Cover 3 College Football Podcast – Big Ten Show: Michigan-Oklahoma | Oregon-Oklahoma State | Iowa-Iowa State

Date: September 2, 2025
Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell, Bud Elliott

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode delivers a deep-dive preview of Week 2 in college football, focusing on marquee Big Ten and non-conference clashes. The crew analyzes the ramifications of Texas' loss on the AP Top 25, breaks down Oregon-Oklahoma State and Michigan-Oklahoma, and discusses Illinois-Duke and Iowa-Iowa State. X factors, key players to watch, and the big-picture implications for conference races and playoff hopes headline the conversations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

AP Top 25 Shake-Up: Who Should Be No. 1 After Texas' Loss?

• Texas’ loss leaves the No. 1 spot open. Ohio State, Penn State, and even LSU are in the mix to take over.
• Panel consensus: Ohio State will likely be the new No. 1 due to their win over Texas and preseason poll momentum.
  • Danny Kanell [02:36]: “Ohio State will be number one. … Beating Texas is still a really good win. … If you erased everything you knew about the teams coming in, I think LSU had the best win of the weekend.”
  • Tom Fornelli [03:40]: “Now that Ohio State's taken down Texas, I think the logical response … is for them to then take Ohio State and give them Texas's first place votes.”
  • Bud Elliott [04:38]: “We have the most wide open season that we have seen in a long time. … There's nobody who distinguished themselves in the opening weekend as the clear number one.”

Oregon vs. Oklahoma State: Talent, NIL, and Dan Lanning’s Response

• Oregon thrashes Montana State in Week 1 – but are they ready for a legit opponent?
• Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State coach) stirs controversy, suggesting Oregon “bought” their roster with NIL spending.
• Dan Lanning (Oregon coach) responds diplomatically, touting support and program investment.
  • Dan Lanning [via Bud Elliott 06:17]: “If you want to be a top 10 team in college football, you better be invested in winning. We spend to win. Some people say [it] to have an excuse for why they don't.”
• Panel notes:
  • Oregon’s offense is explosive; depth abounds, but true tests remain.
  • Makai Hughes’ limited play in Week 1 raises questions—disciplinary or strategic?
  • Dante Moore’s efficiency as new QB impresses, but needs to face tougher competition to answer lingering questions.
  • Danny Kanell [11:01]: “Dante Moore … is not your average kind of first year starter … sometimes you need a year, a red shirt, reset type of year. … That was very, very efficient without many mistakes at all.”
  • Tom Fornelli [09:11]: “Where was Mike Gundy complaining about money in college football when T. Boone Pickens was still alive?”

Michigan at Oklahoma: Freshman QB Duel, Defensive Puzzles, and X Factors

• Freshman QBs in the spotlight: Michigan's Bryce Underwood vs. Oklahoma’s John Mateer.
  • Underwood impresses in debut against New Mexico—poised, accurate, aided by strong run game (Justice Haynes).
  • Mateer “is vibes-based,” creative and talented but sometimes misses reads, inviting pressure from Michigan’s defense.
  • Bud Elliott [17:45]: “If you're Michigan, you're watching [Mateer], you're like, man, this guy makes a lot of plays, but there's also a lot of plays he doesn't see.”
  • Tom Fornelli [19:22]: “John Mateer is very vibes-based when he's playing quarterback.”
• Key matchup notes:
  • Michigan’s defense is missing edge rusher Jason Barham (1st half, targeting); can their inexperienced depth hold up?
  • Tom Fornelli [22:04]: “There's a lot of inexperience … playing a team … much better than what they saw last week. … You take Barham out, … you are going to have to figure out a way to replace him.”
  • Oklahoma’s offensive line is breaking in two true freshmen; can Michigan’s front exploit that?
  • Both teams could struggle running the ball, putting extra pressure on the QBs.

Illinois at Duke: Identity, Game Plan, and Strengths on Strengths

• Illinois seeking a go-to wideout: 9 receivers caught passes in opener, but no clear “alpha”; likely to lean heavily on run game and big, veteran O-line.
  • Tom Fornelli [26:39]: “Nobody … has emerged as an alpha. … I don't know how much we could take away from anything we saw in that game.”
  • Bud Elliott [27:44]: “If I'm Illinois, I'm taking my super veteran offensive line … and taking my sweet time guys because Duke is going to go fast.”
• Duke’s strengths: Secondary should test Illinois if they pass; however, Duke may be made one-dimensional against Illinois’ strong defensive front.
  • Danny Kanell [28:43]: “One of the strengths of Duke is their secondary … But I do think again … there’s going to be a pretty significant advantage — Illinois’ defensive front versus Duke's offensive line.”
  • QB Darien Mensah has weapons but faces tough pressure (Gabe Akis, Illinois pass rush).

Iowa at Iowa State (Cyhawk Trophy): Defensive Battle or Offensive Breakout?

• Iowa’s offense under new QB Mark Gronowski: Tepid start (8 for 15, 44 yards); panel suspects the playbook was kept vanilla ahead of the rivalry.
  • Danny Kanell [36:43]: “I still want to see who they're going to have emerge as wide receiver … and I'm curious to see who emerges for Iowa to be a legit threat on the outside.”
• Iowa State promising but untested: Defensive line lacks pass rush; offense faces Iowa’s stout run defense (Big Dom Orange is a “wrecking ball” at DT).
  • Bud Elliott [41:21]: “If Iowa wants to stay committed to the run, they're going to find out a way to get [Dom Orange] blocked—and that is a lot easier said than done.”
• Rivalry Trends: Series is 17–3 to the under in last 20 meetings; panel leans toward another grind-it-out game, but notes Iowa’s offensive explosiveness could hint at a departure.

Big 12 Landscape: Is Iowa State a Contender?

• Wide open league after Utah and TCU’s strong starts.
• Iowa State is capable but not a panelist’s favorite; concerns about defensive depth and lack of explosive playmakers outside of Rocco Becht.
  • Bud Elliott [43:47]: “They're not on the list of teams that you can just absolutely exclude … if they got considerably better in a few spots.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Danny Kanell, on AP No. 1 debate [02:36]:
  “Ohio State will be number one. … Beating Texas is still a really good win. … If you erased everything you knew about the teams coming in, I think LSU had the best win.”

• Tom Fornelli, on preseason poll logic [03:40]:
  “Now that Ohio State's taken down Texas, I think the logical response … is for them to then take Ohio State and give them Texas's first place votes.”

• Dan Lanning’s retort to Gundy [via Bud Elliott, 06:17]:
  “If you want to be a top 10 team in college football, you better be invested in winning. We spend to win. Some people say [that] to have an excuse for why they don't.”

• Tom Fornelli, on Gundy’s complaints about NIL [09:11]:
  “Where was Mike Gundy complaining about money in college football when T. Boone Pickens was still alive?”

• Danny Kanell on Dante Moore’s progression [11:01]:
  “Dante Moore … is not your average kind of first year starter … sometimes you need a year, a red shirt, reset type of year.”

• Bud Elliott on John Mateer, Oklahoma QB [17:45]:
  “There's a lot of stuff he doesn't see. … Against a good team, you need to hit this guy on time. … It was a little bit concerning.”

• Tom Fornelli on rivalry game trends [40:29]:
  “I think if you look at the total for this game, it's at 41 and a half. I wouldn't be surprised if you see an over. … I could see 27 to 20.”

• Panel’s playful banter on breaking Iowa's offensive trend [41:55]:
  Danny Kanell: “We've got the last five games: 20-19, 20-13, 10-7, 27-17 and 18-17. … I'm saying this game is still going to be one of those low scoring defensive affairs again. … I would love for Mark Gronowski to step up there and throw for 300 yards … I just don't know how that's happening.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• New No. 1 discussion – [01:45 – 04:38]
• Oregon-Oklahoma State & Gundy-Lanning NIL talk – [05:16 – 09:11]
• Oregon’s offense and Dante Moore’s potential – [09:11 – 12:15]
• Michigan-Oklahoma in-depth breakdown (QBs, defenses) – [16:26 – 25:13]
• Illinois-Duke preview – [25:47 – 34:05]
• Iowa-Iowa State (Cyhawk Trophy) breakdown – [35:40 – 43:15]
• Big 12 contender debate – [43:15 – 44:29]
• Players to Watch in Big Ten Week 2 – [45:06 – 46:09]

Players to Watch (Week 2)

• Danny Kanell: Makai Hughes, Oregon RB ([45:06]) — Expecting a bigger impact after a quiet opener.
• Tom Fornelli: Malik Washington, Maryland QB ([45:26]) — Looked sharp in debut, can he push the ball downfield vs. NIU?
• Bud Elliott: James Thompson, Illinois DL ([45:52]) — Key to containing Duke’s dynamic offense.
• Chip Patterson: Aiden Chiles, Michigan State QB ([46:09]) — Avoiding mistakes is critical in a pivotal matchup vs. Boston College.

Tone & Style Reflections

• Insightful, playful, and sharp. The hosts balance banter with detailed, statistics-driven analysis.
• Frequent references to insider knowledge, player development, and roster construction.
• Willingness to call out narratives, challenge conventional wisdom, and have fun with running jokes (like Iowa’s perennial “under” trend).

This episode sets up a loaded Week 2 with detailed previews, player breakdowns, and broader conference implications—all delivered in the rapid-fire, good-natured, yet incisive Cover 3 style.