Dylan Raiola to Oregon, Sam Leavitt to LSU + CFP Semifinal breakdown | Transfer Portal News

Summary

Cover 3 College Football Podcast – January 12, 2026

Episode: Dylan Raiola to Oregon, Sam Leavitt to LSU + CFP Semifinal Breakdown | Transfer Portal News

Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell

---

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the seismic quarterback moves in the college football transfer portal, focusing on Dylan Raiola’s surprising commitment to Oregon and Sam Leavitt’s transfer to join Lane Kiffin at LSU. The hosts break down the implications these moves have for both programs and for the evolving quarterback landscape nationwide. They discuss other transfer dominoes, rumors, and the looming closure of the portal window. The back half of the episode reviews the results and impact of the College Football Playoff semifinals, along with the narratives and reputations forged (or shaken) in the postseason—especially Mario Cristobal’s at Miami and the “broken brain” perception left by Indiana’s rapid ascent under Kurt Signetti.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dylan Raiola Transfers to Oregon (01:47 – 11:44)

• Announcement: Former Nebraska and five-star QB Dylan Raiola commits to Oregon.
• Reaction: Immediate debate about whether Raiola is set to back up Dante Moore or contend for the starting job.
  • Chip Patterson: “Are you committing to be the backup to Dante Moore or do we read through these tea leaves and do we see that Dante...?” (02:01)
  • Danny Kanell: “Both (interesting for Oregon and Raiola)... They’ve had an incredible run of transfer quarterbacks that have given them a chance to have a national championship.” (03:23)
• Fit with Oregon: Concerns about Raiola’s mechanics and history of frequent transfers are weighed against Oregon’s track record of revitalizing QBs (Bo Nix, Dylan Gabriel, Dante Moore).
  • Tom Fornelli: “My problem with Dylan Raiola has always been I feel like he’s trying to play 7 on 7 instead of 11 on 11...Maybe now, behind what should be a better offensive line...he’ll settle in and actually play quarterback.” (05:07)
  • Chip: “Great decision, Dylan. God, what a good decision...if I am Dylan Raiola and I look at the spot...set them up to go and be drafted into the NFL, then yes...this is a great spot for me.” (06:11)
• Oregon’s QB Philosophy: Oregon’s ‘plug-and-play’ offense, with schematic tweaks from new OCs, keeps expectations high regardless of coordinator turnover.
  • “Dan Lanning has shown us...He is not a defensive coordinator, head coach...There is an Oregon offense...” (06:54)
• Development Needed: Main points for Raiola’s success include improved mechanics and making the “play that’s there” instead of forcing big plays.
  • Tom: “Just make the play that’s there. Don’t try to make the cool play.” (09:43)
  • Danny: “His mechanics are not great...he’s not a great mechanical thrower.” (08:11)
• Portal Dynamics: Question if Raiola was Oregon’s first choice, or a function of an imperfect transfer class this year.

2. Sam Leavitt to LSU and Quarterback Dominoes (13:02 – 19:53)

• News Drop: Sam Leavitt (Arizona State standout) commits to Lane Kiffin at LSU after flirtations with Tennessee and Miami.
  • Chip: “Sam Levitt, former Arizona State quarterback they expected to commit to LSU...he was sitting courtside with Lane.” (13:02)
  • Tom: “I think it’s a good fit...Sam Levitt does a lot of the things Lane Kiffin likes in a quarterback.” (14:18)
• Fit at LSU: Similar trajectory to previous successful Arizona State transfer (referencing Heisman winner), but needs to work on accuracy and less reliance on single targets.
  • Danny: “Not the most accurate quarterback...a little bit more accurate decision making. A little bit too reliant on Jordan Tyson this year.” (15:14)
• Portal Chess: Discussion of the high-stakes portal game as quarterbacks and programs jockey for leverage and NIL deals.
  • Tom: “There’s been reports this weekend of, like, certain SEC teams are throwing money at Ty Simpson to convince him to come back to college and enter the transfer portal instead of going to the NFL draft.” (17:35)
  • Chip: “If you can make 6 million bucks playing in college football one more year...I think you’re better served to go to college one more year from a financial standpoint.” (21:22)
• Portal Closing Window: Emphasis on the importance of final days of portal entry for high-profile QBs, including rumors and “negotiation tactics” like public return announcements.

3. Transfer Portal Musings and Impacts (19:49 – 43:40)

• Miami’s QB Situation: Could be in line for Ty Simpson or another late entry. The fluidity of portal commitments is stressed.
  • Tom: “Until, you know, the portal is closed and everybody has a quarterback. Don’t feel like your quarterback...is going to be there.” (19:57)
• CJ Bailey Stays at NC State: Debate about the reality/strategy of announcing a return as a portal tactic.
  • Chip: “There’s four days left until that portal closes. Oh, boy. Nervy four days over there in West Raleigh.” (22:18)
  • Tom: “Just saying you’re going to be back is a hell of a negotiation tactic...” (23:25)
• Eligibility & Appeals (Trinidad Chambliss): Discussion on the complexities of appeal processes, legal involvement in eligibility, and the broader impact of lawyers and agents in CFB.
  • Tom: “The NCAA does not have the strongest track record of winning cases in court.” (26:58)
  • Danny: “Go for back pay. Get rules passed that limit the amount an agent can make off of a player’s content. Get that down to 5%...” (31:53)
• Eligibility Reform Proposals: Talk of age limits or a ‘5 years to play 5’ rule to simplify eligibility.

4. Big Portal Winners and Roster Reloads (Cam Coleman/Texas, etc.) (36:04 – 42:00)

• Texas Transfer Haul: The Longhorns’ massive portal class and preseason #1 hype for 2026 with Arch Manning and key playmakers like Cam Coleman.
  • Danny: “Texas making a big splash in the transfer portal is going to set up for another year of, like, alright. Sark, Arch, Texas...Let’s see if they’ll be able to walk through it this time.” (41:22)
  • Concerns linger over offensive line issues not being fixed via the portal.
  • Tom: “They should score a ton of points in theory, but we’ll see.” (38:48)
• Other Transfer Watch: Quick hits on potential landing spots for key QBs like Bo Pribula and Will Gruckenmeyer.

---

College Football Playoff Semifinal Breakdown (44:34 – 57:47)

1. Mario Cristobal's Image Makeover at Miami

• Redemption Narrative: The hosts agree Cristobal has silenced critics with Miami’s turnaround and Playoff run.
  • Danny: “I think he silences every single critic that’s out there, win or lose. Now I think he’s answered any credit. I mean, he’s a great recruiter. He’s got a great staff...” (45:31)
  • Tom: “One of the impressive things about the run...my criticisms about Miami’s coaching in this run have not had anything to do with Mario Christobal. They’ve been Janet Dawson’s play calling at times, but other than that...very, very master like performance...” (46:00)
  • Chip: “...I have certainly changed the way that I rate, rank and view Mario Cristobal in a big way because of the way he’s gotten this team to play coming down the stretch.” (48:32)
• Caution: One tragic “Mario moment” in a title game could still turn media/fan sentiment (“...it just kind of cements everything that everybody forgets about the wins. It suddenly becomes, oh, same old Mario.” – Tom, 46:00)

2. Indiana’s “Mind-Blowing” Playoff Run and the Broken-Logic Era

• Impact on College Football: Indiana’s rise under Kurt Signetti has “broken people’s brains”—accelerating expectations for quick turnarounds at downtrodden programs and spawning wild cheating theories.
  • Chip: “Kurt Signetti has broken everyone’s brains...has every program that’s ever wanted to win anything, like, well, why can’t you do what Signetti’s done?” (51:04)
• Dominance Metrics: Stat talk—Indiana’s point differential in the playoff era outpaces dynasties like 2019 LSU (discussion of SRS, NFL talent, etc.)
  • “The SRS rating for Indiana is 25.35. 2019 LSU is 25.8.” – Tom (56:57)
• Greatest Team Debate: Can Indiana be considered the best CFP-era champ if they win? Hosts weigh resumes, strength of schedule, and “greatest of all time” status.
  • Tom: “Winning three playoff games...if they blow out Miami...I think they’ve got a pretty damn solid argument.” (54:59)
  • Chip: “Indiana deserves its own place at the table for what the team was able to accomplish against its opponents in the context of the given season.” (57:47)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Make the play that’s there. Don’t try to make the cool play.” — Tom Fornelli on Dylan Raiola's improvement plan (09:43)
• “Dylan Raiola has transferred a lot in his entire life... He has not stuck around anywhere long enough to learn an offense.” — Tom Fornelli (05:11)
• “Dominoes are falling, baby, here on this Monday morning...” — Chip Patterson (09:17)
• “Everybody I've talked to about Sam Levitt that's played with him said he's a dog. Like, you know that he's, he's alpha. Guys love playing for him.” — Danny Kanell (15:14)
• “Just saying you're going to be back is a hell of a negotiation tactic... Oh, what's that? My running back just left?” — Tom Fornelli on portal gamesmanship (23:25)
• “If you can make 6 million bucks playing in college football one more year, unless you're a top 20 pick, I think you're better served to go to college one more year from a financial standpoint.” — Chip Patterson (21:22)
• “Kurt Signetti has broken everyone’s brains...” — Chip Patterson on Indiana’s meteoric rise (51:04)
• “I think 2019 LSU is the greatest team of all time in the College Football Playoff era.” — Tom Fornelli, on G.O.A.T. debate (53:56)
• “I'm just happy the Bears had to play the Packers and not the Hoosiers. I'd have been nervous against the Hoosiers.” — Tom Fornelli (58:04, joking)

---

Important Timestamps

• Dylan Raiola to Oregon: 01:47 – 11:44
• Sam Leavitt to LSU: 13:02 – 19:53
• Portal and QB Dominoes (Miami, NC State, Ty Simpson, etc.): 19:49 – 24:16
• Eligibility, Agents, and Lawyers in CFB Discussion: 26:06 – 33:08
• Texas/Portal Class, Offensive Line Issues: 36:04 – 41:04
• Other QB Names/Fits (Pribula, Gruckenmeyer): 42:26 – 43:31
• CFP Semifinal Review & Cristobal’s Reputation: 44:34 – 49:59
• Indiana “Broken Logic” Era and Playoff Dominance: 51:02 – 57:47
• Greatest Playoff Champion Debate and SRS: 54:59 – 57:47

---

Tone & Style

• The hosts blend rapid-fire analysis with humor and friendly ribbing. They frequently cite insiders and real-time portal buzz, and aren’t shy about poking fun at college football's shifting landscape ("broken brains," agents, and NIL chaos).
• The episode maintains an energetic, conversational pace, with expert insights and a clear love for the game.

---

For Fans Who Missed the Episode:

Expect a thorough, no-nonsense discussion of the biggest transfer stories, pointed perspective on coaching reputations, and a reminder that in 2026, anything—literally anything—can happen in college football.

Transcript

[A]

Hate shopping for pants. You're not alone. Jack Archer's Jetsetter tech pants are basically the answer to every guy's closet struggles with their customizable fit, wrinkle free fabric sourced from Japan and all day comfort, these pants can take you from work to weekend without missing a beat. Seriously, these might be the only pants you'll ever need. Style them with the Jetsetter tee, legacy button down shirt or the buttery legacy polo sweater and you've got timeless staples to meet your everyday wardrobe needs. Jack Archer is just better for a limited time get 15% off using the code [e-mail] again that's promo code getjack@jackarcher dot com for 15% off your entire order.

[B]

Are you interested in effortlessly growing your Bitcoin portfolio? I sure am. The Bitcoin credit card by Gemini earns you Bitcoin back on every purchase. Use it like any credit card, buy lunch, gas or your weekly groceries and you'll earn up to 4% back instantly in Bitcoin or one of over 50 other cryptos straight to your account. All all that with no annual fee. And right now you can grab a $200 bitcoin welcome bonus. It's the easiest way to start building your Bitcoin stack. Go to gemini.com card to learn more. Terms apply. See the link in the description for more information regarding rates and fees issued by web bank. To Qualify for the $200 crypto intro bonus, you must spend $3,000 in your first 90 days. Some exclusions to instant rewards apply. This is not investment advice and trading Crypto involves risk. Check Gemini's website for more details on rates and fees.

[C]

Welcome Back to the COVID 3 podcast.

[D]

With Chip Patterson, Tom Fernelli, Danny Cannell and Bud Elliott.

[C]

It's your call for the best college football coverage from national signing day to the national championship and everything in between. CBS Sports presents the COVID 3 podcast.

[E]

And welcome back to the COVID 3 podcast here on CBS Sports. That's Danny Connell, that's Tom Fenelli, I'm Chip Patterson coming to you [e-mail] cover3 and everywhere you get your podcast on demand. Thanks for Smash that subscribe Smash that like and come and join us in the chat aka the COVID 3 tailgate where they are buzzing. Hey actually you know what? They are quacking about some news here on this Monday morning so I think that we should not waste any time. I'll go ahead and get us into the portal. All right. News on Monday morning, former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Riola has committed to the Oregon Ducks. Now, we might have some questions here. Like, okay, so are you committing to be the backup to Dante Moore or do we read through these tea leaves and do we see that, Dante? Yeah, yeah, Tom, I see your face. And Everybody [e-mail] cover3. So Dylan Raiola commits to the Ducks. We've got, obviously, a new offensive coordinator, though Drew Meringer is being promoted to the job as Will Stein will be heading off to get things started at Kentucky. Danny, does this interest you more on the what it means for Dylan, or does this interest you more on the what it means for Oregon's offense side in terms of Raiola's commitment?

[C]

Both, I think. Both. I think they've had an incredible run of transfer quarterbacks that have given them a chance to have a national championship. Now, they've come up short of that in the playoffs, but whether it was Bo Nicks, Dylan Gabriel, now Dante Moore, the expectation for Dante Moore is you're going to step in and execute this offense at an extremely high level. I guess I'm more curious as what this means for Oregon, like, can they continue that success? So it's kind of correlated. I mean, all of it together. But I. It'll help. It'll be very helpful for him to have better talent around him. It'll be, you know, he's gonna have great. I mean, they're not just gonna go away. He's gonna have a great offensive line. He's gonna have great weapons.

[E]

Right.

[C]

We don't know maybe who some of those pieces are. But I feel, and it's crazy because I saw less of Dante Moore and I felt better. Better about it. But because of what I've seen from Dylan Raiola, kind of like, we sure this is going to work, But, I mean, he's a highly accurate passer. He put up pretty good numbers. As long as he picks up the system, he should be fine. Right? That's kind of how I feel about it.

[D]

I tweeted it. We all know how I feel about him. I'll go into this with an open mind because of what Oregon did for Bo Nix. Now, I know Dillingham's gone and now I know Will Stein's gone, but we have seen the Oregon offense is kind of just the Oregon offense at this point. They do what they do and each play caller puts their own little spin on it, but it's not exactly, you know, they're not. They're not reinventing the wheel with it. So I'll see how it goes. I. I don't know. Like, I, first of all, I do not buy the idea that he's going to sit behind Dante Moore for obviously.

[E]

I just, I'm, I mean, like Dante, his room here.

[D]

I, I know, I, I know Oregon has Nike money, but are you, are we supposed to believe they're paying Dylan Raiola what it takes to get him to transfer to Oregon and they're also going to pay what it takes to keep him from going to the NFL? Like, I don't see that being a remote possibility. But this is also a situation where, like Rayola has transferred a lot in his entire life. Like, he's changed multiple high schools, now he's going to another college. He has not stuck around anywhere long enough to learn an offense. And now he's going to come in and like Dante Moore came in and he sat for a year behind Dylan Gabriel. He learned the offense, so maybe he will. Maybe that is the plan. He wants to sit down and learn it. I, I don't know. My problem with Dylan Raiola has always been I feel like he's trying to play 7 on 7 instead of 11 on 11. And we'll see if now that he's maybe, you know, maybe now that he's behind what should be a better offensive line but should have better weapons around him, maybe he'll settle in and actually play quarterback.

[E]

That my first thought was about Dylan. Right. Like we judge quarterbacks based on their decision making. Great decision, Dylan. God, what a good decision. I mean, this like you, you look around and there might have been bigger paychecks out there. I don't know. I'm not like, familiar with this camp in terms of the potential landing spots and what those NIL deals might have looked like along the way. But if I am Dylan Raiola and I look at the spot that, to your point, has taken transfer after transfer after transfer and been able to set them up to go and be drafted into the NFL, then yes, like, this is a great spot for me. The offensive line is going to be better than what I had at Nebraska. The quality of pass catchers are going to be better than what I had at Nebraska. And while Emmett Johnson didn't get enough Heisman love, but while they did have good running backs at Nebraska, that you've got a whole like war room of running backs there at Oregon. So you are, if you are Dylan Raiola, surrounding yourself with the talent in a system that has clearly been able to help these other transfer quarterbacks be able to put some of their best football on tape for getting to the next level. And then the second piece of this is that Dan Lanning has shown us through Kenny Dillingham, through Will Stein, and I'm just going to assume through Drew Meringer as well. Like, he is not a defensive coordinator, head coach. You know, he, he. There is an Oregon offense that. To your point, Tom, it'll have new wrinkles schematically, but it is an aggressive group. It is in a group that it is. It is like they were going downhill, we were going fast paced. We're going to run the football, but we are going to be trying to hit explosive plays. I just think a lot of that sets up well for Dylan. I am way more buzzing, confident, optimistic about. Like, hell yeah. Dylan, great choice. Now on the Oregon side, I'm like, man, I really hope that you can get the most out of Dylan Raiola because it is a. Is a mixed bag. One that was impacted obviously by health and again, the tools around him. But there's probably some work, right? There's probably some development that needs to happen to be able to.

[C]

His mechanics are not great. No, but it just. He's not a great mechanical thrower. Do you think it was like, how do you think this is Oregon's first choice? Like, they could spend with anybody. You think the Dante Moore decision was lingering and maybe that's why they didn't get somebody better? I mean, is the crop not that great? I mean, he still is one of the top quarterbacks listed in there. I don't know if there's any one of them that I absolutely love. You know, there's not like a Cam Ward. There was a couple years ago. Even John Mateer last year was kind of like, oh, yeah. All of them, I feel like, have pretty significant flaws.

[D]

I, I agree. I, I don't know if he was their first choice, but I, I do feel like he does a lot of things that fit the mold of what Oregon has looked for in their quarterbacks in the portal the last few years. Like, you know, he, he is accurate on those short throws, which is something I think that Oregon has stressed a lot with their offense because they do involve a lot of like, bubble screens and RPOs and all that kind of stuff. And Dylan Rayola is good on those throws. So I could see him being a fit. So I could see him being at the top of their board, but I don't know that for sure. But speaking of quarterbacks that were at the top of the board, another one just came off of it.

[E]

Dominoes are falling, baby, here on this Monday morning, let's wrap this raiola piece and then we'll continue with the more dominoes with Sam Levitt. News happening here in the middle of the show. What's any mechanics? What else is on the to do list? You're getting Dylan in there. What are we putting on the board? What do we have it on that front page of the Notebook stuff that we want on work on with you here between now and the end of April.

[D]

Make the play that's there.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

It's not even like the throwing mechanics are one thing, but just make the play that's there. Don't try to make the cool play.

[E]

Yep.

[C]

And you mentioned thank goodness to the colors are further removed to the uniforms from any red. Like just let's get far away from that as we can.

[E]

I did. I don't remember this off the top of my head and I apologize that I can't cite it. But the tailgate, which always has the utmost journalistic integrity, referenced that Patrick Mahomes said Dante Moore was his favorite quarterback. So now this is even further going on the like, well, Patrick said Dante, so maybe then I'll go.

[D]

But there did Patrick say that as part of the bet or was he actually just saying that when asked? Because he did have he had to wear an Oregon jersey last week after Texas Tech lost to Oregon. So he had a bet with somebody in the locker room about that game and he was wearing an Oregon jersey. So that has been a very big joke I've seen on Twitter where everybody's tweeting the photo of Mahomes in the Oregon jersey. There you go.

[E]

That's good stuff. Yeah. But like we said when, when Bo Nick showed up, kind of felt like we'd been seeing somebody who just couldn't cut it right. And then he unlocked something new. Dylan Gabriel was told to hit the streets in Oklahoma, you know, ended up helping Oregon go 13 and oh win a Big Ten title year one in the conference. And then obviously Dante Moore getting the team to the playoff. Unfortunate loss for them in the Peach bowl, but you made the semifinals. You only had one loss in the regular season. You only lost one team all year was the Indian Hoosiers. It was a good year for the Oregon Ducks. So lots lot to be excited about. If you're Dylan. We'll see how that offense ends up coming together as the portal continues to churn in Eugene. Well, coming up on the other side, breaking news here on a Monday, Sam Levitt will be linking up with Lane Kiffin. After all, how we got here what's next? And more nukes.

[F]

I cannot believe it's already 2026. Truly. Where did the year go? I blinked, planned Thanksgiving, watched a little football, and boom, suddenly we're here. And with a new year comes that little voice saying, all right, big guy, time to make a change. That means getting organized, tidying up, giving my bedroom a refresh, and finally fixing my game room so it feels peaceful instead of cluttered and stressful. And Bob's is perfect for all that. Their storage pieces are so smart. Sofas with hidden storage, beds with drawers and storage headboards, dressers with hidden jewelry, storage. They find a way to put storage into everything. And their office furniture makes working from home feel a little more inspiring when it comes to sleep. Bob's has a huge range of mattresses, memory foam, hybrid, firm, plush, dual feel, and many are Consumer Reports recommended. You can add adjustable bases with massage, programmable positions, motion activated under bed lighting, even Bluetooth speakers. And if you want a fresh look for the new year, Bob's has stylish options like the Sofia sofa or an extendable dining set with beautiful nail head detailing. Get your picks in 26 at Bob's.

[E]

Discount Furniture back here on the COVID 3 podcast. It was interesting. I did a little, little breaking news this morning to talk about Dylan and I was on after Chris Hummer. Obviously he's got his, he's got all the scoops and he had it in his voice and he kind of hinted at it. He said, I expect that, you know, we'll start to see the next big dominoes start to fall. So this is while we still have time for players to enter the transfer portal. Man, it does seem like the quarterback dominoes at the high level are starting to fall into place. Sam Levitt, former Arizona State quarterback they expected to commit to lsu. Matt Zenitz right now I see reporting that in our newsroom he was sitting courtside with Lane. The Damon Williams stuff went crazy. Hummer mentioned that maybe that led to a little bit of repair work that needed to be done. He then took a visit to Tennessee. Lane followed him to Knoxville. Then Sam Levitt took a visit to Miami. But as we sit here on Monday, the news seems to be that they are going to end up getting him in Baton Rouge. Tom, first word to you either on the saga or the player. What's is this? Are we going thumbs up? This, this is what LSU needs.

[D]

I think it's a good fit. I mean, I think that Sam Levitt does a lot of the things that Lane Kiffin likes in a Quarterback. And I think that Sam Levitt could thrive in Lane Kiffin's offense at lsu. I mean, especially just listen, he had Jordan Tyson at Arizona State and at times it did feel like it was just, I'm throwing to Jordan Tyson no matter what. I don't realize there are other players on this team. He's the best one we got, so I'm just going to give him the ball. So he will have more options at lsu. In all likelihood, it's as far as the receiver position. Will he spread it around more? I think that's something we need to see him do. But I just feel like schematically, physically this makes a ton of sense. And I was honestly surprised when he left LSU the first time without committing. Like I thought. I thought maybe, maybe Miami would get in on this. Tennessee was kind of a shock to me, but yeah, no, this is not. I, I'm surprised it took this long. So as far as the saga is concerned, that's the bigger surprise to me about it.

[C]

I mean, this is a match made in heaven. I mean, Lane Kiffin left his guys Ole Miss right after the postseason and Sam Levitt left his boys at the senior dinner, you know, the awards dinner at Arizona State. It's just perfect. Perfect marriage of college football personalities in 2026. I'm real curious to see how he does. I think skill set wise, having a mobile quarterback, it's great. Again, similar to what we were talking about Dylan Raiola going to Oregon. I think he'll have better pieces around him. He'll have more than just Jordan Tyson. He's not the most accurate quarterback. Now, how much is that? Because he's under duress and you know, he hasn't had the best offensive line is a question mark. I do think he's going to have to work on that and improve there to kind of keep this offense humming to Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weiss Jr's expectations. But there's room for development there for sure. Everybody I've talked to about Sam Levitt that's played with him said he's a dog. Like, you know that he's, he's alpha. Guys love playing for him. So you feel pretty about good about that. But I would say he's just got to get a little bit more accurate decision making. A little bit too reliant on Jordan Tyson this year. You know, it kind of was the Sam Levitt, Jordan Tyson show. We even talked about that a couple times during the big game breakdowns. But he's got to develop, develop as.

[E]

A passer I think, I think Miami. I, I thought that Miami would have a better shot at this because they're playing for the national title. Right. And the visit was going to come in the wake of this massive semifinal win. So whether, Whether Lane was kept following them around on the PJ, like you're playing tag on the playground at preschool or what, how this ended up working out, I. To me, this was necessary for LSU to go into next season with a little bit of pop about what year one of the Lane Kiffin LSU offense is going to look like. Their last Arizona State transfer won a Heisman Trophy. So no pressure. Sam, you know, you just.

[D]

I didn't even think. Consider that. Yeah, yeah, state. LSU's worked out well.

[E]

If, if we're going to heap unfair expectations, Lane needs to win a national championship in four seasons and Sam Levitt needs to win a Heisman Trophy and two. You know, that's. There you go. I just, I'm just using, you know, the prior, Prior results to hold your standard here.

[D]

I'll also say, I mean, there was a lot of. I'm not, I'm not saying it was wrong, but there was a lot of, you know, talk about the situation of Levitt and the people behind him, about the way that they were undergoing this process when they left Arizona State, they, they might have played this perfectly by going to LSU and then going on the visit to Tennessee and then going to Miami, because, like, let's not forget, like you mentioned, the Demond Williams thing happened where that was nearly. He nearly came to lsu, but then that fell apart. There's been reports this weekend of, like, certain SEC teams are throwing money at Ty Simpson to convince him to come back to college and enter the transfer portal instead of going to the NFL draft. Are there any SEC teams that maybe were desperate for a quarterback after missing out on a couple options? I wonder who that might have been. And then now maybe Levitt, you know, LSU maybe up that offer a little bit. So maybe they played this pretty well.

[E]

Always a competitor. Yeah, I mean, we know he's. We know he's a dog. They may play games on their phone, but they're not scrolling. Tick tock. They're. They're playing. What's, what's the game? Clash of clans. Yeah, yeah, something like that.

[D]

Games on my phone.

[E]

We love the competition as much as Kenny Dillingham does, so a great skill set for what we're expecting. High expectations that I need to. And I think once the portal closes, I need to do a better job of sort of Turning the page and understanding. I don't know where LSU is at in terms of the rest of that offense right now. I don't think that's sealed.

[D]

Right. Gotta fix the line.

[E]

That's what I was saying. Like, I, you know, you. You mentioned it off the top of your head. I don't know how much of that was because of the offensive line. I was like, I don't think the LSU offensive line this year was anything that's going to help protect him. He'll also be recovering from a foot injury. You clip me into oblivion, but feet always make me nervous. You know, I just. I'm not. Not a foot guy. Is it when. When I see these players starting to get those foot injuries. Oh, you know, it's just. It seems to be one of those things. But obviously, we wish nothing but full health and full competition for Levitt as he prepares to move on with lsu. Speaking of moving on, where does this.

[D]

Put Miami in the national title game?

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

Or just eyes on. Eyes on Monday, January 19th.

[D]

I mean, like, Yeah, I don't. I don't know where they're going to go. I mean, this is one of those things. I talked about it on the show last week, and until, you know, the portal is closed and everybody has a quarterback. Don't feel like your quarterback, just because he hasn't entered the portal yet, is going to be there. Now, if you look at some of the guys that LSU was going after and they missed out on, you know, Houston Longstreet still out there in the portal. Yep. I mean, Dylan Rayola, has he signed. Signed yet? Like, what if Dante Moore does come back? I don't know. I don't know where Miami goes.

[E]

I thought, and I. To. To, like, full transparency here. I. I have not done the digging on the Ty Simpson stuff, but that's. I mean, that literally was how like, Cam Ward declares for the NFL draft, goes to Miami. Carson Beck declares for the NFL draft, goes to Miami. Ty Simpson declares for the NFL draft.

[C]

That's a good call.

[E]

That could be something. And look, sit back there behind a good offensive line, throw bubble screens to Malachi Tony and hand the ball off. Right.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

They can keep you protected. You can go out there and run that thing effectively.

[C]

They broke the bank for Cam Ward, they broke the bank for Carson, and now they could break the bank for Ty Simpson. Because I don't. Everybody, you got to be real careful and make sure you get these grades, these projections.

[E]

Right?

[C]

Yeah. He's not going to fall like Quinn yours did and fall to the seventh round. But if you can make 6 million bucks playing in college football one more year, unless you're a top 20 pick. I don't even say top 20. I think you're better served to go to college one more year from a financial standpoint.

[D]

I also think too, like, one of the things you're kind of learning in recent years with, like the COVID years, giving all these guys extra time and seeing guys go into the NFL and have success right away. Reps. Reps are very important. So maybe instead of going somewhere and being a backup, sitting at college for another year and getting a full season, starting reps better for you financially in the long run, too.

[E]

The tailgate is mentioning a name. I don't.

[D]

I can see it.

[E]

I. But this only goes to what Tom said is until the portal is closed. Because on the very. On the day that the portal opened, NC State quarterback CJ Bailey took to social media to say, to announce that I am returning to NC State in 2026. He knew then that Miami would probably need a quarterback. Right. And I don't know what else he knew or who else he talked to. I know that having NC State return. Having NC State return, CJ Bailey is huge and absolutely worth the type of investment that NC State put together to make sure that he'd be comfortable and fairly compensated. There's four days left until that portal closes. Oh, boy. Nervy four days over there in West Raleigh. But I. I will say for right now, I'll take what. I'll take C.J. bailey's own announcement that he'll be back as the current standing word and expectation for C.J. bailey next year. I think he shoots up for Dave Doran's wolf pack.

[D]

Devil's advocate.

[E]

Yes.

[D]

Just saying you're going to be back is a hell of a negotiation tactic. Letting teams know if you do want to come get me. I don't know. I'm pretty committed to being here. I really like it. Oh, what's that? My running back just left. Oh, and this guy's. Oh, these guys are leaving. Oh, I'm pretty committed to being here.

[E]

Four days left. You don't have to commit when the portal closes. Like, if you want to be out there, you know, in these streets, you know, getting everybody whistling and cat calling, oh, you gotta be in.

[D]

I mean, like, at the same time, DJ Lagway is quote unquote committed to Baylor while not signing anything and going on official visits to Ole Miss. It's like, until you, like the Demond Williams thing has Kind of changed the perspective a bit. It's like, it feels like unless you have signed something, you ain't committed to anything right now.

[C]

Miami's next quarterback might be in at the championship game. Like you were talking about Alberto. I mean, Josh Hoover signed. He might be a little bit like, wait a second. I thought this was my job.

[E]

I. I have not scouted Alberto. I. I think just being Fernando's brother is enough.

[C]

Not gonna do the trick. Come on, Chip, that's no fun. I have. I haven't scouted him, but I did talk to some people close with the program, and they said he is not as gifted. I was just like, he can be good, but he's not Fernando. Which isn't a surprise.

[E]

No.

[C]

Unless you miss out on Eli.

[E]

Like, I mean, how many Hewers were there? Weren't there, like, nine Hewitts? I know one of them ended up.

[C]

There's a bunch of cousins. There are a bunch of cousins. There's a bunch of brothers. Then there's younger ones. There's. There are a bunch of hewords.

[E]

Yeah. One of them ended up as a John Bunning recruit at unc, and he ain't like the rest of them. Much love to the hurts.

[C]

Shout out to Damon, my host on my visit to the University of Washington in high school.

[E]

Oh, yeah. Wasn't that the one where you had. Did you tell him outright I'm not coming?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I mean, it was kind of awkward at first because he's like, are you. How awkward is that now? That, like. But I guess now you don't have as many guys competing for the job because everybody leaves. Yeah. He's like, you really come all this way out here? I was like, nope. He's like, all right, let's have fun.

[E]

Oh, yeah. He's not worried about actually recruiting you at that point?

[C]

No.

[E]

Damon Hewer, the best. The best visit host that anybody could ever ask for. All right, let's. Let's keep it rolling here. What? Let's keep it with quarterbacks. Do we think. Oh, man, no billable hours. Do we think that there's any chance Trinidad can win his appeal?

[C]

Tom?

[D]

Maybe. I don't know. I mean, I. My thought I said last week was the fact that they agreed to a contract that will pay him money, gives him a chance to go to court and sue the NCAA for damages that they are causing him by not giving him eligibility. The fact that it is also going to be apparently tried in Mississippi probably doesn't hurt his chances. Now, do I think that it's likely I have no idea. This isn't anything I know anything about. I think, like, there's a lot of things going on in courtrooms these days that I, I, that don't. That happen. That usually don't happen and you don't really know what to expect anymore. So I don't know. But the NCAA does not have the strongest track record of winning cases in court.

[C]

Who was the, oh, who was the other quarterback? It was our guy, Tommy Castellanos. He was one. Where apparently, because there's no way you can tell me, he thinks he's going to the NFL and is like, yeah, I'm gonna crush it. He could have easily gotten paid more. I don't think he would have been one of the top quarterbacks, but he could have made a lot of money in college football and he decided against it, against fighting it. Now, I don't know if he felt like he didn't have a good case, that would be my hunch, is that he felt like he wasn't going to win. And so rather than delay the process, he went ahead and moved on. That's where I think this is really tough on these guys. Where, you know, do you wait it out and do you still. I would try to fight it if I'm him. You know, he's got one of the best out there and the Tom Mars. Like, he's got a guy who's tweeting out there saying, let's go, let's take it to the next level. I don't know. Apparently he's having some struggles proving, like, why he didn't play the one year at Ferris State. Like, there's documentation which I don't know if that's because it's D2 Ferris State, but I know now when you go into a locker room and you're sick and they give you anything, so noted. Like, that's the extent of how much documentation they have of any sort of issue. So, like, if you are dealing with an ailment that is preventing you from playing for an entire season, they would have a ton of document documentation of it. So if he's struggling to prove that, I don't know if that's impacting his decision or that that's why it was denied. I don't know.

[D]

There's a question for you guys. Overall grand scope lawyers good or bad for college football.

[E]

Awful.

[D]

Chip.

[E]

As the son of an attorney, I will not indict myself to either side on the matter. I will choose to recuse and leave my hat at the door. I in the spirit of the rule, I find myself more willing to grant more time in college and college football to Trinidad Chambliss than I am to J.T. daniels.

[C]

Correct.

[E]

Time in the structure of college football was spent at D2 Ferris State. That you're not taking opportunities because that's the thing. Like these players that are able to extend their careers forever, you are taking opportunities from other players. It's a zero sum game for playing time, for snaps, for all that. So when you are existing at the highest level, the FBS level for seven years, that feels like you are eating maybe more of the pie. I think that if Trinidad Chambliss would like more time at the highest level and he can, within the rules, be able to petition that I do. I am not moved as much with that. Does that make sense?

[D]

I would like an age limit. Screw years of eligibility. You've got to your 24.

[C]

Well, so then what do you do with Chris Wanke?

[D]

Sorry Chris. You made your choice. You chose baseball. It didn't work.

[C]

Nah, I don't like that.

[E]

What about the five years?

[C]

I think five and five is the. And I don't know why we're not going to it. It's been around. They've been kicking it around for over a year. I think five and five makes a ton of sense.

[E]

You have five. Wait, hold on.

[C]

You have five years, five years to play and it's like who cares if you're red shirt or not, right? I mean it's just five years. You can. So you could play. If you were a superstar freshman and you played, you, you could just play five years if you wanted to. Let's say you weren't good enough in the NFL. You know, you're gonna be a seventh round pick. You could play five years of college football, I'd be fine with that. But the same thing then we don't have medical red shirts. We don't have all these. They probably still would. They probably have something in there to protect some of those. But I'd be okay with five and five.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

There's so much we need fixed. Gosh, it's frustrating. And like the attorneys, they've been great for the players and for the players pocketbooks in their bank accounts, they've been great for that. And you can make a real strong case. I mean, when I was watching a lot of the quarterback play throughout the playoffs, you're like, these guys are really high level QBs. They've developed. A lot of them are 23 years old. So like from his football perspective, we get to watch great football. You know, we've seen teams win national championships. We saw teams get to the final Four all because they had transfer quarterbacks that maybe not would not have been allowed to play at those schools as quickly if it wasn't for attorneys.

[D]

You know what I want those same attorneys to do?

[C]

Go for back pay.

[D]

Get. No get. Rules passed that limit the amount an agent can make off of a player's content.

[C]

Oh, absolutely. Well, that's where they need to get.

[D]

That down to 5%. You won't see these kids jumping in the portal every year. Agents won't think it's that big of a deal anymore, but when they're getting 25, hell yeah, you should enter the portal.

[C]

I think they'd still advise them the money would still be there, but it just. These kids are getting absolutely taken advantage of. But. And they just don't know any better. You know, you. You tell me, I want to make a million bucks. Oh, yeah, let's go. And then, you know, but maybe the guy negotiates 1.2 or whatever it is the kids should have gotten 1.1955. You know, whatever the percentage is. But they are. They are absolutely taking advantage of them.

[E]

I think that that's where, like, unfortunately, there is a. There's a way to end conversations quickly without really exploring them, which is like, yeah, make them employees collectively bargain. Put in, like, institutional. This percentage is the standard. I mean, Danny, what is the percentage for NFL agents? Which all, by the way, have to be. Yeah, three, by the way. Have to be certified. And it's cat. And it's all like, everyone.

[C]

A lot of them do it. Like Bud said, this about player or agents repping coaches for free. You know, a lot of agents will offer to rep you for free just for the opportunity to get all the players. Yeah. Or to get your first. You know, to get your first couple. Then once you get a couple of big ones, you're like, hey, I rep Patrick Mahomes. You want me to rep you? And then it's 3%. You know, they'll. All that goes on. But 3% is the max. And I believe the NBA had. I mean, all professional athletes, there's a cap. What they can take it.

[E]

Certainly. And it certainly ain't happening because nil deals are qualified as marketing deals, and marketing deals have none of the same rules. But yeah, there's. There is a. There's a. There is a fast pass here, and we've talked about it here for a long time. What about. There's a Little bit more of our expertise. So Deuce Knight might be Ole Miss's quarterback if Trinidad Chambliss does not win his appeal. How do we feel about that? Looking at the Rebels as they go into next season, the first full season of the Pete Golding era.

[D]

It's always kind of like. It is strange the way that the Portal has kind of warped how you view this stuff to where it's like, well, we know LSU is going to be good because they've got a guy. We've seen play. Ole Miss has a kid who was a highly touted recruit, but we've never seen a play. It's like, I don't know. That feels dangerous. It feels dangerous to have a highly talented and experienced quarterback coming in with multiple years of eligibility. Damn it. It's win now, win now, win now.

[E]

So that's like Miami, Miami, Oregon and Indiana are out here. Like, no, we don't want that blue chip freshman or red shirt freshmen.

[C]

That's where I think I would find value because I would guess they're not paying him top dollar. But I would also guess that I don't know what Julian Sands number was. And he didn't, you know, he wasn't there a whole year. I get it. But he was at Alabama. I'm trying to think of another comp.

[E]

C.J.

[C]

Carr was around, but he stayed there. I'm, you know, I'm just. I think there could be value in guys that just, I mean, but his, his competition wasn't that great. So that kind of goes that example. You know, he might have just been young, you know, but I think the backup behind somebody, I mean Dante Moore found somebody and Oregon found Dante Moore. He wasn't great at ucla, but he was uber talented. Put him in a better position and he played really well.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

For most of the season.

[D]

And it's a great quarterback name. Yeah. Like that sounds like a Q is going to be really good.

[E]

His, the, the Mercer highlights are going to be right up there with Charlie Brewer. 15 for 15 in the spring game. You know, just like that guy. Whoa. If he can replicate that Ole Miss, fine.

[C]

I mean, it's part of that strength of schedule in the sec. You gotta stop Deuce night. It ain't easy.

[E]

Yeah, we'll see about that. Let's see other.

[C]

Okay.

[E]

What about Cam Coleman? Y' all seen Texas's Portal class?

[C]

Yeah, yeah, they're going all in. And I would too. I mean, they're going to be the preseason favorite to win the national championship. Remember a month ago, I Bought Oregon, Texas playing in the Natty. That was under the stipulation Dante Moore was coming back. I think I'm cooling on Oregon. I got to see a little bit more in Dylan Raiola. But Arch Heisman, the same as it was last year, except this year I actually think there's a way more validity to Texas being a favorite and I would do it too. And Arch, out of the goodness of his heart because he's such a charitable human being, he isn't even taking a dime out of the rev share, just almost playing for free because he's a good guy.

[E]

Warby Parker re up or Nah.

[C]

Oh my goodness. He's gonna have Warby Parker and then some. Who's already got Red Bull Warby Parker. I mean, he's gonna have some brand new ones next year too, but they are. I mean, but it makes total sense. And this is what Bud's talked about for a while, what Ole Miss did a couple years ago. You know, if you, if you have somebody special, you do not want to waste it. And I think Arch Manning proved I actually like him way better because of the ups and downs that he dealt with. The fact that he did struggle early and he was able to not flinch, took all that heat and criticism that was, you know, some of it was warranted, some of it wasn't. And of course because it's Arch, it was way over the top. I love the way he's handled things from start to finish and he finished with an incredible game against Michigan. I do think Texas is going to be. They should be the preseason favorite.

[D]

I mean, there's what you love is Cam Coleman, stud Hollywood Smother Stud Brown, really good, like so they've got far more explosive backs than they had last year at linebacker. They get the guy from Pitt, Rashin Biles, he's going to be a stud. He's a very good player. The problem is when you look at the 13 players that they have coming in, only two are offensive linemen and one of them is a long snapper. Like, what was the problem with this team last year? It wasn't skill, position talent, it was their offensive line sucked. They. So either they feel very confident in their interior options or, you know, the ones they have in house and their development and their improvement for next year or we're going to see the same damn thing we saw this season where they look really good against teams that they can overmatch skill wise. But once they run into the Georges of the world, they're going to get run over. But I do love that. I mean, Cam Coleman's fantastic. Like if you're Arch Manning and now you've got Cam Coleman to throw to along with the guys you already had. And you've got two explosive running backs. I mean, like, they should score a ton of points in theory, but we'll see.

[C]

How much of the pancake factory up front, although they weren't very good and they struggled. How many of them coming back? Like, I'm trying to look up their class just to look at the ages, because I do think there's always, hey, we've got really good guys that we're starting for the first time. They can be a lot better.

[E]

You know, I think that's what they have to. Because it's been. There's such a, such a consistent point of emphasis. We talked about the Portal versus high school. Texas has been recruiting the lines of scrimmage out of high school, right. So that they hopefully do not have to go to the Portal to go out there and get them.

[D]

Their tackles should be back. Goosebian, Blip, Baker. They were both sophomore, redshirt sophomores. Their guards were seniors.

[E]

So we'll, we'll see about that one. I'm. I am not going to put Texas at number one when you're preseason number one for the first time ever. But then fall flat. I'm sorry, you gotta, you gotta set this one out. We can't, we can't put you back at preseason number one. Wasn't that right? Was. Am I wrong about that? It was the first time ever they were actually pre season AP number one.

[C]

Is that right?

[D]

Yeah, I believe so. I'll double check real quick.

[E]

And that's. And that was the. It was Danny. It was the first part of like, oh, my gosh, I can't believe they've never done it. And then they come out and look the way they look and it's like, well, see, that's. That's right.

[D]

Yeah. It was the first time. They'd been two. They'd been number two six different times. Most recently 2009.

[C]

Appreciate the. The chat. Always strong. Connor Robertson, the center coming back too. So if all you have to replace is guards, not to diminish the guards, but I do think those are easier to replace and develop than your two tackles in your center.

[D]

But I also hope your tackles get better. Right.

[C]

Well, then I think that's what they're banking on. Does this help the. Parker Livingstone, his roommate. This makes more sense now. He probably knew he was seeing all these guys come in.

[E]

Somebody was Telling that from the beginning.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

Like, I. I forgot which Texas beat writer it was, but it was like, according to our sources, this player who everyone loves has been told to hit the streets. They can make room for Cam Coleman.

[D]

Parker Livingstone Parker, living somewhere else. Son, you gotta move on.

[E]

And he's going to get, like, right?

[C]

Yes. He's going to Oklahoma. He couldn't get him, like, all right, I'm leaving. He couldn't get him that, like, Warby Parker Jr. Deal or something, you know, he couldn't help him out.

[E]

Like, Sark, on one hand, is telling the agents of running backs to hit the streets, and on the other hand, he's going to his wide receiver room. He's like, you and you. Y' all gotta go. Yeah. Texas making a big splash in the transfer portal is going to set up for another year of, like, all right. Sark, Arch, Texas. All of the things that, you know, you've been knocking on the door of. Let's see if they'll be able to walk through it this time. Any other portal moving pieces that. That have stood out over the last couple of days.

[D]

If you are a defensive lineman and you feel like you could play at the Power 4 level, please contact the University of Illinois.

[E]

Okay.

[D]

Because we need you.

[E]

Okay. That is not tampering. NCAA rules have actually exempted the COVID 3 podcast from any tampering allegations. Danny.

[D]

Any.

[E]

Any other. Who do you have your eyes on now? Miami, Right?

[F]

Yeah.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

I think Miami's probably the big one. See where they land. Where is. Do we know the Bo Pribula status? Is he projected?

[E]

Is that he's not going to be at Virginia Tech. Right.

[C]

That's why. I don't know. That's why I'm wondering where Virginia Tech goes. I know it's kind of way off the radar, but I'm curious to know what James Franklin does. Where's Gruckenmeyer gonna go? Do we know that yet? Because he played quietly, played pretty good down the stretch.

[E]

I agree with you.

[D]

Yeah, I thought he was. I don't know. Let me check, see if I can find the latest buzz, because I'm just.

[C]

Looking at our portal list, and it says Gruckenmeyer to Virginia Tech, but it's not done. And it says question mark.

[E]

The crystal ball basically is projected.

[D]

So Pribula is looking like Tennessee or Virginia at this point.

[E]

Oh, yeah, because Chandler Morris also got denied.

[C]

Yeah, that was the other one I was thinking of. Yeah. Yeah.

[D]

Tribula, Tennessee feels like an odd fit to me.

[E]

Well, Joey Jaguar was an odd fit, too.

[D]

But like a lot of what they do is downfield, Tribula doesn't really strike me as a downfield threat.

[C]

Agreed.

[D]

And.

[E]

We'Ll see. We got four more days, the portal being open for players to enter their name in. Then of course, they've got a little bit more time to be able to get settled in time for the upcoming season. Coming up on the other side, One last Upon further review Taking one last look back at the semifinals and more.

[C]

Looking to create the bath you've always dreamed of without all the hassle? The Home Depot makes it easier. Shop fully styled rooms and curated collections to bring your vision to life. Use digital tools to preview flooring and finishes in your space and get everything you need, from tubs to tile, delivered fast and priced right. The Home Depot Dream Baths built here.

[E]

Back here on the COVID 3 podcast. Just a couple. Just one game left. Let's take one last look back at the CFP semifinals. It is. I'll take it upon further There were terrible calls. Do you want to go ahead and.

[D]

Jump in after further review after further.

[C]

Review for further review.

[E]

I want to start with a question. Do you think that or how much has this run impacted the way that Mario Crystal Ball is going to be viewed? This is a head coach who we once had like graphics made to laugh about an escape room with Billy Napier months ago. Yeah, Billy Napier is now out of a job at Florida. He's the head coach at jmu. And Mario Crispall's got his team playing for the national championship.

[C]

When he lost smu, Manny Diaz had a winning record, a better win percentage than Mario Cristobal had at Miami. I think he silences every single critic that's out there, win or lose. Now I think he's answering any credit. I mean, he's a great recruiter. He's great. He's got a great staff. He's hired these coordinators. I think he's kind of cemented as doing exactly what Miami wanted him to do, put him back on the top of, the back on top of the college football world.

[D]

But what if he does it in the title game? What if. What if the old Mario that everybody's always making fun of him for comes out in the title game? Then it just kind of cements everything that everybody forgets about the wins. It suddenly becomes, oh, same old Mario. And we'll probably be playing partaking in that too because we like to take make jokes. But no, I do think that one of the impressive things about the run outside of Miami just playing really well is that like, my criticisms about Miami's coaching in this run have not had anything to do with Mario Crystal Ball. They've been Janet Dawson's play calling at times, but other than that, I think Mario is doing everything just fine. And I think that it's been a very, very master like performance as far as building the roster. Like it took time, but this is what the time was supposed to do and now it's paying off. And we saw the things in the, during the regular season where Miami lost the games it's not supposed to lose and it kind of just been like, well, there they go again. They're not doing it in this tournament against other really good teams. And like, you have to give them credit, they've got their crap together since dropping a couple games they probably shouldn't have dropped.

[E]

There is one of the many jobs of a college football coach and coaching in general is having your team mentally prepared to be the better team on that day. It seems to me that he has done a good job of being able to press the right buttons to get this group locked in where they have not for a lot of the back half of the season since the SMU loss, they have not exhibited some of those classic definitions of what you might say is a poorly coached team. Now there have been moments, right? There have been some WTF what's going on here over the course of the last, let's see, one, two, three. But I think it's maybe eight, seven or eight games dating back to early November at this point. But I mean whether it was throttle in Virginia Tech, throttle in Pittsburgh, you know, they finished like with pressing the gas down, you could have had some game management questions about kicking the field goal when it was 00 in the third quarter against Texas A and M. Sure, you know, but then I thought against Ohio State, they were more mentally prepared to go out there and win that football game against the Buckeyes than the uber talented Buckeyes. So I think that in the idea, in the conversation of coaching, the fact that Mario Crystal Ball has gotten this group dialed in for this kind of run, hell yeah. I mean, we. I wish Bud was here because remember when I think it was two years ago, coach rankings, Bud had Mario in the top 15 or top 10. We're like, what I think at the time Mario was 12 and 12 as the head coach of them or you know, 13 and 12 as head coach of the Miami Hurricanes. He's followed that up with double digit wins, but some blown leads and disappointing losses, then double digit wins again and of course, now they're sitting here playing for the national championship in a four year run. Mario Cristobal has sort of guided this program through and over all of the obstacles it routinely tripped on. Now, Tom, you're right. It is possible that if this thing comes down to burning two timeouts in the third quarter in the first five minutes because things aren't organized, that you're gonna be like, oh, gosh, here we go again. But I, I have certainly changed the way that I rate, rank and view Mario crystal ball in a big way because of the way he's gotten this team to play coming down the stretch.

[C]

You know why? I don't know if it kills him because if they lose the narrative about Indiana being the greatest team of all time, you know, how dominant they've been. If he keeps it close and it's because he got too conservative, I think he might just get credit for keeping it close, you know, because of the way this Indiana team is being talked about right now.

[D]

What a time to be alive. Mario deserves coach of the year for not getting blown out by Indiana.

[C]

I'm not saying we would do that. Oh, no, I know.

[D]

But I'm saying that would be hilarious. Yeah, well, they only lost by seven guys. That's the best coaching job we've seen anybody do all year.

[E]

Right. I mean, Oregon should have forfeited when it was only a 10 point loss. Everyone. Well, you know, we can look past that and they'll go watch you get throttled in Atlanta all Friday night. I, I think that this is as we think about Miami moving forward. I, I will be doing some time this week just sort of appreciating what's been done there, in addition to trying to continue that conversation of what you were saying. Danny. Wrapping our heads around what's been just a wild, a wild Indiana story to get our arms around. All right, we mentioned Dante Moore's NFL draft decision. We'll see what happens there. How do you think. How do you think Indiana's blowout of Oregon has sort of changed the conversation around the Hoosiers?

[D]

I don't think it has.

[E]

Oh, I think it has.

[C]

I do, too. Yeah, I think it's. I think, I think.

[D]

Do you mean the cheating allegations and.

[E]

And just like it breaking people's brains? Like my friend Joe Giulio was saying, he was like, Kurt Signetti has broken everyone's brains because you used to think when you hire a coach, it's going to take this long. This is what you're going to do. And now all of A sudden Signetti, success at a place like Indiana has every, every program that's ever won anything or wanted to win anything. Like, well, why can't you do what Signetti's done? I mean, it's just he's broken the brains of a lot of college football and I think the nature that. In which Indiana is winning has now broken the brains of like. Well, they have to be. They have to be hacking into the cloud system. I mean, clear. Did you hear that they've got an assistant with a cybersecurity background. Oh, my God, it's Connor. Stallions all over again. Oh, my God. Did you know they intercepted the. Though they had interception on the first drive against Purdue. Oh, my gosh. How did they ever figure out what Purdue was going to do, you know, in year one?

[C]

So unbeatable.

[E]

Yeah, I mean, it's just. It is driving people insane.

[C]

It's having people put out stats from just 12 years back instead of going back through the whole BCS era.

[E]

What do you mean?

[C]

I mean, our buddy Tom, he put out a great set.

[E]

Yeah.

[D]

Do you want to give it that in this College Football Playoff era?

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Indiana's point differential is the greatest that we've seen from any team. And Danny, Danny, we could have gone.

[C]

Back to BCS era. We could have gone back to 98, but we didn't.

[D]

I could have. When they only played fewer games. Danny.

[C]

Just Tom's disrespect to Florida State continues. It was a clear. It wasn't even veiled. It was just right out there in the open for everyone to see.

[D]

Like I said, I wanted to stick to like the modern times, not when we were playing against plumbers and accountants. All right. Real, real football players.

[C]

That's right.

[E]

If Indiana wins the national championship, the 160 will be stark. I don't know if I will make the argument that they are the best champion of the playoff era.

[C]

You will or will not?

[E]

I will not.

[D]

What if they blow them out?

[E]

It was the ten seed.

[D]

What. What seed was Ohio State last year?

[E]

I think the 2020 Ohio State team that.

[D]

Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Hold on. No, no, I'm not even going to let you finish the sentence. If we're going to talk about greatest teams ever, we cannot take anything from 2020 in any sport.

[E]

I think the 2019 Clemson team that LSU beat was better. I think the 28 team Alabama team that Clemson beat was better. I mean, I just. I do think that though there are other teams that I would take one of those Georgia teams ahead of this Indiana team.

[C]

Wow.

[D]

I don't. I think 2019 LSU is the greatest team of all time in the College Football Playoff era. In the College Football Playoff area. I mean, they couldn't hold a candle to 2013 Florida State the way they beat up on Gus Melzahn, who's just a coaching legend in that championship game. And like all the great careers they all went on to in the NFL. I honestly, man, it's hard to say, but winning four playoff games or, sorry, three, you'd win three playoff games. If they blow out Miami and they win three blowout playoff games against Alabama, Oregon and Miami after beating Ohio State in the regular season. I think they've got a pretty damn solid argument, man. Because I don't know any other teams that would have that resume for one season. There have been wins against top teams, but they haven't been by 35 points or 40 something points. So I don't know.

[E]

So you, you. They would enter the conversation with 19LSU for you.

[D]

Yeah, because that's what they were doing too. Like they were up like 75 on Oklahoma by halftime of that. Damn.

[E]

My, my argument for LSU is to go back and, and sort of replay their rise. It started in week two with the win against Texas and Austin. But they played against teams that were ranked in the top 10 basically every week. Like there would be like LSU constantly. It was the boxer who constantly had like a new contender that they had to go knock out and a new contender. And they kept having to prove themselves, improve themselves and prove themselves. And I think that that's the strength of schedule argument I think would come into play for me.

[C]

Oh, well, let's see. Bias from Chip to your point. They did beat Texas was in the Big 12 at the time, was top 10. Florida was seven, Auburn was nine, Bama was two, Georgia was four, Oklahoma was four, Clemson was three. They would have way more at the time, top 25 wins.

[E]

And that's where Ohio State's win in the 12 team era gets Ohio State some bonus points for me because they be with the rigged seating, the way it was set up. Yeah, they ended up playing the number one, the number three, the number five and the number seven team. Typically in a bracketed format. You should, you should not be playing that combination of teams. But because the seeds did not line up with the rankings, Ohio State played what might be one of the toughest paths you could argue that we're even going to see in the College Football playoff era.

[D]

Just checking something here. The. And this is not a perfect Metric. I'm just using it for this conversation that we're having. If you go to College Football Reference, the SRS rating for Indiana is 25.35.

[E]

Yeah.

[D]

2019 LSU is 25.8.

[E]

I know. That's.

[D]

According to those metrics. Gap's not that wide.

[E]

No, but look at all of the teams that have won over the last 10. The difference between 25.3 and 25.8 is significant. Half a point in the chain among the champions of the SRS is. It's a decent gap.

[D]

They'd have 2022 Georgia ahead of Indiana, but not 2021 Georgia out of Indiana. But again, that will change depending on how the title game goes.

[C]

How much of this will be impacted over time, too, from NFL draft picks? You know, we'll see if this Indiana team has. They'll clearly have some NFL players on it. But the amount of talent that was on that LSU offense was pretty.

[E]

And that's. And that's what also, like. Then we get into the semantics of best team versus the best collection of talent where.

[D]

Right.

[E]

You know, if you're able to throw out all the Gold jackets from an O1 Miami team, then, yeah, you might not see that. But Indiana deserves its own place at the table for what the team was able to accomplish against its opponents in the context of the given season.

[D]

I'm just happy the Bears had to play the packers and not the Hoosiers. I'd have been nervous against the Hoosiers.

[E]

But not against the Packers. You were never nervous? No. Not for one second.

[D]

Got witnesses. Unless the Bears are down, like, three scores at the start of the fourth quarter, I don't get nervous.

[C]

It was 213 at halftime.

[D]

I know, but that wasn't the start of the quarter, was it?

[C]

Nope.

[E]

I got demoted on. On the list of Tom's favorite Tar Heels.

[D]

You did.

[E]

And Johnson jumped me.

[D]

I mean, that was always inevitable. Let's be real. You were hanging on out of loyalty. I mean, you know, the feeling had been building for quite a while.

[E]

Ben Johnson, I. I think that what's. What is it. Is it the good, better, best? What's the thing that he.

[D]

Yep.

[E]

Yeah, that's from. I believe that's from Reynolds High School in Winston Salem. It's like he got it from his old, you know, really football days. Yeah. So a little. He. He carries a little bit of the old North State with him even as he's ascending to the top of the. Top of the NFL coaching pyramid here, leading the Bears into the playoffs. So. Yeah. Congratulations to your Bears, Tom.

[D]

Thank you.

[E]

It was an exciting Saturday night there in Soldier Field. All right. We will be back on Wednesday where, among other things, we'll be giving you our Inside the Matchup look at the College Football Playoff national championship. That's right. Big Game breakdown, plus latest portal updates and more. So come and hang out at YouTube.com/cover3, and you can follow him on Twitter at Danny Canelo. You can follow him at Tom Pannell. You can follow me at Chip Underscore Patterson. Gentlemen, thank you very much.

[D]

Thank you.

[E]

See ya.

[C]

Pluto tv has thousands of free movies.

[E]

And tv shows like joe dirt, pixels.

[C]

Survivor, and spongebob squarepants free.

[D]

You're welcome.

[E]

Pluto tv stream now pay never.