Welcome to the solid verbal hum ah for me, I'm a man, I'm forty.

I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy.

You want to be happy for a day?

Edith state is that?

Whoo whoom and.

No den and tie.

Dan Rubinstein news flash.

Uh oh, it's already gonna be Week three?

Can you believe it?

I can.

I can because as the years go by, my body responds more slowly to staying up into the wee hours of Saturday night, Sunday morning, and Monday is when I fully recover.

So I really have an acute sense of how much time I've put in late at night.

So I love putting in the time.

Let's be clear, it's the most fun I have all week when we get to react to games on the fly at midnight Eastern time each Saturday night.

But yeah, I'm like late stage Dave Winfields just gutting out single like you when you watch Dave Winfield run for whoever he played for, Like this is what the kids respond to, right, Dave Winfield references.

A lot of Dave Winfield references yet football.

Player two, sports star Yeah right, yep, where you're just like, man, I know what his knees feel like just watching him stand forget running.

So that's how I feel emotionally come Sundays and maybe early Monday mornings.

So yes, I know it's week three.

TI here we are.

I've compared it to being a running back.

The deeper you get into the season, the more the body breaks down totally.

Of course, we're not exactly out there.

On the field of play, but we are here in our little verballer sphere.

Welcome one, Welcome all, Thank you for stopping on back.

Week two is in the books.

We're going to take a little bit of a look back.

We're also gonna do a little bit of a look ahead with a couple previews.

Of course along the way, do not forget to hit follow or subscribes that you don't miss any of our episodes.

Of course, verballers dot com is where you can go if you want these episodes, all of our episodes a little bit early no ads, you can play in the games, you can vote in the poll which we're going to talk about here momentarily, be part of the community at large, and of course, if nothing more, support what Dan and I do, help us keep the lights on.

It really does go a long way.

We appreciate we have a lot of new people sign up over the last three weeks or so, Dan, so we're eternally grateful to all y'all out there who have chosen to support what Dan and I do.

Just know that it really truly does go a long way.

With that being said, yeah, we're going to talk through some poll reactions, both to the AP and the Verballer poll that are out there.

We're also going to bring back an old crowd favorite of a segment in just a little bit to talk through how we're feeling about a couple teams through two weeks of the season.

We are going to do a more extended look ahead at week three because, as we have teased now for the last couple weeks or so, week three is a biggin I cannot help you if you have plans.

I had a very kind gentleman reach out to me and say, I've got my kid's birthday?

What do I do?

Listen, you can't skip it.

You can't skip it, but we can help you work around that in some way, shape or form by giving you an advanced look at the biggest games of the coming week.

We will do that a little bit later, and of course to close things out, I will give you a preview of the games that you get to pick this week in or run the board challenge.

Oh I like that in my advice.

By the way, in that very specific scenario you've heard of breakfast for dinner, how about breakfast for birthday?

Right?

All right, everybody's over at seven am.

We're doing a pancake party.

Like it's some sort of boy scout party and we're going for it.

We'll do eminem pancakes, We'll do a pinata at seven thirty, and then everybody out.

I mean it.

Sounds like three to five Eastern is when this party is going to go down.

Okay, well that's a choice.

Then I was going to ask if the child is young enough to not remember the birthday, and so if maybe there are a few corners you can cut, knowing that it won't come back to bite you down the road.

You won't be you know, giving this child any baggage that they carry with them.

How about instead of having the birthday party at like a play zone or one of those type places, just go to a sports bar, go to a sport nachos, yeah, TVs memories, Yeah, absolutely, go to a sports bar.

Well, welcome back, one and all.

With all of that being said, we do have a new AP Top twenty five out there that I wanted to get your reaction to because there are some interesting movers and shakers.

By and large, what we see at the top is relatively static.

We've got Ohio State still at one, Penn State still at two, LSU still all the way up at three.

But you're Oregon Ducks.

By virtue of their big victory sixty ninety three over Oklahoma State, they moved up two spots.

They jumped Miami, who is now at number five.

Georgia dropped a little bit.

They are now down to six, Texas at seven, Notre Dame at eight, Illinois at nine, Florida State jumps four all the way up to number ten.

Some of the other big movers in this poll Oklahoma, as you might expect, they go up five spots all the way up to number thirteen.

Tennessee in advance of their big game against Georgia up seven spots to number fifteen.

We've also got Utah people starting to take notice of the utes, up five now they're into the top twenty.

Michigan's still in the top twenty five, they drop eight.

They were the I guess biggest delta if you want to call it that, looking at this pole.

But I'm curious to get your reaction based on this top ten, on this top twenty.

We're starting to see some situations where teams are making themselves known and the voters seem to be responding.

Look, I can't say that like this is how every person should vote, But when I see polls or on in the season, I love a preseason poll.

I love getting a sense a snapshot of where people think teams are.

Hear me out, Okay, I'll get I think I'll give you the floor.

We also have our own Verballer pole, which I can read the results of shortly, but continue.

But I think if we are going to do something as dramatic as ranking teams based on no data, then once we have data, things should shift dramatically.

Right Like I think right now USF should be a top ten team.

Like what more can a team do but schedule violently impressively?

Right?

USF did that.

They're playing Boise State, They're playing in state Florida, and they have what in state Miami coming up?

Like USF has that Pat Hill mentality any team, anywhere, anytime, whatever.

So I love that for USF, they should be ranked higher than where they are.

Like, I think there should be a collective admission of voters that like, yeah, USF wasn't ranked and now they are looking like one of these strongest teams in the sport based on the data we have.

Okay that if we're going to say Boise is a ranked Ish team, and we're going to say that Florida is a ranked team, then we have to be impressed by a team beating both of those teams more so than they've they've earned us far or they seem to have earned us far.

I would also like I would I would have Penn State somewhere in the region.

But like, who they've played does not tell me that they're one of the best teams in the country thus far, and once they beat Oregon at home or something, vault them up high.

Right, I want to be impressed by teams based on who they play and how they've played.

So like I'm okay with what LSU did on the road having them this high.

I'm okay with what Miami did to Notre Dame with having them this high, having Notre Dame in the top ten when they are zero to one and have done nothing but lose a winnable game on the road to a quality team.

Notre Dame should not be this high.

Eventually they should be.

But like, I want flexibility.

I want this to be a limber pole, which not pun intended they're phrasing, but yeah, when I see something like when I see Tennessee laid the lumber against Syracuse, that's awesome, they should be a little bit higher.

Like what they did is more impressive to me than like what Texas has done this season.

Yeah, what has Texas done this season?

It hasn't looked all that impressive, to be honest with you, But I'm with you.

I am with you.

I would also add Missouri and sure our conversation, Missoo is now into the top twenty five, they are at number twenty five.

But Missoo's looked really good.

Yeah, the two games, I think Miszoo has looked really impressive.

I'm like, Michigan shouldn't be ranked, Like I want to treat Michigan every year.

It's its own thing, and Michigan this year has not accomplished anything to say like, oh yeah, they should be ranked because they looked okay for a stretch against Oklahoma.

Now get out of the pole, and when you do something to earn a spot there, get there at Limberpool.

That's what I I'm looking for to Limberpole.

I would also add, just in looking at the others receiving votes category Georgia Tech, others receiving votes, Okay, Nebraska, others receiving votes my Pitt Panthers got three votes or three points, Vandy with only one.

I think Vandy should have more.

I think Vandy has has earned a more concrete place in week three's top twenty five pole than Michigan.

I think that's totally fair.

I think what Mississippi State has done.

If we're going to agree in the preseason poll that Arizona State is of quality heading into the season and then Mississippi State, with zero expectations, takes them down and completely shuts down Sam Levitt in the ASU passing game, we should be rewarding Mississippi State with a heaping amount of attention and spotlight based on that.

And if they lose something dumb, goodbye.

But they've earned attention.

I don't think you can say what you're saying right now and still be in favor of preseason polls, because what happens, and the reason that you don't see more movement is people who vote in these things.

And I'm going to exclude our wonderful verballers because I have the results of their poll here.

Well, they're better looking and wiser than most.

Obviously, But when people go to vote in that ap pole, in many cases they're basing their current week's vote on where a team was in the previous version of the pole.

There's a hesitance, in my opinion, to drop a team too low or bump them up too high because of where they were previously, especially in the early part of the season.

Where As you said, we have no information on any of these teams, but because a team is ranked fourth, let's say, just as an example, we can't drop them too low.

There's still probably pretty good.

We just haven't seen it that prevents the floor from falling out.

My question is why, like, why not drop the fourth best team in your eyes once they lose something embarrassing to nineteen to twenty two.

It's the week three pole.

It doesn't have any bearing on anything, but you can say what you've done, did not impress me to the point where you're nearly falling out of the pole.

And if you are able to earn back my respect and adoration, then you'll get up to number eleven.

Then you'll get up to number seven, then you'll get up to number twelve, whatever.

Like, I think this should be a much more fluid situation early on, and then as we start to accumulate data, you can say, yeah, you were my number five team.

The loss wasn't great, but based on what I've seen, you're like nine, we're like twelve.

Well, so now with that in mind, okay, yeah, bear in mind that arver Baller top twelve pole.

It's not a full top twenty five though I could do that, but we focus on the top twelve here, the dirty dozen.

Yeah, Arverballer Top twelve pole is voted on by hundreds overballers in the span of a week.

Over the course of a year, it's well into the tens of thousands of people that vote in this thing.

I think this is much more calibrated for where we're at now.

Entering week three, we've got Ohio state one, Oregon two, ahead of penn State, which is three, which I agree with, by the way, with how good Oregon has looked, let's you at four, Miami at five, So more of the same teams, sure, Georgia at six, Florida State up at seven, Texas down at eight, Oklahoma up to nine, Illinois at ten, Iowa State at eleven, and then Notre Dame barely sneaking in at number twelve.

The first five out per this poll Alabama, Clemson, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Utah.

In some cases, though not all, all of the teams that I've listed there in the first five out are ranked a little higher than where they might be in the AP poll.

That's certainly the case for Alabama.

I think that's the case for Tennessee, definitely the case for Utah.

South Carolina and Clemson both a little bit higher in their respective polls.

But nonetheless, I think we did a good job, just as for Ballerhood, putting these teams in order.

That makes a little bit more sense.

Now we can make some of the same points about this as we do the eight people.

But I agree with putting Oklahoma up at nine.

With the way that they looked against Michigan, I think they looked awesome.

I certainly agree with putting Oregon where they're at at number two.

Go back and listen to what I said about Penn State.

I don't think Penn States look that good.

Doesn't mean they won't be good by the time they play Oregon, Ohio State, whoever on the schedule, but thus far through two games, not really getting the vapors.

Florida State.

Florida State absolutely deserves to be a top ten team, sure, based on what we've seen so far.

I mean, they have looked damn impressive in this new version of themselves, and they're going to have an opportunity to be tested here before long.

But I think Arever Bawlers did a really really good job putting this together and I commend them again.

You could vote every week at for bowlers dot com.

You sign up for the certified the premium tier out there support what we do.

You also get a vote in the poll, which drops very early every Sunday morning.

I would have Iowa State higher in the verbaler poll.

This is just based on my limber pole needs and wants.

I would have Oregon maybe a little bit lower.

They've looked incredible against Montana State and Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State was one of the worst power for teams in the nation last year, and so maybe they're bouncing back this year, but they already have a hurt quarterback, so it's probably not looking good.

I'd have maybe Miami a little bit higher, probably higher than LSU after LSU did not look thrilling against Louisiana Tech last week.

So yeah, I would.

I would move things around a little bit.

Illinois seems like they're in a good place there.

I might have them a little bit higher.

I might have Oklahoma a little higher.

I might have Texas a little bit lower.

But otherwise that's just my own belief system at work here.

That's all right in sliverbo at gmail dot com.

Leave us a comment wherever you're listening or watching, if you've got something to add your own reaction to share with us with the verballer hood, and again if you're interested in casting your own ballot in the most accurate college football running pole, a very limber pole at that.

Throughout the course of this college football season in the Year of Our Lord twenty twenty five us out at verboalers dot com.

Sign up for the Certified or the Premium tier.

Are there any teams not anywhere near the top twelve, top ten that you're just like, these teams have been taking care of business and they have peaked my interest as a potential team to spring up into this conversation, I have two go ahead, because we already mentioned Maszoo.

I think Maszoo is one of those teams.

Definitely.

I would say Utah and USC.

I'm not fully sold on those being complete programs, but they've taken care of business in an emphatic way that I'm like, all right, I'm now more curious about what you look like as a top ten to fifteen team.

I think USC's looked really good so far.

There's still deficiencies there for USC.

I think I want to see what their secondary looks like as we head into October something like that, when they get to know pretty decent quarterbacks.

But it's gonna be a minute before we see that.

It's going to be a minute, and there's going to be a little bit of runway for them to work out some of the kinks.

So based on the early season, yeah, so far, just through two games, USC in the others receiving votes category, definitely room to grow one hundred percent.

Okay, where are we.

Going, Dan, I want to bring back an old segment of ours that I think is one of the crowd favorites here in the forballer Hood.

Okay, I can't honestly remember when we started doing this for the first time, and I'll admit that, at least originally when you pose this idea to me, I had no idea what you were talking about.

But over the course of time, this is a segment that has grown on me and it's come to be known and loved here in our world as Donzo or not Done.

So, yeah, we have this sound, So I need you to explain to the reballerhood what that means, and also just to maybe emphasize the level of research that goes into this show.

Sure, please tell the fine folks the level of research you did into that segment before we hit the go button.

Okay, So, as everybody listening knows and recognizes, that's Kristen Cavalari's voice from two thousand and four the hit MTV reality show, quote unquote reality show Laguna Hills, when her Asuzu Trooper Juna Hills, Laguna Beach, Junah Hills, Laguna Beach.

Sorry, she was also on the Hills though I thought you did the research, Dan, I know I was speaking too quickly and too confidently.

Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach, thank you, Colin the Real oc yes on MTV when her Asuzu trooper stalled out and conked out on PCH, causing a traffic jam.

And she has claimed in recent years that even though that was like a mostly faked reality show, that that moment when she called her card donezo hold on was absolutely authentic, thank you, authentic moment.

So that was real.

That was a real moment amid real moment reality show.

Yes, And she was like, that's just how we spoke in Laguna Beach, and as somebody from southern California, I believe it.

Okay.

I knew people know people that speak like that, and it is accurate.

Okay.

So we are figuring out if a team after two weeks is done as it relates to vague preseason expectations or program expectations, or if there's a lot of football left to be played, and we're going to extend grace because it was just their worst day or days and give them time to grow into something more beautiful.

Why don't we start here where I think much of the conversation has been over the last forty eight hours or so.

Yeah, the Florida Gators.

Florida loses at home eighteen sixteen to USF.

Clearly that put a bit of a dent in some of the preseason hype surrounding Florida and what they could be given the weapons that they brought in, given much of what they had returning.

Where are we at with Florida, Dunzo not Dunzo relative to your expectations.

I'm calling my shot, I'm planting my flag, Dunzo.

Wow, now coming out hot?

Okay?

Why I don't think Florida is going to be as inefficient as they look like at times against USF.

I don't feel like they're going to look as lost.

You are allowed to look inefficient and lost in week two against equality opponent.

My problem is if you are taking that sort of ability to be inefficient and lost and the reality that you can look like that into the rest of their schedule and that you are unable to navigate close calls in a sensical way when you have Miami, when you have Texas and LSU this week at A and M you know, obviously neutral site against Georgia, at Ole, Miss Tennessee, and suddenly what we believe to be at least competent quality Florida State.

Why am I feeling like Florida State has a lot or excuse me, Florida is not donezo.

That yes, they can look good against a lot of these teams, but they can also lose twenty eight, twenty seven, twenty to nineteen, twenty four to twenty three double digit halftime lead.

That there is something about anybody's confidence in this Florida team navigating this schedule that should be questioned.

I am not done zo on Florida, Okay, because this game against USF, for as ugly as it was, was an absolute clunker and it reminded me a lot of the game that Notre Dame lost the year ago to NIU.

But they didn't win their clunker.

Well, right, But in thinking back to that experience from a year ago, I was on my couch yelling do something, do something, screaming it.

The dogs were freaking out do something because it felt like they were stalled out, they were stuck in the mud.

They couldn't get any momentum going.

You had this question of urgency.

Does anybody care about this game.

There's a real chance that this was a look ahead spot for Florida.

Not that that should excuse a performance like the one that we saw on Saturday, but we're going to talk on a little bit here about this big one coming up Saturday night against LSU, So I think there is a chance that there was a little bit of a look ahead at play there.

I still think this team is way too talented to be written off.

I will admit the schedule element that you brought up is wise to bring up and definitely something that I thought about when trying to work out my thoughts around the Gators this year.

Because they effectively lost the Mulligan.

Nowt you got to look flawless the rest of the way.

You could probably still lose another gaming conference, but at some point this USF loss could definitely be used against them.

It didn't hurt Notre Dame as much because Notre Dame when they lost NIU, they went on this incredible tear the rest of the season, and I think they could show that they got better as the year went on.

Florida now needs to do that, but against a infinitely more difficult schedule the one I.

Was gonna say Notre Dame was like, wow, I know you didn't work out.

Let's see what Purdue hasn't see exactly, So see what Stanford's up to.

It is not apples to apples by any stretch, but it reminded me a little bit of that circumstance from year ago.

So I'm I'm not Donzo yet on the Florida Gators.

So not Dunzo means you think they can vaguely get to eight wins?

Still I do?

Yeah, Okay, have fun.

Arizona State.

Dunzo not Dunzo.

Just lost to Mississippi State.

All right, Arizona State.

I'm looking at my bank.

I have not Donezo.

Not Donzo, Okay, why not Donzo?

Okay?

It was ugly against Mississippi State, Yes, especially through the air, especially the miss assignments on defense, and just I didn't love the defensive play calling upon rewatch.

They were just going for broke a lot.

But against this schedule, which is not great, I would have liked to have seen.

So they have Texas State, which you're just gonna need to, you know, win that game.

Forty five thirty eight or something like.

Texas State should be able to score on a lot of teams.

Sure they're gonna be able to move the ball against Baylor, but the defense is going to have to play to a higher level against Baylor, especially on the road.

I jotted down on my sheet here Baylor, Utah, Iowa State, all on the road, and all three might currently be better teams than ASU.

So ASU deserves more of a benefit of the doubt than Florida because they won this conference last year with this head coach, with this starting quarterback, with a lot of the guys on this defense.

I know you're gonna mention Cam Skataboo, but with the number one receiver, like they've earned something more than Florida has in the SEC for what ASU can do against the Big twelve.

They have a run of five straight games.

ASU does against quality.

We believe quality defenses TCU by at Utah, Texas Tech, Houston at Iowa State.

We think TCUs a quality defense.

Yes, Okay, I think there are enough guys on that team.

Quality does not mean great, Quality does not mean really good.

Quality does not mean excellent.

Quality means like, all right, there's some talent there.

Everybody kind of has an idea of what they're going for and the play calling is pretty good.

Okay, I think that can be what TCU's defense is this year, and that with what can be an explosive passing attack for TCU.

That's a tough game, yeah, I think.

I mean, listen, it's a tough game totally separate from the defense.

You're gonna have to score thirty eight points to beat TCU, right, yeah, maybe they're gonna score a ton of points against everybody they play.

I'm just saying not Dunzo, because we know there's enough good things about this program, like this was still a program that built a team in not that much time to the point where they were inches away from beating Texas in the playoff.

So okay, I'm gonna say not Dunzo based on benefit of the doubt, though the upcoming defenses slash teams in general coming up have me Dunzo adjacent.

I'm Donzo.

Wow, I'm out.

Yeah, I'm out.

Unlike Florida with their loss to USSEF, I think USF is a pretty good team.

I don't think Mississippi State's that good at all.

Better they got to be better than a year ago, but still not great.

And then you men the schedule thing.

I'm not going to go back over that.

But again, the three that I pulled out, Baylor, Utah, Iowa State all on the road, and I could probably make a pretty compelling case at all three or better teams.

Right now.

The thing that I think is most concerning though.

About ASU and why I'm ultimately done SOO.

Sam Levitt has not looked good so far.

I agree he has not looked good.

I mean, he's had this connection with Jordan Tyson.

Everybody's excited about that.

Jordan Tyson's probably going to be a first round pick.

You can make a case that Sam Levitt is going to be a high pick at some point as well.

But yep, and this goes back to what I said back in July.

I am not ready to assume that sam Levitt's progress is just going to be linear, that we can just assume he's going to continue on this upward trajectory.

It's going to be a hockey stick curve up into the right.

He's going to go into the stratosphere.

He's going to propel ASU to another conference title, and they're going to get back to the playoff.

I don't think we can assume that.

I really don't and without Scataboo.

Listen, I've had so many ASU people tell me it doesn't matter.

We can Kanye Yudo has been pretty good okay, and Real Leak Brown.

Yeah, they've been fine.

They're not Cam Skataboo.

It's going to take multiple guys to get that kind of production, maybe to replace that fire.

I don't know, so I'm out.

I'm out.

I still think AS is going to be a good team, but as a team that gets to and plays for the Big twelve them out.

Wow, Okay.

I think it was more situational than anything.

I think that's a tough place to play.

That team was amped up to get ASU, a team that was in the playoff last year, blake shape and healthy.

I think situationally, it was a nice spot for Mississippi State and I hope we get to ride that wave a little bit further.

By the way, Cam Skataboo Yeah, fun as hell to watch in the New York Giants.

Oh, he played yesterday.

He got just like a handful of touches.

The first play he was in, didn't get the ball at all, but leveled a guy in pass protection and then they gave the ball right back to him.

On like a quick throw and he like ran three guys over.

He might get ball six times a game.

That experience, I am all in.

I feel whatever the ASU people out there were feeling a year ago now having him on the team that I root for, even though they scored I don't know, six points whatever it was.

Uh, he's a ton of fun.

I'm glad he's got a new what who was it, the big dude, Brandon Jacobs.

Yeah, I mean nobody's as big as Brandon Jacobs, but you know, the mentality is similar.

Alabama, Dan, Yeah, Alabama won seventy three to zip over ULM.

Nice bounce back effort.

Clearly still a ton of talent.

They're gonna win a lot of games.

I had them as my SEC champion.

I had them in my final four.

Were you out on Alabama?

Not even close to Donz?

No?

No, okay.

So the reason being is I wanted to see something like results against ULM ultimately are going to be meaningless.

But somebody needed to take the brunt of that frustration.

And I'm glad Alabama came out and Ty Simpson came out like he did.

And I know what Ryan Williams is a little bit dinged up and everybody is at this point right and jam Miller didn't play or like there are injury stuff in the situations to be taken into account.

But the way this schedule breaks down, getting Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee all at home, I know they have Georgia, Miszoo, South Carolina, obviously Auburn on the road.

It's not horrible, it's not amazing.

And if we're going to let Ty Simpson grow into what quarterbacks that have played for Kaylin de Boor have grown into, if we're going to let the receivers grow into something that could be dominant, and the offensive line maybe get some time to improve from where they were against Florida State, I think betting on talent level and returning talent level that have played together in this system on both sides of the ball, it's not that difficult to bet.

If the problem is getting a team to care.

The track record of Kaylin de Borr, even what should be against a pretty difficult schedule this year, you're betting on his track record, You're betting on talent.

They might not be anywhere near where they were at their best under Nick Saban, but I'm still gonna say not done.

So also, Florida State might be good.

Florida State probably is good.

They're likely good.

So if you're saying Bama's done, then you're also kind of saying Florida State is just an average team, and an average team stomped, Like that's what you're saying.

And I think Florida State has a chance to be really tricky at the very least.

What I cannot get out of my head, though, yeah, is the clip that has been floating around the internet of a defender giving minimal effort against Florida State.

Totally might just be the wrong defender.

It might just be the wrong defender somebody that needs to lose his job.

And it is probably wrong of me to take that and project it out across the entire def in the entire team.

Sure, but I have not gotten that out of my head since I first thought, because Saban would have launched that guy into the sun.

He never would have played again at Alabama if he saw that on tape.

I think my Alabama SEC Championship pick has done.

So, Okay, I'm not saying this is a bad team.

I'm not saying they don't get it together and go crazy the rest of the season, But I am out on them as SEC champions because there are other SEC teams at this point that I think have looked way more impressive so far.

Who, like, if you want to meet to power rank, let's say the top four SEC teams, sure, who have looked the best to your eye?

Yeah, so far this year, no particular order.

Sure, Oklahoma, Okay, Tennessee Okay, Missoo, Okay, LSU.

I think they've all looked better than BAMA.

And to your point, I don't necessarily take a whole lot of way from stomp in ULM, but I think there are other teams across this conference that right now, get my blood phone a little bit more.

I know what you're still wagering on.

What an LSU offense that hasn't done much that probably can offense that hasn't done much, or a defense.

No LSU, I'm saying this ye is season, it's the offense that's holding LSU back.

Okay, or in two games and one of them was enough to beat what we think is a quality for SU.

Sure, Okay, Now I understand, I hear you.

Miszoo's signature win is against a team that will likely have a lot of defensive struggles this year.

Yeah, Texas hasn't shown much, Right, I didn't say Texas.

I know you didn't list Texas, but I'm just saying the teams that, like Georgia hasn't shown a ton no.

So I'm just saying, right now, if Alabama's deficiency is losing to a good team on the road in unimpressive fashion and not giving effort, not having fire, not looking like a team that should be wearing the colors that it's wearing based on what we saw that from them for so long, the only question I have for you is basically like, Okay, so Alabama's done in your eyes, but it's time for Joey Aguilar to assume that place in your life, Like, Okay, I'm just saying you have to, like you kind of have to gamble on something somewhat big, uh in the sec If you're feeling confident in any one specific team in this moment.

You do, absolutely And I think that's a very valid point.

And again this is not me saying Bama's going six and six for sure.

I think this is still a really good team.

What I'm saying is Donezo is my pick of them winning the SEC, they could still find their way into the playoff.

Totally listen.

I was higher on Alabama than like most people out there.

I really like this see and everybody else was pretty high and I'm too, yep, but I've been all in on Alabama with how much they have back.

I still like Kaitlin Debor, I like Tyson like this is well documented at this point, I'm just saying the pick of them winning the SEC for me is done.

So yeah, I just yeah.

The only thing I would add is, you can figure out how to light a fire under a team, It's very difficult to figure out how to make a player immediately.

A lot more talented, and Alabama has the talent.

So a lot of talented teams have had horrible seasons.

But if I'm going to pick one of those things, I'm going to pick fire.

So we should drill Wisconsin this weekend.

If you're right, I agree.

Although I don't know if you've seen Danny O'Neil's hair, he's got the hair to make some noise.

Boise State, Dan Boise State.

We both had him as a playoff team.

Yes, Dunzo not Donezo.

Not done so no, Well, same line of thinking, if we believe USF to have had the most impressive season thus far, then you can't fully penalize and write off Boise for losing to them the way they lost to them.

Sure, the lack of fight from Boise State.

Sure, but also look at Boise's schedule moving forward.

Dude, there are three more losses on this schedule against whom there are three more Notre Dame and who else.

I'll pull it up.

I counted three.

They could lose to Notre Dame for sure.

I mean they will.

They're going to lose to Notre Dame.

I just okay, I'm saying this as a Notre Dame fan, so forgive me if I sound a little bit better.

It's in South Bend.

Continue, but that.

That based on the version of Boise that we saw against USF, that should be a loss.

App State.

Do not take app State for granted.

There's a lot new app States looked really good so far.

Games at allah UNLV, What do we think UNLV has?

I don't think they play defense, but I think they can score.

That's of interest to Me's interesting?

Well, where's that game?

That game is also in?

That game is also in Boise Yeah, Fresno State.

I don't think super highly of Fresno State, but Fresno State I actually think has been a little bit better than I expected so far.

That typically is weird game.

That one's also in Boise as well.

Yeah, I'm just saying, I hear where you're coming from.

But based on what we saw against USF, that was a mistake prone effort.

It seemed like it was all a Maddox manson.

I'm out, I'm done.

So, Dinze, I've got.

Somebody else going to the playoff.

Boise, no problem, could go nine and three, ten two.

Kansas State, I can't state has done so, Dinzel, agree.

Or disagree, I think they're done, so, Dinze.

So okay, track record, Chris climbing a good thing.

The way they've looked this year with as much as they have returning.

And I know Dylan Edwards is hurt and that's a big deal.

But I don't know, if you're a team that's supposed to be challenging for a conference Crown, a running back going down early can't completely derail your season.

With how long he's been there and the opportunities they've had to recruit and how many good running backs they've had in Manhattan, And it's so much more than just not having Dylan Edwards at this point.

The way that they couldn't do much with the opportunities that they had on offense against Army fresh off of Tarleton State win or loss to Tarleton State, based on the struggles that they had in Ireland and the struggles they had against North Dakota, like that very much should have been a like take out all of your Irish frustrations on this team at home that's playing on the FCS level, and North Dakota is not an especially good FCS team, to be clear, So I am I'm out on Kansas State at this point because they just haven't shown that fire, they haven't shown that explosion, they haven't shown that gear at all that they can get past poor performances.

So what have we seen from Avery Johnson to make you think that like he can consistently be dependable and a reason that they're scoring.

Forty plus things?

We haven't seen it.

You've seen plays where were like, if he could do this way more often, that'd be super fun.

But then you see flubbed handoffs and bad interceptions and just inconsistent performance where You're just like, if a team's identity is what their quarterbacks identity is at the end of the day, then this seems like a seven and five team.

For what it's worth, I checked the sp plus.

The sp plus has Kansas State losing six of their next nine games with like no data, but no declayer with no data, and that's going to change a thousand times over.

So certainly, do not take that as gospel by any stretch.

But like usually, by now three games into this thing, you start to see some progress.

You hope to see some of the wrongs being righted right feeling like there is positive momentum for a lot of teams across college football.

That is what happens between your first and your second gamer, in some cases between your second and your third.

But we're now three weeks into this thing for k State, and each week has been pretty bad.

So I'm with you on being Donzo.

I had k State winning the conference, going to the playoff.

I mean, I'm not going to go super duper crazy and say I'm not sure if they're making a bowl, but seven and five is getting awfully big in the window.

Yep.

So I think relative to preseason expectations for sure, I'm donezo on them.

We've seen enough squares be removed from the poster of Rachel Phelps from the movie Major League.

Like, I'm not sure exactly what this Kansas State poster is going to look like, but I'm seeing some squares.

Yeah, and I can surmise what's behind the rest of those squares.

That has me a little bit worried.

Yeah, And when they pulled all the squares off, there was a caption next to Rachel Phelps that read, you guys stink and that might be where we're headed with k State.

That's true.

Also, I just had to google the last name I knew was Rachel.

I didn't remember Phelps, so I did not have that in the old Sarahbellum at the ready, Let's do one more, Okay, let's Virginia Tech.

It's a donzo for me, Ty, I'm not going to play it a second time.

I don't want to add insult injury to the Tech fans out there, but I'm with you, right, Why are you done?

Zoe the manner?

It's not just going oh in two because I think we agree that at the very least, this is like my word of the season that South Carolina and Vanderbilt a quality sure, maybe not world beaters, maybe not threatening for an SEC crown.

These are two bowl type SEC teams.

Look, there are probably one hundred other teams across college football that played a much easier slate of teams first two games than Virginia Sex.

So yes, a the opponents for sure.

This is what Kyroen Drones's third season starting at this point feels like his eighth.

But yes, continue, Brent Price has been there long enough we kind of have a sense for once again what their strengths and weaknesses are based on.

You know, it's it's difficult to say a team is done when they've exclusively played quality opponents, but those quality opponents also reveal realities that lesser than opponents don't necessarily reveal, Like Oregon's not going to score sixty five points a game this season, but they've played Montana State and Oklahoma State.

We'll see what happens when they play teams of Vanderbilt and South Carolina's level, but giving up leads, not performing in the red zone, making boneheaded plays, having opportunities, and not being able to take advantage closing second halves like they've closed them.

What is there to give you confidence that when they get into the meat of their schedule against comparable teams or teams that can do one specific thing really well on one side of the ball.

What gives you confidence in Virginia Tech to say, oh, yeah, they can figure that out on the fly.

Not a lot for me.

So they just got smoked in the second half against Vandy.

They got absolutely smoked, And that to me was the big red flag.

Yeah, you know, if you're going down with a whimper in a very winnable game.

And I know some people argue with me when I said that Vandy has or or Virginia Tech has a better roster than Vandy or it's a very winnable game for Virginia Tech against these teams are about even.

The point spread was give or take a few points one way or another.

But Vegas saw these two teams on about equal footing.

Vandy ran away and hid in the second half of that game.

And that always creeps me out when I see it, because I ask a question about effort.

I asked to start asking the culture questions, right, all these things that are below the surface that speak more to the integrity of the program as a whole and not just the team you see on the field.

All of that stuff starts to come up, and unfortunately that reflects on a guy like a Brent Prye.

Sure, at this point in time, Brent Price is done, man, this is a done deal where they're going to be looking elsewhere.

Yea, unless they go on some improbable run rip through the ACC.

None of these were conference games, mind you, So I suppose there's still a chance unless they go on some improbable run and Kyrone Drones or somebody else, right, Garrett Wrangel or Pop Watson, they bring somebody else in their quarterback that gives them a little bit more fire.

But short of that, totally done on Virginia Tech, totally donezo on Brent pry and I think can't start soon enough looking for a new coach if things don't turn around soon, because this has just been a really, really awful way for them to open up their year.

They they basically need to beat Cal and Virginia to have any hope of getting to five and seven.

To get to eight wins at this point means Odu Wafford, Wake Forest, Virginia, Cal Louisville, I don't.

I don't know how you even like it's NC state on the road.

Yeah, you gotta really believe in something that hasn't been on the field thus far.

I don't know, man, So we do agree right in again, soliverbogmail dot com.

Let us know your thoughts on all of these teams.

Dunzo not Dunzo.

Leave us a comment.

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Agree, damn time to help me the week.

So we've been doing this the last couple weeks now, and I actually really like it.

I really like it.

Typically, what we've done over the course of all these years of doing this shows we've crammed everything into that Thursday episode and we start previewing games, and when we do that, we leave ourselves a little bit shortsighted in that we're unable to maybe unpack some of the biggest games in the way that we would like.

So by moving them a little bit earlier in the week gives us a chance to do that and still gives us an opportunity on Thursdays to make sure that we cover all that college football has to We've got three big games here that we're going to talk about.

We will talk about them a little bit again on Thursday.

So if you miss this, that's fine, or if you just want to hear some new thoughts, you can go and listen to that.

So wait, are you telling people if they are missing the thing they're actively listening to right now?

Listen?

Sometimes just making sure sometimes your voice gets out in front of your brain.

And that was one of those instances.

Okay, I appreciate it.

I was gonna let it slide.

No, No, you can't let that slide.

If you are not listening to the thing you're listening to, don't worry.

We've got you covered.

What Three point thirty on ABC.

Georgia on the Road at Tennessee both teams two and zero at time of recording, Dan, Yes, George is only a three and a half point favorite in this game.

It's down from four and a half when I made the document like an hour ago.

Yeah, so clearly there is a lot of steam on Tennessee right now.

Now, full disclosure and no disrespect to Sarahcuse or East Tennessee.

Okay, but here comes some disrespect.

I don't think either one of those teams was really good enough to challenge the biggest question on Tennessee, at least on offense, which is the old line.

So the vows of a great so far, the early reviews on Joey Aguilar have been off the charts beaming.

But if we're being real here, that's the matchup.

No a good.

Georgia front, a rebuilt line, which one of those two is going to get the better of the other.

And Kirby's track record with Tennessee and Josh Heipel is exemplary, exemplary.

Now, with that being said, and the reason I said full disclosure, I am going to describe now exactly what I warned everybody else about when we did the collab with Josh Pate.

Yeah, and the reason I'm bringing it up is because I am falling into my own trap.

Literally, My whole theory was that Tennessee was gonna come out of the gates ball of fire, make everybody forget about how much new they have, and then they were going to lose to Georgia and all will be forgotten and it'd be fine because Tennessee fans, I think, are happy with the direction of the program.

They're certainly happy with the way things have looked early.

Sure, but that was my whole theory for how September was going to shake out for the Balls.

What I did not anticipate, though, was.

Feeling this lukewarm on Georgia.

Right, I don't think they've looked that good so far.

I went and I looked at their stats.

This has been a pickleball passing offense.

Do you know what the average airy yards per completion number is for the Georgia Bulldog so far?

Seventeen inches?

No, what is it?

One point eight.

Yards per completion?

Air yards per completion?

One point eight air yards per completion.

Correct, Oh, that doesn't seem good and I triple checked it.

Dog.

Okay, that is an extreme pickleball passing offense if we've ever seen one on this show.

Yep.

So I just have to ask the question, and this is what changed my mind.

Are you gonna give that against Tennessee?

Are you gonna tell Tennessee, hey, bring your safeties up.

Yeah, We're gonna throw everything within one point eight yards of the line of scrimmage.

Do we think that's gonna work against Tennessee Valls?

Even if there are.

Questions about that line, it's still pretty good defense.

No?

Yes, absolutely so?

Are you just gonna let the safeties creep?

Are you gonna rely on Zachariah branch or whoever breaking a tackle and running for one?

Is that gonna be the passing offense?

I ask you?

Now, Okay, I'm willing to let this offense grow into something with a new quarterback and some new line, some new receiving talent.

Like I don't think this is a finished product offense in Athens.

They will look more explosive and more competent as the season goes on.

But if you're just gonna ride, if you're gonna buy a ticket on the Underthink Express, you're saying this is an unproven Georgia offense as a favorite on the road against what our perception tells us is at least a pretty good, if not really good Tennessee defense, And I just I think you have to earn that kind of respect to be a favorite against that kind of team.

I don't think this Tennessee team to go on the other side, is a finished product either.

No, No, I agree with that one hundred percent.

And so even though the early results are good, I'm not sure I love Syracuse after needing everything that they could muster to force overtime against ucon Older respect to UKON, but I think Syracuse is taking a step back this year.

So how much do I respect Tennessee's dominance of them or do I say, yeah, that's probably what a quality a good team should do against Syracuse this year, given what Tennessee has on both sides of the ball.

And obviously I don't take much East Tennessee state, but Georgian not taking care of business this early.

It's what Marshall and Austin p you mentioned the numbers.

Well, you can just watch this game and know that this is not a rhythmic offense in this moment.

And so I think the best of whatever this Georgia team is can beat Tennessee Week three.

It's not for me.

I'm taking Tennessee here and the points happily.

Game's gonna end at night.

By the way, it's a three thirty kick right, Yeah, so you're ending at seven eight pm local.

Yep Oh.

I found myself asking a lot of the same questions of the Georgia offense that I've been wondering about for over a year now with a Notre Dame offense, and that's not right I expect to be now.

Could they change the game plan, Yeah, they could change the game plan.

Could they grow into it.

Yeah.

Tennessee's going to be without their two starting corners, right.

Jermad McCoy is still out, Yeah, of course, working his way back from the ACL.

Ricky Gibson's out for undisclosed reasons.

So could that play a factor.

Sure, But as I said at the beginning of this segment, we don't know anything for sure.

It's impossible to know for sure.

I think we've prefaced everything we said on this episode with that with that qualifier.

But based on the limited sample size, Tennessee home dog of the Week, I don't hate it.

The Yakus home Dog of the Week quite literally a good dog on the Tennessee sideline.

Absolutely smoky baby, Yeah, I got them winning out right thirty one twenty four.

I like my supposed top tennis teams to look like they can do things easily, even if it's early on in the season, but especially against teams that they should be able to find ease against.

And it's just been too difficult for Georgia this early.

So yeah, Tennessee here.

One point eight air yards per completion.

Yep, crazy, yep.

Seven point thirty ABC.

The aforementioned Florida Gators at one in one go into Death Valley Tiger Stadium square off against LSU, which is two and zero and a nine and one half point favorite.

I think this is going to be the most entertaining team entertaining game of the day.

Usually is I'm thrilled about this game.

Where are you at here?

I'm taking points?

It's just too many points.

I'm just at this point of the season and I say this every year.

It's the like, what have you done to earn this?

What LSU has done is beaten Clemson on the road and held on to that win, and it's impressive and we can't take that away.

But what I also see from LSU is for some reason, probably offensive line issues, probably running game ish shoes, maybe a couple of Garrett nus Meyer decision issues.

They didn't look particularly comfortable doing easy things last week.

They couldn't finish drives against Louisiana Tech.

They still are struggling to run the ball.

There was one really nice run from was harlem Berry, the freshman who cut across the field.

That was really nice.

But I'm not sold on LSU as a top five, seven, eight nine team based on what we've seen this year.

I know they've earned that kind of ranking because of the Clemson win.

In my eyes, sure by in terms of what I want to see, especially given the experience of Garrett nus Meyer, that Brian Kelly's been there long enough.

It's weird to me that the offense has sort of started sluggishly.

So I just don't think they're a team that is built whatever you think.

Florida is average, below average, above average, but can look below average at any given moment.

I just think it's going to be a back and forth game between flawed teams.

I think LSU wins this game, but that number is too big to me, so I think it's back and forth.

I think I'll have it something like, I don't know.

I actually wrote down a score in my document.

I want to get it right.

Twenty four to twenty LSU wins this game.

Oh, low scoring, relatively low swow.

Yeah, that'd be something.

Look time's going to tell if Florida was playing in a look ahead spot a week ago against USF.

I think what's most concerning how they shot themselves in the foot and specifically what I mentioned on the recap show about how it just you watch that game, it felt like DJ Lagway was getting worse.

He seemed to like not have a great feel in the pocket, and when he did have time in the pocket, he was rushing things or was quick to pull the ball down and run like there was just the poise didn't seem to be at a place where I thought it would be with him in a second year as a transcendent quarterback.

Well, and granted, look.

Could end up being a playoff team, absolutely, that could end up being a good team.

But still I think if you teleport that version of Florida that we saw in Week two and put it in Tiger Stadium at night against LSU, they probably lose by twenty four points, so I don't expect we're going to get that version of Florida.

I think they'll be tuned up for this game.

Great.

The pressure is now really on Billy Napier, really on Florida.

Remember the win total for Florida was seven and a half.

I'm assuming that that was assuming a win over USF.

So if you bet the over, they're definitely sitting up in your chair a little bit.

YEP.

I think the X factor here is going.

To be that LSU defense because it looked out standing on the road against Clemson in Week one, and for me, that was like, low key maybe the biggest story of the weekend because an offense this good most of the time, with a defense that look that good is probably playing for the SEC title.

Sure.

The question I have though, is was the defense really that good or was Clemson just kind of stumbling offensively out of the gate.

Buddy, say what you about Clemson, but they are likely better than Troy.

That's my point, right, They are likely, that's my point, better than Troy.

You can build a pretty strong.

Case through two weeks of the season that Clemson isn't there yet offensively, so pump the brakes a little bit.

LS.

You look good on defense.

Kind of take that for what it is.

But I'm going to fall somewhere in the middle.

I'm tempering my excitement over the LC defense because I'm not sure about Clemson.

Looking forward now into this game, I think we're looking at a situation where one of these teams, or both of these teams have to try and open it up a little bit more in order to win.

I mean, they'd like to, but Garretnusmeyer can also underthrow somebody.

Yeah.

I think the winner of this game is going to be whoever has the most chunk plays through the air.

Okay, And I say that because I also looked at the numbers.

Maybe I was just on another air yards kick.

But for as much of a gun slinger as Garrett Nusmeyer is branded, we haven't really seen LSU open it up either.

No, well, they've tried to.

They've tried to, but not do it successfully all the time.

Yeah, there's been a lot of shorter stuff to Aaron Anderson to get him in space.

He's very good in space.

Barrion Brown the transfer from Kentucky, he's mostly been out wide, like eighty eight percent at the time, but he's been more of a possession guy.

Nine yards per reception, nine air yards per reception, right, catch it and drop potentially is what that amounts to Florida.

Florida's used Vernel Brown the third as their burner, but Trey Wilson has like three point eight a dot.

Right, he's not really getting a whole lot with respect to deep attempts.

By the way, define a dot average depth of target.

Okay, thank you.

So he's been out there catching balls.

I think leads a team in receptions, but not exactly working down the field.

We haven't seen Dallas Wilson at all, the five star freshmen yet to play.

He still in a.

Boot, So I think that, to me is where.

I was focused the most on when I was trying to put the pieces together for this one.

Somebody's going to have to open it up, and I believe that whoever gets the most chunk plays through the air is going to be the one that emerges victorious.

But frankly, we haven't seen it from either team thus far, which is why it's important here, and somebody's going to have to break tendency.

I think this is fun as hell.

I think this is back and forth.

I think it's high scoring.

I think LSU wins thirty eight to thirty one.

But I'm all over Florida plus those points.

Man Like, despite what we saw last week, they're better than that.

They've got the firepower if they play a good game to beat LSU.

It wouldn't surprise me if they did.

I'm not calling for that.

I'm calling for them to cover.

Though thirty eight thirty one, LSU wins, Florida covers that number.

Yeah, so we agree.

By the way, to be clear, how many touchdowns did Florida score against USF.

They scored one touchdown and guess how many yards they had to drive to get to the end zone.

I want to say it was like twenty yards.

It was after a long punt return aided by I think a penalty.

So we're talking about now playing against an all due respect to the I don't know the audacity of the Todd Orlando defense at USF.

Els you's got more talent.

Ohahse game's at LSU.

I know it's not going to get easier necessarily.

And DJ Lagway does have that same gunslinger mentality that the interception he threw was rolling out to the right, throwing across his body in the air and threw a terrible ball down the middle.

Just like if you have the ability to do that, I'm worried about your ability to put up three point fifty at LSU in a winning effort.

That's all.

Final preview here NBC Texas A and M two and oh Notre Dame, oh and one.

The Irish are a six and one half point home favorite.

Dan, Yeah, I have a lot to say, I'm sure on this game.

It is one team clearly that I know and love.

It is another that I just found myself loving more than I expected in the preseason.

So I'm very torn on this matchup.

If I'm being objective about it, I'm very torn.

Ty's' brullian to continue on what goes down here?

Why don't you lead us off?

Where are you at Texas A and M on the road at Notre Dame?

Okay?

I like Notre Dame a lot here Why and I didn't I didn't going into my prep for this.

But the more I dug in, the more I think I like Notre Dame.

Here the reason I don't like Notre Dame and I'm not a Harry Potter.

Person ty, have you seen the Harry Potter films or read the books?

All?

I didn't read the books, but I've seen all the movies.

I assume on some level somebody is like the keeper of the spells or the potions, right that you're like, oh, I need to do this, so let me look up a good spell that'll get this done, that'll make a horse appear, or will make lightning rain down from the sky.

I think that's what they did.

Yeah, maybe course of pure sure.

Yes, I assume Mike Elcho in his brain has a cast of spells at the ready for very specific situations, and probably loves the idea of getting to game plan against an extremely green quarterback like that is something that probably excites any defense of any quality defensive coordinator that like, ooh, I get to do stuff.

I get to play around with stunts and coverages and whatever to make this quarterback who has played basically no games sea ghosts expelle armis right.

Whatever it is.

Again, I assume at some point I will I have small children.

They're gonna want to read and watch Harry Potter.

But that's what gives me pause about this, that CJ.

Carr not a finished product.

The Notre Dame passing attack has not been incredible these past couple of years.

Continue so Mike Alco incredible defensive mind who now has talent on that side of the ball, has more depth, There has options to make CJ.

Carr uncomfortable.

That's what I like about Texts A and M, aside from the other quality things, but like just in a more abstract way.

That's what I enjoy.

What I like about Notre Dame is game against Miami on the road was winnable.

They're now coming home, They're coming off a bye week, they have different ways to win.

I don't think Texas A and M's offense is anywhere near explosive enough through the air to scare Notre Dame into playing conservatively on defense.

Notre Dame very famously likes to and has continued to play defense.

Texts A and M is bringing a bunch of five to nine, five to eleven six foot receivers to this Notre Dame secondary, which should have guys in this secondary, new guys, old guys, whatever, licking their chops because I don't think they're gonna be pushed around by these receivers.

I don't think these receivers as quality as they are.

Again, that's my word of the season.

Mario Kraver, Casey Concepcion, Terry Bussey, take your pick.

They're not out jumping.

They're not winning a ton of fifty to fifty balls.

So that means Texts A and M is going to need to get work done on the ground.

That means Texas A and M is gonna have to get work done in the red zone on special teams and do it all on the road against what should be a really good Notre Dame defense and a pretty patient Notre Dame offense.

If they're gonna lean on the run, lean on tight end, and get I think they're gonna get more out of receiver this year with Malachi Fields and Jaden Greathhouse, CJ.

Carr will continue to get better.

I just think it's a good spot for Notre Dame coming off of bye to win this game.

Not with ease, not with comfort, but I think confidence.

So I have Notre Dame here, I'll put it down twenty seven to seventeen.

I think they win this game by ten points, and I think it's just a good matchup.

Marcel Reid will play little dinged up offensive line has been okay for Texas A and M thus far, but I think Texas A and M is more of a grower than a shower in early September.

That's interesting.

I mean, all the points you bring up are I think incredibly valid.

The biggest matchup for me is what you mentioned at the very end, though, and it's that Texas A and M offensive line against Notre Dame's defensive front.

Notre Dame did get bullied a bit by Miami, sure, in that not the whole game, not even for one hundred and fifty yards on the ground, but on some of those longer drives earlier in the game.

I think Miami really set the tone by getting good push up front.

Now, to Notre Dame's credit, they did get better as the game went on.

By the time that game concluded, Miami wasn't doing much on offense at all.

But Texas A and M is going to build the whole plane out of that mentality, and I think that's worrying.

The outcome of this game, in my view, is directly related to how well A and M can run the football, because their winning formula is not going to be thirty passing attempts with Marcel.

Reid, right, and that's not his strength.

Yeah.

The winning box scorer for A and M looks something like one hundred and ninety two yards on the ground, seventeen passing attempts probably what thirty eight minutes of possession?

Right, that's what it looks like.

I think we can probably agree.

On that, right, yep.

The other thing that I think about often now since I've had two weeks to ruminate over this loss, is something that you have been saying for a couple of years now.

I'm ready, Mike Denbrock.

The Mike Denbrock experience left a little bit to be desired, has.

Not not for LSU, but for Notre Dame.

Yeah, a little bit.

I mean they went to the National Championship last year.

You can't be too critical.

Well, no, but I haven't seen a great explanation for what they tried to do against Miami.

You probably never will.

And this feels like it's year two of oh man, wait till he cranks this thing up, it's gonna be.

I think that was protecting CJ.

Carr in Miami to a certain certain extent.

Get him one start under his belt.

And a bye week, and perhaps we see a little bit more.

Never opened it up last year.

It never happened in spots.

Yes, overall philosophy of this offense was very pickaball last year.

Sure, maybe Mike dan Brock is a good coordinator.

Maybe he's just a coordinator who looked into Jade and Daniels.

Those guys tend to make everybody look good.

He win a Heisman Trophy.

What and Malik neighbors Brian Thomas.

Yeah it was Ridiculouah that helps you know.

Yeah, So this is like I like the higher.

I still like the higher, and I still think clearly there's nowhere to go about up CJ.

Carr.

This is an offense with a lot of potential, but the game plan left me a little bit worried.

That matchup makes me a little bit worried.

I do think the version of Notre Dame that we saw in the second half against Miami is going to be more what we get the rest of the way.

I think CJ.

Carr, all things considered, look really good in his first start.

They've now had multiple weeks to lick their wounds to prep for this one.

There needs to be more emphasis on the running game, separate from what you had to say about Jeremiah Love, which is accurate.

They need to emphasize that a little bit more.

I don't know what they were trying in week one, but let's get back to basics.

Let's run the football with the two backs that we know are pretty good, if nothing more, and then let's see if off of that we can find a way to stretch the field.

Now that you have a quarterback who you're probably more confident in being the guy, I think you can handle O great.

Okay, there is part of me that believes that you need to bring something downfield to beat a team in a defense like Notre Dames.

Yeah, and likewise, I think that works both ways.

I think Notre Dame wins at home.

It's at night, but I'm all over the points.

Yeah, I'm giving them, give me all of them.

I've got at twenty seven to twenty four, Notre Dame wins A and M covers.

I think it's tight.

Onward.

Here are some other games real quick, just so that you can plan accordingly.

A couple games at noon, a couple in the afternoon, a couple at night, other big ones earlier in the day.

Were not doing picks here, just rattling these off.

Clemson at Georgia Tech very spicy.

That line is four.

That's at noon, Wisconsin at Bama.

It's about three touchdown line in favor of Bama.

Your Oregon Ducks on the road at Northwestern Big Noon is going to be there at the portable stadium.

Are Gus and Klatt going to be there at the portable stadium calling this game?

I believe so?

Yeah.

More importantly I'm.

There, dance there.

Yeah, four thirty.

We've got USF at Miami.

As somebody pointed out on social media, probably the biggest game c dub is ever covered.

They didn't know it when they got it, but USF at Miami is now a very important game.

Miami favored by seventeen USC traveling across most of the country to play Perdue Iowa State, traveling down to Arkansas State and school that can score points didn't last week against Arkansas No sir, and then Louisiana Missouri Missouri heavy favorite there letdown spot yeah, but they'll likely be fine.

And then five big ones in the nightcap.

Other than the two we mentioned, Vandy at South Carolina is crazy interesting to me.

Can't wait.

That'll be incredible.

Duke at Tulane the Darien Mensa Bowl.

Tulane actually favored by three at home.

That's interesting.

Arkansas on the road at Ole Miss Ole Miss favor by nine.

That's a tasty map.

Love it.

I bring up Virginia Tech not to dunk on Virginia Tech, but just to say that if they lose to ODU or if that game is super close, that's a real issue.

They're only favored by seven and a half at home.

Let's be clear, od you again again the like former James Franklin Ricky Ronnie Pride game.

Yep.

We've also got app State on the road at Southern miss which figures to be a tight matchup.

There are Thursday and Friday games as well.

NC State minus touchdown on the road at Wake on Thursday.

And then we've got Colorado at Houston Houston a four point favorite on Friday, and then k State at Arizona.

Care to guess the point spread in this one?

Dan on Friday night?

It's in Tucson.

It's in Tucson, Arizona by a point and a half.

That is a straight up pickum.

My friend whoa Arizona quietly competent, which I've been called worse in my life again for the final time.

Right in solid verbal at Gmail dot let us know your thoughts on these games.

Leave a comment wherever you can give us your thoughts on all of this action.

We will do a much more expansive preview on the Thursday episode when that rolls around, but for now, at least a little bit of taste as for what's to come.

Love a taste, don't forget to tune into the next episode.

Where again we're going to go into much more detail about the overall sleep in week three, make sure you hit follow or subscribe.

If you made it this far, make sure you check out for ballers dot com.

Dan as I said, you get all sorts of bonus perks.

Our game is up and running.

I thought maybe I could talk through what the games are this week that people are going to have an opportunity to pick.

We'll love that all of the ones that we just mentioned, all of them in addition Pit at West Virginia, in addition, Minnesota at cow Ooh.

In addition some of these other matchups like the Vandy South Carolina, Louisiana, Missouri, Appstate, Southern miss.

In total, you've got twelve games.

Again, most of the other ones have been mentioned, but go and check them out at verbalers dot com.

Sign up for any certified or Premium tier.

We just gave away one hundred and fifty dollars rowback gift card.

Damn.

We will give away another fun prize to the winner, and of course if you come in the top five at the end of the season, you get to be on our board of trustees.

No brainer, No brainer.

Dan Rubstein, good episode today, Well great, keep healing up that voice, keep heeling, trying off.

Maybe by the time Thursday rolls around will be perfect health.

I'm targeting week seven here.

For that guy out there, my good friend Dan Rubinstein, for myself tie over here in Eastern PA.

Thanks again for downloading, for listening, for supporting what we do.

We'll catch you on Thursday times.

Stay solid, peace,