Cover 3 College Football Podcast: Upon Further Review – Nov 24, 2025

Episode Overview

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.

Main Theme

• In-depth review of coaching carousel activity—including the fallout and fan response from Florida State’s retention of Mike Norvell.
• A state-of-the-union on the College Football Playoff race, AP Top 25 polling, and looming conference championship scenarios.
• Lively discussion on which playoff-eligible teams are the most dangerous or most dreaded.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Florida State's Decision to Retain Mike Norvell (04:05–15:34)

Bud Elliott: Highly Skeptical

• “I think this is entirely fake and cosmetic.” (06:53)
  • Bud suggests additional administrative hires are just window dressing—cheap, easy fixes rather than investing in what matters (i.e., player acquisition and staff power).
  • “I’ll believe they’re pumping more money into players when I see it.” (07:02)

Danny Kanell: Mishandled and Frustrating for Fans

• Criticizes Florida State for dragging out the evaluation, upsetting the fanbase: “If this was the decision, just say after the Stanford game.” (05:13)

Tom Fornelli: The Hottest Seat in America

• Notes keeping a coach under duress means immediate pressure.
• “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.” (12:08)

Notable Quote

“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)

2. Coaching Carousel: Cal, Penn State, Lane Kiffin, and More (16:01–31:31)

Cal Fires Justin Wilcox Despite Bowl Eligibility

• The panel agrees: after nine years with little upward trend, it’s valid to seek change.
• “If you were a business and you decide that things have maxed out... choose another path.” (18:41)

Penn State’s Search: Is Terry Smith a Real Option?

• Danny: “I think [the decision-makers] want to have a home run hire. That would not be Terry Smith.” (25:57)
• Discussion on the dangers of recency bias with interim coaches.
• “Usually, I would not hire the interim.” (27:01) – Bud Elliott

Lane Kiffin Drama (22:24)

• Lane Kiffin’s future remains murky and endlessly generates rumors: “This is the most, the Egg Bowl is chaotic every single year.” (23:49)

Other Notables

• Art Briles hired by Eastern New Mexico earns a snarky shoutout. (30:05)
• Kalen DeBoer to Penn State whispers—only plausible if Alabama loses.

3. AP Top 25 Poll and Poll Assassin Segment (32:58–41:46)

• Oregon jumps into the top five, passing idle teams. (33:54)
• Panel riffs on the irrationality of AP voting, with outlier ballots skewing final results.
• Tom Fornelli jests about certain voters: “James Madison at 8!” (38:22)

Notable quote:
Danny: “They need to do like golf then with your handicap. They need to throw out the anomalies.” (39:06)

4. Playoff Projections & Odds: "Bud’s BOP Model" (40:53–47:13)

• Bud’s model projects Ohio State as the probable #1, with Alabama winning the SEC and Texas A&M as the other main byes.
• “There’s no mathematical formula for the College Football Playoff field… It is the opinions of 12 individuals.” (44:03, 44:24) – Tom Fornelli and Chip Patterson
• Discussion on how certain teams (BYU, Utah, Vanderbilt, Miami) could be the odd team out even with playoff-worthy records.

Timestamps & Memorable Moments

• (05:13) Danny Kanell: On FSU admin missteps and fan frustration.
• (06:53–08:48) Bud Elliott’s teardown: “All cosmetic. You sell this for one more year.”
• (12:08) Tom Fornelli: “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.”
• (18:41) Chip Patterson: “Nine years is a long time… choose another path.”
• (23:49) Chip Patterson: “Nothing is calm. The Egg Bowl is chaotic every single year.”
• (27:01) Bud Elliott: “Usually I would not hire the interim.”
• (33:54) On AP Poll movement – Oregon jumps into the top 5.
• (36:09) Tom Fornelli: “Here's some teams Bill would have North Texas favored against on a neutral field: USC, Missouri, Iowa…”
• (38:22) Tom Fornelli: “James Madison at 8. North Texas at 13. That’s a loss-sorter ballot.”
• (44:03) Tom Fornelli: “There's no mathematical formula for the College Football Playoff field.”
• (47:13) Danny Kanell: “I think the resumes are similar. And when the resumes are similar, the tiebreaker is head-to-head.”

Conference Title Race Scenarios (55:41–70:23)

SEC

• Texas A&M and Alabama: “Win and in.”
• Georgia needs a Texas A&M or Alabama loss.
• Ole Miss needs a win and both A&M and Bama to lose.
• Bud: “I don't think Georgia wants to play Alabama in the SEC title game.” (57:35)

Big Ten

• Ohio State and Indiana: “Win and in.”
• If Purdue beats Indiana, and Michigan beats Ohio State and Oregon beats Washington, Oregon vs. Michigan rematch possible for title.
• Michigan needs a win and help for the title game.

ACC

• Win-and-in for SMU and UVA.
• Complicated tiebreaker scenarios could see Duke or Miami sneak in if upsets happen.

Big 12 / G5

• Four-way tie possibility intrigues the panel.
• Navy can still potentially sneak in to the AAC title game with help.

“On the Playoff: Nobody Wants to See These Teams…” (70:23–77:05)

Panel's Final Five:

1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Notre Dame
4. Georgia
5. (Jokingly) Texas (“We just don’t want to see Texas in the playoffs—period.”)

Note: Miami, Alabama, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Utah, Indiana discussed but not all agreed on as “nobody wants to face…” selections.

Notable Quotes

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.”

Closing

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.

Summary Table of Contents

| 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” |

For New Listeners

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.