2026-09-30 Week 5 Picks - Alabama-Mississippi State and the SEC Slate (raw)

00:00 I'm gonna treat myself, I think.

00:02 Wash the glasses?

00:04 Yeah, yeah, it needs it.

00:07 Got my microfiber

00:08 cloth.

00:19 I've got a good uh maybe I'll save it for tomorrow's show.

00:22 Good Bad Idea

00:23 Jeans.

00:25 Uh

00:28 situation.

00:29 Okay.

00:30 I have to return my lease car

00:31 at the end of this month or at the end of October.

00:34 And there's a tiny little dent in the back.

00:36 I'm like, all right,

00:37 I'm gonna

00:38 I'm gonna at least invest $15

00:40 on one of those dent tools.

00:43 See if it works.

00:45 See if it works.

00:46 I know.

00:46 The one where you have to affix

00:48 it with like Gorilla

00:49 Glue to try and pull it out?

00:50 No, I don't think it's a good one.

00:51 Or is it the suction cup one?

00:52 I think it's a suction-cup, vacuum-y

00:54 type situation.

00:55 Okay.

00:56 I think it flushes the air once you

00:57 affix

00:58 it.

00:58 Um

01:00 I mean, whatever.

01:01 Uh, I also just got some rubbing compound for a a scrape, I think Jody

01:05 put on it in the garage.

01:06 I think that's

01:06 I know I know

01:07 that's higher percentage of working

01:09 Yeah, I know somebody who tried to repair a dent, couldn't do it, and then thought it wise to like

01:15 basically put spackle

01:17 over it.

01:18 Oh yeah.

01:18 And try to paint over top of it, and then it fell when they closed the door.

01:22 Yeah.

01:23 Uh

01:24 I just don't really want to rent or lease a Mazda again.

01:26 And so they'll like they'll waive certain things if you lease a new car.

01:30 Yeah.

01:31 But

01:31 But whatever.

01:33 Um, okay.

01:34 I have speed.

01:35 I have speed.

01:36 I have speed.

01:37 Is there a doc?

01:38 You never sent me a doc.

01:39 I did send you a doc.

01:42 I don't think you did.

01:43 Well, maybe you did.

01:44 I did

01:45 Uh

01:47 no, I think

01:49 I didn't.

01:50 Hold on

01:50 ,

01:50 hold on.

01:52 I I think you made it, Doc.

01:54 Hold on.

01:54 Yesterday

01:55 doc

01:56 ten

01:56 fifty three.

01:57 It was just a link.

01:58 Yeah, there it is.

01:59 Okay.

01:59 That's fine.

02:00 I mean I studied all the games.

02:01 I was gonna say I'm sure you're

02:02 you're good to go.

02:03 I I don't have any issue, but

02:05 I mean, we'll probably be better if we just sort of wing it anyway, but

02:10 um

02:10 yeah, the ones that I had at the top were Bama, Mississippi State,

02:14 Ohio State, Iowa, Florida, Missouri, Miami, Clemson.

02:19 And then I just

02:20 real quick the Friday night games since they were interesting.

02:23 Or

02:23 good games, yeah.

02:24 Yeah.

02:24 Penn State-Northwestern and then Pitt-Virginia Tech.

02:27 And then I just did quads.

02:29 Um

02:31 Which I should figure out where my Quadfathers' sound is.

02:34 It keeps

02:35 eluding me.

02:40 Alright.

02:41 Excuse me.

02:42 Let's do it.

02:43 Ready

02:44 to roll?

02:45 Uh

02:45 yes, I have seven hours and thirty-four minutes.

02:49 I have

02:51 Plenty of gigabytes on my hard drive.

02:53 We're good.

02:54 Alright.

02:55 I am rolling.

02:56 Here we go.

02:57 Let's see if I can time this up right at the mark.

02:59 Mark

02:59 will

02:59 go in.

03:03 Three, two.

03:06 Dan Rubenstein, I have good news for you as it relates to college football week five.

03:10 You know I love good news, Ty.

03:12 Hit me.

03:13 I will

03:14 be

03:15 gracing

03:16 with my presence

03:19 the entire Chicago metropolitan area this weekend.

03:21 I am flying in on Friday morning.

03:24 We're going to be going to the Penn State Northwestern game.

03:26 If anybody out there is going to that game, give us a shout.

03:28 Solidverbal at gmail.

03:30 com.

03:30 I will then be watching the games with you.

03:32 throughout the day on Saturday

03:35 again

03:35 gracing you and your wonderful family with my presence

03:39 yeah

03:39 and then we'll be doing the live show

03:43 Ty

03:43 will be going to various tailgates

03:45 uh

03:45 if invited

03:46 and he will be asking tailgators to describe for him what they're handing him and he wants to be told in like a Top Chef way

03:55 Uh, so what we have here is

03:57 a

03:58 a cheeseburger.

03:59 The American cheese is from Jewel

04:01 Osco.

04:02 Um

04:03 No, it's ties

04:04 ties

04:04 very cool.

04:05 Uh

04:06 but if you're gonna be there, let us know.

04:07 We'd love to uh to break some bread and say hi.

04:10 We'll be wandering around.

04:11 I know a bunch of people going.

04:12 It's a big

04:13 time

04:13 uh

04:14 social

04:14 event.

04:15 Is it a who's who?

04:16 Can we call it a who's

04:17 who?

04:17 Buddy, it's a

04:18 I think it might be closing in.

04:20 There's a couple names I gotta hear about.

04:23 Could be a who's who, absolutely.

04:25 I'd love to be part of a who's who.

04:27 Well, hey, welcome in one and all.

04:29 It's a who's

04:30 who

04:30 here on The Solid Verbal.

04:32 We're going to be previewing all things week five.

04:34 We've got a bunch of games on our docket.

04:36 I am excited to go through this with you.

04:38 Please check us out at Verballers.com. Verballers.com.

04:43 That of course is our Patreon.

04:45 That of course

04:46 is where you can play for

04:47 fabulous prizes, Dan Rubenstein, in a little game we like to call Run

04:52 the Board.

04:52 At time of recording.

04:54 Yeah.

04:55 At the time of recording, I actually don't know what

04:58 $150

04:59 gift card we're going to give away this week.

05:03 So this is open for deliberation as we go through this episode.

05:07 This is entirely organic.

05:09 We did not script this.

05:10 Yeah.

05:11 I do not have in front of me

05:13 any

05:14 great brands.

05:14 So uh

05:15 we can come up with it as we go through the show if

05:17 you

05:17 Be interested in doing so.

05:18 I don't know what your theme is for this week, so maybe we could do something around that.

05:22 Well, top of mind, Mrs.

05:23 Fields, right?

05:24 Colin, go hog wild with the cookie.

05:26 Here's 150 bucks.

05:28 Um, all right, we'll figure it out throughout the uh the episode.

05:31 I do have a theme.

05:32 I was trying to, you know, some weeks are more difficult than others, and this one I did have a little bit of trouble with, uh, but

05:39 I was looking at a number of teams.

05:41 Namely, and I if I may, Ty.

05:43 Please, of course.

05:43 I was looking at teams playing interesting games this week.

05:46 And so I come across

05:48 Wisconsin, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, UCF, Stanford, Minnesota, Florida, Georgia State.

05:53 How about that?

05:54 Go

05:54 Panthers.

05:55 Kentucky, Oregon State, Baylor, Cincinnati.

05:58 What do those teams have in common?

06:00 Great question.

06:01 They're all playing interesting games.

06:03 To me, those are teams

06:05 with

06:06 good

06:07 to

06:07 novel

06:08 Fun

06:09 vibes

06:10 right now.

06:11 Okay.

06:11 Wisconsin coming off of the Penn State win, for instance.

06:14 Northwestern right there with the defending national champ.

06:17 Virginia Tech, 4-0, new coach.

06:19 They've been wandering around kind of distraught these past couple

06:22 years.

06:22 Uh, Mississippi State

06:24 has had some downtimes recently.

06:25 UCF, kind of a struggle bus.

06:27 Stanford, real down these past couple of years.

06:30 Minnesota, unable to break through perhaps against some of the bigger brands in the Big Ten.

06:35 They have what?

06:36 Michigan this.

06:36 week correct

06:37 sure yeah

06:38 florida

06:39 new coach

06:41 vibes

06:41 have been down

06:42 there

06:43 was

06:43 i you can I can go through all of the you know i

06:45 Oregon State it's been a mess

06:47 a lot of these teams have been in different ways to different extents

06:51 Wandering through the desert.

06:53 But

06:54 right

06:55 now, all of those teams, Georgia State, one of the most improved teams in the nation, three and one, Dell McGee.

07:02 All of those teams with vibes high

07:05 kind of are thinking, yes, we've been wandering through the desert, but could that be water?

07:11 Could that be an oasis coming up

07:14 because they have a chance this week to further cement

07:18 the good

07:19 vibes

07:19 on Sahara Saturday, Colin, is that

07:23 water

07:29 That's me saying

07:31 please

07:32 Once again.

07:37 You didn't do that in front of your family, did you?

07:39 They might send the authorities over to make sure you're alright.

07:42 I did not do that.

07:43 I did that 17 minutes ago.

07:44 Okay, good.

07:45 Good

07:46 Welcome to Sahara

07:47 Saturday, Ty

07:48 Colin.

07:48 I what did I say?

07:49 Please let that be water.

07:50 I hope that's water.

07:51 Something like that.

07:52 Does that track?

07:53 Does that track for those teams?

07:55 Sahara Saturday, please let there be water.

07:58 I think so.

07:59 I mean, I was also

08:00 zeroing in on a on a sense of desperation

08:03 In a way, which also

08:05 I think would work.

08:06 Please let that be water.

08:07 Yeah.

08:08 For your theme, right?

08:09 Like

08:10 Auburn and Tennessee are two teams that I think need something good to happen.

08:14 This week.

08:15 Louisville.

08:16 Louisville

08:16 needs something good to happen.

08:18 They need to respond to the loss that they had a week ago, and there is some confusion, or confusion is probably the wrong word, but some questions, let's say, regarding

08:26 I agree.

08:27 Uh, Lincoln Kienholz and his injury status, Penn State.

08:30 You mentioned Northwestern, I'll mention Penn State.

08:32 They need something good to happen

08:34 after that Northwestern or after that Wisconsin game, but now they're going in Northwestern to open a new stadium.

08:39 Like Clemson

08:40 fits here.

08:41 Michigan probably fits here.

08:42 Texas A&M.

08:43 Texas A&M

08:44 only favored by 14 at home against Arkansas.

08:47 Definitely.

08:48 Need something good to happen so

08:49 Texas A&M is in the desert right now.

08:51 They are eating a literal sand witch, right?

08:54 I don't know if the waters

08:56 Is running.

08:56 I don't know if it's trickling through.

08:58 No, so I think that works on both sides of it.

09:01 Sahara

09:02 Saturday, one that we have not done.

09:04 Yeah, it definitely works both sides.

09:06 Sahara

09:06 Saturday, Colin.

09:07 I hope that's water.

09:09 Again, solidverbal@gmail.com is the email address.

09:12 Verballers.com is where you can go and sign up to play in the Pick'em

09:16 game.

09:16 You pick 12 games against the spread.

09:18 You also get these episodes

09:19 ad-free.

09:21 Bonus episodes available every Thursday.

09:24 Get 'em a little bit early.

09:26 Yeah.

09:27 Come play in

09:27 our

09:28 fun games and also be part of the Discord

09:30 server, Dan.

09:30 I you know, I'm I'm stammering here because I just want to get into this week of games.

09:34 I'm pretty excited.

09:35 Shall we dance?

09:36 Yeah.

09:37 Damn, time, help.

09:40 I need

09:40 picks of the week.

09:43 Uh

09:45 whoa, whoa,

09:46 fired up.

09:47 From

09:48 this, Dan.

09:48 Okay.

09:49 That was from the diaphragm.

09:50 Give us a call

09:51 this weekend as you're watching games

09:53 855-Verbal 3.

09:55 That's 855-837-2253.

09:57 Two of the last three weeks on the Reverb Line have been money.

10:01 They have been absolute fire, as the kids say.

10:04 Yeah.

10:05 Give us a shout.

10:06 We want to hear from you.

10:08 As this

10:08 wonderful week of games on Sahara

10:11 Saturday is unfolding.

10:12 Let's start at high noon Eastern, ABC, number seven, Alabama, a six-point road favorite.

10:19 Squaring off against the number sixteen

10:22 Mississippi State Bulldogs.

10:26 Yeah.

10:26 Well, okay

10:28 Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy

10:30 on the call.

10:31 If this isn't a fun little matchup that we never saw coming like a month ago.

10:36 Yep.

10:37 I don't want to put the cart before the horse.

10:40 But I'm gonna do it here for a second.

10:41 If we can have just a little bit of real talk.

10:45 Okay.

10:47 Can you imagine if Mississippi State wins this?

10:51 Can I imagine what exactly?

10:53 Like the the frenzied atmosphere that we'd have in Starkville?

10:56 Well that

10:57 we're gonna have a frenzied atmosphere one way or another.

10:59 Or just them talking

11:01 afterwards.

11:01 Yeah.

11:02 Bigger picture.

11:03 Mm-hmm.

11:04 The narratives that would follow, the storylines that would come as a result, maybe some panic breaking out elsewhere in the SEC.

11:13 This would be a unanimous top 10 Mississippi State if they win this.

11:17 game.

11:18 Sounds right.

11:19 Yeah.

11:20 And I think our entire concept of what the SEC

11:24 would be in 2026 sort of goes up in smoke.

11:27 Doesn't mean anything.

11:28 It doesn't mean that Alabama's not a good team, but it means that, hey guys, we're on notice here about Mississippi State.

11:34 This

11:34 for sure is like a big

11:35 time

11:36 proof of concept game for them.

11:38 And a measuring stick for where they're at as a program right now.

11:41 Yeah.

11:42 Great vibes.

11:44 Kamario Taylor playing at a Heisman

11:46 level.

11:47 You win this game though

11:48 at home

11:49 as a dog.

11:50 Suddenly the conversation changes in a very serious way

11:54 So I'm excited to see what this one has in store.

11:57 I'm not sure I'm fully buying in on Mississippi State's ability to win this game, but this is interesting on a million different levels, most of which I'm very excited about.

12:08 Where are you at here?

12:09 Okay, the game does not fit to me the like

12:12 home dog

12:12 with a good defense in a frenzied atmosphere because I don't think Mississippi State's defense is quite on the level of what I'd consider to be like, don't overlook this team because of their defense.

12:23 That's not who they are.

12:24 That's not what they're driven by or led by.

12:26 And that's okay because their defense is wildly improved in a number of different areas from where it was with the return of Zach Arnett running the show.

12:33 Sidebar.

12:34 I know he's had a mustache forever, but the look of the mustache and the tucked-in

12:38 shirt, like

12:40 he's going for something.

12:42 I don't know what it is.

12:44 But I dig it, Ty.

12:46 I dig whatever he's going for.

12:48 It's

12:49 it's definitely a look.

12:50 You're like, what

12:50 a little bit of like a Ted Lasso

12:52 thing, right?

12:53 Something.

12:53 Well, he's got the the buzz shaved head, so it's that's a little bit different.

12:57 Um

12:58 I don't know.

12:59 I don't know if it's like old-timey power lifter

13:02 from the 30s.

13:03 There's something.

13:04 Anyway, they've done a good job.

13:06 The interesting thing about Mississippi State, who I think is going to have a number of advantages in this game, is Kamario

13:13 Taylor, rightfully, as the quarterback, gets the lion's share of the attention.

13:17 Maybe the most consistent thing about this offense though has been on the ground with Fluff Bothwell.

13:22 They ha

13:23 Kamario

13:23 Taylor is terrific.

13:24 When he throws downfield, they're great.

13:27 He's accurate.

13:27 He's confident.

13:28 But this is not a downfield passing attack.

13:31 It's a lot of short stuff, a lot of

13:32 to the perimeter, and it's great because it's working.

13:35 Um

13:35 I'm curious to see what Alabama looks like against the run.

13:38 I'm curious to see when Mississippi State picks

13:41 its spots.

13:42 I'm curious to see Kamario Taylor's health. He left the game against Mizzou.

13:45 I think he had his foot wrapped.

13:47 So it's not just about we know he's gonna play, but it's how comfortable

13:51 is he extending plays, how comfortable is he scrambling, because that's a part of their offense.

13:56 And if he is at all hampered or is all noticeably, you know, favoring one side and not willing to do certain aspects or certain parts of his game.

14:05 That changes the calculus for the Mississippi State offense.

14:08 And I haven't seen a lot mentioned, which makes me think that he's probably okay.

14:13 Um, but and we're hoping he is, but that's something I'm monitoring in this game because Alabama's pass rush.

14:19 can be

14:20 at times

14:21 pretty lethal.

14:22 On the other side, Keelon Russell looks to me like he is in the top group of quarterbacks.

14:29 Especially

14:31 with regard

14:32 to

14:32 not missing an open guy.

14:34 Like you'll see clips sometimes like this guy was running free and he was missed.

14:37 This guy was running.

14:38 Keelon Russell has a sense for the field in a way that young quarterbacks don't necessarily.

14:45 And he's

14:45 his footwork is great.

14:47 He's able to buy time well enough.

14:48 Obviously, he's crazy athletic.

14:50 He

14:51 he looks as lethal a

14:52 as a a young quarterback as we've seen out of a young quarterback in recent years.

14:56 He's scary, scary good and is

14:58 only going to improve.

15:00 This is a different kind of test though, right?

15:02 This is a composure test.

15:03 This is a you know a

15:04 a confusing defense at its

15:06 best kind of test for Alabama in the passing attack.

15:09 Uh

15:10 Kalen

15:10 DeBoer

15:11 and Bama

15:11 haven't always been nails on the road these past few years.

15:14 It's fine.

15:16 I think the Alabama team is a better team right now.

15:20 Mizzou

15:20 dominated, like

15:21 maybe dominated is too strong a word.

15:23 Mizzou really sort of

15:26 was

15:27 the

15:28 the team dictating pace of play and

15:31 terms of the game last week against Mississippi State for basically the middle twenty-four, whatever, middle thirty.

15:37 Um

15:39 I don't think this is luck running out because I don't think Mississippi State is a lucky team.

15:43 I think Alabama is a better team.

15:45 What's the number

15:46 six?

15:47 Six, yeah.

15:48 I think Alabama covers this game.

15:50 Yeah.

15:51 I think

15:52 I think there is enough to Alabama

15:55 to

15:55 withstand a couple of the big plays.

15:58 I think it's going to be difficult for Mississippi State to be efficient in this game.

16:02 And I think Alabama's potential for bigger, more explosive plays more often is more pronounced.

16:09 So I'm going to say Alabama takes this one

16:12 34

16:13 to 24.

16:15 I'm glad you brought that up about the Mississippi State offense because I jotted down a similar note.

16:20 I think

16:21 given all of the media attention on the quarterback,

16:25 it's been easy to overlook some of the other things that they're doing really well on offense.

16:29 offense.

16:29 Fluff has been great.

16:31 They've been more than just a one-trick

16:33 pony.

16:34 They truly have.

16:35 They're actually a touch better than Alabama, both in terms of yards per play and points per drive, which is something we

16:41 Yeah.

16:41 Often

16:42 look at.

16:43 It's a good offense.

16:44 It's a good offense.

16:45 It's well-rounded.

16:46 They also have good receivers.

16:48 They're not a one-trick

16:49 pony.

16:50 I want to dispel

16:51 that

16:52 notion right away

16:53 because

16:53 my hunch is as people start getting familiarized with Mississippi State, I've seen this before.

16:58 I've I've been part of this show for too long.

17:00 I know how people react to teams that are a surprise.

17:05 This is more than just one player.

17:07 So get that out of your mind before you go any deeper with it.

17:10 The bigger question for me is actually the Mississippi State defensive front.

17:14 Mm-hmm.

17:15 Because they're depleted.

17:16 They've had some losses up front.

17:18 Yeah.

17:19 In that sense, I think what Alabama

17:22 wants to do

17:23 and their renewed emphasis

17:26 on their ground game

17:28 is something that we could see have a real impact here.

17:32 You combine that with Keelon Russell, as you mentioned, his ability to navigate the pocket,

17:39 extend

17:39 plays.

17:40 I think that creates a real mismatch here.

17:43 Yeah.

17:43 I think the matchup for me that favors Alabama is the trenches.

17:47 Like I'm not expecting them to go out there and blow the doors off Mississippi State.

17:51 I think this will be a competitive game.

17:52 Yeah.

17:53 I just feel like

17:54 The vibes in this one, if you're watching at home, will be like, oh, uh

18:00 like why can't Mississippi State get Alabama off the field?

18:04 Yeah.

18:04 It's gonna feel like they're on the field forever.

18:06 This one to me ultimately is won on third downs.

18:10 Bama

18:11 's defense has been markedly better than anything

18:14 state has seen so far this season.

18:16 They're also really good at getting off the field.

18:18 I think Bama

18:19 is good enough to win that matchup

18:21 and good enough to get enough stops here to

18:24 Tilt things in their favor.

18:25 I also have them covering on the road.

18:27 But I think it's a good game.

18:29 Like I don't think this is a blowout.

18:30 I don't think this is anything like

18:32 It wouldn't surprise me if we have the conversation late on Saturday night

18:37 and we're like, yeah, Mississippi State lost, but

18:41 They were very competitive.

18:43 Yeah.

18:43 They proved out that they're not just going to be a flash in the pan and that what we've seen through the month of September isn't a fluke.

18:50 Right.

18:50 I got it at 38

18:51 -27, maybe with like a late touchdown by Bama

18:55 to either cover the spread or put a little bit more separation between the two, but I'm expecting a lot of points.

19:00 Frankly, I think if you're on the side of Mississippi State here, the only way they could win is if this turns into a track meet.

19:07 I don't think defensively they're going to be strong enough to contain Keelon Russell on the Bama

19:11 offense.

19:11 Right.

19:11 And what I think the Bama

19:12 offense is going to do on the ground, but um

19:14 A lot of points for me, 38-27.

19:16 I think Bama wins and covers.

19:18 Yeah, I think the point

19:19 you made about

19:20 what Mississippi State doesn't fully have up front is a good one because Alabama hasn't

19:25 protected Keelon Russell up front to like a perfect level.

19:29 No.

19:29 They've been vulnerable in terms of pressuring, I think,

19:33 especially on the left side, left edge.

19:36 Um

19:37 Like he's had to, Keelon Russell has had to dodge, has had to move through the pocket, has had to escape the pocket

19:44 some

19:44 because it has not been a clean situation up front for Alabama.

19:48 Um

19:48 should also note that like

19:51 Good for Bama, and I guess maybe bad for Mississippi State in a very backwards way that Mississippi State has looked as impressive as they have this year

19:59 because

20:00 an unbelievable look-ahead spot for Alabama with Georgia next.

20:03 week.

20:04 Well that's true.

20:05 But no longer

20:06 because obviously

20:07 Mississippi State and Kamario

20:08 Taylor

20:09 uh

20:10 have Alabama's full attention.

20:11 So

20:12 Yeah.

20:13 I

20:13 I

20:13 it's hard to say anything in terms of it being look-ahead, but that is looming for Alabama and you know Mississippi State has certainly earned their way into

20:22 uh

20:23 where

20:23 wherever they're gonna be in our minds.

20:25 If I felt better about the defense, I'd go Mississippi State.

20:28 And I did look

20:29 pretty intently at that look

20:30 ahead spot.

20:32 I couldn't get past the defense.

20:34 Yeah.

20:34 The defense was the thing.

20:35 So what's your final here?

20:37 34-24.

20:38 34-24.

20:40 Okay, so we're both 10-11 in that range.

20:42 But I think a competitive game.

20:43 Same.

20:44 Competitive game through and through and a fun one.

20:46 To say the least.

20:47 Let's go to 330 on CBS.

20:50 This is Brad Nessler, Charles Davis.

20:52 It is number five, Ohio State.

20:55 On the road at number 14, Iowa.

20:58 Ohio State is a 14

21:00 and one

21:00 half

21:01 point road favorite, Dan.

21:02 Woohoo!

21:03 That's a big number.

21:04 Yeah.

21:05 Double digits.

21:06 Ohio State has not visited Iowa City

21:11 since the infamous 55-24 game back in Year of Our Lord 2017.

21:17 Is that Nate Stanley?

21:18 Yeah, buddy.

21:19 Yeah, buddy.

21:21 The interesting part here is not so much the question of

21:24 can history repeat itself?

21:26 At least not for my money.

21:28 The question for me is

21:30 how evolved

21:31 actually

21:33 is this Iowa

21:34 offense?

21:35 How in

21:36 how

21:36 evolved are they actually?

21:38 And should we trust what we saw on the last drive a week ago?

21:42 We're not gonna act like this offense is going gangbusters this year.

21:46 Right.

21:47 But

21:48 I like their receivers.

21:49 Hank Brown has been pretty good.

21:52 They're still running the ball and playing defense.

21:55 Even if they ratchet things up like a half-notch on the offensive side of the ball.

22:00 That invokes questions, I think, when we do these previews, especially a big one like this.

22:05 There's a big game.

22:06 I believe GameDay is going to be in town.

22:07 Yeah, at Iowa City.

22:08 Believe so.

22:09 Yep.

22:10 14 and a half, though, is a very, very big number

22:14 if you are on the road, if you are Ohio State, if nothing more, against a team that always knows how to play defense.

22:21 Yep.

22:23 What's your reaction to fourteen and a half?

22:26 Sounds about right.

22:27 I mean this was uh

22:28 an Iowa

22:29 offense that you can say like okay what they did at the end of the game

22:32 in driving the field

22:34 uh

22:34 was super impressive.

22:35 Zero offensive points until that fourth quarter against Michigan, right?

22:39 Right, correct.

22:41 So

22:42 I don't know how much is actually solved.

22:44 They had to behave like at that at the end of the game, having to go, what was it, 91 yards?

22:49 Ninety one yards.

22:49 At the end?

22:50 91 yards.

22:51 46

22:52 seconds.

22:52 Okay.

22:53 I don't think that means things have changed too dramatically offensively.

22:58 Okay.

22:59 I think winning is a skill.

23:01 I think we should laud Iowa

23:03 for what they were able to accomplish.

23:06 I'm not selling any of that short, but

23:09 still.

23:11 I mean, how many

23:12 points

23:13 I kind of am selling it short is what you're saying.

23:15 Well no, I'm just

23:16 I just don't think they've turned a corner necessarily.

23:19 In a way, if we're going to talk about it in the context of playing against Ohio State, and

23:24 what did you say the line was?

23:25 Fourteen and one

23:26 half American points.

23:28 So

23:29 If we're just saying like, okay, a vaguely

23:32 pretty good team needs to stay within a couple touchdowns of Ohio State, and granted it's at home for Iowa, like what does that point total look like with whatever you perceive Ohio State's offense to be?

23:44 Somewhere near its best.

23:46 Right.

23:46 Seventeen points?

23:48 Twenty

23:48 points?

23:49 No, we haven't had like a ton of evidence this season that Ohio State is definitely capable

23:56 of

23:56 doing more

23:58 than Julian

23:59 Sayin

23:59 throwing down the field to Jeremiah Smith in a dominant way.

24:03 Right.

24:03 Decent ways.

24:04 Pretty good ways.

24:06 Promising ways, you know, new receivers, young receivers, deeper running backs, interesting tight ends.

24:13 Absolutely, absolutely true.

24:15 Julian Sayin, accurate, dynamic, sure, absolutely

24:18 But what is the Ohio State offense beyond that?

24:21 A lot of the times it doesn't matter.

24:22 But if the defense is as good as Iowa

24:25 's

24:26 Usually is, should continue to be this season.

24:29 Now remember Bryce Underwood maybe had his best game as a Wolverine last week against this defense

24:34 going downfield.

24:35 Right.

24:36 Hot take.

24:37 Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith is more dangerous than what Michigan could offer in the passing game.

24:42 So

24:43 different offense, different situation, different venue.

24:46 I, you know, there's a lot of differences here.

24:49 Point being, it may not take a ton.

24:53 It may not, you know, that that

24:55 you you may not need a ton of variety to score and distance yourself if Iowa

25:00 's offense is somewhere around where it's been.

25:03 I have Ohio State winning this game.

25:05 Shocker, I know.

25:08 The number's interesting to me

25:10 though.

25:10 Yeah.

25:11 I'm not positive.

25:13 They're so fully baked on both sides of the ball that it's obvious that they're just going to win this game 31-3.

25:22 I think I'm with you on that one.

25:25 I've got Ohio State winning.

25:26 I've got Ohio State winning.

25:28 But like there are some

25:30 statistical nuances that we could point out.

25:32 And it's early.

25:34 Somebody wrote in and said, How late is

25:36 too late for

25:37 us to stop calling it early?

25:38 Or is like when do we stop calling it early?

25:41 Um

25:41 I still think it's early in terms of stats.

25:44 I don't.

25:45 Sure.

25:45 In terms of data points and in terms of sample size, yes.

25:49 We're in October

25:50 as in in terms of when this game is kicking off.

25:52 Once you're in October, it's not early on in the season.

25:54 We're in the middle part of the season.

25:56 It's early enough though in the stat

25:58 profiles to not know fully.

26:00 Sure.

26:00 If what we're seeing is real.

26:02 So like I pulled out a few things that to me

26:04 were interesting.

26:05 Ohio State allowed over six yards per carry against Illinois.

26:09 I think the number can be a bit misleading, if I'm being honest, but there were a handful of longer runs in that game.

26:15 I saw some of the post-game or midweek commentary here, Ohio State talking about problems with gap discipline.

26:21 Okay.

26:22 Make of that what you will.

26:23 For what it's worth, Iowa

26:24 averages close to seven yards per rush if you take out the sacks.

26:28 So they've been very good at running the ball

26:30 news flash.

26:31 That's been basically the story at Iowa

26:33 since like the corporate

26:34 all opponents?

26:35 Is that against power

26:36 conference opponents?

26:37 I mean I don't

26:38 you know

26:40 The other thing that I'm watching is the red

26:42 zone

26:42 because Ohio State has scored a touchdown about three quarters of the time they get down into the red zone.

26:49 Small sample on the Iowa

26:50 side, but they've allowed just two touchdowns

26:53 when they're defending against a team that is in the red zone.

26:55 Iowa

26:56 would be thrilled.

26:57 Thrilled if the Ohio State got down into the red zone and they're forcing three.

27:01 Yeah.

27:02 Instead of sevens.

27:03 That will clearly come into

27:05 some play here.

27:06 I don't know to what end, but

27:08 just something to call out there.

27:10 I just think on the Iowa

27:12 side

27:13 Whether they're evolved or not, the style of play is always such that there is

27:19 so slim a margin for error, it makes it really hard to beat a team like an Ohio State that

27:25 can beat you so many different ways.

27:27 Yeah.

27:28 It is cliche

27:29 at this point to say that defending Jeremiah Smith is a problem, but I think Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin

27:35 are going to be a problem here.

27:36 Um, plus

27:37 they've got some uncertainty on the back end of their own defense.

27:40 I just think Ohio State has too much firepower.

27:42 I also think Ohio State could go in with the mindset of trying to force Hank Brown to beat him.

27:47 No disrespect to Hank Brown.

27:49 Hank Brown had a very good week

27:51 or a very good drive, let's say, last week.

27:54 I would like that matchup a great deal

27:56 if I were an Ohio State fan.

27:59 I'm just hesitant about Iowa's ability to move this ball consistently

28:03 against an Ohio State defense that, you know, maybe is allowing some yards on the ground and maybe is still finding its way with

28:09 you know, a new cast of starters, but

28:12 I don't know.

28:13 I I don't see Ohio State losing.

28:15 I am expecting Iowa

28:17 to keep this one tight.

28:19 Probably without actually feeling like they can win, if that makes sense to you.

28:23 Well, what's the number?

28:24 What's the number that all

28:25 that Iowa

28:25 needs to get to where you're like, I mean I think it's fourteen.

28:29 To cover, to cover it's 14.

28:31 Yeah.

28:31 I've got it at 27-16, Ohio State.

28:35 A nine point win?

28:36 So they score

28:37 27

28:38 -16 would be an eleven

28:39 point win.

28:41 Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.

28:42 No, it's okay.

28:43 I went to a state school myself as well.

28:45 Uh

28:45 27

28:46 -16 is my final.

28:48 I

28:49 I think Iowa's gonna do a decent job against this Ohio State offense.

28:53 I just don't know where they're scoring points and how they're scoring points and like

28:56 That's it's coming pick six, and we've seen some early Julian Sayin

28:59 struggles against some of the better defenses he's played, or a special teams moment like they had last week against Michigan.

29:05 That's the only way I see them getting beyond the mid-teens

29:08 in this game.

29:10 I've got it at 16

29:12 points for Iowa, either because of a touchdown and three field goals or two touchdowns

29:18 and a safety.

29:19 Okay.

29:20 Both of which would be extremely Iowa, if I'm being honest.

29:24 Of course.

29:25 What's your final here?

29:27 I went back and forth on this one.

29:29 Uh

29:29 I have it

29:31 I

29:31 uh

29:31 originally

29:32 before I saw the line, I just

29:33 I try to do that blindly and then I see like what the line is and like okay that's my pick.

29:37 Um, I had this at 27-13.

29:39 Okay.

29:39 So we're about the same.

29:41 We're about the same.

29:42 They scored 23

29:43 against Texas.

29:44 A very

29:45 what we

29:45 what we think is going to be a very good defense when all is said and done over the

29:48 course of the season.

29:49 I think they are a more evolved team since then.

29:51 They've been able to self-diagnose issues.

29:53 Um

29:54 so if I'm saying twenty

29:55 seven

29:55 thirteen, I'm saying by the hair of their teeth.

29:58 Is that

29:59 chiny chin chin, whatever?

30:01 Skin of their teeth, Iowa

30:02 covers in this game.

30:03 They played two years ago when Ohio State won the national championship.

30:06 They won by twenty-eight

30:08 in Columbus.

30:08 Technically speaking.

30:10 Technically speaking, Ohio State has not won in Iowa

30:13 City since two thousand six because the two thousand ten

30:15 game was vacated.

30:16 Yeah.

30:17 Right, right.

30:17 Um

30:19 But

30:19 look, it's gonna be a a

30:21 an amazing atmosphere here.

30:23 And so I think we're gonna see a slow starting game.

30:26 And

30:27 Iowa State barely, barely, barely.

30:29 In a letdown moment, to be clear, for Iowa

30:31 State, but you're or for Iowa, you're always going to be ready for a game like this.

30:35 27

30:35 -13.

30:36 It's a big 330 block

30:37 as we go on over to

30:39 the ABC game with Joe Tess and Jesse Palmer.

30:43 Number eight, Florida, all the way up to number eight.

30:45 By virtue of their win a week ago over Ole Miss, they

30:48 are a five and a half

30:49 point road favorite at number 25

30:52 Mizzou.

30:52 Still in the top 25.

30:55 The Missouri Tigers, Dan.

30:57 Another quality loss

30:58 notched in the bedpost.

31:01 I like Florida here, if only

31:04 because I am not

31:05 vibing with Mizzou.

31:07 I didn't like them at the start of the year.

31:09 I still don't like them now.

31:11 Nothing personal.

31:13 Just talking about the football team.

31:14 I have no reason to root against the Missouri Tigers.

31:19 In terms of my prognostication though.

31:21 Sure.

31:22 I'm out.

31:23 I'm out.

31:23 Well, I'm not sure why they're ranked.

31:25 I don't know why they're ranked.

31:26 Okay, that's

31:27 that's fine.

31:27 That's a totally fair point.

31:28 I'm just

31:29 the only the only thing I'll say about Mizzou

31:31 is

31:31 If you love where Mississippi State is at, they really took it to them for a chunk of that game.

31:37 Well, they did.

31:38 They did.

31:39 And I think that's fair.

31:40 I don't think they're getting blown out here by Florida or anything like that.

31:45 I do think their defense is actually a little bit better than I expected.

31:48 I don't think this is a bad team at all.

31:51 I just don't think they should be ranked.

31:53 And apparently I'm still not as high on Mizzou as everybody else.

31:57 For me,

31:58 the recurring theme this week again

32:00 applies.

32:01 The recurring theme as I went through all these matchups

32:04 was let's look at the trenches.

32:06 Let's look at the trenches and let's look at the ground games.

32:08 And let's see what we can find.

32:09 Florida ran for over 300 yards against Ole Miss

32:12 last week.

32:13 And

32:14 they're at close to six yards per carry if you take out all the sacks.

32:18 They've been getting it done.

32:19 They've been very efficient as a ground team.

32:21 Mizzou

32:22 has also been pretty good against the run as a defense.

32:26 My concern, though, is them having to overcommit to the run and then not having the juice elsewhere to get pressure on Aaron Philo.

32:36 When he has to pass, right?

32:37 Yeah.

32:38 In this game, especially, it looks like two edge defenders, Darrell Smith and Langdon Kitchen, are both questionable at time of recording.

32:48 The Florida line has only given up two sacks all season long.

32:51 They've been undisciplined, too many penalties, but very productive.

32:56 They've been able to protect Aaron Philo.

32:58 So I look at that and I say, okay, that's

33:01 potentially an issue.

33:03 Then you factor in, it looks like Eric Singleton.

33:06 The wide receiver

33:08 is going to be back from his ankle injury.

33:10 Right.

33:10 Vernell Brown III, VB3, as I call him.

33:12 I don't know if they call him that, but I like calling him that.

33:15 His status

33:16 still something of a mystery.

33:18 A little bit nicked up.

33:20 I think if Florida is healthy enough to add one or two of those vertical threats out wide to this offense, that's a real problem for Mizzou.

33:28 I'm not convinced Mizzou can stop both the run and whatever vertical presence they have in that passing game.

33:34 And Aaron Philo has been pretty good.

33:36 Yep.

33:37 That to me is the matchup.

33:39 That is what I am watching.

33:40 I think Mizzou's gonna have to stack the box a little bit to try and take away Jadan

33:44 Baugh, whoever.

33:47 And what could come as a result of that in the passing game is the problem.

33:50 And that's why Florida goes on to win this one, but I think it's close.

33:53 I got it like 31-23.

33:55 I think it's a good game.

33:56 If I've got Florida winning and covering.

33:59 I

33:59 I disagree.

34:00 Okay.

34:01 Go on.

34:01 Okay.

34:02 This

34:03 it just

34:04 like I talked about with like being an underdog with a good defense.

34:06 I don't necessarily think Mizzou

34:08 has a killer defense to fall under this

34:10 uh

34:11 not

34:11 killer

34:11 not killer but not bad

34:13 equation for me.

34:14 Right.

34:14 And I I I do like their defensive coordinator.

34:16 I like the recent track record of guys developing at Mizzou.

34:18 There's a whole lot to like

34:19 I I like the home field advantage that Mizzou seems to have a good chunk of the time, even when they don't beat excellent teams at home.

34:26 Okay.

34:27 The the contrarian part of my brain says

34:31 The conversation around Florida after they beat Ole Miss, an unbelievable welcome back to the big time moment for the Gators, right?

34:38 Sure.

34:39 That Ole Miss

34:40 coming off a win against LSU is boom, you should be like number two or number three.

34:44 You should be one of the

34:46 favorites to

34:47 be in the national championship conversation after that LSU win.

34:50 Florida then beats them.

34:51 Then the conversation around Florida is

34:54 they're only number eight?

34:56 They should be four or five.

34:58 What have all these other teams ahead of them proven?

35:00 Okay.

35:00 So if the conversation around Florida is

35:03 not only are they back

35:04 ,

35:04 But we have to consider them to be in a group of teams that are national championship threats

35:10 after this

35:12 one win.

35:14 So

35:15 all I can look at is

35:17 what we've seen from this sport, what we've seen from letdowns

35:22 going on the road to play.

35:23 I think Mizzou

35:24 at the very least is a pretty good team.

35:26 I don't think they're a finished product.

35:27 I think Austin

35:28 Simmons has some bad habits as a quarterback.

35:30 He's another guy.

35:31 I think he

35:31 baseball

35:32 background, right?

35:33 Yeah, yeah.

35:33 He will he will rifle it in there.

35:35 No picks this year.

35:37 No picks this year.

35:37 He's been very good.

35:38 I know

35:39 But there have been pick threats.

35:42 There have been some

35:43 turnover-worthy throws, as it were.

35:45 Absolutely, yes.

35:46 I don't know if it if it appears that

35:49 This is a finished

35:51 polished passing attack for Mizzou.

35:55 I I'm decently high on Mizzou

35:58 as a pretty good team.

35:58 Obviously, I don't have them ranked.

36:00 We didn't have them ranked in our AP poll.

36:02 No.

36:03 Florida's defense wasn't incredible against Auburn

36:06 for four quarters.

36:07 Wasn't incredible against Ole Miss

36:08 for four quarters.

36:10 So

36:10 I think this is a line that says

36:14 Not only is Florida looking really, really good, hand

36:17 up, I agree.

36:18 Absolutely, Florida looks really, really good.

36:20 But also, this is a line that says

36:22 Florida has arrived

36:24 as a national championship contender.

36:27 And I don't think

36:28 before the season you were as

36:30 as high on Florida as anybody.

36:33 But I don't think you would have said if they start out 4-0

36:36 or whatever, they have to be considered a national championship contender.

36:39 Right?

36:40 I think this kind of road respect

36:43 indicates

36:44 Florida has arrived.

36:46 Florida has figured out how to get past the letdown bug, right?

36:51 And all we've heard from Mizzou this week, again, they were right there to beat everybody's darling

36:57 Mississippi State last week.

36:59 All we've heard about Mizzou this past week.

37:01 Which I don't necessarily disagree with, but I'm just saying the tenor of the conversation is

37:04 they don't belong in the top twenty-five.

37:07 This is SEC bias.

37:08 That's fine.

37:09 That's all

37:10 But now they have a chip on their shoulder

37:12 potentially

37:13 because everybody's telling them it's a joke that you're considered to be a ranked team.

37:18 And everybody's heaping praise on Florida after this huge moment.

37:22 You have arrived.

37:23 You're a national championship contender.

37:25 You should be in the top five.

37:26 Look what you've accomplished.

37:28 And I'm just saying, those two things coming together at the same time, to me, is an elixir for chaos.

37:37 So I'm going with Mizzou to win this game at home.

37:39 And I know it goes against everything we've seen recently in terms of Mizzou playing a highly ranked team and coming away with a win.

37:46 I know Mizzou has not been perfect.

37:47 I know they struggled against Troy.

37:49 I just think the circumstances are such that when we have thundersnow, right?

37:54 Two weather events happening at the same time, it gets very weird and chaotic.

37:59 I'm going with Mizzou here.

38:01 Would that be your home dog

38:02 of the week then?

38:03 I guess so, yeah.

38:07 The Yakubs.

38:09 Home

38:09 dog

38:10 of the week.

38:11 I don't know where to get the best hot dog in Columbia, Missouri.

38:14 Somebody can

38:14 post it in the the YouTube

38:16 or Spotify comments or something.

38:17 like that.

38:18 It looks like just

38:19 Jeff's

38:20 is highly regarded in the Columbia, Missouri area.

38:23 Shout out to Jeff.

38:24 They do look very good.

38:26 We talked about this a little bit on Monday.

38:28 I mean I'm high in Florida.

38:29 You know I like Florida.

38:30 I've liked Florida since

38:32 I don't know

38:33 March.

38:33 Right.

38:34 I've been in on this team.

38:35 But there is a little bit of

38:39 Why was

38:40 Florida ranked as

38:42 highly as they were in some of these ballots?

38:44 You know, or

38:45 highly or lowly

38:47 Well, lowly or highly, frankly.

38:49 Okay.

38:49 I mean, I've been making the rounds on social media doing my fair amount of Doom Scrolling.

38:54 And um

38:56 There are plenty of people out there who think Florida should be higher, should be ranked a little bit higher than than we had them at seven.

39:02 Um, you know, some people have them as high up as two.

39:05 Yep.

39:05 And I think a lot of that argument is based on

39:08 where

39:09 people had Ole Miss

39:10 the previous week.

39:11 If we really want to trace this back, there's probably a broader conversation of, well, were

39:16 people overreacting to what they saw from Ole Miss.

39:18 early or it was early when many of these ballots were cast.

39:21 It was hard to understand just how good Ole Miss

39:23 Was

39:24 or wasn't.

39:25 They got the doors blown off a week ago when they squared off against Florida.

39:29 I understand the reaction to it, but

39:31 To the point that we made on Monday, that doesn't seem to be a whole lot of retrospective

39:35 when it comes to, well, were we overreacting on the old

39:38 missed side?

39:39 Is that why we've got or why we think Florida should be ranked?

39:42 you know, top two, top three, top five, what have you.

39:45 Yeah.

39:46 I like Florida.

39:47 We have them in the top ten.

39:48 I don't think there's any dispute they're a top ten

39:50 team, at least given what we know at present.

39:52 I also understand where you're coming from.

39:55 And I'm a bit hesitant as well to just simply announce that Florida has arrived.

40:00 I think I'm a little bit more comfortable saying that Florida will have a very active role in determining who makes the playoff from the SEC.

40:07 Oh, I think Florida has arrived as a good team.

40:11 And they

40:11 they've definitely arrived as a playoff contender.

40:14 Yeah.

40:15 At this

40:16 early state of the game as we go into week five.

40:18 Mm-hmm.

40:18 To say that they're gonna win the SEC, to say that they're a national championship contender.

40:23 Like I

40:23 I need to see more on that front.

40:25 And I think we'll have an opportunity over these next coming weeks to see what Florida's made of, starting here in week five.

40:31 Starting here in week five, because

40:33 to your point, Mizzou

40:34 's been hearing it all week.

40:35 They've been hearing it all week.

40:36 They've been hearing all week how they're not great in big moments, how they were up 14 zip on state last week, how

40:42 you know they rallied and they came back, but then again they found some way to come up short.

40:46 Yep.

40:46 Which kind of feels like the Mizzou experience in a bit of a nutshell.

40:49 Yep.

40:50 Agree.

40:51 I like Florida a lot though.

40:53 And so I'm sticking to my guns here.

40:54 I would be a hypocrite if I went against the Gators at this point.

40:57 So that's why I'm saying 31-23.

40:59 What was your final?

41:00 I don't think you're a hypocrite.

41:01 You didn't predict I'm going 12-0.

41:04 No, no, no, no.

41:05 No.

41:05 So I think

41:06 uh

41:07 what's my final score in this one?

41:08 Yeah.

41:09 30 to 27, Mizzou.

41:11 Okay.

41:12 I

41:12 'm not there with the Florida defense quite yet.

41:15 But, you know, they go on the road and they perform.

41:17 I'll be impressed.

41:18 730 ABC number four, Miami, a 16 and a half point

41:23 favorite.

41:23 Good lord.

41:24 In Death Valley squaring off against Clemson.

41:27 This is the Fowler

41:28 and Herbie

41:28 game.

41:29 From our friend Brett McMurphy, Clemson

41:32 is a 16.

41:33 5

41:33 point home dog

41:34 to Miami.

41:35 It is the biggest underdog role in Dabo Swinney's 19-year coaching career.

41:41 It's also only the sixth time in his 245 games that the Tigers are a double-digit underdog.

41:48 Clemson

41:49 lost all five of those other games when they were a double-digit dog.

41:53 Okay.

41:54 Is anybody here on the broadcast picking Clemson

41:57 to beat M Miami in this game?

41:58 Yes, no, maybe so.

41:59 They are not.

42:00 Not on this side of things, no.

42:02 Okay.

42:03 I am not

42:03 either.

42:04 Groundbreaking discovery by me.

42:07 Bad matchup for Clemson.

42:09 Yes?

42:09 Agree, disagree, indifferent.

42:12 I think, yes, agree.

42:14 The best thing that Clemson

42:16 has going for him in this matchup is that it's at home at night.

42:19 Yeah.

42:19 Place is going to be loud and proud.

42:21 I'm sure they're going to want to beat Miami.

42:23 Moving forward, if you are a Clemson fan, the formula

42:29 that we saw last week against Cal

42:31 on the road, running the ball, playing good defense, getting a play or two on special team.

42:36 That has to be what you build this thing around moving forward.

42:40 That's how you win games against better teams.

42:42 Yep.

42:42 I don't think it's relying on Tait Reynolds.

42:45 I don't think it's even relying on the passing game at all.

42:48 I think it's a lot of ground and pound, a lot of defense, a lot of flip in the field and winning field position.

42:54 I like Gideon Davidson, the running back, a lot.

42:56 I liked him last year.

42:57 I wish they would have used him more last year.

42:59 But this Miami defense is a different animal.

43:02 It's not

43:03 Cal.

43:03 If you take out sacks, Miami is allowing

43:07 2.

43:07 79 yards per carry, which is the second best in the country.

43:11 This is the whole game.

43:13 In a nutshell.

43:14 This is it.

43:15 If Clemson wants a shot, they need to establish themselves on the ground with Davidson or with whoever.

43:20 And they need to find a way to stay ahead of the chains.

43:22 If they are not doing that

43:24 That's a problem

43:25 because suddenly Miami is pinning their ears back.

43:28 I should have made that a fantasy thing.

43:29 I've been hearing a lot of pinning their ears back this year.

43:32 They're pinning their ears back.

43:34 They're bringing pressure at Tait Reynolds.

43:36 And that's a problem.

43:38 That's a problem.

43:38 Clemson

43:39 's offensive line has not dealt well with pressure at all this season.

43:42 They're 131st

43:44 nationally.

43:45 On the flip side, I I

43:47 think maybe they can get some pressure on Darian Mensah, maybe create some issues for that Miami line that's still mixing in a few new pieces.

43:54 But I just don't think it's enough to derail

43:56 them.

43:57 So

43:58 I don't think they can do what they want to do on offense.

44:00 I don't think they can do necessarily what they want to do on defense.

44:03 And if you're leaving it all on special teams, in and of itself, that's a problem.

44:08 Okay.

44:09 That's a real issue.

44:10 So

44:10 from a vibe standpoint, I'm expecting the kind of game where it just feels like Miami sits on Clemson.

44:16 They run it down their throat.

44:18 Eventually they break the game open with a big passing play to Malachi

44:21 Tony, whoever.

44:22 I don't think it's going to be as big of a splattering as we saw in week one against LSU for Clemson, but I think something like

44:29 30 to 13

44:31 in that neighborhood.

44:33 May I play Dabo's Advocate?

44:36 Okay.

44:36 It's a pretty good name, right?

44:38 That's uh

44:38 there's an old Simpsons joke where Homer says, May I play Devil's Advocate, and they said sure, and then all of a sudden he's playing a pinball game that's called Devil's

44:45 Advocate.

44:45 It's great.

44:46 It's a great like nonsense

44:47 moment.

44:47 Um, Dabo's advocate right now

44:50 is

44:52 if

44:52 I'm gonna be a believer that you

44:54 gonna have to throw out the first game.

44:56 Which buddy, that's doing a lot of work

44:58 because

44:59 they

44:59 look terrible.

45:00 Yeah.

45:00 Both sides of the ball.

45:02 They started a quarterback that they don't necessarily believe

45:06 Is at the moment good enough to be their starting quarterback, correct?

45:10 Christopher Vizzina.

45:11 Vizzina.

45:12 We agree.

45:12 I mean, I know he's beat up, but

45:14 They're like

45:15 Tait Reynolds is our guy moving forward.

45:16 They didn't say Tait Reynolds is our guy, but as soon as Chris is healthy.

45:19 No, they didn't say that.

45:21 In their last two games against power conference teams in Cal and North Carolina, perhaps not great.

45:29 But not that good.

45:30 They've allowed one touchdown in eight quarters, I believe.

45:33 Yes?

45:34 Yeah.

45:34 One offensive touchdown in eight quarters.

45:37 The defense has stepped up.

45:39 So

45:40 for the purpose of this argument, if we're gonna play Dabble's advocate, if you kind of throw away

45:46 The LSU

45:47 game.

45:47 Not fully.

45:48 You should accept the results of that game.

45:50 You should accept that that was a hugely embarrassing moment for Dabo Swinney and his legacy, whatever, in the in the career.

45:57 Clemson's defense is getting stops.

45:59 Clemson's defense is leading the way.

46:01 Clemson's defense has talent.

46:03 There's not a lot to love about Clemson's offense, so they have gotten better on the ground.

46:07 And if I'm gonna say like these are two like

46:10 pressure systems coming together over the Atlantic

46:13 about the Mizzou

46:14 Florida game.

46:16 Is there a team that Miami has played on their schedule this year

46:20 where you're like, all right, now that I've seen Miami play against this team, I have a really good sense for them.

46:27 Can you say anything bad about what Miami has done this year?

46:29 Absolutely not.

46:30 Maybe the

46:31 The final

46:31 the final 25 minutes against Wake

46:33 were

46:33 Wake were a little bit bigger.

46:35 They took their foot off the gas, which is not great.

46:38 More of a killer instinct, but it's a lot of things.

46:39 But otherwise, in terms of doing something wrong, no.

46:42 Right.

46:42 Not at all.

46:44 But yeah, and Miami has designs of playing, you know, late into January, and reasonably so.

46:48 And so they're not gonna put everything they have into Wake Forest in early, mid-September.

46:52 I get that.

46:53 I'm just not there with Miami being like automatically

46:57 like, yeah, they're two touchdowns better than Clemson.

47:00 I'm not there

47:02 Now, I'm also not there with the Clemson

47:05 offense, throwing into the Miami defense, running into the Miami defense, right?

47:08 Thank you.

47:09 So I I really like this was much more difficult than I thought it would be.

47:13 when I looked more at it.

47:14 The fact that it's at Clemson

47:15 that it's at night.

47:16 I think you're overthinking it.

47:17 That's why you made

47:18 it I know I'm overthinking it.

47:19 You're overthinking it.

47:19 I'm going Underthink Express and I'm I'm gonna give points.

47:23 But I think it's late.

47:25 I think it's like front

47:26 door

47:26 cover.

47:27 I think it's something that like

47:28 you look in the middle of third quarter and it's a 10-point game.

47:30 You're like, oh, Clemson

47:32 hanging around.

47:32 They're ugling this up one a little bit.

47:34 Like they have kind of a an interesting plan for Malachi

47:36 Tony.

47:38 But if you're gonna pick a team to cover, you kind of have to see a path for them to like

47:42 give themselves a chance late.

47:44 Yeah.

47:45 Unless, you know, like a 59 point spread.

47:48 or something, but at home with a good defense as a dog.

47:52 I don't know.

47:53 So

47:53 I have Miami covering, but it's like 30 to 13.

47:58 3114, something like that.

48:00 I think it's really close and it's late

48:02 in which they cover.

48:04 I

48:04 I I found myself liking Clemson more.

48:06 I don't love Clemson because of the offense.

48:08 But like

48:08 they're performing like a pretty good team.

48:10 They are, yeah, I you know the the number is high.

48:13 I don't know.

48:14 I

48:14 I guess I have them covering by a half point when I say 30 to 13

48:19 and

48:20 I'm not even sure what we have and run the board this week, but

48:24 we might have 17 and a half out there as well.

48:26 I think the number is right.

48:28 It feels about right to me.

48:29 It's just

48:30 I struggle with how is Clemson

48:32 going to score these points.

48:33 Right.

48:34 If my theory of how they want to run their offense now or how they should run their offense is correct, I'm not sure it's going to get done on the ground.

48:42 I just I I think that's going to be a problem.

48:44 And I think Miami can run against them.

48:47 Which if you're telling me

48:49 any

48:49 top-tier team is going into a hostile road environment, bit of a rivalry atmosphere.

48:55 And it's going to be at night.

48:57 What do I want my team to be able to do?

48:59 I want them to be able to run the ball.

49:01 I want them to be able to dictate pace.

49:03 And I think they can do that.

49:04 I think they can run on the Clemson front.

49:05 The Clemson front has not been that great against the run this year.

49:08 Yeah.

49:09 So I like that setup for Miami.

49:11 It's just a lot of points, and I'm not used to seeing it, but I'm

49:14 30 to 13 is my final.

49:16 Whether that covers, whether that doesn't cover, Miami wins 30 to 13.

49:20 In Death Valley.

49:21 Miami also like

49:22 has some injuries.

49:24 Mark Fletcher's been beat up.

49:25 I don't think Mark Fletcher played last week, right?

49:26 Against Central Michigan.

49:28 Right.

49:29 Corners

49:29 are beat up.

49:30 I just

49:31 something to monitor.

49:32 I don't think Clemson

49:33 's the team, but I don't think Miami's as automatic as uh

49:36 the the air around them makes it seem.

49:39 Let's do two more games on Friday night.

49:42 Yeah, bud.

49:43 And then let's go rapid fire around the slate of college football games.

49:46 You ready?

49:46 Can't wait.

49:47 Friday, 7 p.

49:48 m.

49:48 ESPN.

49:50 Pittsburgh at Virginia

49:52 Tech.

49:52 Virginia Tech

49:53 favored by three and a half points.

49:55 Shout out to Shelton Moss

49:56 from over at the Key Play who looked it up.

49:59 And found out that Virginia Tech versus Pitt will be the first matchup in the history of modern college football to feature two unranked

50:09 4-0

50:11 major conference teams.

50:13 Okay.

50:14 Good to see.

50:16 I'm not going to make any promises.

50:18 I don't know what our mindset will be on Saturday night.

50:21 My hunch though is that the winner of this game at 5-0

50:24 is almost certainly going to be ranked on our ballot.

50:27 I think so.

50:27 It depends what the rest of their schedule

50:29 earlier on.

50:30 I mean their their record has indicated in their week five performances, but I think that's not unreasonable.

50:36 I think it's really hard to know what either of these teams really is.

50:39 Agree.

50:40 I have no idea.

50:42 Pitt played in a monsoon

50:43 against UCF.

50:44 They had a soggy game against Syracuse

50:46 after a long weather delay.

50:47 Otherwise, it was Miami (Ohio),

50:49 who they destroyed, and Bucknell.

50:52 I feel like we know maybe a little bit more about

50:54 Virginia Tech, but even still we're talking about wins over

50:57 VMI, Old Dominion, Maryland, and Boston College, a game that was also in the rain.

51:02 Yeah.

51:03 So I just sort of don't know here

51:05 What is your biggest question about this matchup?

51:08 What they look like against real teams, which is each other

51:13 for the first time?

51:14 Um, as we've seen Maryland not look all that real, I think we're ready to make that uh judgment.

51:20 Yeah.

51:21 So

51:21 yeah, the the thing I'm concerned about is I want to know if

51:25 Pitt can win on offense in ways that are not necessarily Mason Heintschel

51:30 as a one-man

51:31 show, and he has not always looked good.

51:32 Again, it's weather stuff.

51:34 Last week the

51:34 Virginia Tech

51:36 weather stuff.

51:36 So we don't have a a concept of what these teams look like on a clear day against a quality opponent.

51:42 The game is short week road for Pitt, right?

51:46 Lane Stadium at night, which

51:48 honestly, the fact that we're getting this game at night, either on a Thursday or Friday night, kind of tells me all is right in the world.

51:55 Amid all the chaos.

51:56 There is something cool about seeing a Virginia Tech game at night.

51:59 They're going to be fired up.

52:00 They're going to be fired up for this one.

52:01 It's great.

52:02 Both of these teams are led by, I think

52:05 saying

52:05 that they're led by their defenses.

52:07 With the weather situations, that's I don't know how we can come to any other conclusion in this moment.

52:12 I think I like Virginia Tech a little bit more.

52:15 I think the variance

52:16 to

52:17 Pitts

52:18 offense.

52:19 And run

52:20 struggles, Mason Heintschel looking up and down, whatever you want to take from that in bad weather, going on the road in a difficult place to play.

52:27 Virginia Tech looking pretty good up front, all things considered.

52:30 I mean, you got to take away, was it Mason McKenzie, the quarterback for Boston College, ran

52:34 kind of wild at times in that game.

52:37 You take away

52:38 A little bit of the weather weirdness for both teams.

52:41 I think the fact that it's at home, a good defense at home, a smaller line.

52:47 I'm going to go Virginia Tech here.

52:49 Okay.

52:49 I'm gonna go

52:50 Virginia Tech to get enough stops.

52:52 I think there's actually gonna be a good amount of points in this game for the first time for these teams.

52:56 I have

52:56 23-20.

52:57 I don't have that many points.

52:59 Yeah, I have 28-23, Virginia Tech winning this game.

53:03 That to me feels like a lot of points given to where these teams have been recently.

53:06 Fair.

53:07 So I'm gonna take Virginia

53:09 Tech at home.

53:11 Short week road.

53:13 Pitt, couple of mistakes here.

53:15 Virginia Tech able to capitalize, maybe a short field or two.

53:18 Hokies

53:18 get it done.

53:19 Yeah, I'm I'm curious if Pitt's able to take away the Tech

53:23 ground game, Jeffrey Overton.

53:25 Yeah.

53:26 And if that does occur, if Tech can consistently drive the field.

53:30 So he ran for over two

53:31 hundred

53:32 up at Boston College.

53:33 He had the game winning 76

53:35 yard touchdown run.

53:36 Pitt's defensive front, to your point, has been pretty tough against the run.

53:41 And on top of it, the Tech line is sort of banged up.

53:44 Yep.

53:45 So

53:45 I I could see a scenario in which there's some pressure on Ethan Grunkemeyer, who's been pretty good so far.

53:51 It's just a lot of shorter stuff.

53:53 It's a lot of Luke Reynolds.

53:54 My concern is without the running game.

53:57 There isn't a whole lot of a downfield threat on the tech side and it turns into pickleball.

54:02 And if it turns into pickleball, Pitt would love that.

54:04 It'd be a close game.

54:05 They would take that in spades.

54:07 Yep.

54:07 Uh

54:08 I'm also curious

54:09 on the Pitt

54:10 side

54:11 What version of Mason Heintschel are we going to see?

54:13 Because he was great against Miami, Ohio, and Bucknell, wasn't as effective against UCF and Syracuse.

54:19 There was a weather thing, right, that we probably need to factor in.

54:22 Um, but definitely was not as good.

54:26 I think the Tech

54:27 front against this offense is a very interesting matchup.

54:31 Yep, because the Tech

54:32 front has been very productive this season.

54:34 They do a lot of like the slants and the stunts and all the fun stuff, a lot of movement.

54:38 That's the type of thing that can disrupt a timing offense like Cade Bell runs up at Pitt.

54:43 Virginia Tech has the number one

54:46 most sacks per dropback in America.

54:49 So they've been very productive.

54:51 And I think in a game like this

54:54 That could be the whole shebang.

54:56 Like if they're getting pressure on Heintschel, if they're disrupting the offense and the timing of it, that could give them a significant advantage.

55:03 I

55:03 just don't have a good sense for either one of these teams.

55:06 I'm not super confident in the result.

55:08 I'm pretty confident that Virginia Tech's going to win.

55:11 I'm not as confident in the point spread, which is why I said something like 23-20.

55:15 So I guess I'd be taking Pitt

55:17 plus the three and a half here, but I do like Virginia Tech to win at home at night

55:21 in a big spot, a really big spot

55:23 that could give them some early juice here.

55:26 You know,

55:27 uh

55:27 we talked about a scenario in which

55:30 Virginia Tech starts the season seven and

55:32 oh.

55:32 It's suddenly getting a little bigger, bit

55:34 bigger in the window, you know?

55:35 I agree.

55:36 We agree.

55:37 Sort of.

55:38 And then

55:40 the big one.

55:42 Friday 8 p.

55:43 m.

55:44 Fox

55:44 Sports.

55:45 Yeah.

55:45 Called by Connor Onion and Robert Griffin III.

55:48 Yes.

55:49 Penn State minus

55:50 two and a half now

55:52 On the road at Northwestern, the first game

55:56 in the brand new Ryan Field.

55:58 You were there.

55:59 You saw it up close, right?

56:00 I did.

56:01 I went and

56:01 took a look

56:02 last.

56:02 It's unbelievable.

56:03 You can't believe that Northwestern is the team playing there, given

56:06 not that Northwestern isn't, you know, a

56:09 quality program

56:10 sometimes.

56:11 But

56:11 it's the nicest college football stadium

56:14 from a pure like, we're going to tear down the old thing and spend $800 million

56:18 building a new thing.

56:20 It's super nice.

56:21 It has everything you would want

56:23 for a program

56:24 of Northwestern's popularity, which is to say, not the most popular team, not even here, but

56:31 It's like it's 35,000.

56:33 It's the the concourses are wide open, the views, like there's like very little obstruction.

56:39 So if you're like waiting in line for a taco or a hot dog

56:41 or something.

56:43 The there's the overhang of like the

56:45 the level above you does not block you from seeing wide out into the field.

56:50 Like all the seats are banked vertically.

56:52 I'm not being paid to say this, to be clear.

56:54 This is not like the game brought to you by

56:56 not on the Ryan

56:57 family payroll.

56:58 But I've been to a lot of stadiums

57:00 and the most common thing is when you invest in, you know

57:03 updating a stadium or fixing a stadium is literally just adding on to, tearing down part of it, adding on to.

57:09 This is a whole thing.

57:10 This is the whole thing from the studs.

57:14 So

57:15 It's ridiculous.

57:16 It looks like with the overhang of the um

57:19 the cover on top.

57:20 Yeah.

57:21 Like a small Premier League stadium

57:23 Okay.

57:24 Like it has that vibe.

57:25 I'm pumped.

57:26 We'll be there again.

57:27 If if

57:27 you'll be there, hit us up.

57:29 We'll uh we'll swing by and say hello.

57:30 I've had a few people, we've had a few people.

57:32 Write in about that.

57:33 Yeah.

57:33 Also

57:34 wasn't done.

57:35 Was not finished.

57:36 Like there are wires hanging down in the bathroom.

57:38 There's like visible tape.

57:40 There's a couple of things on the facade that needed updating as of a few days ago.

57:44 It wasn't a finished product.

57:45 It was like 83

57:46 percent

57:46 done.

57:47 Where like

57:47 if you've ever moved into a house that needed repairs or something, you're like, well, it's up to code.

57:51 It's not done.

57:53 That's

57:54 that's oh I

57:55 I

57:55 I'm sure more of it will be

57:56 done by the time we get in there.

57:57 So if you're there, say hi.

57:59 Let's talk football.

58:00 solidverbal@gmail.com.

58:01 Uh, I saw this line last week at Penn State minus seven.

58:04 It has plummeted down.

58:06 Two, just two and a half after Northwestern gave Indiana a run after Wisconsin knocked off Penn State.

58:13 I think Penn State's got a clear opportunity to run the football here.

58:16 And I think that's the key.

58:18 Northwestern gave up like two

58:19 seventy.

58:20 On the ground.

58:22 Whatever it was a

58:23 a week ago against Indiana.

58:26 Yeah, I mean they've given up to close to like six yards per carry if you take out the sacks.

58:30 Penn State's been

58:33 Inefficient on the ground.

58:35 They don't have a lead back yet.

58:37 They're kind of rotating between four guys.

58:39 I think this is a prime opportunity for them to just run it down Northwestern's throat.

58:44 I don't know if they can do that

58:46 though.

58:46 Yeah.

58:47 And it will also be interesting to that point

58:50 to see how Rocco

58:52 Becht responds after the week we saw.

58:55 Against Wisconsin.

58:56 He wasn't good.

58:57 Again without his number one receiver, too, who's out for some time.

59:00 Yeah.

59:01 That's right.

59:01 That's right.

59:02 I I saw some commentary from him that there was a players only

59:05 meeting.

59:06 Did I ever draft the players-only meeting in fantasy things?

59:09 Oregon had one before beating USC, so it can work out.

59:12 The players

59:13 -only

59:14 meeting.

59:14 He thinks it'll be a different team now.

59:16 Okay.

59:16 Because of the players

59:17 only

59:18 meeting.

59:18 meeting because of the loss.

59:19 It's

59:20 not

59:20 amazing.

59:21 That's a story that's not amazing

59:23 month one of a new coach.

59:24 No, no, no, no, no.

59:25 I mean

59:26 the passing game was not functional.

59:27 It wasn't functional a week ago.

59:29 Like they were having to run on third and long.

59:31 It was just weird.

59:31 I don't know what was going on there.

59:33 So

59:34 bigger picture, the Penn State offense, a work in progress.

59:37 They've not been great in the red zone.

59:40 I'm concerned because I think Northwestern's a pain in the ass.

59:44 And I think they're going to be loaded for bear, opening up a brand new stadium.

59:48 Aidan

59:48 Chiles is a menace.

59:50 Mm-hmm.

59:50 He's going to be a problem for this Penn State defense.

59:53 I think it will be a competitive game.

59:56 I also would say this, and then I'm gonna turn it over to you.

59:58 I'm just ranting here.

59:59 Yeah.

01:00:01 In a weird way, I would be more concerned if Penn State didn't just lose.

01:00:06 I think it will be easier

01:00:09 to get their mind on this game, given the fact that they now taste their own blood.

01:00:13 That's that's fair.

01:00:14 Because if they were coming into this game undefeated, and I know this is probably like a weird head

01:00:19 trip I'm putting people through.

01:00:22 USC on deck for Penn State.

01:00:25 Yep.

01:00:27 So

01:00:27 if they were going into this one, full head of steam, undefeated, maybe looking past it on a Friday night.

01:00:33 That would be a different situation than I think we have here

01:00:36 where if the players

01:00:37 only

01:00:38 meeting thing is actually true

01:00:41 They will have their focus on Northwestern.

01:00:43 I'm going 27-20 Penn State.

01:00:46 I still think they're the better team.

01:00:47 I still think they win, but it's clear that the gap

01:00:51 The gap between these two teams has definitely narrowed.

01:00:55 It's clear to me that Northwestern is legitimately going to be a tough out and a pain for pretty much everybody they play in the Big Ten.

01:01:02 Yep.

01:01:02 I don't want to overlook them.

01:01:04 I still am going to give Penn State the benefit of the doubt here, but I think it's a good game.

01:01:08 And it wouldn't surprise me at all if Northwestern covered, if Northwestern won.

01:01:12 Yeah.

01:01:12 Once again, Penn State did not perform all that well on offense, even with the like 21-point number that they scored against.

01:01:19 Is that what they scored?

01:01:20 21 against Wisconsin?

01:01:22 Right.

01:01:22 Right.

01:01:23 It was

01:01:23 basically two giveaways that got them to 14 points.

01:01:27 So, um

01:01:29 ,

01:01:29 couple

01:01:30 narratives at play, a couple interesting matchups here that you neglected to mention.

01:01:34 Because your brain is covering so many

01:01:36 no, I'm saying your brain's covering so many games, Ty.

01:01:38 It's impossible that, you know, to be that that tuna

01:01:41 net

01:01:41 of knowledge.

01:01:42 You know what I'm saying, Ty?

01:01:45 Sure.

01:01:45 Um

01:01:46 what

01:01:46 a

01:01:47 weird phrase.

01:01:47 Okay.

01:01:48 Northwestern's defense, while bad against the run, has been kind of

01:01:52 As illustrated in the uh Indiana game

01:01:55 specifically, Bend

01:01:56 but don't break.

01:01:57 They've been really good in the red zone.

01:01:59 They had that the early stop, the the goal line stand.

01:02:01 They nearly had another one late in the game to help

01:02:04 Perhaps an effort to win that game for Northwestern,

01:02:07 but Josh Hoover kept it and

01:02:08 scored.

01:02:09 Really nice play.

01:02:10 Penn State's been bad in the red zone on offense.

01:02:14 Yeah.

01:02:14 So they'll like

01:02:15 50%.

01:02:17 The decisions on

01:02:19 fourth and goal

01:02:21 on

01:02:22 Fourth and three from the 14-yard line, something like that.

01:02:25 The three versus seven type decision making when Penn State has the ball

01:02:30 could be super interesting.

01:02:32 There's another chess match at play here

01:02:35 In 2023, I believe it was

01:02:38 2023, UCLA, as coached by Chip Kelly, hired D'Anton Lynn to be his defensive coordinator.

01:02:46 Familiarity.

01:02:47 Chip Kelly calling the plays for Northwestern.

01:02:48 D'Anton Lynn calling the plays on defense for Penn State.

01:02:52 So you think D'Anton Lynn is bringing out the old Chip Kelly portfolio in the Captain City.

01:03:00 Okay.

01:03:00 I give the edge to Chip

01:03:02 just because he's more seasoned and has more of a track record as a a play caller on offense than D'Anton

01:03:07 Lynn has on defense.

01:03:08 And because you're an Oregon homer, let's be real.

01:03:10 I am an Oregon homer, but if

01:03:11 Chip Kelly's been gone for a minute

01:03:14 Chip

01:03:14 Kelly and Aidan Chiles nearly beat the defending champ last week on the road.

01:03:18 Right.

01:03:18 Um, with no running game, to be clear.

01:03:21 Um

01:03:22 I think Northwestern actually gets it done.

01:03:25 I think Northwestern gets it done in a weird one.

01:03:28 I think they're gonna play field position.

01:03:30 I think they're gonna get timely stops.

01:03:33 I think last week was a like a weirdly enough quality loss, Eli Drinkwitz trademark

01:03:38 for

01:03:39 Northwestern.

01:03:39 You

01:03:40 scallywag.

01:03:41 I think Northwestern's winning this game

01:03:43 17

01:03:44 -13.

01:03:46 How about that?

01:03:47 If we had to watch a 17-13 game in person, my eyes would bleed.

01:03:51 In a Penn State loss, it would start giving real vibes from what we saw last year.

01:03:57 Where

01:03:58 Penn State played a close game at home, lost,

01:04:01 and then

01:04:02 kind of went into a tailspin.

01:04:03 I hope that doesn't happen.

01:04:04 It wouldn't

01:04:05 be.

01:04:07 Koby Howard out.

01:04:09 Ty's beloved

01:04:10 Carson Hansen getting four carries in a loss, right?

01:04:13 Ty

01:04:14 was

01:04:14 Ty

01:04:15 planted the Carson Hansen flag.

01:04:17 Fully ignored, basically, in the uh

01:04:19 the loss to Wisconsin.

01:04:21 Um

01:04:22 either way, I don't think a team is scoring 28 points in this game.

01:04:25 I just don't.

01:04:25 I don't see that happening.

01:04:27 I think the crowd is going to be great.

01:04:29 All 35,000.

01:04:30 Hopefully everybody shows up.

01:04:31 Should be nice weather.

01:04:32 Nice night in Evanston

01:04:34 Yeah, I think I think Northwestern gets it done.

01:04:38 Again, we will be walking around before the game.

01:04:40 So if you're gonna be there, if you're a Penn Stater

01:04:42 , if you're a Northwestern fan, solidverbal@gmail.com

01:04:47 Hit us up, let us know.

01:04:48 We'd love to meet up.

01:04:49 Ty

01:04:49 claims

01:04:50 Ty

01:04:50 claims there is no gummy too potent.

01:04:52 So if you want to hand him something

01:04:54 Great.

01:04:55 He said it

01:04:56 won't even affect him.

01:04:57 I'm fully making this up.

01:04:58 That'd be great.

01:04:59 I'd be a real hoot in the press box with that one.

01:05:01 Yeah.

01:05:01 Everybody's watching the game.

01:05:03 It's a big third down.

01:05:04 Ty

01:05:04 is staring at his palms.

01:05:06 Where did these come from?

01:05:08 Let's

01:05:09 play some Quadfathers, Dan.

01:05:15 Get those legs

01:05:16 pumping, build the quads.

01:05:18 Your early four game

01:05:20 slate to pay attention to in addition.

01:05:23 To the Alabama game we mentioned earlier.

01:05:25 We've got Michigan minus five and a half on the road at Minnesota.

01:05:28 That's the Gus and Joel Klatt game.

01:05:30 Yeah.

01:05:31 We've got Notre Dame, a 21-point favorite on the road at North Carolina.

01:05:37 We've got West Virginia

01:05:40 on the road at Iowa State.

01:05:41 Iowa State

01:05:42 favored by three and a half.

01:05:44 On the call, by the way, our friends

01:05:46 J.B. Long and Mike Golic Jr.

01:05:48 Nice.

01:05:49 And also in that 12 o'clock early block, we've got Navy at Air Force.

01:05:54 Talk about a body clock game.

01:05:57 That's a Brian Kelly game.

01:05:59 And altitude, right?

01:06:00 And altitude.

01:06:01 Where's my sound?

01:06:01 I actually have it on the I have it on the thing here for you, Dan.

01:06:05 I am so disappointed in myself.

01:06:08 We had an altitude matchup that I completely botched last week.

01:06:12 I think it was one of the lowest schools against one of the

01:06:15 the highest schools in Hawaii, Wyoming.

01:06:18 And I botched it.

01:06:19 We didn't

01:06:20 we didn't have it.

01:06:20 And I believe Wyoming won that game.

01:06:23 Having the advantage at altitude.

01:06:26 And of note, if we're talking Wyoming, this week's

01:06:30 newsletter will be about Craig Bohl.

01:06:32 Oh, oh, Craig Bohl, former coach.

01:06:34 Yeah.

01:06:34 Former coach, yep.

01:06:35 So, uh, solidverbal.com/newsletter if you want to sign up for free.

01:06:38 Great

01:06:40 Okay.

01:06:41 I want to talk about this Michigan-Minnesota game for a second.

01:06:45 I want to know who in their right mind is laying five and a half points with Michigan on the road right now.

01:06:51 Well, certainly they've played on the road by now, right, Michigan?

01:06:55 I want to know who in their right mind is laying five and a half points with this team.

01:06:59 Well, it's a letdown spot for Minnesota.

01:07:02 Big win against Washington.

01:07:04 Didn't have that.

01:07:05 A bloody win for Minnesota against UW.

01:07:08 Yeah.

01:07:09 Man, that's a different conversation, by the way.

01:07:11 The

01:07:12 what's going on with Washington

01:07:13 conversation.

01:07:14 Woof.

01:07:15 Literally, that's what they yeah.

01:07:17 I was all in on Washington too.

01:07:19 So much for that.

01:07:20 Real tough offense.

01:07:21 Real tough.

01:07:22 Beat up, but real tough.

01:07:23 Uh

01:07:23 who's

01:07:24 laying the the five in a another letdown spot, I guess, for Michigan and a letdown spot for Minnesota.

01:07:30 The game's in Minnesota, their first road game for the Wolverines.

01:07:34 That's a good question.

01:07:35 I don't love Minnesota here.

01:07:37 No, and and like look, okay.

01:07:39 Maybe my Minnesota bias, my undying

01:07:43 Minnesota bias is showing a little bit here.

01:07:46 Mm-hmm.

01:07:47 I was impressed by how they looked on the road against Washington.

01:07:50 Yeah?

01:07:51 I was impressed.

01:07:52 I thought they were physically imposing as compared to Washington.

01:07:56 And I thought that showed.

01:07:58 I really like their defense.

01:08:00 They're not a perfect team.

01:08:02 But seven sacks, they held Washington to one of ten

01:08:05 on third downs.

01:08:06 That's pretty good.

01:08:07 Agree.

01:08:07 In a tough place to play.

01:08:09 The problem I see for Minnesota is that they're just not getting enough production on first and second downs.

01:08:15 So in particular when they're when they're running on first and second downs.

01:08:19 They end up setting themselves up all too often, 75% of the time, for a third down attempt of three or more yards.

01:08:27 And then their success rates drop because everyone knows they're passing and they're just not getting the job done.

01:08:33 Right.

01:08:34 They gotta fix that.

01:08:35 I think we know they've got to fix that.

01:08:37 They know they've got to fix that.

01:08:39 But I still like what they bring on defense.

01:08:42 I am curious to see which version of Michigan we get here.

01:08:46 Because Bryce Underwood

01:08:47 looked really good last week.

01:08:48 Maybe his best game is a Michigan Wolverine.

01:08:51 I do think the play calling let him down in that game.

01:08:53 I talked about that on the recap show.

01:08:55 Yep.

01:08:56 They would be better served if they gave him a little bit more of a leash.

01:09:00 Let him open it up a little bit, especially if he seems to be developing and maturing, which I think he is.

01:09:05 I'm not sure they're gonna do that.

01:09:08 My reflex here is to wonder.

01:09:11 Does Minnesota have enough pop on offense to beat Michigan?

01:09:15 But Michigan just lost to Iowa.

01:09:17 And Iowa doesn't have any pop on offense.

01:09:19 They never do.

01:09:20 I've got Minnesota outright.

01:09:22 I've got them 23-21.

01:09:24 I think they cover the spread at home, maybe ride some of that wave that they

01:09:29 So that momentum that they started by going on the road to was

01:09:32 uh Washington.

01:09:33 I almost said Wisconsin to Washington

01:09:35 and knocking off the Huskies.

01:09:37 So I'm on Minnesota here.

01:09:39 Okay.

01:09:40 I love that you started this out saying

01:09:42 who in the right mind

01:09:43 would take

01:09:44 Michigan minus five and a half.

01:09:46 Right.

01:09:47 The more I listen to you speak

01:09:50 It's

01:09:51 the more I think about this game, Michigan Lock of the Week.

01:09:55 Oh, come on!

01:09:57 Lock of the week.

01:10:00 What a dick.

01:10:03 Okay.

01:10:03 It's not really the re

01:10:05 the real reason I'm thinking about this is

01:10:08 I like the upside of both sides of the ball of Michigan more.

01:10:12 Now, I don't love that they haven't played on the road.

01:10:14 I don't love where the vibes are at after losing that game.

01:10:17 I like that they're actually leaving Ann Arbor

01:10:19 after a game like that.

01:10:21 Get out, man.

01:10:22 Go see the world a little bit.

01:10:23 I like that there, you know, you have a bad day.

01:10:25 Go for a walk.

01:10:26 Go for a swim.

01:10:28 Right?

01:10:28 Get out of the house.

01:10:29 Get out of the apartment.

01:10:31 Michigan has a bad day.

01:10:33 They're able to leave.

01:10:34 Weather's not I don't think the weather's gonna be terrible in Minneapolis.

01:10:37 No.

01:10:38 I didn't see anything.

01:10:39 Maybe it is.

01:10:40 And there is something to me about

01:10:44 Minnesota

01:10:46 coming up so short, so often, against

01:10:51 Good teams.

01:10:52 If not really good teams.

01:10:53 I don't know where Michigan falls under that.

01:10:55 I know I know

01:10:56 like I I saw our friend Nate Tice

01:10:58 loves how Drake Lindsey spins it.

01:11:00 Yeah.

01:11:00 There's something to me about the depths of where Drake Lindsey has fallen

01:11:05 sometimes, throwing into

01:11:08 a very, very good defense.

01:11:10 With I

01:11:10 I still think Michigan has.

01:11:12 Again, allowed zero points those first three quarters.

01:11:15 I think that's the mismatch.

01:11:17 Minnesota is bad at generating bigger plays.

01:11:20 It's a letdown

01:11:21 spot.

01:11:21 And now we're going to see an offense that has traditionally struggled

01:11:26 pretty in a in a pretty major way

01:11:29 against good defenses.

01:11:31 In a spot like this, I think Michigan bounces back.

01:11:34 I think they're able to run the ball.

01:11:35 I think they're able to find pop

01:11:37 in the passing game.

01:11:38 I s

01:11:38 JJ Buchanan's still playing for Michigan.

01:11:40 Andrew Marsh is still playing for Michigan.

01:11:42 Those two running backs are still there.

01:11:44 We'll see how with their offensive line health where that stands.

01:11:48 I think Minnesota will get home a little bit because that defensive front is

01:11:51 can be quite good

01:11:52 rushing the passer.

01:11:54 But

01:11:55 I think it's a a different kind of matchup.

01:11:58 And I think Washington might be below average.

01:12:01 And that might be coloring things.

01:12:03 Lock of the week.

01:12:04 All right.

01:12:04 My lock of the week is Notre Dame.

01:12:07 Lock of the week.

01:12:10 They've been pretty dependable in covering.

01:12:12 I never lock up my own team.

01:12:14 This is a perfect matchup.

01:12:15 They're gonna eat Billy Edwards alive, provided he's playing

01:12:18 with their pass rush.

01:12:20 I also think there's a real opportunity here for them to explore the studio space on the ground.

01:12:25 I want to see who gets the touches, okay?

01:12:28 Aneyas Williams and Nolan James Jr.

01:12:30 have basically gotten a 50-50 split.

01:12:32 I am hoping we see more of Jonaz Walton, the freshman in this game.

01:12:36 He's got some of the home run ability, I think, that they are lacking

01:12:39 and need more of

01:12:41 on the ground if they're going to build this thing and actually make a run at the national championship.

01:12:45 This is going to give them an opportunity on the road against maybe a better opponent to show what they can do.

01:12:52 They're going to win something like

01:12:54 56

01:12:55 to 20

01:12:56 in this game.

01:12:57 I really like the matchup.

01:12:58 I think they're in a good spot here.

01:13:00 So does that make

01:13:01 mean Mike Denbrock is the Phil

01:13:03 Spector

01:13:04 of Notre Dame?

01:13:05 I can't I can't do that.

01:13:06 I don't know.

01:13:07 Not a good guy.

01:13:07 Not a good guy, Phil.

01:13:08 Spector.

01:13:09 But

01:13:10 I'm just saying

01:13:10 explore the studio space.

01:13:12 The George Martin.

01:13:13 Right.

01:13:14 The uh

01:13:15 the Brian Wilson

01:13:16 is does

01:13:17 Notre Dame behind the scenes have like a brilliant

01:13:20 but

01:13:21 challenged

01:13:23 Thinker?

01:13:24 I don't know.

01:13:24 I don't know.

01:13:25 I I can't I can't do this with you.

01:13:26 I can't go down this

01:13:27 I can't go down.

01:13:28 Well you think you think Notre Dame is going to

01:13:31 uh

01:13:31 emphatically make a statement against the

01:13:33 I think it's gonna be a statement.

01:13:34 Yeah.

01:13:34 Where's the guy?

01:13:35 The game's in North Carolina.

01:13:37 Game's in North Carolina, what's the final number?

01:13:39 5620

01:13:41 Okay.

01:13:42 I think I'm with you.

01:13:44 All right.

01:13:44 I've got uh

01:13:46 Air Force.

01:13:48 Air Force

01:13:48 minus three at home against Navy.

01:13:51 This is Navy's third straight

01:13:53 Road game, they're also going to altitude.

01:13:56 Um, we put this one on the slate here, both in terms of run the board

01:14:01 and our quadfathers here because of our board chairman.

01:14:04 Mm-hmm.

01:14:05 Kevin, who

01:14:06 requested this many months ago that I would put this on, and I did.

01:14:11 So I'm on Air Force.

01:14:13 Um, I'm also on

01:14:16 West Virginia plus three and a half.

01:14:19 I think the wrong team is favored

01:14:21 in this game against Iowa State.

01:14:22 I think Iowa State's feisty.

01:14:24 I think they're better than expected.

01:14:25 I watched that game that they played.

01:14:29 I counted 29 miss tackles.

01:14:32 Or someone else counted 29 miss tackles.

01:14:34 I don't want to misrepresent myself.

01:14:35 I saw a bunch of missed tackles.

01:14:37 Yeah.

01:14:37 I saw it, I noted it, and then I read about it after the fact that they had 29

01:14:41 missed tackles in the game a week ago.

01:14:43 That's a big problem against a team like West Virginia that's gonna play tempo, that's gonna force you to try and tackle Cam Cook or a receiver in space.

01:14:51 That's sort of been their whole deal.

01:14:53 So um

01:14:54 West Virginia's defense has not been good.

01:14:56 92nd best in the country

01:14:58 per the SP+.

01:14:59 Right.

01:14:59 I still think the wrong team

01:15:01 is favored here.

01:15:01 So give me the points and I like West Virginia outright against Iowa

01:15:04 State

01:15:04 So this is also a West Virginia team who is

01:15:07 on the on the heels of playing two big games for for them and for anybody, really.

01:15:11 Virginia in a neutral spot, Oklahoma State winning one, losing one, now

01:15:15 going to

01:15:16 Ames

01:15:18 I don't know.

01:15:18 I

01:15:19 the problem is the best thing in this game is the West Virginia offense, I think.

01:15:23 And the problem

01:15:24 is

01:15:25 if you are Iowa

01:15:26 State, you're gonna have to get to a certain number to hang, I think, with West Virginia offensively.

01:15:30 Exactly.

01:15:32 I guess I'm with you.

01:15:33 I'm I'm not fully there.

01:15:35 I I if I'm gonna have to make a pick, I'll go there.

01:15:37 Uh, let's go to the afternoon quad.

01:15:39 Please.

01:15:46 You know something?

01:15:47 I got news for you.

01:15:48 That's where winning is.

01:15:49 That's where winning is, Dan.

01:15:50 The 330 block, if I'm being honest.

01:15:52 That's Tom Platt's known as the Quadfather.

01:15:54 If you want to go and look him up, you will find some weird stuff.

01:15:57 Yeah

01:15:57 As it relates to quads, not these quads, these are the better quads for

01:16:01 games, which ones you should watch in a dedicated block.

01:16:05 We're talking about the upper thigh.

01:16:07 We're talking Tom Platts.

01:16:09 Ty

01:16:09 loves an upper thigh.

01:16:10 Continue.

01:16:11 330 ESPN, we got

01:16:13 Auburn

01:16:13 at number 10, number 17, Tennessee, excuse me.

01:16:16 Tennessee favored by seven points.

01:16:17 330 ESPN two, we've got Virginia minus two and a half on the road at Florida State.

01:16:22 330 ACC Network.

01:16:25 Big game here actually.

01:16:27 Louisville

01:16:27 minus three and a half now on the road at NC State.

01:16:31 And then close things out 415.

01:16:33 We've got Kentucky on the road at South Carolina.

01:16:36 South Carolina, actually.

01:16:38 A three point home favorite.

01:16:39 Who do you got in that quad, Dan?

01:16:41 Who

01:16:42 you got?

01:16:42 I think I have a bounce back

01:16:44 moment for Tennessee.

01:16:45 Don't love it, but it's at home and there's still enough

01:16:48 about what I think Tennessee should be able to do on both sides of the ball.

01:16:51 I don't think Auburn's going to fully be able to take advantage up front in the way that Texas was able to.

01:16:55 I think it's a good self-diagnostic moment for Tennessee and they will figure out some answers.

01:17:00 And I just don't see Auburn

01:17:02 scoring the points needed.

01:17:03 So uh

01:17:04 something like thirty-one

01:17:05 twenty, Tennessee takes it

01:17:08 Uh

01:17:08 elsewhere.

01:17:09 Okay, you want me to all my

01:17:10 all my picks?

01:17:10 I like Virginia here.

01:17:12 I don't like Florida State up front on defense at all right now.

01:17:14 I think Virginia should be able to run.

01:17:16 I

01:17:16 still don't love Bo

01:17:17 Pribula as a thrower.

01:17:18 But on the road, I think Virginia should be able to get off the field more often against Florida State's very good rushing attack.

01:17:25 I like Virginia to win and cover in that one.

01:17:28 Even with what

01:17:28 do we have the latest on Lincoln Kienholz health-wise?

01:17:31 Game time

01:17:32 decision with the foot injury

01:17:35 I don't love it, but you gotta find something about NC State you like, I think.

01:17:39 They're a home dog, but they don't have the defense.

01:17:41 Is there something about NC State you like?

01:17:44 No

01:17:45 No, before the year I liked a lot.

01:17:47 Yeah.

01:17:47 Unfortunately, I've watched NC State since, and there's not much for me to hang my hat on.

01:17:52 This game's like a war of attrition, to be honest with you.

01:17:54 Yeah.

01:17:55 And I think both teams, to the point that I made earlier at the start of the show, are desperately in need of good vibes.

01:18:01 Because Louisville losing in the manner that they did, that was a huge disappointment given the way they started their year.

01:18:07 Right.

01:18:08 Now, if

01:18:09 if we're gonna say like you should kind of ignore

01:18:11 if I'm gonna say you should kind of ignore ignore Clemson

01:18:14 against LSU

01:18:15 as just like a one-off

01:18:16 insane moment

01:18:17 You kinda have to move past the like

01:18:20 obviously terrible moment

01:18:22 of

01:18:22 NC State's ending against Vanderbilt

01:18:25 Well, you do, but they also blew a three possession lead against App

01:18:29 State.

01:18:30 They did.

01:18:30 Oh, I don't think NC State's good.

01:18:32 I mean I don't think

01:18:33 I don't think they can sustain anything truly for four quarters, and that's the biggest issue I have with NC State.

01:18:38 Right.

01:18:39 Yeah.

01:18:40 I'm going Louisville, even with the uncertainty around Lincoln Kienholz.

01:18:44 Not it's not like a letdown

01:18:45 look

01:18:45 ahead spot, even though I guess it is a letdown spot after their loss to Wake, but I think that that might be something to get them right.

01:18:51 So I'm gonna go Louisville

01:18:52 here.

01:18:52 Able, I think they'll be able to run the ball.

01:18:55 Okay, I am on

01:18:57 Tennessee minus the seven.

01:18:59 I am on Virginia with you

01:19:01 over

01:19:02 Florida State.

01:19:03 I will stick with Louisville minus the three and a half.

01:19:06 How do you feel about Kentucky at South Carolina?

01:19:09 Because

01:19:10 Kentucky just ran for 390 yards with three different 100-yard backs.

01:19:15 Against

01:19:16 South Alabama?

01:19:17 Yeah, and they're now facing a South Carolina defense that has suspended Dylan Stewart

01:19:22 because of what went down in that Alabama game.

01:19:24 So to me, I I look at that matchup, I flag that immediately

01:19:28 Um, South Carolina

01:19:31 can

01:19:31 answer on the ground

01:19:33 because they've been over seven yards per carry.

01:19:36 Matt Fuller's been good.

01:19:37 Matt Fuller's been good.

01:19:38 Yeah.

01:19:39 Um

01:19:41 I think this is a close game.

01:19:44 I tend to still favor Kentucky.

01:19:46 I do believe in Will Stein's ability to find some

01:19:50 answers on offense.

01:19:52 Yeah.

01:19:54 And even though the point

01:19:55 spread

01:19:55 is sort of screaming South Carolina

01:19:58 and making me wonder why South Carolina, I just, I don't know, I'm a vibes

01:20:02 guy, man.

01:20:03 I'm not getting good

01:20:04 vibes with the

01:20:05 I know you are.

01:20:06 You know, with the

01:20:07 with the suspension and just with the way that the season has gone so far.

01:20:12 I'm I'm kind of out on South Carolina at this point.

01:20:14 Okay.

01:20:15 I actually like South Carolina here

01:20:17 because

01:20:18 one, I like Alabama.

01:20:20 Okay?

01:20:21 Now, there's a

01:20:22 there's something else at play here.

01:20:24 And

01:20:24 I don't know how exactly you quantify it, but like

01:20:27 what if Texas A&M is just like not

01:20:30 Good.

01:20:30 Right?

01:20:31 Yeah.

01:20:31 What if they're not good?

01:20:33 And

01:20:34 not saying Kentucky's win over them was not fun and impressive, and I'm sure a long time coming if you're a Kentucky fan to see something like that happen with your program.

01:20:43 And that kind of juice and those kind of big plays and that kind of offense and that kind of promise from an offense and whatever Kenny Minchey's ceiling is

01:20:50 and a innovative creative coach and Will Stein.

01:20:53 We'll see.

01:20:55 I just don't know if what's happened since then is a great sign

01:20:59 for Texas

01:21:01 A&M as a résumé feather.

01:21:03 Okay.

01:21:04 So

01:21:04 I'm just going home team here.

01:21:06 I think South Carolina still has enough.

01:21:08 I don't like South Carolina that much as a team.

01:21:11 I didn't like him heading into the season.

01:21:12 I thought

01:21:13 I

01:21:14 you

01:21:14 watch LaNorris Sellers and you're like, Keelon Russell's already better than this guy.

01:21:18 Now

01:21:18 different team, different line, different receivers, different offensive coordinator.

01:21:22 LaNorris Sellers seems more tentative this year.

01:21:24 I don't love the situation in Columbia.

01:21:26 I think there's a good chance this is Shane Beamer's final year there.

01:21:29 But

01:21:31 I'm not

01:21:32 I I I just need to see more.

01:21:33 I think it's a tough place to play.

01:21:35 I think there's there's enough playmakers for South Carolina.

01:21:37 I'm gonna give the points and they win.

01:21:39 I'm I'm going

01:21:40 Kentucky.

01:21:41 I'm gonna stick with

01:21:42 stick with Kentucky here.

01:21:43 And then the

01:21:43 uh

01:21:44 the night quad, by the way, Dan Rubenstein.

01:21:47 Yeah.

01:21:47 Welcome to the pain zones

01:21:48 where we live.

01:21:52 I happen to think the nighttime is your window of opportunity, a rare one.

01:21:55 Oh

01:21:56 man.

01:21:59 I think you need to look

01:22:02 Cautiously across your college football calendar.

01:22:06 And you need to find moments like we will have in week five

01:22:10 where you can go out and do a date night and be amongst the people at night.

01:22:15 You owe it to the people around you.

01:22:18 I mean, you don't owe them anything technically.

01:22:20 You're your own person.

01:22:22 But

01:22:22 if you're like the rest of us, if you're an adjusted adult.

01:22:25 You might feel that pull towards like, okay, we need to like reestablish some some capital here that we can apply elsewhere.

01:22:32 Yeah, yeah.

01:22:32 Like the fire.

01:22:34 I I think week five is the night that you go out.

01:22:37 For one of Ty Hildenbrandt's

01:22:39 patented sweaty Saturday nights.

01:22:41 Sweaty Saturday night, man.

01:22:43 Ty

01:22:43 loves a sweaty Saturday.

01:22:44 That's a that's a Thursday bonus show.

01:22:46 He'll let you in on it.

01:22:47 Continue.

01:22:47 I'm uncomfortable with

01:22:49 This line of questioning, but

01:22:50 I think your window could be Saturday night.

01:22:53 Here are the games that I'm gonna call out.

01:22:57 We already talked about some of the other action taking place, right?

01:23:00 We talked about our big games earlier on in this episode.

01:23:04 Notably there's a Miami Clemson game with a big point spread.

01:23:07 The other games that we called out at night were on Friday night.

01:23:10 True.

01:23:11 Here is what I have in my quad

01:23:14 here.

01:23:16 First off, BYU at TCU.

01:23:18 Low point spread

01:23:18 six and a half.

01:23:20 Seven p.

01:23:21 m.

01:23:21 730.

01:23:22 NBC Washington at USC.

01:23:24 USC favorite by 10.

01:23:26 Then at 1030.

01:23:30 Baylor at Arizona State.

01:23:31 It should be fun.

01:23:32 Neither team ranked.

01:23:34 That should be good.

01:23:36 Then at 11

01:23:37 on Fox, Cincinnati on the road

01:23:40 at Arizona.

01:23:41 Yeah, that's

01:23:42 I like that game.

01:23:43 By the way, it's a nice little

01:23:46 Sahara

01:23:48 squeeze.

01:23:49 Two games in the Arizona Desert.

01:23:51 I guess it's the Sonoran Desert, but okay.

01:23:54 So I'm just saying if you're looking around college football,

01:23:58 not

01:23:58 everybody's a sicko

01:24:00 like you and me.

01:24:01 That's okay.

01:24:04 This could be your opportunity.

01:24:07 This could

01:24:07 be an opportunity to go out.

01:24:09 It's a pretty good one.

01:24:10 I think it's pretty good.

01:24:11 You have to weigh, you know, s

01:24:13 Sahara Saturday versus the Ty

01:24:15 Hildenbrandt Sweaty Saturday.

01:24:17 But

01:24:18 there's a lot on the line here.

01:24:20 So

01:24:20 ASU has had a pretty uneven season.

01:24:22 The Texas A&M loss is not looking as

01:24:25 like, well, it's a tough team on the road.

01:24:27 And

01:24:28 Texas A&M

01:24:28 has not been great since.

01:24:30 So I don't know what we think about that Arizona State team.

01:24:33 Crazy that Baylor's led by their offense.

01:24:35 That's going to be an interesting situation.

01:24:37 Is Baylor's defense

01:24:38 sorry, Baylor's defense?

01:24:40 Is Baylor's defense for real?

01:24:41 What's going on with the Baylor offense and DJ Lagway

01:24:44 and his health and like

01:24:45 Is he even the best quarterback on this roster?

01:24:48 Nick Bennett has been good against the lesser teams on it.

01:24:50 I don't know.

01:24:51 That's an interesting storyline to monitor.

01:24:53 Monitore?

01:24:54 Um

01:24:55 and Gavin Freeman, if ASU's defense, which I think is pretty good, can take him away.

01:24:59 What does that look like?

01:24:59 I think that's an interesting

01:25:00 matchup.

01:25:01 Your boy.

01:25:02 Okay.

01:25:02 I like him a lot.

01:25:03 Okay, hold on.

01:25:03 Quickly.

01:25:04 USC and Washington both bounce

01:25:05 back

01:25:06 spots.

01:25:06 That's fascinating.

01:25:07 Can USC regroup?

01:25:08 Can Washington regroup?

01:25:09 It's in LA.

01:25:10 It's at night.

01:25:11 This is what

01:25:12 a Noah

01:25:13 Eagle game?

01:25:13 This is a Noah Eagle game in the Coliseum.

01:25:16 Yeah.

01:25:16 TCU, bad loss to UCF.

01:25:19 Okay.

01:25:19 I don't know how good UCF is.

01:25:21 They have Houston, right?

01:25:22 Yes.

01:25:23 UCF, I think, forced four turnovers

01:25:26 and generated a touchdown.

01:25:28 Like they didn't generate points off of that, but they are able to win that game.

01:25:31 Um

01:25:32 TCU is kind of reeling right now, but BYU on the road

01:25:36 first

01:25:37 Like, I mean, I guess

01:25:38 second moderately real opponent.

01:25:39 We'll see what BYU is.

01:25:41 They're a rested

01:25:41 team.

01:25:42 They're gonna blast TCU.

01:25:44 I

01:25:45 that's the the vibe I'm getting too.

01:25:47 They're gonna blast him.

01:25:48 Yeah.

01:25:48 I thought about lock

01:25:50 you know what

01:25:50 where's my thing here?

01:25:51 Okay.

01:25:51 Let's do this one too.

01:25:53 Lock of the week.

01:25:56 They're gonna be rested.

01:25:57 LJ Martin's coming off like 175 yards, three touchdowns

01:26:01 before the bye.

01:26:03 Yeah.

01:26:03 Um

01:26:04 TCU has, I think, gotten better.

01:26:06 I think Jaden

01:26:07 Craig has

01:26:07 has definitely shown some improvement.

01:26:10 Um

01:26:11 I love his connection with Ed

01:26:12 Small.

01:26:13 But

01:26:14 I just think BYU is gonna be way more physical than TCU.

01:26:17 Okay.

01:26:18 That's all reasonable.

01:26:19 Uh

01:26:19 the other one, by the way, this is 11 Eastern.

01:26:22 Yeah.

01:26:23 You think you're a good team?

01:26:25 Go to Tucson

01:26:26 at night

01:26:27 Yeah.

01:26:27 Go deep into the Sonoran Desert at night.

01:26:30 Cincinnati.

01:26:31 This is a good running game on the Cincinnati side against a veteran quarterback who's very efficient, Noah Fifita.

01:26:38 Yep.

01:26:39 It's an interesting clash of styles.

01:26:41 I think Arizona gets this one done.

01:26:42 I I read

01:26:43 it.

01:26:46 I'm on Arizona State minus the four and a half.

01:26:50 That Baylor game a week ago, like, that made my eyes bleed.

01:26:53 That game was so hard to watch.

01:26:55 I am on

01:26:58 USC minus the 10, because I think Washington might be hot trash, but we'll see

01:27:04 And um

01:27:04 I'm on BYU obviously

01:27:06 minus the six and a half points.

01:27:08 It's a non-big game at home for USC.

01:27:11 They'll be good.

01:27:12 They'll they'll be fine.

01:27:12 And by the way, I was high on Washington.

01:27:14 I'm sort of like

01:27:16 as despondent about the early part of their season as anybody.

01:27:20 I don't say anything

01:27:22 uh

01:27:23 but

01:27:23 to be

01:27:24 Go ahead.

01:27:25 No, I was gonna say this is a matchup of two fan bases, Washington and USC.

01:27:29 Obviously, as an Oregon human, I'm not the most reliable narrator to judge these two teams and their fan bases, but I can say this.

01:27:37 Both of these fan bases on their message boards after last week

01:27:40 had a 2027

01:27:42 Coach

01:27:43 Hotboard version 1.

01:27:44 0.

01:27:46 So

01:27:47 I was gonna say I the

01:27:49 I I'm not saying any of this to like spike the football on Washington people.

01:27:52 Right.

01:27:52 Washington people who listen to the show know that I've been in

01:27:54 a Washington, but

01:27:55 yeah, it's it's it's really not been good

01:27:58 Okay.

01:27:59 Under the radar games, real quick, I'm gonna rifle through these.

01:28:01 I don't even need picks, I just want to call them out.

01:28:03 Yeah

01:28:06 Somewhere deep in the waters of week five.

01:28:09 Was that like a statham?

01:28:11 I don't know.

01:28:12 It was pretty good.

01:28:12 I enjoyed it

01:28:14 That was like the deep tones that I have.

01:28:16 After I do an hour and 30 minutes here on the podcast.

01:28:19 But it

01:28:20 sounded

01:28:21 no

01:28:22 It sounded statham-y.

01:28:24 Like I think you might have an under

01:28:25 the

01:28:25 radar

01:28:26 statum

01:28:27 for the under

01:28:27 the radar segment.

01:28:29 Thursday, 9 p.

01:28:30 m.

01:28:30 North Texas at Tulsa. One

01:28:32 point spread. This is

01:28:33 the Matt Berry

01:28:34 Chase Daniel game.

01:28:35 Okay.

01:28:36 Tulsa has allowed one touchdown in eight quarters at home.

01:28:40 In comes North Texas, the nation's seventh best passing attack.

01:28:44 Nice little clash of styles there.

01:28:46 Tulsa one of the best teams to get destroyed by Arkansas this year.

01:28:49 Here.

01:28:49 Continue.

01:28:50 12:30 on Saturday on Big Ten

01:28:51 Network.

01:28:52 This is the Jason

01:28:53 Horowitz Jake

01:28:54 Butt game.

01:28:54 Nice.

01:28:56 Michigan State

01:28:56 at Wisconsin.

01:28:57 Wisconsin a 10-point favorite.

01:28:59 This is on the heels of pulling off their biggest road comeback

01:29:02 since 2001, 25 years since they erased a deficit as big as 17, as they did in Beaver Stadium.

01:29:11 When's if I had to give you an over-under

01:29:14 of

01:29:15 November

01:29:17 11th, when's the next time Michigan State scores 20 points?

01:29:24 So that would be after the Michigan game, before the Washington game.

01:29:29 Oh man.

01:29:31 Do they score 20 points?

01:29:32 They have Illinois next week.

01:29:34 So maybe that's the opportunity.

01:29:36 Does Michigan State now down Cam Edwards?

01:29:38 So they score 20 points in a game before the Rutgers game to end the season?

01:29:43 I'm gonna say yes.

01:29:44 Okay

01:29:46 330 ESPN+

01:29:48 Eastern Michigan at UMass.

01:29:49 I've only got this on here because it's UMass

01:29:51 trying to get to 5-0.

01:29:53 They're favored by 5.

01:29:54 5

01:29:54 points.

01:29:55 They went 0-12

01:29:56 a year ago.

01:29:57 They are 4-0

01:29:58 for the first time in FBS program history.

01:30:00 Yeah.

01:30:01 For the first time, let me rephrase.

01:30:02 The first time in the history of their program being an FBS opponent

01:30:07 or FBS team that they are 4-0.

01:30:09 We've got UMass

01:30:11 going to be 5-0.

01:30:13 We've got Mason McKenzie running for 387

01:30:16 yards against Virginia Tech.

01:30:17 I believe we have 2-0

01:30:19 Harvard.

01:30:20 Some are saying

01:30:21 the greater Boston, Massachusetts, whatever area

01:30:24 could be the capital of college football moving forward.

01:30:26 Continue.

01:30:27 Yeah, I'm I'm rooting for you, Mass, here.

01:30:28 Four of the games real quick, 330 CBS Sports Network

01:30:32 Cal

01:30:32 on the road at UNLV.

01:30:34 UNLV minus two

01:30:35 and a half points.

01:30:36 Finally get a home game.

01:30:37 They've been away for five weeks.

01:30:40 Ooh.

01:30:41 In four different time zones.

01:30:43 For whatever that means.

01:30:44 Right.

01:30:44 Yeah, they had the game in Hawaii.

01:30:46 To you.

01:30:47 We've also got at

01:30:48 730, Texas Tech on the Road at Colorado.

01:30:51 Colorado.

01:30:52 13 point

01:30:53 home dog.

01:30:54 Looks like they are making a quarterback change going to Isaac Wilson.

01:30:57 He's the younger brother of Zach Wilson.

01:30:59 Utah transfer.

01:31:01 And should be noted that in the run-up to the season, Julian Lewis said, we didn't even look at film last year.

01:31:06 We were just winging it.

01:31:08 And we are at week five and he's benched.

01:31:11 7 p.

01:31:11 m.

01:31:11 ESPNU

01:31:12 Temple

01:31:13 on the road at South Florida, South Florida, favored by six and a half points.

01:31:17 Temple is

01:31:18 One and three, as you know, but they have rushed for at least one hundred and seventy-six yards in every game this season, including that one against Penn State.

01:31:27 We'll see how that factors in here.

01:31:28 Yes.

01:31:28 And last but certainly not least

01:31:31 on the USA

01:31:32 network, we've got Fresno

01:31:33 on the road at Washington State.

01:31:35 An interesting Pac-12 matchup

01:31:37 deep into the night.

01:31:39 I

01:31:39 incorrectly said that Speedy

01:31:41 Luke played for Arizona when we did our Monday dude

01:31:46 alerts.

01:31:46 He plays for Fresno.

01:31:48 He ran for 167 on 11 carries.

01:31:50 It was the

01:31:51 School's

01:31:52 best average with at least ten

01:31:54 carries since nineteen

01:31:56 fifty-eight.

01:31:57 Pretty good showing.

01:31:58 I like Fresno there

01:32:00 setting up a big matchup against Boise, I believe, next week.

01:32:02 Boise

01:32:03 has

01:32:03 I think an underrated Utah State team, but I still think Boise

01:32:07 is going to take care of business in that one.

01:32:10 Um

01:32:11 otherwise, there wasn't I think Nebraska's going to take care of business against Maryland.

01:32:15 I think

01:32:16 A&M should probably win.

01:32:18 14 points the favorite.

01:32:20 14 points the favorite.

01:32:21 It's weird that I'm I'm not certain there.

01:32:24 Um

01:32:24 James Madison

01:32:25 should keep it rolling against Marshall.

01:32:27 A nice, a quietly

01:32:28 very nice season for James Madison, Billy Napier.

01:32:31 after their win last week.

01:32:32 Illinois should be fine against Purdue.

01:32:35 I'm trying to think.

01:32:36 Georgia State

01:32:37 ODU.

01:32:38 I'm really rooting for Dell McGee and the Panthers.

01:32:40 year.

01:32:40 A really nice

01:32:41 they were

01:32:41 god-awful last year, and they're three and one.

01:32:43 So they're the team that I'm hope I'm hoping is confirming the water source available in the middle of the desert.

01:32:50 Um

01:32:50 otherwise I think if you could just drop that big

01:32:52 stanky

01:32:53 Dribbling.

01:32:55 Job and

01:32:56 five.

01:33:08 Saturday, 12 noon!

01:33:10 Fordham

01:33:10 on the road at Lehigh, Dan.

01:33:12 Give me the mountain hawks.

01:33:13 Gimme

01:33:13 the mountain hawks.

01:33:14 Always in favor.

01:33:16 Saturday 1230.

01:33:17 Cornell on the road

01:33:18 Multi-Sport

01:33:19 Field.

01:33:20 We're

01:33:20 off against Georgetown.

01:33:22 Going

01:33:22 Georgetown here.

01:33:23 I think it's just gonna be too vicious.

01:33:25 Saturday, 1230, Richmond on the road at Lafayette.

01:33:29 You know, it's a gap here for Lafayette I'm sensing, so I'm gonna go Richmond

01:33:32 here.

01:33:32 Going Richmond.

01:33:33 Going

01:33:34 going

01:33:34 going

01:33:34 Spiders.

01:33:35 Yeah, I'm not feeling good.

01:33:37 How is uh

01:33:39 Papa

01:33:40 Rubenstein gonna feel about that though?

01:33:42 Um

01:33:43 if

01:33:43 Papa

01:33:43 Rubenstein could get deep deep ESPN

01:33:47 plus

01:33:47 navigation going, he might have some sort of feeling.

01:33:49 I'm not sure he knows how to find this game.

01:33:51 Saturday 1 p.

01:33:52 m.

01:33:52 Morgan State on the road at Villanova.

01:33:54 Gimme Nova.

01:33:54 Gotta go Nova.

01:33:55 Yeah, yeah, Nova

01:33:56 big.

01:33:56 Yeah.

01:33:57 Saturday, 3:30, Holy Cross on the road at William

01:33:59 & Mary.

01:34:00 Two of them.

01:34:01 Yes.

01:34:02 Uh, William & Mary comfortably here.

01:34:04 And finally, the primetime game, Saturday, 7 p.

01:34:06 m.

01:34:07 Colgate at Harvard.

01:34:09 Defending Ivy

01:34:10 Champ, co-champ, Harvard.

01:34:11 Give me

01:34:11 Harvard.

01:34:12 I'm going to say Harvard comfortably, yeah.

01:34:14 I think Harvard wins.

01:34:15 Although Colgate, I I think has acquitted themselves pretty nicely early, right?

01:34:18 They almost beat a MAC

01:34:19 team

01:34:19 start the year.

01:34:20 Yeah.

01:34:20 Early on.

01:34:21 Yeah.

01:34:21 I'm going Harvard.

01:34:23 Defense has been leading the way for uh for the Crimson.

01:34:27 Okay, we have one order of business.

01:34:31 Gift card.

01:34:33 What kind of gift card do we want to give away?

01:34:35 Um

01:34:37 we don't have any sponsors for these gift cards.

01:34:39 We're paying for these gift cards.

01:34:40 Oh, that's true.

01:34:42 Out of our own pockets.

01:34:43 Yeah.

01:34:43 So we're doing this just in appreciation to

01:34:46 all the people that support what we do.

01:34:48 Mm-hmm.

01:34:49 Makes it uh worthwhile to put some stakes.

01:34:52 on

01:34:52 run

01:34:52 the board week in, week out.

01:34:54 I've been doing a pretty good job of that.

01:34:55 Next week maybe we'll have a a bigger prize.

01:34:57 We'll see.

01:34:58 But

01:34:58 um

01:35:00 $150.

01:35:01 Okay.

01:35:02 We did Sahara

01:35:03 Saturday, and I feel like as the weather's turning, we might need some protection from the elements, something like that.

01:35:10 I don't know if it's a Patagonia gift card.

01:35:12 We could do we could do a Patagonia.

01:35:14 I think that's a

01:35:15 pretty good like

01:35:16 everybody can find something.

01:35:18 Not a sponsor.

01:35:19 They make desert wear though.

01:35:20 I'm sure they make a

01:35:22 like a a hat that can cover your neck, like a safari.

01:35:27 Yeah, yeah, something with like the flaps that come down so

01:35:30 I'm gonna look up right now the Patagonia hat

01:35:32 options, not a sponsor and giving them way too much time.

01:35:35 Yes, they make a caped

01:35:38 Merganser

01:35:39 hat.

01:35:39 I'm gonna send you the link right now.

01:35:41 Look at this, Ty.

01:35:42 How much is this?

01:35:44 What does this cost?

01:35:46 $65.

01:35:48 Everything's expensive now though.

01:35:50 Look at that.

01:35:51 Oh

01:35:51 yeah.

01:35:53 Oh yeah.

01:35:54 I'm a

01:35:54 fiery flap

01:35:55 in the back.

01:35:56 We might have to buy one of these and wear it on the show.

01:35:59 That's a lot of

01:36:00 a lot of

01:36:01 a lot of cache.

01:36:02 A lot of fabric down the back, though.

01:36:04 $150, Patagonia.

01:36:07 $150, Patagonia.

01:36:08 Sign up for Run the Board at Verballers.com.

01:36:11 It is our pick'em

01:36:12 game.

01:36:13 Play for fabulous prizes

01:36:14 against the Verballerhood.

01:36:17 We built our own game.

01:36:18 portal.solidverbal.com.

01:36:20 Yes.

01:36:20 But go to Verballers.com for more information on how to sign up and be part of that and the community.

01:36:25 If you sign up, you also can vote in the Verballer Top 12 poll, which will open up 3 a.

01:36:30 m.

01:36:30 Eastern Time on Sunday morning.

01:36:33 Yeah, we'll see you guys.

01:36:35 We'll be together

01:36:36 Saturday night

01:36:37 together

01:36:38 for the recap show

01:36:40 midnight eastern

01:36:41 eleven

01:36:42 What am I

01:36:43 central?

01:36:44 Yeah.

01:36:44 Uh

01:36:44 be ten

01:36:45 mountain, nine

01:36:47 Pacific, and I guess that would be six

01:36:49 PM

01:36:50 out on the outside.

01:36:52 All right.

01:36:53 Sahara

01:36:54 Saturday, wherever you may be, make sure you're hydrated.

01:36:57 Make sure you give us a call at 855

01:37:00 Verbal3.

01:37:01 Make sure if you're going to be at that Penn State Northwestern game on Friday, you give us a shout at solidverbal@gmail.com.

01:37:06 And make sure you rate, review, and subscribe if you have yet to do so.

01:37:11 We would greatly appreciate it.

01:37:12 It helps us out.

01:37:13 For

01:37:14 that guy over there, my good friend Dan Rubenstein, for myself over here, Ty Hildenbrandt.

01:37:17 Thank you again for your ongoing support.

01:37:19 We'll catch you all on Saturday night.

01:37:21 In the meantime, stay solid.

01:37:22 Peace.

01:37:26 All right.

01:37:28 All right.

01:37:31 All right