Cover 3 College Football Podcast

Episode: Upon Further Review: College Football Playoff Projections, Poll Rankings Reactions, More!

Date: November 3, 2025
Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Cover 3 crew takes a deep dive into the aftermath of a pivotal college football weekend. They break down the fallout from key injuries (notably Nebraska’s QB Dylan Raiola), dissect new AP Top 25 rankings with their trademark 'Pole Assassin' segment, reevaluate coaching carousel turbulence (including the Auburn and Colorado situations), and offer further review insights on controversial coaching futures and conference strength narratives. Tuning in, listeners will gain detailed reaction and analysis to college football’s latest drama, playoff pathways, and administrative shake-ups — with plenty of sharp wit, heated debates, and inside jokes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dylan Raiola’s Injury and Nebraska’s Implications

[03:10–09:50]

• Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola is out for the season, a hammer blow to a Cornhusker team with emerging Big Ten momentum.
• Danny Kanell notes the dual impact: Raiola’s development trajectory and how this impacts Nebraska’s recruiting, especially in the portal-centric transfer era.

  "If I was him, I'd start recruiting guys... that’s what I would be doing if I was him." – Danny Kanell [04:43]

• Discussion on backup T.J. Lateef’s readiness; consensus is he’s raw and Nebraska will have growing pains.
• Tom Fornelli highlights Matt Rhule’s raised program floor but acknowledges a probable 6–6 finish after previously higher expectations with Raiola healthy.
• Quick comparison of recent high-profile coaching hires, crediting Rule and Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame as relative successes.

2. Pole Assassin: AP Top 25 Rankings Rant

[10:00–19:50]

• Tom Fornelli goes in on Tennessee being ranked despite three losses and weak wins:

  "The only reason Tennessee is still ranked is because it was ranked to begin the year." – Tom Fornelli [11:18]

• Spirited debate over why voters don’t decisively rank or drop teams, and the “recency bias” versus “resume” quandary.
• Miami's placement versus Notre Dame becomes a flashpoint for how head-to-head, resume, and timing sway perceptions.
• Discussion extends to SEC coaches’ PR savviness (Kirby Smart) versus ACC narratives (Mario Cristobal), highlighting how conference messaging tilts broader rankings and media takes.

  "The SEC is sending you pictures of their entire family ... Meanwhile, the ACC is a broken home." – Tom Fornelli [18:30]

3. Coaching Carousel & Hot Seat Watch

[22:53–41:13]

• Hugh Freeze is OUT at Auburn; Cover 3 search firm assesses potential replacements.
• Danny Kanell floats interim and upstart names like John Sumrall and DJ Durkin, weighs the ethics and strategy of coaches leaving group-of-six schools before bowl season.
• Tom Fornelli wonders who the next power-conference job opening will be — speculates potential shake-ups at Colorado (if Deion Sanders steps aside), South Carolina, Maryland, and others.
• The quarterback transfer carousel is noted as big a potential offseason story as the coaching cycle.

4. Program Pressure & “Brilliantly Boring” Wins

[32:09–38:45]

• Florida State’s methodical win over Wake Forest is lauded as a rare, stabilizing, “brilliantly boring” victory that helps quiet the noise around the program.

  "A brilliantly boring win was exactly what the Noles needed." – Danny Kanell [37:40]

• But questions linger about Mike Norvell’s job security and the expectations tied to FSU’s final stretch.

5. Clemson’s Future and Dabo Swinney Scrutiny

[41:13–45:59]

• Discussion shifts to Dabo Swinney’s inability to adapt, particularly his reluctance toward the transfer portal:

  "I think Dabo needs to step up and say, 'I was wrong.' ... We don’t need 30 or 40 guys, but if we take 10 to 15 we could have this thing right back." – Danny Kanell [43:05]

• Tom Fornelli is skeptical any change will come:

  "What has Dabo ever shown us in his tenure to make you think he’s just suddenly going to give up on his beliefs?" [43:37]

• Spicy hypotheticals: Would Dabo work at Florida State in a post-Norvell world?

6. Conference Race Parity & Playoff Projections

[53:47–59:41]

• Tom Fornelli brings data: SEC's “meat grinder” reputation, how middle-of-the-pack teams benefit from a weak bottom.
• Comparison to other conferences: is the SEC really deeper, or does every conference have this middle-feeding dynamic?
• Playoff committee scrutiny looms: debates over conference superiority (Big Ten’s top-heavy field vs. SEC's depth) are set to dominate media and selection room talk.

7. Under-the-Radar Storylines from “Upon Further Review”

[49:11–67:02]

• Revisiting historic NC State–Georgia Tech upsets and emotional moments for Dave Doeren.
• Shout-out to Luke Altmyer (Illinois) for individual brilliance.
• UTSA's Alamo Dome dominance:

  "Since the start of 2021, UTSA is 27 and 3 at home." – Chip Patterson [63:56]

• Discussion on how thin the margins are for coach retention (e.g., Baylor's Dave Aranda potentially needing two more wins to save his job).
• The capstone: College football is a "dumb sport followed by dumb people and run by dumber people." – Tom Fornelli [68:03]

Notable Quotes

• “The only reason Tennessee is still ranked is because it was ranked to begin the year.”
  – Tom Fornelli [11:18]

• “If I was him, I'd start recruiting guys... along the offensive line, probably, specifically, I'd probably start there.”
  – Danny Kanell on Dylan Raiola [04:43]

• “The ACC is a broken home. Meanwhile, the SEC is sending you pictures of their entire family ...”
  – Tom Fornelli [18:30]

• “A brilliantly boring win was exactly what the Noles needed.”
  – Danny Kanell on FSU over Wake Forest [37:40]

• “I think Dabo needs to step up and say, I was wrong. We can make our roster better by going to the portal.”
  – Danny Kanell [43:05]

• “This is a dumb sport followed by dumb people and run by dumber people.”
  – Tom Fornelli [68:03]

Key Timestamps: Segment Guide

• [03:10] Nebraska’s injury loss and season outlook
• [10:00] AP Poll “Pole Assassin” critique
• [18:00] Conference packaging: SEC vs ACC narratives
• [22:53] Auburn coaching search and carousel rundown
• [31:07] Colorado, FSU, South Carolina – next jobs to open?
• [37:40] ‘Brilliantly Boring’ win: FSU over Wake Forest
• [41:13] Clemson’s crossroads: Will Dabo change?
• [49:11] Upon Further Review: NC State, Illinois, UTSA’s home dominance
• [53:47] SEC, conference parity, playoff implications
• [61:55] Why home field matters, UTSA and Alabama stats
• [67:13] Coaching firings: how tenuous is the final weeks' impact?

Tone, Style & Takeaways

The discussion is candid, irreverent, and packed with in-the-weeds analysis, but full of jokes and honesty about college football’s volatility and absurdity. Whether you’re an AP poll nerd, a coaching carousel diehard, or a playoff argument aficionado, this episode brings the full coverage — poking holes in narratives, spotlighting truly “boring” greatness, and keeping fans ahead of the coming week’s watercooler debates.

For diehard CFB fans and casuals alike, this episode is your one-stop reset for where the season (and sport) stand as the playoff, rankings, and firing dominos start to fall.