Episode Transcript
Welcome to the solid verbal hell that for me, I'm a man, I'm forty.
I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy.
You want to be happy for a day?
Edo State is that?
Speaker 2Whoo whoo?
Speaker 1And now Dan and Tye Dan Rubinstein, Week three is upon us, my friend, welcome back.
How is your health?
Could be better?
Could be worse?
Speaker 3Ty, Just like any other day, I feel okay because I'm here talking about college football.
I'm here with you, I'm here with the verbawlers.
Another joy to be on this planet and standing up right Ty, another day above Ground's good day.
Speaker 1As the wise profit Pitbull once said, Dan, welcome back in to all ofver bawlerhood.
Thank you so much for downloading, for supporting what we do.
Of course, verbolers dot com is where you can go if you want more info on that.
We will talk through the game this week in just a little bit after we talk about many of the other games that are going on in and around the world of college football.
If you didn't catch the episode that we did on Tuesday, we talk through three of the big matchups in week three.
Those include Georgia on the road at Tennessee, Florida, on the road at LSU, Texas A and M on the road at Notre Dame, and we will talk about those a little bit here momentarily, But if you want the deeper dive, you're going to have to go back and listen to that on the Tuesday episode Dan.
Of course, if you are here right now, if you like what you hear throughout the course of the episode, hit follow, hit subscribe so that you don't miss any of our episodes.
If you're watching or listening on any platform that allows you to drop a comment, we'd love to hear from you.
Please watch out, drop a comment, let us know how you feel about our predictions, give us some of your own.
All of that stuff helps the verballer hood go round.
My good friend, how are you feeling about week three?
I feel really good about week three.
I feel really good about you know, you get to the portion of the before where you're like, all right, I've been saving a little bit of room on my plate for these crab claws.
There is something about week three and the depth of interesting stories.
Now that we have two weeks.
Speaker 3Of a little bit of data, a little bit of a concept of where teams are and aren't as related to expectations, who's surging past early expectations, who is lagging behind early expectations?
But also Week three for a lot of these teams, and this sort of dovetails with our prove it segment.
Speaker 1You have a sound for that?
I assume I do have a sound.
I'm going to use the same one as last week, since you responded better to that one.
Speaker 3Okay, thank you very much.
The weird horns didn't get me going, Now get me horn.
It's fine if you will.
Yeah, there is something about this specific Week three that makes me think about the number two because for a number of people in this great sport and a number of teams, I have this as a second chance Saturday that you don't need to wait until October to prove that what you did early on was a fluke and you're different now because there are opportunities for so many teams and so many players to erase what happened in Week one or in Week two, with the opportunity against a quality opponent or playing against equality defense or offense to say, you know what, I'm going to take advantage of this Week three opportunity, and I'm going to say that down performance that disappointing performance in week one er week two?
Does you can reverse it this quickly?
Speaker 1Ty?
Speaker 3You can reverse it?
If you are DJ Lagway, if you're CJ.
Carr, if you're Alabama playing against an opponent you definitely should beat and our favorite to beat comfortably.
You have that opportunity, right that.
If you are Texas A and M, you get a second chance at Notre Dame after losing last season.
If you are Notre Dame, you get a second chance.
Speaker 1For CJ.
Speaker 3Carr, and this offense took a little bit more dynamic against a high quality defense and program.
There is that across the board.
I saw somewhere that Josh Hipel hasn't scored more than seventeen points against Georgia.
I don't know if it's a second chance, but it might be a second chance at a second chance, and that counts for something.
And I just love the idea.
You know, we have what LSU and Florida.
That's a big time second chance for DJ Lagway and this Florida offense to show any sort of pop, which I.
Speaker 1Think that's there.
Speaker 3I think that's where that that in sync bite comes from.
The song pop, right, Yeah, So I'm very excited for this Second Chance Saturday because I think there's a lot that can be flipped for a lot of people.
Speaker 1Beautiful Well, second Chance Saturday, I think is going to work out quite well for us here in the forballerhood.
We have a bunch of awesome games to discuss here today, not just those three that we talked about on Tuesday.
We will get into those momentarily.
But as you hinted, Dan, we've been doing this segment the last couple of weeks called prove it in this lifetime.
You'll have to prove nothing to nobody except yourself and that little pop.
Speaking of pop, yeah, before we played it before week two.
This is kind of when we look around college football, we take the temperature of what's going on and I think try to verbalize which teams, which players, which coaches, which whatever have the most on the line in Week three.
Like I look at this slate this week and I say, Florida has a lot on the line.
It's not just to build a napier thing.
It's not just the DJ Lagway thing.
But Florida was one of those teams that had a lot of preseason hype coming into the twenty twenty five season.
Losing to USF is not what they had on their bingo card in Week two.
Clearly they had this game circled against LSU.
So I am curious to see what we've got from the Gators this week on the road at night in Death Valley.
That is going to be a tough, tough proving ground for them, to say the absolute bare minimum.
Sure, but they've got a prove that they have what it takes.
Even if they don't win that game, they've at least got to go toe to toe with LSU come out of that one with a close loss.
Because anything more than that is bad news for Napier.
It's bad news for that program.
It probably is a death knell with respect to just preseason vibes that were really really strong in Gainesville.
So they're the first that come to mind for me.
Who's the first that comes to mind for you?
Speaker 3Well, I have that on my list.
And to just build on what you were saying, I think it's a BILLI Napier DJ Lagway combination because he's the play caller, he's the architect of this offense and whatever deficiencies he has as an offensive mind with this team, you sort of expect a quarterback to be able to lift to the best of his ability and cover for any deficiencies.
Right, That's why we use the term playmaker, to be able to create something out of nothing, to buy time and go downfield, to be more precise, to use your legs, whatever it takes to keep the chains moving.
So I think they have a ton to prove.
I have Clemson here as a team with a lot to prove.
Clemson has a Georgia Tech and we're going to get into more detail in this preview that I think still has defensive issues, but is also a Georgia Tech team.
That this is the matchup of the home slate for Georgia Tech.
Yes, so you will never because the Georgia game, I think is in Mercedes Benz this season.
So when you look at the schedule, there is not going to be a more hyped up crowd for an opponent than what Clemson will be seeing in Bobby Dodd and what Clemson showed last week was very little on offense for the majority of that game.
Slushy weather obviously the lightning delay, But Georgia Tech is so specific in how they want to beat you, which is just running the ball down your throat, and Clemson again has had some issues stopping the run.
They weren't consistent in doing it last season.
The offense looked vanilla against Troy until they decided to sort of take the game seriously.
Maybe I don't know.
I don't know why.
It was a lot of like dink and dunk and unable to move the pile.
It wasn't impressive from a Clemson offensive perspective for a chunk of that game.
Just sloppy and unimagined, unimaginative.
Speaker 1Excuse me.
Speaker 3So, I think Clemson has a ton to prove that.
Once again, we're not just talking about Clemson as a team to compete to win the ACC.
We're saying, given their experience, given that this is Kad Klebnick's fourth year playing in this system, that they should be a team ready to compete as a top four legit national championship contender.
And what better time to perrove it than against a really challenging opponent on the road.
Speaker 1I've got Miami on my list as well.
Okay, And I kind of wavered a little bit as to whether I should mention this here, but I think it applies.
Look, I don't continue.
Miami has, for better or worse, over the last couple seasons, earned this reputation of falling short in some big moments, though not all right, and though I feel like they are a much better team than USF, and I understand the big destrodum last year, right destroud, I understand the point spread which we will talk about here in addition to that Clemson game and some others.
But this is an opportunity for them to leave no doubt, and especially in the state of Florida, which is really interesting with respect to college football right now, right, Miami has an opportunity here to drill USF and beat a team that just beat Florida.
By the way, Miami is Florida on deck.
Correct.
It is a look ahead spot, Yeah, a little bit of a look ahead spot.
So we have seen Miami in situations like this before maybe look past an opponent and not put their best foot forward.
And I think this is an opportunity for them to do just that, albeit against the USF side that is two and oh has had a really good start to its season.
I think you and I are both in unanimous agreement that Miami is way better in terms of just roster construction and what they've got depth wise.
This is an opportunity for them to go pedal to the metal to prove it, to prove that what we saw against noted aim in week one, to prove that what we saw last week was, you know, this is going to be a trend and not something that they forget about when they were in a look ahead spot.
Speaker 3This It reminds me a little bit.
Obviously I'm gonna make this about me and my fandom, but when Colorado traveled to Eugene and Dan Lanning gave the whole like, yeah, they're the darlings of this sport early on.
That ends today.
Yep, this Cinderella story ends today.
And USF has not gotten the type of attention, don't.
They don't have the type of personality that Dion Sanders was and is.
But USF absolutely coming out of nowhere to be one of the big stories and darlings of this early season.
With how they've performed on the field, Miami has the opportunity to prove that, yes, this ends today.
Speaker 1The only other team that I'll throw out there, and I'm curious to get your reaction to this.
South Carolina, Okay, what do they have to prove against what Vandy?
South Carolina at home against Vandy.
I was thinking this through before we hit go here, and I could actually make the same sort of case for South Carolina as I did Virginia Tech when I talked about Virginia Tech needing to prove itself against Vandy a week ago.
I think South Carolina is in a position where there's a lot of hype around this program, given Leonora Sellers and Dylan Stewart and maybe starting to see Nick Harbor kind of come out of our viberation.
Like they've had some moments here in the early part of the season, and I'm just curious to see how they look at home against an opponent that seems to have it together.
Like I know we're not used to saying that about Vandy, but the way that Vandy pulled away in the second half of that Virginia Tech game was damn impressive.
Vandy does not need to prove anything to anybody.
They're going to be, I think the consummate underdog, but for sure South Carolina is trying to play for something more.
Does have NFL caliber towent on both sides of the football, and this is only a four and a half point line at time of recording, so they need to prove that they are good enough to beat a team like a Vandy, who they should be, and they have better talent than across the board.
Speaker 3I just I don't have them on my list because I don't feel when I think about South Carolina's potential this year, which I think is pretty high given when you have a star quarterback and somebody who's able to capable of playing like Lenora Sellers can, obviously there should be a good amount of expectations on your shoulders.
But they haven't lost early.
They've looked good, Vandy's looked good.
I don't think the season trajectory changes unless they absolutely destroyed, So I'm not sure how much they have to prove.
I don't know how much that changes our outlook on South Carolina because I think if this game is competitive one way or the other, I think we're going to like both teams moving forward.
Speaker 1One hundred percent.
The reason that I think I bring them up the most is just because the SEC right now feels very influx to me.
Very early right for the most part, haven't gotten into conference play.
They're going a couple games here and there.
But I'm I'm of the mind that if you are a South Carolina believer, these are the types of games that you need to see them win in order to verify what you're feeling.
They got to win them like this.
That's where I'm at here.
Speaker 3Okay, My next prove it team is Tennessee Volunteers.
Well, why don't we do this, Dan, Why don't we put a pin in that for a second?
Oh, you play my sound?
I love this sound.
Speaker 1Time the week.
Wait three coming at you, three point thirty, ABC, it's Georgia, It's Tennessee.
This line is now down the three and a half points again.
We did the deep dive on the Tuesday episode.
You were just about to talk about Tennessee.
Yes, figured that would be a perfect vehicle to get to this segment of the show.
Talk to me about Tennessee and why they need to prove anything to you.
Speaker 3Josh Eipel and the Balls have not been able to figure out Georgia.
This Georgia team, while looks like they are going to have another terrific defense.
I think this offense, there are a number of questions about whether or not they can score thirty points against a good team and their opponents haven't dictated a ton to us, but they don't look like killers on offense early on this year.
Gunnerstockton does not look like somebody who is either capable or trusted to take shots downfield, be aggressive and loo was Marshall and Austin p I understand that, but there doesn't seem to be the pop desire from this Georgia team.
And when you play against the best of Tennessee, there will be times where you're gonna have to flip a certain switch.
And right now, I think there's pressure on Georgia and now particularly Look, this game is in Knoxville, yes, correct, so you're at home.
You have an opportunity after looking very good early on, depending on what serious season looks like, we'll see struggling Cloud last week.
I think Tennessee has an opportunity if you're bringing a good defense and a home field, a home crowd to this matchup, that there is an opportunity to prove that you have taken the next step.
Even if as overall expectations for Tennessee this season aren't like we've been building towards twenty twenty five.
Right the offense, I still think needs another year to get seasoned, but I think opportunity wise, it's a really nice chance for Tennessee to prove that it can get over on a team that has struggled too recently.
Speaker 1College game Day is going to be in town.
This is clearly going to be a pretty big setting for this game.
I was on Tennessee's My Home Dog of the Week.
Okay, when we did our predictions on Tuesday.
I honestly don't remember who you took here.
I think I took Tennessee.
Yeah, I think we both were on the balls here, And I'm just wondering if anything has changed your mind over the last forty eight hours since we did the last episode.
I've been a little creeped out by this point, spread to be honest with you, that that it keeps moving in the Tennessee direction.
I mean you can kind of look at that both ways.
It either affirms what we're feeling or it gives us reason to be creeped out.
If a line is going in one direction, oftentimes going in the other tends to be profitable.
Speaker 3So I think it just sort of depends that, Like in your gut, do you feel Georgia is Georgia in your gut, do you feel like, yes, it's nice that Joey Aguilar has shown immediate comfort in this offense and that guys are getting loose and they're winning in a number of ways against you know, less than stellar opponents in this moment, and that it's a comeback down to Earth moment for the Balls because the best thing on this field, it's not a difficult case to make, is still going to be the Georgia defense.
Defense travels they you know, Kirby Smart has exclusively won I believe against Tennessee and Josh Hypel, So do you believe this here is different or do you believe that, you know, say what you will about Georgia's offense, they can win this game twenty to seventeen.
Speaker 1I'm just a little worried about falling into the trap that I set for myself that I warned everybody about before the season, and not to reiterate what I said again on Tuesday, but I was all about Tennessee's gonna go out, They're gonna blow the doors off their first two opponents.
Everyone's gonna feel great about the Valls, and they're gonna.
Speaker 3Which they kind of did last year before coming back down to Earth.
Speaker 1Yeah, did the exact same thing, which is why I brought it up in the first place.
Right, But I'm gonna roll with Tennessee here because I'm unclear what to feel about Georgia.
Yeah, Georgia will still be very good.
Speaker 3Yeah, I'm just I believe in Tennessee's defense.
You give me a defense, a home crowd, a home dog, say less, I'm in.
Speaker 1I mentioned that Florida has got a lot to prove against LSU.
This is seven point thirty.
This is an ABC game.
This is on the road at night against LSU.
Florida at LSU, LSU favored by eight and a half points.
Now at time of recording, we did our show on Tuesday, it was nine and a half.
I was on Florida felt like too many points to me.
I stand by that prediction.
Excuse me, but I also stand by what I said a moment ago about Florida having a lot to prove here.
I think if you come out of this game, you end up losing by fourteen seventeen points.
If things get out of hand against LSU, that's a real problem, and suddenly there's going to be a lot more smoke around the Billy Napier thing than you know, we expected for it being week three and not even through the month of September.
So I don't know if they win this one outright.
I think they've got the talent to win this one out right.
And I'm also not entirely convinced on the LSU defense side of things that to me.
You know, we're going to talk about Clemson here in a moment, but you can definitely play a little game where you're wondering is LSU's defense that good or is Clemson's offense just not together yet.
This will be another opportunity, I think for LSU to prove that side of the ball what they're capable of.
But on the Florida side, they've clearly got the most pressure here.
Speaker 3To be clear, LSU's defense is ahead of their own offense by like a considerable margin in this moment.
In this moment have been more dependable.
They have played against a fourth year starting quarterback at a huge place in Clemson, and Kate club Nick and came to play.
So I think I'm a little bit I'm sticking with my pick.
I'm gonna take the points.
I think LSU wins, but I think it's close.
I think Florida is probably overlooked USF to whatever extent last week, and I think they're gonna be more locked in.
I don't mean who's not locked in going to Death Valley.
So I'm gonna stay with Florida improving but not having the wherewithal to finish a game against LSU on the road again.
Go back Tuesday.
Speaker 1We did the deep dive of this one, and the other one that we did a deep dive of on Tuesday was the A and M Notre Dame game.
I've seen this line jump around a little bit.
I've seen it as high as seven.
Right now, it says six and a half when I look at the sheet.
Either way, the odds makers have Notre Dame as about a touchdown favorite here against Texas A and M.
I am probably not the most objective voice on a game like this because I tend to overcorrect for the fact that everybody knows I'm a Notre Dame fan.
Speaker 3Yeah, well, you had them correctly beating Miami, I assume to start the season on the road.
Speaker 1Continue.
Speaker 3I was wholly convinced that they had that game.
I mean, Miami tried to be clear to make you sound they did prescient.
Yeah, they did so.
My thoughts aside on this game.
You like Notre Dame way more than I did.
I tend to think it's going to be very close and within that number.
I don't know if either team here has a ton to prove on the national level, like maybe more A and M, because A and M has generally not done well in spots like this this early.
Right the Notre Dame side of things, I think it will be more defensive if they were to take a loss, just given that there is a lot new new quarterback, new coordinator and the works.
But the A and M side of this, to me is really really interesting and I'm curious to see what kind of game plan they try to run against Notre Dame.
Sure, so this is Notre Dame coming off of a bye correct correct A and M played last week, got a little dinged up.
Marcel Reid should be fine.
I don't know if I just if this A and M passing attack has matured to the point where I trust them against a strong defense on the road.
I don't trust CJ.
Carr that much this early against a good defense, but I think i'd rather have the quarterback I have questions about at home, who's been in the program and is a little I think they're the same age though, right, I think Marcel Reid and CJ.
Car are roughly the same age.
Marcel red just has far more playing experience.
I think I'm just going Notre Dame.
I just trust that defense at home a little bit more to force a couple of mistakes.
And you know, the targets for Marcel read are new to college station, and I just think it's going to take a little bit more time.
Speaker 1So I'm going Notre Dame here.
Speaker 3I forget what the score I gave out, but similar to what the Oklahoma Michigan game was last week twenty four to fourteen, something like that.
Speaker 1I know you well enough to know that when you feel good about a game, that's the tone in your voice.
Yeah, and I do feel pretty good about this game.
Yeah, You're usually pretty spot on when you have that kind of demeanor about you.
So I'm gonna hope that you're right.
As a Notre Dame fan.
Again, we covered all three of these on Tuesday.
Now, in terms of games that are also big that we did not cover, let's travel back in time, Dan Boda Dooda dooda doo High Noon ESPN.
It is Clemson tipping the scales at one and one on the road at Georgia Tech.
Georgia Tech two and zero.
Georgia Tech is a three and a half point home dog, Dan Rubinstein.
We miss this in our week two recap because Tech played Gardner Webb.
No, Haines King's already banged up through one week of the year.
It sounds like they let him sit it out on purpose so that he could heal our costs.
This one precautionary, of course, A long season ahead of them.
Sounds like he's good to go.
I did entertain the notion of buying is Haines King hurt dot com It can be yours for the low price of eighteen ninety nine.
I did not buy that.
But the answer is generally yes if you're wondering.
Yes, Clemson's won the last nine meetings in this matchup.
Eight of those nine have been by double digits, including the one last year when they won forty two to twenty one.
Yes, a lot of people are high on Georgia Tech.
I might be higher than everybody on Clemson, perhaps even to this day.
Are you pulling the upset here?
If you're Georgia Tech.
Are you covering the point spread at home?
If you're Georgia Tech, what is your game plan?
If you're Georgia Tech.
Speaker 3If you're Georgia Tech, what's the game plan?
Let Clemson beat itself?
Speaker 1Maybe?
Speaker 3So that sounds very simple, but it's sort of you have to yourself be buttoned up.
You yourself can't shoot yourself in the foot.
You yourself have to have a very specific vision and stick with it whether or not it's working early, but stick hang around and wait for Clemson to make mistakes.
And it wasn't pretty last week.
That doesn't define who Clemson is this season.
I like the spot for Clemson actually, and it's not the Haines King thing.
It's it's not a real road game.
I mean it is, but it's you know, it's a very close distance to cover, so it's not flying across the country or flying to Boston or something like that.
Speaker 1For Clemson.
It's an easy ride.
Speaker 3And I think Clemson getting that kind of wake up call last week going down whatever was sixteen nothing, sixteen to three to Troy.
I think that's extremely helpful early on in the season in the way that like as soon as notreedme take any pick, but Notre Dame loses last year to Northern Illinois and completely takes it out on the next like seven opponents.
Right, they start drilling them, they start getting bunned up.
Everybody locks it.
Speaker 1It's a zombie Alabama situation, is what you're describing, right, Yeah, a little bit of taste of their own blood and then suddenly they turn into something more.
Yeah.
Speaker 3Now what has me worried is there is a single word that I don't love seeing next to a player at any position, let alone Clemson's leading receiver, and that's hamstring.
Antonio Williams did not play last week correct against Troy, And it might have been precautionary.
Speaker 1He might just be nicked up.
Speaker 3It might just be a very minor thing when you are dependent on speed and power and force and your hamstring is nagging at you.
Speaker 1I don't love it.
Speaker 3And maybe it's just because I myself an elite athlete that provides a ton of torque in my life and I've dinged up my hamstrings.
Is not fun so and I know obviously Clemson has firepower aside from him, but I still like Clemson here because I think Georgia Tech is going to have all of Clem's attention, especially after what they almost did against Georgia last season, what they did against Miami last season, And I think getting that wake up call, I think is going to be very valuable for Clemson.
Speaker 1I think they have better players.
I think they have a better team.
Speaker 3And if you shut down, which is a big if it's a big ask Georgia Tech on the ground, I think it becomes a lot more difficult because Georgia Tech's defense is still not at a place that I love.
You know, I take Tennessee because it's a good defense at home.
I wish Georgia Tech's defense were a little bit closer to above average.
Yeah, it's two games in, we have no idea, but I would have liked to see in a little bit more against Colorado.
So I'm going Clemson here to win by a touchdown and take this one thirty to twenty three.
Speaker 1Yeah, I think we're kind of on the same track here.
Like the big question for me goes back to Clemson's offense in Week one against LSU.
And I know I mentioned it a few minutes ago, but just two hundred and sixty one yards.
Was that because the LSU defense was so good.
Was that because they're not that good on offense, or they're still trying to get it together on offense.
Even last week they outgained Troy I think by a total of five yards, and most of that was in the second half.
They had a sluggish start, they had a weather delay, they had some injuries.
You know, we don't need to re litigate that.
But I think the Clemson offense question is obviously more of an existential thing that we're going to have to talk about over the course of the season, and this is like another important step to try and understand where they're at.
I'm not sure how much it matters though, against Georgia Tech, because Georgia Tech is not a team, at least not recently that anyone has associated with defense, virtually no pass rush.
A year ago, the pass defense was really bad.
I think they've got the talent to be better this season, but I'm not expecting any kind of shutdown defensive effort from them in this one against Clemson.
So I think this is a lot of fun.
It's a great matchup.
I've got it at something like thirty one twenty five Clemson.
I'm not super confident in now.
Speaker 3You have to actually it's an actual gamble to feel good about Clemson's offense.
Speaker 1It is right now, it is, and so that's why I say I'm not overly confident in that.
But part of me feels like at this point I'm so invested in Clemson.
Just you know, I've been talking about Clemson left and right since we started doing previews back in July.
I would be a hypocrite for not picking them in a spot like this.
So I think the difference ultimately is the defense is better.
The defense gets a few key stops.
It's fairly well telegraphed what Georgia Tech's gonna do when they have the football and it's going to go through Haines King.
I think a couple key stops.
I think a couple big passing plays, probably to Bryant Westco who had some big ones last week as well.
Thirty one to twenty five is sort of what I'm thinking.
But I think it's a good game, and I think it's a lot of fun.
It's a great matchup in the early part of the day.
Speaker 3By the way, if Clemson doesn't score thirty points this week, I think I might just be done with Clemson as a national championship content.
There's something very risk averse and scared and shriveling about this Clemson offensive vision that I'm just not on board with.
Given the experience and given the potential.
Speaker 1Three point thirty ESPN they call it the backyard brawl Pit two and oh West Virginia one oh one.
Pitt is a seven point road favorite.
They lead the all time series sixty three wins to forty one losses.
They're also three ties thrown in there for those who care.
What do we do in a rivalry of this magnitude, Dan Rubinstein, you.
Speaker 3Got to throw out the records unless the team just did nothing against Ohio continual?
Speaker 1Can Rich Rod get revenge for his infamous thirteen to nine loss against Pitts.
That's true, the one that cost them a spot in the BCS title game back in two thousand and seven.
I will also point out, as was emailed to us, this is of course a game being played on the thirteenth day of the ninth month of the year, just to maybe complete the semi Wow.
Did you see that somewhere?
Did you?
Maody emailed it in oh, okay, nice, where are you at here?
Speaker 3I just don't you can say that West Virginia was in a look ahead spot, but they knew Ohio was good.
They knew Ohio won the MAC last year.
So this is a quality opponent that they had last week that they could do nothing basically on offense against.
I have no reason to pick West Virginia here other than the fact that it's at home, and it's an emotional spot, and you have to believe in like the Pixie dust in Morgantown to feel good about West Virginia in the spot.
Even if Pitt is once again an up and down team this season, obviously they're going to be motivated in a rivalry spot.
Obviously they have experience on offense and a good track record on defense.
Doesn't happen every year.
We'll see where they are pit again, what do you know about Pitt this year?
They're better than Douque.
Yeah, they're better than Central Michigan.
Okay, So basically you're saying to yourself, who has shown more of an ability to completely tank and that's West Virginia in this moment, which is like so obviously sort of understandable.
Speaker 1This isn't a roster that, like.
Speaker 3Rich Rodriguez has curated over the years and you know, recruited to a specific vision over time.
So I just think Pitt's better and they're gonna win this game by two touchdowns.
Speaker 1Yeah, pittlock of the week, block of the week.
You know where I stand on Pitt.
I like them a lot.
I take your point about Duquine in Central Michigan.
I don't think he can take a whole lot away from that.
But Eli Holstein is back healthy.
They are seven and two.
When Eli Holstein is back and healthy, I think the trend continues here.
I was hesitant.
I hate taking a road favorite in a rivalry game like this.
I hate, hate, hate it.
But the other thing that we should add to your point about what am I betting on with West Virginia.
Did you see Jaheim White is down for the year now?
Speaker 3Yeah, I was gonna say, yeah, he's done.
And so you're like, what are you betting on?
You're like, well, you're betting on less with regard to the rushing attack, probably, So what is the manner in which West Virginia is fighting here?
Speaker 1West Virginia loss last week to Ohio, as you mentioned, They were also outgained by nearly two hundred yards one hundred and eighty yards, So offense is a serious issue at this juncture.
Rich Rod is still figuring it out.
I don't think that is a black guy for West Virginia or rich Rod.
There's a lot new There's a reason that he took over the program.
They are basically trying to reboot.
So I'm not feeling it on the West Virginia side.
If West Virginia were to pull off the upset here or even keep this one close, that would be a shocker to me and would definitely be a flashing red light with respect to my pit love.
Speaker 3You might even be fortunate if you are planning on wagering on this game, that we've only seen two games of West Virginia.
Yes, because potentially, if we've have three four games of West Virginia, if they if what last week was is representative of where they are at least early on in the season, you might have been looking at an eleven and a half point line, thirteen and a half point line.
Speaker 1So that's exactly right.
Speaker 3I hope we get a good one here.
I hope that, like we get a game that says look, West Virginia is starting over.
But you gotta appreciate their fight in the spot like this against a hated rival.
But it you gotta really squint.
You gotta have that ability between the eyelids, because it's not apparent right now.
Speaker 1Thirty one to fourteen Pit wins going away.
Yeah, thirty four to thirteen.
Yeah, four to thirty pm Eastern time on the c dub dan USF two and O Miami two and O Miami favored at home by a seventeen and one half points.
I would say a bit lost in the shuffle amid Florida losing to USF is the fact that USF through two weeks of the season has blown all projections to smith reams with respect to its defense.
True, just twenty three points allowed to both Boise State and Florida.
Combine the audacity of Todd Orlando's defense.
Oh, you're getting out ahead of me.
I was building to say that I apologize.
I was building to say that the secret in Tampa is Orlando.
It's good.
It's good.
Look another second chance.
Speaker 2Right.
Speaker 1What was his reputation after USC It wasn't great.
He's revived things for himself.
It's great in both cases, both Boise and Florida, we saw the opposing defense or opposing offense, excuse me, look extremely sloppy, and I think we can chalk some of that up to early season yips, maybe some look ahead with Florida having LSU on deck.
Yeah, but it is something to take note of going into this game twice as a coincidence.
If they were to do it again, that could be more of a trend.
It's going to be harder, though, because I think Miami is a better team and they have faced so far.
So yes, maybe the secret in Tampa is Orlando.
Maybe it isn't, but this is a big point spread.
I don't think USF can sneak up on anybody at this point, given what they've done through the early part of the season.
And again, this is an opportunity for Miami to prove its metal, to prove that it's not going to look past this opponent.
With Florida on deck, where you at.
Speaker 3I'm taking Miami and I'm taking it for the like this ends today.
Element of it that USF has all of Miami's attention.
I don't think Miami is a finished product, but I think with what they're ceiling is with regard to speed on offense.
I know you love the young receivers from Miami after what you saw them do up close against Notre Dame or I guess up close emotionally not physically sure, And I like where Miami's defense appears to be and appears to be headed under Corey Heatherman.
I think when you have the potential to have as disruptive a defensive line as Miami should have every week, I think that changes the calculus that you can't just beat Miami with an opportunistic quarterback who can extend things.
Speaker 1I think he's gonna get.
Speaker 3Hit a little bit more than he has been against Miami.
I like the receivers for USF a bunch, and it would not at all surprise me if USF was up ten to three or something in this game early.
Because I think Alex Golish is a great offensive mind.
I think they're gonna have a great game plan for Miami.
But I think over four quarters, the speed and the attention and how locked.
Speaker 1In Miami is going to be.
Speaker 3I think it's going to go similarly to where it was last year, even though this offense is not where this Miami offense is not where Miami's offense was last year.
No, I think we're looking at something like thirty eight seventeen Miami.
Speaker 1Yeah, and we also don't know where Miami's offense is at this year.
They played defense, play a really good defense.
Yeah.
They blew out Bethune Cookman last week, and I think we know for sure it'll look different.
It can't look the same because the quarterbacks are completely from players, But this could still be a really good Miami offense.
I think gave voice to that, you know, I did a big number.
I think it'll be slower paced than it was a year ago, and I don't think they're going to have quite the playmaker in the backfield like they did last year with cam Ward, but it could still be very good and we saw some of those guys on display against Notre Dame.
The USF offense is super interesting to me, Yeah, because if you look at the numbers, it's been a really fun combination of very explosive and highly inefficient, and in general, those are some of the most fun teams to follow because you just don't know what you're going to get from play to play.
They are not playing quite as fast as I expected.
They're basically building the entire plane out of Byron Brown, their quarterback, along with Keishawn Singleton out wide, Chas Nimrod one of the great chazz is in college football right now, next to Chas Coleman up at Penn State.
I don't know if they can do enough just with that trio to get the job done here against Miami, but I think they're gonna try.
The quirk for me is the look ahead factor on the Miami side.
Is that something that we see come out early, come out late, my hunches, we won't.
I think how you feel about this game depends entirely on where you're at with Miami's ability to move the pile with its line.
If you feel like Miami's got the advantage up front, as I do, and that they can push USF around like they did to some extent Notre Dame, Yeah, then you feel like Miami can bully their way through USF and ultimately get get the dub here.
They can dictate tempo, they can dictate tone.
I think that's what happens.
I don't think it's a blowout, though I really don't.
And so I was back and forth on this point spread, I've got it at thirty one to twenty one, miamim interesting.
Speaker 3Okay, so you're taking the points here.
So this is what It's the third straight rear game for USF.
I mean a game against a very real opponent.
Not a lot of people can say that.
If anybody right, it's their second straight game on the road in a difficult environment, and I just wonder what the spread is if I know this is going to sound fictional, tie, I know this is going to sound like it's not of this world.
If Florida took care of business at the end of the game in a sensical way, right that this was an absolutely winning or winnable game for Florida that they couldn't close in.
So, like, what is our opinion of USF if they just put up a good fight but lost late against Florida, You're like, Okay, great job USF.
You are hanging with a quality SEC team and you beat a playoff program from last season.
Speaker 1What a start this is.
Speaker 3Twenty two and a half points, twenty four points, Like, that's the question to me that, like, how much work is that win doing when it was you know, on the other side of things, a very losable moment for USF.
Speaker 1What's your final score prediction?
I said thirty eight seventeen thirty eight seventeen, Yeah, yeah, I could see.
Speaker 2It all right.
Speaker 1Seven forty five sec Network Vandy two and O South Carolina two and O South Carolina favored by four and a half points.
Feel low, Feel it'slow, Uh not really.
I mean I think Vandy's good, not great, but good.
Weird quirk.
Yeah.
Week three.
We have a common opponent between these two teams, do we not we do in Virginia Tech.
Yeah.
I think it's a much harder ask on the Vandy side to go two lane stadium and beat Virginia Tech.
Albeit not the Virginia Tech that we grew up rooting for or grew up watching, right, but still a tough place to play still, I think a fair amount of talent on that side.
Probably a bigger discussion, But I was really impressed by the way that Vandy asserted itself in the second half of that one, and I think it really underscored the fact that they're a good team.
They're good team.
Diego Pavia was still able to take over.
It's a veteran squad.
They had a ton of returning production I believe the most in the SEC coming into the year, and it showed.
It absolutely showed.
So now this is going to be the next step here going to South Carolinas.
One is at night.
South Carolina, I think does have a lot to prove in a matchup like this.
Okay, is there any reason to believe that the Diego Pavia Pixie dust is going to be spread all over Columbia South Carolina?
Yeah?
Speaker 3I don't know if you should feel amazing about South Carolina's offense in this moment.
How many offensive points did they score against Virginia Tech?
Speaker 1Seventeen?
Right?
Speaker 3They had the punt return touchdown, right, correct, so I think it's seventeen points against Virginia Tech.
How many points did Vandy score against Virginia Tech forty four?
Forty four, which seems like it's more than double.
Again, I went to a state school.
Math is not my strong suit.
So if you were to take common opponent after three weeks, Vanderbilt's offense was much better prepared, especially as the game war on, to take it to Virginia Tech.
Whereas South Carolina's offense, I have some questions about this offensive line doesn't seem like it's fully formed whenever that form is going to be.
They're looking for answers in this moment, so that would be a reason why to feel better about Vandy.
I don't love the double road game thing.
Two difficult places to play Williams Bryce and Lane Stadium.
I think South Carolina by the fact that they're at home, that they I mean, they both have you know, folk hero, super fun quarterbacks.
I think they edge out Vandy late in this one.
I think there's gonna be an energy to this one.
I think it's be a great back and forth.
I have South Carolina winning this game ultimately twenty seven to twenty four.
Speaker 1I've got it.
I'm going to take the points.
Okay, I've got at thirty one to twenty South Carolina.
But I think it's a similar game to the one you described.
I do think it's close, and I think Vandy's a good team, and I love the veteran experience, especially on the road hostile environment like Williams Brice.
They will probably beat expectations again this season.
They will find a way to do that.
Speaker 2I know.
Speaker 1It's something that we talked a lot about in the preseason about how well the schedule is going to be hard, and it's an uphill battle to get back to where they were.
You remember all of that conversation a couple months ago.
But I still think they will find a way to exceed expectations because that just seems to be the mentality in the culture of this program right now.
But it's just too much to ask.
I think going to South Carolina at night to win this one outright, But I do think it's close for most of the game, and I think Carolina pulls way late, kind of like the Virginia Tech to be honest with you, So I'll say thirty one to twenty, but I could see it being lower scoring and I could see it being closer.
Speaker 3Yeah, I'm just going to need to see it from South Carolina's offense because they didn't show much in terms of closing in terms of pop against Virginia Tech in week one.
Speaker 1That's basically all we have.
So this is a second chance for.
Speaker 3South Carolina against quality opponents to show offensive progress.
Speaker 1A couple other quick hitters here that I want to talk through.
Okay, I'm ready high neon ABC Wisconsin too, and oh Alabama one and one, but Alabama favored by about three touchdowns here at home.
Is there any good reason to go Wisconsin plus the points outright?
Can you construct that case for me?
Speaker 2Now?
Speaker 1No, I can't.
So it's Wisconsin.
Speaker 3Well, I guess has a second chance at a quarterback after losing Billy Edwards early on.
We'll see how when he comes back.
But if it's Danny O'Neil, I think he's a backup quarterback, which means I think he has some spunk, he has some playmaking ability.
But when you watch him play, when you watch him play against Middle Tennessee last week, you're like, this is not gonna go well against Alabama.
Of Alabama cares why?
And I think Alabama's going to care against.
Speaker 1What did you see when you watched him?
Speaker 3I think he was a little bit late.
I don't think he's got a good arm.
I don't think the offense is going to be all that dynamic with him in there.
I don't think they have the receivers to really challenge Alabama's dbs.
And I think there's a good chance that Wisconsin's going to struggle to protect him as I think he's late, hold onto the ball too long.
And Alabama, if they have a pass rush that's improving over the course of the season, should be able to disrupt his field division, should be able to disrupt his confidence.
I have Alabama big here, and I think they're gonna be just fine against Wisconsin because look look at the DCAL in Wisconsin's helmet.
You have to take them seriously.
They're a major program, and I think Alabama will.
Speaker 1Yeah, I've got a zombie Bama situation.
I think they tasted their own blood.
I think they've been hearing what's been said about them in the national media, and I think they handle Wisconsin easily.
Forty five to fourteen, Yeah, final something like that was going to say fifty two to fourteen.
I think they're going to run one up here on the Badgers, seven pm ESPN, Arkansas on the road at Ole Miss.
Dan.
Yes, Ole Miss is a seven point favorite.
Is it weird of me to feel really good about Arkansas here?
Yeah, I don't know what you're feeling really good about.
But their offense has been so good so far.
Speaker 3They've looked really good, and I'm sure they've played like a legitimate defense where you're just like that's a measuring stick.
They beat Alabama A and M.
I know, listen, there's no comma between those they didn't beat Alabama and Texas A and M.
They beat Alabama A and M.
Speaker 1Yeah, I am going to go down with the ship on this one.
Okay, I am taking Arkansas outright.
Okay.
I don't know why.
I can't fully put into words why I feel this way, but in looking at the numbers that I saw, granted against far lesser competition, I got the sense that they could win this game.
I am going to trust my intuition because when I try to think through my picks, it generally doesn't work out any better.
I'm going to go with my gut.
My gut pick of the week is going to be Arkansas outright on the road at ole Miss.
Speaker 3Have fun with that, Okay, I just look, I understand why saying it.
I understand that Arkansas has an exciting quarterback and they're sort of they're They're led by a very specific head coach who has a very specific vision.
They have an offensive coordinator was a very specific vision.
There's a lot to like about the fun quotion of Arkansas this season.
I just I think you need to be a little bit more buttoned up to beat ole Miss.
This version of ole Miss.
Look, they weren't great against Kentucky last week.
The mistakes from Austin Simmons early weren't amazing, and like only beating a team by a touchdown who basically had no ability to pass the ball.
That's not a great look on Ole miss But I think against Arkansas and this game is always weird a lot.
There's a long history of like interesting strange bounces and back and forth and shootouts.
I'm gonna go ole Miss here.
I think last week that their experience in playing against a real defense, I think gives them an edge.
Speaker 1I think they're able to sell Scott a little bit more.
I'm going to Ole miss Here by ten to twelve points, tailing.
He's been real good, I know, But what else is that?
Speaker 2I know?
Speaker 1Listen, I get it, I get it.
Perhaps I'm going out in the wrong limb.
But I'm gonna go Arkansas, right, what the hell?
Yeah, I'm gonna give the points.
Eight PM, ESPN two the Darien Mensa Bowl, if you will, the Mensa matchup Duke on the road at tu lane.
Yeah, Duke is favored by one and a half on the road at two lane.
Have you looked at two lane's numbers?
So far, not closely.
No, Tulane's been running the crap out of the ball good this season, and.
Speaker 3Well, they added their quarterback in like an hour and a half before the season started, so you got to give him like a minute.
Speaker 1I think they're going to be motivated to get the win.
I think if anybody can make something of the fact that Darien Mansa left, it's a guy like a John Summroll who definitely speaks with his chest, with a lot of emotion and seems to know how to get a team fired up.
I think he's going to be able to use this one to his advantage, and I think they're gonna end up winning this one out right now.
I also think there is a little bit of a prove it factor here at play on the Tulane side, because with all the talk being about USF, with all the talk being about what are they going to do at quarterback, it almost feels like in the build up to the season, two lane was kind of an afterthought.
Boise was the one that everybody had penciled in on most of their playoff brackets.
We saw some other teams, I didn't see enough Tulane on there, and I think it was because some of the quarterback questions and you know, generally just some of the turnover that they experienced losing Makai Hughes to Oregon Ducks.
Right, I mean like there's a lot.
There's a lot there that I think factored into why they weren't a little bit more prominent.
A guy like John summerl knows how to play off of that, and I think they win this one at home.
I think they need to prove that they can beat a team like this.
Speaker 3I'm not abandoning Duke after one ugly loss to Illinois.
I'm not abandoning Manning as, I'm not abandoning Dariu Mensa.
I'm not abandoning any of these guys.
They played okay short of the five turnover if it weren't for those five, yeah, right.
Speaker 1Right right.
Speaker 3I think there's Duke value here.
I think there is something random about turnovers.
I think there can be something correctible about a disastrously bad performance.
Illinois won that game, fair and square.
They destroyed it Duke, because what do good teams do take advantage of other team's mistakes.
I just don't think you can count on that from Duke each week.
I think they're going to be focused.
I think they're gonna be locked in.
I think it's a good time to get out of your home stadium, out of your home bed, get on the road, focus on this game.
They're going to take TU Lane seriously, obviously, and I think Duke is gonna win this one.
Speaker 2On the road.
Speaker 1We disagree, We disagree.
And also, if you don't understand this line, then you lean into it, right, Yeah, well, I was gonna say there's some logic in leaning into a line that you don't understand for sure.
Also, they only beat Northwestern by twenty all right, if you under the radar games, who just look at a periscope?
What do we see out there on the high seas of the college football Week three Landscape ten thirty on TNT Texas State at Arizona State.
Arizona State lost last week on the road.
I am not expecting much defense from Texas State.
But if you are somebody who cares about point spreads, the line here is fifteen and one half points.
It's a lot.
I do think Texas State could score.
I am not touching this game with a ten foot poll, mind you, but if you're interested in points, I at least think that Texas State is going to give them a bit of a game early.
They will find ways to score points because that's what they do.
They just don't play defense, and that will ultimately be their undoing here.
Speaker 3Right, Yeah, I think if ASU has not completely fallen off, they will use Texas State as an opportunity to get right.
If we believe that Sam Levitt is better than what he showed himself to be a it's Mississippi State, which I do.
I feel good about Arizona State.
Not maybe as great, but I still feel good.
I'm not abandoning the sun Devils after week two.
And if we feel Texas State is competitive but like you said, perhaps defensively deficient, so this is a great opportunity for Arizona State to run hard.
Speaker 1To lock back in.
Speaker 3Kenny Dillingham seems to be the kind of coach that can get things right if they're going wrong right, has the personality, it seems like they have the culture to get things fixed quickly.
So yeah, I think they win this game by three touchdowns forty two to twenty.
Speaker 1Another game here that I think is quite interesting, Dan, I'm right, Minnesota on the road at Cal now ten thirty kickoff on ESPN.
Cal is a one point home dog.
This line has jumped around a little bit.
This is going to be a very interesting setup because I'm interested in seeing what Cal's freshman quarterback can do against a pretty good defense in Minnesota.
I think the defense is the key.
I also think this is a lower scoring game that's gonna end up being ugly, and somebody's gonna win twenty three to twenty.
So just keep this on your radar.
If you like what you've seen thus far out of Jaron Kiave Songapoola Tela, perhaps you go Cal outright here at home.
Otherwise, maybe you take the Minnesota defense.
I'm Brian with the Minnesota defense.
Twenty three to twenty.
Speaker 3Yeah, I guess that's a challenge for Cal.
It's another late night game, though, So that's what time is that Minnesota time?
Speaker 1I guess it would be nine thirty No, no, no, no, no, this is at Cal, right, it's at Cal.
Speaker 3Yeah, so oh, ten thirty pm East Coast.
So it's a nine to thirty kick, Yeah, you're right, nine thirty kick from Minnesota.
I don't know, man, there's bodycluck stuff at play here.
We see it every year.
Neil Oregon has it this week, by the way, traveling to Northwestern an early kick So that's what nine am Oregon time, right.
Speaker 1I think I'm gonna take cal here.
Speaker 3We saw it against Miami last year where they had that opportunity against a much better team in Miami to close out that game.
They choked it away.
I'm gonna go cal here to win this one, Okay.
I think Minnesota is just gonna look off.
Speaker 1That's fair enough.
Actually, I guess it would be.
Yeah, it's I mean, it's just a late game.
I don't know what I'm trying to I'm trying to work the math out of my head.
I can't do it here on the fly.
But it's it's just going to be a late game for them.
And Minneapolis is the central time.
Minneapolis is the central time, So it's kickoff another later kickoff.
This one's on Friday night on Fox.
This is case State on the road at Arizona.
Case State only a point and one half favorite against the Wildcats.
Now I had written Arizona off for dead.
Arizona's actually looked fine so far this season, as far as as much as we can tell.
We'll get much why we were State.
Yeah, Kansas State has not.
It all looked fine.
Kansas State's got two losses.
They have struggled in all three of their games so far this season.
I think I was incorrect previously when we talked about KSE State on maybe the Tuesday episode.
I think I said that they were zero and three by mistake.
It's kind of feeling like they're ow and three given where they're at right now.
But one and two.
Their only win is that one thirty eight to thirty five whatever it was over North Dakota a couple of weeks ago.
Yeah, I'm gonna go Arizona out right here, Dan, I'm going to Arizona too.
I don't know what's going on with k State, and I don't want to bet on that side of this, So give me Arizona.
Speaker 3So here's what's going on with Kansas State.
They may not be very good, they might be okay.
This is a week after a Service Academy team yep.
So the defense in some way is worn down with how much they were on the field and what they had to do against the best of Armies offense.
That's not great.
I have too much emotional baggage as an Oregon fan to deal with.
Hey, things are not looking great.
Let's go to Tucson and play a game at night.
Now, I have too much of that in my DNA, So I'm going Arizona here.
I don't know if I trust this offense at all.
I love that against teams that are not on the same level of Arizona that this defense held them completely down.
Yeah, you can't take a lot away from Hawaii and Weaver State.
Hawaii did beat where they beat Stanford in week zero, correct, that's something I guess.
But holding teams to four and a half points, I like that.
That's I mean, that shows focus, that shows energy, you're locked in in the red zone.
I just I think Arizona is improved early on, and it's just a bad spot for k State.
Speaker 1So give me the Cats.
I have ten other games here that I'm going to rattle off very quickly.
Okay, just because these are other under the radar matchups for one reason or another.
Okay, seven pm old dominion at Virginia Tech.
Virginia Tech's only favored by a touchdowns.
Virginia Tech needs to win this game.
I think that goes without saying.
This game has not always been a blowout favorite Virginia Tech.
They need to blow out or win for Virginia Techah, that's I'm trying to be gracious here because I know, ay Virginia Tech people go to city here.
Yeah, I'm gonna go Hokies as well.
Seven pm.
APP State on the road at Southern Miss.
This is interesting because there's a lot new on both sides.
I like where app State is at.
Actually, so hang all over app State here minus one and a half on the road at Southern Miss.
I am as well.
Friday, seven point thirty.
It is Colorado.
It is Houston, Colorado.
It appears is going to be starting a different quarterback.
Now have you seen this in the news, Ryan Stith He's seen this Monday.
Ryan stob is the third string.
Speaker 3Here's what I don't love from my college football programs and college football teams.
If after two weeks when Deon Sanders said there was maybe I'm misquoting here, but that there was an ongoing battle between Caden Salter and Juju, the freshman quarterback coming in with a lot of acclaim that oh yeah, Juju's gonna see the field and we're going to see what we have in them.
And after two weeks, Ryan Stobb is reportedly getting the most reps in practice.
They're like, if you have two quarterbacks, you don't have any if you have three quarterbacks, we have a conversation to have about where this offense is, where the passing attack is.
So yeah, I don't know if there's injuries involved with either Caiden Salter or Julian Lewis, but I think I'm going Houston here.
I don't love where Houston's offense is at.
It hasn't been especially explosive early on this season.
No, but at Houston, I think I'm gonna go Cougar's here.
Speaker 1Cougar's favored by five and a half.
I'm with you, man, I'm with you.
Not sure what's going on with that offense.
Some other notables.
Michigan I believe was without Sharon Moore.
Speaker 3Right, Yeah, it's Biff po Gee stepping in head coach, former Michigan associate head coach, went to Charlotte.
Speaker 1Didn't work out back at Michigan.
Yeah, that's at high noon.
They're hosting Central Michigan.
Also at high noon, your Oregon Ducks coming to town, big noon kickoff, gonna be there right there in Evanston Dan Oregon about a four touchdown favorite.
It's notable.
I think just because they get to play in the portable stadium and you're going to.
Speaker 3Be there Martin Stadium, all be there.
I might make some cookies and wander around some tailgates and pass out cookies.
Speaker 1I don't know.
I just I'm very excited for my team being there and I want to do nice things.
So let me know.
Speaker 3If you're going to this game, we'll try to find you.
I guess the only reason not to give the points, because Oregon has clearly been dominant against Montana State and Oklahoma State, is wind the elements.
Speaker 1They're going to cream North because I.
Speaker 3Think they could probably run on them too.
So I know they've got Oregon State and Penn State coming up.
But I guess your idea would be, like, yep, they're just going to be happy to win this game.
Even then, like thirty five, I don't know what the score is, whether they don't cover all right, so it's like thirty five to seven.
Speaker 1Oh, I think they're gonna kill him.
I think they're gonna absolutely barely.
Did I see that Camporter is out for the year now?
On the Northwestern side.
Speaker 3Yeah, Camporter has long been there and their number one tailback, he's done.
It doesn't seem like the offensive line protects Preston Stone.
It doesn't seem like his options at receiver are all that interesting.
They have good they have a couple of really nice pieces on this defense, but I think it's just too tall a task.
Speaker 1Also at high noon, Memphis at Troy.
Memphis is a four and a half point road favorite.
Memphis is another one of these teams just sort of hanging around.
Historically, Memphis has been one of the better non P four schools G five, if you will.
I'm not sure what to make of them this season.
I was a little bit lower on the Tigers because they lost their longtime quarterback and it was kind of like starting over in some sense.
But yeah, that being said to and oh that being said, G five ranks are kind of an uproar right now given what we've seen go down, So Memphis maybe can gradually assert itself and be part of that conversation.
That's why I'm interested in this game.
We'll see I'm gonna go.
Memphis is a letdown spot for Troy.
USC on the road at Purdue.
You watch Perdue what's your take on Perdue?
They're not that good, but that's okay.
But they care, Okay, they care more.
Speaker 3I thought they were playing with more, more gusto.
I just the talent level is not there.
USC should be.
I don't think it's not a look ahead spot for USC or anything.
I think USC should be in a good place to win this game comfortably.
So I'm gonna I'm gonna give the points.
Uh what time is kickoff in this one?
Speaker 1Three thirty on CBS.
Yeah.
Speaker 3I think I think they're gonna be just fine, So I'm gonna go USC here.
USC has been stat padding a little bit late, and that's okay too, but USC should be fine.
Speaker 1Iowa State it's a three touchdown favorite on the road at the red Wolves of Arkansas State.
I might have been a little too high on Arkansas State, so let's go Iowa State here in this one for me.
Speaker 3Let down spot, I don't know if I would.
I don't know if I'm giving the points.
No, but it's a it's a letdown spot.
So that has me a little bit concerned.
Speaker 1But no, I'm okay.
And the last one here on my list is fau at fi you fiu favored by two and one half points.
The only reason I bring it up because this rivalry game they call it the School Bowl.
Yes, named after Don Shula.
So there you go.
If you are watching games and you're wondering to yourself self, what is the best window for me to get the full college football experience?
To you is how bad you really want place?
If you're looking to build that optimal quad, you're looking at the Nightcap.
I think this is one of the strongest quads that I have seen in a while.
I agree, Florida at LSU running at the same time as Texas A and m Notre Dame running at sort of the same time as Vanderbilt South Carolina which starts at seven forty five because the SEC network does this weird thing where they got to be different, and then at eight pm and ESPN two Duke on the road at two lane.
Is I think a matchup that's gonna have a lot of emotion just because of the MENSA connection.
The MENSA matchup, if you will, I agree, if you can get those four games in a quad, and I know some of the services out there, let you build your own.
Some are better than others.
But if you can build a quad with these four games, either through the streaming service or manually on different TVs, whatever method works for you.
But that's where it's at.
Speaker 3I totally agree.
This is a great quad.
This is going to be a great evening order some takeout food.
Really sink into the couch, do your thing.
This is you know they talk about Netflix and chill.
Don't do the chill thing.
No, this is just college football and college football.
Speaker 1I think that's right.
Also, we have a conversation to have here about the window of opportunity this week we talked about on Tuesday episode WED, a gentleman to reached out to us about having a birthday party for his kid between three and five pm Eastern time on Saturda.
I had another individual email me and say that, being Georgia fans, their kids are used to their birthdays not meaning anything as they are also in the fall, you.
Speaker 3Can do it like what they do in schools with summer birthdays, right they celebrate the half birthday.
Speaker 1Celebrate the half birthday.
Speaker 3Yeah yeah, they're like, well, you know, me is not turning seven until August, so let's have it in If my math is correct, February to the half birthday.
Speaker 1Then you could probably get away with missing up until about four thirty pm Eastern time if you need to go out there and be amongst the people.
If you're hosting the birthday party for Junior, you're catching a neighborhood showing of cats.
Really, any other off Broadway production that's your thing.
Is Naked Gun still in the theaters, I hope, So I hope it makes a ton of money.
I want to go see it so badly.
I'm see I've been talking about going to see that movie for three weeks.
What windows do I have?
My life does not have either exercise or I'm with kids, the window of opportunity, take the opportunity to go out there and watch the watch the movie.
Speaker 3No, the problem is my attention span is so little that even when I'm home during the early window, then I have to, like, thank God for the DVR stuff on YouTube TV that's unlimited.
I have to go back and watch what I miss while I'm watching current stuff with my crippling lack of attention span.
And this week I'm going to a game at eleventh Central, so I'm really gonna have to catch up in that window.
Speaker 1You got to about four thirty pm Eastern time.
Okay, but after that you got to get in front of your TV on the couch, get the quad loaded up.
The good news for the gentlemen who emailed me is if the party only runs till five, I gotta imagine the little one's gonna be conked out pretty soon upon getting home.
Put them in bed early, get the quad loaded up.
You'll have enough of a taste for the college football a week at that point in time.
That's true.
Do you have any food plans this weekend?
By the way, Kate's after me to make the pizza.
I haven't made pizza in forever.
What's wrong with you?
Man?
You have a gift.
I have a gift.
You gave me the recipe.
That's the gift.
Speaker 2I know.
Speaker 1But the other thing is, though, you've got a bum shoulder, so I don't know if yeah, you're on the I'm going to talk about more in the bonus episode tomorrow, but ties song apart physically, some harrowing physical revelations that I have to share with the verballerhood.
By the way, verballers dot com is where you have access to that bonus episode.
If you are at all interested, you can also sign up for Run the Board.
We're giving away a one hundred and fifty dollars gift card to Bombas.
Bombas is not a current sponsor of the show, but Dan has a saying here if you'd like to repeat that for the verballer hood.
Speaker 3You're only as comfortable as your feet are and or your undergarments, because Bombas makes an extremely comfortable for the dudes or anybody who wants to wear it, like the boxer briefs.
Yeah, top of my rotation, really good, terrific undergarments, under rus whatever you want to call them.
Speaker 1Tie.
Speaker 3Yeah, the socks are obviously top of the rotation.
I was thinking about trying to figure out if I could somehow steal this fifty dollars.
Yeah, yeah, I was thinking about doing something illegal and else transferring this money to me, But my morals and ethics got the best of me, and I won't be taking this one hundred and fifty dollars for myself.
Speaker 1There are twelve games on the Run the Board slate this week, Yeah, Texas, A and M at Notre Dame, Clemson at Georgia Tech, Wisconsin at Alabama, Georgia at Tennessee Pit at West Virginia, South Florida at Miami.
You're noticing a trend here.
By the way, Yeah, Florida at LSU, do get Tulane, Minnesota at Calvandy at South Carolina, Louisiana at Missouri.
Threw that one in there, app State at Southern miss We've talked about all of those games, with the exception of Louisiana at Miszoo.
All of those games, hopefully we gave you enough to feel dangerous again.
Go sign up for a certified or premium tier, at which point you can go in there.
You can sign up for the game pick twelve games against the point spread.
If you win, you get that card.
Otherwise, if you play all season long and finish in the top five, I'm working, by the way, on the leader board.
Nice overall leaderboard.
If you finish in the top five, you get a seat on our coveted board of trustees.
By the way, that game.
Speaker 3Speaking of food plans, I don't have any yet.
The Louisiana game for Mazoo.
Let's not look ahead Sandwich.
Oh it is after the Border War pre South Carolina.
Absolutely is so.
Speaker 1There you go go and check it out of our ballers dot com.
If nothing more.
You support what Dan and I do.
You get access to the bonus episode with that we're going to record tomorrow.
Get access to everything a little bit early, of course without the ads.
Of course.
You get access to the games, the polls that we're going to run that you can vote in on every week, the Discord server, and so much more.
TI last week, That's all I have you can I'm sorry, last request.
Speaker 3Oh on this second chance Saturday, will you drop that big stanky rough rabbit and thriving drum and fife?
Speaker 1Hi?
Baby, oh baby, oh baby, oh baby, oh baby, oh Baby.
Speaker 2Friday, seven pm.
Colgate on the road at Syracuse, Syracuse, Dan, does Syracuse have what it takes to knock off the Gators coming to town?
Speaker 1I don't think so.
Speaker 3I'm going Colgate in the upset pick here, really Syracuse struggling with Yukon give me the Gators.
Speaker 1I have no idea.
I'm going Syracuse.
I think we're okay with Syracuse.
Saturday High Nude Lee High on the road at Dukane Lee High two and Oh, Dan looking very strong here out of the gates.
I'm going Mountain Hawks on the road against Duquesney.
Speaker 3You know I'm anti Lee High in almost every single facet of my life.
But against Dukane and what they couldn't show against Pitt give me.
Speaker 1Lee High Saturday, one pm.
This is a tough one for Yeti's Lafayette on the road at multi sport field against the Georgetown hoy is Dan.
Speaker 3Lafayette big didn't even lose an ounce, wink asleep over this one.
I have them forty two to nine over in multi sport field, no less in multi sport field.
Speaker 1Absolutely, lafayettees built for this.
They're built different.
Continue, I got Georgetown Saturday two pm.
Rhode Island two and oh on the road at the Crossaders of Holy Cross also at two and it's tough.
Yeah, I'm going Cross Saders here.
Speaker 3I just there is something about the allure and mystik of Crusader football that I don't think Rhode Island can just approach at all.
Speaker 1Didn't Rhode Island have a guy that played or used to have a guy that played for Oregon and got drafted.
Yes, Johnny Cornelius right tackle.
The last couple of years seven Saturday three point thirty Fordham oh and two Stonybrook Owing two.
Been a rough go here for the Hammies to start this one off.
Speaker 3I think the important thing is Fordham's getting away from the Bronx here.
I think it's a chance to reset second chance Saturday.
After all that, Where is Stonybrook?
Speaker 1By the way, where is that?
I assume somewhere in New York?
Do you want it?
Speaker 3You want me to look real quick, stony Brook.
Let's see stony Brook, New York.
Stonybrook, New York.
Okay, beautiful Long Island.
Speaker 1Okay.
That's a brutal drive, though, isn't it?
From from the Bronx to Long Island.
It's not a fun drive.
You ever drive to Long Island?
I have?
That's brutal, man, that is brutal.
I had to drive into a wedding up there back in the day.
That was the worst night of my life.
Speaker 3If you are going to ask me my favorite vistas along a drive, the lie is not among them.
Speaker 1Yeah, no, okay, I'm gonna go forward them get their first one of the year and last, but not least, as we bring the music down VM I at one and one, traveling all the way up to Williamsport, Williamsport area, Bucknell playing hosts there one in one Who you got.
Speaker 3I'm gonna go with the vm I, the Virginia Military Institute.
There's certain amount of discipline that it takes to go to Bucknell, and I think VMI has it.
Speaker 1You know, Manti Nelly here, No, I do know that.
All right, that does it?
Thank you to one it all for chiming on in important programming.
Note, we will be without our chief reverb engineer Shay this week, which means as the reverbs come in, yours truly is going to be the one cutting and mixing and putting them together.
So if you would like to get a message through directly to my ear eight five five Verbal three is the reverblind that you can dial throughout the course of Saturday as you're watching all the games in week three.
If you've got something to say, I will hear it.
Just be nice, I will.
Speaker 3Pick There are some Yeah, there's some other weird ones though, I should say this week so we we didn't highlight the Thursday Friday stuff as much.
But like NC State Wake Forest, I love I'm gonna.
Speaker 1I love NC State in that game, Dan, I was gonna be I was probably gonna put that out on the old Twitter at some point, but okay, I love NC State minus like seven in that game?
Real?
What if like NC State?
Speaker 3What if UCLI loses in New Mexico?
Like that is a must must must win for Deshaun Foster and UCLA.
Yeah late Friday, right Yeah, Utah Wyoming Interesting to me.
I don't up before because you put them so low on this doc.
I assume you were purposely disrespecting all these programs.
You could have brought it up before.
You're half of this show.
Speaker 1Technically, but we know you're the face and the voice.
No, there's some interesting ones.
I think.
Just pay attention Week three, keep your eye on the bottom line.
I think that it's gonna get weird.
It always does.
It's college football.
It is college football.
Boston College at Stanford could be a little bit weird.
Who knows.
Yeah, letdown spot for BC after a tough game, nightcap, traveling cross country.
Speaker 3You never know, North Texas, Wazoo.
I'm keeping an eye on these games.
Speaker 1I like all of this.
Keep it right here, hit follow hit subscribes that you don't miss any of the episodes.
Again, if you're watching, if you're listening anywhere where, you can leave a comment.
Appreciate that if you've made it this far and you really like what we do, leave a star rating review of course, that helps more people find the show.
That is all I got for now again, do not forget stop on back live Saturday night.
Yes, we do a live stream.
We do our reactions live out on the YouTube channel.
I will reroute smell ties here.
I haven't done it yet.
Speaker 3Actually please do.
I will refusing for people to hear it and not get there.
Speaker 1Smell tieshare dot com so that you can get to the live stream of watch live reactions on Saturday night as we react, of course to all of this madness.
In the meantime, though, thank you one and all for your ongoing support.
We appreciate it.
We will be back on Saturday night for that guy over there, Dan, for myself Tie as always, enjoy the weekend's day, solid peace, and if any sports medicine doctors are listening and you've got like killer labrum tips solid verbal at gmail dot com, see talk about this on the Bonus Show.
I tore my other labor there it is.
Oh my god,