Cover 3 College Football Podcast

Episode: Upon Further Review: College Football Playoff First Round Fallout, Bowl Week Previews, More!

Date: December 22, 2025

Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell

Episode Overview

This episode of the Cover 3 College Football Podcast offers an in-depth review of the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff (CFP), including lively debate over team performances and potential championship contenders. The hosts also break down notable bowl games from the week ahead, discuss coaching carousel updates, and engage in trademark banter about opt-outs, transfer portal chaos, and postseason narratives. The overall tone is energetic, candid, and insightful, mixing sharp analysis with humor and behind-the-scenes perspective.

College Football Playoff First Round Fallout

[04:33–18:59]

Key Discussion Points

• General Impressions:

  • Several blowouts, a defensive slugfest, and one major comeback defined a first CFP round "full of teachable moments but maybe few surprises."
  • "I don’t know what I learned any differently from Ole Miss or Oregon... Both handled the opponents pretty easily. They probably didn’t have to show everything." – Tom Fornelli [04:48]

• Oklahoma–Alabama Analysis:

  • Tom admits regret over picking Oklahoma, questioning OU’s defensive reputation:
    "If you dug a little deeper and looked how they did against better quarterbacks, they were not actually the ‘85 Bears... They had some vulnerabilities." – Tom Fornelli [05:39]
  • The Alabama comeback is dissected, with Tom warning not to overreact:
    "I think a lot of people are going to get fooled...thinking Alabama’s issues are fixed, and I still don’t think they’re fixed." [07:44]
  • Danny’s rejoinder: “Just tweet it. Who cares? It’s Twitter... We all thought that game was over when it was 17-0.” [08:08]

• Debating Selection and Playoff Takeaways:

  • Chip pushes back on using playoff results to retroactively judge selections:
    "You cannot take College Football Playoff results as a way to determine whether or not a team should or should not have been there." [09:13]
  • Banter over Notre Dame fans and selection controversies.
  • "The process of selecting the teams is everything that's happened to that point. Then you get your access, and that is an entirely new challenge..." – Chip Patterson [09:13]
  • Kalyn DeBoer’s Alabama squad gets mentioned as always living on the edge.

• Miami, Texas A&M, and Ohio State’s Path:

  • Tom sees Miami’s win as potentially igniting a run, but Danny disputes:
    "You have to look at the path... I don't think Miami can win four of those games in a row. ... They are good enough to give Ohio State maybe a pain in the ass and maybe even pull off that upset." – Danny Kanell [12:22]
  • Discussion of how wind affected the Miami–Texas A&M game (passing struggles, turnovers).
  • Debate over whether the Big Ten has been truly tested, compared with Miami’s competition.

Notable Quotes

• “If I’ve learned anything in my 15 years as a broadcaster, you cannot say things until it is absolute certainty that the outcome is in hand…you have to wait.” – Tom Fornelli [06:48]
• “It was a tough couple of moments throughout the weekend for a Notre Dame fan online.” – Chip Patterson [08:24]
• “There have been a lot of armchair quarterbacks...The two takes that I’ve seen that I cannot stand—one from a winning team in Miami, that said Malachi Tony should have gone down [instead of scoring]." – Tom Fornelli [17:03]

Oregon’s Defensive Woes & Group of Five Fallout

[22:30–27:51]

Oregon’s Second-Half Collapse Against JMU

• James Madison outgained Oregon in the second half but was ultimately unable to complete a miraculous comeback (debated tongue-in-cheek: "Did James Madison really lose or just run out of time?")

  • “If we play another quarter or two, are we talking about the greatest upset in college football history right now?” – Danny Kanell [21:47]

• Shrugged off as mostly nonconcerning; Oregon rotated backups, but run defense remains notable weakness.

Texas Tech vs. Oregon Quarterfinal Preview

• Texas Tech’s defense gets high marks; both teams’ strengths and weaknesses debated (“That’s the one where I think college football fans...are super excited and maybe not all that confident.” – Chip Patterson [27:23])

Group of Five (G5) Debate

• Tom flags the annual “should there be a guaranteed G5 spot?” conversation after results:
  • "It’s an issue that needs to be addressed...If they’re worthy, if they meet a criteria, sure..." – Tom Fornelli [21:22]
• Danny argues for patience:
  • "It's like a black swan thing. Like the one in a million thing happens, and we all feel like we have to change everything...not really necessary." [21:27]
  • “And also the idea of a G5 playoff...G5 schools don’t even want that, let alone TV networks.” [21:47]

Coaching Carousel and Staff Changes

[29:46–32:50]

Pat Fitzgerald to Michigan State

• Building a Northwestern-influenced staff; Lavar Woods (Iowa’s top special teams coordinator) joins as assistant head coach.
  • “Since 2016...Iowa’s special teams EPA is about 100 points better than second place...So bringing him in...I just think that’s a huge move.” – Danny Kanell [30:01]
• “If I’m a Michigan State fan, I’m really liking the early direction things are going in East Lansing.” – Chip Patterson [31:28]

Bobby Petrino as UNC Offensive Coordinator

• "The jokes write themselves," but hosts agree it's an on-field upgrade.
• Petrino’s penchant for dynamic offenses could rejuvenate a stagnant UNC attack (“He can still call it. We’ll see what the Tar Heels do…” – Chip Patterson [34:42])
• Quarterback recruiting and portal possibilities discussed (Bryce Baker mentioned).

Texas Defensive Staff News

• Pete Kwiatowski out, Will Muschamp in as DC.
  • “I think Will Muschamp’s a really good coach…you need to mix things up a little bit.” – Tom Fornelli [37:23]
• Discussion of whether continuity had become a negative rather than a positive for Texas.

Bowl Week: Previews & Picks

[39:20–56:13]

Early Week Bowl Games

• Idaho Potato Bowl: Utah State vs. Washington State

  • Utah State favored for continuity; Washington State hampered by opt-outs and staff changes.

• Boca Bowl: Louisville vs. Toledo

  • “Six and a half feels kind of disrespectful. I know Louisville's got some opt-outs...[but] Toledo's coaching staff is gone, they're starting their backup quarterback…” – Danny Kanell [41:54]
  • Per the hosts, if Louisville can't cover, it speaks poorly of the ACC ("If Louisville can't cover six and a half, they need to take Miami out of the playoff and put Notre Dame in their place." – Danny Kanell [42:27])

• Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss (New Orleans Bowl)

  • Southern Miss is a worthy underdog; fading C-USA is a theme.

• UNLV vs. Ohio

  • UNLV seen as stronger, with good vibes and portal stability.

Christmas Eve & Post-Christmas

• Cal vs. Hawaii

  • Hosts plan to watch, but mostly as background holiday entertainment; Hawaii tough at home.

• Friday, Dec. 26 Tripleheader:

  • Central Michigan vs. Northwestern, New Mexico vs. Minnesota, UTSA vs. FIU.

  • "All due respect...I do feel it's a bit disrespectful to have a Big Ten team only a two and a half point favorite against New Mexico." – Chip Patterson [48:31]

• Saturday Dec. 27 – Bowl Extravaganza:

  • Military Bowl: Pitt vs. ECU
  • Pinstripe Bowl: Penn State vs. Clemson
  • Fenway Bowl: Army vs. UConn
  • Pop-Tarts Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. BYU
  • Arizona Bowl: Miami Ohio vs. Fresno State
  • New Mexico Bowl: San Diego State vs. North Texas
  • Gator Bowl: Missouri vs. Virginia
  • Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Houston

• Storylines:

  • LSU–Houston offers big intra-Texas bragging rights and conference perception fodder:
    "One of two things will happen...Houston will beat LSU, a huge kind of bragging rights thing...or a terrible, horrible, no good LSU team...will beat a Houston team that was one of the better teams in the Big 12...Frankly, I love both of those outcomes." – Tom Fornelli [51:22]

  • Gator Bowl: SEC vs. ACC pride, talented QBs; Missouri vs. Virginia.

  • Pinstripe Bowl: Not exactly appointment TV—“Two miserable teams. Freezing. No playing for pride. These are culture programs.” — Tom Fornelli [52:51]

  • Weather impact in the Fenway Bowl (Army vs. UConn) – possibility of Army blowout due to UConn's issues and frigid conditions.

Gambling & Anecdotal Angles

• “Game to keep an eye on from a gambling perspective: the Fenway Bowl...Army minus 8.5, that's asking a lot of an option team...But the forecast is mid-20s...you might want to consider some Army overs in that game." – Danny Kanell [54:59]
• “I trust our troops because they want to be there. What they start, they finish.” – Tom Fornelli [55:59]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “If you can’t trust a player on the field to make a catch, you shouldn’t be there.” – Chip Patterson on playoff mistakes [18:30]
• Danny’s tongue-in-cheek: “Bobby [Petrino] might not care if you throw the short to intermediate routes, just as long as you can throw them deep.” [34:37]
• “The United States Army’s first battle was in Boston. And this one will be too.” – Danny Kanell, on Army in the Fenway Bowl [56:25]
• "FTP." – Danny Kanell, show sign-off [57:38]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• CFP First Round Reactions: [04:33–18:59]
• Oregon/Group of Five Debates: [22:30–27:51]
• Coaching Carousel: [29:46–34:42]
• Bowl Previews: [39:20–56:13]
• Wrap & Sign-Off: [57:38]

Final Thoughts

The hosts deliver a highly entertaining, whip-smart, and thorough review of the CFP first round, bowl season chaos, and the latest staff drama. Their analysis, predictions, and comedic asides make the episode engaging for hardcore fans and casual listeners alike as the postseason unfolds.