Cover 3 College Football Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Michigan Fires Sherrone Moore: What's Next? | Army-Navy Preview & Best Bets | College Football
Date: December 11, 2025
Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell (Bud Elliott absent)
Theme:
This episode covers the stunning and sudden firing of Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore amidst a personal scandal, the fallout for Michigan’s football program, discussion of coaching carousel rumors, and concludes with a highly detailed preview and betting picks for the Army-Navy Game and early bowl season action.

Main Theme & Purpose

• Examine the aftermath and ramifications of Michigan’s abrupt firing of Sherrone Moore, including the off-field scandal that led to his departure.
• Discuss viable coaching candidates and Michigan’s program direction.
• Preview the marquee Army-Navy Game, give betting analysis and picks, and touch on early bowl season talking points.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Sherrone Moore Firing: Fallout and Analysis

• Timeline & Emotional Impact
  • Danny Kanell shares how shocking the story was as it unfolded:
    “You’re watching like a movie scene of him crashing out and imploding...he’s self-destructing right in front of your eyes. It’s sad, obviously, for his wife and his family.” (04:00)
  • Moore was involved in an inappropriate affair with an executive assistant, initially denied, later evidenced and leading to immediate termination.
• Effects on Michigan’s Program
  • Danny: The crisis could be an opportunity: “I feel like this could be a good thing for Michigan...to really start a new era. Right. Because we’re still in the Jim Harbaugh aftermath. It was his hand selected guy...I think you would want to just start from scratch, bring somebody in with no ties to Jim Harbaugh.” (05:00)
  • Tom notes uncertainty whether AD Ward Manuel will make the next hire, given prior scandals and administrative turbulence.
  • Chip underlines the investigation’s complexities: who knew what and when, and the possible slowness for a hire due to university scrutiny. (07:06)
• Coaching Carousel Speculation
  • Candidates mentioned: Matt Campbell (unlikely), Eli Drinkwitz, Jed Fisch, Rhett Lashlee, Jeff Brohm, Clark Lea, Brent Key, Dave Doeren, Brian Kelly (dismissed as unlikely), Matt Patricia (not favored), Dave Clawson.
  • “Jed Fish was a quarterbacks coach there 10 years ago...I would call them all.” – Danny Kanell (13:10)
  • “I do think just the candidates are all the ones we’ve discussed, all the usual candidates. It’s just, I don’t know how quickly this is going to happen, especially because of the calendar situation, but also because of the uncertainty surrounding that athletic department.” – Tom (13:49)

2. Michigan’s Next Steps and Program Culture

• Reflection on Program Identity
  • Chip and Tom joke about what a “Michigan Man” looks like, poking fun at the pressure to hire someone fitting a traditional mold: “He looks like he drives a Ford.” (14:44)
  • Consensus: Starting fresh and shaking off the Harbaugh era may be healthiest for Michigan long-term.
• Bryce Underwood’s Role
  • The hot prospect’s commitment status is debated (17:09). No evidence he has abandoned Michigan based on his social media.

3. Broader Coaching Carousel Updates

• Assistant Moves & Impact
  • Jay Bateman hired as Kentucky’s DC, requiring Mike Elko (Texas A&M) to replace both coordinators.
  • Rumors of Jim Knowles possibly heading to Tennessee (26:44).
• Brian Hartline at USF Story
  • Danny tells an anecdote about Hartline’s transition between Ohio State and USF head coaching duties, illustrating the complexity of modern coaching careers. (22:19)

4. Army-Navy Game Deep-Dive & Best Bets (Starts ~30:40)

Podcast’s ‘Locks’ & Picks

• Army-Navy Betting Trends
  • Tom: “Since 2005 when service academies play, the under is 48-13-1...I am taking the under.” (32:23)
  • Danny and Chip: All in agreement, with under and additional props.
  • Chip’s pick: “I’m actually going to be locking up the first half under nineteen and a half…overtime insurance.” (34:18)
• Game Analysis
  • Army needs sustained drives; Navy’s passing explosiveness is highlighted as a key advantage.
  • “Navy...they are setting you up very well and they are hitting huge chunk plays a lot of the time for touchdowns...makes them difficult to defend.” – Tom (36:07)
  • “If you’re Army in this game, you really need to dominate the clock…” – Tom (37:31)
  • Danny adds: “Navy’s done a better job evolving as an offense...wrinkled in some concepts…” (37:31)
• Picks Summary
  • All three hosts take the under. Danny also takes Army +6.5. Chip prefers the first-half under.
  • Moneyline Sprinkles brought to you by FanDuel: All three pick Army; Danny sprinkles Boise State as a bowl upset winner. (42:09)

5. Early Bowl Season: LA Bowl & Beyond

• Boise State vs. Washington
  • Player availability for Washington questioned; Boise has momentum and a healthy QB.
  • Danny: “This will be treated like a big game for Boise State. And I don’t know if you’ll get the same from Washington.” (45:55)
• Chris Petersen Jokes
  • Light-hearted chat about whether the ex–Boise/Washington coach would suffer a ‘house divided’ watching this game, and if he’d ever coach again. (46:20)
• Bowl Games and Sponsors
  • Extended jokes about “bucked up” energy supplement being a bowl sponsor (51:11).

6. Other News & Notes

• Indiana Hoosiers Defensive Injury

  • Star pass-rusher Stephen Daly suffers “probably season-ending” leg injury while celebrating post-game with fans—framed as cruel bad luck. (53:24)

• Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff Preferential Treatment

  • Discussion of reported “sweetheart deal” for Notre Dame; speculation if other schools will retaliate by not scheduling the Irish.
  • Tom: “Maybe it’s other schools that think about going independent...If you can get that kind [of deal], as long as we finish in the top 12, we’re in.” (56:36)
  • Consensus: TV executives want Notre Dame in the playoff.

• Expanded Playoff Format Debate

  • Tom advocates for every conference champ getting in (“playing your way into the playoff”), and isn’t worried about the prospect of blowouts:
    “I would rather have every conference champ get an automatic bid and then have fewer at-larges because that’s actually playing your way into a playoff.” (61:02)
  • On who can win the title: "There are only three teams in it, I think, have a chance to win it...Oregon, Ohio State, and Georgia." (61:34)
  • Chip and Danny agree the path to a title still comes down to traditional blue bloods.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You’re watching like a movie scene of him crashing out and imploding...he’s self-destructing right in front of your eyes.”
  — Danny Kanell on the experience of the Moore scandal (04:00)

• “This could be a good thing for Michigan...to really start a new era.”
  — Danny Kanell (05:00)

• “If Michigan beats Ohio State, do we find out about it?”
  — Chip, on whether the administration would have acted as swiftly if the record had been better (09:49)

• “Since 2005, when service academies play, the under is 48-13-1...I am taking the under.”
  — Tom Fornelli, on his favorite Army-Navy Game angle (32:23)

• “Navy...when they do [pass], has been so efficient with its passing game and hitting big plays...”
  — Tom Fornelli (36:07)

• “I would rather have every conference champ get an automatic bid and then have fewer at-larges because that’s actually playing your way into a playoff.”
  — Tom Fornelli, on College Football Playoff format (61:02)

Important Timestamps

• 00:25 – 07:06: Michigan/Moore firing details, administrative fallout, and program context.
• 07:06 – 21:01: AD Ward Manuel’s future; candidate speculation; philosophical reset for Michigan; Bryce Underwood’s status.
• 21:16 – 29:37: Assistant coach carousel; Brian Hartline anecdote; how transitions are managed.
• 30:40 – 41:47: Army-Navy preview, best bets and locks, service academy under trend.
• 41:47 – 46:54: Moneyline sprinkles, early bowl predictions, Boise State/Washington analysis, Chris Petersen segment.
• 53:24 – 62:36: Indiana injury news; Notre Dame’s playoff situation; playoff expansion and access debate.

Tone & Language

• The episode is conversational, blending gallows humor with serious analysis, and mixes tight football talk with banter, as is typical of the show.
• Hosts are candid, sometimes playful (“This is live investigative journalism!” 17:27), and are not shy about voicing strong opinions on program direction, playoff formats, or their own picks.

Summary: Who should listen?

• Anyone seeking deep, fast-paced analysis of the Michigan scandal’s impact.
• Listeners wanting expert coaching carousel insight and speculative “who’s next?” talk.
• Bettors and fans looking for context, history, and nuanced picks on Army-Navy.
• College football diehards invested in bowl season narratives and future playoff format debates.

Conversation is rich in inside jokes (including “Michigan man” and “safety issue” references), and the hosts flow naturally between major news, Xs-and-Os breakdowns, and the traditions that make college football unique.