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Chip Patterson
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Bud Elliott
Welcome Back to the COVID 3 podcast with your hosts Chip Patterson, Tom Fernelli, Danny Cannell and Bud Elliott. It's your call for the best college football coverage from national signing day to the national champ, everything in between. CBS Sports presents the COVID 3 podcast.
Chip Patterson
And welcome back to the COVID 3 podcast here on CBS Sports. That's Tom Franilli, that's Bud Elliott, that's Danny Cannell. I'm Chip Patterson coming to you live on YouTube.com cover3 and everywhere you 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, where it's easy. Says I'm checking in from DFW Airport, heading back home to Tallahassee, where Mike Norvell is still my coach. Yes, we will be jumping into the latest from the coaching carousel here in just a second, including Florida State's announcement that Mike Norvell will be back for 2026. We've got an actual firing in the ACC to get to. Latest on Lane Kiffin, latest on Penn State. So much more Pole assassin buds college football playoff projections. And of course, since it is a Monday, you know, we've got to do a pun for the review which will include at a minimum, the latest in the conference title race mayhem. And we started this on Saturday night in the Instant Reaction show. We will be taking your submissions all through the show. We need to finalize our nobody wants to see us in the playoffs teams. Yeah, I think we got to cut it to five. These are going to be our five teams that nobody wants to see in the playoffs. And we're just gonna leave it at that. We'll do that.
Bud Elliott
I think that's easy to do.
Tom Fernelli
Oh, okay.
Bud Elliott
Well, this would be a good segment then.
Chip Patterson
Okay, I. It might be a little bit more complex than you realize, but just because a team. Just because you don't want to see a team in the playoff doesn't mean that that team is even eligible for the playoffs.
Bud Elliott
Yeah, yeah, true.
Chip Patterson
Okay. All right. But let's jump into the latest. Let's get on that carousel. All right. Lots to get to here. Not just rumors. We've got action. Let's start with the action of inaction. Florida State University announces that Mike Norvell will be back for 2026. They have pledged the more investment into the program, including investment in rosters and recruiting. This falls in line with what we saw from Wisconsin. We got this also recently for Dave Aranda at Baylor. I. It's. I just where. Where we at. I haven't gotten a chance to speak to y' all a lot since the news yesterday, except a few. Few texts along the way. So, Danny, where do you see that? How about this, Danny, do you see the vision?
Danny Cannell
I see what they want to be the vision. They want this to work out. Yeah. I mean, this is. This was surprising to me. There's a lot of things about this that I think are very understandable. Why Florida State fans are upset. There's a lot. And they're getting louder. And now you're seeing, you know, a significant portion saying they're going to stop giving money, they're going to stop supporting the program, which I do think is the dumb thing to do. I don't think Florida State fans should do, do that, but I understand why they are. Like, if you were, if this was the decision, which I felt like was going to be made all along, just say it after the Stanford game, you know, like, like if this was what you were going to do, just say early, we're gonna, we're gonna stick with Mike Norvell like the Wisconsin athletic director did. Yeah, because then you wouldn't be in this position that you're in where you said you were going to evaluate things after the season. Well, if you were doing that, it's gotten worse. Like, it hasn't gotten better, it's gotten worse. And now you don't even wait till after the season because I think you're worried you're going to lose to Florida. And so you got to get out.
Chip Patterson
In front of it.
Danny Cannell
Or you could have just got in front of all of this and said, you know what we're going to make, we're gonna, we're gonna stick behind the guy. We're gonna put our money that we would have saved there into the resources necessary, more players. So I think some of it was mishandled from that aspect. I'm also curious to see these changes that they're talking about. Like, what is the new support look like? Because how many more things can you do? You already brought in a new offensive and defensive coordinator a year ago. So are we talking personnel department? Are we talking new gm? Are we talking new CEO of, of football? Like, I don't know. Like, what are they changes that are going to look like? I'm very curious to see.
Bud Elliott
Yeah, I think this is entirely fake and cosmetic. If we're being totally transparent, like, I hope so.
Chip Patterson
This is a podcast of transparency.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah.
Bud Elliott
Like it is much cheaper to fire the GM or bring in a gm. All of which is like a long tail process, won't have quick results. I, I don't believe there we're going to pump money in nil at all. Given Michael Alford, his public statements and his private actions. In terms of not believing that you can play above the cap. He thinks the cap is real. Like, he's one of the, like behind the scenes leading ads out there trying to get other ads to agree with him on that. Like, I don't think this whole the cap is real thing is an act for my golfer. So I'll believe they're pumping more money into players when I see it. But it's just so much cheaper to say, yeah, we're Going to, you know, reorg the front office. We're going to bring in a gm, you know, from the NFL, all that kind of stuff like that cost you what, like maybe a million, maybe a million and a half like that. But it's easy to sell that narrative for one more year until it gets cheaper to fire. I, you know, if you have enough talent to actually rise up and beat Alabama. I, I don't think their primary problem is talent. The way they go about it. Like, I, again, we've criticized them for their high school recruiting for six years now. Yeah, I don't think you can all of a sudden, yeah, we're gonna get serious about high school now. It's about to be year seven. Right. Like that. That's way too little too late. But again, if you're just trying to like, if you don't have people who want to give money because maybe because they don't trust offer to make the hire, by the way. Right. Like, and they're not really sure how that whole process looks. This is so much cheaper and you can kind of put a cosmetic band aid on and say, hey, we made real improvements. Even though it's just basically regression to the mean because it's hard to go to and 10 in Tallahassee. You can sell it for one year. I just, I don't buy what they're selling in any way here. It doesn't make like it's not consistent with their actions behind the scenes.
Chip Patterson
Would you take a job as the general manager of Florida State football?
Bud Elliott
Kind of depends on what they're paying. Right. Also, like it would have to be. Are they going to give me a multi year contract?
Chip Patterson
Are you going to get a deal that says you'll still be around if they change? Right coach?
Bud Elliott
Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
Danny Cannell
And are you going to be involved in that process of hiring the new coach?
Bud Elliott
Well, right. And again, like, who's the closest to that process right now? Like I guess in theory Jim Nagy at Oklahoma. But do you really believe that Nagy's got the power to fire Venables? Because I don't.
Chip Patterson
No. It's Andrew Luck and like Ron Rivera.
Bud Elliott
That's right.
Chip Patterson
Those are the ones that are in the. I am in general manager and my position exists beyond being a, an extra assistant who is under the tree of the coaching staff.
Bud Elliott
I mean, think about it like you're, these schools are paying these GMs like, well, like top 10 GM pays probably like 550. Right.
Chip Patterson
What's Courtney Morgan making at Alabama?
Bud Elliott
Yeah, but I guess he's above top 10.
Danny Cannell
You guys are missing one of the top paid in all of college football is in Chapel Lombardi. Yeah, yeah. I'm just saying reality is just under a million.
Chip Patterson
It's weird.
Bud Elliott
Like there's probably 10 guys I can think of. You know, I don't think there's like 25 guys making more than half mil. I think there's probably at least 10 I could think of. So your coach is still making like 10. You don't really have real power over somebody who makes 20x what you make. It's just not a thing. Guys like, like college, like we're not to that point in college football where the GM gets to, gets to fire the head coach. Oklahoma can claim that, but like let's be real here. So also like if you did try to pivot to that model, like do you think if Alford's gone too in a year or two, is that GM who he hired? Like, does he have staying power? Like that's almost like does the GM and the NFL stay if the team present changes over? I don't know. I'm just not buying, I'm not buying these changes.
Chip Patterson
Well, and like Brent Pride just rebooted his staff and now they're all out of a job. I mean, what is Florida State even going to be able to try and be attractive to qualified and high level candidates to come in and help if they are walking into a situation against, as you have mentioned, often a really, really difficult schedule and no quick fixes that are going to get you right back to the top of the ACC.
Bud Elliott
Now, I mean, granted, Notre Dame's off the schedule for next year. As we broke the news here on the COVID 3 podcast.
Chip Patterson
No, during the Lock show buzz. During the Lock show, we didn't break the news. We derailed a lock show.
Danny Cannell
I was told, I was told the Notre Dame game was never on the schedule. It was never supposed to be. It was never officially on a schedule.
Bud Elliott
Okay, I'm pretty sure it was on the schedule.
Chip Patterson
What's on a website?
Bud Elliott
It was on a website like crazy.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was on the schedule.
Chip Patterson
The ACC way back when said, these are all the teams Notre Dame is going to play until 2036. But when the ACC made its move to nine conference games and also expanded, there have been multiple times in the last four years where all of the things that were signed in 2016 had to be sort of reworked along the way.
Tom Fernelli
All I know is this is a decision that at least you know, Norvell's going. Like every coach that this happens to is immediately on one of the hottest seats in the country. Like if you have to come out and say we're not firing our coach this year, that means we'll probably fire him next year if things don't get off to a great start. So you're going into this offseason after. I mean, I could see there's a perspective that this was a positive year coming off of the year before where you won more games. But I don't think anybody who's an actual Florida State fan is going to feel like 2025 was a positive season. I mean, the Alabama win was great, but it hasn't been very fun since then. And so you're going into the off season with a whole coaching staff that feels like they absolutely have to go all in. And the problem I think at Florida State has been that you haven't really built anything sustainable under this current like coaching staff. And now they're going to be feeling even more pressure this offseason to be like, we have to go for it. We have to have 2023 happen again. We have to hit on everybody. We're going to have to overspend. And people that are going to come also will know the situation. So they're probably going to force you to overspend if you want them to come. So I just, I think that this is one of those situations where if you're thinking logically, you rip the band aid off. I just don't think Florida State can afford to rip the band aid off right now. I don't think it's anything more than that.
Bud Elliott
So also, like, there's no guarantee Malzan's there next year. I know there are guys on staff who don't think he's coming back. So like then you're gonna have to, you know, because they're all like potentially looking for, looking to get out too, right? And they realize this is a one year band aid. Like, they're like, hey, do you think this is going to open? And it's going to open like they asked. I'm sure you guys get asked, you know, sometimes as well. Like, it's like, if that happens, are you going to keep running this system which is spread option? Are you going to go get a guy can actually throw the ball right? Like, which I do think is Deuce coming back. Like, I, I wouldn't if I was him because I think next year's draft class for receiver is way better.
Danny Cannell
I do think that is something that would actually excite the fan base if they could find somebody as an offensive coordinator, find a quarterback similar what Oklahoma did, you know, I don't know. It doesn't have to be a package deal, but if you want to, I mean, the fan base is down bad right now. And I do think if you wanted to do it because I don't even know if you bring in a GM or whatever. Whatever you bring in that's not going to excite the fan base the same way that a coordinator or a quarterback or combination would excite the fan base, man.
Bud Elliott
Yeah, I, I talked to our sponsors last night. They're like all, all cool with basically just, you know, like kind of shuttering the dull cast for now. Like they get it. Like I said, we'll be back when, when this team matches the energy that's required.
Chip Patterson
So do you know what's going to happen now?
Bud Elliott
I mean, they've been with us for 15 years.
Chip Patterson
No, no.
Tom Fernelli
But have you heard situation.
Chip Patterson
Have you ever heard the story of Meow Mix?
Tom Fernelli
No.
Chip Patterson
Oh, see what you're gonna stop and then Florida State's gonna win. What happened is the Carolina Panthers got off to a horrible start and the Meow Mix podcast made this big announcement. It's like we need to be fam people with our families. We need to do better stuff with our Sundays. This team ain't worth it. Then. Panthers won like three out of four games after Meow Mix shut down. So if you shutter no cast, you might actually spark an ACC title run in this league.
Bud Elliott
It's possible.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah.
Chip Patterson
Listen, it's amazing, amazing developments there.
Tom Fernelli
But then you're stuck with the dilemma of do we bring the show back? Because if we bring the show back, it might kill the win streak. Right?
Bud Elliott
This is true.
Chip Patterson
You would love to have that problem.
Bud Elliott
And the win streak is if it like the hypothetical win streak is probably very lucky. So like the chance that like it ends when you do bring the show back is extremely high.
Chip Patterson
Yeah, that's also true. All right, let's keep going with with other coaching carousel developments we mentioned Justin Wilcoc out at Cal. I was going through unsurprisingly. Cal is one of the biggest movers down in The CBS Sports 136 this week after a 3110 rivalry loss at Stanford. And just so puzzling and head scratching to look at the season. Just all the wins and losses stacked up because right in the middle of all this losing is a win against Louisville in Cardinals Stadium. You know, that's just a real head scratcher compared to everything Else. Other victories, of course, include the win against North Carolina a couple about a month ago. So for Justin Wilcox, he was in a position where he had gotten the Bears to bowl eligibility. They were 6 and 5. But that had been under Justin Wilcox, about where the ceiling had been that Justin Wilcox could get you to six and five, six, six, maybe a chance to go win that seventh game. But he hadn't even reached up to that Sonny Dykes level when Sonny Dykes had Jared Goff. And he at least got up into that breaking through seven wins, get up into that eight win kind of range. Wilcox was there for a long time, got him, guided them through a conference transition. What's next for Cal here?
Tom Fernelli
Ron Rivera, GM coach.
Bud Elliott
I saw some Twitter conversations about Tosh Lupoit. I don't know if that's legit or not, but, like, that would make some sense.
Tom Fernelli
Chip Kelly's available. That's a hard job, getting paid by the California schools.
Danny Cannell
I mean, this, Speaking of. It's a hard job. I mean, they're, they're both eligible for the first three times, three years in a row. First time since 2000, 2009. I saw Taylor Tannenbaum from ACC tweet that out. Is this, is this power structure that we were just talking about differences, that this is why this is happening? Because Ron Rivera doesn't see the same pages as Justin Wilcox.
Tom Fernelli
Also, they lost to Stanford. I mean, I, there's, there's two sides to this argument. It's like Justin Wilcox has done a lot for that program over the last nine years, but he also hasn't had a winning record in conference play in any of those nine seasons. And the best he's going to finish this year is 4 and 4. So, like, I, I get where you might feel like if you're Ron Rivera, we have hit our ceiling under this coach and if we want to get better, we need to find somebody else. But I also definitely think that if it was. If Ron Rivera hadn't been hired, I, I don't know that I'm as confident that Wilcox loses his job.
Chip Patterson
I think that's right. But I. Nine years is a long time. If you, if you were, if you were a business and you, you decide that things have maxed out. I don't, I don't think that you are wrong in wanting to choose another path. I think that trying to find the right candidate and make sure that everything's in line is where it's very difficult for me to understand. How far are we leaning into our Cal and West coast and all of our connections? Or is this going to be a different approach taken where maybe you just want to go younger? You know, maybe you want to go with somebody who would have the opportunity to take over a program that they might not otherwise be able to do in terms of a power conference program they get. If you're a rising star, do you want to go and take the cow job?
Bud Elliott
I. It's really hard to answer without knowing what their books look like. Like, like really hard.
Chip Patterson
I, I mean, they got Jerry and Kiave. Saga. Saga Polytelli.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah, for now.
Bud Elliott
Yeah. Right.
Chip Patterson
They got him there, right?
Bud Elliott
Sure. No, that, that's fair.
Chip Patterson
There's some signal to that, that there is at least things, things are lined up enough for you to be able to go and grab a very talented young quarterback.
Bud Elliott
Like the variables in this are just in some ways, like so unknowable right now. Like Stanford had a booster just pump a bunch of money into the program, right? Like, who's to say that like some Cal non current booster or perhaps minor booster at present decides, hey, I don't want to fall behind Stanford. I'm going to go ahead and match that. Right. Or exceed that because like there's, you know, so much money out there in the Bay Area from alums who may or in many cases may not currently donate. Like we just can't know and like that. If, like, if none of that's there, it's kind of hard to think that like this is a real attractive job. If that's all of a sudden there.
Chip Patterson
Then sure, if the California pension money isn't going to the Big Ten, can it then go to be able to help Cal get a new head coach.
Tom Fernelli
I think they're looking to take ownership in something they can get money back on.
Chip Patterson
Chip, not Cal football. But your point is interesting though, because it did lead me to the idea that what if the Cal Stanford rivalry really is that deep? Like all it really took to get them up and motivated was for.
Tom Fernelli
I don't think Wilcox is fired yesterday if Cal wins that game, right?
Danny Cannell
I don't think so either.
Chip Patterson
Nick Rolovich currently is your interim coach because Cal and Stanford play in arguably two of the most significant games of week 14. Cal plays host to SMU. SMU in a win and end situation to make the ACC championship game. Stanford, of course, playing host to Notre Dame as the Fighting Irish still have one last win that they've got to get across the finish line. Buddy, if you, if you don't think that that game is going to be seven to seven midway through the second quarter as we're just like guys, what.
Tom Fernelli
Stanford, Notre Dame we're talking about.
Chip Patterson
Yeah.
Tom Fernelli
That game won't be 77 midway through the second quarter, Chip.
Chip Patterson
I'm just. The fact that that game is at 10:30pm Eastern Time and so many schools. Fates ride on Notre Dame losing it is the wouldn't it be hilarious of the season.
Bud Elliott
It is, Chip.
Tom Fernelli
I ran the numbers. It's not going to be seven to seven in the second quarter.
Chip Patterson
It was not. It would be the wouldn't it be hilarious. Just an upset scare to shake everybody out of bed all huddled together. Watch.
Tom Fernelli
Might be halfway through the first quarter.
Chip Patterson
Thank you for running the numbers for us. This unfortunately and not unfortunately. I mean we're just. We're going to address the conversations that we enjoy having, but also that college football fans are having. Latest Lane Kiffin vibe check. We know that there is coming out of the meeting with athletic director Keith Carter that there was an announcement that said he'll let everybody know on Saturday.
Tom Fernelli
Okay, thanks.
Chip Patterson
And now.
Bud Elliott
So good.
Chip Patterson
So now no one's going to talk anymore. That's it. Like that's. Everything's fine until Saturday.
Bud Elliott
So the deadline that was he had to let him know before the Egg bowl is not a thing. Like we said, it was probably like they didn't have any real leverage for that.
Chip Patterson
Correct. Okay.
Danny Cannell
Still that thing though, I mean isn't he. Isn't this him actually going public with the thing with the ultimatum.
Bud Elliott
Before the.
Danny Cannell
Game but it's after. Which is still an ultimatum of sorts. Yeah, like he needs to know which I don't blame him.
Tom Fernelli
I just need Nick Saban to let me know who the real victim is here.
Danny Cannell
Those poor kids. I do think the kids are the victim.
Bud Elliott
If Tom gets repped by Jimmy, he may not tell us, but there will be signs.
Chip Patterson
I mean the problem here is now it's. LSU is preparing a 98 million dollar offer and ole Miss is preparing a. A compensation package to rival whatever's being offered. And Florida is saying hold the line. I mean it. We've done absolutely nothing to, to squash any of like this. Nothing is calm. This is the most. The Egg bowl is chaotic every single year. I mean the number of times that this has been, you know, strange. You're imitating a dog ping. You know, you've got the, the extra points. I mean that it is always a little bit of a mind bender. But now hanging over all of this, I will the best vibe check will be whether that Ole Miss team is dialed in for the Egg Bowl. If that team's not ready to go, we might know on Friday afternoon what's what the announcement is going to be on Saturday. We'll see.
Tom Fernelli
I miss having that game on Thursday night to begin with. And now with all this crap going on, I really wish it was on Thursday so we could just get this over with.
Chip Patterson
We've got a good, healthy game on Thursday night.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah, for sure.
Chip Patterson
It's Memphis Navy. That's. That's a good one for your soul. No toxic, no toxicity there. You know, good, clean American football. One last note on the carousel. But of course, anything else that comes to mind that you feel like we need to address. We haven't checked in on Penn State in a while, and the reason why I wanted to add this is we were chanting Terry Smith's name after Penn State's beaten Nebraska. We do this with a lot of job when the interim coach has the support of all the players. We've seen this before at lsu, you know, we've seen. We see an interim coach get the head coaching job. Danny, I. Have you started to at least open your mind to the idea that Terry Smith wins this job, or do you think that Penn State is waiting for their potential candidates to be available as opposed to just taking private jets all around the country and having everybody in a hysteria?
Danny Cannell
Oh, I think they want to get a home run higher. That would not be Terry Smith. But I do think there's a significant portion of the fan base that wants Terry Smith. You know, like if they went out, go to a bowl game.
Chip Patterson
He played for Joe Pa. Yeah, I.
Danny Cannell
Think there's something to that, and I think some of it might hinge on who can you get? Because Brent Key was at Georgia Tech and he was a popular interim coach and Willie Fritz was going to be their guy. And Willie Fritz said, not right now. And so they looked around and they said, now the Georgia Tech is clearly not Penn State.
Chip Patterson
Right.
Danny Cannell
But I think if you don't get the right guy, I think it's a pretty good option. But I think they want. I think the powers. The power to. The decision makers want to have a home run higher. But, I mean, is Bob Chesney going to be that guy that, like, the fan base is super pumped up about? I mean, I get he could be the next Kirk Signetti, but what if he's not? You know, so.
Bud Elliott
Remember Bill Stewart?
Tom Fernelli
Yep.
Bud Elliott
Yep.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah.
Bud Elliott
Usually I would not hire the interim.
Chip Patterson
Yeah, yeah. Bill Stewart was the interim coach after Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia. He got hired and it was not. He. He was great as an assistant for that. He loved West Virginia.
Tom Fernelli
The interim.
Danny Cannell
Such a nice guy.
Chip Patterson
Dabo was the interim.
Danny Cannell
Yeah. Dabo was in there.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah.
Danny Cannell
There's examples both ways and there's. That's the thing with this. That's why I give a C to everyone. You can have the perfect resume, you could have the perfect experience, you have all the great connections and it doesn't work out. Or you could be a no name or somebody that nobody wants and it does work out. Like, there's just no formula to guarantee success.
Tom Fernelli
We have no idea. Like, there's so much more that goes into programs winning than just which coach they hire. Like, it helps a lot, but there's a whole lot of other people that matter too. I will say if I'm Penn State, maybe Terry Smith, you end up hiring him and he's perfect for you. I just don't know if I would base my coaching decision on the fact that we got hot at the end of the year by beating Michigan State and the Nebraska team with its backup quarterback.
Bud Elliott
Completely agree.
Tom Fernelli
If you go on the road this week and beat Rutgers, I mean, is that like, wow, we've really shown we can do it under Terry Smith. We beat Michigan State, Nebraska and Rutgers.
Danny Cannell
But we've seen emotional decision, dumb decisions made before. And I would categorize that as a dumb decision. I mean, we talked with Bud on the set. BMAC was like, Brian McFadden, who's on the set with us, he was like, I think Florida State should have waited to see what happens against Florida. And Bud made a great point. He's like, well, you're going to base a future of your program off one game. Like you've already seen enough. You should know what you're going to do. But a lot of programs do do that. Like they become victims of recency bias or they get excited because they see a three game win streak and they're like, oh, this might be the guy. Just. It's human nature to see that happen.
Chip Patterson
Yeah, y', all.
Tom Fernelli
Human nature. What Danny means is that people in every line of work are stupid. There are stupid people everywhere in every job.
Danny Cannell
Absolutely agree.
Chip Patterson
Yeah, you, you really set a trap for bmac. You'd be like, hey, be back. Why don't you talk to my friend Bud about bad process? Bud.
Danny Cannell
Bud and I had been talking about this right before we came on air, so I knew what you were.
Chip Patterson
You were geared up also, like, bad process. Now talk to my, my colleague, Esquire. Elliot Esquire.
Bud Elliott
You really should have. If you're going to do this, should have announced it after. After the Virginia Tech win, not after, like an embarrassingly poorly coached game against NC State. Agreed.
Chip Patterson
Hey, but all three of our alma maters won the success rate battle. Hey, some banners, the line I, the Seminoles and the Tar Heels all winning. Parker Flemings. Did we get beat that bad? Wasn't that bad. You won the success rate battle. Hooray. All right. Of course, we will be keeping our eyes on all things.
Tom Fernelli
I do have one more note for the coaching carousel.
Chip Patterson
Yes.
Tom Fernelli
Shout out to Eastern New Mexico. I know that sometimes to win the Lone Star Conference, you have to just be a little cutthroat and do whatever it takes.
Chip Patterson
So.
Tom Fernelli
Great hire guys.
Chip Patterson
That would be Art Briles, D2.
Tom Fernelli
Yep. Yeah.
Danny Cannell
Last. Last note on the coaching carousel. Something we were talking about before and I asked the guys on the set earlier, do you think Kaylin DeBoer to Penn State is real? I think it is. If he loses to Auburn, then I think it becomes much like right now, no, if they beat Alabama, like, I don't think it's real. But if he loses, then I think it becomes very real.
Tom Fernelli
I think it's real in the minds of a lot of people at Penn State. But I agree with you. I think that if Alabama loses, Penn State will make a run. Whether or not Kaylin DeBoer has any interest in them, I don't.
Chip Patterson
But if Alabama wins the Iron bowl, something which everybody in that program should be motivated to do based on their existence as an Alabama football player, then they're in the SEC championship game and we're often running on an entirely different timeline.
Tom Fernelli
And I, and I honestly think that based on what I've heard from like, about people that are the decision makers at Penn State, I do think part of the reason you haven't heard a whole lot is that they have been waiting.
Chip Patterson
And then, then the big game begins.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah. And I'm not speaking to their ability to do it. I'm just speaking to what they're thinking.
Chip Patterson
Yeah. Coming up on the other side, quick look at the latest changes in in the College Football Playoff. Excuse me. The college football rankings and poll Assassin. Looking at the AP Top 25 poll buds, college Football Playoff projection and more next Black Friday savings are here at the Home Depot, which means it's time to add new cordless power to your collection. Right now, when you buy a select battery kit from one of our top brands like Ryobi or Milwaukee, you'll get a select tool from that Same brand for free. Click into one of our best deals of the season and stock up on tools for all your upcoming projects. Get Black Friday savings things happening now.
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Bud Elliott
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Chip Patterson
Back here on the COVID 3 podcast, every single Monday, we like to quick take a quick moment to look at the changes in the AP Top 25 poll. We call it Pole Assassin. Well, as we told you on Saturday night, things likely to stay mostly Danny.
Tom Fernelli
Fall out of the rankings.
Chip Patterson
I don't know, we need, we need longer commercial breaks. Yeah, that, that big time ad, that is. Did you guys reforce?
Tom Fernelli
Did you guys watch the leftovers? No. No. Okay. This just feels like a leftover. Oh no. Thank God.
Chip Patterson
What?
Bud Elliott
I, I what, what's happening real quick?
Danny Cannell
I mean, come on, you know, can.
Tom Fernelli
We get a bottle under the desk?
Danny Cannell
Radio breaks are three minutes.
Tom Fernelli
It's perfect.
Danny Cannell
The 15 second quick reads are not enough time.
Chip Patterson
Yeah, as we told you, not expecting a ton of changes near the top of the AP Top 25 poll, but I was, I'm not gonna, you know, strain my arm patting myself on the back. But with Oregon jumping up into the top five, I thought it was a potential. That was in fact what they did. Jumping ahead of Ole Miss. Ole Miss was off. Texas Tech was off. While Oregon happened to log a double digit win against another top 25 team. So the Ducks, with the inaction of their other rivals there in that portion of the rankings, jump ahead. They are only behind the Georgia Bulldogs in terms of the one loss teams in the AP top 25. A lot of holding steady until you get down outside of the top 10. Some shuffling that included Georgia Tech taking a big spill all the way down to number 23. And then that allowed for Michigan to get a move up. Tennessee got to move up. Miami and Utah swap spots. Another thing that we talked about given Utah struggles at home with Kansas State, Miami wins by 17 at Virginia Tech down near the edge of the rankings. Boy, it's, it is, it is an ACC flavor. Georgia Tech at 23 Pitt at 24, SMU at 25. Missouri and Houston falling out. What are we taking away from the new AP top 25.
Bud Elliott
I do not understand how North Texas is above SMU. Like, I mean, I think SMU would dog walk them. Like and literally like just look at the common opponent. That was a non competitive game they played against Louisville. JMU struggled all day with Washington State. Like they, they have no good wins.
Tom Fernelli
Well, no, I like that.
Bud Elliott
We watch G5 on, on weeknights and I'm like, I know I'm G5 butt or whatever, but like.
Tom Fernelli
This.
Bud Elliott
Yeah. The fact they get an automatic spot does not mean they should get like ap. What are we doing to.
Tom Fernelli
To be fair to the Associated Press voters, our good friend Bill Connolly is SP + rankings.
Chip Patterson
Yeah. Hi.
Tom Fernelli
Above SMU, it's 18th.
Chip Patterson
Yeah.
Bud Elliott
I'm gonna text Bill right now on a neutral field.
Tom Fernelli
Here's some teams that Bill would have North Texas a favorite against on a neutral field. You ready? Usc, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, Texas, smu, Arizona and James Madison. He'd also have him favored over USF right now. So yeah, text Bill and ask him what the hell is going on with SP plus this week.
Bud Elliott
Bro, we. Bro, we got to work on these conference adjustments.
Danny Cannell
Man over.
Bud Elliott
Usc. If we get that bowl game, drinks at AFCA for life.
Chip Patterson
So while, while we have talked about before, were you ranked in the preseason? Were you not ranked in the preseason? There is also something to be said for what happens in non conference play and how it can be an anchor because SMU went 2 and 2 in non conference play and lost both of their power conference opportunities in non conference play. Being Owen 02 against the Big 12, I think provided an anchor for SMU that has been very difficult to overcome even as they've been five and one since then and taking care of business. The problem is the ACC just doesn't provide a ton of heavy hitter caliber wins. So the Mustangs getting back up into the top 25. I agree. No, I, I agree with that move. I'm just not gonna throw my hands up and be like this is preposterous. That 10 and 1 North Texas, which is beating everybody's brains in so bad that they're tricking all the computers, making them think that they're, you know, 2021 Georgia. Like I, I just think that if JM, if North Texas is going to be four spots ahead of SMU, that's close enough for me. Especially at that corner of the rankings. That's two loss difference between these teams. I'm not going to bang the table that the three loss team without a bevy of quality wins should be ranked high above the one loss team even if there's an absence of super high quality wins. You had your chance.
Bud Elliott
Yeah.
Tom Fernelli
We'll say our friend Alex Taylor. Alex, I know you're listening. We follow each other on Twitter now we're friends. Alex has James Madison at 8.
Chip Patterson
Whoa.
Tom Fernelli
North Texas at 13.
Chip Patterson
That's a loss order as a loss sorter ballot.
Tom Fernelli
No, because I mean he does have North Texas against two lost behind two lost teams like Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama. But. Yeah. So that I think that's part of the reason you're seeing those teams as high as they are is because there was one voter that really put them up high on their ballot and that.
Chip Patterson
Could make a big difference. North Texas with 288 voting points. You know, one person being like one person being 20 spots ahead or I guess that would be what you had. Eight, 13 spots ahead. That can be the difference. Ten, 10 to 20 voting points can be the difference. Especially in certain parts of the rankings. Yes.
Danny Cannell
They need, they need to do like golf then with your handicap. They need to throw out the anomalies.
Bud Elliott
Yeah.
Chip Patterson
Like high and the low.
Danny Cannell
Yeah. Like, because they're very like, if it's that much influence. That's kind of stupid. I mean the whole process is stupid.
Tom Fernelli
But what, what do you guys find less defensible? James Madison at 8 or Missouri at 18?
Danny Cannell
Throw them both out.
Tom Fernelli
Because there is one voter who still had Missouri at 18 on their ballot. 7 and 4 Missouri without a win against a team with a winning record.
Bud Elliott
Who?
Tom Fernelli
John Wilner.
Danny Cannell
Wow.
Chip Patterson
That's.
Tom Fernelli
He's on the west coast. It's possible he wasn't up in time to watch that Missouri Oklahoma game as.
Danny Cannell
Opposed to staying up late to see the late games.
Tom Fernelli
It's that west coast bias they don't see.
Chip Patterson
The noon starts.
Bud Elliott
Somebody, somebody sent me something.
Tom Fernelli
That's pretty good.
Bud Elliott
It was like, hey, what. What do Missouri, Tennessee, Rutgers and Minnesota all have in common?
Chip Patterson
Rutgers, Tennessee.
Tom Fernelli
They haven't beaten a winning power four team.
Bud Elliott
That's correct. Yeah, I didn't check that. I just thought it was funny. So I'm sharing it.
Tom Fernelli
Wisconsin has more ranked wins in the last three weeks than a lot of teams in the top 25 have all year.
Chip Patterson
That's true. That's true. Any. Anything. I guess that's about it in terms of any other ballots we want to call out or rankings that, that stand out before we get to the buds. College football playoff projections. No.
Tom Fernelli
Nope.
Chip Patterson
All right, Bud, take us through it. What does the latest Bud bop model say about the College Football Playoff? What are we projected?
Danny Cannell
Yeah.
Bud Elliott
Okay, so we have Ohio State one, Indiana falling to two, Bama winning the sec because obviously if they beat Auburn, they're in the SEC title game winning the SC over Texas A&M. Texas and M to falling to four, Georgia staying at five there. And then this week we have Oregon at seven, Notre Dame at 10. So that's first round matchup. Texas Tech is the sixth seed, SMU winning the ACC. So that's the 611 year nine. Eight is Oklahoma at Ole Miss. Again, I don't program the model to try to like, disencur or to discourage rematches because the committee specifically says it doesn't consider that. I do personally think that's nonsense. And I think they would like intentionally try to not have matchups, you know, in, in the first round that we just saw seven weeks ago. But they officially say they don't care about that.
Chip Patterson
Right.
Bud Elliott
So I don't put that logic into the model. And then obviously Georgia faces North Texas there, the winner of the American. But I, I like, honestly, you could put two lane there. It's really just. Who do you think wins the American? I think Tom has been so right on this for, for weeks.
Chip Patterson
Do.
Danny Cannell
What do the books have? Don't the sports books have JMU still as the heavy favorite to be in.
Chip Patterson
The playoff, but it's because of the pie. No, no, I know what you're saying.
Bud Elliott
No, they're 10 to 1 to make the playoff.
Tom Fernelli
Guys.
Bud Elliott
They. They are like, you know what I'm.
Danny Cannell
Talking about though, Chip. Like, I think in the pregame show we showed it and just kind of glossed over it and had JMU at like +150 and it was North Texas or whatever American team was like plus 400.
Bud Elliott
Like, both of the American teams are essentially coin flips to make it. Right Now, JMU is 10 to 1.
Danny Cannell
Okay.
Tom Fernelli
James Madison is a thousand to win one. Thousand to one to win it all to make it. They are. Yeah, hold on. Yeah, you're right. Ten one.
Danny Cannell
I mean, as it should be. Like, I, I just, I thought I remembered seeing a graphic in the pregame show that made it look like JMZU was the JMU was the favorite.
Chip Patterson
It was, it was like percent chance to win your conference title and JMU at like 54% or something like that. And then there were small percentages for the four teams from the American that were all in it because there's so many other teams that are in it.
Danny Cannell
Gotcha.
Bud Elliott
So interestingly, a couple things in the odds.
Tom Fernelli
Dude.
Bud Elliott
By the way, if you guys want to hear some. Some additional stuff, I ran some like D vig. So like taking out like the house Edge just ripped it from FanDuel and ran into a model. So if Michigan beats Ohio state, they're like 90 to make the playoff. If Vandy beats Tennessee, I think they were 48 to make the playoff. So they, they need to win that game obviously to have any kind of like coin flippers. Chance. The implied odds. Again, These are from FanDuel. I don't really know, like if that's a totally efficient market. It's early in the week, you know that the limits are. Are real low. But if Texas beats A and M, they have a 3% chance to make it. If BYU. Yeah. So basically like almost not at all. But you know.
Tom Fernelli
I know you're doing the implied hots, but this is all fake, man.
Bud Elliott
Agreed. Yeah, totally.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah, it is. I mean it's. Yeah, I've mentioned it before. I don't want to keep it. But like the odds, figuring out the percentage chance, whether you're using FPI or the sports lab model that you see all these graphics on social media and all this stuff, there's no mathematical formula for the College Football Playoff field.
Bud Elliott
Right? Yeah. You're assuming the market sufficient. Yeah. Right.
Chip Patterson
It is the opinions of 12 individuals.
Bud Elliott
Yeah.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah.
Chip Patterson
And it was good that we found out about the pods. Right. Our pods are groups of three and six. Right. Does that sound. We heard that in the past two weeks. Right. I'm not crazy, am I?
Tom Fernelli
I don't know.
Chip Patterson
Maybe.
Tom Fernelli
I can't say I pay much attention to the way that they describe these.
Chip Patterson
It was. It was the description that made it illuminated how Notre Dame and Miami were so far apart in the very first ones. Like conveniently, the number of teams that they talk about at one time, it was about that distance between the two, which is why Miami fans are holding out hope. It's like all we got to do is keep climbing back in so that we're in the mix right there.
Danny Cannell
Especially when Hunter Yuricheck says if they're in the same pod, we would have to honor the head to head. Like he.
Chip Patterson
That's what I'm saying.
Danny Cannell
Corner in that one. You guys. Have you guys never done it?
Chip Patterson
No. The mock committee. I have not.
Tom Fernelli
No.
Danny Cannell
I'm gonna get you guys to do it. I did it when I was at espn. I don't know if it's Just espn.
Chip Patterson
Sure.
Danny Cannell
Seems like the only people that I see get to do it are ESPN people. I don't know why. Maybe because they own it.
Bud Elliott
I think Marcelo's done it.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah.
Chip Patterson
Okay, good.
Tom Fernelli
Shahan has done it.
Danny Cannell
Okay. Because then it does like you. It makes. It makes total, total sense when you see how they. Your initial goes, you put all your votes, and then when it comes back, you start really whittling them down. And it does only come up to, like, three teams that you're comparing. So it does make sense from that standpoint.
Chip Patterson
Yeah. You end up with results. Like, when I do my. When I do my CBS Sports 136 ballot, I do it without numbers. Like, I start with just teams and records and I just continue to sort them. And then sometimes when I go and put the numbers in beside it at the end, I'm like, oh, wow, they didn't move at all. Or like, oh, wow, I can't believe that that team landed there. So I do understand how the process does provide sometimes some head scratching, you know, off by two numbers or so from where an AP consensus ballot might be. Yes.
Tom Fernelli
I will say, like, we really need to reframe the way we have this conversation about Miami, Notre Dame, because I think that everybody has been so focused on the one game. Yeah, Miami won. The rankings are based on every game both teams have played. And if you did the BCS formula right now, guess what? Notre Dame's five spots ahead of Miami. Committees actually got them closer together than the old rankings would have. But when it comes. But when it comes down to it, if the final decision is between Notre Dame and Miami, Miami will get chosen over Notre Dame because of the head to head. But when they have to look at the entire picture, Notre Dame's been better than Miami this season. They lost a game by three points to start the year. After that, Notre Dame's been much better, period.
Chip Patterson
I agree with that.
Tom Fernelli
Great.
Chip Patterson
Do you not agree, Danny?
Danny Cannell
I just think the timing of your tough games matters. Like, I. I don't know. I. Because I wonder how Miami would have done against Syracuse that had totally thrown in the towel the way that Notre Dame would. Like. I think they could have beat them too, just by the same. Like, everyone's like, well, Notre Dame's a different team now. Or they'll use that for any team. Like, oh, this team's a different team now. Well, yeah, everybody's a different team when they lose because they didn't play good. You know, like, of course, Miami didn't look like the same team against Louisville because Carson Beck threw four picks as opposed to four touchdowns.
Chip Patterson
But you know, like, that happens all the time.
Tom Fernelli
If Notre Dame started 10, 0, okay, and then loses its final two games by four points against Miami and Texas A and M, they'd be out and you'd be arguing that they were being punished because of the way where they played their game. So it doesn't make it any right or wrong. It's the same situation. But the fact of the matter is the entire resume for Notre Dame is more impressive than Miami's. And you can mention like Notre Dame schedule after those two games. Who the hell is Miami been playing?
Chip Patterson
Oh, listen, when you have to take on James Franklin. Come on. That's right. You gotta walk into opponents. That is Blacksburg after he ran out of the Castle Coliseum tunnel to enter Sandman. He got the blessing of Frank Beamer on that program. Come on. It's tough. It's a tough win. That's why you got to be aggressive.
Danny Cannell
I think the resumes are similar. And when the resumes are similar, the tiebreaker is head to head. I hope they both get in. Like, that would be the best case scenario. I'd love to see a rematch that game. I think it'd be a fun game. I think Miami could win it again. I think Notre Dame could win it. Like, I think that's the best. I don't. I like seeing chaos, but I don't like teams feeling like they should. You know, they're left out that deserve to be in.
Chip Patterson
I think that Notre Dame looks awesome right now. And when good teams, when good teams are just stringing it all together again, the game against Pitt and the game against Syracuse had wildly different scores. But in both of those games, Notre Dame made it feel non competitive for the lesser team.
Danny Cannell
Well, I mean, I have an opportunity on the same field that Notre Dame.
Chip Patterson
Just did it 100% against the coach.
Danny Cannell
That wants to win versus that doesn't.
Tom Fernelli
Go back to the point I just made.
Danny Cannell
Caveat.
Tom Fernelli
All strength of schedules are different. There's no formula. There's no unique formula for doing it. And the gap between them, once you get past, like, I'd say the top 10 is really nothing. According to FPI right now, Notre Dame has played the 34th most difficult schedule in the country. Miami has played the 48th. So you could talk about. I mean, again, it was.
Danny Cannell
That's similar though. There's not that much difference.
Tom Fernelli
But I'm saying Miami fans are dogging Notre Dame for their schedule when they've played the same damn schedule.
Danny Cannell
Right, I agree with that.
Chip Patterson
One last. Oh, but any. Anything else on the projection?
Bud Elliott
Not really. I just think like, I mean, BYU still has a shot to get in, obviously, you know, Michigan, as we noted, I think that's pretty much it. There are a few, there are a few more like Utah could still get in if they win the Big 12. Obviously, you know, a couple different teams could win the, win the accuracy, but they'd be like enormous dogs if they did make it.
Tom Fernelli
So.
Chip Patterson
Yep, byu, Utah, Vanderbilt, that in Miami also. Those are teams who could finish the year and look at their record and be like, man, we were a college football playoff team and yet you will not be in the College Football Playoff. You need help to be able to get in. How much help? That depends on your position. But those are all teams that as we've come into week 14, it's going to be really frustrating to look up at the end of the year if you're a fan of byu, if you're not in this college Football playoff because, man, you've done almost everything. But if you can't win the Big 12, you leave yourself open to getting left out because of an at large bid coming from the Big Ten or the sec. So we'll be, will be interesting because to see what happens there in the final weeks of the Big 12 as BYU in Utah, Texas Tech, all in the mix right there. Miami obviously trying to knock in the door. And the Vanderbilt Commodores have their chance against Tennessee. And now it's time for the brilliantly boring Wins of the Week, brought to you by PNC bank, where we highlight the boring actions that make the biggest difference. Because PNC bank helps you keep your money simple. So it's there for every adventure that calls your name. And oftentimes, brilliantly boring can be something that's a little bit lower scoring. But brilliantly boring can be doing the tiny things well, not just the offensive stuff, but the defense and the special teams. And. And boring can be the experience of the Notre Dame offense when you only have 38 offensive plays from scrimmage in a 70 to 7 win against Syracuse. Yes, we detailed earlier about how Notre Dame had gotten out to a 21 to nothing lead without even taking a single offensive snap. Well, the domination in all three phases continued throughout because yes, this Notre Dame team only needed 386 yards of offense to be able to win 70 to 7. Again, just four 42 total plays, 38 offensive scrimmage plays, you're getting it done in terms of winning the turnover battle. That would be plus three. You're getting it done in terms of creating opportunities on special teams as well. Tom, we talked about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. What'd you make from a team that was able to win by 63 points while having 56 less plays than the opponent?
Tom Fernelli
You want to talk about brilliantly boring Notre Dame won a game by 63 points in which their starting quarterback threw for 49 yards.
Chip Patterson
49 yards.
Tom Fernelli
All he did. The most bored man on the planet was CJ Carr because the only thing he did in that game was turn around and hand the ball off to somebody. He could have walked off the field and just stood on the sideline and watched. Notre Dame still would have had the same performance. So yeah, no, it was. It was brilliant and it was definitely boring. Unless you're Syracuse. If you're Syracuse, it was painful. Very, very painful.
Chip Patterson
Yep, showing how they are getting it done on offense, defense and special teams. So much so that CJ Carr didn't even need to get too much of a workout. Those were the Brilliantly boring Wins of the Week Brought to you by PNC Bank Brilliantly boring since 1865 Brilliantly boring since 1865 is a service mark of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. PNC Bank National Association Member FDIC Coming up on the other side, we go under the hood. One last look back at week 13 and more next.
Tom Fernelli
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Chip Patterson
Back here on the COVID 3D podcast Mondays. One last time to go back and look at the week that was it Is upon further review. There were terrible calls. Do we want to go ahead and jump in?
Bud Elliott
After further review.
Chip Patterson
After further review. Further review. All right. Before we get to the Nobody wants to see this team in the playoffs power rankings. Maybe we'll get our. Our top five, the teams that will be ours for the cfp. Let's start with that little conference title race reset. There are a lot of ways to toy with the tiebreaker machine. The best that I can tell. And Bud, I know you've been working with this too. Texas A and M and Alabama are winning in, correct?
Bud Elliott
Absolutely. Yep.
Chip Patterson
Texas A and M still has a way to get in with a loss, but they would need Alabama and Ole Miss to lose as well. That would produce, I believe, a Texas A and M Georgia.
Bud Elliott
Yep.
Chip Patterson
Okay. Georgia needs either a Texas A and M or Alabama loss and they are in.
Bud Elliott
Yes, that's correct.
Chip Patterson
And Ole Miss needs to win the Egg bowl and have Texas A and M and Alabama both lose.
Bud Elliott
That's right.
Chip Patterson
That's our picture. Right. Pretty clean right there.
Bud Elliott
Exactly right.
Chip Patterson
How do you think it turns out?
Bud Elliott
I think it is. I think Bama's gonna win the Iron bowl, honestly. And I think A M will beat Texas. That line's two and a half. It's interesting now.
Danny Cannell
Five and a half.
Bud Elliott
Yeah. Part of that is like A M has faced almost the easiest possible schedule you could face in the sec.
Chip Patterson
Does Georgia want to play Alabama in the SEC championship game? Because Texas feeding Texas means they're in.
Tom Fernelli
The SEC championship game.
Bud Elliott
I think no.
Chip Patterson
So you can play North Texas at home as the five seed, right?
Tom Fernelli
Yeah.
Bud Elliott
Now, there are some counterarguments to this for sure. Like if you play the SC championship game and you win, you do get longer to recover, even if you suffer injuries. Most injuries are not serious injuries. They're just injuries that might knock you out for a week or two. Even though you're playing North Texas, Even though you will roll North Texas, like you're still playing snaps in the game in which you're going to play a game, what, eight days later, seven days later. Right.
Chip Patterson
So a little bit more.
Tom Fernelli
Twenty rolled ankles hurt the same against North Texas as they do during. Against.
Bud Elliott
Yeah, that's. That's kind of the point. Now here's. Here's the counter argument to. If you play it and lose, you're not getting a buy. Like, I don't. I don't think George is getting the four seed at 11 and two.
Chip Patterson
Oh, that. Texas a M with one loss would jump them and end up getting a buy.
Bud Elliott
I Would I think Texas Tech or you lose.
Danny Cannell
Or you lose. Two SEC buys, right?
Tom Fernelli
Correct.
Bud Elliott
Or Texas.
Danny Cannell
Right?
Chip Patterson
Texas.
Danny Cannell
That's probably the most. Yeah.
Bud Elliott
So I think if I'm a Georgia fan, I don't want to play in this just because the unique combination of Bama A M around me. I don't think this is the same analysis for every year.
Tom Fernelli
I could.
Chip Patterson
I could definitely understand that.
Tom Fernelli
I think there's a decent chance we do get Georgia. Alabama, though.
Chip Patterson
Yeah.
Tom Fernelli
Hard to go undefeated.
Chip Patterson
All it takes is Texas beating Texas A.
Tom Fernelli
It's hard to go undefeated, guys.
Chip Patterson
Alabama, Georgia in the SEC championship game. Hard hitting. Hard hitting that first Saturday in December.
Danny Cannell
All right.
Chip Patterson
In the Big Ten. Tom, will you run those Big Ten scenarios for me one more time?
Tom Fernelli
Yeah. Let's see here. Oh, it's. It's gonna be Indiana versus Ohio State.
Bud Elliott
Chip.
Tom Fernelli
Shout out to the Big Ten, by the way.
Danny Cannell
They thought it's hard to go undefeated their football.
Tom Fernelli
Not when you're Ohio State and Indiana playing in Purdue and Michigan. I do like. I. I appreciate the Big Ten football Twitter account for tweeting this graphic yesterday with the tiebreaker scenarios. Whereas like you see, other leagues are actually printing the tiebreaker scenarios. Big Ten wants to click the link. The only thing they put in their scenario is four teams are still alive. Two teams control their own destiny. Seven final weekend scenario still exists. Or basically if Ohio State wins, from my understanding, it's going to be Ohio State Indiana, no matter what happens anywhere else.
Bud Elliott
Oh yeah.
Tom Fernelli
Indiana can lose to Purdue as long as Ohio State wins. It's those two in the title game.
Chip Patterson
That you are correct. So my Oregon path was that you needed a win against Washington. You needed an Ohio State loss and also an Indiana win. Because if Oregon gets stuck in a tie break for the two spot, Indiana gets in ahead. So for Oregon to get in, they actually need the Hoosiers to beat Purdue. So Oregon needs to beat Washington and have Ohio State lose to Michigan and have Indiana beat Purdue. That's how Oregon would get in. Michigan needs a win against Ohio State, but then also Washington to be Oregon. Oregon right now has a little bit of a leg up on Michigan when it comes to sorting out some of those Big Ten tiebreakers. So for the Michigan Wolverines to make the Big Ten title game, beating Ohio State's not enough. Beating Ohio State might be enough to get you in the College Football Playoff, but to make the Big Ten title game, you would need an Oregon loss as well to open that door. But yes, Ohio State and Indiana win and in status there is A scenario.
Tom Fernelli
Where Oregon gets in if Indiana loses, though. So in the high likelihood that Purdue defeats Indiana, as long as Michigan also defeats Ohio State and Oregon beats Washington, the Big Ten title game would be Oregon versus Michigan. Now here's, here's my favorite scenario, all right? And this one's probably like an 85% chance of happening if Purdue defeats Indiana, Michigan beats Ohio State and Washington beats Oregon. You know what the Big Ten championship is?
Chip Patterson
Ohio State and Indiana.
Tom Fernelli
No. Oh, Ohio State and Michigan.
Bud Elliott
Michigan, whole rematch.
Danny Cannell
I like it.
Chip Patterson
Have you all happened to take a glance at the Ann Arbor weather report for Saturday?
Tom Fernelli
Is it going to be cold?
Chip Patterson
31 degrees and snow showers.
Bud Elliott
Let's go.
Tom Fernelli
What year was it where they played in the snow?
Bud Elliott
23, right?
Danny Cannell
Yeah.
Tom Fernelli
It was only a couple of years ago they played in the snow.
Chip Patterson
Yeah. Right around kickoff, It'll be about 30 degrees. We got snow showers, precipitation about 35. So it's not going to be true snowball, but it's going to be frigid. The other weather, the other weather report I would turn your attention to coming out of our college Football playoff conversation would be the. The temperature at kickoff in Acrisure stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the Miami Hurricanes will be tested by 31 degrees.
Danny Cannell
Do you guys know where Julian Sands from California. Carl's bad. I'm sure he's used to that. 31 and Snowy.
Tom Fernelli
That's big 10 country.
Chip Patterson
Have you, have you heard? Never mind. That's for another time. This is such an off season conversation.
Danny Cannell
The.
Chip Patterson
If you look at the quarterbacks, they're all coming from California. The Big Ten needed to go to California to get their quarterbacks for them to really emerge out of the Big Ten of old, to be the Big Ten of new, you had to go to California.
Tom Fernelli
Where was Tom Brady from San Mateo, California. He was never really able to overcome that. That cold weather, though.
Chip Patterson
CJ Stroud from California. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Tom Fernelli
DJ Fields, Justin Fields from the cold.
Bud Elliott
Weather state of Georgia.
Chip Patterson
All right. Also, let's keep it rolling. Conference title race in the acc. Win and end scenarios for SMU and uva. There are some wild ones if you want to try to pull Georgia Tech back into this thing. I, I maybe had not wrapped my head around going into the game, how damning a loss would be for Georgia Tech's hopes in the ACC title race. But it is extremely unlikely from here. What else should we have our eyes on in the ACC when it comes to breaking those ties and trying to set up that title race title game?
Bud Elliott
So as you said, like SMU and UVA are win and in. So if they both lose and then Duke beats Wake, NC State beats unc, Miami beats Pittsburgh. Who do you want to set as the default? Probably Boston College being queues.
Tom Fernelli
Right.
Bud Elliott
Then it would be, then it would be Duke Miami.
Chip Patterson
Yeah, there is a, there's a Duke Miami path that's there.
Tom Fernelli
I know of one Miami fan who's really rooting for that path this weekend.
Chip Patterson
Is he gonna be in Pittsburgh?
Tom Fernelli
Yeah.
Chip Patterson
Yeah. Let's go.
Bud Elliott
All right, so I mean, this one is not insane with like one like Vatech could beat Virginia, right. That would not be a surprising result, I don't think.
Chip Patterson
I, I, we do have the Virginia football fans that really like this, and unfortunately they're very aware that it's like, hey, here's all this is all you have to do to make the ACC championship and maybe the College Football Playoff.
Tom Fernelli
Never beat.
Chip Patterson
Beat a team that you've beaten twice in the 21st century.
Bud Elliott
I mean, Ohio State. Ohio State's a bigger favorite over Michigan than Virginia is over Zombie Vasek.
Chip Patterson
Yeah.
Tom Fernelli
Now if you're a Virginia fan, like, and you realize that Virginia Tech is the only thing standing in your way, I don't care how bad Virginia Tech has. You're. You're terrified to play in that team.
Bud Elliott
I mean, so like, looking at this, Miami can actually still go if SMU beats Cal. Like the, the real linchpin in this. That's, that's realistic. I guess all, all upsets and AC are realistic, but the one that's most realistic, I think is Hokies over the who's.
Tom Fernelli
Okay.
Bud Elliott
Because then like, regardless of whether Wake beats Duke or Duke beats Wake, that doesn't matter if in NC State, unc again, doesn't matter. Q's, Boston College can matter. Doesn't matter for this one, though.
Chip Patterson
Q sponsor College matters too much for opponent winning percentage, tiebreakers than it ever should. This game on November 29th between Syracuse and Boston College should not potentially have as much impact as it does, but that's where we are.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah.
Bud Elliott
So the, the interesting one here is if we get SMU, Duke, NC State, Miami, Q, Vatech, then it's going to come down to the sports Source analytics ratings because Miami and Duke, this is exactly. We had Bama, Georgia, except Bama has head to head. Miami didn't play Duke this year, so they would Both have a 0.4844 winning percentage by conference opponents. And I don't know who would rank higher in the Sports Source analytics, but I have a pretty good feeling Miami.
Chip Patterson
Yeah, yeah, I can tell you right.
Bud Elliott
Now, I mean honestly, like it, it's. Miami's got a pretty good chance at this if the Hokies can pull off the win, right? If not, like if, if Cal beats smu, it gets a lot harder. Like if Calvary's SMU but Virginia wins, it gets a lot harder for Miami.
Tom Fernelli
You brought up sports source Analytics. Because I do want every conference out there and every conference commissioner to know that for Nelli analytics is available to run the numbers for you for a nominal fee.
Bud Elliott
I mean, dude, imagine like impacting the playoff race and having like a financial like interest in that.
Tom Fernelli
It would be wild. It would be crazy. You cut the check and tell me what you want and I will give you that result.
Chip Patterson
In the Big 12. BYU winning in Texas, Tech winning in here was one that I was working with. But the four way tie at seven and two. Now why does that stand out to me? Because that's what we had last year, a four way tie at seven and two. So what does the four way tie at seven and two where our four teams in first place are Arizona State, Texas Tech, BYU and Utah. Well, hello Arizona State. Texas Tech just rematched the, the game that we had earlier this year. So that is Arizona State's best path. Of course Arizona State has to get it done against Arizona in the Territorial Cup. Texas Tech will be playing at West Virginia. Why am I blanking? What's BYU's?
Bud Elliott
BYU plays UCF.
Chip Patterson
UCF. There we go.
Tom Fernelli
Tough game.
Chip Patterson
So yeah, Texas Tech is playing West Virginia. BYU's playing UCF winning in. There you go. Any other conference title race updates or any other games that are, that are standing out to you?
Bud Elliott
I think there's some chance Navy can still sneak in.
Chip Patterson
Yep. By beating Memphis on Thanksgiving night.
Bud Elliott
And then they need other chaos to happen as well. Okay, so like they, they beat Navy or they beat Memphis and then they need we're in Temple to beat North Texas. It's possible. Ah, it's not likely but it's, it's.
Chip Patterson
But I don't know.
Bud Elliott
They're not like 28 point dogs.
Chip Patterson
Yeah, but that's a North Texas team that somebody put 18th on their AP ballot.
Bud Elliott
12. So they basically just need to win and they need one of. Okay, like Charlotte is almost certainly not going to be Tulane. So they basically just need Temple.
Chip Patterson
Tulane win and in. If you beat one in ten. Charlotte. Yes. John Summerall on the green wave do look like they can make some reservation. Actually we won't know the home field yet, but they look like they at least will be playing football on December.
Bud Elliott
6Th if that's in danger. Like summer. I was going to suit up himself and like. Like go into the game.
Chip Patterson
Yes, absolutely. John. John will be. John will be on the field playing linebacker if he feels like that. The 49ers are in jeopardy of costing Two Lane their opportunity to play for the American Athletic conference championship.
Danny Cannell
So.
Bud Elliott
Yeah, 100. I'm not trying to disrespect Nortek. North Texas is a good team. Like that game against USF got away from them with all the turnovers. Like they're clearly one of the best teams in the G5.
Tom Fernelli
I just.
Bud Elliott
Temple is a lot better than we thought they were going to be entering the year.
Chip Patterson
They're computer triggers whooping up on people. Right. All right, teams that nobody wants to see in the playoffs. Let's make our definitive list before we get out of here. Who's a team that nobody wants to see in the playoffs? Bud mentioned Oregon on Saturday night.
Danny Cannell
I say Oregon without question.
Chip Patterson
Yeah. Who else?
Tom Fernelli
Ohio State.
Bud Elliott
Yeah. Okay.
Chip Patterson
Don't want to see Ohio State in the playoffs.
Tom Fernelli
I don't want to see Notre Dame in the playoffs.
Chip Patterson
Notre Dame.
Danny Cannell
I don't think you'd want to see Miami.
Chip Patterson
I'm not going to put Miami on the list.
Bud Elliott
No, not, not with. Not with backs of consistency. And the receivers don't scare you?
Chip Patterson
I don't know about. Receivers don't scare you. I know. That's what I was gonna say. I don't know, Malachi.
Bud Elliott
Tony receiver scares you. But yeah, they're. They're kind of a one trick pony.
Danny Cannell
Running back, offensive defensive line.
Chip Patterson
I think I'd be okay to see Alabama in the playoffs.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah.
Bud Elliott
I mean, if you put 400 something on that Oklahoma defense, like that Bama would be on my list.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah, but they put 400 something on that Oklahoma defense and still lost the game.
Bud Elliott
Sure, but I mean 421 points.
Tom Fernelli
I mean they lost the Crimson and Cream, Iowa and Florida State. I don't feel like I'm that terrified of Alabama. They can't run the football. I don't want to see Wisconsin in the playoffs.
Chip Patterson
Don't want to see Wisconsin. I mean they got three ranked wins.
Tom Fernelli
They do.
Chip Patterson
I would be. I would be fancy in Oklahoma.
Bud Elliott
Yeah, I'd be a.
Chip Patterson
Okay seeing Ole Miss.
Bud Elliott
Yeah, totally. Georgia keeps getting better, so they should be on the list.
Chip Patterson
I'll. I'll say yes.
Danny Cannell
Georgia.
Tom Fernelli
That's fine.
Bud Elliott
Do you mind seeing Indiana?
Tom Fernelli
I don't really want to, but I think just based on Logo and brand idea. If you're, if you're choosing, like, if you're choosing five teams and you put Indiana in that fifth team, I feel like Indiana would be the one of the five that most teams would be like, we'll take a shot. Even if the power ratings, I don't think necessarily agree with that.
Danny Cannell
Utah would have been on this list a week ago, right?
Tom Fernelli
Utah still kind of on that list. For me, they're not going to get in, but I would not want to have to host that team in the first round.
Chip Patterson
Danny, they're still in on. They're still in on Utah. I'm, I'm selling stock and I've got the, I've got the Utah crazies at me again. They've. They printed my picture out for the muss and now they're just like flooding me with all the hate mail now.
Tom Fernelli
They've been blowing teams out except for BYU and Texas Tech all damn year. They had a close game, but they scored 51 points in that close game. That's not really a team I'm looking excited to see.
Danny Cannell
It does feel like they're getting docked way more than Indiana against Penn State and Texas A and M against South Carolina, but we played awful against bad opponents.
Tom Fernelli
Their defensive end, John Henry Jacobs, Limers.
Chip Patterson
Schmidt, he got John Henry Daly.
Tom Fernelli
That impacts that. So.
Chip Patterson
Yeah, and I, I. We're not, we're not gonna, we're not gonna fight over A minus B plus there. But that's.
Danny Cannell
Terry brings up a great point. I, I might not want to see Miami, but if it was Georgia, I might back out of that and say, I think Georgia would want to see Miami.
Bud Elliott
Oh, they would love.
Chip Patterson
Hell yes.
Danny Cannell
I would change that answer.
Chip Patterson
Absolutely. What about Texas A M?
Danny Cannell
I wouldn't want to see him.
Bud Elliott
Yeah, like, Agreed.
Chip Patterson
Too many different ways to beat you.
Danny Cannell
Yeah, right.
Chip Patterson
Yeah, that's. It's the versatility. Like, if with Alabama, I've got an idea of ways that I think I could be successful against them or things that I could limit the counter punches for. Texas A M are just a little bit too. A little bit too versatile. I'll throw Texas A and M on the list.
Tom Fernelli
I think A and M is a very, very, very good football team. I think there are other teams I would rather not face them.
Chip Patterson
Okay, so we've got Oregon, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Georgia, Texas A M, potentially. But maybe not from Tom. Wisconsin, obviously.
Bud Elliott
Well, are you fine facing Texas Tech?
Chip Patterson
I think I am.
Bud Elliott
To me, they're like, they're Texas Tech and Oklahoma are the same team. Just Oklahoma plays schedule with better athletes every week.
Chip Patterson
I think Oklahoma's got better. Even as erratic as he is, I think I would rather have John Matier than Baron Mobility.
Danny Cannell
Baron Morton's not very mobile.
Chip Patterson
Yeah.
Tom Fernelli
Yeah.
Bud Elliott
But they're both pretty limited by QE play. Yeah.
Chip Patterson
Anybody? We. We've only got, like, four that we agree on right now.
Bud Elliott
I'll give you one. If Michigan does find a way to beat Ohio State and it's not just this, like, Michigan magic over the Buckeyes, like, if they all of a sudden are, like, somehow clicking, like, if Underwood is. If they're beating Ohio State because Underwood all of a sudden locks that potential that made him, like, the number one overall recruit in that, like, limited scenario. I would not be wanting to face that.
Tom Fernelli
I would let down city after they beat Ohio State.
Chip Patterson
Let's go.
Tom Fernelli
Give me the Wolverines after they beat him. Let them come to my building.
Danny Cannell
Yeah.
Chip Patterson
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's. Michigan, if they make this college Football playoff field, they are on the road in the first round. And I will take. I would gladly welcome road Michigan to my house as a home playoff team.
Tom Fernelli
Here's another team I don't want to see in the playoff because I haven't wanted to see him in the playoff for a month and a half now. Texas. Not because I'm scared of them, just.
Bud Elliott
Because I don't want to have to watch them.
Chip Patterson
Actually, that would be good for the graphic.
Danny Cannell
Yeah, we.
Chip Patterson
You don't want to see Texas in the playoffs. No, we just don't want to see Texas in the playoffs. We don't think they're that great. I think that's it, everybody. I mean, there's. That's only four teams that the COVID three podcast is like. Yeah, that's. Those are. Those are teams that. Based on where they are. The way the season is, these are the teams you don't want to face in the playoffs. It's going to help us. Oregon, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Georgia. And if we make a graphic over this, should we have Texas as the fifth?
Danny Cannell
Yeah.
Chip Patterson
If anybody gets the joke.
Tom Fernelli
Yes.
Chip Patterson
Okay.
Bud Elliott
Like we did. We put in our archmatic, Diego Poppy. I'm sure it's going to do numbers, too.
Tom Fernelli
Our own people took the bait.
Chip Patterson
Oh, my gosh.
Bud Elliott
I love it.
Chip Patterson
Love it. All right, so. Oh, holiday protocols. So, yep. Tuesday, 9:30. Right. 9:30am Eastern time. Big game breakdown. Tuesday night. I'm gonna say it one more time. Tuesday, 9:30am Eastern time. Big game breakdown. Getting you set for the biggest games of Rivalry Weekend Wednesday 11:00am Eastern Time will be getting you set for the weekend with all of our best bets. So locks on Wednesday 11am Big game breakdown Tuesday 9:30am Then at 7:15 on Tuesday we'll have our college football playoff rankings reaction to get you set for that and then it will be off to celebrate Thanksgiving with our loved ones and then back to react to all of the Week 14 results on Saturday. Saturday. So again Tuesday 9:30am Eastern Time live on YouTube. Big game breakdown Tuesday 7:15 Eastern Time reaction to the new college football playoff rankings Wednesday 11am will get you set for the locks and you can follow him on Twitter at Tom Fernell. You can follow him@bud elliot3. You can follow him at Danny Canal. Follow me at Chip Underscore Patterson. Gentlemen, thank you very much.
Tom Fernelli
Thank you.
Bud Elliott
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Danny Cannell
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Bud Elliott
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Tom Fernelli
So if you've been living in the.
Bud Elliott
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Tom Fernelli
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In this episode, hosts Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell, and Bud Elliott break down the latest news and storylines in college football, focusing on the decision for Mike Norvell to remain Florida State's coach through 2026, coaching carousel updates, College Football Playoff projections, and messy conference title scenarios. With insider analysis, witty banter, and strong opinions, the crew sifts through coaching changes, playoff odds, poll shenanigans, and the mysterious recipe for a program’s success—or disaster.
“College football is not at the point where a GM gets to fire the head coach... so I just don't buy these changes.”
— Bud Elliott (10:46)
Notable quote:
Danny: “They need to do like golf then with your handicap. They need to throw out the anomalies.” (39:06)
Panel's Final Five:
Note: Miami, Alabama, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Utah, Indiana discussed but not all agreed on as “nobody wants to face…” selections.
Bud Elliott (07:02):
“I’ll believe they’re pumping more money into players when I see it. But it’s just so much cheaper to say, ‘Yeah, we’re going to re-org the front office…’”
Tom Fornelli (12:08):
“If you have to come out and say we’re not firing our coach this year, that means we’ll probably fire him next year if things don’t go great.”
Chip Patterson (18:41):
“Nine years is a long time. If you decide things have maxed out… want to choose another path, you’re not wrong.”
Bud Elliott (44:19):
“You’re assuming the market’s efficient… yeah, it’s fake, man.”
The hosts detail their holiday schedule and upcoming podcast episodes, reminding listeners to subscribe and join for further in-depth coverage of rivalry week, playoff reveals, and conference championship breakdowns.
| Time | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------| | 04:05 | FSU keeps Norvell: Panel reacts | | 16:01 | Coaching Carousel Updates | | 32:58 | AP Top 25 Poll Assassin | | 40:53 | Bud’s Playoff Projections | | 55:41 | Conference Title Scenarios | | 70:23 | Teams “Nobody Wants to See in Playoff” |
This episode is a quintessential Cover 3 deep-dive: sharp, candid analysis of high-stakes administrative decisions, lively skepticism toward polling and playoff models, and a clear-eyed look at the title race chaos that only college football can deliver. Add in heated debates on coach retention, playoff deserves, and some classic playoff “nobody wants to see them” shenanigans, and you’re set for a fast-moving, insider-heavy listen.