¶ Intro & Verballer Top 12
Welcome to the solid verbal ull 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 woo woom?
And then and tie me Tuesday, Inn Rubinstein, how are you, my friend?
I'm great. I was just thinking as we started, because this is sort of a leftovers slash look ahead show, that it's sort of the opposite of a letdown look ahead sandwich, because we're not let down in any way, but the leftover element. I was thinking about what foods
are better left over. Maybe we can circle back to that business term at the end of the episode, but I was just thinking about, like chili brownies, those types of thing where like the flavor just intensifies overnight and so on that note, maybe the solid verbal flavoring tie has intensified since Saturday night.
How about that? I think it's entirely possible. And you're right. This is that show where we go back through the leftover thoughts. We go through a few odds and ends that we did not have a chance to address. We do take a look forward. We're going to play a game. We got a suggestion from the Verballer hood. It's going to be a jam packed show here now as we've had about two days to let week three percolate. Yeah, think it through. What does this mean?
Dan?
That's what we're out here to try and decipher on today's episode. So we'll do that. We want to welcome everybody back. If you are new here, hit follow, hit subscribe. If you've been here a while now, I would ask you tell one friend, one friend. If everybody who listens to this show regularly tells one friend, even pillow Talk, Tie, pillow Talk, if that Vie, I can't.
Who's to say? You're with somebody special, still celebrating a Cinemax Saturday and you're just this is this is the script? Tie, you say, hey, Hey, I know things are going really well. What if you subscribe to both the YouTube channel and podcast version of the solid verb.
This is not unlike the Seinfeld episode where George tries to incorporate the pastrami into the bedroom activities.
Media college football content.
Tell one friend, one front, don't care when you tell them, but tell one friend about the show. We would appreciate that. Yeah, we will talk momentarily about Verballers dot com and what that all entails, because we do have an new Verballer top twelve pole that we want to discuss. But of course you can find us across all the social media channels.
You can of course always send us a text throughout the course of the week at eight, five, five, Verbal three, and as we get into week four, that's when we open the reverbal line backup for voice messages and the like. But yeah, babe, it has been a very very active couple weeks in the verballerhood in terms of your feedback, and we're gonna, as I said, incorporate some of that into today's show without further ado. Though we do have
a new verbaler top twelve pole. This is something that people out at verballers dot com can whether you're a certified or premium for baller, you go and check out what that means with the ad free episodes and the bonus content, the discord access, you name it. There's a bunch of perks that you get when you sign up to be a voter. But we have a new poll.
It's a little bit different. Okay, Texas is now the new number one team that kind of echoes what we have seen In other polling across the college football ether, it's Texas one, Georgia two, Ohio State three, Alabama four. Tennessee has continued its upward trajectory. They are now the new number five team, ahead of Ole Miss and Miszoo. We've got six teams, by the way, from the SEC that are in this or ball or top twelve poll. And then to round things out, we've got Miami at eight, Oregon,
your organ ducs at nine. We've got the Penn State and Nindee Lyons my alma mater at ten, followed by USC and Utah. I don't know if you've got any great reaction to that. I will add that the others receiving votes is quite interesting because we've got k State and Oplaha, which we're both in that category a week ago. Also Oklahoma is in there. Also, Nebraska is starting to get some love and in others receiving votes. Top twelve for Nebraska feels a little rich. At this point, we
will figure out more. We're going to talk about the Illinois game that's going to be played on Friday night. It's a rank battle between Nebraska and Illinois. We can get to that later on, but nice to see them getting a little bit of love here. Do you have any reaction to this.
I'd like to see more before feeling incredible about Utah in this moment. And I know it's a cam rising injury situation, So yeah, I think Utah should be floating in there. Kansas State's win was very nice against Arizona, so I appreciate them in there. Oklahoma State, I don't know they've they've laid some lumber tie, but I think it's it's largely fine. I would probably have USC ahead of Penn State in this moment. If this is a week to week we have, Yeah, I would put USC
ahead of Penn State. I might even put USC ahead of Oregon with Oregon's early struggles. Struggles, but I understand that, you know, the Oregon looked a lot stronger. But I don't know. With what USC did against LSU in Week one and then shut out Utah State, I know there are lingering concerns about their defense. We'll learn a lot more. It's Michigan week correct.
Correct favorite on the road, Favorite on the road.
Five and a half six points, USC favored coming off of bye Yeah, I would I would give consideration there and obviously Texas making the leap over Georgia. I think I would still take Georgia if we were playing on a neutral site this coming week after what Georgia did against Clemson still in Week one. But I get it. I get Texas, Texas ascent, especially with arch Manning coming in and losing nothing against a struggling UTSA.
I'll tell you my reaction to this. Yeah, Frankly, my reaction in looking at this and seeing how heavy it is with SEC and Big ten teams, for sure, it's are we going to get to a point where we're talking about the playoff where both the Big twelve and the ACC only get one team apiece and it's their conference champion, right, which I don't think anybody wants. I don't want that. The way that this early season polling is shaking out, it is screaming that that's a possibility.
Way too early to make any projections on that front. But if that is the case, and we get one G five team in one Big twelve team and one ACC team, there's going to be a very very interesting discussion later on in the year about which Big ten and which SEC teams make it in this great This is very very top heavy. Now with respect to the top teams in each of those.
Conferences, I'm circling October twenty fourth in terms of teams not in this top twelve yet. Do you know what October twenty fourth gives us tie?
Please tell me?
Uh Pitt hosting Syracuse? I don't know, man, Yeah, I'm ready. I'm ready for the implied a sense of one of those teams into our Verballer Top twelve. Maybe follow that that week is going to decide big things to me.
We're going to talk about the Syracuse game that's being played late in the week.
That's true.
A little bit later on in this episode is an ACC classic. An ACC classic, Yes, between Stanford and Syracuse. We're going to preview those weekday games here towards the back half of this episode. So that's your Uverballer Top twelve pole again. You can sign up to vote atverballers dot com. Let's get to those leftovers. It's to a little bit of a flashback leftover thoughts from week three, Dan, what are some games? What are some takes that you conjured up as you were thinking back over the last
forty eight hours or so to week three? What is popping up in your head.
I just took out the legal pad. I'm showing it to the camera that people watching on YouTube can see or our live stream on Fox Sports too. Thank you, Ty, don't tell them.
Don't tell them. Okay, we've hacked the matrix and we've we've broadcasted our pirates signal up there without it.
How long would it take a Fox Sports executive to learn that we have been like paying somebody behind the scenes that controls the Fox Sports two feet I guess it would be like people like upset that they're bull riding or F four racing something like that wasn't being shown, so we'd be found out.
But we could go. We could do that for three weeks before being found out.
If we stream this at three am.
Three weeks, I give it three weeks.
Fox Sports two three am one, it would be three weeks. You're absolutely right.
How do you even get Fox Sports too? I don't even know how to watch it.
I have no clue. I think it's it's deep on cable packages something. If you have a sports package. How much could it cost us to pay Fox to air this show, not even have them pay us, like to buy airtime on Fox Sports two at three am, seventy five dollars a week.
Does anyone know anyone at Fox Sports two we could technically launder a title for ourselves like TV stars Ty Hilde, Brandon,
¶ Leftover Week 3 Thoughts
Dan Rubenstein, Fox Sports two, three am every Friday.
Okay, on my legal pathge, what do you guys in my note?
What do you go?
Okay? Is it time to Readjust Arizona thoughts? After last week in the wide Open Big twelve, they have a buye before Utah and traveling to a resurgent byu Jake Rhetz laugh getting it done for the Cougars. South Alabama dropped eighty seven points this week.
We're going to talk about them too, because they're going to preview that Thursday game against that state. But I believe this hits one of your fantasy things, doesn't.
It absolutely done? Eighty burger? Absolutely?
You talked about the September eighty burger. Who is going to put up the September eighty burger? I believe as a context for that and South Alabama they almost got the ninety. They scored eighty seven points.
And that was their first win. I believe, Yes, they were gone in two now UNLV is currently ranked. They are for the first time I believe ever in either poll UNLV football. They have a buye before Fresno and the Juggernaut that is the Syracuse Orange.
The Juggernaut. One thing that I found interesting kind of on that point, if I could expand it a little bit. ESPN made some headlines because the updated their FPI, which I believe they update every week. Per the FPI, these are the teams that are most likely to make the playoff from the G five, all right, so they update. They have a little column that says playoff percentage. Yes, the top five are Boise State one, Memphis two, UNLV three.
Just pretty high for UNLV given some preseason expectations.
Agree, I wasn't as high as I should have been, apparently.
And then NIU and Toledo. I did the MAC preview and I was high on both those teams within the context of the MAC. In the context of the playoff, the MAC has acquitted itself pretty well playing out of conference against some of these power opponents. Obviously, NIU is the one that people.
They have to signature G five win thus far.
And it probably will be the remainder of the season. But Toledo beat Mississippi State. I do want to talk abou Misissippi State a little bit. We'll get there. Beyond that, though, teams like USF and Tulane and Fresno and Coastal, even Army.
USF has that opportunity this week, right, they have Miami.
They have Miami this week. Yeah, even Army. These are all teams that are ahead of two that we were pretty high on that we have not mentioned yet. Liberty an app State. Probably app State is lower. They're at currently one percent.
Nice comeback Land against ECU, fell down sixty nothing I want.
To say to start they won twenty one nineteen. Yeah, they're probably lower because they lost by forty six to Clemson. That's a bad loss. It wouldn't be a bad loss if it weren't by forty six to Clemson, but losing by forty six to a power conference team is definitely going to leave a dent. And Liberty because Liberty doesn't play anyone. Liberty is right now at thirty percent three point one percent. Will they play app State? Yes they do, And that was kind of where I was going with this.
That game is in week five, Week four this weekend, so not this weekend, but the weekend after and week five it's Liberty and app State in what I think amounts to a de facto playing game, not to win anything, just to remain in this conversation. Yeah, because whoever loses this game, I think is out. That's how I would
interpret these percentages for whatever they're worth. So, if the G five is your thing, and that's something that you're curious about now in this playoff era, obviously they're all competing to try and get into this thing. That game in week five between app State and Liberty is definitely taking on the form of a game that's going to be very, very significant, per that conversation, So just keep that in the backs of your minds.
Two things Boise plays UNLV I think on a Friday night, the twenty fifth, So that makes that Pitt Syracuse game. By the way, that's a Thursday night. Or we get some spicy acc action that night, so that'll be a fun weekend either way. Okay, next thing, Ole Miss immediately stomped Wake Forest. Did you see that? Wake Forest then immediately canceled next year's return game breaking.
I'm not gonna yell. I need to conserve my voice here if I'm going to make it through this season. But y's okay, Yeah, I saw I had somebody right to me and say you need to play breaking news for that one. So this one's for you, old friend.
I respect that. I respect that immensely. Leave no doubt as to where you stand about this matchup. Here's the thing with ole Miss thus far, because we haven't had a lot of reason to talk about ole Miss. They've taken care of business pretty emphatically. They didn't allow a touchdown to Wake Forest. So if going into the season we said, yeah, I mean, look, they had Walter Nolan. He's the big headline name along the defensive line that
they've added. But it's going to be the defense that is going to help to define what ole Miss's ceiling is this year, especially after what they weren't able to do on defense in the SEC against in their two losses. That that becomes more interesting because their defense is good enough in this moment. I don't I think they have written down here Georgia Southern before Kentucky at South Carolina at LSU. So we really aren't going to know anything for at least a couple of weeks about what ole
Miss truly can be. But not allowing a touchdown in four quarters to wake Forest not nothing because that game was almost immediately in garbage time.
It's not nothing, and again probably too early to start unpacking the stat profiles for any of these teams. You have to take them all with a grain of salt, although I will reference it in some of my leftover thoughts. Number one rushing defense, Number one success rate allowed right, not quite as good against the past. These are opponent adjusted. These are those numbers that remove garbage time stats, things
of that nature. Defense is paced ahead right now of where they were a year ago, and I think a pretty significant way. So just something to keep an eye on with Old Miss, because as you said, they did do a lot of work in the transfer portal to try and beef up that side of things.
I have this under maybe nothing, maybe something. Ollie Gordon and the Oklahoma State rushing attack has been very ordinary thus far against not great defenses. Interesting we hold him to a higher standard. I don't know if he is nicked up. I don't know if the offensive line is beat up. Whatever it is, maybe nothing, maybe something.
That's interesting, especially when taken in concert with what I talked about in the preseason, which was Oli Gordon's stats were through the roof obviously, Yeah, but the line stats for Oklahoma State a year ago were not. And the implication there is that what Ali Gordon did was by virtue of his own talent and not with the line giving them all that much support last season. Has something changed,
as he said, not necessarily against great rushing defenses. We'll see as they get it more into the meat of their schedule. We're going to talk about a banger of a game this weekend. I don't think should give us a little bit more of a tell there, but definitely something to keep an eye on for sure.
Oklahoma State. Yeah, Oklahoma State has the passing attack to jump out to Leeds, but to win a four quarter game, hopefully you can do more than just throw the ball. You can you have difference that you can play at ye and I think they certainly need that. The next thing is I watched every snap of Davis Warren in
the Michigan offense against Arkansas State. I don't know if this season is done for in terms of Michigan, but man right side of the offensive line, the center was blown off the ball a bunch.
You know.
The positive thing is I really like Kalel Mullings. I mentioned that before. I like them even more after watching every snap. Davis Warren I don't actually hate that much, but he just has those decisions where like we're not talking about tipped balls, we're not talking about a receiver running the wrong way. He just threw it to Arkansas State over and over three. I think three picks in
that game. Three picks in that game, yeah, Cup, I think it was a couple in the first half and then one in the second and Alex Orgy came in missed a wide open man deep. I wonder, and maybe you can't really do it on the fly. If you're talking about an offensive line that is a mixed bag at best. I think Michigan playing hardball ball is kind of a huge mistake with the personnel on this team, and the receivers might be pretty good. It's just I think it's the wrong system, Like how would we know
with these receivers. I think they should be I don't know if cheesing is the right word, but leaning into maybe it takes you know, you got to do it in the bye week, like play a little bit more creative pickleball, a little bit more rpo pickleball, still running slants stuff, But like, I don't know, I think Mulling's and Donovan Edwards rightfully, so we're gonna get a lot of attention from defenses. I just I would take this game, this team, in this offense away from the lap of
the offensive line. I mean when they're running, well, they're using a lot of like fullback and multiple tight ends and stuff like that. I don't know. I would say, like, how much money could Dan Mullen truly need to come in and be a consultant to turn this Michigan offense. Yeah, he'd do it for free. He might just like on a zoom call once a week with Dan Mullen or something whoever's available. So that was my thought after watching that.
I don't know if you had any additional Michigan Arkansas State thoughts of USC this weekend.
I have a Michigan State thought please for what that's worth. We mentioned Michigan State as a surprise three to zero team on the recap show, and the opponents have been FAU. They were on the road at Maryland. They won that game by three. Prairie View this past weekend they shut out forty to nothing. Not the toughest sleep. Okay, this week is the week where they start to get into more of the meat of that schedule. They've got Boston College in their next nine games, their favored to lose
eight of them. This is where I think we start seeing what is what is going on here. One thing I noticed, though, is on the defensive side of the ball, which was a problem last season. They were given up close to twenty nine points a game, twenty eight points a game somewhere in that neighborhood. Thus far, we're three weeks in. The competition hasn't been great. That number is all the way down to eleven point three. So you might look at that and say, ah, well, what's scoring defense.
That's a number that can get skewed. Doesn't mean anything. And I'd say I agree with that completely. That's why we don't use it generally. But then you look at the per play numbers, then you look at the opponent adjusted numbers. You chop out the garbage time stuff. Again, I will reiterate what I've been saying all season long.
You got to give these numbers a little bit of a chance to cook before you can fully trust them, but it is still meaningful to look at them and see where any team is ranking relative to where they were a year ago. They are much much better defensively with their defensive success rates, their efficiency is much higher, much better against the pass. There's been a really big jump, specifically in havoc rate, specifically in converting pressures into sacks.
So we talked about how this was a veteran unit coming in. They just need a better organization, They needed better numbers. Frankly, I believe we're seeing some indication that things are going in a good direction. These numbers are probably going to regress as they get into the heart of their schedules.
Well no, I mean they have FAU four more times this season.
This is probably gonna be the high water mark for the defense. I don't want to be misquoted here, but I just I think it is a positive early indicator that Jonathan Smith has them better organized that Joe Rossi, their new DCU they brought over from Minnesota, that they are finding a way to tap into that veteran leadership and just get a lot more out of them. It feels like maybe the plan is working to some degree.
Yeah, and look, Joe Rossi speaks Big ten. You know he does.
He does. So that's one thing that I that I took away from last week that it wouldn't didn't really have much of a chance to unpack. The other thing is you or UCF. Excuse me, Okay, we can maybe talk about USF on the Week four recap. I won't go there yet, but UCF is three and zero. They edged out TCU on the road, really good game. That was a good game. Per ESPN's updated FPI, UCF has now the best odds of the Big twelve.
You know, I came into the season pretty high on the nights ted rufy both standing. We both did made nice adjustments in the second half. I don't know how many points they allowed in the second half against TCU. They fell down pretty big, but came back very nicely. Thirty percent is.
The likelihood that ESPN gives UCF of winning the Big Twelve, and that puts them ahead of k State, which is at twenty five percent, Oklahoma State, about fourteen percent in Utah, which is currently at ten So meaningful right now, meaningful Per one set of numbers that I found, they're projected to lose to Iowa State in Utah and finished ten and two. But here's the thing about that of their remaining nine games, seven of them project as one score contests,
So it's early sp plus numbers I check. Those seem significantly better on both offense and defense for the Knights as compared to last season. This is schedule looks workable. We've been saying it for a while. Now it's workable. They've got Florida in a couple of weeks. They do probably an open question as to whether that's a Billy Napier Florida at this point given the way things have gone.
Just keep your eye on UCF because those numbers are high and they are dynamic and relative to what's going on elsewhere in the conference.
Here are the quarterbacks, by the way, that UCF has remaining for its defense to contend with Shador Sanders, some combination of Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway, your guy, Brendan sorosby your guy the bore the best or yeah, the best of all Rocos. Is that what you're calling?
That's correct?
Rocobacks a resurgent once again. Jake Rhetz, laugh byu or Boy Noah Fafida, Sam Levitt, what had a nice day with Texas State, whatever, Garrett Green, hopefully Cam Rising.
Yeah, it's good.
That's a good called ross quarterbacks that this defense has to contend with.
That's a good crop. So and this is I think only going to further the point of you can see what you want about projections. Yeah, but whether or not UCF wins those games or loses those games, what the numbers are saying is that they're going to be tight with all of their opponents Licen Snock from here on out, and that makes them a really good TV show for those agree.
Well, and especially now that we have the knowledge that they'll they'll come back from twenty one point deficit or whatever. Yeah, absolutely will. Okay, next I have well this will get into in a moment, but like Illinois and Nebraska are both ranked and playing Friday night Friday Night. Illinois was a little bit too sloppy in that first half to make me feel incredible about Illinois COMMA ranked team. But the duo of like that they're winning in a way
that is strange for a Brettyloma team to me. I mean, I threw the ball a lot when Bilamo was at Arkansas, but offensive line has not been good this year. The running game has not been good this year. Luke Altmeyer has been above average. The duel of Pat Bryant and Zakari Franklin has been very good. I just know how long they're going to be ranked without an offensive line, But good story thus far held Kansas under twenty. I believe three picks. NC State has some issues. Man, I'm
worried about them. I kind of don't understand it either. Yeah, it's one thing if you're just sort of average, it's another if it feels like week in and week out you're on the fringes of losing to bad teams. Teams you should not be worse Western Carolina and this one was Louisiana Tach.
Yeah, Like, I'm not that down on La Tech. I kind of like the general like vibe of the program. I think that maybe headed in a good direction, but they've got some work to do there. If NC State's nearly half as good as we expected, that shouldn't be something we're even talking about in this show.
Yeah, a standard issue. NC State should have at least hung around for a chunk of the Tennessee game or scored a chunk during the ten, like there should have been something to indicate NC State is competitive. There have been offensive line issues, especially in the run game. Grayce McCall left the game against Louisiana Tech injured. I think it was like a little bit before halftime. I want
to say he even healthy, I don't. It doesn't seem immediately like a great fit for this offense, Like he's not great throwing a deeper ball, and so I don't know where that leaves us with the Wolfpack. CJ. Bailey was who came in true freshman, was Jeremiah Smith's quarterback in high school. Big kid confirmed that he is six to six time. He's not a five to ten that I'm claiming a six to six. He is a confirmed he's on the thinner side. He's like six six buck eighty,
but looks like he could have a higher ceiling. And you don't want to put too much on a true freshman, but I don't know. They've struggled running the ball, and that potentially opens up if they're able because they have good receivers that maybe they just need that shot in the arm of somebody new under center and sort of take the lumps that come with it. But yeah, it's been a struggle this year in ways that I don't I don't think I saw coming.
Well, I don't think even people who cover NC States saw it coming. I mean reading Corey Smith we had on the show this summer, and there's definitely a fair amount of confusion as to how it got here. And to your point on Grace and McCall, actually I'm glad you brought that up. I little stocked him alone situation here, because I've got a kind of a spin off of
that I'll want to take it, Carl. But it's it's striking to me that there isn't a whole lot of positive talk out there about Grace and McCall thus far.
Oh it's been, and hopefully it's explained away by something else, because I think he's a talented guy, but it has not been pretty throwing the ball, you know, longer than like eight yards? I have Arkansas's about to be such a good TV show. Whatever happens, We'll hold that thought. Let's hold that thought. Let's hold that thought. I have one more thing here.
I don't know how many leftover thoughts you have. I have got one continue. I have one big one left that I wanted to lead to something of a discussion between you and I because we brought this up just privately when we were chatting through things. I think on Saturday, as we were getting ready for the recap show, I went through I looked at twenty four to sevens list of the top transfer quarterbacks from this previous portal cycle. These lists don't mean anything. They don't They're like rankings
in week three. Okay, it's going to change a million times over, but it was something to go by. This was the ranking of the top transfer quarterbacks. I looked at it, and then I filtered it out based on guys who are actually starting for their teams. I think it's a really interesting discussion to try and figure out truly who is the best transfer quarterback through three weeks
of the season. Because right now, if you take the top sixteen quarterbacks that are actually starting for their respective schools, here's what it looks like if you filter that list down. Aiden Chiles Okay, hit or miss. So far, cam Ward's been good, cam Woard's been excellent, cam Wore has been great. He's probably the answer A brock Van a Griff, Yeah, Malik Murphy, we saw Malik Murphy throw against Northwestern that I thought left a little bit to be desired.
Upside, but yeah, not consistent yet.
Will Howard maybe the product of his environment, but serviceable right, has.
Been more than serviceable right if he is excellent at Ohio State. The early returns indicated.
I was very high on Will Howard coming into the season. Riley Leonard's a big old right now.
I'm going to extend grace just because of injury stuff, but continue injury stuff.
Good at running the football, definitely has his legs back under him. Yeah, but throwing the ball that's been kind of a nightmare.
Tricky.
The Kwan Finn at Baylor, yeah, beat up, didn't play last week now, Dylan Gabriel, who was shaky I think before this past week. Yeah, dju not even going to have that discussion. Your guy Kyle McCord, Oh my god, monster, who also has a claim as the answer to this question. Will Rogers has been fine for Washington TVD is hurt, probably done for the year. Brendan Soorsby at Cincinnati I think has been something of a revelation at the quarterback position.
He's been good. Max Brozmer will wait and see at Minnesota. Yeah, Grayson McCall had just talked about Grace McCall and then Curtis Rourke, who's been incredible, excellent for Indiana. But that's your top sixteen. Yeah, and so it's striking to me that of those guys, I can bold fase seven of them and say, yeah, these guys have been pretty good.
Yeah, but no.
More than that.
Yeah, there's very little to go on, right, Like what's more impressive Dylan Gabriel against Oregon State or cam Ward against Florida. And I guess that's much more of a knock on where Florida is right now as an opponent that their Oregon State ish with how Oregon State has been depleted. Will Howard hasn't played anybody that's the case against him. Tyler Shuck hasn't played anybody that's the case against him. You didn't even bring up Shuck.
But I didn't even bring up Shuck in that, And that's sort of the point, right. This is just a larger conversation about do lists mean anything? Do rankings mean anything? Because guys that are not part of that top list. Jordan McLeod at Texas State has been really good. kJ Jefferson at UCF you just talked.
About you see, I think he's in that conversation for sure.
He should be our guy. Matt Sluka at UNLV has been very very good, if not excellent, at running the football. Yeah, Diego Pavia something of a revelation at big Win lost to Georgia State this passage Georgia Eli Holstein at Pitt Hello, he's easily in the top five of this. I agree, Tyler Shuck not in that top grouping. Taylor Green not in that top grouping. These are struggle against u AB, struggled some against you AB, they won, And I think
he's He's raw still but obviously very talented. My bigger point here is transfer quarterbacks are a coin flip as to whether or not they're going to work. Transfer quarterbacks are really difficult to rank. You can rank them in theory, but when you put them in their system, you either have a Grayson McCall which maybe it doesn't work, or
you have a Curtis for work where it's working famously. Right, take these lists with a grain assault, use them as a reference, but do not treat them as gospel, because for sure, there are a lot of guys that are lower on this list. Who are I think outpacing some of the names, some of the bigger names that were much higher at the start of the season.
Yeah, next two or three weeks, A lot of these teams have big games. I don't think Oregon does, Organ's on by, but cam Ward I believe has Virginia Tech. He has USF this week, and then Virginia Tech. I believe. I don't have their schedule in front of me. You know, you see F schedule. We just went over pitt schedule. I assume is going to continue to have challenges on it because the a SEC seems wide open. Again, I don't have it in front of me. Yeah, this would
be great. And the interesting thing about this conversation too, is with somebody like Eli Holstein or and I'm not being goofy here with Kyle McCord, is they come in with either a new coordinator or a whole new head coach or whatever, and their presence has been the catalyst and you know, the the engine for change. Right. We haven't seen a pit offense in a couple of years.
And then Eli Holstein and cade Bell I want to say, come in and Eli Holstein is like the embodiment of the new Pit offense, and Kyle McCord is the embodiment of a much more productive Syracuse offense thus far, So you know that might be a little bit more meaningful. Whereas like Dylan Gabriel, if Dylan Gabriel is vaguely bo Nicks, that's a success story, but it's nothing new for Oregon. So we'll see, can't wait.
It is a broader point that we have made the last couple of years now, especially as a transfer portal has become more of a presence in college football, that you cannot assume a big quarterback name is going to equal big quarterback output. A lot of these guys I listed, even if they're not necessarily in the top grouping of what we have seen so far among transfers. Haven't all been disasters. That's not the implication, right, They've been fine
in many cases. But again, you cannot assume as fact that somebody stepping into a new position, whether it's because of the system around him or the talent around him, you just cannot assume that they're going to hit right away. It looks like a coin flip. That's what we've been saying That's what this amounts to here through three weeks of the year, right, that's where I'm at.
Okay, next, I have well I mentioned the Arkansas thing. Virginia Tech a nice comfortable win against ODU. They have Rutgers and at Miami, so there's a revenge factor against Rutgers from last year. By the way, another quarterback we haven't mentioned is athen caliac Manis Rutgers been solid.
Been Okay.
Vandy couldn't hold on against Georgia State. They had to come back. They scored late. Georgia State came back with a seventy five yard drive with a touchdown fifteen seconds left in the game. Andy needed that to get to a ball. Hank Brown at Auburn, Yeah, was good. It was New Mexico. Auburn doesn't always succeed against teams from
New Mexico. Hank Brown, welcome to college football. Sawyer Robertson was good right for Baylor against Air Force Bryce in Washington looks like he could be quite fun for Baylor. I mentioned Retz laugh twice now it was Wyoming, but he looked very good. My final item, Cal ran the hell out of the ball against San Diego State doesn't have a great defense this year. No, Jada not beat up. Jvan Thomas, Cadarius Callaway, and Dude performances for Cal.
And Cal's got Florida State this week.
Yeah, that was the late game. That game was happening as we were recording. Cal has Florida State. They make up one of the eight teams that look very difficult all of the sudden for Florida State.
One of the things that we did this offseason where we were updating our Patreon tiers out of for Bowlers dot Com, we wanted to give that community an opportunity to have more input into what we do on this episode as it to look back, as it's one of these things each week where we have a chance to take a step back and look around college football to see what's going on. So we decided we're going to take a suggested topic each week and turn it into a game. Would you like to play a game of
over under? Dan?
I would love to.
Let's play over or under. That's our girl, Nancy back from her vacation. Great introing this segment. This one comes to us from verbal or Kyle. Kyle says the SEC needs a deeper dive because it seems like there have been a lot of underwhelming showings this year. Yeah, our game of over under is not what you think. Our game is SEC overwhelmed or SEC underwhelmed. I've got seven teams here. Oh, I want to talk through these quickly. We do not need to spend ten minutes per team.
But these are teams that have been obviously on the radar, they're in the SEC, and in some cases we haven't talked a whole lot about them. So it's very simple, Dan, I will throw out a team name. You will tell me overwhelmed, underwhelmed based on what you've seen so far. Okay, I'm ready, easy one to start, Tennessee volunteers. Have you
¶ SEC Over(whelming)/Under(whelming)
been overwhelmed or have you been underwhelmed by?
Wow? See me personally overwhelmed. Absolutely. I think that's easy, very little to complain about.
If anything. I think we start with an easy one.
Oklahoma this week.
Oklahoma is my next team on the list. Okay, but they play this week, Yes, they play this week. Okay, I've been underwhelmed by Oklahoma so far. Same, I've been underwhelmed, And I think the text messages that we received from the Oklahoma Overballerhood sort of confirmed that, and I read one of those off on one of our episodes last week. It's striking to me that you get different answers from Oklahoma fans as to why the vibes aren't as strong
as aid Hope. In some cases it's the quarterback. In other cases it's the running game, which has not been good. Some cases offensive coordinator, it's a coordinator, the play calling with Seth Latrell. The fact that it's been all over the map like that I do not take as a good sign. Now they're home this week against Tennessee. Maybe this is their opportunity to kind of get back on
the straight and narrow. But it sounds like among the Oklahoma people that listen to us, the fact that they're underwhelmed is meaningful because I feel it too, and they're watching the team a lot more closely than I am. So I think we're in agreement.
We're in agreement with being underwhelmed. And I think you're right that it speaks to the state of Oklahoma that the die hards, the people that watch every single snap and read everything that everybody says, whatever, that nobody can come to like a consensus top three things that are wrong with Oklahoma that like, you would take it pretty
harshly and personally. If I said, Ty, these are the five least favorite part arts of your face and you're like, I'm sorry, You're counting five parts of my face that you take issue with, right, That'd be tough. So that's that's where we are.
Mississippi State, I think get a little bit of a pass, but obviously underwhelmed after the Toledo loss.
It wasn't just a loss, it was a comfortable drubbing.
They got beat down. Their performance versus their sp plus projection was negative thirty two. Yeah, negative thirty two. They were twenty points worse on defense and twelve points worth worse on offense. So the fact that they bottomed out in the way that they did against Toledo, which is not a great offensive team, that's very underwhelming. And this is a rebuilding situation. They're not gonna be good this year. They're never gonna be good this year, but that one,
that one left a mark for me. If I'm being real, I gotta say underwhelmed solely based on that game.
This is the Nick Saban Louisiana Monroe moment for Jeff Levy and Mississippi State. Yeah, Mississippi State underwhelming so far, but obviously given the last you know, eighteen months or so for Mississippi State, willing to extend some grace, but Toledo shouldn't be included in that grace blanket, probably in this moment. But yeah, it's been a full roster turnover.
Continue Texas A and M Dan Texas A and M I've been pleasantly slightly overwhelmed by to open your season against a noted AIM team and show a good amount of fight, especially on defense. I'm not going to say that I'm fully overwhelmed by them even after the Florida game, just because I think quarterback questions kind of persist, like where they're going to be long term in terms of Connor Wegman's health, and you know, the upside of Marcel
Reed is obvious, but I don't know. We're what two three games into the mic Elco Era, I would say, I'm yeah, it's a it's not a full gust of overwhelming, but it's a gentle overwhelming breeze.
TI. I was impressed by what they did on the road against Florida this past week and that's not to say that Florida is any kind of great team. We were both on Florida though they were at home. They were a four point dog.
I let my DJ Lagway emotions get the best of me, and that happens.
I tried to filter those out, and I still liked Florida's chances in that game. Okay, but A and M just sort of blow them out. It really wasn't really wasn't a close game.
Yeah, feisty defense. I like them.
I think I'm slightly overwhelmed as well. Yeah, I think I'm in agreement with you. Where do you stand on Auburn? I am underwhelmed by Auburn in this moment? Are you underwhelmed by Auburn the version that had Peyton Thorn? And you feel better now about Hank Brown?
No? Because it's New Mexico, I don't care. T Mac had seven hundred and eighteen yards against New Mexico in Week one. I don't know what we consider all due respect to Bronco, Mendenhull and the Lobos, I just don't know what we can consider a performance against New Mexico to be because they played a Cal team that I think has some fight in them, but I don't think
they're gonna win nine or ten games. I think there's still gonna be a bowl ish team Cal and if they're going with Hank Brown the rest of the way, Okay, I'm intrigued. I'm definitely intrigued by a Hank Brown Auburn team in ways that I wasn't with Peyton Thorn. But paint Thorn is also like laid the lumber against terrible teams. So I don't know. I'm still a little bit underwhelmed because that Cal game at home was an opportunity to say, here is the two point zero version of Hugh Freeze's Auburn,
and you know it's Hugh Freeze. I saw some stories. I think they was sort of taken out of context, a little bit like throwing players under the bus and said the coaches called a near perfect game against Cal. I don't think the full context was there, but I don't know. At home against that team like that was a nice opportunity to show up the progress that we had been hoping to see from Auburn.
What strikes me about Auburn stop me when you get to a game here on the schedule, I'm ready that feels like a gimmey win. Okay, a team that you look at and you say, yeah, Auburn is definitely better than that team. This week Arkansas. I don't think you can say that about Arkansas.
He said it's Arkansas at home.
Arkansas at home. Okay, Next week Oklahoma at home. Definitely not a gimme.
Not a gimme.
Week six on the road at Georgia, definitely.
Not not a gimme.
They're on by week seven, maybe that's the answer. But the gate on the road at Missoo, definitely not a gimme. Week nine on the road at Kentucky. Kentucky didn't look great, but I still don't think that's a gimme. Right, And then week ten the answers Vanderbilt, I don't think it's a gimme.
And then maybe it's after what is not against Diego Pavia other than lose.
Maybe then it's week twelve after another buye against Louisiana Monroe.
Here's the thing with Auburn, it's not a question of gimme or not a gimme. It's sort of a squint question. Can you squint and see wins against dot dot dot? Because that's what you're doing right now. With Auburn's offense. I could see wins against Arkansas. That's doable. Yeah, I don't think they're beating Oklahoma. They're not beating Georgia. I don't think they're beating Massoo. I could squint and see a win against Kentucky if we get the version of
Kentucky we saw last week. Sure, and certainly against Vanderbilt.
But either way, they've already got a loss on the schedule, and if you count Oklahoma, Georgia and MISSOO, that's three more. They've also got a game late against Alabama that is a rivalry. But I think Bama looks head.
And shoulders above I mean, they were a free play from winning that game last year, but yeah, last year they were.
But I think Bama looks head and shoulders above Auburn at this point. That game is at Brian Denny this year, the A and M later in the year. I don't know what version of A and M we're gonna get. So this looks like a five lost team to me.
Yeah, and look at the teams are going to stack the box against Jarquess Hunter and they're going to force whoever's that quarterback to beat them, And so now you're saying, Okay, what is the evolution what is the development of again Peyton Thorne or Hank Brown look like against these teams who have now who are now going to start looking at Auburn and saying, like, oh man, our schedule is really tough, but like we've circled the Auburn game as
an opportunity because we know that their offense is kind of shaky at times, so they're gonna be getting a lot of best shots too.
Last two teams are Arkansas and Missou. Underwhelmed, overwhelmed.
I'm just whelmed by Arkansas in this moment, if that's okay, Okay, I don't know the way that they fell down to UAB obviously in a letdown situation after Oklahoma State. I believe for the week before and that overt time loss. I still need to see, like I'm very much overwhelmed by Arkansas on the ground. I'm very much overwhelmed by Arkansas on defense at times like looking improved. I don't know.
The passing game, to me is still a pretty big element of all of this with Arkansas feelings, and I'm not there yet I like, you know, Andrew Armstrong so a solid receiver. I don't think he's a star, an SEC star receiver. But I'm still a little bit whelmed after that UAB game.
I think I'm overwhelmed by Arkansas, Okay, And you could probably pick that up from the timber in my voice whenever I talk about the Razorbacks this year. Maybe I'm too focused on Taylor Green. I just think he's crazy talented and he's not a finished product. There is definitely a rawness to his game at this point that if you're an Arkansas fan, you know your heart's in your throat more often than not, knowing this guy's got a big mistake in a more an incredible brill. It's kind
of one or the other. Their postgame win expectancy in that Oklahoma Steak game, the one that they lost in overtime, they gave it away. Yeah eighty six percent, Yeah eighty six percent. So they played well enough to beat So doesn't that welm you a little? Welm? I mean I'm saying I'm overwhelmed.
No, I know, I'm saying wellem is like, bring them back to like average whelming, not over or under.
Between between what the defense looked like against UAB and how they lost at Oklahoma Steak Game. Yeah, it definitely brings them back down to earth. But I the general sentiment here is I feel better about them than it did in the preseason.
At Auburn A and M at Jerry World, I believe, and Tennessee at home are the next three.
It's not just those games. They've got LSU, They've got all.
I'm just saying short term.
Yeah, they got Texas, they got Miszoo still in the schedule. It's a brutal schedule. Yeah, absolutely brutal.
Feels like you need a passing game.
Feels like you need a passing game. So far, so far, I've been I've been good with Arkansas, and then the last one's mis Zoo.
I'm going to say overwhelmed, slightly overwhelmed. They took care of business against nobody in particular those first couple weeks. They want a clunker against BC. I'm willing to extend a certain amount of grace to Missoo given the step forward they took last year. I don't know, they adjusted really well defensively to Castellanos and BC. So that's something I don't know. It didn't feel like these two teams were competitive in the second half of a game, which
seems important. So yeah, I'm slightly overwhelmed by Miszoo. Like I think it's Corey batun Is, the new from South Alabama defensive coordinator from Miszoo that I did a really nice job adjusting. We Still I would be more whelmed. I would have more overwhelming whelming. I don't know. I want to see more fun Luther Burden down the field, Like I want to see kind of a video game element to Miszoo that we haven't really seen thus far.
Of their remaining game. So the remaining nine games, there's only one projected loss here that's on the road to Alabama. It's such a great schedule, but it is a really good schedule.
For an SEC team.
Yeah, this is a very favorable schedule. So do they miss well, they I mentioned they played Bama, right, but they don't have to play Georgia. They don't have to play Tennessee. Where's the Bama game. Bama game is in Bryan Denny, so that's tough. Okay, they do not have to play teams like LSU. Texas is not on this Texas not on the schedule. It's seemingly the best teams in the SEC are not in the schedule. Yeah, with Thelemel right, Noel miss.
Noel Miss, no Georgia, no Texas. That's great.
I think I am about where I expected with Miszoo. Okay, is where I'm at. But game against Vandy this week before bye and then on the road at A and M Kyle Field, that'll be an interesting matchup. We'll see.
You know who they do have. They do have the Creator on the road, right, Lenoris. Yeah, they do have Lenora sellers in It's not in Miszoo. It's not in Columbia. I guess it's Columbia, Columbia. It's in Colombia. It's just the other Columbia.
Correct, Yeah, okay, correct, all the way out into middle of November week twelveth.
Well, it's a great schedule. It's such a good schedule.
Right in so Verbo at gmail dot com or hit us up on social media, leave a comment if you can leave a comment somewhere on this podcast, let us know where you agree, disagree, are indifferent. But thanks to Kyle for sending in that SEC question. He says a lot of underwhelming showings this year. We'll see how right we are about some of these teams as we get a little bit deeper into this campaign, Dan, Great, where
are we going next? Last, but certainly not least, let's do a little bit of a look ahead for the week. There are three games of note on Thursday and Friday
that we need to discuss here. We've been doing these previews a few days early because, as they said an episode or two ago, typically when we would do the previews for these games as part of the Wednesday or Thursday preview episode, we'd have to stack it all the way at the back end of the show because we didn't want the first thing you heard to go stale
within twenty four hours. So now we finally it took us seventeen years whatever the hell it's been of doing this show to figure out, oh, may we should just talk about these games earlier. Yeah, so we're talking about them earlier. Doing on Tuesday this year. This is kind of like our Early Bird special Friday eight pm on Fox. It is a ranked contest between number twenty four Illinois and now number twenty two Nebraska. The vibes are strong at Nebraska then right now they are very strong. They
are a nine point favorite in this one. I take what you said about Illinois and I commit that to memory. I look at this game, though, and I say, oh, man, and this is going to be a rock fight. This looks like a rock fight to me, where yeah, Dilan Royola looks a little bit more mortal. The Illinois pass defense is significantly better this year than they were last year, and I think better than anything Royola has seen so far.
¶ Week 4 Weekday Picks
So even if he doesn't go out there and look like he's out of his depth, I still expect less emphasis on the pass and more on the run, because that's where Illinois is gettable. You want to run against Illinois if you can.
Yep.
That was the concern coming into the year. The stats, for whatever they're worth at this point through three weeks of the year, also support that that's a bit of an issue.
Yep.
I'm saying rock fight. I think we're talking about field position and time of possession and turnovers and all the big stuff in the Upper Midwest that makes the Big ten the Big ten. Mm HM twenty to thirteen Nebraska. I'm going points here, taking Illinois plus the points, but illinoid to ultimately succumbed to Nebraska on the road.
How's the weather going to be in Lincoln, Nebraska? In check the weather, hot Ty, It's Friday night.
Friday night, eight pm on Fox.
I'm seeing a high of ninety degrees, I think in Nebraska. I don't know if that changes anything for you. You know, I was searching for reasons to take those points, and I think you're you're not wrong when you talk about it being a struggle at times and field position and you know, lunging for a first down marker on thirty three or something like that, that you know every yard is going to be difficult. I think Illinois might be one of our first LRO teams of the season that
first half against Central Michigan. I like the win against Kansas. I do Kansas just also lost to UNLV, did they not?
They did?
Am I correct? And that result, so we kind of have to downgrade the importance of Illinois's win in that moment. I am a believer in Luke Altmeyer's development and those receivers. There was a great clip of I think it was Pat Bryant blocking his ass off against CMU on a long run. I love seeing stuff like that. That's what makes me upgrade a team. But I think this is just a bad matchup. We saw Nebraska's defensive line was able to do against Colorado's offensive line and really put
Doris Sanders in a bind. So I just Nebraska's at home. They haven't played a road game, I don't believe yet. So there is a certain amount of comfort the Nebraska's feeling right now. It's been an easy path thus far. Illinois will be more difficult. But ultimately I'm going to say something like twenty seven to seventeen, and Nebraska covers barely covers.
Yeah, it'll be right around that number. No, I think that's fair to say. I've got it at seven, You've got it at ten.
Yeah.
Also on Friday Night, let's talk about the f animal coming out of hibernation with the Bible. Seven point thirty on ESPN, Stanford versus Syracuse, a classic ACC rivalry, damnastic. Stanford now begins a run of Syracuse, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Notre Dame on four straight weeks. Not feel good for the Cardinal.
No.
I looked at this game. I did a brief, brief look at the numbers and the stat profiles, for both these teams, and I just feel like Syracuse is way better. They're at home, it's Friday night, good bit of travel for a Stanford team that I'm not crazy high on. They're still rebuilding, right, this is a game I think that Syracuse should cover.
No, I think so. I mean, Syracuse hasn't been fully tested yet as much as we like to have fun with it. And I don't think Stanford is going to offer that, but just in terms of what we believe Syracuse to be or not be. But I don't know. The Stanford defense I still think has a ways to go. There's interesting players on this Stanford offense, though, like I think, I just I don't know. I still think they're behind. I'm going to go again.
The number is, the number is nine and a half.
I think I'm gonna take. I think I'm gonna take Qu's here.
I kind of feel like we have to.
I'm gonna take Youse and I feel good about it. And again it this is what my grandfather told me, his father told me the father before that it's not truly the fall, it's not truly called football season until we see that Stanford Syracuse ACC matchup.
I know so I know here we are. It will be written into the record books forever more. Yeah, the classic ACC matchup between these two schools and last, but certainly not least, GE five game. Talked about South Alabama putting up eighty seven points last week. Yep, this one's on Thursday on ESPN. South Alabama going on the road to boone square off against app State. App States about an eight point favorite.
Week after an emotional comeback win.
Yes there should be points in this game. Yes, there should be points in this game because I don't know I really trust either defense, so I think it's very beneficial looking at this one for app State and Joey Aguiar, I think they're going to put up a ton of yardage through the air, but I also don't know if they can get take in South alabamacause I don't know if they trust their defense either. So I'm long way
of saying, give me Upstate minus the number. It's forty two to twenty eight, a bunch of points somewhere in that range. A fun Thursday night game if you're in the market for one.
Yeah, and it's you know, a South Alabama Jaguar team that had to sort of start very late. It's major ap away right correct at South Alabama, and so they lose you know, Kane Wamick to Alabama a little bit late in the process. So you know, I still think there's an adjustment period with South Alabama. I think I'm gonna give those points as well. The short week road thing, it's it's kind of nice to pick against that team. If we believe in app State as a quality team, I'm going to give the points.
So the schedule for the week ahead, just in terms of the solid verbal.
It's a fun one, this skit for us and for week four in general.
Yeah, what what it looks like for us is we dropped the recap episodes midnight on Saturdays. But before we get to that point, we got the preview episode that drops to the feed on Thursday. We've got Big ten Break, which has been going really well and is a ton of fun, that drops to our YouTube channel on Friday
nine am is when you could watch that. But bigger picture, just in terms of the verbowler hood, Dan week four definitely better than Week three, and there are a handful of matchups that I think we bubble to the surface here and look at and say Yeah, these are games that are going to tell us a lot about the teams involved. We've got NC State at Clemson. Clemson's a heavy favorite in that game by seventeen. Yeah, but we will definitely know a lot more about NC State on
the back side of this one. You mentioned USC at Michigan before USC right now time of recording, we're doing this recording Monday afternoon, five and a half point road favorite in the Big House four PM on Fox A Big twelve showdown between Utah and Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State favored by two and a half points? Is Cam rising back for that one? Is that the assumption? I hope?
So what do you say? That number? Is the Utah game two and a half.
In favor of Oklahoma State and they're at home.
Which, by the way, the USC game up to a six and a half six and a half now at some books in this moment.
Okay, So we got the Utah Oklahoma State game, which is going to be very significant for the Big twelve season, and then Tennessee at Oklahoma.
You have this down Oklahoma minus seven on the document, which gave me a second.
I think I meant to put plus seven. It's Tennessee minus seven, Oklahoma plus seven at home Okay seven thirty on ABC.
Oklahoma has a moment to show that it can grow. Now Tennessee has a moment because they've already proven it against NC State. I don't know this is I hope it's not ugly, that's all I am pointing to. I hope Oklahoma is able to Maybe it was a look ahead spot against Tulane, but I kind of doubt it. So I hope for Oklahoma that we get something new from this offense.
And very quickly. Just some other matchups that I think are interesting and meaningful. Florida is only a four and a half point road favored against Mississippi State, which says a lot about where the book makers have Florida right now. That number should be bigger given the state of Mississippi State. The fact that it isn't is I think pretty damning for billion Napier. I agree they lose this game, they go into a bye week after this. If they lose this game, it's over.
I think.
So it may already be over.
I mean, given the context of Mississippi State losing to Toledo, you can't lose to the team that lost to the team right in that case Toledo. So I think vibes are down bad.
Vibes are really bad. And like I said, it may already be over for Napier right, but certainly if they don't win that game, that would be very problematic.
We should after this show record a Billy Napier has been let go just so we can get at the algorithm like that tie.
Yeah, he's probably the first one to go, not an if this season. We also have Auburn at Arkansaw. We mentioned that one before. That'll be interesting. Yeah, three point thirty on the ACC network, rock right now, getting four and a half on the road A Virginia Tech. That might be my lock of the year right now. Wow, I don't think Virginia Tech's that good. I was real high in Virginia Tech, mostly as a byproduct of Kiren drones in the schedule, and so far, I think they have underwhelmed.
But doesn't Virginia Tech potentially fall into their not who they are in their worst day, They're not who they are on their best day.
I don't know, man, I just haven't been overwhelmed by any of their first couple showings so far. I don't know if you're not good. Okay, so I'm already in at Rutgers plus five and a half. That numbers already come down. Wouldn't surprise me if it continued going down. What else we got here? We got Miami, Ohio at Notre Dame another MAC game. Oh god, we'll see what happens there.
Look, Notre Dame has been nothing if not competitive against the Mac this season.
Correct, thank you now. Georgia Tech at Louisville should be fun. Should tell us a lot about Louisville. I desperately wanted to talk more about Louisville as part of this episode. I did not feel we had much to go on. They've only played two games, so Georgia Tech can score. We'll see what the defense looks like for Louisville at home. We'll see what Tyler Shuck looks like against Georgia Tech. That'll be a meaningful game, I think, just to help us suss out where the ACC's at. The Skillet game
TCU minus two and a half at SMU. I think I'm really heavy on TCU there.
Okay, coming off of a kind of an ugly gack against UCF. But Kevin Jennings new quarterback, full time starter at SMU rivalry game on the CW. That's how I been calling.
That one, I believe, So five pm. And then just to round things out very quickly, some other games, just to be mindful of, we'll preview a bunch of these on the Thursday show. I'm ready. Iowa at Minnesota's the seven thirty NBC game on Saturday night, Great Miami at USF at seven pm, m Spicy, Spicy. We called this game out many moons ago.
Yep.
Michigan State at Boston College. I put it on here just because I talked a lot about Michigan State eight and Boston College is interesting. Yeah, Michigan State at Boston College, Baylor at Colorado. It's only about a one point spread something like that in favor of Colorado.
I think it's another Sawyer Robertson game, I believe for Baylor. Okay, and Cal at Florida State. Florida State favored by one and a half points.
Who at home at home?
I mean Cal's already gone to Auburn, yeah, and won it like it would so Florida State's favored.
You said one and a half points? Is the is the line right now.
Oh well, here's what you do need to know for whatever it means. Last year, I believe DJU absolutely lit up Cal at Oregon State at Oregon State, different coach, different team, different everything. So I don't know, maybe there's
something there. But if you're talking about a quarterback who has struggled for a team whose vibes are down, one of the last people i'd like game planning against my team with Justin Wilcox, who just throws ghosts into defense at his best throws a lot of ghosts into those passing lanes. The other game here that I'll call out and then we'll call it a show, please, Bowling Green at Texas A and m Okay, So, Bowling Green fought.
Penn State in Beaver Stadium. M hmm, only lost that one, I think by a touchdown. Bowling Green was a team I called out in the preseason when he did the MAC preview. I think Bowling States or Bowling Green, excuse me, is a pretty good team. That's not to say they're going to go into Kyle Field and win. I do think they'll fight. The point spread, right, how is twenty
two points? I would probably air on the side of Bowling Green, even though it's in Kyle Field, right, it's not particularly a look ahead situation for a team like Texas A and M who got Arkansas the following week. I mean, it's kind of a sandwich situation though, right, But it kind of is right. It's not a full blown look ahead or let down, but it's it's innocuous looking enough that you could definitely construct an argument for a fourteen point Texas A and.
M way right a cover right. I think Mike Elcho is too good a coach, and there's too much on this A and M team to feel a big threat, especially after Bowling Green gave Penn State all it could handle for two or three quarters. Yep, so or the entire game? Really?
So, is something right, something to keep your eye on. Sure, as we talk about those late games that maybe get lost in the shuffle, we probably won't have time to do the full preview of that one. But I don't know. Just just bear that game in mind, Okay.
Bearing it in mind?
Tie? That is all I have, boys and girls?
So what's your answer for my original question?
Then? What's what was the original question?
What leftover food is actually better left over than fresh?
Pad tie is really good leftover.
Okay, do cold or do you reheat it? I do the reheat. There are some elements of cold, like Thai food, Chinese food that is so good.
I would pad Thai comes to mind first. I would also say that reheated chili, Yeah, it's really good.
Give that those flavors time to mix around.
Yeah, depending how you reheat the pizza.
No, pizza is not one hundred and answer at all, but can I respect you? It's all the same.
If you do it in the oven, it can be just as good the day after. I think it's one of your worst takes ever. Okay, it's fine, it's fine, it's okay. You disagree for different people. Yeah, I had another thought. I'm blanking. What's your well?
I mentioned brownies right, like they're a pan of hot brownies is delicious. Of course, brownies are better cold. They're way better cold. You give well, I'm saying they're they're delicious all the same, Like they're still good, but you give them. I don't know where you store your brownies of whether it's like a tupperware or you just put a you know, a thing of foil over the pan and set it aside or put it in a cold oven. However you store your your left like it's so much better that next day.
Oh, it's not even cool. I put him in the fridge.
Yeah, Chili, I think is probably like the Apex answer here, chili's great warmed up. Well, I'm not even saying that. I'm just saying it's so much better when it has time to sit even longer. So yeah, I agree, that's my answer. I love a good like second third day chili.
So what is the ask from our forbawler Hood. The ask is tell one friend.
Tell one friend pillow Talk, regular talk, when you're in a dentist.
Chair, whatever it is, one tell one friend.
I'm gonna tell a pillow Talk story gone wrong on our Thursday bonus show for Verballers at verballers dot com.
Gone wrong does it? Does it involve trying to recommend our podcast?
No? Good, it does not. It has nothing. It's fully g rated to be but pillow Talk. I actually have a couple of pillow Talks gone wrong.
This guy? All right, pillow Talk Thursday coming your way, head for baller Time, Go and go and sign up and check it out. We will have a new run the board game set up for this coming week. We have yet to announce the prize. We'll do that on the Thursday episode. But game's been going great. People have really been into it. We've had more entries this year than ever before. Every week play for fabulous prizes. That is the way this works. Go to play rundboard dot
com for details. Any paid tier on our Patreon, whether you're a certified or a Premium for Baller, you get access to the game, play for the prizes, play against for Ballhood and against Dan and I and all the people that help the.
Show place would love to have you, but behind the scenes.
For that guy over there, my good friend Dan Rubinstein, for myself, Tie Hildebrand, thanks for downloading, for listening, playing along at home, for supporting the show, for telling one friend talk y'all on Thursday.
Say solid peace.