Mailbag! Would You Rather Make The Playoff For 20 Years Or Win 1 National Title?

Summary

Cover 3 College Football Podcast – Episode: Mailbag! Would You Rather Make The Playoff For 20 Years Or Win 1 National Title?

Date: March 19, 2026
Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell

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Episode Overview

This episode of the Cover 3 College Football podcast kicked off with the crew honoring the excitement of March Madness before diving into their Thursday mailbag—a signature interactive session featuring listener questions and lively debate. Core topics included the best days on the sports calendar, the rise of AI in high school recruiting, a philosophical "would you rather" about playoff consistency versus a one-time championship, and discussions about specific college football programs' outlooks and fan bases.

The episode maintained its trademark mix of insight, humor, and debate, offering plenty of quotable moments and candid reflections from the hosts, especially as they drew on personal playing experience and their own alma maters.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Best Sports Day(s) of the Year

(Timestamp: 02:18–09:06)

• March Madness vs. Other Sports Holidays:
  The hosts debated their top five sports days, weighing the NCAA tournament's opening day, Masters Sunday, Thanksgiving weekend (college & NFL football), New Year's Day, and classic baseball openers.

  • Danny Kanell: “If I had to pick one day just because of a lifetime of memories…even when tee times are moved up by four hours and you’re playing in threesomes because of rain, but when Tiger nearly ACES number 16 in 2019, you’re like, this is the greatest sports day I’ve ever had in my entire life.” (05:13)
  • Tom Fornelli on New Year’s Day: “I know it's fluctuated with what games we get…now that it's further removed, we don't get the championship on that day. But still, I think New Year's Day is a great sports day.” (06:18)

• Impact of the Coaching Carousel:
  The hosts lamented how early coaching searches can sour the vibes of rivalry weekend due to constant speculation and buyout rumors.

  • Danny Kanell: “That’s taken a little bit out of it…It’s toxic. It’s buyout calculations.” (07:07)

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2. AI & High School Athlete Video Doctoring

(Timestamp: 16:09–23:29)

• Emergence of AI in Recruiting:
  Discussion centered on a Front Office Sports article about high schoolers using AI to enhance highlight tapes, sometimes deceptively.

  • Danny Kanell (D1 parent): “If I find out you are faking AI videos, I’m like—you're done. I don’t want any part of you.” (17:15)

• The Risks & Changing Ethics:
  The cast debated whether, like fudging SAT scores, the benefits outweigh the risk of exposure—most agreed coaches are quick to blacklist cheaters, especially given the return to in-person scouting post-COVID.

  • Tom Fornelli: “This could have been a disaster in COVID because…a lot of it you did on tape…But now, they're going to do their due diligence.” (19:43)

• AI Arms Race:
  The conversation turned to how as AI-generated media improves, so do tools to spot fakes.

  • Tom Fornelli: “The technology being developed to tell if a video is AI is advancing as quickly as AI itself…probably a huge business.” (23:04)
  • Danny Kanell (joking): “AI narcs. We've arrested AI and they've turned government witness to tell us who the other AIs are.” (23:20)

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3. Mailbag Headliner: 20 Years of Playoff Bids or One National Title?

(Timestamp: 23:29–29:44)

• The Scenario:
  Would you rather your team make the playoff for 20 straight years or win one Heisman, one national championship—but have a losing season all other years?

• Hosts’ Philosophies:
  Both Tom and Danny favor sustained relevance over risking irrelevance for a fleeting title.

  • Tom Fornelli: “I’d rather have the consistency, you know… I’d want to be relevant every single season.” (24:28)
  • Danny Kanell: “I would too.” (25:02)
  • Danny Kanell: "The national championship is one game. A losing season is three months..." (27:05)

• Fan & School Perspective:
  Debate on whether this is colored by supporting big-program schools (Florida State, Illinois) and if fans of traditionally less successful programs would make the same choice.

  • Danny Kanell: “Are we biased because our universities both won national championships in major sports while we were there?” (25:30)
  • Chat Comment Read by Danny Kanell: “As a Maryland fan, I’d kill to become Oregon…an Iowa fan says forget that I want the Natty.” (27:31)

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4. Recruiting, Coaches, and the Culture at UCLA

(Timestamp: 35:28–39:54)

• Optimism from Fans:
  Mailbag Q from a UCLA fan touts new coach Bob Chesney’s culture-building and potential for quick turnaround.
  • Tom Fornelli (cautious): “I think getting to a bowl would be a huge success. I think going over your win total is a huge step in the right direction. Nico did show some flashes. I would expect him to get better, even though it’s a new system for the third year in a row.” (36:53)
  • Danny Kanell: “I just don’t think eight wins is going to come right away. Just a little bit tough there.” (38:25)

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5. Overrated & Underrated College Football Fan Bases

(Timestamp: 40:10–45:28)

• Overrated:
  Alabama and Michigan—both with huge stadiums, but sometimes lacking in consistent atmosphere per the hosts.

  • Tom Fornelli: “Nick Saban called out Alabama fans…that happens at Florida State…when they’re not good, they do not show up.” (41:00)
  • On Michigan: “Acoustically…it is just not great. Even the locals were like, we have a bit of a wine and cheese crowd now.” (43:54)

• Underrated:
  Utah and Oregon—cited for passionate, robust support, especially relative to market size and history.

  • Danny Kanell on Utah: “That is how you go on the conference path that Utah has been on…it is the winning, it is the support, it is the dedication…” (41:35)
  • Tom Fornelli on Oregon: “Numbers…how much they care—shout out to the Oregon fans out there.” (43:46)

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6. Can Miami (OH) Make a Power Conference Jump?

(Timestamp: 45:43–48:17)

• Danny Kanell: “You stack success, invest…you make yourself attractive to be next up on that list.” (46:41)
• Tom Fornelli: “I don’t think they’d be at the top of the list…regionally, I think some schools in the South make a little more sense.” (48:17)
• Comparison to Cincinnati’s rise via football success; challenges of geography, rivalry, and conference priorities.

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7. Mississippi State and the Path Back to SEC Contention

(Timestamp: 50:15–53:21)

• Money Is the Key:
  Both agree that financial investment is the central factor, with recent SEC success stories (Vandy, Ole Miss) tied to spending.
  • Tom Fornelli: “You need more money. I mean, it is a spending race…it is what it is and I think that’s what it takes.” (50:15)
  • On offensive schemes: “You need an offensive wonder mind…to be able to react to it.” (52:26)
  • Danny Kanell: “I don’t know if they’ve got an edge right now…everybody’s playing fast and the Air Raid’s not new anymore.” (52:10)

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8. Lightning Round: Favorite Freshmen and NCAA Tournament Picks

(Timestamp: 55:16–59:00)

• The hosts quickly shift to March Madness predictions, spotlighting standout freshmen and their Final Four picks.
  • Tom Fornelli: “I’ve got Michigan winning it all for the first time…It’s been a long time since the Big Ten won a national champion.” (56:09)

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Notable Quotes

• Danny Kanell on cheating with AI videos:
  “If I find out you are faking AI videos, I’m like—you're done. I don’t want any part of you.” (17:15)

• Tom Fornelli on losing seasons vs. one title:
  “The national championship is one game. A losing season is three months...” (27:05)

• Tom Fornelli on the Michigan crowd:
  “Acoustically…it is just not great. Even the locals were like, we have a bit of a wine and cheese crowd now.” (43:54)

• Danny Kanell on Oregon fans:
  “Oregon's fans...Oregon uniforms, the Duck. A lot of the ways that Oregon gets promoted on television might be rightly rated, but in terms of, like, the numbers and the fans and how much they care—shout out to the Oregon fans out there.” (43:46)

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Timestamps by Section

• 02:18 – 09:06: Best Sports Day Debate
• 16:09 – 23:29: AI Video Doctoring in High School Recruiting
• 23:29 – 29:44: 20 Years Playoff Consistency vs. One National Title
• 35:28 – 39:54: UCLA’s Outlook under Bob Chesney
• 40:10 – 45:28: Overrated & Underrated Fan Bases
• 45:43 – 48:17: Can Miami (OH) level up conferences?
• 50:15 – 53:21: Mississippi State's Return Roadmap
• 55:16 – 59:00: March Madness NCAA Tournament Picks

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Memorable Moments

• Danny recounts his NFL "career long rush"
  (30:10–33:47) – Revisits his actual longest run, which, somewhat deflatingly, came in a blowout loss:
  “At some point I did have one rush for 13 yards and I don’t remember one yard of it. I don’t remember the play, I don’t remember the circumstances. I think I tried to black that game out from my memory...” (32:18)

• Joking about AI-detecting-AI
  “AI narcs. We've arrested AI and they've turned government witness to tell us who the other AIs are.” (23:20)

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Final Takeaways

This episode exemplified Cover 3’s trademark approach—combining earnest, data-driven takes with playful, fan-centered banter. From the existential question of sustained success vs. the ecstasy of one title, to the evolving landscape of recruiting in the era of AI, to granular debates about program-building and fan engagement, the show offered a thorough and entertaining cross-section of the current college football landscape.

Listeners are reminded: sports fandom is both a grind and a thrill—whether you get 20 cracks at the playoff or savor one shining moment.

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For more mailbag answers or to submit your own question, check out Cover 3 on YouTube, CBS Sports, or wherever you get podcasts.

Transcript

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[Podcast Host Chip Patterson]

Welcome Back to the COVID 3 podcast with your hosts, Chip Patterson, Tom Furnelli, Danny Cannell and Bud Elliott. 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

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

and welcome back to the COVID 3 podcast here on CBS Sports. That's Danny Cannell. I'm Chip Patterson coming to you [e-mail] cover3 and everywhere. I get your podcast on demand. Thanks for hanging out. Smash that subscribe Smash that like and come and join us in the chat aka the COVID 3 tailgate we are getting interactive here on a Thursday. That's right. It is the COVID 3 podcast on a very special day. Happy March Madness to all who celebrate field of 64. First round action getting underway. We are about an hour and 12 minutes away from the official start over on CBS, America's most watched network, the network of stars, CBS Turner, your home for all the NCAA tournament action. DK, I enjoyed getting my Thursday started with you talking a little hoops on on Dusty and Danny. I. I hope I did not come in too hot on that one. I didn't even know you'd have Matt, the great Matt McCall with you too.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah, I tell you what I did get and this doesn't happen. Text from one of my bosses said Chip is great. He said, always love hearing Chip. You brought it today and I knew you'd have something unique. You know, I love the Juice meter that you were talking about. Yeah, the Juice ratings. Who's coming in with the Juice? I think you might carry that over to football. We might have to introduce that in football.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

There's not as many swings and vibes, you know, like, for example, the Miami Hurricanes had the Juice. Right? That is how you go on that kind of run all the way from the 10 seed onto the national championship game. It is a Thursday. That means we've got questions from the big old bag of mail. That means we've got questions from the tailgate. Thank you to those of you who jumped in the tailgate to get this conversation started. Our old friend Rach09 got it going at 9:12am Today is oftentimes referred to as the best sports day of the year. If you had to rank a top five, what would your list look like?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

So I look at it because I think the weekend is all, like, I do top weekends as opposed to top days. But from the sheer volume aspect, it doesn't get any better. Like, you're gonna get some great games, you're gonna get some buzzer beaters just because there's so many of them. But like, if I had the weekends, like, I always think Thanksgiving weekend is a weekend that jumps out to me because it's a holiday. It's college football, NFL football. You get all of that. That probably is like the top weekend. This is probably number two for me, though, with the amount of college hoops that we get. Although when is Augusta? Is that after the March Madness is done? Because sometimes there's crossover, right?

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Nope.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

No, there's never crossover.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

This goes back and historians correct me if I'm wrong, but it was literally timed up so that the traveling national media would all go, like, I'm talking, like, when they were riding trains and stuff like that, the traveling national media would all go from the Final Four to Augusta. And so it's always been the week after the national like that, you know, right after that Final Four weekend. Because I'm with you. Like, I'm just. If I. If you asked me to go top five, I. I would pick the Sunday. If I had to pick one day just because of a lifetime of memories of incredible things happening on a Sunday at Augusta National. Even when tee times are moved up by four hours and you're playing in threesomes because of rain, but when Tiger nearly ACEs number 16 in 2019, you're like, this is the greatest sports day I've ever had in my entire life. So, yeah, opening day of first round Masters Sunday. But those two are definitely ones and probably biased because that's when it's going on right now.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah. New Year's Day. New Year's Day comes to mind as a great day because college football, you know, I know it's fluctuated with what games we get. Exactly. And now that it's further removed, we don't get the championship on that day. But still, I think New Year's Day is a great sports day. And then, I don't know, I. I have. I used to be more into Major League Baseball, where it was like, opening day in baseball doesn't kind of resonate as me as much now as it does. Baseball's kind of falling off a little bit. But, yeah, this is definitely one of the best days. This is awesome.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

And am I correct in that the opening day has also taken on a little bit of what college football does, where it's like a slow start dragged out?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Maybe you'll have some games in Japan, you'll have some games over here. You know, you got a little bit

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

everywhere, but, you know, these games, those other games don't count. And so I've. I've enjoyed. I enjoyed the general opening season of baseball, but I think you're right. I think they've taken something away and I'll. I'll push back a little bit. This is controversial. I think that coaching carousel being moved up in the calendar has really soured rivalry weekend because we spend as a college football conversation a ton of time during what would normally be like, your what? Like, yeah, you know, like family faith football. Like, you're. Think you're full, giving, relaxing. It's. It's toxic. It's buyout calculations.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Right. You know, it's rumors, especially this year with the lane. Different saga that was unfolding that hijacked all of that conversation. Conversation, Yeah.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

I think that that's. So that's taken a little bit out of it sports wise. I probably sit back in the summertime. Do you have any summertime, you know, days that you would nominate for best sports day of the calendar?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I mean, July 4th, but I like, that's more of a holiday I'm not into. Like, you know, isn't there a NASCAR race? I think I'm trying to think what I'll. The hot dog eating contest.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

I think Memorial day. Memorial Day 500. No, no, no. Coca Cola 600. Oh, okay. I. It might be IndyCar, but I know that NASCAR has the Coca Cola 600 in Charlotte, which like. Or Concord, if we're being specific. But you know, Charlotte Motor Speedway is one of. It ain't like a top three track, but that's definitely up there in terms of home and nascar, things like that. Jerry in the tailgate says it's both indie and Coca Cola 600.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

So there you go. For your race fans.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

For the race fans.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

My summertime, if it's not a golf tournament, normally just doing outdoor sports myself, I think.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah, I think so.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Funny one here from. Let's see. Robert, where would you rank the first Tuesday night College Football Playoff rankings of the season in your list of sports days?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Oh, that's a good one. Definitely not. It might be bottom five for the worst. I mean, even when you have. When you get Kirk Curbstreet and others saying, do we even need to still do this show? I think it speaks volumes about where that show should rank. The selection ones begin becoming pretty big.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Like the actual Sunday selection.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, there hasn't been too much drama. It's like one or two teams like we saw this year. But the seating was a little bit of a surprise, you know, with Alabama getting ranked so high in Miami, Notre Dame, that debate that made it kind of fun this year, unless you were a Notre Dame fan. But yeah, that one's up there.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

As somebody who is a staunch supporter of the College Football Playoff selection committee and was so just floored by the Mount Rushmore of selection committees and the work they did this year, the first one actually does come with a little bit of okay. It really is like the third one where I'm like, what are we doing here? You know, the first reveal. I can actually get my juices can get flowing for that one.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

But by the way, I mean, I don't know how many people were dialed into what was happening with smu, but I did have some people point this out, and I do agree with them. Florida State, when they got left out July, I would have said, jordan Travis looks like he's progressing. Who cares if it looks like he lost his leg on the field? He looks great. And then once you get in, then you say, oops, it's, yeah, he had a setback. He's not going to be able to go because smu with BJ Edwards, when he was, you know, uncertain. SMU put out a statement, said it looks like he's good to go. He's ready to play. Until he wasn't. I don't blame him one bit.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Tom pointed this out, so I'll, I'll speak for him. I hope he's okay with it. Heroes. Heroes. Southern Methodist University men's basketball program. Andy Enfield, whole program. Because you kept Auburn out of the tournament. Heroes. You know, like, if they had gotten docked, what we would have let in and Auburn and Oklahoma. No way. All right. Yes. Just let the ACC go. Owen 2 in Dayton and they'll take the egg on their face. They can wear it. They can handle it. That's better than what might have happened if we'd had to. If we'd had to endure that. A little bit of time left before the brackets lock. A reminder to join the COVID 3 bracket challenge. You can compete against Danny Canel. You can compete against myself. We have those bracket games. We'll be dropping a link in the episode description. We'll be dropping a link in the chat as well because bracket games are back. You can play on the CBS Sports app. Scan that QR code or visit cbssports.com bracket21/ no purchase necessary. See terms and rules for details. Void where prohibited. You can get a chance to earn win a trip to the 2027 Final Four. Get the CBS Sports app and start playing now. Coming up on the other side, fascinating story that I think Danny Cannell is legitimately one of the best experts to discuss. We're getting reports of AI doctoring high school athlete videos. Yo, what does that mean? And more next. You know, mental health can feel like this huge, complicated thing because if you hurt your arm, you see a doctor, no problem. But finding the right therapist, suddenly, it's confusing, expensive and takes forever. That's why Rula is so great. They make therapy simple, fast and affordable. They accept most major insurance plans and the average session copay is just $15. 15 bucks. That's basically lunch money. But instead of a sandwich, you're investing in your mental well being. And here's the best part. Rula isn't just about matching you with someone. Every therapist is licensed, vetted, and picked for their expertise. They actually follow up to make sure you're making progress. You answer a few questions about what matters to you. Pick a time and you could be talking to a therapist as soon as the next day. No waiting, no guessing. No no stress. Thousands of guys have already used Rula to finally get the care they needed. Don't keep putting it off. Go to rula.comcover and get started today. That's R U L A dot com cover. Take the first step, get connected and take control of your mental health.

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[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Back here on the COVID three podcasts. Is she working

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

spring break? Brady Buckets is here. She's asking for on my iPad and then she wants to go to the beach so she's a little bit antsy.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Well listen Brady, get to work on getting AI to edit those volleyball clips, right?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

She doesn't need them. She doesn't need them. We're legit, we're legit around here.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Okay, so I saw this. The story was posted yesterday right before the show got started. I didn't get around to it till yesterday afternoon. Front office sports is on the forefront of it that, you know, as we are continuing to see the different ways that AI is working its way into all the different fields, it is going to be a part or a tool that can be utilized across the board. And one, the story which I found very interesting was about high school athletes using artificial intelligence to doctor their highlight videos in hopes of receiving a scholarship or better scholarship offers. The story included some quotes from coaches as well who it seemed, Danny, to mostly be onto it for now as, as somebody who has one daughter who will be playing Division 1 volleyball coming up and as continues to be super involved in youth sports. What, what were you surprised? Had you heard of this? I, I, that's what I'm sort of curious about. Is this something that I haven't on Front Street?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I haven't seen the front office report, but I actually saw the videos probably two or three weeks ago. We actually talked a little bit about on the radio show and I watched the video, the one there was one that was kind of trending. They said this is an example. I thought it was pretty obvious, like the ball kind of hung in the air super long like one of the throws. Like it really like you could tell, like you're saying. And I was like, you got to be kidding me. But it's not surprising at all being a part of youth athletics and youth sports and seeing the lengths the parents will go to, the amount of money that they will spend, you know, it wouldn't shock me at all. And also players, like players want to make their parents happy. They want to get the offer. So if I'm a coach though, I'm kind of torn on this one because the other thing that we do, we've had some fun with everybody kind of lies about Your height and weight, right? I mean, I was 6, 5 in high school, and a lot of that was because of basketball. Like, we want our lineup to be 6, 5, 6. You know, like, we had a tall guys, and I wasn't close to that. You know, I was six, four. And so, like, you always kind of, like, fudge it a little bit. And so. But, like, now I was thinking my mindset would be, man, if I see that player, like, I am pissed off. Like, if I find out you are faking AI videos, I'm like, you're done. Like, I don't want any part of you. So I wonder if it's worth the risk if you get caught and at some point you're gonna get exposed. Like, they're gonna. If, like. And then they're gonna be really upset if they see a highlight video and they're like, all right, I'm gonn play on a Friday night. You show up and the kid isn't even close to this unbelievable highlight reel that you see on tape. I think it could do more damage than it would be, you know, than it potentially could give you an offer or get, you know, get you in front of somebody.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

I think there is maybe less risk than trying to fake or fudge an SAT score, but that's kind of what this comes into. Because what's the other side? Like, if you get caught, if you get exposed, could be the end, right? I mean, that could tank it. And I don't think. I think that the way that the story was told seemed a little bit more of coaches being turned off. Like, they would stop recruiting somebody. Okay, you're being dishonest about this. How I'm going to. How am I going to trust you with all these other aspects? And look, the tailgate is also talking about college football, where any functional college football staff at the high level is sending someone to go watch you in person. We're not just, like, trusting what we see on tape in general.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

That's like, it's not Covid anymore. In Covid, this could have been a disaster because a lot of players, you couldn't get out and travel. You couldn't get in the sea. So a lot of it you did on tape, and you had to just trust the tape. So this could have been, like, thankfully, coaches probably avoided a lot of this. But now, like, you're saying they're going to do their due diligence. Like, it might get you the eyeballs and they might come see you, but once they find out, then it's gonna. Then they'll start talking like, I can't believe this guy. You know, I don't like. Then you kind of get. You could potentially get blacklisted.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Right. That's what I'd be worried about in terms of the, like, that's why I compared it to the sat, where, look, you might get away from. Get away with it and it's fine and you get in there. But, you know, if you get caught, there's going to be some real punishments there. And I would expect, given the due diligence of college football at the highest levels, I don't know, FCS low level, G5, and then other sports that aren't necessarily going to be able to apply that kind of due diligence based on the funding that they're receiving right now. It was, it was a fascinating sort of thought at, you know, how the desperation that there is to get out there to get a scholarship and to get a spot, because I would assume you'd get exposed. But there might be a parent out there who says it's so hard for us to get any recognition whatsoever.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yep.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Like, this is a great point from Brian. What about going. What about it going viral could draw more followers and boost nil value.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Totally. Yeah.

[Bob's Discount Furniture Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I mean, look at Baby Gronk, Matt dude, kids only in seventh or eighth grade. And his dad hasn't been shy. He's like, hey, I'm gonna set him up. Whether he gets a scholarship or not, we'll be able to make some money off of it. I think what's scary is like the video that I saw, I thought it was pretty easy to tell. I mean, it's kind of like everybody. You see all these AI videos, like the first couple, you see a Trump playing soccer, you're like, oh, yeah, that's definitely not him. I mean, and granted, I don't think we'll ever get fooled by that one. But the video quality are getting better where it is getting really hard to tell the difference. And at some point you'll probably be able to make a highlight video that looks insane, that you cannot really tell that it is AI.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

There's. There's a video of a. An AI generated action movie, fight scene type situation. I want to say it's like Brad Pitt against Tom Cruise.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah, I saw it.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Yeah. And you would, you could tell, you could tell me that that was a movie that was shot.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Right.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

I don't. I don't know if. I don't know if Stephanie's dad can do that on Final Cut Pro, but

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

somebody I Mean, I'm telling you the lengths parents would go to to pay some company. And again, it keeps getting cheaper and it keeps getting more accessible where you can plug yours in and say, enhance these. You know, you just give it a couple commands and then all of a sudden it's spitting you out looking like Bo Jackson.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

You know, I mean, your computer might sound like a jet engine while it's trying to get it going, but like,

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

you have to make sure. And I think on the one, I think the number two looked like a Z, you know, like on the highlight that I saw, like there were a couple tells that you could have, but you just got to be careful.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

It's interesting. It gets super competitive. I knew that. I knew that you are.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Well, that's great point and I hope it's true. Tyler just put in, okay, it's an issue for sure, but the technology being developed to tell if a video is AI is advancing as quickly as AI itself. And that's probably a huge business. You know, that, that aspect of being able to tell and verify what's real and what isn't.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

AI, narcs. We've arrested AI and they've turned government witness to tell us who the other AIs are.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yep, let's go.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

All right, on Thursdays we promise we do like to jump into the big old bag of mail. So let's head on down to the mail room. All right. This question comes from Apple. User name Liam. Liam says, would you rather make the playoffs for the next 20 years or win one Heisman and one national championship, but every other year in the two decade run is a losing season. So I've, it's simplified for the headline because I know there's some, some conversation in here, but I thought it was interesting. It's not just make the playoff for 20 straight years or win one national championship, it's you win that one national championship and I guess the Heisman Trophy is thrown in there too. But then every other year losing season,

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I'd rather have the consistency, you know, and it'd be hard, but especially now with home playoff games, you know, and I'm assuming in one of those years you might get close. You know, you either make a final four or a national championship game and so you lose. I'd still want to be relevant every single season. I'd want to be feeling like I had a chance. I mean, think about how many coaches you potentially could be firing, you know, through that window. If you just have one national title, you know, like in losing seasons, you're probably having a lot of turnover there. I'd take the 20 years of consistency.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

I would too.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I am probably in the chat though, saying Natty, you know. Yeah.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Fox, Jerry Austin, Hair trigger, the man. Yeah, I, I don't.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

What schools are they rooting for though? I feel like, you know, if you're. No offense, but I feel like if you're a school that already struggles with losing seasons, you're like, I'll take a natty no matter what.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Are we biased because our universities both won national championships in major sports while we were there?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yes, I think we might be. And maybe it does depend on, you know, if you've never even sniffed the playoffs, if you've never sniffed a championship and you're like, oh, I'll take that, you know, because it's easier to envision, you know, maybe pulling it together, having an nil year, you know, having that magical run and then going right back to what you were, you know, that would be more fun than never doing

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

it from the perspective of, you know, everyone's favorite position. An administrator. 20 years of playoffs, no question.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

The money that's generated, the boosters like the, the positivity that's on the run, eventually it would wear that you haven't been able to win the big one and you'd fire coaches for that Penn State style, you know, like, congratulations, you gave us all these 10. Gave us all these 10 win seasons. But you didn't get us there for

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

seeing there had a good. Because I was. My mind went to Auburn is kind of the one now.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

They.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

But they haven't had losing seasons. Every year they've had eight wins, nine wins. And of course they had the magical run with Cam Newton, Oklahoma though maybe the other team, because they haven't won

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

a national championship since 2000.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Right. It's been over 20 years, you know, and they've been relevant and they've had Heisman Trophy winners, but they haven't had the national championship. That's a good one.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

This is the spirit of the question.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yes, exactly. I thought it was a great comp. I think it was great pick.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

I mean your fans are, they stay invested. The, the national championship is, is one game a losing season is three months of.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Right. Like, yeah. And if you're losing, you're kind of done. The season's done by, you know, mid October. Still, like in the rivalry games, you're probably not relevant in those. I still think I'd rather have the 20 year run of winning.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Brian says, as a Maryland fan, I'd Kill to become Oregon. I think we might have used Dan Lanning for the thumbnail here. Oregon was definitely one that. That came to mind. And then we got an Iowa fan. I've had 20 years of consistency. Forget that I want the Natty.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Be careful. Be careful. The grass is always greener. You know, Nebraska was that program that was winning national championships in the 90s, and then they've struggled. Now they've had winning seasons, but they've also had some losing ones since they parted ways with Bo Pellini.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Austin. I think a little bit. It's definitely more fun to be relevant, but no one from a respectable program would sign up for knowing that you're not winning the Natty.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Oh, that's not a bad point, Robert.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Give me 20 years of winning. Too many people hung up on the national title. Sports is about having fun. I'd rather have fun every fall than win one. Win one title and be miserable for the next 20.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah, I was actually, when I was at the Alabama game this year, and then I was actually. So I went back for the Miami game and I was talking to some friends of mine. Their son is at Florida State. And I kind of said this to a couple kids. They were all hanging out. They were freshmen. And I was like, do you realize how lucky you guys are? You already beat Alabama. Like, you've got Miami coming here. Look at this atmosphere. I was like, you guys are spoiled. You better soak this up. I wonder what they're thinking now. That little pep talk like, what happened to the great. What happened to the great season we were promised it.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

You don't. You don't want to be. I mean, honestly, is Florida State another part of this?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yes.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

You get the 2013 Sun Run, but for the most part, post Bowden, you're

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

kind of like Mike Norval's only had two winning seasons in six, which is crazy.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Yeah. Losing consistently.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

And grind on like the. The. The shine of that one national championship I do think would end up. Would end up going.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Wearing off.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

All right. This. I hope you were able to. To look in the planning, Doc, because this one came through. And I just. I hope that you were able to be prepared for this question. The question was, will Danny Cannell describe all glorious 13 yards of his career long rush in the NFL? Is this question mean. Is this question. Was it. Does it bring back good memories?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

So I saw this, and so I had to do a little research because my memory. I've been hitting the head a lot. I thought for sure it was a Different play because in 1998 in the infamous or no, this was 97 because it was a tie. Let me, let me pull this up right.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

This is Tyler by the way, left as a five star review, we appreciate you, Tyler. You jumped in, you went, you did it the right way. If it, you didn't just come in and just shoot astray in the tailgate, you came and you said, no. I want to hear Danny Canal Relive these 13 glorious yards from his career long rush in the National Football League.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

So I thought for sure and I had to, I went back up and looked this up because one of my best runs was in the offensive just shootout. That was the 7, 7 overtime tie between the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. At the time, Gus Farat banged his head against the wall and knocked himself out of the game. I don't know if you remember that he had scored a touchdown or maybe ran, I don't know because I weren't many touchdowns was the only one of the game. But I remember going into that game on our first 15 plays, it was like the third or fourth play of the game and it was, it was like a quarterback naked and there was a chance to maybe take the shot but it was like, all right, if it's not there, you're going to run the ball. And I remember looking at Jim Fossil being like, I don't run the ball a whole lot. And he's like, nah, just run it as far as get out of bounds. And I sure enough the shot wasn't there but the running lane was wide open. It was a big game. Sadly that was only 8 yards but it felt like 20 because on the naked bootleg I had to like go back on the fake, you know, so I felt like I ran a long way. That was for sure what I thought it was, but it was not. I looked it up and it was actually a run that took place my rookie year in a 24 to nothing blowout to the Philadelphia Eagles where we lost. 24 to nothing.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Oh, you lost a blowout.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Lost, yeah, we were not very good my rookie year. That was when Dan Reeves got fired and I must have come in in blowout territory like in the fourth quarter. But at some point I did have one rush for 13 yards and I don't remember one yard of it. I don't remember the play, I don't remember the circumstances. I think I tried to black that game out from my memory because I was 4 of 13 passing in that game for 13, wait, 47 yards.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Oh, okay. Okay. So you did have more passing yards.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yes, thankfully.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Was it your only rushing attempt?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

No. On that game? Yes. I had seven rushing attempts for six yards. That one actually helped boost my yards per attempt.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Morale was low within the New York Football Giants team. And in comes rookie Danny Cannell. The first couple throws don't complete, but then the defense given a little bit of room. Maybe even too much room.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah. Too much respect.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Too much. Yeah, that's. I, I did not. It's. They, they were definitely sitting back, right?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah, definitely. Probably prevent. Keep them all in front of you. You know, it's probably a. Something third and long and they were dropping back and then. I don't know. I'd love to say like I juked out Brian Dawkins. I'd love to have a great memory of something like that, but that's. Do not think that was the case. Yeah, somebody probably fell down.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

We appreciate you, Tyler. Thank you for jumping in with that question. From the big old bag of mail. We got a couple of different ways that you can get to us. You can always leave us a five star review in the Apple reviews. Put your mailbag question in there. Also, those of you who like to jump in the tailgate, we've got more questions from you coming as well. And, and Spotify comments. You keep leaving them there. We'll. We'll make sure that we get them in future mailbag episodes. And coming up on the other side, we did talk a little. If Vegas is right in the big ten, we've got a UCLA fan who feels like we are not right on the money with their favorite team. All that and more next, avoiding your

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[Podcast Host Chip Patterson]

This Friday, the time traveling comedy movie of the year arrives. Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice. Only on Hulu. The film stars Vince Vaughn, James Marsden and Asa Gonzalez in a wild action comedy about one disastrous night that spirals out of control. And here's the twist. There are two Vince Vaughns don't miss Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice. Written and directed by Ben David Grabinski. Streaming this Friday only on Hulu. Rated R.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Foreign

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Back Here on the COVID 3 podcast this question comes from the big old bag of mail username TJ Smith Mailbag Question I strongly feel like all of you are overlooking how dramatic of a turnaround Bob Chesney can achieve at UCLA in Year one. Haven't mentioned the hottest name in the coaching carousel in any of your episodes in the last month. This question came in about a week ago, obviously as we discussed him on Wednesday, but this is a nice follow up to that conversation. There's legit talent on that roster. It's been the coaching that's held the program back the last three to four years. Then he points out TJ points out Matthew Sluka was a dominant FCS quarterback in this offense at Holy Cross a few years ago. I don't think it's crazy to say that Nico Iamaliava can have a much better season this year, bringing back most of the decent secondary upgrades at safety. Really not crazy at all to see UCLA going back to a bowl game and making some noise in the Big Ten this year. I'm not saying it's a Signetti type turnaround, but I think Chesney can be like Mora. This guy really is a true UCLA football fan, he said. I think Chesney can be like Mora and win eight games in Year one

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

who

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

win total was five and a

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

half for those who didn't, which we discussed the other day.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Yeah,

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I think getting to a bowl would be a huge success. I think going over your win total is a huge step in the right direction. Nico did show some flashes. I would expect him to get better, even though learning a new system for the third year in a row is not going to be easy. But he is a crazy, you know, talented player. I do like Bob Chesney. We were having some fun with some of his, you know, talks, his talks to the team or how you treat people, how you do the little things, how you treat everyone. You know, how you do anything is how you do everything. Like all the axioms that he's come with, it does feel like he's going to create a culture that we talk about all the time. I'm not so certain when he said the roster is good enough to compete, that's probably mine. From a depth standpoint, like across the board, how are they able to compete with some of the teams that are on their schedule? Because even he mentioned Mora. Chip Kelly had him win in eight, nine games for three years in a row before he decided to bounce. And the reason he decided to bounce because he didn't think they Were giving him the resources. And I think that's going to be a struggle for whoever it is until they get that, you know, commitment financially to go out there and get top tier talent. I just think you're probably going to be overachieving if you go to seven wins or eight wins, where before nil, I think it was a little bit easier on a little, little closer to a level playing field for UCLA to be competitive.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Different, like he's saying, different conference, different schedule, just kind of a different ask, different landscape. Jim Mora hit the ground running, was able to have a good start. You know, nice little spurt there for the Bruins. But for the most part, I think the challenge is a lot tougher right now and that when you hear Bob Chesney laying the foundation of culture, the important thing is that they actually start to get some retention because they need to have that through line. Because if college sports is going to continue to be transactional, transitional year to year proposition, you've got to have some people who can be your voice even when you're not there anymore. So I understand why Bob Chesney is putting in, you know, all that work with the messaging because he needs to change something that's really started to fall apart here. And I just don't think eight wins is going to come right away. Just a little bit tough there. Good point, though. I did like the Matthew Sluka call out. You know, that was, that was somebody who was a main character of college football for a hot minute with his, his UNLV situation. But we'll. We'll see. I mean, the offense was good with Alonza Barnett too. I mean, we don't even have to go all the way back to Holy Cross. We've seen how Bob Chesney's been able to have a positive impact there.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I didn't know he was. I didn't know he followed him there. Sluka.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

No, he didn't.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

He was saying, oh, he's saying he's go. I was like, I don't know what I thought he was.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

No, no. The comment was basically like Sluka shows that Sluka to Barnett that like Bob Chesney can take a quarterback and be able to turn him into something.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Gotcha.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

All right, let's go back to the tailgate. 9:26am Eastern Time. The Renaissance gamer said, let's rile people up on a March Madness Thursday. What one college football fan base would you consider underrated? And what one would you consider overrated?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I think it's way easier to hit the over Overrated. I mean all you have to do is look at the coaches that have to call out their own fan bases. I was, I was gonna say Nick Saban called out Alabama fans like, hey, you know, you guys are spoiled. You're not. And that happens, that happens at Florida State. You know, it happened a long time when you. Oh geez, this guy, I thought he's off today. What's he doing? Why is he, why is he just.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

I wasn't even fake one though be here. No, that one's actually him.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

It is his. I thought I didn't recognize that one. I mean Florida State I would not hate. I mean they're a spoiled fan base as well. When they're not very good, they do not show up. But I would say Alabama for me, even though it's a great environment to me, the consistency, like I'll go underrated some that you took some heat from. I think Utah's fan base, Rice Eccles is an outstanding environment that doesn't really get mentioned in the top 10, you know, most hostile places to go to. I think they get pretty ruckus.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

I 100% agree that and not just because of my own relationship with the must, but the mighty Utah student section is real. The Utah fans around that community just love it so much. That's how you have the upward mobility like that, that is how you go on the, the conference path that Utah has been on is because there's real support, not just fake support, not just your cable boxes. Like, I mean there's nothing about the traditional, you know, ways of conference expansion that would include bringing Utah football up time and time again. The way that Utah football keeps getting picked up, the reason they keep getting picked up is the winning. Like it is the winning, it is the support, it is the dedication that that's why they've been able to continue to do it. And I mean even last year, the sleepiest 11 win season in all of college football. Ho hum. You know, right there. Underrated that I just. Not just. But last 10 years I'd say the Oregon Ducks. And you could argue that the Oregon Ducks fan base probably is riding off of a 21st century success. Right? I mean they don't have your grandfather and you know, like they can't reach it all the way back. But man, like that is both a commentary on the environment at Austin Stadium, but also just the passion of the fans. And that's something that I see in terms of the fans that reach out to us, the fans that listen to us, the, the [e-mail] Oregon. Oregon's fans, Oregon's fan base. The Oregon uniforms, the Duck. A lot of the ways that Oregon gets promoted on television might be rightly rated, but in terms of, like, the numbers and the fans and how much they care shout out to the Oregon fans out there. They've. They put themselves in the same position as some SEC fan bases in terms of the numbers when it comes to traffic downloads, things like that. So I, I, I, I, I think that they maybe don't get enough credit for that one as well.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah, it's a good call.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Who else is overrated? One more.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I don't like to do this to them. I mean, but I, I was like Michigan, they, they try so hard, like, because, you know, last year we were there for the US game and, you know, they even put up things like, hey, everybody knocks the Big House. We're not that loud. Let's show them. And they give it their best acoustically. It is just not great. And I do remember, like, when I was on a visit, even some of the locals were like, we have a little bit of a wine and cheese crowd now. I thought the students were awesome, but it does hold, you know, a hundred thousand. They're not all students. I don't know. I think it's a little bit overrated.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Didn't all go to Michigan.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Maybe it's properly rated, though, because I think most people kind of share the opinion. I do.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Well, I think that the Big House has working for it and against it. The, it's like the Coliseum in Rome, you know, I mean, you go, it's the Big House, you know, it's almost a little bit more of a museum of college football even than it is like this animal. It feels old, it feels ancient. It feels like you are walking through hallowed halls, but it doesn't feel like it's something that's about to rip you to pieces. Like a true home field environment should feel like there's just animals everywhere and that this is right. This place is about to explode right now. And I. You don't get any swaying press boxes. You don't get any, like the whole, the cameras are shaking. You know, none of that happens. So. Yeah, I would agree. I think. Oh, oh. Dan Lanning's PR team is the one who said Big House is a mausoleum.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

That's right.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Very funny YouTube comment right there. Speaking of YouTube comments. And on the back of an awesome win for the mime, the Miami Ohio Redhawks over SMU in the first four on Wednesday night. Do you catch Eric K on television?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Ek with the boys celebrating his Alma material, being able to advance question from a YouTube show recently, when we were talking about the Miami Ohio story from Chris Hummer, went back and saw this comment on YouTube. Could Miami Ohio take a step up and follow Cincinnati's path to a bigger conference?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

We had just talked about their financial commitment. Right. In football, I think they would love to. What's considered like, are we talking to jump up to the Power 5 in basketball? Are we talking Power 4 in general? I just like, where are they going to go? Like, that's where it feels like. Where, where's. What are the options?

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

I think Big 12 ACC would be what I would consider a jump up. Not doing the Northern Illinois and going over to the Mountain west, but that

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

a lateral move, you.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

You stack, you stack success. If possible, you continue to invest. And that if the Big 12 or the ACC, and really the ACC is on the forefront of this, some ACC schools get poached, but the ACC wants to stay together. That you. You've made yourself.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Is it really a jump up then?

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Yes.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

So you think the teams that are in the PAC12 now are bumped up from where they like the new Pac 12?

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Yes.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

You do?

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Yes, I think the new Pac 12 has bumped up from the new Mountain West. I think the new PAC 12 stares down the American, you know, and that. And that's where oftentimes, especially in the acc, there, there's not quite as much Florida State, Clemson panic now that they're not suing the league actively, but there has always been, and this is not within the ACC office, but just among people who are familiar with the conference. There's just kind of always been that running list of like, all right, well, if you did need to go get a replacement, who would you get? They obviously did that in advance with Stanford, Cal and SMU to avoid the whole dissolution aspect of what could happen to the acc. But you go to the American Athletic Conference and you look at some of the teams that have been the most successful there and. And those would be ones that potentially could get your attention. My argument is that if Miami Ohio is able to marry football and basketball success at a consistent level, you make yourself attractive to be sort of next up on that list.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I don't think they would be at the top of the list. When you said American, I was thinking South Florida.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Right.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

You know, Tulane, there are some other schools that I might put in front of Miami, of Ohio and regionally, I think some of the schools in the South Make a little bit more sense.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Cincinnati had the football success of Luke Fickle to be able to sort of power that momentum to be able to get them drafted up into the Big 12. So can the basketball success lead to that? I don't know. But if I'm going to play Miami, Ohio somewhere, I would think that Cincinnati probably does not want Miami in the Big 12. They'd probably block them. But I could see, I could see maybe the ACC taking a look along the way. Let's go back to the big old bag of mail. This one's a little team specific and a reminder that if you do have some of those team specific questions, feel free to be able to throw them in. When it, when we are able to cycle to them, we will make sure that we get our eyes on those team specific questions. This one comes from Dogmatic and it's not the Bulldogs of Georgia. Given the rise of a moribund program like Indiana, what would it take to bring Mississippi State back at least to the level of consistency it had in the Dan Mullen era? No one is asking for national championships, but how about winning three, four or sometimes five SEC games a season? What do you think, Mississippi State? What's the path back? Oh, I know, I know, Robert. The. They use the word moribund and I almost like lost it. You know, I, I sort of tripped over that as well. You're not the only one.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

But is it, I mean, you need money. I was trying to look up Mississippi State alumni, like, how many billionaires do they have that went there? I don't know how many there are. You need more money. I mean, it is a spending race. I mean, it's just, it's, it is what it is and I think that's what it takes. I mean, is that, is it much more complicated than that?

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

I think you can build a different mass mousetrap even in the sec. And the thought was, especially, you know, kind of on the heels of Mike Leach, is that your different mousetrap is going to be going with the air raid. You know, let's, let's just have an offensive system that's going to stress defenses and, and give us a chance to win while also being super entertaining and allowing our fans to be able to come in, root for touchdowns. You know, do the cowbells, things of that nature.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Jerry said they could do it easy. Look at Vanderbilt or Ole Miss. Vanderbilt is a perfect example of somebody, a program that's invested. I mean, they built the new addition to the stadium. They've, you know, created a culture they're spending money on players. You know, Diego Pavia was not free to go to Vanderbilt. What's the kid's name, the five star Jared Curtis. Yep. We did not come cheap. Like they are investing in a lot of players to come to Vanderbilt. And not to say that Mississippi State isn't, but I do think there's a difference in spending. I think Ole Miss is the same way. There's. They have the number two portal class this year. That and I guarantee you a lot of that money that's been donated is probably, you know, pissed off that Lane Kiffin went and that's probably got him. A lot of people that are saying, oh, we don't want to be irrelevant again. We don't want to go back to winning seven wins. We want to keep this level of success. It does take investment.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

What do you think about the scheme side?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah, I think that's a good point. I just.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Because I don't know if they've got an edge right now. No, everybody's playing fast and the Air Raid's not new anymore then. It's just. It's not. It is not the differentiating factor that

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

it brings back the triple option, Is that what you're saying?

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Not specifically, but at least you know something.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yes, thematically you need an offensive wonder mind, you know, somebody that really, really is at the top of the game offensively, you know, with schemes and everything to be able to react to it.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

I mean you could argue that the way that Vanderbilt played two years ago is a little bit of the different mouse, you know, like.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Sort of. Something about the way that you approach it. Jeff Levy's probably, I mean, I know Jeff's a huge fan of the COVID 3 podcast. Jeff, thanks so much for watching. Like, I mean he's probably banging his fist. He's like, thank you, Danny. You're right, Danny. A lot better, Danny. If I had 2 million dollar quarterback,

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I think that's every coach that's like at a mid tier program is they're all saying that. I mean, Eli Drinkwitz caught some heat this week because he was saying, hey, we're going to turn into major league baseball. You know, where you have the halves and you have the have dots. I mean it's always kind of been that, but it's even more in our face now.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

What do you think about drink saying that?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I don't think it's different. Yeah, I think it's always been that way, you know, and I think it's more competitive now because I think more people are willing to spend since they can do it above board. But. And I do think you've got the salary, you know, floor, I guess with the rev share that you're spending. And of course some programs can put only 10 if they want to football and they can distribute it across every other sport, which put makes it a little bit tougher, but I think it's always been that way. He's just, you know, kind of looking at it from this era, which I don't think it's changed that much.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

I mean he was the one who gave us the great like guys, it's free agency every six months, you know, and like. And not in a. The sky is falling just like. Like he's talking to his local reporters and he's saying like, let me tell you what I'm dealing with right now. Every single six months I'm going back to the table with these agents and we're having to like renegotiate. That was in the two portal era. And of course we are keeping our eyes peeled to see if we have any shenanigans by the end of spring practice. But currently, you know, as. As we are right now, just in the one portal era from the tailgate while we were talking, I grabbed this one. Before we get out of here, Robert said, this is how Bud will rise to the top of high school talent evaluators. You can't fool the original AI model.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

That's right, the Bud bot. You can't fool the Bud Bot.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Yeah, be careful. The Bud bot will catch that right away. There will be no shenanigans about your stars getting added or taken away. They'll. They'll be able to have you going. What's your. What's your hoops outlook look like? What are you excited for here as we get things started very shortly in the NCAA tournament.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I love some of these freshmen. Darius A cuff to top my list though.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Set a freshman record with 49. Earliest year in an overtime loss. Favorite part about it was Cal was saying that he was on in a walking boot two days leading into that game. Like he is a baller. AJ debonza. Can't wait to see what he can do in this tournament. You know, I'm excited to see what some of these freshmen can do. I'm a little bit chalky, but I do. I had Arkansas making a deep run because I really like daycuff. I like Houston. I can't pick the Gators to come out of that region, so I've got Houston upsetting them in Houston. Houston And Houston will be huge. And then I've got Duke. Despite the injuries, I think they could be slow playing this with Gongba. You know, I'm potentially, you know, missing today, but it's getting him healthy because they don't need them yet.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Yep.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

And then I've got Michigan, the Big Ten. I've got. I got Michigan winning it all for the first time. What's been 20 years, right? It's been a long time since the Big Ten won a national champion.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Oh, no, no. Yeah. I thought you're gonna talk about Michigan. Michigan's been even longer. But big tens is 26. It's Michigan State in 2000.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Over, under. Final four, total seeds, eight and a half. So you tally up the seeds in the Final Four. Eight and a half. Would you take over or under?

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I want to root for over because I want to see somebody, but I think the smarter bet's probably under. So I've got two ones. I'm in mine. I've got one, two, four, and one. So I'm still under. Even though I felt like I was going against the grain.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

The NC State wrecked this one as an 11 when they made the Final Four. You know, it's a. They. They handled that one entirely.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

I don't think it's gonna be. Everyone's like, oh, it's gonna be Chalky again. I really hope it's not.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Well, what's the difference? Because I was going through. I did an exercise for CBSSports.com best team, each seed line, right? Just go through, just only group those and pick one. And when I was getting down to the sixes and sevens and eights, certainly I was like, these teams stink. Or they've got, like, a player who's hurt, or they've lost five of their last six. Like, there is a reason why those teams that are power conference teams that aren't at the top of the bracket are not there. And it's because they've all got flaws.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Right.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

And the ratings are great because they play in these power conferences. And so they juice the team sheet. Numbers that get them these high seeds. I mean, Miami, Ohio, 18 years ago would have been a 5 seed, no question. Forget Dayton 11. Seed committee would have just seen that little number and thrown them right in the middle of the bracket.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Are you going to pick them to advance past Tennessee? They're an eleven and a half point underdog, but they were seven and a half point underdog last night against smu.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

So on my. We got, like, an updated expert picks. I think I Said Miami, Ohio to cover Tennessee straight up. I would not be surprised at all, though, if the Redhawks keep it rolling, I give them a better chance of keeping it rolling than Texas, of doing it against debons and byu. Yeah, I don't think Texas looked good in Dayton. No, it is two stinky teams.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Contract it. I'm going under as well. I like the two seeds. I like UConn. I like Houston. I like Iowa State.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

Iowa State. They're really good.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

Really, really good. So those are, those are going to be the ones that I'm keeping an eye on. Yes, Jerry. That's why we need a bigger tournament. Face Palm. We do not need a bigger tournament.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

We're gonna get it whether you like it or not.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

If this thing comes down to BJ Edwards lying about BJ Edwards to keep Auburn out of the tournament, then where we are, because that's where we are.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

We don't.

[Podcast Host Danny Cannell]

We don't. We don't need a bigger tournament. So please check out all the action. Of course, first game is gonna be Ohio State, tcu, eight, nine game out of the east region. That game will be from Greenville, South Carolina. I think that's the A team. I think that's Iron Eagle, Bill Rafferty, Grant Hill, Tracy Wolfson. They'll be down there getting you set on America's most watched network, the network of stars. Then we're at 1240, then we're at 130, then it's, I mean, it's just fast from there, wall to wall. We hope that you have joined the CBS Sports Cover 3 Brackets Challenge. We appreciate it. And you can follow him on Twitter at Danny Canal. You can follow me at @Chip Patterson. Danny, thank you very much.

[Podcast Host Tom Furnelli]

See ya.

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