Welcome to the solid verbal.
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I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy, you want to be happy for Dake Edith State?
Is that whoo whoom? And Dan and Tye, welcome back to the Solid Verbal, Boys and girls. My name is ty Hildebrand. Joinning me as always over there in New York City. My man, the one and only Dan Rubinstein, Sir, how are you?
They said the Bison couldn't do it, They said North Dakota State with a freshman quarterback couldn't come through in Frisco. And here we are to recap all things. Trey Lance, Ty, I'm great. How are you?
I am doing well? Welcome one, Welcome all, and congratulations to the LSU Tigers who triumphantly won the College Football Playoff National Championship last night by a forty two to twenty five score over the Clemson Tigers. This is a different show for us. We only have one game to recap. We're going to do our best to go through all the minutia of the game that transpired last night in New Orleans. In the meantime, though, if you haven't yet subscribed to our show. You can do so at soliverbo
dot com or anywhere you get your podcasts. Every subscription helps us boost the show and grow the footprint. Really, we're going to be here all off season long, so we want you along for the ride as we talk about the ins and outs of college football with interesting guests with funny themes. Who knows what comes our way over the next few months. But as we make this turn now into the so called doldrums of college football,
it's always great to have Oarver Bawlers with us. We would urge you to join if you haven't already.
Yeah, do that. So we do have the one game to discuss. I think we can also discuss implications moving forward after we now know the results and where these two teams are heading and who perhaps might be in position to be in our recap show on an early Tuesday morning in early January next year. I'd like to frame this show and you can turn me down it's okay, and figure out what is and what isn't as it
relates to LSU and Clemson. So I suppose, unless there's more housekeeping to do, people understand that LSU is a national champion. They'd beat Clemson forty two to twenty five in a game that wasn't really in doubt late. But to you, what was this game? What did you come away with being sure of after watching LSU's offense put forty two and over six hundred yards and really when they got going dismantle a very very good Clemson defense.
Well, you know, a week ago, when we previewed this game in hindsight, we were right to frame it out by asking will it matter? Will it matter that Clemson's got a great pass rush and one of the best pass defenses in America? Will it matter that Joe Burrow and at orger On I haven't been on a stage this big, or that it's a home game, or we listed off about fifteen items, Will they matter? What we know now is that most of it didn't matter, not
over the course of sixty minutes. What truly mattered was that Joe Burrow was again unflappable in two playoff games, accounting for fourteen total touchdowns, which is a crazy stat, a crazy stat maybe the greatest individual season in the history of college football. We can read through the stats later, but first and foremost I came away from this game sure that Joe Burrow and this magical season he's had
was not a fluke. Not a fluke. He had a good year last year where he won moments, and we talked about those moments, but the offense around him hadn't quite been assembled. Certainly, the offensive line in front of him was a big question mark going into this season. Now, after seeing the full body of work and in particular what he did in two huge playoff games games, there is no doubt that this was no fluke by Joe Burrow. He should be the first pick by the Cincinnati Bengals
to go home to Ohio. And I think that has to be the main starting point here, even though it may be cliche and overdone at this point, Joe Burrow was the man.
Well, to be fair to the game itself, he was you said, unflappable, but he was flapped early.
Early he was first first, like three drives, he was, and then after that not so much.
Right and Clemson looked strong and more composed on offense early. They sort of generate bigger plays and are able to string together first downs a little bit more easily, spread the ball around. Trevor Lawrence certainly looks more comfortable. Joe Burrow talked about how Brent Venables and the Clemson defense were coming at him from mystery angles. You know, they were playing their three down linemen sort of bunched together near the middle of the line, and then they were
sending guys delayed guys and twists and whatever. And Joe Burrow had a legitimately difficult time and the one play he did make was called back for an offensive lineman illegally downfield, because how could you assume that Joe Burrow was going to be tackled in the backfield after spending that much time with the ball scrambling for his life.
But Clemson looked like the better prepared team to win this game for the first quarter and beyond as they were looking at the LSU defense and figuring out ways to move the ball. And then the second quarter, right, it was like the first twenty minutes of this game,
the first third was all coming up Clemson. But after that point LSU figured it out on offense, and as you get to the back half of the game, LS you shut down Clemson's offense completely shut it down for the last twenty five minutes of the game, and the attention is rightfully going to go to at Oorzan and Joe Brady. Dave Randa not as much, I guess, Dave Randa, but you know they, like you mentioned, the offensive line coming together, these incredible receivers, Tis Marshall and Jamar Chase
goes for over two hundred justin Jefferson. Another great game. Fad moss Key catches, Clyde Edwards, Hilaire kept getting it done. The LSU defense. After they go down seventeen to seven, I think LSU goes on a thirty five to eight run the second half where you get the Joe Burrow touchdown. He runs out of bounds and he throws the touchdown pass right before the half. They get the ball at
halftime and get shut down. But it was the LSU defense that was anywhere Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson offense wanted to be. It was hands in passing lanes, it was making him uncomfortable, it was making it was showing no open lane for anything Clemson that ultimately, as much as the LSU offense scored the points and brought lightning to the National Championship Game, it was really the LSU defense that ultimately stamped the ticket for LSU as national champions.
To me, you know, we start this discussion rightfully talking about Joe Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner, of course, incredible individual season. Again, I emphasize all the story of this game to me was that LSU defense, because clearly opposite them, this Clemson offense had enough firepower to contend with just about anybody Dan. The fact that they were able to shut them down in the manner that they did was
truly impressive. So I start with Burrow, I think I end and I'm most impressed by the LSU defense in the effort they put in.
Yeah, and it's an LSU defense. And we talked about the Ali Oup quality of you know, putting a defense on the field a lot if the offense is playing really well or really poorly. They were scoring, LSU was scoring quickly. LSU was moving the ball downfield, I mean largely Joe Burrow to his receivers, namely Justin Jefferson and Jamar Chase and Teris Marshall. The LSU defense got off the field. I mean, you'd look at what Clemson was able or really not able to do in the second half.
They score that touchdown early on on their first possession in the second half. But then it's punt four plays, punt four plays, punt three plays, punt five plays for six yards and then Trevor Lawrence fumbles on their final possession or I guess they got twenty or thirty yards.
But it was such a complete performance, and you know, you can look back at the sliding doors and all of the events that led to you know, ed Orgeran getting the job, and Joe Oliva and holding onto less miles, and you know Tom Herman being involved, Jimbo Fisher being involved, and the foresight allegedly because this is what I want to get into next of Joe Burrow coming to LSU or and seeing something in Joe Burrow. But LSU got
to this point because of desperation. Now they got their twenty nineteen season, was we have to figure out something on offense. We have to figure out something where we don't count on the offensive line after what they showed in twenty eighteen. We have to figure something out at quarterback and maybe this three star Ohio State backup is the answer. We need something, We need a spark for
this offense. We need anything, and what I want to get into with what it isn't and we can talk about Clemson, we can talk about LSU somemore because I mean, six hundred plus yards forty two points and getting their act together after that first quarter was nothing short of incredible. But I think what sort of gets lost because we're inundated. Everybody's trying to come up with a different angle, everybody's trying to come up with a different feel good story.
Edrogron gets positioned as he's the local guy who went through some stuff and you know, USC didn't hire him and he had a bad tenured old miss and he's coming back home to LSU and he's just this down home guy. Edorrigron is a full on great coach. And I think that's that everybody thinks that he's almost like the I don't I couldn't recall his name, the voiceover guy who is homeless on the side of the road, Oh right, that I want to say, yeah, yeah, we
like And you know, it's like, oh, this Joe Brady kid. Finally, like Joe Brady won an essay contest to become the LSU pass a game coordinator. These are full on great coaches. These are full on great players. Joe Burrow just happened to be a backup, probably at the wrong school or for the wrong system, whatever. But this isn't like a scrappy feel good thing. This is incredible coaching, an incredible infrastructure,
an incredible talent coming together. And so to me, what LSU's twenty nineteen isn't is like a bad News Bears thing. Their game against Clemson proved was this is just college football excellence, and it's all time excellence. For all of the reasons why excellent teams have come together in years past, it's just new in this decade for LSU to do what they did. And Clemson's a great team, and what LSU was able to do in the second and third quarter and just trample them was nothing new for this
team this year. But nevertheless, an incredible watch.
An incredible watch, and to your point, Ed ors run ed Orgron's run in college football circles for a long time. Of course, was coach at ol Miss. He saw during the broadcast they showed all of his stops around the state of Louisiana, had a brief runt at USC ed orgs Heron's never been short on motivation and there's never been any doubt about the fact that he's an elite recruiter. The guy knows how to get you amped up to
play for him. But what was lacking, and specifically lacking at LSU even before he got there, was this infrastructure on offense trying to figure out a new twist, some way to liven it up. And so when we all heard that going into the year that this was the year they had figured it out or they were trying to figure it out, they were trying something new, I think it was met rightfully with some skepticism because we've
heard that act before and it hadn't materialized. And to your point, Dan, there's a lot to be said for a coach going out making a key decision and having it work. Look at Daboswiney on the other side of the field. We've had guests on this show time and again talk about how when Dabo took over at Clemson, his first choice was to go out and hire assistant coaches who he knew were going to be very good, who could carry some of the weight for him as a first time head coach. That was a decision that
in the long term has paid handsomely. Multiple hundreds of times over for that Clemson football program and the legacy that Dabosweeney's going to leave behind. I don't know what the eventual story is going to be for Ed Orgeron, but the fact that he made this decision, now, as you said, maybe a bit out of desperation to try and retool this offense, the way that it worked out, the way that it was cobbled together and built around this personnel grouping that he had, was nothing short of
a great coaching decision. So all due credit to him and what he put forth in twenty nineteen because, as many have said, and I'm sure we'll debate in the offseason, clearly one of the best offensive performances in the history of college football.
Yeah, a lot of know what you are, know what you aren't, and lsu knew that they were not in a good place offensively. They tried this a few years ago with Matt Canada to modernize and it didn't work. For personality reasons, for on field reasons, consistency reasons. It didn't work. So it's not just the idea of we need to change, we need to evolve. I'm checking my ego at the door. You also have to find the
right guy. You also have to be incredibly lucky, and everybody that succeeds has some sort of luck at some point. I will also add, and people have pointed to the Clemson template, the Dabo template of hiring great assistance and taking less money up front. It also helps when you have a school behind you, an athletic department behind you, that has a ton of money that they're willing to
spend on modernizing, on hiring and retaining coaches. Which I don't know how much Dave Randa made this year, but it's not two hundred thousand dollars. No, it's not seven hundred thousand dollars. It's closer to two million dollars. So this is it's an incredible story. But I think because of the personality involved specifically, we tend to look at things in a very binary way. Either they're like the ruthless killer Nick Saban type or they're sort of aw
shucks whatever type. And the fact of the matter is LSU specifically got lucky with Joe Burrow, but they did the right thing. LSU got lucky with Joe Brady and Steve Ensminger working together. I mean, I think Steve Ensminger is what twice Joe Brady's age, so there's a certain amount of luck. It's also really nice that LSU happens to be in maybe the most per capita talented high
school recruiting state as Louisiana. I think has been written as I couldn't have been happier to watch LSU this season because their specific road was so different from Clemson's to get to this point in that I think it was what six ranked teams that they beat, and significant ranked teams Florida, Auburn, I mean, Texas I think finished in the top twenty five, but Georgia, Oklahoma, teams that do at least one thing in incredibly well, and so
Clemson didn't necessarily have that. They couldn't control that. And I get kind of bored trying to put LSU in like an all time conversation because context is so different. Sure, I'd like to just appreciate LSU for what they did this season, which was just remarkable. But I came away from this game refreshed to watch a team really turn it around as quickly as they did, knowing the clear advantages that they had. But I just I love watching
Clyde Edwards Hilaire. I loved watching Jamar Chase. I loved that the defense really came into its own later on in the season as you watch them against Oklahoma and Georgia. It was just it's an incredible story and it's something novel. It wasn't Clemson winning again, it wasn't Alabama winning. It wasn't Ohio State, even though Clemson goes through Ohio State.
There was something. It was something we hadn't seen that level of offensive dominance paired with and LSU is very clear a blue blood, but within that context something that is just it's at least a little bit different, and I loved it.
So as we talk about what LSU did on offense, and especially the performance they turned in again last twenty five minutes of the game, really where they shut down Clemson's let's look a little bit at some of the stats from this game. Not to be too heavy on the stats, but now you're good. Clemson held under four hundred yards, which you know, in most normal discussions about college football, under four hundred yards is like nothing really to write home about. But with this Clemson offense and
all the weapons they have, particularly Trevor Lawrence. To hold them down to three ninety four in total yardage is pretty impressive. Trevor Lawrence. On the day we talk a little bit about Joe Burrow being flapped early. HM, Trevor Lawrence saw a lot of pressure, He saw some interesting coverages. I heard some of his comments in the postgame presser, and yeah, they they had him guessing at a lot of spots in this game. Eighteen of thirty seven for
two thirty four no touchdowns. He had that fumble late in the game when it was pretty much on ice at that point. The big number here, though, is one of eleven on third downs. Elis who really brought their a game on third downs, holding down Clemson and doing their part to try and give the ball back to the offense and extend that lead.
Oh one hundred percent. And then third down is where they thrived last year against Alabama. We remember all those fifty to fifty throws to Justin Ross and t Higgins against Alabama, those out routes from you know, a true freshman quarterback. They really nailed the moments last year and there was just nothing. There was no oxygen on third down for Clemson at all. After they went up seventeen
to seven. And that's LSU. That's confusion, and that is that is Dave Randa, and that is the those corners. Just it seemed like if Clemson were if Clemson was going to move the ball, it was going to be Trevor Lawrence fitting passes into impossible windows. And we've talked about this with national championships, We've talked about this with
big games. If that's what you need for four quarters, it's going to be almost impossible if you can't generate anything easy, if you can't generate any you know, crossing route, if you can't generate Okay, Trevor Lawrence hits t Higgins for nineteen, he hits you know, justin Ross for eleven, and you know, just the guys are sitting in zones,
the guys are making really nice double moves. If you're not able to get that downfield like you normally are against everybody else, it feels like there's a three percent chance that you can beat a team as talented as LSU. And that ultimately was I mean, you're right to mention the third downs, but I mean I remember watching you know, Oregon, Wisconsin, Wisconsin needed fourth down after fourth down after fourth down, and they did a really good job there. But when
you need that, it's hard to separate. It's hard to hang with another good team.
Yeah, got to stay ahead of the chains, got to stay ahead of the change, especially when you've got an offense like LSU's on the other side of the field that has so much just you know, so much weaponry. It's tough to get tend with that if you can't convert. I keep coming back to those last twenty five minutes, but the reason I do so Clemson held to sixty five total yards in their last five drives of the football game, and it's just tough to get back in
a game. It's tough to do much of anything when you're under take from you, i know, under literally one hundred yards of total offense in five possessions.
Who are the best two teams in the country now that we've seen everything play out as thoroughly as we possibly can.
Well, clearly LSU and it's yeah, it's a question of like a question of number two. You know, I still am partial to Clemson here. I think we got the best two teams maybe with two A or two B
being Ohio State because that game was so close. But in the end, I think Clemson with what they do on defense, and you know, never mind what happened in this football game with Joe Burrow shredding them, but what Clemson has done on defense, moving from what we saw a season ago when they won the national championship, having that incredible front four, moving to this crazy system where
they move Isaiah Simmons all over the field. They being pressure from linebackers as opposed to their front four in a manner that's a little bit different from what we saw a year ago. Their ability to adapt and still play at a very high level defensively, to me, is what puts them. Puts them just a nod over Ohio State. Aside of the fact that they actually won the football game. They're probably is still my number two. Where would you put into Alabama to Alabama? Ooh man, that.
Might be my number two. Actually, that's the thing. They gave LSU more offensively. Now I know they weren't fully you know, it wasn't a one possession game consistently, even though it finished I think what they lost by five, they put forty one on LSU and that was in Tuscaloosa, So this is not a neutral site like Clemson got. I think with what Alabama has firepower wise, and I know they took a step back on defense. Again. We talked about this on our Instagram live before the show.
If I had ten thousand dollars to bet on a team to beat LSU on a neutral field after having watched now what Clemson was or was not able to do. So this is you know, we're basically hYP hypothesizing there.
It's the word.
I guess Alabama and Ohio State as teams who have that talent that didn't get a shot against LSU. I think I would take Alabama over Ohio State to take down LSU.
Well, Alabama was within five of LSU when they played earlier in the year, and that was a good football game to watch. TWA was in that football game. If two is on the field is probably a much different conversation. It has to be. But as it stands right now, I think Clemson is still my number two to a play in that game. But beat up, yeah, beat up, beat up for sure. How do you feel about these guys moving forward? Both these teams, Obviously LSU is losing
its quarterback in Joe Burrow. Trevor Lawrence will be around for another year. And we've heard so much about Clemson's constant infusion of talent in year around one recruiter in front. They're always in the mix, and lsc was as well. But I don't think there's any doubt that LSU has to take a step back because Joe Burrow, I'm assuming he's going to be in the NFL. But where do we stand on both of these teams now as we
enter the twenty twenty season. Clemson's in a better place because they've been able to, whether you know, the losses of incredible players to get back to this point. LSU is on to chapter two, whereas Clemson feels like they're on chapter four or five. So at least there's there's faith. There's confidence in the I was gonna say Tiger, but the Clemson Tiger program that they'll hire if they lose Brent Venables. I mean, they just lost an offensive coordinator
in Jeff Scott. But there's confidence that they'll be able to retool and figure out systems and keep the keep the factory open. LSU is interesting. I can't imagine anybody believes Joe Brady is long for Baton Rouge, even if he coaches another year there. Next year quarterback is a lot less certain system hiring assistants because as well as LSU's defense is played, it now seems like, okay, this
is Dave Randa with his maximum value. You know, maybe he gets hired by an NFL team, maybe he sticks around. I don't think he's going to get a better situation in college than what he has at LSU.
But ed Orgeron passed chapter one with flying colors. LSU is gonna be in a great position talent wise right now. Though, with what Clemson has coming in and they have their return basically everybody in important mean, they're SI. You probably lose, you know, t Higgins and Travis etn. But the receivers that they have there, that's probably the best coach receiver team in the country. Clemson should I believe they are the odds on favorite. Yeah, right now, So I'm looking
at the odds. Clemson is a two to one favorite, followed by Ohio State at three and a half to one, Alabama at seven to one, Georgia at seven and a half to one. LSU is at fourteen to one. Yeah, I mean, and what LSU does that quarterback, whether it's Miles Brennan, whether it's another one of the younger guys, whether they go to the transfer portal. I saw Derek King put his name in officially after taking that weird red shirt situation after a couple of games, and I
imagine he will be a hot commodity. I don't think Oklahoma turns to another transfer, but who knows. So LSU seems like a pretty ideal situation with what he'll have around him, especially if Joe Brady returns. Yeah, the chapter two is a mystery to me for LSU. I really hope we get as many entertaining football games from the Tigers. But Clemson's in a better place right now. I would agree with that.
And you know, for sure, LSU caught lightning in a bottle. What makes them different is that they knew exactly what to do with it, or they figured out what to do with it on the fly. And Joe Burrow, I think they knew they had something last year. They just needed to beef up that offense. And that was clearly a concerted effort in the off season, and that's what that's exactly what ed or Dron was trying to do.
Are you ready for And it won't be a fantasy thing, So I'm I'm happy to talk about it now. There was going there are going to be stories that will use the phrasing. Could be a Joe.
Burrow type, a little bit of Joe b or a young offensive coordinator coming in and like they think he'll have a Joe Brady like effect on the blobby blah offense.
We're going to need the Joe Brady fantasy things item for sure.
The Joe Brady fantasy things. Yeah. Well, I mean an incredible job by both Brady and Enspinger and Burrow. I mean, there's nothing short of just terrific. But what LSU did is not going to be respected as it should be as something that only LSU could accomplish. And we are going to see, Oh there's a template, there's a template of opening things up, of finding a new coordinator who's going to have this type of effect. And I can't wait for it. I cannot absolutely wait for it.
So your final score here was forty two to twenty five. LSU becomes now the second fifteen and oh team in the history of college football, behind Clemson. Last year, Clempson finishes fourteen and one, a marvelous season for them as well. How did you watch this game? ESPN had its Mega cast going again, where we had multiple different feeds that we could watch. I did my best to graze and sample each of them.
So I watched the main feed. I flipped a little bit at different points in the game early on to just get a sense. I thought the I don't know what it was called the sideline with our pala Adam Amemeil, Penny Levy, the field pass, thank you. I think it was what Pat McAfee and Daniel Rostovsky. Yeah, maah, seemed to be pretty good. But they're reacting without a vantage point, without context, so that's tough. I watched the coach's film room.
Some actually came away pretty impressed with Jeff Haffley Boston College.
For more than one reason. Please. Yeah, so that feed remains the one that I'm most interested in. But I can't stand to watch.
Yeah. Yeah, it's not a good live watch. It's an after the fact watch, I think, is where it really is. Yeah.
And like in the past, they've tried to plug in a host play traffic cop right, and this year. I'm guessing they ditched that idea and sort of decided to let Mike Gundy and Jeff Haffley do it. Yeah, they Sean Parker lose the the Yeah. I think they actually did a decent enough job doing it. The problem is that Gary Patterson does all the talking. Is the alpha. He is the alpha. And to his credit, he's been a coach for a long time. He's very bread and he's good at what he does. There's a reason he's
been at TCU forever. But from a watchability standpoint, sitting at home, the only two solutions are to either a put Gary Patterson as the only one in the film room or b get rid of them all together and invite someone else. Oh, the Gary Patterson Room, the frog room, the frog Room.
I imagine there's an element of because he's done it so many times and because he has always sort of looked like the strong personality in the Coaches room, that a producer pulled him asides like listen, there's dead air. We need you. You know, we can count on you. If there's a lull, we need we need you GP.
I like that.
The Coaches film room was just an exercise in four different dudes saying, can you rewind that? Okay, rewind that place? Can you rewind that? Can we go back?
We go back? QUI go back?
Quig go back, QUI go back. And they didn't want to come across as like this is a run, this is a pass, this is a draw. They they were genuinely impressed with both teams, I thought, and the sort of architecture of their game plans, which I like to see coaches come away with things like oh that's an interesting RN call, Oh wow, okay, they didn't show that, and to actually that phrasing, they didn't show that. I
saw Steve Ensminger I was. I don't know who he told, but it was like the sixth or seventh straight game where LSU's offense saw a defense that they hadn't seen on film, like what Clemson threw at LSU was not anything that they were prepared for, and still they adjusted, they stayed calm, and it was It was very cool.
I did enjoy elements of that coaching film room is it is fun. Like I said, it remains the feed that I'm most interested in, but it can be can be a tough watch. I'm with you on the field pass. It's it's a ton of fun, not just because our good friend Adam is involved, but I do enjoy watching them move frantically about the sidelines, like just the machinations of that. Oh yeah, yeah, to me is very interesting.
Hit by arrant punts.
Exactly did you did you dabble it all with the ref cast?
No?
I did not either. I didn't do the roughcast.
I didn't do the NAT sound of just like a wide camera and the dome. Didn't do that. Did not do the local radio guys, which I'm sure was cool if you're specifically an LS you are a Clemson fan, sure, but yeah, that those were the Those are the feeds that I went. I didn't do the stat camera, the all twenty two whatever I mean, I guess the coach's film room was all twenty two ish. It was the wide angle, but no, it was. It was a good broadcast. I thought Fowler and Herb Street were good. I came away.
It was long, really long, four four and a half. Felt some of those quarters needed halftime.
Yeah, it lasted and last and lasted. But you know, this is the final game of the season. If you're complaining about a long football game, maybe you're not super into football.
Maybe you're not so all right here we are. Yeah, everyone starting today is official undefeated. Congratulations as we enter the twenty twenty college football season. Dan. As we said at the top, just because they aren't playing the games does not mean we are not putting out the podcast. We officially now switch back to our once a week format. We will be here doing our show once a week
until when like late July, early August. At some point around then, we'll start previewing games and then we'll jump back in. But as for the time being, we're looking at about seven months of off season college football content. Mister Rubinstein, Yes.
I wouldn't take it to the bank that we're only doing once a week. I think we have some stuff up our sleeves that all schedule a little bet, but that's another day another time. I would encourage people, if they are not subscribed, to subscribe right now to join the subreddit. I also have in front of me our friends Dumandel's Way too Early top twenty five okay for twenty twenty. I'm putting this on you. I have he has Clemson one, which I think is Ohio State two,
Alabama three. I think Mac Jones, and I guess he'll be battling a five star true freshman quarterback Bryce Young. It'll be a new receiver corps because I think Jerry Judy and Henry Ruggs both declared, but DeVante Smith and Davanta Smith and Jalen Wattle still there. Georgia four with Jamie Newman, but they returned some some studs on defense.
I don't know how you feel about Jamie Newman. I think we're going to probably do a transfer and new look specific show with coaches and transfers popping up all over the country. LSU five too low, too high with quarterback uncertainty.
Let's say you that might be pretty high. Okay, yeah, that might be. That might be pretty high, Dan, I.
Guess quarterback and coordinator uncertainty. Penn State at six. You gotta love Kirk Shiraka. Yeah, if you like Penn State at number six, I think I.
Think you're really really subscribing to Kerch Shiraka. If you've got Penn State at number six.
I guess.
But Su mandel is Stu Mandel is. But there's so much coming back on that defense that again as the bedrock and the starting point for what Penn State's going to do next year. That's that's as good a spot as any. They do lose kJ Hamler, which it will be interesting to see how they replace that kind of production. Receiver was not a strong suit for Penn State this year.
Outside of him, Yeah, a couple of bus as well, higher rated recruits. That receiver didn't really work out for Penn State as well. Florida at seven, Kyle Trask is is he the clear best reason?
I think? I think Florida is my way too early, like to the extent that they can be a sleeper. Yeah, they're my way too early sleeper team. Their corners for twenty twenty.
Yeah. Oregon at eight, they don't have an offensive coordinator at the time we're recording this. I know the team really likes Tyler Shuck who was justin Herbert's backup at quarterback, and their juniors on defense are all returning that perhaps we're flirting with the NFL. Their defense should be absurd. This will be a don't top five defense in the country, probably, especially with what they'll be seeing on offense, which will now include the Nick Rolovich Washington State Cougars. That was
sort of announced during the game. So there's that Oklahoma nine.
That's wow. Yeah, I don't know. They won't finish ninth. Let's put it that way, They'll finish higher.
The Big twelve will be better in twenty twenty. It should the year of the new coaching under the belts of what Neil Brown and Chris Cleman and Matt Wells like. There's a lot more to count on with the Big twelve. So I think it's gonna be tough for It's probably gonna be Spencer Ratler, who I know they like a lot. I think he was the number one quarterback last year coming out of high school. I think you're right. Notre Dame ten.
Notre Dame ten is I think about right. I am curious though. Again I go back to preseason odds and I mentioned the top five, but Notre Dame is number six at twenty to one. They're in front of Florida. Yeah, they're in front of Texas, They're in front of USC Oklahoma, They're in front of Michigan and Penn State. I think ten's about right. To be honest with you, there are some losses that they're going to have to contend with as well, especially on the defensive side of the football,
but should have a good team coming back. The schedule does get harder, though.
If Notre Dame makes the twenty twenty Slash twenty twenty one college Football Playoff. Let's agree now to pool our life savings to gamble against Notre Dame.
Deal.
Okay, good Wisconsin at eleven? Uh huh, I might wager yeah. I think the Wisconsin defense should be pretty good, but they're without Zach Bond and Chris Orr. I don't know, no jtt. I think that's an off year for the Badgers to me, but have not really fully gotten in deep with the Badger of y. At Auburn at twelve, adding Chad Morris I think is interesting. I'm not fully sold on bow Nicks Iowa thirteen, USC fourteen no defensive
coordinator at the time of this recording. Oklahoma State fifteen doing anything for you at Chuba Horbard coming back.
Cuba Hubbard coming back.
I like that, And they promote Casey Dunn, the receivers coach from within, taking over at offensive coordinator after losing Sean Gleeson to Rutgers Minnesota at sixteen. Ill like well. They hire Mike Samford I think they're gonna be a good team.
I think they're still gonna be pretty goods still gonna be pretty good.
Inner Morgan back, Yeah, all right, all round it out Texas, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Michigan at twenty. I guess it's Dylan McCaffrey, Joe Milton, who knows a quarterback? Memphis new head coach. We'll see A and M I.
Think is.
I don't know if I feel good about a Top twelve Hellen mand led offense, but happy to be surprised. North Carolina ASU with an intriguing quarterback and a new offensive coordinator. Call it twenty five tie, let's plant the flag. Top fifteen. Cal Are you ready?
I'm ready, baby, I'm ready.
Okay, they lose Evan Weaver, which is damage because he tackled everybody at twenty nineteen.
So Daniel, here is the deal. We have our three winners in the college football Bullpool, OH Conference Pool. Keith Richards eighty six held on, okay, held on to win. Also let down look Ahead Sandwich, an entry that I had spot shadowed when we did our analysis a couple of weeks ago, eventually did jump up and look at this. I love my Oregon Ducks one. Oh yeah, coming in third place. Keith Richards actually tied for twenty fifth overall.
Like across however, many hundreds of thousands of millions of entries on the esp dot com website, he actually fared pretty well, so on.
By two points seven hundred and sixty six to seven sixty four. And then I Love my organ ducs one was seven fifty so tight at the top.
Very tight at the top. Here is the deal, boys and girls. Send us an email, solid verbal at gmail dot com. You are entitled to gift cards from our good friends over at roback dot com. We will be happy to provide those to you. You just got to send us an email and prove to us that you are who you say you are. Then will make sure that we get those over to you. But congratulations to one and all, Thank you so much. To the gosh.
Would we have fourteen hundred people or so that ended up playing in our pool our biggest showing yet, We really appreciate it. Hope you had as much fun as we did. Wish I would have done a little bit better. I finished with six hundred and eighteen point stand in the seventieth percentile.
I went six forty four eighty fourth percentile, okay, edging out the PA contingent.
It's not the fantasy things, but you want something gradations.
Thank you very very much. This was god. I missed I think my lowest four, which was pretty great, my one, two, three and four pointers and I hit my number one. But I did lose my number two, but then I went on a nice run at the top, so it would have been better if I guess Nevada had one and uh SMU had one. So thanks for nothing, Lane Kiffin.
Well, among all the groups across all of ESPN, our group finished number one eighteen, which ain't bad. Hey, good job guys, and pretty much all those other groups are way way smaller than ours.
That qualifies for Wimbledon. I believe believe that there are one hundred and twenty eight entrants in Wimbledon, so great.
All right, Well, thank you again to everyone for downloading the show. Don't forget you can follow us out there on social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. Don't forget to pop in on the subreddit at solid Rebel dot reddit dot com, where you can join hundreds of other ver balls. Long after we hit the stop button on the podcast,
keep the conversation going deep into the off season. As you said, mister Rubenstein, We've got all sorts of fun stuff planned for this college football off season, which officially begins today. But in the meantime, Dan, congratulations again to the LSU Tigers and at Orgeron, Joe Burrow, the entire Bayou Bengal family on a fantastic fifteen to oher season. It was a true pleasure to watch it from this chair. And that's pretty much all I got.
Congratulations to us three shows a week all season long, dumb boat jokes, and both of our teams finished impressively, and I think we'll be reasonably optimistic going into twenty twenty about the Ducks and the Irish.
I think we are. I think we are.
That's all I have.
On that note for that guy over there and my good friend Dan Rubinstein, for myself, Tie Hilton Brandt over here in eastern Pennsylvania, thank you so much for hanging with us, not just on this show, but really throughout the course of the season. We will be back at you next week. In the meantime, stay solid, peace,