Texas Beats Ohio State… But Are We Buying Arch Manning? | Week 3 Picks

Seth Saunders: Texas is a O line, protected Arch all night. And and I think for me, the biggest takeaway was is he is still missing a lot. And I know he had some drops and all those things, but boy, did he miss a ton of throws. If you watch that football game Saturday night, you can't walk away going, Phew, Arch he's a real deal, man. He's the guy. Like I don't know these top ten quarterbacks in college football. There's ten guys I probably take before I take him. I think Sark. and and their offensive staff have done a really good job scheming to get things open at different levels. Saw this when we were in person at the game against Georgia last year. They had set up a really nice game plan where they were stressing Georgia's defense at each level and he just missed the throws. And that's exactly what happened Saturday night. They had they had set it up so the middle of the field, the intermediate game, was there for the taken. And he couldn't hit it. He missed multiple throws in the intermediate game where they could have had some chunk plays. I just think he's gonna have problems. Yeah. Yeah, fire up the grill, crank the speakers loud. Saturdays feel holy in this college crowd. Sethin' James on the mic, preaching gospel true. Talking rivalries, legends red, black, old, and blue. From dead valley lights to the camp, Randall Cold. They're telling stories. They never get old. Ain't no bench warm hearts on the show tonight. They're walking on, proud on the stadium lies. Let a prefer walk on. No scholarship, still putting it on. From the church until gate hands in the eight. Welcome to the preferred walk on show. I'm your host, Seth Saunders, joined by my co-host, James Kim. Week three is upon us, brother, and week two was full of action. I think probably in different ways than everybody anticipated. ⁓ a lot of big matchups last week. Oklahoma heading to the big house for a rematch of last year's showdown. Obviously, the big primetime matchup in Austin at DKR, Texas and Ohio State. Wild game. And then a very, very interesting result in Stillwater as the Ducks went to Oklahoma State and were upended by Eric Morris, Drew Mestermaker, and the entire North Texas roster from 2025. Yeah. Or seemingly so. fun week of matchups this week as well. I think it's been a really interesting start to the 2026 season. And we'll talk about all of it. But I mean, look, let's not bury the lead here. Let's start with. The matchup from Saturday night in Austin. I mean, you and I were texting throughout this. I I think both of us thought that Texas was was dead for that entire game. And in all honesty, didn't look like a great football team. And then from the ashes, they rose like the Phoenix and upend Ohio State. And I'm interested in your opinion on this, whether you think it's more of an indictment on Ohio State and a failure by Ohio State, or did we learn something about Texas? And does it say something about Texas or or is it a little bit of both? I think it's a little bit of both. ⁓ I think for one, ⁓ I texted you this. I said no mat when it was twenty f ⁓ 23-10 and Texas got the ball back, I said no matter what happens from here on out, this is a Ryan Day choke job. Whether they hold on and win or not, because the whole demeanor of the team, you could see on the sideline, it was like they didn't think they were gonna win. The whole atmosphere in the building, they were they were playing not to lose, not to they weren't playing to win the game. And it just it didn't look right. So that was the whole, I mean, you it starts at the top, goes down. That's how Ryan Day has been, you know, other than that one run in the playoffs, they've played like that. That's how it's been when we played Michigan year after year after year. So I I just it I'm not a Ryan Day, you know, hater per se, but It's just he does not, he does not strike me as a leader of his team. And that when he needed when the team needed him to be the leader and calm things down, his frantic nature on the sideline and I thought that they fed off of that and they were starting to get nervous. So I think that Texas took advantage of that. I think Texas's front seven in that fourth quarter just I mean, they dominated the Ohio State offensive line. So and Ohio State you know, running the ball in the first three quarters, they weren't explosive, but you know, three, four yards here, you know, they were just jok chunking away at it. And that's what they needed to do because that front seven of Texas is really good. But in that fourth quarter, man, they were just dominant. And that that's what we expected from Texas's front seven. Yeah, I got a couple of things. One thing I want to ask you about is is a play. I I don't think is got talked about a ton or I it's less of a play and more of a decision, but Texas was up, I think, at this point ten nothing. Maybe it was already thirteen nothing. I think it was ten nothing. Like second quarter, they're deep in Texas's territory, fourth down. They don't take the field goal and they go for it and Texas gets the stop, which at the time I'm sure seems a little bit inconsequential. You're like, ⁓ you know, Ohio State's being aggressive. They want to kind of put the boot on the throat early, go up seventeen nothing or whatever it may be. But I thought, man, why are we chasing points this early in the game on the road? You go up thirteen nothing there. There's no momentum swing. I mean, Texas didn't do anything with that. It wasn't like it was a big switch that way, but you look back and if they hit kick that field goal, they win they win the football game. So like I I don't know. I I I did not love that decision. And I thought that was one of those things where and again, e hindsight's twenty twenty, but I just thought that was a silly choice to chase points there. Like, look, man, just just take the three and and Get on your way. But ⁓ yeah, I I thought in the second half they were really conservative. I thought I heard Fowler and Herbstreet say on the broadcast something like Texas has run like 40 plays in the second half. And so necessarily I think Ohio State's defense was wiped out. You and I both went back and forth talking about how I mean, look, man, Texas is an O line, protected arch all night. And and I think for me, the biggest takeaway was is he is still missing a lot. And I know he had some drops and all those things, but boy, did he miss a ton of throws. And like everybody talks about, ⁓ well, he had the fourth down conversions. Well, dude, the reason they were in fourth down is because he missed like three throws in lead up to that. And so it's just one of these deals where I think if I was and he's obviously forgotten more about football than I'll ever know, but if it was me, man, with that run game and the potential they have in that run game with that offensive line, I would really work. backwards. Because I think a lot of people thought they'd be pass first run supplement. I think it has to be the opposite. And I think when Sark's teams do well, they do that. But I think they need to establish the run game and then put Arch in good situations where he gets throws like the one to Cam Coleman where the freak interception happened, where Cam yeah hits the ground, it pops up in the air. Like I I think that's what they have to do is just put him in good spots. And in all honesty i this is just my read. I could be wholly wrong about this, but I also think the less decisions they have Arch make, the better. Like they started to get going when they went and asked Carn went fast in the second half. And I think it's 'cause he has to process less. I think the more he has to process, the worse off he is. Which, yeah, I I just I I'm not sold on him as a guy who's going to make the difference. And look, the counter argument to that is he brings them back in the second half and they win. And that's fine. But Dude, if you watch that football game Saturday night, you can't walk away going, Phew, Arch the he's a real deal, man. He's the guy. Like, dude, I don't know these top ten quarterbacks in college football. Like, I I there's ten guys I probably take before I take him. And a lot of people will look at the stat line and the result and think we're think we're crazy for thinking, but I mean, I remember texting you, I was like, why are they not having him with like some design runs or some like like read options or something? just to get him in the flow of the game because he was clearly rattled in the first half. And like you said, like there was people running wide open and he missed him. I mean, the Cam Coleman and her break play aside, there were people just, I mean, mid in it mostly in the middle of the field. I don't know if you noticed that, but it was a lot in just in the middle of the field that he's I don't think he's seeing it. I just I don't know if it I don't know if that's like supposed to be a second or third read, because we don't know what the plays are. But it's like, it's like as soon as he sees His first read might be op a little open. He pulls the trigger and he's not letting the progressions go. So I'm I'm I'm really glad you bring that up because that's the thing. I I think Sark and and their offensive staff have done a really good job scheming to get things open at different levels. I did I saw this when we were in person at the game against Georgia last year. You could tell vertically, man, they had they had set up a really nice game plan where they were stressing Georgia's defense at each level. And man, he just missed the throws. And that's exactly what happened Saturday night. They had they had set it up so the middle of the field, the intermediate game, was there for the taking. And dude he couldn't hit it. Like he missed multiple throws in the intermediate game where they could have had some chunk plays. And I don't know, man. ⁓ again, I I I just think when you get into big time games, i he's gonna have problems. Like, dude, he's going to have problems against a defense like George's and and or or other elite defenses. So Well, I I mean the awesome ball game, it's still one of those games where you walk away going, How in the hell did Texas win that football game? I mean, that's still kind of where I sit on it. And if you're an Ohio State fan, I would be so salty. let's also say this before we pivot. Jeremia Smith is a freak, and I cannot comprehend Texas's defensive strategy of, well, let's just let Jeremia Smith run open and get himself in situations where he's one on one with a safety. Like I what what are we doing here, champ? Like I don't know. I thought that was crazy. Like if I if I was Ohio State, I would just three five times. I hope so. I'm hoping that that was not the plan. I I I would hope not, because it was he is a freak and they just let him run wide open all over the field. So yeah, he he's a bad man that Jeremiah Smith is. ⁓ well let's talk a little bit about the Michigan Oklahoma game. ⁓ I think we both feel like it set offensive football back about twenty five years, which I I don't think we were super surprised about that result with Michigan. I think that was kind of the expectation after watching the Western Michigan game is dude, Michigan got some problems on offense. They got to figure some things out. And Jason Beck has got his work cut out for him trying to figure out how to get the most out of Bryce Underwood. I will say this, I thought they did a better job scheming for him on Saturday than they had done the week before. ⁓ that that They're still obviously gonna figure s some things out. Dude, also let's just talk about a very awkward moment when Kyle Whittingham makes his comments about functionally saying that which I look, I think any coach would say this. Bryce Underwood doesn't have an a leash of infinity, basically. Like he's not gonna be the quarterback in perpetuity. And so then they ask Bryce Underwood about it, which first off, this is kind of on the S IDs. Like let your guy know, hey, Coach Whittingham said something. They may ask you about it. He goes to the podium. He's like, ⁓ I didn't know he said that. What did he say? Not great. Not great. Not a good look. Like, not a good look for for anybody involved. So not a great PR look there. But all that, all that to say, I thought they did a much better job scheming for him ⁓ on Saturday against a very, very tough Oklahoma defense. Now the flip side of that is, boy, Oklahoma's offense looks like I think what Oklahoma fans have been griping about. the entire Brent Bennibal's tenure, which is, did they just No juice, man? Like they they did not look good at all. To only put up ten points in that ball game, I mean, just not great, man. And if that team, that same offense, takes their behinds into Athens in two weeks, it is going to be ugly. Ugly. Capital U. So yeah. What did you t what'd you think about it, watch it? I mean The best thing I can say is what I texted you. I was like, I can't tell if these defenses are all really great, or if these offenses are just that bad. Because there were times when there was open gaps for running backs and open wide receivers, and neither quarterback could hit it. And the running backs would just they'd see a gap to the left and they would run to the right. Like it just, it made no sense to me. It was one of those games that if I didn't, if I actually believed the games were fixed. for like ⁓ the under or something like that, I would have thought that this was a game that was fixed. Like there was plays that I'm watching and like like I sat there and I literally re would rewind plays and I'm like, there's no way that this guy, there's no way that he just didn't look. Or there'd be a play where like a guy would be like, you know, open by like three yards and Underwood would look at him and then take off running. And it's like, why didn't he pull the trigger there? Like the guy's wide open. Like it's not just wide open by college football standards. That's wide open by NFL standers, you know? And Mathir, I I think Mateir hasn't rec I mean, I'm not making an excuse for him, but Mathir has not looked the same since the injury and I I think this is just what we're gonna get with him now. I think that this is he is who he is now and we could just have to kind of roll with it. ⁓ OU fans are not gonna like that, but I think it is what it does. Yeah, I mean, look, the the sample size at the end of last year and then obviously that game on Saturday, not promising if if you're hoping for offense in in Boomer Soonerland. And yeah, man, I again, I think we would both submit that that Michigan defense is good. And Kyle Whittingham obviously always has teams that produce really good defenses. But the flip side of that is I do you think that Michigan Unit is top ten in the nation? Maybe. I doubt it. I doubt it. I I think by season's end, once they play like in Indiana, and well, I'm gonna leave Ohio State out of it because who knows what they'll do when they play Michigan. But I I just don't know, man. I I'm not I'm not there yet to be like, ⁓ this is Michigan put the clamps on because Michigan's elite over. It's an elite defense. We don't know yet. I'm just too early. Yeah. And yeah, it's just too early. But you You have to be frustrated if you're an Oklahoma fan about how they looked given what the juice has been all offseason and and all these things. So yeah, the tough look for them. ⁓ well let's let's talk about the game in Stillwater, man. I mean, I I there no chance people saw that coming, especially after Oklahoma State lays an absolute egg and gets beat by Tulsa in the opener to then come out and drop thirty plus points on Oregon and Dude looked good. Like Drew Mestermaker looked good also. Maybe the coolest play of the season so far when Drew Mestermaker takes flight and looked like he was from Planet Krypton, just flying like Superman homie. Like that was unbelievable. Great play. But I don't think anybody is submitting that Oklahoma State is going to be some type of playoff contender. So for Oregon to go there, and I think the other part about this is is it's not just the lost Oklahoma State. It's that dude They very easily could have lost to Boise State. So like, this is two straight weeks where they've looked very, very underwhelming and most notably looked very underwhelming on defense, which is not what you expect. But as you have said and commented about them, you lose both coordinators, this is what can happen. And so you got two guys now that are head coaches in power four conferences that were coordinating last year. Looks like there've been some growing Thus far with that unit. So yeah, I Oregon is is an enigma for me right now. I don't know what they're gonna be. Looking at Oregon, it for me really comes down to like, let's talk about the coordinators. This is the first time that it I can remember that this is the first time Laney's had to replace both coordinators. He's basically had to turn over his entire staff, if I'm correct. I'm pretty sure that's right. And he had to do it late in the process because they made it to the semifinals. 'Cause has Tosh b was Tosh with him the whole time? He's been in UG I don't think he was with him the whole time, but I'm saying both core like his he had to turn over his entire staff because Tosh and Boo Will took people with them. So he had to turn over so much. Will Stein took over for Kenny Dillingham. Is that right? Is that progression? Yeah. Yeah. That's right. Kenny and then Will. Yeah. So Mises had to replace him one at a time, but I don't remember him ever having to replace both of them. And I think also the timing of it. So you gotta think about it. That's you know ⁓ we weekend it's 10 days before the national championship game when he had to do this. So yeah, it's not like the timing is not good either because a lot of these people that are now not saying that someone who took a job wouldn't take leave there to go to Oregon because it's Oregon. Not saying that wouldn't happen, but more than likely the by Oregon has the money for the buyouts, but it's still not a good look on the coach either. So it's not like any they didn't have the their pick of the litter, so to speak. Not saying they couldn't go coach somebody. But they didn't have their pick. And well, they stayed internal, didn't they? Yeah. They stayed internal. Both coordinators were on staff last year. Yeah. Yes. Yes. So because I think if they didn't stay internal, those guys were gonna leave to go probably be co DCs, co OCs, or take those jobs as full with ⁓ Tosh and Will. So Yeah. But with all that, the staff turnover is a big thing. I texted you this on Saturday. Dante Moore looks disinterested. He looks like he doesn't want to be there. He looks like he thinks he made a mistake and he should have gone to the ⁓ and my comparison is that he looks like twenty twenty four Carson Beck. He just he doesn't the team doesn't look like they're engaged with him either. Quarterback's supposed to be the leader. They don't look like they're engaged with him at all. Like there's a couple of people, but for the most part, he doesn't look like he's leading that huddle. ⁓ and that's that's a real problem. I was interested when you texted me that because I it's one of those things where and look, that might be true. I I don't know. I I will say this. I got to interact with him a little bit at Big Ten Media Days. And I also just kind of wonder if that's his personality. Like he is not a big brash kid. He's just not. Like very reserved. You can tell he's quiet. ⁓ I thought he was pretty thoughtful kid, but not, you know, dude, not big time energy, not like out there. And so I I don't know that that's his personality to kind of be the leader and the force, which to your point, y you do want that out of your quarterback. ⁓ the other thing I wonder about, and this probably is less relevant, but you have to wonder, man. Part of the math of them getting Rayola out of the portal was I think they all thought Dante was gonna go pro. I really do. Like you don't go and get Rayola if you don't if you think Dante's stained, right? Like that That that math still doesn't math for me. Like e because you're talking to a kid who's already been a two year starter at a Power Force school. You're telling me he chose to come to Oregon to back up another guy. Like that just seems bizarre to me. So what that tells me is they they made a good NIL deal offer to him. Then Dante Moore came back and like, hey dude, sorry. You're gonna have to sit. The rumor was with Dante was was that he was fully set to go and he thought Mendoza was going to go one to the Raiders and he would be probably the next pick for the pick after. And then Vegas was like, no, we're taking you like through the channels, and he didn't want to go to Vegas for whatever reason. Like, or his people didn't want him to go to Vegas and he decided to go back to school. That's yeah, like that's the scuttle butt about that. Now, whether that's true or not, who really knows? But I mean, first of all, that's a kind of a red flag right there, too. Like you you don't like that's You're not you're not Eli Manning, you're not a man, you're not a Manning, you're not in the Manning family tree type situation. You don't really kind of get to choose where you go. Like, what if it's the Jets next year? You know what I mean? Which is a high possibility. Are you gonna say, ⁓ I'm not playing for you? Like, I don't know. It's just that whole situation kind of rubbed me the wrong way too. I will say too, and this is just commentary from watching him last year, it to me. It wasn't like he was transcendent in their biggest games, anyways. So I've always kind of thought the push on him was interesting because, dude, he wasn't awesome when the lights were brightest. Like, dude, even in the Texas Tech game where they won, it's not like he was great or their the Oregon offense was great. It was it was much more about Texas Tech not being able to put a cohesive drive together. Like their offense was horrendous. And obviously he wasn't great. in their loss. And so I I don't know, man. I just I wonder how how high the level is. Like I think people are tantalized by the tools and the capability, but whether or not he reaches that ceiling, man, I just don't know. And look, we're gonna see. He's got a chance, man. The great part about this game and the great part about the structure of the game right now is Oregon's still very much in it, right? Like they've got time to get right and get themselves humming, but dude, tough. Tough start. their first two weeks. So ⁓ all right, well well let's pivot a little bit and talk about the games on the slate this week because I think it's a good slate. ⁓ I think it's a fun slate. There's some matchups that are interesting, especially given how things have gone early this season. ⁓ before we move on, let's also recognize the People's Division for two more wins over Big Brother, the FBS last week. So big ups. What is that five wins now? For the people's division, the FCS thus far this year. Pretty sure that's five wins already. Five. Yeah, get some get some, baby. ⁓ so yeah, good looks all around. And I think we picked both of them, didn't we? ⁓ I think our picks last week. We picked both of them. No, we ⁓ we only picked one last week. We picked ⁓ Montana State. I picked Montana State. We had ⁓ yes, we only picked the Montana State game. Everything else was FPS teams. Montana State, Nevada last week was what we picked, huh? Okay. Yeah. I thought we picked the other one too, but ⁓ The other FCS game we had was ⁓ was your home and water. Sorry. Yeah, I won't talk about that. I won't talk about that. We're not gonna talk that. It was ⁓ boy. I mean, it was over with the quickness. Like it was an absolute dump truck. It kind of reminded me like the old Looney Tunes cartoons where the character gets run over by the dumb truck and is like flattened onto the ground and they like slowly peel them peel themselves up. That was that was William and Mary on Saturday. Lehigh absolutely dump truck them. It's not a great look. Not a great look. Puts them in behind the eight ball in the Patriot League. So yeah, not a not a good look for the boys, but that's okay. Moving on. ⁓ okay, let's start with dude this interesting game. Tough, tough, tough game. For our squad, Fran Brown and the Syracuse Orangemen last weekend. ⁓ Steve Angela has three picks to the same cat, who, by the way, Oregon transfer, came over with Tosh and ⁓ the big one obviously was the pick six, but tough game, man. They should have won that game like so many opportunities to win and just couldn't do it. But what I dude, I think outgained Cal almost two to one. So it's not like it's a problem with offensive competency. They just gotta learn how to finish. And so They go to pit on Thursday night, play a a good pit team, dude Mason Heichel. He's the real dude. Like really, really good player. And that's why he's why Elizabeth. Why Eli transferred, exactly, which turned out to be fortunate for UVA. They now have a nice backup to Bo Probe, ⁓ which I'm sure they will need him at some point. Yes. The way he plays, yes, they're gonna need. They will need him at some point. Look, dude, I love it. Bo Probeula plays like a linebacker, but as my as my dad would say He's got a bulldog mouth and a hummingbird ass. It's and so he's gonna get himself in trouble that way. But gotta love watching him play because he is for sure a Pennsylvania kid that just wants to beat your brains in. Like he wants to be physical, wants to have contact. It's awesome. But anyways, so dude, Pitt is a ten and a half point favorite in this ballgame, which that's why I put it on the board. Because that is a very interesting number to me. Do I think Pitt is probably. Probably a better team. Yeah. Probably. Do I think they're ten and a half points better? Man, I don't know. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this. I I mean, I'm gonna go with the orange. I mean, that's a lot of points. Like I think Pitt is the better team. I think the win. I I don't even think this is gonna be a backdoor cover. I think the I think the Orange keep it close the whole time. Me too. I think this is I mean I think this is probably a a seven, seven, ten point game, like down to the wire. And like they'll probably, you know the Qs will make it interesting until probably, you know, later in the fourth quarter. But I I don't think they're gonna win. Yeah, dude. This for me is like a it's spicy because number one, we got Thursday night matchup, conference game. Q's gonna be smarting after losing a game that they should have won. Fran Brown gonna have the boys motivated. You know, like I said, they did put up like four hundred plus yards of total offense on Saturday. And so I think they come in ready to rip. And like this is one of those games where I for sure think Hughes covers. I think they could win straight up. Like this is one of those deals where until Pitt proves to me they are something different than they have been in the past, where it's like one week they look incredible or they start really hot, but then they can't figure it out. It's hard for me to say they're gonna beat a quality football team by ten and a half points. Or eleven points. And like, I don't know, man. I just this just screams tighter than ten and a half to me. So I'm taking keys in this one. ⁓ I'm gonna give you a I this is more on here because I want to talk to you about the team that's playing in it, because we haven't had a chance to talk about them a little, but Miami going to Winston Salem on Friday night to play wake, and it's a big number. Miami's favored by twenty and a half, so almost three full touchdowns. And like, here's my thing, okay? I don't think either one of us is debating that Miami is going to win this football game. I don't even know that we're necessarily debating that they're gonna have problems covering. Like, look, dude, Wake's had nice start, had a double overtime win against Purdue, Gio Lopez, ⁓ former South Alabama transfer one year at Carolina last year under Bill Belichick, which that's a whole nother conversation for a whole nother day. playing well so far for Wake. Jake Dickers doing a good job. They had a good year last year. ⁓ let me throw something at you. Who is Wakes and thus Gio Lopez's offensive coordinator there for the Demon Deacons? This is some trivia. I'll be so pumped if you know this. No, I don't You're not gonna know the name. Yeah, and and I'm not don't all right. Their o their their own coordinator is a a cat named Rob Ezel. I think that's right, Rob Ezel. He was ⁓ let's say little used wide receiver at Alabama, but became notable. For his impersonations of head coach Nick Saban. I I've seen the videos. Yeah, I would have never known the name, but I've definitely seen the videos. Those are great. Yeah. That is the offensive coordinator for the wake for Stephen Deacons and and Gio Low. So he got into coaching. Good for him. Got into got into coaching, yes. ⁓ unlike his impersonation of of coach Saban, he's not ready to go sit on the lake and and watch the ducks shit in the yard. So yeah. What a world class impression though. Like if you have not seen that, you owe it to yourself. Those two fantastic. Yeah, fantastic. So anyways, but I put this on here because I want to talk to you about Miami. ⁓ I had talked with you a little bit after ACC kickoff that I was really, really impressed with Darien Mensah at ACC kickoff. And dude, this is one of these deals where like you just don't know, right? Like guys could look great on the mic and the the energy could look right. But you never know what it's going to look like once they tee the ball up and we let it rip. Well, dude, through the first two weeks, and I know the second one doesn't really count, but the way they've been doing it, they look like a wagon. And I feel very comfortable in saying ten toes down, Malachi Tony is the best college football player in all of these United States. And I don't know that it's particularly close. He is an electric factory every single time he touches the ball. Like if ESPN were to put a camera that only showed, only followed Malachi Tony, I'd be all in. Like, let me just watch him run the routes. He is just dude, he is a firecracker and something exciting happens every time the ball is in his vicinity. And I don't even think they've used him to his full potential yet. Like high school quarterback, they could do some Wildcat stuff with him. They could do some stuff where he pops out and throws it. They did some of that with him last year, but dude, let me tell you something. And Derry Mensa has been about perfect. Like, what does he have? Four incompletions or something the entire season? So my question with them, but I'm interested. Yeah, I'm interested to get your viewpoint on this. I think their O-line is great again. And so I think Mensa's gonna have the opportunity to deal this season. My bigger question is is that defense gonna be able to overcome the loss of two absolute dudes? To the NFL and kind of be what they were. Because I think we would both agree the defense buoyed them on that run last year. I mean, they were transcendent. So where do you sit on them? What do you think? I think we well, let's start here. We both think they're gonna cover this. Yeah. Yeah, no question. Yeah. Okay. Me too. Yep. So and that's not a knock on weight. That's just how good we think Miami is. It's not. ⁓ It's not, yeah. So my concern with the defense, I I think I think the secondary is really good. ⁓ the secondary is returning a lot. My concern is like you said, that they lost their two edges. And their their third edge is there and he was there in their rotation last year. He's good, he's good. My concern is the if they have to get in a game where a team is going to round and pound, can they stand up to that? I'm not sure if they can because Miami's offense is so explosive. they're not gonna give their offense rest either way. So if they're gonna score quick, ⁓ I think I saw something that their average scoring drive is like three minutes and fifteen seconds this year so far, or something like that. It's something ridiculously short. So I mean they're scoring at will, but even their their drives, so let's let's play that out throughout the season. If that goes into a game where they're playing in a in a rock fight Or a team that's, you know, wearing their defense down and then they get the ball, then they go and score real quick, then their defense is right back out there with but next to no rest. By the end of the game, their defense is gonna get gassed. That's my thought process with the defense. ⁓ it's gonna be really hard for teams to stop that offense. And I think for Miami to be successful and to actually make a deep run, it's not gonna be their offense putting up points or anything like that. It's gonna be them being able to control the clock and useful. Fletcher and their run and their other I can't, I don't know their other running back, but actually use Fletcher to control the clock and give their defense some rust. I and I'm not sure if I I think their their main plan is we're just gonna outscore everybody so fast it's not gonna matter. But eventually they're gonna come against a team where they're gonna have to slow things down. And I'm not sure how that's gonna work for them. Corey Corey Heatherman, former defensive coordinator at much ⁓ my god why am I drawing a plank? Come on. This is a slam dunk for my boy. Don't drop this. Why am I drawing a blank? Just a little old school in Harrisonburg. ⁓ my god, he was a he was a dude. Why that's right. Jesus. Wow. He was with Sig. Yeah, that's right. He was. Yeah. Yeah. He's nuts. Crazy. Crazy. So, yeah. There there's your fact of the day, folks. Corey Heatherman on staff with Coach Sig at JMU. What was that? The twenty-two year when y'all had that quarterback who had a monster year, had like forty touchdown tosses. What's a cat's name? Twenty two. What are you talking about? Twenty two. Yeah, something like that. You guys went twenty two is you guys went to FCS semis. Twenty two was Twenty twenty two wasn't no, that wasn't the ⁓ the shore. I'm trying to go and get in my years going in order. I think his last name started was like C or something. I can't remember. Strong drawing blank on it, but he was stud. Forty, forty plus touchdowns. Dude, the reason I the reason I looked at this up was there was an article about Sig. Really, it was an article about Josh Hoover and how Josh Hoover would look in a Sig coach team. And it was something like, dude. every quarterback Sig has had that has played 10 games in the last six years have all thrown for over three thousand yards. I was like, what? I think I think I think the stat was something like I have to go back and read the article, but it was nuts. It was like each quarterback that's played over ten games has thrown for a completion percentage of over sixty percent and over three thousand yards. And so then it lists out like all of his quarterbacks. I was like, ⁓ my God, dude, like what a crazy set. And the big thing is all the interception numbers were tiny. 'Cause he will not tolerate it. So yeah. ⁓ no. He he will pull you quick. Quick. Okay. Next one is another Friday night matchup that I love, which is my preseason Big Ten, Big Twelve title game pick, Houston. Go into Lubbock, play Texas Tank. Texas tank. Yeah, that's a good game. Red Raiders, seven and a half point favorite. Where you at on this? You know, I am gonna take Houston. I really like what I've seen from the first two weeks. I think ⁓ like I said in the beginning of the season, I think everybody just assumes Texas Tech is going to just kind of roll through the ⁓ the the conference. And I'm just not sold on that. So I'm gonna go with ⁓ Houston. I'm not sure if they're gonna win this game, but I think it's gonna be really close. Yeah, I I'm taking Houston too. I'm same. I don't know if they'll win straight up, but I think it's gonna be a tight ballgame. I think they definitely cover. I'm interested in this Texas Tech team. ⁓ I like Well Hammond a lot, but you gotta talk. He's he's less than a year removed from the ACL injury. It's quick to come back. They played Tommy Castellanos a little bit last week against Oregon State. We'll see what happens with that. I just I still I think they have they had a lot to replace defensively, notably Jacob Rodriguez, who was fantastic. ⁓ I mean, by all accounts, should have been, I mean, he was, but should have been more seriously in the Heisman conversation for how good he was. ⁓ and then you lose, what was it, Ramel Heights and David Bailey, both studs. And so, dude, they had to replace a lot. And so I I'm still just I I'm I'm I just don't know on them yet. That's where I'm at. And so I think this will be a tight ball game. The Friday night thing I think plays into it as well. Also, if you have not watched the program on Paramount Plus, which is the feature series on Texas Tech, it literally follows the entire Brendan Soresby saga, front row and center, with all the behind the scenes footage. Like, dude, it's it was supposed to be a puff piece about Texas Tech and them being on the national stage going into the 2026 season and it turned into you have a front row seat to the entire Brendan Soresby gambling scandal. So if you haven't watched it, it is captivating television. I would highly suggest it. And dude, I feel like I haven't heard anybody talk about it, which is crazy because it's it is theater. So ⁓ it it's also just kind of a weird watch. Like them trying to navigate it. And I will say, like Joey McGuire seems like a good dude, and they seem to have tried to handle it as best they could. ⁓ obviously an impossible situation to be put in, but just interesting, man. I think if you're a college football fan, it's something You should check out and watch. So yeah. Fairmail Plus, Texas Tech is called the program. So it's pretty good. Okay. Another one, dude. This may be my favorite match of the entire weekend. And it's SMU playing Louisville. Louisville is a one and a half point home favorite. You are very aware. I love SMU. I think Kevin Jennings is the real deal. Holyfield, King of Dallas. I mean, they are putting a full frontal ⁓ Heisman campaign for him and I love it. ⁓ I think Rhett Lashley does a really good job. And as we have said many times on this show, they were doing NIL before NIL was cool, baby. So money and resources ain't gonna be no problem for the Mustangs. But ⁓ how you feel on this? You feeling good about the Pony Express or you think the cards take this straight up? See, you know I'm a huge fan of Baum. ⁓ I love him as a coach. I love what he does with quarterbacks. But I have not liked what I've seen from Keene Holtz the first two weeks. I've not I just have not been impressed with Now I know it's a small sample size, but I I'm going with the quarterback I feel more confident in ⁓ with this game. This is a close game. I think it's gonna come down. Who do I trust to not make the big mistake? And that's Jennings. Yeah. ⁓ so I'm gonna go with SMU. I think we're gonna win straight up. I think it's gonna be I think it's gonna be really good game. I think it's a really good matchup, but I think SMU goes in once again. Yeah. I I'm with you. I'm gonna take the Pony Express too. Like I said, I'm a little bit biased in this. Man, I love their vibe at ACC kickoff. I think Kevin Jennings is probably the most underrated player in the country, which I know is kind of a big statement to say, but I just feel like given his track record and what he's done, I don't think he gets talked about enough nationally. And I think it's because he plays for SMU. I think Kevin Jennings with two healthy ankles is a whole ass problem and difficult to deal with. And SMU will be in every game that he plays. The flip side of that is Clev Lubin may be one of the more exciting defensive players in these United States. And so I I'm fired up to kind of see that chess match between th those two. So I think it's be ton of fun. But but yeah, I'm gonna take SMU as well. This one I've got on the board just because, God, I just feel like its storylines abound. But Carolina going to Death Valley to play Clemson. Clemson is a three and a half point favorite, made the switch at quarterback. ⁓ I think it was gonna happen anyways. They're saying it's because Fasina's injured. We'll see. They have looked ⁓ let's just say less than impressive. Got the doors blown off ⁓ by LSU week one. And then dude, what'd they put up? Twenty twenty one points, twenty two points in Georgia Southern last weekend. Five field goals. Like five field goals. Ooh, man. Really, really tough. And ⁓ look, man, for as many bullets as he took in the offseason, Bill Bell checking the heels, dude, a nice win. Over in Dublin against TCU. Now granted TCU look like trash, but I think I think, you know, I think they'll be better than Clemson. So yeah, I'm taking Carolina. I just I and this is more of a lack of faith in Clemson's offense than it is of if faith in Carolina. But Carolina looked pretty good on defense, looked motivated. And so yeah, I like the heels to go in there and get a win. Where are you at on this? I'm taking Carolina too, and it has to do more like take up, take me one out of it. Week one, all the kiff and hype, all that crap. It has more to do with how Clinton looked last week. You can only score one touchdown at home against Georgia Southern. I like that's bad. Like you know, that's that's like twenty fifteen Georgia offense bad. You know? I I I don't know. This and it the thing is, is I read somewhere it was like people are like, you know, everybody's like talking about how this is Dabo Dabo's gonna be gone after this year. Like you see his buyout after this year's like the buyout this season's like it's still fifty something million. After next season it goes up before it goes down. Yeah, it's it's there's no way he's gone after the season. He it's not he's not leaving unless he wants to leave. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The i i it's it's an interesting situation up there, man. I I just they're in a weird spot. I they were up they were an interesting vibe at ACC kickoff. Like Dabo used his opening statement and it was almost like a stump speech for Dabo or for Clemson under Dabo. Like, hey, these are all the great things the program has done while I've been the coach. It was just, I don't know, man. It was a it was a weird vibe. And I want to like him. Like I like what he's about and all that stuff. But man, it was I I don't know. There's just it's a weird vibe there. And and I think the big thing isn't look, it's not rocket science, man. They haven't had good quarterback play. You don't have good quarterback play and you You think about it, okay? The two national titles, Deshaun Watts Trevor Lawrence. Well, duh. And so no c no quarterback play. They've whiffed on their quarterback picks. So just ⁓ it just kinda is what it is. All right. I've got this one on here because I think it's one of been one of the most exciting kits to watch the start of this year. But Mississippi State going to Columbia to play South Carolina. obviously a a big pivotal year for Lenore Sellers and Shane Beamer and the Game Cox. And I think a lot of people think Lenoris is the real deal Holyfield, which I think he is. Great, great player. Also great high school soccer player. I know we've talked about that before. But homie, Camario Taylor, dude, he is exciting to watch, man. And he has been a lot of fun, like just dotting up people all over the field, can flick it 50 yards, doesn't even look like he's breaking a sweat. Like, man, I am excited to watch these two kids go at it. on Saturday at Willie B. So ⁓ Game Cox three and a half point home favorite. How you sitting on this? This comes down to for me, like, which defense do I trust? Like, and I think that I think both these quarterbacks are gonna be able to put up points. It's which one do I trust to make a stop? I think this is a three point game. So I'm gonna go with state. I think three I'm I couldn't tell you who's gonna win it. I think this is a three point game either way. I think the home it favors the home team with it being at Williams Bryce, but ⁓ it just It's something about State, the way they've looked the first two weeks, man. I I like the way they look. I like the vibe around the team. And if things start to go a little sideways for South Carolina, how are they gonna react with all the, you know, the tension around that team for this season? Like, you know, what if things go sideways? You know, is Beamer gonna lose the team? Well, who knows? So I'm gonna go with State to cover. I don't know if they're gonna win, but I'm gonna take them to fuck. Yeah, man, just something about the state team watching them thus far. I like, I like their energy. And I think a lot of it is driven by the fact that they believe in Camario Taylor. And like, I don't know, it's gonna be cool. Like like I said, I'm I'm mainly just excited to watch this as a college football fan because I think he got two electric kids playing quarterback and I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I think they're gonna go back and forth. You know, look, if we're talking about the best defensive player on either side of the field, you're talking about Dylan Stewart, right? So I I think there's something to that, but I just I don't know, man. I I'm with you. I kind of think this is like a field goal game. And so because of that, I'm gonna take I'm gonna take Mississippi State too. So Cowbells, Cowbells in Columbia. That's what we're gonna see, I think. But I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. All right. We're running a little tight on time, so we're gonna close with this game. The big one, look, Lane's return to Oxford, LSU, old miss. LSU a two and a half point road favorite. Man, I I feel like this would have had a lot more narrative and a lot more think strength of opinion for the LSU side if this had come right on the heels of week one. But brother, if you watch the first three weeks of the Bahu Bengals playing La Tech, you gotta feel a little jittery now. Like they looked ⁓ Sam Levitt did not look great. And ⁓ yeah, so where you at on this? So yes, I completely agree with you that, you know, you that first three quarters did not look good. But have you watched old misplay defense this season? Fair. That's fair. Hundred percent that's fair. So I think that this game is going to be no defense, like just straight ⁓ gas, no breaks. I th I don't really vulture. Yes, exactly. Shall we vulture. So I and it w it's really gonna come down to the fact that that the way Chambless played against the dogs the last the last two games last season, I I can't bet against the kids. So I'm gonna take on this. I am I have no feel for it. That's strictly just a gut. This is a gut peg. I would not be shocked if ⁓ the fellowship goes in there and they win. I think it but I really, really think this is just a good shootout. I don't think defense is going to play much of a factor in this at all. I'm I'm with you on that. I I think this is the thing for me. Again, it's so early. I I think it's hard to peg what either of these teams are yet, but to your point, God, old misses really struggled on the defensive side of the ball. I just wonder if Sam Levitt can throw you to a victory. That that's that's what I'm asking. Is at the SEC level, can he throw you to a victory? Dude, I don't question his moxie, his toughness, his grit. Like none of that. Like, dude, he's a guy who I think they could let carry 25 times and he's gonna put it on his back and and let it rip, man. Like I think that kid is tough as a two dollar stake. But like The flip side of that is I think the best player on the football field on Saturday night is Trinidad Chamblers. And if we're making picks on something, I'm going to pick the best player on the football field. And so that's kind of where I'm at with it. I feel like the home field, all the energy from last year, I think Trinidad's going to play, dude. I I love his disposition. I think he's really cool, really collected. I just think he's going to kind of steady and buoy them. ⁓ obviously gonna be a super hostile environment. And doesn't this feel like feel like Lane hasn't had a Lane being Lane moment yet and he kinda hasn't had one for a little while. This feels like the game where he does something where you go, Lane, what the hell are you thinking, dude? Like everyone four dollars a month? Yeah, exactly. Like I I just feel like he's gonna do something reckless and like go for it on fourth and two in the first quarter at their own thirty five or something like that. Like I I just feel like that's right up his alley. ⁓ So yeah, because I dude I I do feel like he's trying to prove a point. That that's my gut on this, is he wants to come out and try and prove a point. And I just think Trinidad Chandler's not gonna allow that to happen. He's too good. And so, yeah, I'm with you, man. I'm taking who I think is the best player on the football field, and that's Trinidad. So I will take them. I kinda think they're gonna win straight up. But ⁓ yeah, it it's gonna be super fun. Well, ⁓ well, dude, we didn't get to all of our games, but I still think we get some good picks on the board. ⁓ and I'm freaking jacked up to watch this week of games with you. I ⁓ it's just been so fun for to be back. Like even texting with you last weekend about stuff was awesome. So it's ⁓ it's gonna be great. And then big one next weekend, dogs boomer sooner between the hedges, that's gonna be a ton of fun too. So ⁓ yeah, man. It's gonna be awesome. Yep, next week's got a great slate of games. Like there's like five games that are just awesome. Yeah. God. It's the it's the best sport in the darn world, man. But ⁓ anyways, brother, it's gonna be an awesome week and I can't wait to text with you about it. And ⁓ we'll be back next week to talk to y'all some more. So until then, enjoy the games and kiss your nooch.