2026-09-02 Week 1 Preview - Secure the Chute Saturday (raw)
Ty Hildenbrandt 00:18 Dan Rubenstein, I'm not gonna beat around the bush.
Ty Hildenbrandt 00:20 It is week one.
Ty Hildenbrandt 00:23 Baby, are you fired up?
Dan Rubenstein 00:24 Yeah, of course, Ty.
Dan Rubenstein 00:26 Of course.
Dan Rubenstein 00:27 Uh, this would be season 19, episode one, right?
Ty Hildenbrandt 00:34 Yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 00:35 Just in terms of our our in-season season, yes, of course I'm fired up, Ty.
Dan Rubenstein 00:39 We have a full Saturday, a Sunday afternoon and evening, and a Monday evening of games ahead of us.
Dan Rubenstein 00:47 I cannot wait, Ty.
Dan Rubenstein 00:49 And if I may have the floor for a second.
Ty Hildenbrandt 00:51 Please, please, I beg of you.
Dan Rubenstein 00:53 So, as people know who listen to the show, we do not abandon them.
Dan Rubenstein 00:57 when like Indiana raises the trophy up, right?
Dan Rubenstein 01:00 We keep this plane in the air.
Dan Rubenstein 01:01 The flaps, the landing gear, the cockpit, I'll the whole the fuselage.
Dan Rubenstein 01:06 Everything keeps flying, just like all of your favorite programs, right?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10 Correct, yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 01:10 Like
Dan Rubenstein 01:11 Indiana raises, there's winter workouts, there's spring football, there's summer workouts, there's fall camp, there's everything.
Dan Rubenstein 01:17 There's early morning lifts and film sessions, right?
Dan Rubenstein 01:20 This is not a four-month sport whatsoever.
Dan Rubenstein 01:24 But this time, this week is a different kind of week, Ty.
Dan Rubenstein 01:31 And I know you you've heard of the phrase, hit the ground rut.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:35 Get the ground running.
Dan Rubenstein 01:36 You hit the ground running.
Dan Rubenstein 01:37 Do you have any idea where that comes from?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:39 I have absolutely no idea.
Dan Rubenstein 01:41 Disputed sources, I should say.
Dan Rubenstein 01:44 disputed answers, but it goes back as far as like the 1860s apparently, allegedly, according to a couple different sources, regarding
Dan Rubenstein 01:52 The old Pony Express, Ty, that you hit the ground running if your horse is tired and you've got a fresh horse waiting to get that mail delivered, you jump off and you hit the ground running.
Dan Rubenstein 02:02 Though it was popularized, Ty.
Dan Rubenstein 02:04 It was popularized by paratroopers.
Ty Hildenbrandt 02:06 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 02:06 during like World War Two as well, right?
Ty Hildenbrandt 02:07 Right, yeah, you gotta you you wanna hit the ground running, otherwise you're gonna like, you know, break your back or something.
Dan Rubenstein 02:08 You think about You gonna hurt yourself.
Dan Rubenstein 02:13 You're gonna you're gonna roll, you're gonna do damage to yourself.
Ty Hildenbrandt 02:13 Yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 02:15 And I got to thinking, Ty, this is what we're doing, right?
Dan Rubenstein 02:18 You know, we we have fall camp, we have summer workouts, we have all these programs, a lot of whom are on the road, of course.
Dan Rubenstein 02:25 They're in the air.
Dan Rubenstein 02:26 But here we are.
Dan Rubenstein 02:27 We're about to jump out, Ty.
Dan Rubenstein 02:28 I'm scared.
Dan Rubenstein 02:29 I can't do it.
Dan Rubenstein 02:30 I can't do it.
Dan Rubenstein 02:31 Trust your training.
Dan Rubenstein 02:32 I can't go.
Dan Rubenstein 02:36 Welcome
Dan Rubenstein 02:38 To Secure the Chute Saturday, Ty.
Ty Hildenbrandt 02:41 How to secure it.
Dan Rubenstein 02:41 We're all parachuting in to week one.
Dan Rubenstein 02:46 We don't know what we have.
Dan Rubenstein 02:47 We don't know if we have what it takes.
Dan Rubenstein 02:49 Coaches just know we prepare you for the jump and let's see how it goes.
Dan Rubenstein 02:53 Now, I am not a paratrooping expert in the way that Ty is.
Dan Rubenstein 02:57 He has taught at many military institutions.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:01 Yeah, exactly.
Dan Rubenstein 03:02 But there is something that I sort of it resonated with me with the parachuting into week one, not knowing if you've got what it takes, but you gotta go, Ty, you gotta make that leap.
Dan Rubenstein 03:13 You gotta hit the ground running
Dan Rubenstein 03:16 And that's why we have Secure the Chute Saturday.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:20 Important that you secure the chute before you jump out of the plane, too.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:23 We should add, notably, we will get into this, and much, much more.
Dan Rubenstein 03:24 Yeah, of course
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:28 This is our big week one predictions.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:32 preview picks episode.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:34 We're excited about it, but yeah, make sure you got the chute before you jump on out.
Dan Rubenstein 03:36 Oh baby.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:39 We will get into all of the details.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:42 For what week one has in store over the next hour or so.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:45 I am Ty.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:46 He is Dan.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:46 Please make sure you rate, review, and subscribe so that you do not miss any of our episodes.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:53 This one is now officially going to drop each week.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:56 On Wednesday night.
Ty Hildenbrandt 03:57 We're going back to our old roots back when I was working the day job.
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:02 Gonna be dropping these at night so people have a little bit more time with it.
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:05 Of course, we've got a live stream.
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:07 that you can tune into after the games on Saturday.
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:10 We will detail and go through the games, the four games on Sunday and Monday when we do our next episode, which will drop
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:17 after that on Monday evening as well.
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:20 So bright and early Sunday morning slash late Saturday night, depending where you're at, you can watch that one live.
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:27 Late on Monday, we'll drop
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:29 I guess the first episode of the new week, and then gonna continue on every Wednesday evening.
Dan Rubenstein 04:31 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:35 You can watch, you can listen to this here episode.
Dan Rubenstein 04:38 That's midnight Eastern, by the way, Saturday nights.
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:41 That is correct.
Dan Rubenstein 04:41 Midnight Eastern on YouTube, yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:43 The other thing that I would add, and we will talk more about this in a second, is Run The Board.
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:47 Run The Board is our pick'em game out at verballers.
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:50 com at a bunch of new people signing up
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:52 This week you are playing for a $500 Visa gift card.
Ty Hildenbrandt 04:56 Details on that will be forthcoming here in very short order.
Dan Rubenstein 05:00 I watched a lot of clips by the way of paratrooping movies, many of them far too intense to just play on the on a college football show.
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:09 Don't do that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:10 Yeah, don't do we don't got the rights to that.
Dan Rubenstein 05:11 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:12 Um I'm curious what the biggest theme was for you, the biggest narrative for you as we go into week one, because the biggest theme for me just looking through all of these games was
Dan Rubenstein 05:12 Well,
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:24 And we spoke to this a little bit on our first episode this week.
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:28 Where are the actual tests going to be?
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:31 Who will be tested?
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:32 Like we know about Clemson and LSU.
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:35 That's going to be a fun game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:37 LSU all miss.
Dan Rubenstein 05:38 Right.
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:39 SMU, Florida State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:41 I'm sure there will be others.
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:43 We just don't necessarily know where they're going to happen.
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:46 We saw week zero a week ago there's some teams, right, that got questions about, okay, what's Florida State gonna look like on third downs?
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:52 We'll talk about that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 05:53 You know, what's USC gonna look like defensively?
Ty Hildenbrandt 06:00 But where are these tests gonna be?
Dan Rubenstein 06:02 I mean the theme is lit I mean it's the theme for me.
Dan Rubenstein 06:05 It is new coaches and new quarterbacks being thrust into
Dan Rubenstein 06:09 Foreign and uncomfortable situations.
Dan Rubenstein 06:11 That is the week one for me.
Dan Rubenstein 06:13 So when you look at even coordinators, I guess in the case of Oregon, but like
Dan Rubenstein 06:17 Byrum Brown against Baylor, DJ Lagway against Baylor, Christopher Vizzina against LSU, Sam Leavitt with like the expectations of being the LSU quarterback.
Dan Rubenstein 06:25 You know, Kevin Jennings and SMU starting their season on the road at what can be a very tough place to play.
Dan Rubenstein 06:30 A new quarterback for Miami and Darian Mensah with new expectations on the road going across the country.
Dan Rubenstein 06:36 And so forth and so forth.
Dan Rubenstein 06:37 UCLA and Cal, both new coaches, you know, starting out the season with anything but a gimme cupcake type situation.
Dan Rubenstein 06:44 That's what it is to me.
Dan Rubenstein 06:45 It's the new thrust into foreign and uncomfortable.
Dan Rubenstein 06:49 And so that's kind of why I went with salute, salute your chute, secure.
Dan Rubenstein 06:53 The Chute Saturday, right?
Dan Rubenstein 06:55 Because there's a lot of these situations where you're just parachuting into the unknown.
Dan Rubenstein 06:59 And so that to me is the theme, more broadly speaking.
Dan Rubenstein 07:03 But even of the big games, that's what I kept coming back to.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:06 Yeah, I mean, maybe salute the chute if you land it.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:08 If you land, then you can salute.
Dan Rubenstein 07:08 That's absolutely yes.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:10 You don't gotta worry about securing it at that point.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:11 But I I think that's fair.
Dan Rubenstein 07:11 Yep.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:13 Um so look, we've we've got all these games.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:15 We're gonna get into them momentarily.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:17 As I said at the top, Run The Boards open.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:19 That's our pick'em game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:20 You do have to sign up out at verballers.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:22 com as either a certified or a premium verballer in order to get access to that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:26 We built a whole portal for it this year.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:28 We're very excited about it.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:29 We got people signing up and filing their picks in droves right now.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:32 So it's a very exciting time at Verballers.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:36 com.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:36 As we have mentioned time and again on this show.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:39 Your support really does go a long way towards helping us out.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:43 We're an independent entity.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:44 We got to keep the boat afloat.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:46 The best way to help us do that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:48 is by signing up at verballers.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:49 com.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:49 Not only do you get access to the game, it can play for the prizes.
Ty Hildenbrandt 07:52 Not just this week, we've got a a season long prize where if you finish in the top five, you get to join our board of trustees, which is a cool thing
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:00 We got the medallions now, the winning medallions going out to our board for this coming season.
Dan Rubenstein 08:04 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:05 So excited to see what the board has to think.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:07 Hopefully they don't fire us when they see your design work.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:10 I'm going to pin it on you if it doesn't work out.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:12 Hope that's okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:14 Otherwise, you get ad-free episodes, bonus content, get access to these episodes a little bit early, Discord server, all that stuff.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:22 We do as much as we can for the Verballerhood out at Verballers.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:26 com.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:26 Again, the best way to support what we do.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:28 So check it out.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:29 Again, it's V-E-R-B-A-L-L-E-R-S.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:32 com.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:32 We want to get you in on that pick'em game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:35 Again, the picks lock on Saturday at high noon Eastern time.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:39 So you got some time to file your picks.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:41 You even got some time to edit your picks if you change your mind after hearing what we have to say.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:46 on today's episode.
Dan Rubenstein 08:46 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:47 But we would encourage you all, if you like the show, if you want to support what we do, of course, rate review, subscribe.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:53 That goes a long way as well.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:54 But Verballers.
Ty Hildenbrandt 08:55 com, if you'd consider subscribing, that would mean the world to us.
Dan Rubenstein 08:59 Nothing to add, I agree.
Ty Hildenbrandt 09:01 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 09:03 Get that O two to the brain.
Ty Hildenbrandt 09:05 This is a big moment each year, you know this.
Dan Rubenstein 09:07 Of course I do.
Ty Hildenbrandt 09:09 Let's go.
Dan Rubenstein 09:16 Let's go.
Ty Hildenbrandt 09:17 Let's do it, let's start on Saturday evening
Ty Hildenbrandt 09:21 Marquee matchup.
Ty Hildenbrandt 09:23 730.
Ty Hildenbrandt 09:24 ABC Clemson on the road at LSU.
Ty Hildenbrandt 09:28 LSU is a 10-point.
Ty Hildenbrandt 09:31 Home favorite, Dan Rubenstein.
Ty Hildenbrandt 09:34 Is this game giving you the vapors?
Ty Hildenbrandt 09:35 How we feeling here?
Ty Hildenbrandt 09:36 Where you at?
Dan Rubenstein 09:37 Oh, I feel terrific.
Dan Rubenstein 09:38 This is gonna be must watch, cannot wait.
Dan Rubenstein 09:40 Um
Dan Rubenstein 09:41 Look, you get the introduction of the Lane Kiffin LSU experience.
Dan Rubenstein 09:46 You get Clemson once again trying
Dan Rubenstein 09:49 to turn around this aircraft carrier that has been stuck at times.
Dan Rubenstein 09:54 Look, they won the ACC a couple of years ago.
Dan Rubenstein 09:56 Let's not pretend they're
Dan Rubenstein 09:58 all that down, but it's disappointing considering the bar that Clemson has set.
Dan Rubenstein 10:02 Now they have an opportunity for revenge after losing at home last season in their opener.
Dan Rubenstein 10:07 Look, I can't wait for this game.
Dan Rubenstein 10:09 Now, what's at play here?
Dan Rubenstein 10:11 It's a a new look Clemson offense, but it's sort of an old look Clemson offense with the return of Chad Morris, Christopher Vizzina.
Dan Rubenstein 10:18 Officially named the the starting quarterback has what I assume is going to be a very good receiving core this season.
Dan Rubenstein 10:26 But the question to me is, is Clemson built in a way
Dan Rubenstein 10:31 For the first time in a long time, if you look at what Dabo and Clemson have been like in recent openers, which has been not that good.
Dan Rubenstein 10:38 If you remember that Duke matchup, if you remember the Georgia matchups
Dan Rubenstein 10:41 Obviously last year they score one touchdown against LSU in a 17-10 loss.
Dan Rubenstein 10:47 Now those are tough teams to start the season against.
Dan Rubenstein 10:50 If they were playing lesser teams, you'd be like, yeah, Dabo gets the team ready to beat, you know, whoever, Furman 55-3.
Dan Rubenstein 10:56 But these are the types of programs that Clemson rightfully measures themselves against, and they continually come up short in these season openers.
Dan Rubenstein 11:05 Now are they gonna be prepared for, I guess, to them, the other Death Valley?
Dan Rubenstein 11:10 They'll be prepared.
Dan Rubenstein 11:12 Is the firepower there?
Dan Rubenstein 11:14 I I have questions, but I have questions about LSU as well.
Dan Rubenstein 11:17 So to me, it's it's a readiness from both sides.
Dan Rubenstein 11:21 The most familiar things in this game will be the defenses.
Dan Rubenstein 11:25 Because of the continuity there from a roster and coaching standpoint.
Dan Rubenstein 11:30 I think it's too many points.
Dan Rubenstein 11:32 I think it's too many points.
Dan Rubenstein 11:34 And I am coming down on the Clemson to cover but not wins side
Dan Rubenstein 11:38 I think there are too many variables at play here for both teams really to feel confident in a double-digit spread.
Dan Rubenstein 11:45 I think we both like LSU.
Dan Rubenstein 11:47 I think you like LSU a little bit more than I do in the in the short term.
Dan Rubenstein 11:51 I think it's going to be a fun game.
Dan Rubenstein 11:52 I think it's going to be a physical game.
Dan Rubenstein 11:54 I think at times it's going to be a sloppy game.
Dan Rubenstein 11:57 But I have LSU winning.
Dan Rubenstein 11:59 But I'm I'm happy to take double digit points for a Clemson defense or with a Clemson defense that I think will be at the very least above average playing against a new team.
Dan Rubenstein 12:11 So I have it as something like
Dan Rubenstein 12:14 24 to mm, 24 to 17, 21 to 14, something like that.
Dan Rubenstein 12:19 I think it's a seven to eight point game.
Dan Rubenstein 12:21 There's more to like about LSU on both sides of the ball, but I'm going, you know, I'm I'm I'm I'm blowing points
Ty Hildenbrandt 12:27 We don't script this show.
Ty Hildenbrandt 12:29 We don't script it at all.
Ty Hildenbrandt 12:30 We put together an outline for what the show's gonna be, but I don't know your picks.
Ty Hildenbrandt 12:34 You don't know mine.
Dan Rubenstein 12:35 No
Ty Hildenbrandt 12:35 I don't even know the nickname.
Ty Hildenbrandt 12:37 Okay, we find it works better that way.
Dan Rubenstein 12:38 There are some instances where if you had a heads up about like the Centaur Saturday sound, you'd be like, I don't know, go back to the the the drawing board with that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 12:47 Few and far between, but agreed.
Dan Rubenstein 12:49 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 12:49 I also have twenty-four seventeen LSU.
Dan Rubenstein 12:53 Okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 12:53 I'm on Clemson plus the ten.
Ty Hildenbrandt 12:55 I think it's a lower scoring game, you know, somewhere in that neighborhood.
Ty Hildenbrandt 12:59 I'm convinced that LSU is a top ten caliber team.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:02 I've got them making the playoff.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:05 I am not convinced they're winning this game by 10, even if even with it being at home.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:09 I'm not convinced it's also gonna pop for Clemson.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:13 With Christopher Vizzina, his second career start on the road at night in Tiger Stadium, the other Death Valley, have fun with that
Dan Rubenstein 13:21 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:21 It sounds like we might see a little bit of Tait Reynolds, so that could be another talking point when we regroup here on Saturday night.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:29 I think their defense will travel.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:31 I think their defense will keep them very competitive in this football game with LSU.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:35 My concern is the offense, and this is well-tread territory at this point.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:40 Going back to the well with Chad Morris as your offensive coordinator is definitely a choice.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:47 It is definitely a choice, Dan.
Dan Rubenstein 13:47 Mm-hmm.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:49 We know he's going to try to put less burden on the quarterback.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:52 If for no other reason than he's a first-time, full-time starter in Death Valley at night.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:57 That much is obvious.
Dan Rubenstein 13:57 Right.
Ty Hildenbrandt 13:59 His task, I think, this year is going to be to try and reboot that rushing attack.
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:03 Will he do it?
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:04 Will he be able to do it in a game like this?
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:06 Huge question for me.
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:08 Also, there is a matchup that specifically I want to zero in on.
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:13 I think this whole game comes down to how the Clemson line does, specifically on early-down situations.
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:21 Like if you are constantly putting your new starting quarterback in third and eight scenarios.
Dan Rubenstein 14:27 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:28 In a setting like this, that's going to be a problem.
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:31 So that's what concerns me, specifically about the Clemson offense in this matchup.
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:36 But I could definitely see
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:38 A little back and forth here where it's taken a bit for everything to fire on the LSU side and Clemson's just able to kind of play ugly and keep it defensive and
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:49 you know, have a puncher's chance at this thing late.
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:51 I don't think this is a runaway train, even though the point spread might indicate that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:55 I think LSU's got the better roster.
Ty Hildenbrandt 14:58 For me, it's a stretch that everything clicks right away, especially against a really good Clemson defense.
Ty Hildenbrandt 15:03 It should be a really good Clemson defense.
Dan Rubenstein 15:04 Yeah, we'll see on the Clemson secondary and you know the rebuilt LSU offense and you know LSU certainly has the weapons.
Dan Rubenstein 15:10 Yeah, I I think I'm with you that
Dan Rubenstein 15:12 My concern is that if I were to do a fantasy things draft for this specific game, pretty highly I would select Kirk Herbstreit saying, yeah, the Clemson offense just doesn't have a lot of answers for what this LSU defense is doing on third down.
Dan Rubenstein 15:27 They just don't have the answers, it seems.
Dan Rubenstein 15:29 Yeah, that's what I would take
Ty Hildenbrandt 15:30 If that happens, does it tell us anything about Clemson that we didn't already know?
Dan Rubenstein 15:34 No, I mean it's game one, new coordinator, new old coordinator, new quarterback, and a tough place to play against what should be a very tough defense, not just for Clemson, but for everybody this season.
Dan Rubenstein 15:43 So I don't
Dan Rubenstein 15:44 I don't think it's some kind of admonishment of where Clemson is at, but uh you'd like to see more preparation from this Clemson offense than where they've been with
Dan Rubenstein 15:56 recent, you know, Cade Klubnik and before that DJ U.
Dan Rubenstein 16:00 So uh yeah, it's it's not like season over type situation, but it's like okay, they have this issue.
Dan Rubenstein 16:08 Can they solve it in these next few weeks as they look to win the ACC?
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:12 Let's jump around a little bit.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:14 Let's talk about a game on Saturday at 3.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:16 30 on ABC.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:18 This is the Baylor Bears.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:19 This is the Auburn Tigers.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:23 Auburn and Alex Golesh are a seven and one half point favorite against Dave Aranda.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:29 These teams are playing a neutral cider in Atlanta.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:32 So look, these are two
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:34 Unranked teams.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:35 It's not like either fan base has conference championship aspirations.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:40 I mean they have aspirations, but maybe not expectations, if I want to be more specific.
Dan Rubenstein 16:43 Right.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:44 Everybody wants to win the conference.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:46 Even still, to me, it feels like there's a lot of riding on this game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:49 Because on one hand, you've got Aranda, who is very clearly on the hot seat coming into 2026.
Ty Hildenbrandt 16:54 And then on the other side of things, Auburn, of course, just hired a new coach, but this is on the heels of five straight years of disappointment, of frustration with Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze.
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:06 So both have a lot to play for
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:08 For sure.
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:10 The main football question for me is whether the Baylor defense is strong enough in the trenches.
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:17 to be a problem for an Auburn Auburn offensive line, which is still kind of a bit unsettled.
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:21 Like we talked a lot in the preseason about Joe Klanderman, the new off or new defensive coordinator, excuse me, for Baylor.
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:28 You might be surprised to hear that he's trying to run a more aggressive attacking defense, Dan.
Dan Rubenstein 17:31 Ooh, I love that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:32 I don't know if you can write that down so that you don't forget.
Dan Rubenstein 17:33 Oh, that's great.
Dan Rubenstein 17:35 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:36 And I know there's optimism on the Baylor side with how they pump more resources into the defensive side of the ball, but I feel like we've heard that before.
Dan Rubenstein 17:45 Right.
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:46 I think they'll be better.
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:47 I think we'll see a little bit of a lift there.
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:50 I'm just not confident we're going to see a week one.
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:52 Especially against a quarterback like Byrum Brown, who is tailor-made for this offense
Ty Hildenbrandt 17:57 Frankly, it's his coach who brought him along because of how well he ran the offense.
Ty Hildenbrandt 18:02 And I also think the ground game on the Auburn side could present some real issues for this Baylor front.
Dan Rubenstein 18:08 Yeah,
Ty Hildenbrandt 18:09 I don't know.
Ty Hildenbrandt 18:10 I'm just a little bit leery about this matchup for the Baylor Bears, given what appears to me to be something of a disadvantage in the trenches.
Ty Hildenbrandt 18:19 Does that compute for you?
Dan Rubenstein 18:21 Oh, it definitely computes for me.
Dan Rubenstein 18:23 Um
Dan Rubenstein 18:23 Look, it is a bigger stage for Byrum Brown with more expectations playing in a giant stadium.
Dan Rubenstein 18:29 This is in Atlanta, correct?
Ty Hildenbrandt 18:31 Yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 18:32 So neutral sight, big stage, big expectations.
Dan Rubenstein 18:35 Obviously Auburn was a couple touchdowns better last season when these two teams played.
Dan Rubenstein 18:39 Um
Dan Rubenstein 18:41 Yeah, it's quarterback readiness for this moment, and I guess it's readiness and cleanliness and you know what these teams look like.
Dan Rubenstein 18:49 You nailed it, I think up front is gonna go a ton of of a way.
Dan Rubenstein 18:53 That's barely English
Dan Rubenstein 18:54 uh for both of these defense in parti defenses in particular.
Dan Rubenstein 18:58 Uh I have Auburn here.
Dan Rubenstein 18:59 I have Auburn here just because of how much seems
Dan Rubenstein 19:03 unsettled for Baylor, both at quarterback and defense.
Dan Rubenstein 19:07 Now we know who the quarterback is in DJ Lagway, but we don't know how he will be.
Dan Rubenstein 19:12 We don't know how he will respond to a moment like this for a new team with all sorts of new pressures, and he had a ton of pressures at Florida, obviously.
Dan Rubenstein 19:20 But
Dan Rubenstein 19:21 Even with a brand new coach, there seems to be sturdier ground underneath Auburn feet right now.
Dan Rubenstein 19:29 And there's a lot still to be determined, but you know, returning DJ Durkin to coach this defense, there's still pieces back, especially in the back end.
Dan Rubenstein 19:38 I'm gonna go with Auburn to win this game by 13.
Dan Rubenstein 19:41 So I think similar, maybe not as much of a shootout as last year, but somewhere in the like 27-14, 28-13, somewhere in that zone.
Dan Rubenstein 19:50 Um
Dan Rubenstein 19:51 Maybe maybe even a little bit higher higher scoring, 34 to 20, somewhere in there.
Ty Hildenbrandt 19:55 Okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 19:56 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 19:56 But I I don't think either one of these teams is scoring 40 with as much new as there is, but
Dan Rubenstein 20:03 You know, I think it'll be fun for a while, and I think Auburn eventually maybe uses a turnover to to open it up.
Ty Hildenbrandt 20:09 Yeah, if Baylor can't get pressure on Byrum Brown, he's gonna twist these linebackers into a pretzel.
Ty Hildenbrandt 20:15 And I think that's what probably concerns me the most if I'm zeroing in on one thing specifically.
Ty Hildenbrandt 20:20 Also, this is a Golesh offense that starts with a run.
Ty Hildenbrandt 20:23 He said as much in his introductory press conference.
Ty Hildenbrandt 20:25 And they've got a good back in Jeremiah Cobb, who I think they're gonna feed
Ty Hildenbrandt 20:28 I don't like the math problem that it creates with spreading Baylor out and then running directly at them with Jeremiah Cobb, who I think is a pretty good back.
Ty Hildenbrandt 20:37 That seems problematic to me.
Dan Rubenstein 20:39 Yeah, the other side of this too though is there is a lot of USF, all due respect, to this Auburn offense between Byrum Brown, line receivers, whatever, that
Dan Rubenstein 20:51 I'm not saying it's like, oh, there's just an American team going against Baylor, but in terms of where Auburn's talent level was after years of recruiting last season when they won this game and were competitive against some bigger SEC teams.
Dan Rubenstein 21:05 It's a different look Auburn offense in terms of experience on this level.
Dan Rubenstein 21:10 Just something I'm monitoring for this.
Dan Rubenstein 21:12 That's not a hedge.
Dan Rubenstein 21:13 I'm still taking Auburn, but that's that's what weighed on me when I was thinking about this game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 21:17 There might be a lot of USF on the Auburn side, but it also feels like there's a lot of like FIU on the Baylor side.
Dan Rubenstein 21:22 Definitely true.
Ty Hildenbrandt 21:23 Not not literally.
Ty Hildenbrandt 21:25 But figuratively speaking, I've got real questions about their front and what that looks like.
Ty Hildenbrandt 21:29 And I know there's optimism up there, but we gotta see it.
Ty Hildenbrandt 21:32 We gotta see it.
Ty Hildenbrandt 21:33 We'll see if those resources, if the coordinator switch
Ty Hildenbrandt 21:36 can pay dividends for him here.
Ty Hildenbrandt 21:38 My issue with taking Baylor is that the path for Baylor is A, that matchup with the Auburn offensive line that I mentioned.
Ty Hildenbrandt 21:47 And then B
Ty Hildenbrandt 21:48 getting a clean game out of DJ Lagway and the offense.
Ty Hildenbrandt 21:52 I'm just not sold that there's enough firepower outside of DJ Lagway to really make this fly on offense for Baylor.
Ty Hildenbrandt 21:59 So um
Ty Hildenbrandt 22:00 Auburn's got the better roster.
Ty Hildenbrandt 22:02 I think there's a matchup that favors them.
Ty Hildenbrandt 22:04 I've got Auburn 38 to 27, and let's make it a true daily double, Dan.
Ty Hildenbrandt 22:15 I think they come close to 40 points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 22:16 I don't think they get there, but 38-27, a lot of points, a fun game, but I'm going Auburn
Dan Rubenstein 22:18 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 22:21 Man, I figured if you were locking it up you'd like Auburn by twenty-eight or something, but barely covering.
Ty Hildenbrandt 22:25 No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Dan Rubenstein 22:27 Okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 22:28 Saturday, 3:30, CBS, Boise State on the road at your Oregon Ducks, 24 and a half point favorite.
Ty Hildenbrandt 22:38 It's a big number.
Ty Hildenbrandt 22:39 Big number against a good team in Boise State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 22:42 Now in the Pac-12.
Ty Hildenbrandt 22:45 How are you feeling as a Duck fan?
Dan Rubenstein 22:48 I I feel good.
Dan Rubenstein 22:49 I feel like Oregon has a a very good shot to run away with this game, literally and figuratively.
Dan Rubenstein 22:55 Now I never feel great.
Dan Rubenstein 22:56 I feel good.
Dan Rubenstein 22:57 I never feel great when Boise State is playing Oregon.
Dan Rubenstein 23:00 There is a
Dan Rubenstein 23:01 you know, quite a a history between these two teams.
Dan Rubenstein 23:04 It was a close game a couple of years ago with I mean Ashton Jeanty, the the best player in program history.
Dan Rubenstein 23:09 I think it's not crazy to say, or at least the most talented player, but probably the best.
Dan Rubenstein 23:13 Um, there's a lot to like about Boise in the Pac-12 this year, which is very weird to say out loud.
Ty Hildenbrandt 23:19 I was gonna say, yeah, a pack twelve that does not feature Oregon.
Dan Rubenstein 23:22 Right.
Dan Rubenstein 23:24 I think with how Oregon has started out seasons, I guess save for that Georgia game a few years ago.
Dan Rubenstein 23:30 under Dan Lanning, with how they've started out seasons, with where their health is right now, with what we know their firepower can be against lesser teams, without Boise State has struggled to start out seasons and they course correct obviously over time.
Dan Rubenstein 23:45 There is something about Oregon returning what they do on both sides of the ball that look this is a big number.
Dan Rubenstein 23:51 This is what 24 and a half points?
Dan Rubenstein 23:53 It's a big number.
Dan Rubenstein 23:55 I think Oregon is going is is so excited to begin this season at home against an opponent that they can take very seriously like Boise State.
Dan Rubenstein 24:04 That I think they're gonna come out with their hair on fire.
Dan Rubenstein 24:07 I really do.
Dan Rubenstein 24:08 Maddox Madsen has not been good against the better power conference opponents he's faced as Boise State's quarterback.
Dan Rubenstein 24:14 He's been there since nineteen ninety-seven.
Dan Rubenstein 24:16 And he still has not been able to capitalize on the opportunities.
Dan Rubenstein 24:19 He's been there for a minute.
Dan Rubenstein 24:20 Um, so I think Oregon runs away with this one.
Dan Rubenstein 24:24 I really do.
Dan Rubenstein 24:25 I think
Dan Rubenstein 24:26 If Oregon's offensive line can hold up against what should be a very good pass rush for Boise, and I think they will hold up, I think they're they'll get the ball to any number of weapons, and I think we're talking about a
Dan Rubenstein 24:39 like 4517 type thing here.
Ty Hildenbrandt 24:43 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 24:43 52 to 17.
Dan Rubenstein 24:44 I really think they're gonna pour it on.
Ty Hildenbrandt 24:46 Yeah, I mean Oregon's gonna win this game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 24:49 I don't know if they'll cover the spread or not.
Ty Hildenbrandt 24:51 I could see this being a bit of a garbage time situation like we saw a week ago with USC.
Ty Hildenbrandt 24:55 And maybe that factors into the point spread.
Ty Hildenbrandt 24:58 I'll just say this.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:00 If Boise State can't run the ball, this one's over from the jump.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:04 Because though Maddox Madsen is a veteran who has been here since like the Clinton administration.
Dan Rubenstein 25:09 And they've got good backs, Boise does.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:11 Very good backs.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:13 They need to rely on those guys.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:15 Because though Maddox Madsen has been in the system and he's a dependable hand.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:19 He is not good enough to weld them to victory on his own.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:21 Not certainly not against Oregon, maybe not against some other teams in the schedule.
Dan Rubenstein 25:25 Right.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:25 So that's what I'm watching for.
Dan Rubenstein 25:26 And newer go to receivers as well.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:28 Absolutely.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:29 If we're gonna see a big game for Oregon, I think what's gonna be through the air.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:33 I'm very curious to see what they look like through the air because it's a bit of a rebuild for Boise on the back end of that defense.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:38 They're very gettable.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:39 It's one of the things that we called out when we did previews.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:42 I'm expecting a really big game for Dante Moore.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:45 I'm curious to see like you know what who gets the targets?
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:48 What's it look like out wide
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:50 Do we see a big game from Evan Stewart?
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:51 I'd like to see a big game from Evan Stewart.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:53 We've been waiting for Evan Stewart, right?
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:55 I want to see him be a big part of this offense.
Dan Rubenstein 25:55 Definitely.
Ty Hildenbrandt 25:57 That would definitely go a long way towards helping me feel better about what Oregon could be this season.
Ty Hildenbrandt 26:02 I'm going Oregon minus whatever here.
Ty Hildenbrandt 26:04 I could be wrong about this.
Ty Hildenbrandt 26:05 I'm not going to act like I'm overly confident because it is such a big point spread.
Ty Hildenbrandt 26:09 I just don't have a really good reason to back Boise in a matchup like this.
Ty Hildenbrandt 26:12 I think they're going to have a really difficult time running the football, and that's going to cap their
Ty Hildenbrandt 26:16 Limit as an offense.
Dan Rubenstein 26:17 Something to pay attention to if you're an Oregon dork.
Dan Rubenstein 26:20 The offensive line is unsettled as of this moment.
Dan Rubenstein 26:23 Um there are names who I think that Oregon has, you know
Dan Rubenstein 26:28 eliminated in terms of who might be starting uh or who might be playing extensive minutes these next couple weeks ahead of when things get very real and we'll see with Oklahoma State.
Dan Rubenstein 26:37 Obviously after this week they have I believe Tulsa
Dan Rubenstein 26:40 But unsettled who's playing where.
Dan Rubenstein 26:42 And you know, they're probably drawing from eight or nine names at this point, but uh it's it's not at all like established right now.
Ty Hildenbrandt 26:51 All right, let real quick, another one on Saturday.
Ty Hildenbrandt 26:54 This is a late night game on ESPN.
Ty Hildenbrandt 26:57 This one's going to be going on as we are doing our live stream out there at youtube.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:02 com slash at solidverbal.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:04 Should I create a better like URL for that?
Dan Rubenstein 27:06 Well we have smell tieshair dot com, correct?
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:08 We do have smell tieshair.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:10 com.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:10 Yes, I can point this at the feed, but should I do like solidverbal.
Dan Rubenstein 27:11 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:16 com slash live stream or something?
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:18 Or slash stream stream?
Dan Rubenstein 27:19 Or just stream.
Dan Rubenstein 27:20 Yeah, slash stream.
Dan Rubenstein 27:21 Sure.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:22 All right, solidverbal.
Dan Rubenstein 27:22 Great.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:23 com slash stream will get you over to the live stream that we're going to do at midnight eastern time after these games.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:28 Like I said, this one will be going on taste a little matchup.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:31 Tasty little matchup between two of the offseason darlings, not just on our show, but around college football.
Dan Rubenstein 27:32 I agree.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:38 We've got UCLA at minus one and a half on the road at Cal on one side.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:44 Robert Edward Chesney.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:46 On the other, Tosh Lupoi and JKS.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:49 There are plenty of reasons to be interested in this matchup.
Ty Hildenbrandt 27:53 My sense is that Cal is going to be a pain in the ass this year, but also that UCLA's got the better roster in this moment in time and probably the better coach.
Dan Rubenstein 27:57 Oh, yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 28:03 Just being so he's a playoff coach.
Ty Hildenbrandt 28:04 Tosh Lupoi can end up being very good as a head coach.
Ty Hildenbrandt 28:07 I know you believe in him, but right now it's Bob Chesney.
Ty Hildenbrandt 28:11 I think this is a close game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 28:13 I think it's a fun game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 28:13 I've got it at like 31-26 UCLA.
Dan Rubenstein 28:17 Yeah, I have questions about UCLA's offense at the moment.
Dan Rubenstein 28:21 UCLA's defense should be pretty good, uh, all things considered, with where they've been.
Ty Hildenbrandt 28:22 Right.
Dan Rubenstein 28:25 Uh
Dan Rubenstein 28:26 Yeah, we could have electricity.
Dan Rubenstein 28:28 I'm looking, this is like my fourth or fifth most anticipated game in my brain.
Dan Rubenstein 28:34 this week.
Dan Rubenstein 28:35 Just because yeah, I mean there's always been emotion between these two teams.
Dan Rubenstein 28:39 Um there's something about it being an old Pac-Twelve matchup.
Dan Rubenstein 28:42 I guess there's a new Pac-Twelve, but now these two teams are in different conferences.
Dan Rubenstein 28:46 There's always like the weird like big brother, little brother since Berkeley and Cal was like the first UC school and UCLA is looked at as like some sort of new offshoot.
Dan Rubenstein 28:55 Like that's the way they're thought of.
Dan Rubenstein 28:57 They call they call them the baby Bruins.
Ty Hildenbrandt 28:59 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 28:59 Um
Dan Rubenstein 29:00 So I like all this.
Dan Rubenstein 29:01 I like all the bad blood there.
Dan Rubenstein 29:03 I like the new coaches.
Dan Rubenstein 29:04 I like some of the familiar names we have and Nico and JKS like you mentioned.
Dan Rubenstein 29:08 I like where I think uh the electricity, the new electricity from Cal's offense should come from.
Dan Rubenstein 29:15 I'm just a big fan of the back and forth possibilities of this game.
Dan Rubenstein 29:19 I love kind of that Cal's a home dog in this one, right?
Dan Rubenstein 29:22 You say they say we were by like a point and a half.
Dan Rubenstein 29:24 I'm going Cal here if a team to me
Dan Rubenstein 29:27 has a lot of questions and the other the team they're playing has a lot of questions but I don't think it's a question that Cal has the better quarterback and he's playing at home
Dan Rubenstein 29:36 And it's late at night.
Dan Rubenstein 29:37 And I did check school is in session because Stanford and USC didn't quite fill the stands.
Ty Hildenbrandt 29:43 Didn't quite.
Ty Hildenbrandt 29:44 A little bit short.
Ty Hildenbrandt 29:45 A little bit short.
Dan Rubenstein 29:46 I think there will be a hearty crowd for this one.
Dan Rubenstein 29:49 Classes started August 19th, so there should be butts and seats.
Dan Rubenstein 29:53 And you never need to be, you know, uh inspire a Cal fan to root against UCLA and vice versa.
Dan Rubenstein 29:59 So
Dan Rubenstein 30:00 I'm taking Cal here.
Dan Rubenstein 30:01 I'm taking Cal here to win in a fun back and forth.
Dan Rubenstein 30:05 I don't know if it's as high scoring just because I don't know how much I trust UCLA scoring day one, but I have it like 34-28 Cal.
Ty Hildenbrandt 30:14 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 30:14 Decent scoring.
Ty Hildenbrandt 30:15 I mean that'd be a fun game at night.
Dan Rubenstein 30:18 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 30:19 That would be like Pac twelve after dark out there.
Dan Rubenstein 30:21 And I and here's the thing, I'm a believer in UCLA's defense.
Dan Rubenstein 30:24 So I'm having them give up thirty-four points on the road.
Dan Rubenstein 30:26 I think it's a week one thing.
Dan Rubenstein 30:27 I think
Dan Rubenstein 30:28 this defense course corrects and level sets and becomes a much more interesting defense after this week.
Dan Rubenstein 30:34 But yeah, right now with as many new pieces and just new coaches, whatever for UCLA.
Dan Rubenstein 30:41 Uh, I'm gonna go with the certainty of JKS over the uncertainty of Nico in this moment, 34-28 Bears.
Ty Hildenbrandt 30:49 Let's move to Sunday, 730 on ABC.
Ty Hildenbrandt 30:53 We've got number 24 Louisville.
Ty Hildenbrandt 30:55 We've got number nine Ole Miss, now a seven-point favorite, Dan
Ty Hildenbrandt 30:59 Seven-point favorite.
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:00 They are playing this one in Nashville at Nissan Stadium.
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:03 Vegas also has this total at 55 and a half, so they're looking for some points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:08 My hunch is that we may disagree somewhat.
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:12 Somewhat on this matchup.
Dan Rubenstein 31:12 Okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:14 So set this up for me because you were all about Ole Miss in the preseason.
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:19 You sort of talked me into him.
Dan Rubenstein 31:20 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:20 I was all about Louisville.
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:22 I don't think you had anything against Louisville, but I was definitely higher on the Cardinals than you were
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:29 Walk me through your thought process here because I'm on the fence right now.
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:32 I like both teams a lot.
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:34 I jotted this down as one where I could like change my mind midstream.
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:38 So talk me through your thought process here.
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:40 How are you framing this one out?
Dan Rubenstein 31:42 Uh I'm taking points.
Dan Rubenstein 31:44 I think it's going to be fun, a little bit ugly, so I guess there's a little bit of a fugly component to this and
Ty Hildenbrandt 31:49 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 31:50 I we're we're sort of updating the the two words that make up Fugly, fun and ugly.
Dan Rubenstein 31:56 Um But I'm gonna take points here.
Dan Rubenstein 31:59 I think Jeff Brohm for whatever reason is
Dan Rubenstein 32:02 better prepared against the the games with a brighter light.
Dan Rubenstein 32:07 And I think that's just what we have in this one with where Louisville is as a ranked team and where Ole Miss is a ranked team.
Ty Hildenbrandt 32:13 Okay, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.
Dan Rubenstein 32:14 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 32:15 Let me push back for you on a second.
Dan Rubenstein 32:17 Please do.
Ty Hildenbrandt 32:20 Oh Miss went on an incredible playoff run last year.
Ty Hildenbrandt 32:25 How can we say that this Ole Miss team
Ty Hildenbrandt 32:28 Which still has a fair amount back from that team a year ago.
Dan Rubenstein 32:31 Love this team
Ty Hildenbrandt 32:31 How can we say that this team would be less prepared for a moment of this magnitude?
Ty Hildenbrandt 32:35 I could argue that
Ty Hildenbrandt 32:37 A couple of the games they played in the playoffs were far bigger than this one that they're going to have on Sunday night against Louisville.
Dan Rubenstein 32:41 Oh, I'm not saying they're less prepared.
Dan Rubenstein 32:44 I'm saying it's week one.
Dan Rubenstein 32:46 There are some new coaches on this team.
Dan Rubenstein 32:48 There are some new players on this team.
Dan Rubenstein 32:50 There are some players who are coming back
Dan Rubenstein 32:52 from a great run last year.
Dan Rubenstein 32:54 It's a new year.
Dan Rubenstein 32:56 Things are different in week one.
Dan Rubenstein 32:57 That's all I'm saying.
Dan Rubenstein 32:58 I don't think Ole Miss loses this game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 32:59 Yeah, I'm not sure if you're
Dan Rubenstein 33:00 I think Louisville just throws enough at them on defense and with the ability to run the ball, and I really like where Ole Miss is up front.
Dan Rubenstein 33:08 It's week one.
Dan Rubenstein 33:09 This is they're not playing this game on January 27th.
Ty Hildenbrandt 33:13 But here's the thing, okay?
Ty Hildenbrandt 33:16 Came into this
Ty Hildenbrandt 33:19 trending towards Louisville plus the points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 33:22 And then I started doing research and I started going in the direction of Ole Miss.
Ty Hildenbrandt 33:26 And then to hear you say that about, well, you know, I just I kind of like Jeff Brohm's preparation.
Ty Hildenbrandt 33:32 I'm a bro for Brohm.
Ty Hildenbrandt 33:33 You know I love Jeff Brohm.
Dan Rubenstein 33:34 I do know that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 33:35 But just hearing you say it like that puts an even worse taste in my mouth.
Ty Hildenbrandt 33:40 Like I'm even more inclined to go Ole Miss as a result of that comment.
Dan Rubenstein 33:43 I think you're disrespecting week one Ty.
Dan Rubenstein 33:46 I think you're you're you think that that we're just in the like this is a week seven matchup.
Dan Rubenstein 33:51 It's just not.
Dan Rubenstein 33:53 Teams are finding their footing in week one.
Dan Rubenstein 33:56 And defenses are generally ahead of offenses, as good as I think Trinidad Chambliss is, which he is, and I think he's going to make great plays, and I think he's going to be the winning quarterback in this game.
Dan Rubenstein 34:05 That's why I have them winning.
Dan Rubenstein 34:07 But you are disrespecting cobwebs and rust.
Dan Rubenstein 34:12 You're disrespecting all of these things.
Ty Hildenbrandt 34:14 My biggest concern is that Louisville
Ty Hildenbrandt 34:17 with a new starting quarterback is going to be somewhat over reliant on a running game.
Dan Rubenstein 34:24 Sure.
Ty Hildenbrandt 34:24 And to that end, it's going to be a bit telegraphed.
Dan Rubenstein 34:27 Okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 34:27 Like Lincoln Kienholz is a mobile quarterback.
Ty Hildenbrandt 34:30 The Brohms definitely are going to build that into the game plan.
Ty Hildenbrandt 34:33 We'll see how much, if only to mix things up.
Ty Hildenbrandt 34:36 I think if I felt better about the Louisville wide receiver room, I'd be more inclined to go Louisville plus the number because that's how I'd want to attack Ole Miss in game one.
Ty Hildenbrandt 34:45 Like if there's rust, if there is an area on that defense that you can go after, I think it's the secondary, just my opinion.
Dan Rubenstein 34:45 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 34:51 Okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 34:52 I look at this, I say the quarterback advantage goes to Ole Miss
Ty Hildenbrandt 34:56 I think the veteran presence of both Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy and Suntarine Perkins on the defensive side of the ball, like that cannot be overlooked.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:06 It should not be overlooked.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:08 And so I agree to the extent that there could be cobwebs.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:11 It is week one.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:12 We've seen plenty of teams with cobwebs.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:13 I said it at the very top.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:15 We don't know where the tests are going to come from.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:17 This might be an obvious one.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:18 But there are going to be plenty of teams around college football that experience the same sort of like rustiness going into the year.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:25 I think we might see that for a half.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:27 I'm not convinced we're going to see that for all four quarters.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:30 So I went back and forth on this, Dan.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:32 I really did.
Dan Rubenstein 35:33 If if you're concerned about the Louisville receivers, totally fair.
Dan Rubenstein 35:38 Well, let's use some of that that strength and that energy and talk about the Ole Miss receivers.
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:43 Well.
Dan Rubenstein 35:43 Trinidad Chambliss has to throw to dudes.
Dan Rubenstein 35:46 That's a new looking room, right?
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:48 But it's a new looking room with a veteran quarterback who proved that he can kind of figure things out.
Dan Rubenstein 35:54 I agree.
Dan Rubenstein 35:55 Have a money
Ty Hildenbrandt 35:56 I've got it at thirty-five let's say thirty-five twenty-four Ole Miss, but a close game throughout
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:02 I could definitely see Cobwebs playing a factor.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:05 And with 35-24, I give myself a little bit of an out there that it's close the whole game and Ole Miss picks one up lead.
Dan Rubenstein 36:12 Twenty-seven twenty-one Ole Miss.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:15 So we disagree.
Dan Rubenstein 36:16 We disagree.
Dan Rubenstein 36:21 No, not yet.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:24 Also, Sunday at 7.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:26 30.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:26 I hate that they put these games on at the same time, but we are where we are.
Dan Rubenstein 36:30 Yeah
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:31 NBC.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:32 Wisconsin.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:34 Notre Dame.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:35 Lambeau Field, Dan.
Dan Rubenstein 36:37 Yeah, baby.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:38 The frozen tundra.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:41 Notre Dame favored by 20 and a half points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:44 This game is enormously consequential on both sides of this for different reasons.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:51 But this game matters.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:53 Given where Notre Dame's at, given the expectations where Notre Dame is at right now, all the narratives surrounding their schedule.
Ty Hildenbrandt 36:59 I think anything short of just blowing the doors off of Wisconsin is going to be met with questions.
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:05 Would you agree with that?
Dan Rubenstein 37:07 Uh it it depends how you define that, but yeah, I I can see where you're coming from.
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:11 That may not be fair, but I think that reflects reality in 2026.
Dan Rubenstein 37:11 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:16 At least given the build-up to this season and all the chatter around Notre Dame.
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:21 And then on the Wisconsin side of things, I think normally we would say, hey
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:28 Neutral site game, iconic landmark in the state of Wisconsin is playing host to this one.
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:34 They're playing with house money, dog.
Dan Rubenstein 37:36 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:36 I don't think they we can say that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:38 Because Luke Fickell
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:40 Kinda is out of house money at this point, is he not?
Dan Rubenstein 37:43 I I tend to agree, yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:45 Like, I think they need to look feisty on defense, they need to have something of a pulse on offense.
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:51 Even if they lose, you need to give the fan base something to build on.
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:56 If they don't, might be the beginning of the end for him
Ty Hildenbrandt 37:59 Even if they lose by like, you know, 21 points or something, if it just feels like there is no juice whatsoever, that could be a problem.
Dan Rubenstein 37:59 Yeah
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:07 Certainly if they lose by like 31 points, then it's a different conversation altogether.
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:11 But I
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:12 Losing and the manner in which they lose is very important if it comes to that on the Wisconsin side.
Dan Rubenstein 38:19 Right.
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:20 I have two central questions about this game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:24 The first is on the Wisconsin side, and it's Colton Joseph, their new quarterback.
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:28 New quarterback, transfer from old Dominion, dual threat guy.
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:31 I like him a lot.
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:33 Can he give the offense another dimension that's going to put some stress on the Notre Dame front seven?
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:39 I know we mentioned this in the episode like earlier in this week, but if he goes out there and leads a spicy offense, Dan.
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:48 That could be very meaningful.
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:49 Yeah?
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:49 That could be very meaningful, not just in terms of like what it means for Notre Dame and their defense, but bigger picture in the Big Ten.
Dan Rubenstein 38:49 Sure
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:56 All of a sudden, maybe Wisconsin's a little bit more interesting.
Ty Hildenbrandt 38:59 Okay
Dan Rubenstein 39:00 Mm-hmm.
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:01 Finally, they have a schedule that gives them a little bit of wiggle room.
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:04 So if they get some spiciness on offense, I think that reframes the way we look at
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:09 Wisconsin going into the season.
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:11 I think Colton Joseph's a dog.
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:13 Like I think he will keep this one somewhat interesting, even though I think Notre Dame's gonna win.
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:18 Colton Joseph's a guy who I am very focused on on the Wisconsin side of this.
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:24 The second question for me is Notre Dame Pop.
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:28 Pop out wide, pop in the backfield.
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:31 Wisconsin had something of a reset this year in the secondary.
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:36 I am desperate
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:40 Desperate.
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:42 I cannot emphasize desperate enough to see some connection between CJ Carr and a receiver other than Jordan Faison.
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:50 And that is not to knock Jordan Faison.
Dan Rubenstein 39:52 Yeah
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:55 Desperate to see a second, a third option emerge.
Ty Hildenbrandt 39:59 Give me somebody else.
Ty Hildenbrandt 40:01 Somebody step up
Ty Hildenbrandt 40:02 They got transfers.
Ty Hildenbrandt 40:04 They got highly touted incoming talent.
Ty Hildenbrandt 40:08 Somebody, Jaden Greathouse, maybe the leg is finally healthy.
Ty Hildenbrandt 40:12 If only for a sliver in time.
Ty Hildenbrandt 40:14 Somebody's got to step up.
Ty Hildenbrandt 40:17 I need that, Dan.
Ty Hildenbrandt 40:19 If this team is gonna go all the way, I need to see more options
Dan Rubenstein 40:23 Okay, so what is the number of you know that I guess that Wisconsin has to get to where you would feel comfortable without them covering in this game?
Dan Rubenstein 40:30 Colton Joseph would have to lead them to how many points to cover a twenty what is it, twenty-two and a half?
Ty Hildenbrandt 40:37 Um, seventeen
Dan Rubenstein 40:39 Twenty and a half?
Dan Rubenstein 40:40 Yes, round three touchdowns.
Ty Hildenbrandt 40:41 Twenty and a half's a number.
Dan Rubenstein 40:43 They'd get they need to get to 17 points.
Dan Rubenstein 40:46 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 40:47 Last year, after beating my the last year is not this year
Dan Rubenstein 40:50 Last year's definitely not this year.
Dan Rubenstein 40:52 But it's the last set of data points we have on Wisconsin trying to score points.
Dan Rubenstein 40:57 Now the quarterback got hurt last year, very early on, Billy Edwards.
Dan Rubenstein 41:01 So not fully fair
Dan Rubenstein 41:03 14, 10, 10, 0, 0, 7, 13, 7.
Dan Rubenstein 41:09 A quick little hiccup to score 27 and beat Illinois.
Dan Rubenstein 41:12 And then 7.
Dan Rubenstein 41:13 Not saying Colton Joseph is not an upgrade.
Dan Rubenstein 41:16 He absolutely is.
Dan Rubenstein 41:18 I think you're right.
Dan Rubenstein 41:19 I think 17 is points.
Dan Rubenstein 41:21 The other thing at play here, Ty, when you talk about this matchup, these coaches go way back.
Dan Rubenstein 41:24 They're very tight.
Ty Hildenbrandt 41:25 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 41:25 Oh yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 41:26 Yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 41:27 Marcus Freeman, Luke Fickell.
Dan Rubenstein 41:28 The like the bear cat bro down, right?
Dan Rubenstein 41:32 So if if there is any hesitation of like man is is Notre Dame going to absolutely stomp and make a statement
Dan Rubenstein 41:40 I think Marcus Freeman is a gentleman if he has that question bouncing around his brain.
Dan Rubenstein 41:48 Like one more drive, two more drives, if we're up, you know, 20, 24 points kinda late.
Dan Rubenstein 41:54 So I can't truly find the reason in Wisconsin right now.
Dan Rubenstein 42:00 I I have to be uh
Dan Rubenstein 42:03 shown the evidence before I'm a believer in Wisconsin's offense being what is what word you use?
Dan Rubenstein 42:08 Spicy?
Ty Hildenbrandt 42:09 Spicy, yeah, spicy
Dan Rubenstein 42:10 Spicy
Dan Rubenstein 42:11 When was the last time you were talking to a Wisconsin fan, be like, yeah, I know we have a spicy offense.
Dan Rubenstein 42:17 We all agree this Wisconsin offense, it's been a minute.
Dan Rubenstein 42:21 It's just been a minute since anybody even kinda joked.
Ty Hildenbrandt 42:24 It might get a little bit of spiciness.
Dan Rubenstein 42:28 I'm not
Dan Rubenstein 42:28 I'm not there.
Dan Rubenstein 42:30 I all I can tell you is I'm not I don't even think we're at medium spice right now.
Dan Rubenstein 42:33 I don't think we're out of like a uh you order like some pad thai, you're at a three out of five.
Dan Rubenstein 42:37 No.
Ty Hildenbrandt 42:37 Let's give me a one out of five.
Dan Rubenstein 42:38 I think we're mild.
Dan Rubenstein 42:39 I just want flavor.
Dan Rubenstein 42:40 I just want flavor from my Wisconsin pad Ty.
Dan Rubenstein 42:42 That's all I'm asking for.
Dan Rubenstein 42:44 So I don't think it happens this week against Notre Dame.
Dan Rubenstein 42:47 I think maybe it's a little bit close early.
Dan Rubenstein 42:50 I think Notre Dame runs away with this one.
Dan Rubenstein 42:52 Literally and figuratively.
Dan Rubenstein 42:53 I have Notre Dame covering in this game 49-14, something like that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:00 I would love that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:01 I think it's thirty four seventeen in favor of Notre Dame.
Dan Rubenstein 43:02 I know.
Dan Rubenstein 43:05 I think Colton Joseph will make a couple plays, and I think he will throw into coverage that looks far more gold when the ball is in the air than when it did when he threw it.
Dan Rubenstein 43:16 What are you are they is anybody wearing special uniforms?
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:17 Thirty.
Dan Rubenstein 43:19 Is Notre Dame wearing something special?
Dan Rubenstein 43:21 Are they wearing green?
Dan Rubenstein 43:22 What are they doing?
Dan Rubenstein 43:26 Oh.
Dan Rubenstein 43:26 It's a whole thing.
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:27 It's a whole thing.
Dan Rubenstein 43:28 Okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:28 I'm just don't get me started down the uniform path.
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:32 34-17 is my final score.
Dan Rubenstein 43:33 Forty nine fourteen.
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:35 We disagree.
Dan Rubenstein 43:37 Disagree.
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:37 Let's go to the game on Monday night, seven thirty.
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:39 It's the only game on Monday night at seven thirty.
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:42 ESPN, number nineteen, SMU, a three point road favorite on the road at Florida State, a conspicuously low points for Ed Dan Rubenstein.
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:53 Again, the game is in the Doak.
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:55 The only game on Labor Day Stadium is gonna be rocking.
Ty Hildenbrandt 43:59 I think people would be excited for this one.
Dan Rubenstein 44:01 I hope, I hope, I think.
Dan Rubenstein 44:03 Yeah
Ty Hildenbrandt 44:03 What concerns do you have in this game?
Ty Hildenbrandt 44:06 Maybe not so much on the Florida State side, because we saw them in week zero.
Ty Hildenbrandt 44:10 I think we talked through a fair amount of what our concerns were coming out of New Mexico State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 44:14 What about on the SMU side?
Dan Rubenstein 44:17 Well, we have a lot new on both sides of the ball.
Dan Rubenstein 44:20 Um
Dan Rubenstein 44:21 Not concerned about the SMU offensive line.
Dan Rubenstein 44:22 I think that's going to be a super interesting matchup.
Dan Rubenstein 44:24 SMU up front against Florida State with high expectations up front on defense.
Dan Rubenstein 44:28 Didn't necessarily perform to expectations, I think, last week against New Mexico State
Dan Rubenstein 44:33 Look, the concern for SMU is fixing what ailed them last season to start out the year, where they did course correct defensively, but it was a rough start last season
Dan Rubenstein 44:44 And they got their act together and they were a better team and were in it, you know, in you know, your fourteen way Ty to play in the ACC championship game last year.
Dan Rubenstein 44:52 They were in it late, but
Dan Rubenstein 44:54 That would be the concern that the SMU defense is not is once again not together again with a number of new faces uh on the road in what could be a tough place to play against a rushing attack that if nothing else
Dan Rubenstein 45:08 has one of the better two-headed running monsters in the country.
Dan Rubenstein 45:12 I I think after what we saw last week.
Dan Rubenstein 45:15 I mean it's New Mexico State, but I think we've long thought that Florida State has had talent in their backfield
Ty Hildenbrandt 45:20 Yeah, I agree.
Dan Rubenstein 45:21 The the home dog thing is interesting to me because there has been a certain expectation of competent defense from Florida State.
Dan Rubenstein 45:28 Uh that's what it says on their program, by the way.
Dan Rubenstein 45:30 That's the a certain expectation of competence is
Ty Hildenbrandt 45:32 Not on third downs, but on the other ones, yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 45:34 No, just Florida State colon, a certain expectation of competence.
Dan Rubenstein 45:38 Welcome to 2026.
Ty Hildenbrandt 45:39 Yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 45:40 Uh I'm gonna take SMU here.
Dan Rubenstein 45:43 I'm gonna take SMU.
Dan Rubenstein 45:45 I don't love this pick.
Dan Rubenstein 45:46 But there is something about quarterback trust in this moment that I would have thought by now, Ashton Daniels, given his level of experience and game started playing major college football.
Dan Rubenstein 45:58 That he showed a little bit more last week, having one of the best receivers in the country and the rushing attack he did.
Dan Rubenstein 46:04 It's game one.
Dan Rubenstein 46:05 I'm willing to forgive some of it.
Dan Rubenstein 46:07 He looked a little bit too ordinary for me to feel good about Florida State against a quality team, even at home.
Dan Rubenstein 46:13 I'm taking SMU.
Dan Rubenstein 46:15 I like it.
Dan Rubenstein 46:15 I don't love it.
Ty Hildenbrandt 46:16 I would add to what you said about the Florida State ground attack, because you know I like it.
Dan Rubenstein 46:20 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 46:21 What concerns me about SMU when they don't have the ball is their defensive line.
Ty Hildenbrandt 46:25 Because this is a unit that was rebuilt in the offseason.
Ty Hildenbrandt 46:28 A lot of focus was on replacing a pass rush that lost something like 20 sacks.
Ty Hildenbrandt 46:34 From a year ago.
Ty Hildenbrandt 46:36 I'm more curious though about that rushing defense.
Ty Hildenbrandt 46:39 I really am.
Ty Hildenbrandt 46:40 Because the rushing defense year ago is pretty good.
Ty Hildenbrandt 46:43 I think the best version of Florida State is one that stresses out your front seven with the threat of like four or five guys that can run it.
Ty Hildenbrandt 46:50 And if you can do that, then that opens up some channels down the field.
Ty Hildenbrandt 46:53 Hopefully it makes life a little bit easier for Ashton Daniels.
Ty Hildenbrandt 46:56 But if Florida State can get going on the ground, I think that puts SMU in a bit of a pickle.
Ty Hildenbrandt 47:02 And I'm curious to see how that matchup unfolds.
Ty Hildenbrandt 47:05 I honestly don't know.
Ty Hildenbrandt 47:06 I don't know how much we can read into what we saw a week ago against New Mexico State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 47:11 I happen to think that Florida State can be a very good rushing team, but I want to see him against a much better opponent in SMU before I can confirm that.
Dan Rubenstein 47:18 This is a great like don't overreact to week zero moment.
Ty Hildenbrandt 47:23 Yes, exactly.
Dan Rubenstein 47:23 If if you have if you have liked Florida State in the offseason
Dan Rubenstein 47:27 This is a like if I'm gonna sit out here and preach about you know week one or week zero not being what a team is
Dan Rubenstein 47:35 This is a great opportunity to buy a little bit low on Florida State as a home dog because you're not, as we said, we're not you're not what you are in your first game.
Dan Rubenstein 47:45 So there is that element to this that that I really gave a lot of thought to, because we do see that every season it seems, that like, yeah, it was super disappointing, but like they got right, they were able to self-diagnose, and they're not what they were last week.
Dan Rubenstein 47:58 We do see that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 47:59 I also think there is some element of you know of like
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:04 Though if you watched a good chunk of that Florida State game from a week ago, you may not have come away impressed, but like statistically speaking
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:13 Some of the underlying stuff wasn't all that bad for Florida State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:16 They were just really bad on third downs.
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:18 And that definitely, definitely flew in their face in that game against New Mexico State.
Dan Rubenstein 48:18 Yeah
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:22 Even though they ended up pulling it together late.
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:25 And sort of winning going away.
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:27 Um, I just think that there we uh some judgment will be clouded by people who watched that full game a week ago.
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:36 Um
Dan Rubenstein 48:36 By the way, I'm flipping my pick.
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:39 You are.
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:39 You're going Florida State?
Dan Rubenstein 48:39 I I can't just say things.
Dan Rubenstein 48:41 I gotta say it with my chest.
Dan Rubenstein 48:42 I gotta plant the flag.
Dan Rubenstein 48:43 I'm going Florida State.
Dan Rubenstein 48:45 Home dog of the week.
Dan Rubenstein 48:45 How about that
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:46 Whoa, hold on.
Dan Rubenstein 48:47 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:48 Are you sure about home dog of the week here for Florida State?
Dan Rubenstein 48:50 Yes, I am.
Ty Hildenbrandt 48:51 Are you sure you want to put yourself in this situation, Dan?
Dan Rubenstein 48:54 Well, I have another home dog that I love, but I'm I'm I cannot interrupt you and say not so fast.
Dan Rubenstein 49:01 I believe in this like improvement from your first game to your second game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 49:04 So we go, hold on.
Ty Hildenbrandt 49:06 We go from picking SMU to Home Dog of the Week within three minutes
Dan Rubenstein 49:07 Yeah, buddy.
Dan Rubenstein 49:11 Yeah, I don't want to be meek with it, Ty.
Dan Rubenstein 49:14 That's all.
Ty Hildenbrandt 49:14 Alright, don't be big.
Dan Rubenstein 49:24 I'm just I'm flexible, Ty, I'm malleable.
Ty Hildenbrandt 49:27 I've got SMU thirty to twenty.
Ty Hildenbrandt 49:30 I think they've got the better coach and the better quarterback.
Dan Rubenstein 49:32 Great.
Ty Hildenbrandt 49:33 Did we mention Kevin Jennings' name at all?
Ty Hildenbrandt 49:35 I don't think so.
Dan Rubenstein 49:35 No, we should have
Ty Hildenbrandt 49:37 Yeah, we should have.
Ty Hildenbrandt 49:38 30 to 20 SMU wins, but I think it's close.
Ty Hildenbrandt 49:40 I think it's a fun game.
Dan Rubenstein 49:42 Twenty seven twenty-four, Florida State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 49:45 Let's travel back in time to Thursday, Dan.
Ty Hildenbrandt 49:50 So in case you're at home wondering why did you put the Thursday game here, the problem is we put this episode out on a Wednesday night now, and by the time people listen to it, Thursday game might be over.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:00 So we don't want to start with that game because then if you're listening at home, you just want to fast forward through it.
Dan Rubenstein 50:05 Mm-hmm.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:05 Tend to jump around a little bit.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:07 But we needed to make sure we covered
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:09 Thursday, 8 p.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:10 m.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:11 , Colorado at Georgia Tech.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:14 Georgia Tech is a six and a half point favorite.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:17 A great way to get this weekend started between two teams that are sort of a mystery.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:21 And I don't think I'm stepping out of line to saying that both these teams is sort of a mystery here, because we've got Colorado changing their identity on both offense and defense, two new coordinators.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:32 On the Georgia Tech side, they lose their main man, Haynes King.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:35 They imported a new Haynes, which I'll talk about, but they also have a new coordinator in George Godsey who's going to be changing the identity of the offense.
Dan Rubenstein 50:38 Sure.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:43 So um
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:45 Sort of two teams at a bit of a transition moment.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:48 It feels like we've been there for the last couple years with Colorado now, after the Shedeur and Travis Hunter era.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:55 Georgia Tech, long time with Haynes King.
Ty Hildenbrandt 50:58 That was sort of the identity of the offense whenever he was healthy, and now we're going to see a different version of it.
Dan Rubenstein 51:02 Yes.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:05 Central theme for me here is it is two schemes on offense that want to run against two defenses that couldn't stop the run.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:16 Here go.
Dan Rubenstein 51:17 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:17 And last year is not this year.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:19 I understand that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:21 But um to that end, I think I trust Georgia Tech a little bit more.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:25 Like this was a really good rushing attack a year ago.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:29 It will be different without Haynes King.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:31 We still have the Haynes your way backfield because they bring down Justice Haynes from Michigan to be the new starting running back.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:39 Rebuilt offensive line, but there is at least a track record here for running the football.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:44 And in that I trust.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:45 There's a little bit of an Ashanti situation going on here in terms of who do you trust more running the ball.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:50 And I think for me, it's Georgia Tech.
Dan Rubenstein 51:50 Agree.
Ty Hildenbrandt 51:53 It will be interesting to see this version of the offense, though, because we're so used to seeing Georgia Tech with a runner at quarterback as well in Haynes King.
Ty Hildenbrandt 52:02 And I don't think Alberto Mendoza is that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 52:05 So how does it look?
Ty Hildenbrandt 52:07 How does Alberto Mendoza translate?
Ty Hildenbrandt 52:10 What is the balance between running the ball and letting Alberto Mendoza throw the football?
Ty Hildenbrandt 52:15 Does Alberto Mendoza have the same juice as his brother?
Ty Hildenbrandt 52:19 Hard to imagine he could get to that same level, but if he gets anywhere close to it, Georgia Tech will have found certainly a diamond in the rough.
Ty Hildenbrandt 52:28 So I trust them to run the ball, I think a little bit more than Colorado.
Ty Hildenbrandt 52:33 Even though I'm not super high on Colorado this season, I still kind of feel like they're dangerous in this spot.
Ty Hildenbrandt 52:37 Is that a fair assessment?
Dan Rubenstein 52:40 Uh I guess if you're a believer in the go-go offense, yes.
Dan Rubenstein 52:46 And I I am, at least to a certain extent.
Dan Rubenstein 52:48 Um there are things that detract that are obvious
Dan Rubenstein 52:52 detractions from Colorado belief for me.
Dan Rubenstein 52:56 But okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 52:57 Let me frame it to you a little bit differently.
Dan Rubenstein 53:00 Okay
Ty Hildenbrandt 53:01 Brennan Marion.
Ty Hildenbrandt 53:03 Go-Go offense.
Ty Hildenbrandt 53:06 Primetime, Thursday night, the eyes of the nation watching, excited for a new season to begin.
Dan Rubenstein 53:14 Sure.
Ty Hildenbrandt 53:16 Is it a fair statement that Brennan Marion is already auditioning for his next job?
Dan Rubenstein 53:21 Always.
Dan Rubenstein 53:22 Absolutely always, yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 53:23 Is it a fair statement that in a scenario like this, Brennan Marion is going to empty the clip?
Dan Rubenstein 53:29 Sure, I think they're gonna score points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 53:30 I think we're going to see some fun stuff on offense.
Ty Hildenbrandt 53:33 And I think it's very likely that they will not be able to run the ball as much as they want or as well as they want.
Ty Hildenbrandt 53:40 But we're going to see some of the quick game stuff where they use that as an extension of the running game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 53:45 And they will find ways to put points on the board.
Dan Rubenstein 53:45 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 53:49 So I think this is gonna be a game that's fun as hell.
Ty Hildenbrandt 53:52 I think it's awesome that we get it on a Thursday night.
Ty Hildenbrandt 53:55 I think whoever stops the run best is the team that's gonna win this game, but it's fun, it's close, and I'm
Ty Hildenbrandt 54:00 fully expecting Colorado to be shot out of a cannon on offense.
Ty Hildenbrandt 54:03 I've got Georgia Tech 27-24, but Georgia or excuse me, but uh Colorado covers.
Dan Rubenstein 54:08 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 54:09 Uh I'm gonna take Georgia Tech to cover.
Dan Rubenstein 54:12 There is one disappointing reality that you forgot about.
Dan Rubenstein 54:17 It's gonna be 94 degrees and humid at kickoff in Atlanta, Georgia at Bobby Dodd.
Dan Rubenstein 54:22 This is a reverse altitude game, is it not?
Ty Hildenbrandt 54:25 Yeah, yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 54:25 It's it's not cold right now in Colorado.
Dan Rubenstein 54:28 It is warm.
Dan Rubenstein 54:28 It is summer.
Dan Rubenstein 54:30 I think the legs are gonna go over four quarters
Dan Rubenstein 54:33 I think when you don't have a proven defensive line, I know there are pieces for this Colorado team up front on defense.
Dan Rubenstein 54:38 Linebacker room should be good
Dan Rubenstein 54:42 I I think the secondary will be pretty decent, but I don't think Georgia Tech is fashioning an offense to test teams deep all the time.
Dan Rubenstein 54:51 I think there is I think Georgia Tech will wear Colorado down over the course of this game.
Dan Rubenstein 54:56 And for me, I think there will be points for Colorado's offense.
Dan Rubenstein 55:01 But I don't know over the course of the game, I'm gonna go with Georgia Tech to win this game something like 33-24.
Dan Rubenstein 55:10 3527.
Dan Rubenstein 55:12 Somewhere in there.
Dan Rubenstein 55:15 I'm going to trust a a Brent Key offensive line, sight on scene, to get a line ready.
Dan Rubenstein 55:22 I'm gonna I'm gonna trust and I don't love where the offense is just in terms of the structure and vision right now.
Dan Rubenstein 55:29 Just I they just lost a good amount and replaced it with
Dan Rubenstein 55:32 To me not enough at the moment, but I I do like the it's not full Haynes Your Way backfield, but it's enough Haynes that I think they're gonna be able to move the ball consistently on the ground
Ty Hildenbrandt 55:40 Fifty percent less, Haynes, but nonetheless.
Dan Rubenstein 55:42 50%, yeah, fewer Haynes presence.
Dan Rubenstein 55:45 So yeah, 35-27, final answer, final score.
Dan Rubenstein 55:50 Georgia Tech on the ground grinds Colorado down.
Ty Hildenbrandt 55:54 Let's move to Friday.
Ty Hildenbrandt 55:56 Two games I just want to hit real quick here.
Dan Rubenstein 55:58 Okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 55:59 9 p.
Ty Hildenbrandt 55:59 m.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:00 on Fox, Fresno State at number 14 USC.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:03 USC favored by 22 and a half points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:06 I'm not sure if you heard, maybe you want to write this down.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:08 The championship window is open now for you for USC.
Dan Rubenstein 56:10 It's open.
Dan Rubenstein 56:11 Do I have the sound at the ready?
Dan Rubenstein 56:13 God w how unprofessional.
Dan Rubenstein 56:16 Thank you.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:18 Uh we got a new quarterback at Fresno, Jayden Mandal.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:21 Got the
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:23 Starting gig missed last year because of injury, looked healthy this spring, got the job over Khristian Martin, who was a transfer from Maryland, big kid, 6'4-230.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:34 Mandal's more familiar with the system, he's been in the system a year.
Dan Rubenstein 56:38 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:39 I like Fresno this year a lot.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:41 I think they're going to be part of that G6 playoff conversation.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:45 If only because they've got a pretty good defense and they've also had Boise's number.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:49 So within the Pac-12, within that ecosystem, I really like Fresno State and their chances.
Dan Rubenstein 56:55 Okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:55 I think it's going to be a good year for the Bulldogs.
Ty Hildenbrandt 56:58 My issue with this game, though, and specifically because of this point spread
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:02 We saw a week ago USC put the screws to San Jose State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:07 They were up 35 to 3 after three quarters.
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:09 They pulled their starters.
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:09 They gave up a bunch of points in the fourth quarter.
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:12 I think because Fresno is a better team, there's less likelihood that USC is pulling its starters in this game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:20 I think they win something like
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:23 F 4117.
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:25 I think they cover.
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:26 I'm on USC to cover here.
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:29 Although I am interested to see what Fresno looks like against an opponent of this magnitude.
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:33 I think it should be a an early tell for what we can expect out of the Bulldogs this year.
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:37 I just don't
Ty Hildenbrandt 57:38 See them covering this game.
Dan Rubenstein 57:40 Hard for me as well, as as much as they were led by their defense.
Dan Rubenstein 57:43 They're replacing a ton on defense, and they were very good on that side of the ball last season.
Dan Rubenstein 57:48 So I
Dan Rubenstein 57:49 I'm I'm sort of waiting to see with where Fresno is at this season.
Dan Rubenstein 57:53 I I do like him over time, but this this is a tough spot.
Dan Rubenstein 57:57 I imagine more people are gonna show up for this USC game than
Dan Rubenstein 58:01 last week and it was just brutally hot and you can say whatever you want about attendance, it's fine.
Dan Rubenstein 58:06 Uh and probably fair.
Dan Rubenstein 58:07 But I think more people are gonna show up after last week.
Dan Rubenstein 58:10 I like USC a lot here.
Dan Rubenstein 58:12 I I don't know at the time of recording the status of Tanook Hines if they're gonna be like fully counting on freshmen again out wide.
Dan Rubenstein 58:18 But I think they're gonna be able to move the pile.
Dan Rubenstein 58:21 The the new tight end, by the way.
Dan Rubenstein 58:22 I don't know if you will sign any of the cut-ups of him, Mark Bowman for USC, freshman.
Ty Hildenbrandt 58:25 I saw Coach Dan Casey was talking him up.
Dan Rubenstein 58:28 He plays angry.
Dan Rubenstein 58:29 Um so I think that's a a big ad.
Dan Rubenstein 58:32 I like USC here.
Dan Rubenstein 58:34 I think they knocked some rust off last week.
Dan Rubenstein 58:36 They were extremely efficient while
Dan Rubenstein 58:38 people weren't terribly impressed and made the story about attendance.
Dan Rubenstein 58:43 I I like USC Big Gear.
Dan Rubenstein 58:45 I'm I'm with you too.
Dan Rubenstein 58:46 I'm gonna I'm gonna give those points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 58:47 The other game on Friday night that we got to hit real quick, again, 9 p.
Ty Hildenbrandt 58:51 m.
Ty Hildenbrandt 58:51 ESPN, number seven, Miami, a twenty-four-point favorite on the road at Stanford.
Ty Hildenbrandt 58:56 Stanford, absolutely zero pressure in this game.
Dan Rubenstein 58:58 Mm-hmm.
Ty Hildenbrandt 58:59 It will obviously be a much, much, much tougher test than we saw last week against Hawaii.
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:04 For whatever it's worth, yes, we do need to know that Miami is traveling cross-country.
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:09 I think the effects of that are negated.
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:12 Just given the fact that it's a week one game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:14 If it were week seven, in between a trip to Clemson and Florida State or something like that, if there were a sandwich or look ahead situation that we could hang our hat on, then I'd feel differently.
Dan Rubenstein 59:26 Yeah
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:27 I don't see it in this one.
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:28 I don't see it having that big of an effect at all.
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:31 I think Miami is going to win.
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:33 They're going to win big.
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:34 I'm interested to see how their lines play.
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:36 Because a lot has been made of that in the preseason.
Dan Rubenstein 59:37 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:39 How does a new look offensive line look?
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:41 What does the pass rush look like?
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:44 42 to 14, if not more, Miami wins and covers.
Dan Rubenstein 59:47 Wow.
Dan Rubenstein 59:48 I'm gonna take points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:50 Really?
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:50 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 59:50 Yes
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:51 Were you impressed by Stanford?
Dan Rubenstein 59:54 Uh much more so than I've been in a long time.
Dan Rubenstein 59:56 Yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 59:57 I mean they beat Louisville a couple years ago.
Ty Hildenbrandt 59:57 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 59:59 I think it was a couple years ago.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:00 Um but that was yeah obviously later on in the season.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:03 Uh yeah, there is something right now about Stanford that makes me think they have a little bit of juice, not a lot of juice.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:11 I think Miami comfortably wins this game.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:14 But I think Stanford can convert enough third downs, maybe get off the field enough so that Miami has to play at least three quarters of football here, three three and a half quarters.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:24 And I think Miami wins this game like
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:27 33 to 17 or something.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:00:29 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:30 33 to 13.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:00:30 Are you points?
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:31 What's the final number?
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:32 24?
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:33 Yeah, I think they keep this under three touchdowns.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:36 It's never really in doubt, but it's yeah, they've they have the advantage of having played a game.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:43 Um if you're if you're not a believer in the like 9 p.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:45 m.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:45 body clock kickoff, that's fine
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:48 But I still think it's a different kind of ask to do this in a stadium that's just not going to have a ton of juice.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:53 Depending on how many Miami fans show up, I guess.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:56 But it didn't seem like they were sell it was $27 to get in.
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:59 So
Dan Rubenstein 01:00:59 I'm gonna say it still right now.
Dan Rubenstein 01:01:01 I'm gonna take points.
Dan Rubenstein 01:01:02 I think it's it's ugly and weird enough.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:04 So most of the games we just discussed, not all of them, but most of those games.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:07 are on a Run The Board slate.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:09 Again, we're encouraging people to get in, play for a $500 gift card, sign up to support what we do.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:14 That's the underlying benefit for us.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:17 But for you, you get to play for a cool prize.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:19 You get to be part of the community.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:21 We made it fun this year, I promise you, but you've got until Saturday at noon to get your picks in.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:26 By the way, those are not the only games.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:29 On our run-the-board slate, certainly not on the college football slate, I've got a couple under-the-radar games if you're interested.
Dan Rubenstein 01:01:32 No, please.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:40 Let's put that sonar out, Dan.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:43 Couple quick ones here that I wanted to mention.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:45 Saturday, high noon, ESPNU.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:47 Liberty at James Madison.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:49 The point spread is only six and one half in favor of JMU.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:53 I'm going JMU.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:01:55 I've got it on the Run The Board slate, but um that is a conspicuously no number low number with a new coach on the JMU side.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:02 Yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:04 I'm going JMU.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:06 Look, they they overhauled their team with Billy Napier.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:08 Both of these coaches had slow starts last year.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:10 Billy Napier at Florida, Jamey Chadwell.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:12 at liberty.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:13 I think there's probably more talent to this JMU team and they're playing at home.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:17 I'm going James Madison.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:02:18 We've also got a matchup between Darian Mensah's two previous teams.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:22 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:02:23 Last year the Darian Mensah Bowl.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:02:25 This year we can still call it that if we want Saturday 3:30 ACC Network.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:02:28 To lane on the road at Duke.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:02:31 Duke favored by seven and a half points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:02:33 I am all over Duke in this matchup.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:34 I love Duke here.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:35 They lost this game last year, but it was a different coach.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:38 It was a different situation for Tulane.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:40 I'm going Duke comfortably here.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:02:42 All over Duke.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:02:43 Saturday 3:30 on Fox.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:02:44 We got Boston College on the road at Cincinnati.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:02:47 Cincinnati favored by seven and a half points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:02:50 I'm all over Cincinnati in this one.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:53 I think I'm with you too.
Dan Rubenstein 01:02:54 And it's not because I didn't consider Boston College because of where they were last season, but a D2 transfer quarterback on the road in this spot.
Dan Rubenstein 01:03:02 I think the Cincinnati's gonna find enough pop
Dan Rubenstein 01:03:05 And there there's enough back for a a Cincinnati team that looked to be of quality last year.
Dan Rubenstein 01:03:10 Um, new quarterback, I understand.
Dan Rubenstein 01:03:12 I'm going Cincinnati.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:13 345 on Saturday, ESPNU.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:15 Oklahoma State, my boys.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:18 Cowboys, 13.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:19 5 point favorite on the road at Tulsa.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:22 Uh look, I am horribly biased when it comes to Oklahoma State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:29 I love Oklahoma State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:31 I think Oklahoma State's gonna have a banner year.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:34 So my inclination is to say that they win in cover.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:37 They win going away.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:39 But I could probably make the case that it doesn't fire
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:42 from day one that maybe there's a little bit of uh ramp up period before we really see this thing.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:49 Granted, they don't have much of a runway because they've got Oregon next week at home.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:53 Maybe there's a look ahead.
Dan Rubenstein 01:03:53 Yep.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:54 I don't know.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:55 I hard to believe there'd be a look ahead in week one.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:03:57 Even though I'm gonna go Oklahoma State, I could make the case for Tulsa here.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:04:01 I don't think it's a hard case to make
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:03 Uh I I think it kind of is.
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:05 I think we're gonna see Caleb Hawkins and then more Caleb Hawkins, maybe some Caleb Hawkins.
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:09 Maybe even more Caleb Hawkins for Oklahoma State against the Tulsa front that I think might be a little bit suspect here.
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:14 Even on the road.
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:15 I'm going Cowboys here to win by three plus touchdowns, a full offseason of Drew Mestemaker, Mesty
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:23 as the guy let's go Oklahoma State comfortable.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:04:25 Do we make that a thing?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:04:26 Mesty?
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:27 Mesty?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:04:27 I haven't heard anybody calling him that.
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:27 Yeah, why not?
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:29 Really?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:04:30 Yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:30 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:31 Let's do it.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:04:32 Saturday at 10, CW, UNLV, fresh off their loss to Memphis a week ago
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:04:38 Three and a half point road favorite on the islands are in Hawaii.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:04:41 Hawaii off its loss as well.
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:44 Yes.
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:45 Uh Hawaii lock of the week.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:04:51 Wow.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:04:55 Did not see that one coming.
Dan Rubenstein 01:04:57 Do you know what hilinaʻi is?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:05:00 I have no idea what that is.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:01 hilinaʻi.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:03 I th I I definitely got that wrong.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:06 But I l I did look it up.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:07 I did take the time to look it up.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:09 Confidence, trust, belief.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:11 in Hawaiian.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:12 Uh Timmy Chang and Hawaii are 21 and 6 against the spread at home, even better as, or I mean also excellent as a home dog.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:22 Uh we have
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:23 Jackson Arnold, deeply on the road, over much of the Pacific Ocean, in a let-down spot for UNLV, going to a place where Hawaii almost exclusively covers at home.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:36 I know they got destroyed in this game in Las Vegas last year.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:39 I think Hawaii is of quality.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:41 I think they are going to self-diagnose.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:43 They I think they played with fire last week coming back and
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:46 Really should have been a position to win that game against Stanford.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:49 Hil... hilinaʻi.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:51 I really am trying here, Ty.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:53 I think that's the way it is.
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:55 Um
Dan Rubenstein 01:05:55 I'm going I'm going Hawaii to get right against this UNLV defense that I think is going to struggle against Alejado.
Dan Rubenstein 01:06:03 I love uh Hawaii here.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:05 Wow.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:06 Um, I'm on U and L V.
Dan Rubenstein 01:06:06 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:08 I think both these teams are quality.
Dan Rubenstein 01:06:08 Mm, have fun.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:10 I think I think both these teams are quality.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:11 I don't expect we're gonna see a lot of defense.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:14 So I could definitely make the case for Hawaii here.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:17 I'm not going to act like I'm a strong UNLV picker at this moment, but I like UNLV.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:22 Actually, my problem with all these under-the-radar games, and I have two more that I want to list off.
Dan Rubenstein 01:06:25 Sure.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:25 I have all favorites, which is a problem.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:27 Like not all the favorites are going to hit here.
Dan Rubenstein 01:06:28 Hmm.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:30 So take stock of these picks and maybe go the other direction because I don't have a great track record when it comes to picking favorites.
Dan Rubenstein 01:06:37 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:37 I'll go UNLV.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:39 Two other games.
Dan Rubenstein 01:06:40 Have fun.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:41 Also, 10 p.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:43 m.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:43 FS1, Central Michigan at New Mexico.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:46 I bring this one up.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:06:48 As an under-the-radar game because New Mexico, a team that I'm very high on, that I did not have a chance to remove as one of my playoff picks, upon learning that their quarterback Jack Layne was done for the year, going in for surgery.
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:00 They still haven't even named a guy yet.
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:02 I think there's three the three backups they're still battling.
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:04 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:07:04 So they are a ten and a half point favorite.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:07:07 Central Michigan coming to town.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:07:09 I don't have a great reason to go with Central Michigan other than the quarterback questions on the New Mexico side.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:07:17 I think New Mexico will play defense.
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:18 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:07:20 I don't have a great lean here in terms of the point spread.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:07:24 I am more curious to see how close Central Michigan can keep it because I believe New Mexico otherwise to be of pretty high quality.
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:32 Central Michigan last season led by defense.
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:35 Um now replacing a good amount, but that's what led the way.
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:39 Um
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:41 I I like New Mexico more.
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:43 I think they're better built on both sides of the ball.
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:45 There is the other thing at play here, Ty.
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:47 You know, you know like my uh my special little variables here
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:51 Mount Pleasant, Michigan, about 780 feet above sea level.
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:54 Albuquerque, over 5,000.
Dan Rubenstein 01:07:57 This is an altitude game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:07:59 Altitude game.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:00 Altitude game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:01 Altitude game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:01 Okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:02 Give me New Mexico.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:02 One of the highest cities in America, Albuquerque.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:05 So the better team at altitude.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:07 I'm giving points.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:08 Continue.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:08 Apple Cup 4 p.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:09 m.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:10 Sunday.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:10 It's the third game on the Sunday.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:12 Slate, NBC.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:13 We got Wazzu at Washington.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:16 Washington, number 17 team in the country, favored by 23 and one half points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:21 Uh gimme Washington.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:23 I don't know if I should do double barrel, but I'm going Washington big here as well.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:26 I'm very excited to see what Washington looks like in that front seven.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:30 There's a good amount of talent for this Washington team.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:32 I think they're gonna overwhelm Wazzu.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:34 Um it's a game against a a non-headline team, so Washington absolutely is going to show out.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:40 Who those names are, putting up yards in the receiving room, the running backs room, we'll see.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:44 We'll find out.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:45 I think it'll be a committee.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:45 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:08:46 Yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:46 But Demond Williams should show out.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:48 The defense should force turnovers and harass.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:51 So
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:51 Yeah, even last year when the game was relatively close in the second half, Washington still opened it up, and I think they won by like 35.
Dan Rubenstein 01:08:58 So I I expect something else similar, something like fifty-five to fourteen.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:02 In case you're wondering when he can go out and be amongst the people?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:08 Good news, we have something on this show we call the window of opportunity.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:12 Every week it's the same problem for college football fans.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:16 Maybe you have other life obligations.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:20 Maybe you got kids.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:22 Maybe you gotta work.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:24 Maybe you just gotta go out and shop for groceries, or you're trying to see cats again.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:28 Now back on Broadway.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:29 I don't know.
Dan Rubenstein 01:09:29 Maybe you scheduled some amorous time with a loved one.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:33 I mean, who's to say?
Dan Rubenstein 01:09:34 You want to know when.
Dan Rubenstein 01:09:35 I agree.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:35 Who's to say?
Dan Rubenstein 01:09:36 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:37 Your window of opportunity over the weekend, probably early on Saturday.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:44 Probably.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:46 Now, when we've got the five-day extravaganza of college football, normally I'd be inclined to say Sunday.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:53 Sunday night.
Dan Rubenstein 01:09:53 Hmm.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:54 Certainly early Sunday.
Dan Rubenstein 01:09:56 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:09:57 But Sunday's got a really good collection of games.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:01 I wouldn't want to mess with that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:03 And I think as we get into the afternoon hours
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:07 On Saturday, really good collection of games that could be fun to watch.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:12 At night, you got Clemson LSU.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:13 You don't want to miss that one.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:15 Early, though, early, there are a bunch of games that we didn't talk about because I think we
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:19 see them as being runaway trains.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:20 We will get to those.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:21 We will get to what matters with respect to those games when we do our midnight stream on Saturday.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:27 But in terms of previewing, just as we look at them huge point spreads, we'll probably learn something.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:32 Hopefully there won't be any injuries that we have to discuss, but
Dan Rubenstein 01:10:35 We'll learn by December, one way or the other.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:36 We'll know by we'll definitely know by December.
Dan Rubenstein 01:10:38 I love to hear it.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:40 Window of Opportunity is early.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:41 I think your best collection of games is probably some version of Saturday afternoon.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:47 Sunday night.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:10:48 We got two games going on at the same time, the Notre Dame game and also the Louisville game.
Dan Rubenstein 01:10:52 Any advice for those of us who are out like on soccer, flag football, softball, tennis, basketball courts, watching kids?
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:01 Uh, you know, is it you you're watching on your phone?
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:04 Are you paying full attention to the games?
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:07 Which which is your phone game, your early phone game?
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:10 How about that as a new
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:11 uh a new topic for The Solid Verbal.
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:14 Because people are gonna be paying attention.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:11:15 Yeah, so we're talk you're what you're saying basically is early games.
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:20 Yes.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:11:20 Uh if you're gonna be taking advantage of the window of opportunity, which are the games that you should have up on your phone?
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:26 Yeah, like look because it's kinda hard to do like the quad box if you're just watching on a mobile device, like a a small phone screen.
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:34 So which game are you just like, you know what?
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:35 I'm gonna have it on
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:37 Just to like check in on every once in a while.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:11:40 I mean for me it's obviously gonna be the Penn State game.
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:43 Okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:11:44 I saw some folks were calling out Marshall potentially as like
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:11:48 an upset to keep in the back of your mind, a potential upset to keep in the back of your mind.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:11:54 I'm not necessarily seeing that.
Dan Rubenstein 01:11:56 Right.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:11:56 Um I would also throw in just because I'm enamored with
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:02 Keelon Russell.
Dan Rubenstein 01:12:02 Keelon Russell?
Dan Rubenstein 01:12:03 Yeah, I knew you were going there.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:03 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:04 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:05 Keelon Russell plays early at home against East Carolina.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:10 And um I want to see what my guy Keldric Luster.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:13 at Ball State looks like against Hawaii or excuse me, Hawaii.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:17 Against Ohio State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:18 50 and a half points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:20 Ohio State the favorite in that game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:22 It's a big freaking number that I'd be inclined to uh take the points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:27 Is it all possible?
Dan Rubenstein 01:12:28 Uh I'm gonna say Colandrea, Nebraska against Ohio with the Frank Solich connection, which I think our guy Tyler Schuster, right?
Dan Rubenstein 01:12:34 Newsletter Tyler
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:35 That is correct.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:36 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:36 Subscribe, solidverbal.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:37 com slash newsletter.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:12:38 We've got a feature coming out on Thursday at time of recording where we're gonna, yeah, we're gonna write up a little bit about the Frank Solich Nebraska connection in advance of this game.
Dan Rubenstein 01:12:41 Mm-hmm.
Dan Rubenstein 01:12:48 Yes, I would argue maybe not The Solid Verbal Tyler, but a solid verbal Tyler nonetheless.
Dan Rubenstein 01:12:54 Uh yeah, I'm with you.
Dan Rubenstein 01:12:55 ECU Bama would be my like, let's check in on what's going on with uh this this new ECU offense or like new quarterback running things for ECU and uh new quarterback running things for Alabama.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:06 I should add that the Penn State game actually is at 330.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:09 So I'll probably have that one up on the phone.
Dan Rubenstein 01:13:09 Well, womp womp.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:11 Well I'll have that one up on the phone because I don't know if it makes it in the quad box.
Dan Rubenstein 01:13:11 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:16 But, you know, in terms of other early games that I'm interested in, Oregon State at Houston, Houston about a three touchdown favorite.
Dan Rubenstein 01:13:22 Sure.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:24 Curious to see what they look like.
Dan Rubenstein 01:13:25 New JaMarcus Shepard team, yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:27 Yeah, we're pretty we're pretty excited about Houston, but JaMarcus Shepard, I think, was a great hire at Oregon State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:32 I'm curious to see if we can get them playing hard.
Dan Rubenstein 01:13:33 I hope so.
Dan Rubenstein 01:13:35 All right, one more favor?
Dan Rubenstein 01:13:38 You drop that big stanky
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:38 Um, I'm not sure.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:41 No no no, no no, not yet.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:44 Not yet.
Dan Rubenstein 01:13:48 Oh
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:50 So we got your lock.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:52 Your lock's Hawaii.
Dan Rubenstein 01:13:53 Got my home dog, Florida State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:55 Home dogs, Florida State.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:56 My lock.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:13:57 I kept a piece of paper this year so I don't lose track of these.
Dan Rubenstein 01:14:00 By the way, you are just you are edging people right now with your putting off of the big stanky.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:00 My lock is Auburn.
Dan Rubenstein 01:14:05 Continue.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:06 Uh I've got Auburn as my luck.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:09 I've got two weird upset picks.
Dan Rubenstein 01:14:12 Oh, here we go.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:14 I don't think these will happen.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:16 But these might just be games to keep in your back pocket.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:19 Both of them are Saturday night.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:20 This is another reason why I say don't go out on Saturday night
Dan Rubenstein 01:14:23 Oh Ty, you're gonna start jacking it, aren't you?
Dan Rubenstein 01:14:25 The Jackrabbits of South Dakota
Dan Rubenstein 01:14:32 I'm gonna capture your face when I say that.
Dan Rubenstein 01:14:34 Continue.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:35 Yeah, let's um Saturday night.
Dan Rubenstein 01:14:38 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:40 The Jackrabbits, South Dakota State, coming to Northwestern, the temporary stadium, Northwestern the 12 and a half point favorite.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:47 Curious to see what that game looks like.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:50 Conspicuously low point spread.
Dan Rubenstein 01:14:50 Power team.
Dan Rubenstein 01:14:52 Mm-hmm.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:53 Just saying, another one.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:54 Austin P on the road at Vandy.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:57 A lot new at Vandy, new quarterback.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:14:59 Got a quarterback by the name of Blaze.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:15:01 Maybe see some Jared Curtis as well.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:15:03 Austin Peay's got a game under their belt.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:15:05 I like their quarterback.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:15:06 They put up 35 points, gained a ton of yards a week ago.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:15:10 I could definitely see a scenario in which Vandy's a little bit rusty, trying to figure this out on the fly.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:15:14 So I would be inclined to go Austin P plus the points.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:15:17 I'm not betting on this one, but if I were, I'd be inclined to go points.
Dan Rubenstein 01:15:18 Okay.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:15:20 And I think the South Dakota State game could be interesting.
Dan Rubenstein 01:15:23 I do too.
Dan Rubenstein 01:15:23 That's at the Temp Stadium at night, correct?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:15:25 That's correct.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:15:26 Yep.
Dan Rubenstein 01:15:26 Alright, you never know.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:15:27 Jackrabbits, right?
Dan Rubenstein 01:15:28 Yep.
Dan Rubenstein 01:15:34 The funniest thing that could happen?
Dan Rubenstein 01:15:37 Uh for the listeners of this show, I guess Boise State beating Oregon or Wisconsin beating Notre Dame.
Dan Rubenstein 01:15:44 Um Stanford beating Miami would be great.
Dan Rubenstein 01:15:48 Pure Humor.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:15:48 Ridiculous.
Dan Rubenstein 01:15:51 Fresno beating USC, which by the way, there is that like uh
Dan Rubenstein 01:15:55 Not bad blood, but one of the most watched regular season matchups in modern USC history is the Fresno State game because of that Reggie Bush run.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:05 What are you eating this weekend?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:06 Anything fun?
Dan Rubenstein 01:16:08 Oh, I don't know.
Dan Rubenstein 01:16:09 Uh I I I think the dinner that we talked about on the bonus show is still on for Friday.
Dan Rubenstein 01:16:13 You'd have to listen to the bonus show for more details about that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:15 Oh no.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:16 It's still happening?
Dan Rubenstein 01:16:16 I don't know added details, but that's still on the books for Friday night.
Dan Rubenstein 01:16:21 Didn't postpone.
Dan Rubenstein 01:16:22 Uh no, nothing interesting food-wise, I don't think.
Dan Rubenstein 01:16:25 I'll make some pizza.
Dan Rubenstein 01:16:26 Um, may try to grill.
Dan Rubenstein 01:16:28 I don't know.
Dan Rubenstein 01:16:28 What about you?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:29 Not sure yet.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:30 First full weekend of college football I might squurge, get myself like a cheesesteak or something.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:35 I don't know.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:35 We'll see.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:36 See how I'm feeling.
Dan Rubenstein 01:16:36 Ooh, Ty, very Pennsylvania of you.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:37 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:39 I know, right?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:40 Eastern PA.
Dan Rubenstein 01:16:40 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:41 Alright.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:41 Um solidverbal.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:43 gmail.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:43 com of course is the email address.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:45 Send us pictures of what you're eating.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:46 If you are watching the games.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:49 855-837-2253.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:52 That is the reverb line.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:16:54 After much deliberation and after flirting with getting rid of the reverbs altogether.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:17:00 The community weighed in thought I was crazy.
Dan Rubenstein 01:17:03 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:17:03 We're going to bring it back.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:17:05 855-837-22538-855-Verbal 3.
Dan Rubenstein 01:17:12 Eight five five verbal three
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:17:14 Give a call, we'll play the reverbs on the Saturday night stream, okay?
Dan Rubenstein 01:17:18 Okay, fair enough.
Dan Rubenstein 01:17:19 Now can I make a request?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:17:21 Please.
Dan Rubenstein 01:17:22 Now can you drop that big stanky convulsing drum and fife?
Dan Rubenstein 01:17:36 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:17:37 We forgot about the Patriot League games last week, Dan.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:17:40 Not the case this week.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:17:41 What do we got?
Dan Rubenstein 01:17:43 Well, Lafayette finally gets to open their season after last week's game against Georgetown was ruled a no-contest Lightning, I believe.
Dan Rubenstein 01:17:50 uh in their opener, slated to be at Multi-Sport Field.
Dan Rubenstein 01:17:53 Uh Lafayette's traveling to UConn, which I believe is being broadcast by UConnSports.
Dan Rubenstein 01:17:59 com
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:01 Don't know what's going on there.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:03 But Lafayette is taking on Jason Candle and the UConn Huskies.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:07 Uh Lafayette by a thousand.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:07 You pick it, you're a UConn Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:08 Lafayette by a thousand.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:09 Come on.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:10 Yeah, we gotta go Lafayette here.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:11 Not even close.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:11 You're a Lafayette legacy.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:13 Yeah, not until I'm
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:14 All right, 1230.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:16 Lehigh on the road at multi-sport field.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:19 Georgetown will see if the Lightning can be kept at bay here.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:21 I'm going Lehigh, even though it's at multi-sport field.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:24 New coach too for Lehigh, right?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:25 New coach, yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:26 They lose their coach, yep.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:27 Exciting new era, maybe not at all intimidated by the intimidation factor of multi-sport field.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:35 Give me Lehigh.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:36 Give me the Mountain Hawks
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:36 Is Georgetown in like has the the school year begun?
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:40 Are they in class?
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:43 Georgetown academic calendar Ty.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:45 Hard hitting facts you can only get on The Solid Verbal.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:48 It looks like classes don't start until I don't know, looks like the like September.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:56 It is September.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:18:57 Now it's September.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:57 It is September.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:59 I'm just looking.
Dan Rubenstein 01:18:59 So I think yeah, I think they're in they're in school.
Dan Rubenstein 01:19:02 Continue.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:03 Does that factor in?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:04 Are you going Lehigh or are you going Georgetown?
Dan Rubenstein 01:19:05 The changes everything.
Dan Rubenstein 01:19:07 I'm going Lehigh.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:08 1 p.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:09 m.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:09 Holy Cross at Colgate.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:11 Dan the Gators playing host of the Crossaders.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:13 Who you got?
Dan Rubenstein 01:19:15 Uh Gator's big, I think.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:19 I go holy cross, why not?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:20 330.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:21 Fordham on the road at North Dakota State.
Dan Rubenstein 01:19:24 Uh-oh.
Dan Rubenstein 01:19:26 We have a certain amount of experience watching Patriot League teams enter the Fargodome and it not going well.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:31 No.
Dan Rubenstein 01:19:31 North Dakota State's gonna win this one 51-3.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:33 I'm with you.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:34 Six PM.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:35 Villanova on the road at Bucknell.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:38 Villanova still recovering from that sucker punch of losing.
Dan Rubenstein 01:19:41 Oh, yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:42 When they gave up like 13 points in a minute and a half, whatever it was, I will say Villanova gets one over here on the Nellies.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:49 Gimme Nova.
Dan Rubenstein 01:19:49 Same, we agree.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:50 6 p.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:51 m.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:51 Richmond, the Spiders.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:53 I don't know why I said it like that.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:55 On the road at Howard.
Dan Rubenstein 01:19:55 Yeah
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:19:57 Give me Richmond.
Dan Rubenstein 01:19:58 Gimme Richmond as well, we agree.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:01 Last but certainly not least, Delaware State on the road at Bill and Mary.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:06 Bill and Mary maybe a little bit of a letdown after that historic win that came a week ago over Villanova.
Dan Rubenstein 01:20:14 Uh Delaware State all day.
Dan Rubenstein 01:20:16 You know who their head coach is, right?
Dan Rubenstein 01:20:18 DeSean Jackson.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:18 That's right.
Dan Rubenstein 01:20:19 Did a great job last year.
Dan Rubenstein 01:20:21 Give me Delaware State comfortably.
Dan Rubenstein 01:20:24 Yes.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:25 I'm on Bill and Mary.
Dan Rubenstein 01:20:26 Mm-mm.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:28 Okay.
Dan Rubenstein 01:20:29 There it is.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:29 There you have it, folks.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:30 Um, please make sure you rate, review, and subscribe so that you don't miss any of our episodes.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:35 As we said a couple times over now, we will be doing a live stream Saturday, midnight, Eastern, and I guess Sunday.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:41 technically midnight eastern.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:44 Wherever it is you may be, you can go on out to youtube.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:48 com slash at
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:49 Solidverbal.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:50 You can go to solidverbal.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:52 com slash stream.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:54 You can also go to smell tieshair.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:56 com.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:56 All will point you
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:20:58 To the live stream that we are doing as we react to all things Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in week one.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:21:06 We will cover the games from Sunday.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:21:09 And to our best ability Monday, when we record our next episode, which will drop on Monday night.
Dan Rubenstein 01:21:17 So are we talking about the Florida State SMU game on our Monday episode?
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:21:22 I think I think what we need to do is come up with a couple contingencies because we always find ourselves in this situation in week one.
Dan Rubenstein 01:21:23 Not?
Dan Rubenstein 01:21:31 I know.
Dan Rubenstein 01:21:31 We get like that Clemson Duke game, yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:21:34 Where they spread it out, and we can't be conclusive in our coverage because they haven't played all the games yet.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:21:41 So what we need to do is what you have done time and again.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:21:45 And come up with a couple contingencies and make sure our bases are covered.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:21:49 We can cover this game in advance.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:21:52 We could talk through the possibilities of what happens if.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:21:55 And that way we at least give ourselves a little bit of runway.
Dan Rubenstein 01:21:58 Look, if if SMU Florida State is awesome and it's newsworthy, we'll just sign on and record something like either late Monday night or Tuesday morning.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:05 Do a video or something.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:06 Yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 01:22:07 Yeah.
Dan Rubenstein 01:22:07 Yeah.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:08 We'll figure it out.
Dan Rubenstein 01:22:08 Absolutely.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:10 Thank you to one and all for joining, for downloading, for supporting.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:13 We're excited to have you with us on this Odyssey through the 2026 college football season Verballers.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:19 com is where you can go.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:20 You've got
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:21 A limited amount of time to get in on Run The Board, at Verballers.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:24 com, V-E-R-B-A-L-L-E-R-S.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:26 com to not only be part of the game, but support what we're doing here.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:29 We would greatly appreciate you giving that a look.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:31 As I said, rate review subscribe.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:33 That stuff really helps, Dan.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:35 Week one, baby.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:36 We're here.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:36 We made it.
Dan Rubenstein 01:22:37 We did it.
Dan Rubenstein 01:22:39 Secure your chute
Dan Rubenstein 01:22:41 Saturday, right?
Dan Rubenstein 01:22:42 There it is.
Dan Rubenstein 01:22:43 I can't do it!
Dan Rubenstein 01:22:44 You gotta go!
Dan Rubenstein 01:22:45 You gotta do it!
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:47 For that guy over there, Dan Rubenstein, for myself, Ty Hildenbrandt, thank you again for your ongoing support.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:53 We'll catch you all Saturday at midnight.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:55 Enjoy the game.
Ty Hildenbrandt 01:22:56 Stay solid.
Dan Rubenstein 01:22:57 Peace