Welcome to the solid verbal ull that for me. I'm a man, I'm for it. I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy. You want to be happy for Dake, Edith Steak is that woo woo?
And Don and Tie, welcome back to the Salibarbo Boys and Girls. My name is ty Hilton Brandt, that fine gentleman over there, the one, the only, always, the incomparable. Dan Rubinstein, sir, welcome back.
How was your weekend good. I think we had a little bit of a miscommunication when we were talking about this episode, Tie, and I want to apologize upfront, just because you're going to see the description of this episode and it's going to make sense given world events. But I think I'm misprepared for this episode and I just want to get out ahead of that, if that's okay with you.
You misprepared, I misprepared.
I just looked up something and I think I just realized that when you said you wanted to do an Eclipse themed show, I did all my research on the wrapper clips and apparently that has nothing to do that is with the conversation we're going to have that is slightly different. Dan, So all of the grind and research I did is for not and that will have to be a special Patreon Thursday episode when we deep dive comparing college football conference strengths and potential up and comers
to the rapper Clips clips and for that I apologize. Okay, well, look, nobody's perfect now, as I really doffed it.
We love you like a brother here on the show. We're going to do our best to power on through this. Yeah, we're recording this on Monday, April the eighth, and there's big old clips going on. You've got about ninety three percent coverage that you can see out in your parts in the Midwest. I've got about a lowly ninety one
point two or three over here in eastern Pennsylvania. In any case, we'll be done recording this episode in time to witness the natural events outside the wonder that is a solar clips that everyone's talking about today, and we figured why not themale College Football Podcast episode around that, because that is the goofiness that we put forth into this here universe. So thank you for downloading, for listening, for playing along at home. Of course, Forballers dot com
is where you can go to find our Patreon. Dan just to remind the fine for ballers out there, what is the one thing, the most important thing that they can do to support what we are doing this soft season, really the whole year throughout, but in particular this soft season. What is that one thing?
Uh, slowly shadow you, collect straight bits of your hair, create a doll out of your Listen.
We're not doing the smell to you. We're not doing the smell tize hair thing again.
All right.
It took me a year and a half to get past that. We're not doing it again.
Quick quick second apology. Clips is a duo of rappers which I think I said it was a singular rapper of my apology to push a t specifically, subscribe to the show. Subscribe to the show, follow the show. Let's get intimate in terms of our college football podcast listening and speaking together.
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It only helps us here in the off season in more ways than we could ever put in two words. Okay, so listen, go back and listen to old episodes that we've been doing over the last couple of weeks, we had the Grievances bracket, we had Michael Felder on last week. We've been putting out some fun stuff here that I think you and I are both quite proud of being. So the eclipse is in a couple hours from now. We are looking at conferences, Dan, We are looking at conferences.
We are looking at the stars of particular conferences. We are looking at which teams, if any, could block those teams out and what it means to the conference scape as a whole if that situation occurs.
Right, Yes, that is correct. I assume you don't want to You don't have a lot of thoughts on NC State's spring game from this past weekend, particularly the Cam Coleman emergence at Auburn, along with I guess the introduction of DJ Diurkin. Hooray Auburn, what a cool decision you made. And by the way, Grace McCall was pretty good in the spring game, my guy man, as far as what I could gather, he and Noah Rodgers, well Hollywood Smothers
transfer from Oklahoma action. Yeah, we had NC State Clemson, Chris Vezina perhaps pushing cade club nick club level get a little full?
Can we do some sort of like club level versus the mezzanina or that's not bad tie.
He struggled in years past, but this is a nice little connection.
This is a nice little bit of connective tissue, the zina mezzanina.
Yeah, that's right. That's real tough, but it really scratches me where I hitch tie. Yeah. So I think those were early spring games, and hopefully if you're a fan of one of those schools you saw encouraging things.
We will do spring game recaps. We'll do it. Yeah, we'll do a lot more on that, I promise you. But this was just low hanging fruit today. We can't, especially on this show if you've been listening to this show for any amount of time. Yeah, we do not miss opportunities like this that are tied up by mother Nature.
We celebrate we have a what an on staff unofficial meteorologists during the season, Tim, So we celebrate all things events that have to do with the solar system and or weather, and we are we are pro everything eclipse. So yeah, I think the gist of it is, as we begin this, we are going to talk about where the big shine and energy comes from. In each conference,
specifically the major conferences. But I think we can take a look otherwise as well, and then where the obvious candidates are to block out that light, that winning light, and then perhaps the emerging the emerging moons. Earth has but one moon, but it's a powerful moon, as we know helped. Maybe we'll find more tides, maybe we'll find more. You block out the block out one, maybe we'll maybe we'll find out more. So let's start. Let's let's talk about like the Big ten.
Let's talk Big ten. So the Big Ten, I don't know who we want to single out here as as the star. I mean, Ohio State is the obvious one, given how they have loaded up, but we need to keep in mind that the conference is expanding. Oregon is coming in from the west, as are of course Washington and UCLA and USC. But I think when we talk about the Big ten, at least when we have here in the off season, the two kind of I don't know, warring factions, let's say it's not Ohio State and Michigan,
it's Ohio State and Oregon. Well.
Well, well, first of all, we should be clear, we should put some respect on Michigan's name because they were the moon they were the black hole that'swollowed up the sun. I don't know my space that well. This is what is it? Is it a supernova? A nova when a star explode, that's right. So I don't know if we saw a Michigan supernova that fully blew up Ohio State these past couple of years, because Michigan ends up winning
the national championship. So I don't know. When you have a team that is a defending national champion, I think they deserve sun consideration here. Uh, even if you were looking at Michigan moving forward with a bit of a bigger question mark without Jim Harbaugh and given what Michigan loses on that roster on both sides, I understand where you're coming from that Ohio State if you look at the past dozen years or so, the clear son of the Big ten. But I think we just saw a
Michigan eclipse. That's all I'm saying.
I think that's fair. Michigan just loses a lot. There's a lot coming back, is a lot coming back, but they're losing, losing JJ McCarthy and Blake, losing your coach. I mean, it's just a lot. It's a lot to try and replace that, and especially with a new guy new slash old guy in charge and shrowan more like, I have faith that Michigan is gonna be fine. I don't think it's like the bottom is going to fall out, but it's.
I just think it's it's fair in this instance, and you know more about this world than I do. We could have our guy John on right from the the what's the name of the observatory, man, the Keck Observatory, thank you. There are universes, there are solar systems out there with multiple suns. I assume a binary system like bright stars, binary system. Yeah, right, So what I'm saying for the Big Ten right now is it's a binary system.
Like I don't know how you consider one school to be the obvious star when another school literally three months ago won the national championship. So I would split that sun down the middle.
In this instance, if we are blocking out the shine of Ohio State and Oregon.
Or Hio State Michigan to me, but yes, continue.
Or Ohio State Michigan. Yeah, if we are walking out that shine, who is doing it? What does the rest of the conference look like right behind those teams? Because this is what we're going to find when the solar clips happens. There are studies that take place. Listen to the soundscape of the nature. As sudden onset darkness appears in the natural habitat, you start hitting crickets, you start.
See driving the back half of us. He's twenty twenty three. Sudden onset darkness continue.
See things start to happen in nature that only typically happen at night. So the landscape changes once the natural lighte from the sun suddenly goes away.
So you're talking about a vacuum. The obvious conversation at that point, because of recruiting, because of recent success, is Penn State that Penn State would help fill that gravitational void Moon has. Moon has something to do with gravity, right, keeps the earth? Honest, dude, did you not did you not have science? I do have science, tie, but most of the Pythagorean theorem, most of the genus, phylum species,
most of like I do. Remember that mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell I th most of that has been replaced by dough fermentation. I think the moon has something to do with gravity. Yeah, he's the guy who are honest, who.
Lived next to the ocean and is probably familiar with the tides.
The tides yes, which is a nice little tie into college football. Talking about the tide. Yes, the moon and its gravitational pull on Earth keep the tides regular, high and low tides and oceans, and I think somewhat in lakes, but I'm not as pronounced. What I'm going to say is Penn State fills that void rather easily when you look at on field success and recruiting. But I'm going to give you a dark horse because certainly we've seen the highs of Lincoln Riley's offense, we have no idea
what to expect from UCLA. Washington is at least interesting, but we don't have a I think at this moment of Washington and carrying over success, I think washingt would be an interesting candidate because I think Jetfish will be able to recruit. It's a great home environment, and given recent success, Washington has to be in that conversation. I'll give you an interesting one though. I'm very curious about the eclipse capabilities of the spartans of Michigan State Aiden Chiles,
whether short term AID and Chiles. I just think Jonathan Smith is a really good coach. I think you can find line talent in the Midwest. Jonathan Smith has done a very nice job hiring in his short time. His own pedigree as a Chris Peterson guy is very impressive.
You like to see that. And there is something about and I know, I don't think matt Ishbia is around in terms of NIL anymore after he bought the Suns, so they don't have that specific benefactor that would help on the NIL front, at least whatever short medium term. But if the money's there at Michigan State, I know there's other big money guys there, and the transfer destination element with Jonathan Smith is there. And I really like
the hires that Jonathan Smith brought to East Lansing. In this moment, I'm not telling you I'm high on Michigan State this year. But if you're telling me who could be that gravitational fly in the solar ointment tie, I don't know. I can be swayed. I can be pulled, not unlike how the moon pulls the tides. Okay, I can be pulled in the direction of Michigan State as an interesting dark horse moon here.
What about the Iowahawkeyes. It almost talking about like longer term. No, I'm talking about shorter term. I'm talking about right away in twenty twenty four, if there's a situation where the obvious shine of Ohio State, in Oregon and Michigan is blotted out for whatever reason, I don't know, don't know what Mother Nature has in store for us this Big ten season. But over Penn State, well, they don't play Penn State first off.
No, But I'm saying just in general, like, do you think i was in a better position to fill that void than Penn State?
Probably not. But if we're talking about dark horses, the reason I bring up Iowa was because i was actually got a fairmount back. They lose a fairmount but they've got a fairmount back on offense in particular. Now, a lot of scuttle butt here in the off season about what's Iowa's offense going to look like? They hire a guy it was like similarster. Yeah, not necessarily the sexiest hire in the world. It was somebody with whom Kirk ference was familiar. So I don't have any grand aspirations
for this offense this season, going above and beyond. But they did have an injury to Kate McNamara last year, which certainly set the offense back. So you want about the way that Kirk Ferns has called offense over his time in Iowa, specifically the last ten years or so, Right, But it hurts when you're starting quarterback goes down. You don't have a ton of death behind him, and so they get him back. They're up there in the nation. I don't have the number in front of me. I
think they're thirtieth nationally in terms of returning production. They're inside the top fifteen returning production on offense. There's a lot back that they can work with. I don't have grand aspirations again for what that's going to look like, but I am curious to see if a change in leadership on the offensive side of the ball can give them a little bit more pop. We have come to know that defense needs to tie. It can't be any worse. We've said that is healthy.
Yeah, if Kate McNamara is healthy, the offensive line takes another step forward and they're successful enough developing skill talent. You know, there's promising guys at running back from last year back like there's something there that should say, especially remove Ohio State from the schedule. I don't know if you have the schedule in front.
Have in front of you, so and this is why it's interesting. Okay, listen to the teams in this schedule and tell me how many of these, on the surface you feel like are our losses?
Right?
Iowa State, Iowa State, it's got a lot back, so that'll be a tough game, rivalry game, who knows, but it's in Kinnick Stadium. Troy Trojans and Jared Parker at Minnesota bye week before Ohio State first week of October. That will have big equal we'll remove that from the
stead out in this eclipse conversation. Yeah, Washington down Michael Pennix at home in Iowa City, at Michigan State, Michigan State kind of rebuilding now home against Northwestern, home against Wisconsin on the road, at UCLA on the road at Maryland. They close out the season at home against Nebraska. How many of those teams scare you two?
Yeah, not many, not many, like you know, on the road at Minnesota on I mean coming off of what a twelve ten loss to Minnesota on the road. Michigan State. We'll see what Michigan State looks like in mid October. Ucla starting overs on the road at Maryland's kind of scary. We'll see what they look like at quarterback this year. But no, that is if you're talking about eleven games, it's nine or ten wins. If they take an acceptable
step forward, it's got to be a par on offense. Yeah, it's got to be acceptable on offense.
But the defense has been one of the main stays really throughout college football for the last decade. I mean, the offense is always kind of a struggle, bus the defenses has certainly served up its part and kept Iowa very relevant.
And they now plenty of time. They have plenty of time to look up how to signal or not signal what on punt returns correct, so they can work on that all off season long.
I just think we have gone so far down this rabbit hole with Iowa and the offense, and the jokes are funny and it seems like they're limitless and we enjoy them.
I think that I think the jokes are continue. I love them. Okay, I'm not going to be a joke goalie here, ty, so I'm gonna pull back.
I speak for myself on this one. I am pro every Iowa offense Okay, but that but that being said, if you do pull back and if you look at what the landscape looks like around them here, Yeah, the schedule is going to continue to get harder in the years to come, and I think that's when the rubber is going to beat the road. But here in the short term, given some of the uncertainty around the conference and some of the turnover that's.
Going on around them.
Yeah, you blought out Ohio State, It's like, Okay, this is still Iowa with its defense and they're going to take some of these teams to the wire.
Also, Iowa has beaten Ohio State not terribly long ago. So even if Ohio State were on the schedule.
Before we move on and talk about a different conference here, do you.
Have like a dark so as Iowa your dark horse or is that like your legit moon for the big ten?
I think I probably we will put Iowa more in the dark horse category, just because it feels to me like they've been written off by a lot of folks, if only because of that offense. Okay, you know, we really don't know what that's going to look like this year. We can make assumptions, but I.
Think it's disrespectful. We didn't include Wisconsin in this conversation.
Well, I was going to ask you about Wisconsin. I was actually gonna ask about Michigan if we could talk a little bit more about them. Okay, but the Wisconsin thing is interesting. We have talked about the Badgers before. We both have a ton of respect for Luke Fickle. The problem that I have with Wisconsin, specifically with respect to the twenty twenty four season is the schedule is
kind of brutal. Yeah, to assume that they're a dark horse in this landscape with all of this AMMO and the schedule, to me is a bit of a stretch.
I think that's fair. I think I'm thinking about this more big picture, long term that like, could Wisconsin ascend in the universe in which you know, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, whoever you want to say, Like, are you a believer enough in Luke fickle roster building continuity coach Hires to say, like, I think Wisconsin could build something that could even with those schools existing as they do right now that they're all those places are in very positive places more so
than Wisconsin. Arguably that Wisconsin could ascend to a point where you're just like, there's so much of a pain in the ass. They look like where they were in like the late twenty teens. That they're fielding a top five defense, which is not out of the question with Luke Fickle and recruit to a very specific vision offense, and are just such a pain that they're winning ten games even in a loaded big ten. I'm asking you,
I'm asking you, like, what your belief like. I need to see what they what they look like at quarterback post TVD. Yeah, because I'm not there right now.
It's yeah, I mean, there's almost two ways to look at this right. Part of it is longer term, the other part is in the short term and bigger picture. Yeah, we have a lot of respect Luke Fickle on what he brings to the table and how his how his track record can inform us as for what's what's to come for Wisconsin. I think all that's very exciting. I almost can't get past this season though, and the TVD
experiment to me is supremely interesting. You know, it's on my It's on my top twenty five list of most interesting off season slash early season storylines that I don't want to follow. What does TVD look like in this system? Because we know, we know the highs of TVD can be pretty good, We've also seen the lows and those have been a little bit more dramatic.
They're like a shady horse to me. Not quite a dark horse, sha, not quite an obvious horse. They're a dusky horse. Dusky horse. Yeah. They like you have to you have to believe a little bit more than what you can see with your eyes in this moment because of where the offense or where we think the offense could have sent to. But right now, with the injuries at quarterback they had last year, with the way they use certain guys on offense, Like I just you have
to believe more than you can see right now. I'm a believer, But right now I think I give Jonathan Smith and Michigan State a slightly more intriguing edge longer term because of his history with quarterbacks and talent and coaches. I think I'm slightly there. I want to move to a different conference, please please.
I want to talk real quick about Michigan though, Okay, just a quick thirty second hit.
Please.
The thing with Michigan is this, you cannot go three weeks three weeks at a pop with this schedule without running into a.
Buzzsaw of some sort.
Open the year Fresno State, Texas games at home, but Texas and Arkansas State first grouping of three, next grouping of three after that home against USC home against Minnesota on the road at Husky Stadium. That might be the easiest stretch of three weeks. Okay, I hear you. After a bye week at Illinois home against Michigan State rivalry home against Oregon, that won't be easy. Tough close out the year at Indiana New Look Indiana Kurt Signetti home
against Northwestern on the road at Ohio State. There aren't a whole lot of breaks here for a new coach. Hard for me to see a situation in which they are the star of the conference this year. It could happen, but it's hard for me to see.
That was a great That was That was an all time hedge by the way from you that I was. I was a fine moment of hedge. I don't see him, hedge. Hey, I won't hedge. I don't see it. You said it could happen, but I don't see it. So your bases are covered. My bases are covered. I don't see it.
I don't I don't see Michigan against this schedule, with everything that just left going on, the kind of run light they've had the last three years with the new coach, I just don't see it. Prove me wrong.
What's the scene, what's the line in Breaking Bad where Skyler is like, they're coming after you, They're doing all this. Aren't you scared of this? Aren't you scared of that? And he says I'm the one who knocks right. And the counterpoint is Michigan just comfortably beat the team who beat Texas in the playoff, and now they get Texas. Now these are all different rosters, these are all you know,
every season has its own different context. But if Michigan plays to what we already know is Sean Moore's very specific vision for this team, it's it's carrying over from the Harby. I don't think you're gonna see a lot different on offense. And there's enough back on defense. You know, you look at the secondary, you look at the defensive line.
There's just enough pieces who played significantly for a championship team that I don't know, I think you should be a little bit more scared if you're playing Michigan than if you're looking at Michigan's schedule.
I'm not saying they're a pushover Dan there is, but I'm just saying I'm not expecting an undefeated season.
I know what, I think they can still go ten and two against the Stanley Can's what I'm saying, Like, Uh, there is something about what's the fun phrase.
Like championship DNA.
Right, that there is something in ann Arbor that should scare the bejesus out of every team on their schedule. Right, Michigan is squarely living rent free in Ohio State's head Right. Ohio State's out there spending four hundred million dollars to to keep the roster intact and bring in new guys on the roster as is their right. As is great to see if you're an Ohio State fan that your
team is doing everything they can. But they're doing it because they've been pushed around a lot recently by this Michigan program, different players, different offensive linemen, different guys in the secondary. That there has been something about inside this Michigan program that has them better prepared to win that game every year. Where's the Texas game? Texas games at home, Texas games at home. It's in ann Arbor. That's pretty nice. Yeah,
that's pretty nice. Where's the Oregon game? Oregon games at home? ORG games at home? Where'shio State game?
Ohio State game is in the shoe?
Have they recently won in the shoe? As luck would have it, they have?
Yeah?
Okay, So all I'm saying right now, and you know you're there, chief hedging officer, so I understand where you're coming from. But I think the counterpoint is pretty strong for Michigan in this moment, that like they are more feared than we should be scared of what's on their schedule. That's all.
Michigan blotted out Ohio State the own version of the eclipse, and now now we're almost talking about it in reverse a little bit because they have owned Ohio State.
I mean that that kind of goes with they're saying, I don't know, different elements, different ways.
Yeah, I'm not as high on Michigan this year.
I don't see how anybody. I don't know officially where I stand.
Yeah, we have not done the full preseason deep dive and all that. I'm not as high on Michigan this year as it was last year. I don't see how anybody could be I think. I think if you are as high on Michigan this year as you were last year, you are you are living in an alternate reality.
You're a Michigan fan.
You're a Michigan fan, many of whom have commented on our videos and emailed in about how disrespectful I was towards Michigan. Keep it coming.
I don't care.
I can't get as high about Michigan as I was last season, but they're still going to be very good. Let's leave it at that. Yeah, where do you want to go next? Which conference? Uh?
You want to go to the Mountain West?
Yeah? Oh great?
Laid on me fastball, screwball, curveball. Who's the star in the Mountain West? Who is that bright shining orb in the middle of the Mountain West in this moment? Or does one exist?
My default answers are always either Boise State or Fresno State.
What about Oregon State twenty twenty six? That was mean?
I'm sorry, that was mean. Yeah, those are always my default answers. Is there a better answer for the Mountain West than Boise, Boise or Fresnoe.
Boise Fresno, San Diego State Air Force. I don't think there's an obvious star here, but is there a team? Is there a team on this obviously Wyomi makes a coaching change. U and LV is interesting to me. Yeah, I don't know if Barry Otam is long for Vegas washed Jada Mayava lost a Mayava to USC proximity to recruiting.
Vegas has become more and more of a sports town with the addition of what the NHL team, an NFL team, and at some point a Sacramento team moving from MLV MLB's Oakland A's to Sacramento as to the Vegas A's allegedly. I don't know. There's something about UNLV. I don't know what they have behind the scenes in terms of NIL if like Guy Fieri is going to be a big booster as Barry Otum ramps it up. You and V is interesting to me as a moon to like what
they made the conference championship game last year. Weren't great in it. No but Boise with a new full time head coach. San Diego State new head coach. There's a lot that's pretty open, Like Tedford seems to be near the end of his tenure at Fresno. I don't think you can count them out. I think UNLV is the obvious Sun here to blot out the energy of the recent powers in the Mountain West. First, as long as Barry Odein is there.
First off, continuing science lesson for you, please, it is the moon that blots out the Sun and not the s You said that they were the obvious sun.
That was going to excuse me they were, Well, they could ascend to obvious sun, but right now they're the obvious moon to blot out the sun. Correct.
I think I think I tend to favor Fresno by a nose if we're talking about sort of the star of the conference, and if you look at it just in terms of who's coming back.
Jay Cane Ray walking through that door, Ti.
Jay Cane Ray walked through that door. But they've got a lot back on offense. Yeah, and they are almost they're almost kind of a I don't know, a one to eighty as compared to Boise State, which has a lot coming back onto you a new coach, new situation, but a lot coming back on the defensive side of the ball. So in that sense, it'll be interesting to watch how the Mountain West season plays out, where you've got offense
on one side, maybe defense on the other. If those are the two teams that we end up talking the most about, UNLV is interesting to me, I tend to agree, and that was sort of where I went first when Yeah, when you mentioned you know who is interesting because it does feel like that program has seen a bit of a jolt lately. I'm interested in Colorado State. Colorado State isn't all that good, but they're another team that has a fair amount back on both sides of the ball.
I still like Jane Norvel a lot as their coach. I think it's going to be a slow build to kind of get them back to respectability. So it's probably a bridge too far at this point to assume that they're going to be the team that like finds.
Some way to blot out the stars.
But I kind of have one eye on Colorado State just to see, if not them rising to that level, just to see how that program grows under Jane Orvell.
Fair enough, Okay, let's go to America's conference, and that would be the only conference that features the eucalyptus trees of Palo Alto and the palm trees of Coral Gables.
The All American Conference, Yeah yeah, acc.
ACC America's conference. Who is the star of the ACC The bright shining star right now is Florida State. Because I'm just going to give benefits of that. I'm not
going to sweat what they lose. I'm still going to doubt that they can accomplish big things with DJU, but based solely on recent growth, recent ascension, the way that they played at their best last year, the last couple of years, what Mike has done in the portal, what he's done on the recruiting trail, somewhat to the disappointment of Florida State diehards, but also like still a good job. I think the energy is with Florida State. I think
the momentum is with Florida State. And as much as you want to call it, what was it a a buy something binary solar system with two bright shining suns. I think you can say that in terms of brand recognition and you know, ten twelve years of results, But right now I would say that if you were to anonymously ask every head coach in the conference, they're most gunning for Florida State and not a Florida State Clemson answer.
Clemson Clemson, though, is I mean you're doing a little bit of disrespect to Clemson by not throwing the Clemson Tigers out there, am I I think so?
I mean I understand why you put Florida State.
I do tend to look at this a little bit through a little bit more through the lens of returning production, and Florida State gets absolutely crushed totally. Now, talent acquisition has not been a problem for Mike Norvel. He's actually proven quite good at it. But there's just there's so much leaving that I'm not going to say we're going to see another like Orange Bowl situation at Florida State.
I think they'll be fine. I think obviously you know they're going to win their fair share of games this year. But I have a hard time not giving Clemson the nod, knowing what Florida State is going to have to backfill and what Clemson has coming back.
But what is it about Clemson that you feel like there is just a tonage of radiation emanating from this program in the way that there is from our solar system.
Son, I think there's enough continuity on offense that I feel good about. On the Clemson side, I.
Mean, what is the continuity that you feel good about? You like film, Afa, I do? Hey, club Nick I do? Okay, I don't. They don't have receivers. Maybe Matt Luke will improve this offensive line, but the defense should be real good.
I've come full circle on Clemson.
Okay, what does their schedule look like this year?
Georgia first week of the year. It's good, the ACC non ACC outside of that app State, NC State, Stanford at Florida State at Wake, Virginia home against Louisville at Virginia Tech at pitt the Citadel in South Carolina.
Yeah, I don't know, man, I'm gonna have to see something from like this roster outside of clear NFL players on defense to get me excited about like ten to eleven win possibility.
We could sit here and argue until we're blue in the face over which teams are the alpha essentially in the ACC. Who are the teams? Who are the proverbial moons that could blot out the powers because there were There's a Louisville conversation to be had, h I think there might be more on the sleeper side and NC State discussion to be had. We both seem to be abnormally high on Kiren drones of Virginia Tech this year. Yeah,
who want to talk about sleepers? I mean, you've been singing the praises of the Stanford Cardinal here ever since they joined the ACC.
You did it again.
Yeah, so maybe they're you're sleeper. I don't want to speak for you, little smu Action. Yeah, a little Preston Stone.
Why not?
I mean, if you're thinking next rung down teams, that could take some of the shine off of those top dogs.
M h is it Louisville?
Is that the next obvious one? I don't know.
I'm gonna have to see where they go at quarterback long term. I don't I'm not there yet with Louisville. I think that might have been a really nice year one, a sort of fortunate year one, given the schedule. I might be inclined to ride with Brent Key and Georgia Tech Here for this answer, Oh, I guess I'm not saying that they are going to be they are going
to become the son of the ACC. I'm saying just in terms of blot out potential that, like, I'm not going to sing the praises of like an Atlanta recruiting base. It's not the same situation, like it's a difficult school to get into. There's too many schools around there that recruit Georgia and Atlanta Metro so well. But there is something about a team that plays with the fire that Georgia Tech has played with recently that they're going to win some twenty seven to twenty fours that they shouldn't.
They're going to finish strong. I like year one of Haines King, little sloppy with the ball, but playmaker in ways that I didn't anticipate that In terms of the true spirit of a moon blotter, a moon that is blotting by the way, I cannot wait to get a number of emails that have the subject quick quick science note about the moon. Need a little primer for Dan Rubens quick science correction eighteen. Dan mentioned the tides. So there is the spirit of a school occupying a place
to blot out the lights of others. I think Georgia could be like the spoiler maker, that kind of school within the ACC moving forward that like, yeah, they only won eight games, but man, they are getting a lot.
Of people's way Georgia, Georgia Tech. Excuse me, yeah, yeah, no. I we have commented before on the pain in the acidness of Georgia Tech. That's a specific science term that I used. They play hard for bran Key, they did it ever since he was the interim Sure and Haines King. I think is is a super interesting prospect. You know, we got to.
See not an NFL prospect college football this season kind of situation.
Yeah, exactly. They are extremely plucky and as a team that could serve as that thorn, maybe more of a temporary eclipse. Sure, I could see it longer term. Longer term, I think the the arc here still favors Florida State Clemson, but in the short term and no Miami.
In this conversation, I don't.
Know what to expect from Miami, Dan, I don't know what to expect from Miami.
I expect growth, I do. I expect growth, but to what end?
You know, We've expected growth each of the last two years, and I feel like in both instances, maybe there has been a little bit of growth, but it has far underwhelmed. And so I don't I don't want to get too high on the Kinges this year. I think longer term. Mario is very good at assembly talent, sure, and the question, the obvious question is can he translate that into wins? And we just you know, we didn't see it. We saw loss in the bowl game to Rutgers last year. Whatever, who cares about it?
So, in a universe in which Florida State and Clemson are sucked into that black hole, who do you think has the strength to stabilize the a sec at the top if it's not Miami As what I'm getting from your words is this. Does this become an NC State conference? Does this become a Brent Privee Virginia Tech Conference?
Now I'd be incline to Louisville.
You think Louisville would would have that shine.
I'd be incline to Louisville in that situation. Yeah, if we're not talking Florida State, if we're not talking Clemson, A healthy nil backing, Yeah, healthy nil backing. It's it's a program that is willing to invest in the football team. They've got a good coach who last season alone proved that he can assemble the pieces pretty quickly and turn into good year. I think I think I would be inclined to go team Jeff Brahm for this guy right here.
I wouldn't do that. I don't think I have that in me. Put my vote down, one vote for Dan and the for Animal at Syracuse occupying that's.
Not that's let's go down the SEC then, all right, SEC the obvious ones.
Georgia. Yeah, we agree that it was the obvious Sun. Especially. I mean, look, it was obviously a two moon, a two sun system with Nick Saban present in Tuscaloosa. But with the absence of Nick Saban, it'd be impossible to say, you know this, this college football conference universe revolves around Tuscaloosa. No, it's Georgia who's.
Going to block out that son of that Kirby Smart son, that Red Sun who's blocking that out? Uh?
In terms of what they've proven at their school all around right now, I'd lean LSU, the LSU ceiling, the Brian Kelly winning the West in year one ceiling where recruiting is. I would think that's the school that can build a roster consistently and build the energy consistently to not just blot out but have the chance to usurp Georgia.
That's the closest to me in this moment without saying what Kaylin Debora Alabama fully looks like, without seeing how Texas and Oklahoma adjust, knowing what the current what we perceive the ceiling for a school like Ole miss to be or Tennessee to be, I think LSU kind of stands alone as the obvious answer, what do you think?
Well, we need to bear in mind that the SEC is bigger now right much the way the Big Ten, and we included Oregon, Ohio State, even Michigan into the conversation. I mean Texas now comes in from the west. Texas was a playoff team a year ago for sure, so maybe doing a bit of disrespect to the Longhorns not considering them as they're a Big twelve playoff teams as one of the suns here, but yeah, they were coming
from a different conference. We don't know how they'll fare against an SEC schedule, so I think it's probably premature to.
To put them up there.
I mean, Texas to me seems like the obvious one given where that program's at. You know, Sark is trying to build it in a very saban esque kind of way, and clearly they all are. They all are, but Sark's got the first hand experience. Yeah, as does Kirby Smart. Right, that's one thing that they have in common. So that's why I think I go there next. If I'm thinking in terms of all right, who's sort of like the
next team up? You know, if there's there going to be anybody that takes off the shine from Georgia, who is that team if not Alabama?
And you would put Texas ahead of LSU in this moment, I think I would. Yeah, Oh man, I totally disagree.
I think I would because they have gotten very, very physical on the defensive side of the ball. That's been a big deal and that I think above all else. We've talked a lot about the talent they've got an offense and quinn Ewers and arch Manning and whoever else, but truly defensively, that is where they have made some serious strides. That's what enabled them to kind of take that next step forward. And that's not to say that Elise you won't get there. They've certainly got a boatload
of talent. But ls you didn't play any defense last year. If it was a matter of offense, then it would have been a different conversation. But you got to play both sides of the ball if you want to win in the SEC. And Texas did that. Texas did that last year. Well, different schedule, I get it.
But I mean, even with you get lit up a little bit by Josh Hoover, I don't know if we can fully make that claim. You know, previously on Texas football, it was Michael Pennox destroying Okay, this team.
Okay, that's all fair. Did they or did they not get better on defense last year?
They definitely did. That's why my answer is Texas, okay. I just think LSU is always going to be closer to improving things for whatever reason. I think, what so, Texas has Arch Manning as quarterback of the future and LSU has the twenty twenty five number one quarterback Bryce Underworlrice Underwood committed. So they're both in what we think terrific shape moving forward at quarterback. Like there's a ton of promise on offense. Both tools should be able to
recruit a ton of defense. I don't know. I think there's just still going to be an adjustment period for Texas in moving to a new conference, whereas I think LSU is better fitted in the short term better fit better, I don't know, better equipped in the short term to be that Moon. Otherwise, Look, you can there have been moments of Tennessee. There have been moments, you know, a
few years ago now of Florida. Like it's a little bit difficult to say ole Miss because previously on ole Miss Georgia fifty two for Georgia's for ole Miss, Like, gotta believe it a little bit more. Ole Miss certainly fits that like dark Horse Moon Like, they're definitely improving. The roster has definitely gotten better since the end of last season, but there's a thirty five point gap right now that I just am a little bit concerned about.
So my my interesting answer is actually Oklahoma more so than Texas for like the next tier down after LSU why I want defense, And Oklahoma has been recruiting the hell out of defense, just stacking dudes in the recruiting the last couple recruiting classes.
Defense got better last year, it did.
Both sides of the ball got better last year.
After after all of the ted Roof jokes from twenty two.
Oklahoma has taken steps in the right direction, not as dramatically as Sark and Texas if Jack snartled works out, if like the line of succession at quarterback. To me, the big question you know in the term is probably offensive line for Oklahoma and figuring out playmakers on offense. Which offensive line not an issue for Texas, but they are replacing some playmakers at Texas. But there is that combination that tantalizing like Oklahoma could get to a scary
good place on defense in the next year. I think, depending on how these guys work out, obviously, but I think the general roster level on defense is getting to a really interesting place. And you gotta protect Jackson Arnold. You gotta find guys to step into those roles, absolutely, and they've recruited, They've they've brought in some good receivers.
But Oklahoma to me, because of the Venables factor, because of how I think he's going to stack players on defense, that to me is what I have my eye on.
I don't know about Texas.
A and M uh interesting, but like we haven't seen any of ELC. We we have though not at A and M, not as the A and M head coach.
But you know, I think this is a guy throughout his career who when he's running a defense. He's getting the most out of that talent. He was much sought after. That's why A and M paid him a boatload to come and leave Notre Dame and go down to College Station.
He was good as a defensive coordinator. He was very, very impactful in a short time at Duke, got the most out of that roster, totally was able to build a good defense out of that roster and didn't have like a third of the talent that he's going to have at Texas A and M. Now, we can't necessarily project forward that all of that stuff, all of that pixie dust, is going to come with him now to College Station as the head coach. But it stands to reason, at least in the short term, there is a fair
amount back on that rod. There's a lot leaving, but there's a lot of returning production that is still in place in College Station, be it from the roster that was there before or some of the guys that have decided to transferred A and M. So I don't think this is like a complete rebuild type situation.
No, But like this is a classic A conversation. Oh yeah, how does Texas A and M get to that place? Are they on their way to that place. I see them getting to that place where, for whatever reasons, they never do. And so at least for a stretch of time. And so Texas A and M is almost in its own category of sure. But okay, that's the issue with Texas A and M. That they occupied that very specific
space of sure. Potential's there. But no matter who they hire, no matter who the quarterback is, no matter what the identity is, things go wrong for three and a half weeks plus every year.
Who is the star of the Big Twelve?
It's a great question. I actually like went back and forth on this a lot. I think the only true answer to this question is Oklahoma State.
Fourth nationally in returning production, but first or second in the Big Twelve behind Iowa State. So they're up there, top team in terms of returning production, fifteenth on offense, fourteenth on defense. I am probably not the best person to talk about Oklahoma State.
No, just remove yourself from your view last year and if you evaluate where Oklahoma State more often than not is with Mike Gundy, who's by far the most tenured Big Twelve coach. Obviously, Kyle Whittingham has been at Utah
for a long time. He has not coached a Big twelve game yet, So within that conference, he has the tenure, he has the level of success, and even if you work to compare him against somebody like Chris Climbing in Kansas State, like Oklahoma State recently has played very favorably against Kansas State over the past five six years.
Why would you not go Utah though?
Why would you not say Utah?
Because Utah has been steady eddy sure under Kyle Whittingham. Now they get Cam Rising back. We don't know what he's going to look like. I don't think we can assume it's just going to be the Cam Rising from three years ago. At this point, right he had a serious set of injuries he was dealing with. But generally Utah plays defense and they do enough offensively to beat your brains in.
Look, their program might be in a healthier place right now than Oklahoma State, but I think we still have to put some respect on Mike Gundy in this program's name, Like there was nothing expected of last year they make it to the conference championship game. I think there's a certain amount of like Gundhy and the Cowboys have proven it against this collection of teams well more often than not this collection of teams, whereas Utah is in a
terrific place as a program with Kyle Whittingham. Like they're down a quarterback, they're down two quarterbacks last year. They're still going to USC and winning. Right, They're still doing a lot of great things. I think they beat ASU fifty five to three in November, like with not much healthy on that roster. And so Utah has a great program.
Utah has a great coach. But in terms of the sun this conference revolves around I don't know, you gotta play a game in this conference before I fully label you that title. Again. I might be higher on Utah than any other team in this conference in the short term, but we still got to put some respect on respect and stillwater.
Yeah. The interesting thing about Oklahoma State, if you look at the schedule, it's pretty much front loaded. Okay, it's front loaded in that they've got Utah and case State on back to back weeks at the end of September. After that, though, Dan West Virginia at home, than a bye at BYU at Baylor home against Arizona State on the road at TCU home against Texas Tech on the road, at Colorado. Of the teams that at least right now are doing this early April are projected to be ranked,
there's only two and they're back to back weeks. It's Utah, it's Kansas State again to close out the month of September. This is a favorable schedule. It's a favorable schedule and for extendent that's got a lot back that's pretty good.
It's a potentially tricky November, right if we have a good Jayden Rashad, if we have an improved TCU on the road, that's gonna be difficult. Texas Tech will see how feisty they are. But they ran the ball really well at the end of last year. Colorado on the road at altitude, we'll see should or should be protected better than he was this year. I think that's a tricky November. But the other this is to your point, there's no Bedlam on the schedule.
There's no Bedlin. No, there's no Bedlin. And if we want to talk about true eclipse situations, yeah, I don't know if this is a lunar eclipse set up, but it very much has been Oklahoma getting in the way of Oklahoma State over Mike Gundy's tenure. There have been moments, of course, but yeah, by and large, Oklahoma has ruled that roost.
So would would you say Utah is then the if I'm going to put words in your mouth, the obvious eclipse candidate as they come in, if we're going to agree that at least Oklahoma State in this conference, of the teams that have played in this conference, I think, is it a Kansas State eclipse? Is it a TCU bounce back eclipse? Is an upcoming ASU eclipse? Is it watch out for Gus Melson and Florida tallon out east eclipse?
Like that's the thing. When you don't have that super obvious sun, then you've got a lot of moons floating around, a lot of moons.
Yeah, I'm I'm most interested in Kansas and Kansas State.
Yeah, Kansas absolutely include the Jayhawks.
Are Kansas and Kansas State? I say Kansas State because I think Chris Clemb's got the track record. You just sort of know that he's going to put a good team out there.
And but not against Gundy.
Not against Gundy. Yeah, and Kansas is interesting. You know, the defense needs to improve if we're going to seriously consider them as part of this conversation, like definitely at the top rung of the conference at all, but they've certainly got enough offense in the short term to make life hell for some of these other teams that are in the conference. I was looking at Kansas's schedule earlier, and I mean the first month and a half of the season. They've got a team on their schedule called
the linden Wood Lions, which is a real team. Great Illinois that Illinois UNLV West Virginia, TCU, Arizona State. That's the first month and a half of the season. After that it gets a little trickier. Houston on the road at case date for the Sunflower game, Iowa State at UYU, Colorado at Baylor. Extremely workable schedule for Kansas.
Good thing about this concept, by the way, is the process of mooning is also like thumbing your nose at the powers that be. I would say right now, just in terms of the ceilings, and I think this conference has five to six moons.
This this is for my money.
You can talk me into a whole bunch of nine and three squads.
For my money. I'm gonna make a statement here. Yeah, this is the most interesting conference in America in twenty twenty Saller football. Football. Oh okay, yeah, well I know about basketball. I just don't about basket.
They felt they're like playing at Rucker Park or whatever.
Yeah, I don't care about from a football standpoint, this is the most interesting conference in America, okay. And at this point, Look, we've evolved to the point now where all of the conferences that are still in existence have expanded, right, every single one of them, whether it's the ACC, the Big Ten, the SEC, the Big Twelve, They've all the power conferences have expanded at this point, so to some extent that you know, like we're looking at newcomers and
what they bring to the conference. But I think by virtue of some of the subtractions in the Big Twelve, with Texas and Oklahoma leaving, there's a huge void now, all of a sudden, And to your point, there are a thousand moons, a thousand other teams in there that I think we could talk ourselves into, whether it's k State or Kansas or even in Arizona, you know, with what they've got returning.
I agree. I was disrespectful for us to leave off a team that features probably one of the best three, if not best quarterback to receiver tandems in the country. Yeah.
So, of course Jed Fish leaves, but Brent Brennan's a good coach in his own right, and you know, with some of the returning talent on hand in Arizona, it's that's another team that I think is interesting. Arizona State will improve this coming season, might not block out the sun, but will improve on some level. Colorado, You're right, should product chateor a little.
Bit better than they have right last season. Yeah, They're still not going to be great, but yeah, they should be more intriguing. Yeah, there's just.
So many points of intrigue in the Big Twelve.
You said the most interesting, the most intriguing, the most what is the scriptor here?
Most interesting conference in America is the Big Twelve.
I'm not there because I still think you need like the clear top as a measuring stick, and in my mind, the top rung is real fluid within the conference? Does that not make it more interesting for you? Though? It might be the most entertaining, I don't know if it's the most interesting.
I could go with entertaining too.
I don't know what. I don't know what the exact difference is it's more entertaining because week to week you don't exactly know what you're going to get. But I like what we're going into the season in the Big Ten and probably less on the ACC, but the Big Ten in SEC with where you like the tiers can be argued a little bit more cleanly than you can
in the Big Twelve. I think it makes for more week to week entertainment, but I don't know if that makes me more interested in the depth of this conference more.
There's a there's a pretty good chance that two teams from this conference are going to be in the playoff this year, Okay, right, because figure at least three from the SEC and the Big Ten six, probably two from the ACC. That takes up to eight. We know there's gonna be one from the non power level yep, and that leaves you with three and you can kind of mix and match with you know where where those teams
come from. But I think I think we can assume at least two come from the Big twelve, which two That makes it incredibly entertaining, incredibly interesting from week to week because it's so wide open. You know, whoever wins the conference is going to get in and then there's probably a team behind them. So which two teams those are going to be means be seen, Sure, but it's gonna be fun as hell. Who do we want to close out with? We've done the power conferences so far.
We've obviously done the Mountain West.
Yeah, you want to be American, you want to do the sun Belt? Where you want to go? I want to talk about the Sun Belt a little bit. Let's go Sunbelt.
I'm super interested in the sun A lot of changes, a lot of changes, a lot of changes the sun Belt. To me, we've called them the fun Belt. Everyone else is called them the fun Belt too. Yeah, the James Madison storyline over the last year was so much fun, and part of me is worried that it's just going to bottom out now because Kurt Signetti's left. Now, this has been a program that's been pretty good for a while.
I mean, they made the decision, it was a conscious choice to go up to the FBS level, and they obviously acquitted themselves pretty well in the short term.
Wait, but which conference did JMU turn to to fill that void? Would that be the Patriot League? And be the Patriot League? Would that be the gentleman from Holy Cross stepping in Bob Tesney. Sure is that the name? Yeah?
Okay, continue the James Madison storyline, I think for me is the most interesting full stop.
Okay.
But outside of them, we'll get app State. App State's been sort of the top dog for a while. Sure, you know the one that we think of. Louisiana's been pretty good.
Troy loses its coach. Forget Troy, They've got Jared Parker. I'm not even considering them.
South Alabama loses their coach, Ken Wamack going down. Georgia Southern well Clay Helton.
Act three and five in the sun Belt last year. Georgia Southern. Yeah, who's the star? The star is still probably jam you until proven otherwise. I mean Apupstate, given track record, obviously has to be in that conversation. I don't know if this is a binary solar system, but I know who my my moon is. GJ. Kenney and the Texas Tate Pobcats. Oh man, he stole it from me. Come on, I was setting it up, man, I was
setting it up. That's the up and comer. Yeah, that's the up and comer with Troy starting over with South Alabama. The Jags have done really nice job, and I think occupied that space has been pretty dangerous these past few years. Young gj Uh. The Bobcats not very easy to say, No, it is not. It is kind of a mouthful, a secret mouthful, which was what that was the name of your debut album. It was way back when it was mixtape technically, Yeah.
Bobcats baby, I think.
So.
I was intrigued by what they did in the Portal last year, Yeah, And I was impressed at how quickly he was able to assemble the troops and put something out there that felt cohesive and was the TJ.
Finlely experience.
Yeah, So I trust GJ. Kenny at this point. I think, Yeah, as as your ones go, that was pretty impressive. And you know, if you live and die by the Portal, you're always going to get burnt at some point. And I think the Portal is still a pretty big part of how he plans on building that system whatever one comes next.
But I think, yes, the Portal giveth and taketh away. But I think GJ. Kenny might be looking at this as like giveth him a bridge to TCU.
Yeah, like bail will take GJ. Kinney after r exactly exactly.
So yeah, I'm in on Texas State as a team that's going to keep growing as a couple of these powers. I don't you know, starting over is a weird thing to say, because Troy has been good for a few years now. So like even if you're down on Jared Park or whatever, like, there's still dudes there. It's a really interesting conversation. It's really interesting conference.
Excuse me, so listen With all that said, about an hour from now, what starts to happen, Dan, is the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun.
Let me write this down. I saw that there's a very specific path. We know people who are like driving to Indiana for like cause that's where like the very specific path near here is through like southern Indiana.
It it kind of worms its way up into a good chunk of Ohio Eerie, takes out Eerie, and then goes across I think through the Northeastern Corridor up through Vermont as such. So that is what happens. That is the the I guess schematics of how this actually occurs. The moon then casts a shadow on the Earth, Dan, and that track that you just reference that's where that shadow is most prevalent. Right, So I don't know if you've got plans to go out there and see this, don't.
I think it's hidden here in like I mean, I guess there too or whatever. In like half hour, what do you say, an hour?
It's going to start up in about yeah, a half hour hour? And then can I.
Don't have a glasses? Do you have the glasses? I do have the glasses. Where did you pick them up? Like a supermarket or something?
My wonderful mother in law dropped them off. She found she found ones that were legit and not the knockoff type that you can buy online that might burn your eyes out. These are like legit ones that are to code.
My older son brought home a pair, so I'll probably look through his.
I mean, you got muscles, man, take them muscles. You got more muscles than the kid. Just take the glasses.
Oh yeah, yeah, no, I'm gonna give him an.
Opportunity to assert your dominance.
How long is it? How long does it pass in front? What is it the time?
I think here it peaks around three thirty. I'm not sure about how No.
But like, is it like a two minute thing? A thirty minute thing. How long will you will be in front? You will see some portion of it for you know, maybe like twenty thirty minutes. Okay, right, so there's time for both of us to get some time in absolutely. Is this something that excites you? Is this something that gets you going as a space guy?
It is? Actually yeah, okay, I'm into it.
But can you fully appreciate it with your like subpar vision?
Well, they say that when the eclipse occurs, reds and greens will look a little bit different to the off right and you can't handle that, to which I say, they already look different for this guy. Yeah, how much different could they look?
Did you look at a solar eclipse when you were a child and that did that alter?
It? Could have? It could have? I mean, it happens every like I mean the last one was twenty seventeen. It happens every so often.
But was that solar or lunar? No?
It was solar, okay, But we did not have quite the same pathway as we do.
And this doesn't happen again for how many years? Twenty is like twenty one years, twenty one years, yeah, so twenty forty five something like that. Yeah, twenty twenty years. Yeah, I'll look through. I'll look through my kid's glasses. Get a good sense of it. I'm excited. I can appreciate it. It's a beautiful day here in the Midwest. It is here over there, it is here. Great all right, Well look right in silver badgemail dot com. Let us know you're yes, Let us know which moons are passing in
front of which stars in your particular conference. Do you have a favorite moon non earth division.
I'm a big iyo guy.
I've always been a big iyoga. That Jupiter.
That's Jupiter. I've very volcanically active love that. Yeah, big io guy, always have been. All right, poster on my wall fio.
Is that true? No, not at all? Oh, come on, tye, all right, that's all I have.
Hit follow wherever it is you listen to this. We appreciate your support. Subscribe out on YouTube, follow along on social media. We've been pushing pretty hard there as well. Appreciate your followership. Is that a word? Probably not it is now that's fine. For that guy over there, Dan Rubinstein, for myself, Tie Hill and a brand. Thank you so much again for your support. We will talk to you all on Thursday. In the meantimes, day so Peace