zeke elliott the other?
Day did we we? Didn't somebody corrected us because we're surely going to forget people and you WANT. Jk. Dobbins, sure we could put IN. Jk dobbins. TOO i don't know if that changes the math for. You ON A, Kyler fields.
And zeke is very, formidable isn't.
It would you Do fields And zeke over To shaun And? SAMMY i think?
SO i think. So remember how Good zeke was in?
College of COURSE i, remember, Ty, yeah just, checking just making you forget. That so would you Take fields And zeke Over kyler AND a D? M? PROBABLY i might have Interesting, OKAY i still want to see why we. SHOULD i wouldn't have taken them over Man zell And, evans no, Chance. OKAY i mean this is why we should post the bracket and see how people fill it.
Out, yeah, OKAY i will get on. THAT i. WILL i will figure out some way to. Engagement, yeah to get engagement and content out of. This soliverble dot com is a. Website don't forget to check that. Out, also don't forget WHAT i said at the top of the. Show submissions at soliverble dot. Com if you are a perspective, writer if you've got something to say in the college football, world you want to give us a, submission show us what you can.
Do, yeah we.
ARE i don't. Know maybe we're going to build out some editorial this. Coming.
See, yeah we've got some plans.
Submissions at soliverble dot. Com don't forget to follow on on. Social don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter either out in our website at soliverble dot com or at newsletter dot soliverble dot. Com SO i got dam that's. ALL i have college Football jam in the. Books we will be back next. Week in the, meantime for that guy over, there a good, Friend Dan, rubinstein for, Myself Tie, hild and the. Brand we'll talk to y'all. Soon have a good, weekend stay say stay so peace