Who Is The Next First-Time National Champion In CFB? PLUS Details On A 24-Team Playoff & More!

Summary

Cover 3 College Football Podcast

Episode: Who Is The Next First-Time National Champion In CFB? PLUS Details On A 24-Team Playoff & More!
Date: February 16, 2026
Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, and Danny Kanell tackle some of the hottest new developments in college football. They discuss Sacramento State’s controversial move to the FBS and the MAC, the Big Ten's detailed push for a 24-team College Football Playoff, and then debate which program and coach is next in line for a first-ever national title—now that Indiana has broken through. Insightful, often irreverent, and full of sharp takes, this episode offers college football fans deep analysis, future-gazing, and laughs.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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1. Sacramento State’s Move to the MAC and FBS (00:48–10:28)

News Breakdown

• Sacramento State is joining the FBS and the MAC in 2026, despite significant travel and financial hurdles.
• Context: Follows other FCS powers making the leap (e.g., North Dakota State).

Panel Reactions

• Tom Fornelli:
  “To me, this is the dumbest thing I think we've seen... in a history of like, hell, in the last 12 months of a lot of really stupid things that have been happening in this sport.” (03:09)
• Danny Kanell:
  “Where is the money coming from? Because they are, they're spending 23 million to make this jump. ... I think it's more of an ego play. I think it is. That's all it is. They want to be a part of big time college athletics. So congrats, you're in the Mac. Like you can play on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.” (04:18)
• Chip Patterson:
  “Is this rats fleeing the ship? Is this like going for the last boats that are out there? Like, why is there this existential dread?” (06:36)
• Consensus:
  The panel is collectively baffled, noting the lack of logical financial or competitive benefit. Travel costs and questionable fan support were seen as major red flags.

Memorable Quote

“You telling me Sacramento State fans aren't going to be lining up around the block to get in to see the UMass Minutemen come to town?”
—Tom Fornelli (05:24)

Key Insight

• Many FCS schools feel existential pressure to move up before any potential further division within college football—fearing being stranded outside a shrinking pool of viable programs.

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2. Big Ten's 24-Team Playoff Proposal: Details & Debates (12:41–28:18)

Key Features of the Proposal

• 23+1 Model: 23 at-large teams, 1 group of six spot (no conference automatic qualifiers)
• No Conference Championship Games: Entirely scrapped.
• Two Rounds of On-Campus Playoff Games: Top 16 seeds guaranteed a campus game.
• Earlier Finish: Aims for a mid-January championship, about a week earlier than current setups.
• Broadcast Rights: Only 2 of 12 new games reserved for ESPN; 10 up for bid to other networks.

Reactions and Analysis

• Danny Kanell:
  • Likes aspects of the proposal, especially doing away with conference championships and emphasizing home playoff games.
  • Suggests they should “package” it as a 16-team playoff with play-ins, as “24 is so shocking to everyone that's out there.” (14:24)
• Tom Fornelli:
  • Not surprised by the expansion, noting the relentless pressure for more playoff spots and TV money.
  • Memorable Rant:

    “This is what was coming the entire time... They've destroyed the regular season already. Like, what changed? We, we destroyed it with a 12 team playoff...” (17:38)

  • Points out the hypocrisy of critics who push for expansion and then balk at the consequences.
• Chip Patterson:
  Appreciates the proposal's attention to alleviating transfer portal chaos and giving teams more margin for early struggles.

Notable Segment

• On Media Rights/SEC Buy-In:
  Fornelli speculates the SEC would want more playoff spots:

  “If I'm the SEC, and this is not like there's no auto bids. It's all just top 24 teams. How the hell would I not be in support of this? ... I'm going to get eight or nine, 10 teams in every year.” (20:53)

Memorable Quote

“These are the same dumbasses who think the game matters more because you put the word playoff on it.”
—Tom Fornelli (18:04)

Key Insights

• TV rights and inventory are clear motivators—expanding the playoff will lead to much more media revenue and attention from multiple networks.
• The regular season’s importance is already diluted, and further expansion is seen as inevitable due to constant coaching turnover and big-money buyouts.

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3. Eligibility Chaos & the Trinidad Chambliss Ruling (28:18–38:27)

Context

• Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss QB) wins an eligibility battle, can play in 2026.
• Each legal case is different; there’s little uniformity in eligibility rulings.

Panel Reactions

• Danny Kanell:
  • “This was probably at minimum a $4 million win for Trinidad Chambliss.”
  • Notes huge financial implications for both player and program.
• Tom Fornelli:
  • Calls out lack of broad eligibility standard.
  • Mocks the NCAA for being undermined by its own member schools’ lawsuits:

    “The schools create the rules until a certain school doesn't want them anymore, and then they're like, these are wrong and unfair and it's all the NCAA's fault...”

• Chip Patterson:
  • Thinks Ole Miss always expected Chambliss would play, and this helps them avoid a “raw” quarterback situation.

Event Impact

• Ole Miss is now set up for a stronger year, likely starting in the top 15, with playoff expectations.

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4. Who’s Next? First-Time National Champion Programs (39:16–54:42)

History Recap

• Indiana’s recent win broke a 30-year drought of first-time champions (last: Florida, 1996).
• Historically, first-time winners come in “clusters” (e.g., early 80s).

Candidates for First-Time National Title

Top Tiers:

1. Oregon
   • Danny Kanell: “I think they've got to be the number one candidate of these schools.”
2. Texas Tech
   • Tom Fornelli: “I feel like Texas Tech… have an easier path to the playoffs...”
3. Virginia Tech
   • Danny Kanell: “Wouldn’t it be hilarious if James Franklin leaves Penn State where he never could win the big one? Virginia Tech… played for the national championship before.”

Others Discussed:

• Virginia (investment ramping up)
• Louisville (recent success, but skepticism remains)
• Utah (uncertainty post-Whittingham)
• Arizona State (begging for NIL money is an issue)
• Vanderbilt (strong recruiting and admin buy-in)
• Missouri (talented; seen as a “sleeping giant”)

Full List of Power 4 Programs Without a Modern Title (47:55)

(As read by Tom Fornelli: Boston College, Arizona, Utah, Texas Tech, Mississippi State, NC State, Oklahoma State, Missouri, South Carolina, Oregon, Arizona State, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Purdue, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Kansas, Duke, North Carolina)

Key Debate (48:54)

Which “sleeping giant” could awaken with the right break, and how much do NIL and conference path matter?

Memorable Quote

“Louisville’s not winning the national title...but Indiana just won a national title, so I got to check myself.”
—Tom Fornelli (48:42)

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5. Coaches: Who Is Next for Their First National Championship? (54:03–59:16)

Top Current Coach Candidates (per FanDuel/host consensus)

• Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame)
• Steve Sarkisian (Texas)
• Mario Cristobal (Miami)
• Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss)
• Mike Elko (Texas A&M)
• Kalen DeBoer (Alabama)
• Pete Golding (Ole Miss)
• Brent Venables (Oklahoma)
• Lincoln Riley (USC)

Analysis

• For 2026:
  Freeman is cited for Notre Dame’s favorable scheduling.
• Texas & Oregon:
  Hosts predict either Dan Lanning (Oregon) or Sarkisian (Texas) will win a first as both have strong, well-funded teams and likely playoff berths (54:46).
• Sarkisian:
  “It does feel like the year for Sark... they've spent a bunch of money in the portal..." (55:23)
• Brian Kelly (LSU):
  Considered for breaking through given the resources and pressure (55:47).
• Dark Horses Mentioned:
  • Rhett Lashley (SMU)
  • Joey McGuire (Texas Tech)
  • Matt Campbell (Penn State, now)
  • John Summerall (Kentucky)

Discussion Points

• TV era impacts (1984-present) may be a better line for “modern” titles.
• Kalen DeBoer at Alabama faces higher scrutiny; his tenure uncertain but possible to win.

Notable Exchange

“If Sark can't get it done, we got a big game Sark problem. Can't win the big one.”
—Chip Patterson (56:10)
“Nobody can win the big win until they do. ... You can't win big games until you do."
—Tom Fornelli (56:19)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “To me, this is the dumbest thing I think we've seen... in a history of like, hell, in the last 12 months of a lot of really stupid things…”
  —Tom Fornelli on Sac State to the MAC (03:09)

• “I think they should’ve called this a 16-team college football playoff proposal with a round of play-in games…”
  —Danny Kanell (14:24)

• “This is what was coming the entire time… They destroyed the regular season already. Like, what changed?”
  —Tom Fornelli (17:38)

• “If I'm the SEC, ... how the hell would I not be in support of this? ... I'm going to get eight or nine, 10 teams in every year.”
  —Tom Fornelli (20:53)

• “Wouldn’t it be hilarious if James Franklin leaves Penn State ... and finally wins one at Virginia Tech?”
  —Danny Kanell (45:01)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:48 – Sacramento State joins the MAC; FBS expansion debate begins.
• 04:18 – Why would Sac State make this move? Ego vs. economics breakdown.
• 12:41 – Big Ten’s 24-team playoff proposal: Format details and reactions.
• 14:24 – Rebranding the playoff and the shock of “24 teams.”
• 17:38 – How the regular season’s been “destroyed” by playoff expansion.
• 20:53 – SEC’s potential playoff dominance; media and TV rights.
• 28:18 – Trinidad Chambliss’s eligibility and that process.
• 39:16 – First-time national champions: Candidate programs discussion.
• 54:03 – Coaches “next up” for a first national title.
• 56:10 – Sarkisian’s “big game” reputation examined.
• 59:49 – Can Kalen DeBoer win at Alabama? The Alabama job post-Saban era.

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Recap

This episode offers a fast-paced, in-depth look into massive current changes in college football. The hosts provide context, history, and critiques on the proliferation of “desperation” realignment, the dollar-driven playoff expansion, and the inevitable march toward more playoff access (and the money that comes with it). They also give thoughtful, nuanced takes on who’s due for that breakthrough moment—be it a blueblood knocking on the door, a surprise Indiana repeat, or a coach finally getting over the championship hump. If you care about the shifting delivery and power structures of college football, and enjoy smart—but never stuffy—debate, this is an essential listen.

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Transcript

[Chip Patterson]

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[Danny Cannell]

Welcome Back to the COVID 3 podcast. With your host Chip Patterson, Tom Fernell, Danny Cannell and Bud Elliott. It's your call for the best college football coverage from national signing day to the national championship and 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 Fornelli, that's Danny Cannell. I'm Chip Patterson coming to you [e-mail] 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 there's some President's Day celebration. Happy President's Day. But also at 8:48am Eastern time, the conversation got started. YouTube username bl1632 says with Sac State moving up to FBS, how many teams will we eventually have gotta thank? Montana, Montana State, South Dakota State will make the move at some point when we get to 145 teams, 150, yes, the reporting coming out this morning and sort of over the weekend, I guess last night as well. Sacramento State, the latest to be making the move. And much like North Dakota State, which has arranged to be able to join the Mountain west for this this season, the 2026 season, the reports indicate that Sacramento State, which has been working on this for a while now, they'll be joining the Mac, joining the Mac here in, in 2026. We can, we can answer the question directly. We can address the news as well. What is maxion ending at what 3am Are we doing max and double headers now when SAC State gets to host it? What do we make of this one with Sacramento State making the moves to be able to be FBS for this fall?

[Tom Fornelli]

Have we finally jumped the shark with this? Like, the teams that are moving up because like, is being in the FBS that important to Sacramento State that they're joining the Mac to do it? Like, all these other FCS programs that have moved up have at least joined leagues that are somewhat geographically aligned with.

[Chip Patterson]

Where they are and we Send Northern Illinois back but with more money. Can we agree to an unequal revenue structure? Just so at least that makes sense because I could take Sac State in the Mountain West. And it's just. Why? I don't, I don't know.

[Tom Fornelli]

But I mean, like, to me this is the dumbest thing I think we've seen in a history of like, hell, in the last 12 months of a lot of really stupid things that have been happening in this sport the last few years. You know, we've got State, Stanford and Cal and the acc. We have all this dumb realignment stuff. But to move up from the FCS level to FBS and join the Mac at Sacramento State so that way you could start playing Ball State and Miami of Ohio and Buffalo, like, and also like the reason these teams move up, it's to make money, right? Is, is the Mac some sort of like money making league that I didn't realize? Like, I don't think the Mac, they're printing checks that much. I think they're kind of broke compared to everybody else. If you at how they're performing compared to every other G5, this move makes absolutely no sense to me. It's desperation on Sacramento State's part. Like they clearly, they put a lot of money into the idea that they were going to be able to get in and join the PAC12. PAC12 didn't take them and they just put so much in that they felt like they were pot committed to where they're doing something this stupid of just joining the Mac. This is going to be an epic failure.

[Danny Cannell]

Where is the money coming from? Because they are, they're, they're spending 23 million to make this jump. Yes, to join the Mac. 5 million for the jump just to go up a level to the ncaa. But do you remember, and I remember getting like reading a couple articles like they were signing a four star and they brought in Mike Bibby and Shaquille o' Neal is now, he's unpaid but he's a general manager. Like they've got signs, somebody that's connected. I think it's more of an ego play. I think it is. That's all it is. They want to be a part of big time college athletics. So congrats, you're in the Mac. Like you can play on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Welcome to the big time, guys. I, that's the only thing behind it. But my question is like whose ego is it? Because somebody's footing this bill and I know there's a lot of money to be made in College athletics, but not, not the way they're doing it. So it's going to be interesting to see how this works out. And they're not a perennial powerhouse like North Dakota State. We were talking about their fans. Their fans are bored. Does anybody show up to watch Sacramento State? Like, do they have any fans at all? At least North Dakota State has a rabid fan base.

[Tom Fornelli]

You telling me Sacramento State fans aren't going to be lining up around the block to get in to see the UMass Minutemen come to town?

[Chip Patterson]

I.

[Danny Cannell]

How do you think the Mac feels about this with the other Mac programs are probably livid. They have to change, travel out west.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, I don't think anybody.

[Chip Patterson]

They've got the, but the, the entry fee that they're going to get is going to be able to. I mean, this is a, probably a decent deal for the Mac. I, I'm not going to. Of all the different parties involved, I'm not going to put the Mac on the hot seat and be like, you should say no for the spirit of the Mac. I mean, the spirit of the Mac is already something that I think is, you know, very much. They are in the FBS conferences. They need to do whatever they can to be able to be, you know, financially solvent. If you're just going to get a huge chunk of change from Sacramento State to be able for the privilege to come and play with you, I'm not going to blame the Mac on this one. But I'm looking at this pick a.

[Tom Fornelli]

Mo Valley School, Sacramento State, like, go after Illinois State was just in the title game. Go after Illinois State, you're losing Northern Illinois. Go down to normal and say, hey, do you guys want to come up and be in the Mac? I see this Sacramento State is ridiculous.

[Chip Patterson]

But like, is this rats fleeing the ship? Is this like going for the last boats that are out there? Like, why is there this existential dread? And maybe this is a good conversation for us to dive into this off season, try and get some people that are a little bit closer to the FCS programs to help explain this. But it seems to me as though there is existential dread at the FCS level that if we don't get out and if we don't get out soon, there's going to be a great divide. I mean, there's already that feeling within the fbs. But then it's, it's to see it at this point is it's eye opening for sure.

[Danny Cannell]

Wasn't there. I mean, it is. Isn't there already a, a big Gap. Like it is the fcs. Like, but like is it gonna widen any worse? Like, it just. It is what it is. I don't know why there's this existential, existential threat that's like gonna, is it gonna put them out of business? Is that what they're worried about? Like, I don't know.

[Chip Patterson]

Is it, is there a looming television contract? Like all of a sudden the like, are you just gonna get. Man, I'm not sending a stray here, but like, are you worried about your flow sports future? Like, are you worried that you're just. That we're just not going to be able to have, you know.

[Tom Fornelli]

So Sacramento State in need of a life raft, but they couldn't find one. So they're just floating in the ocean like, oh, I'll just hold on to this shark that's swimming by. I mean like, like your life raft is the Mac. Like what's that going to save you from?

[Chip Patterson]

I don't know. I mean the a. The Mac does have ATV deal that puts you on broadcast television dirt for regular season games.

[Tom Fornelli]

And it's true, it does.

[Danny Cannell]

Do you think there's a, are we missing something here on the long term where if we see a pull away with, you know, a super league and let's say it's 40, 50, 60 programs, then all of a sudden there's a void for these other programs to be a part of. Is that what the race potential potentially is for?

[Chip Patterson]

That's what I see. I see that everyone's always like, give the, give the group of six their own playoff. Give the group of six their own playoff. But what if it becomes their own league and what if because of what the top end of that league would be behind the super league could be good enough that it's profitable for you to be there? And then I would say that maybe the value of FCS as the, as the programs continue to flood up, then the future television deals, the future media rights outlook at that level would basically just be a lot closer to Division 2.

[Tom Fornelli]

Joel, checking in from Slovakia which is joining the PAC 12.

[Chip Patterson]

Congratulations.

[Tom Fornelli]

Is, is the thought process maybe because they are spending a bunch of money to do this or maybe they hoping that by jumping on board now they can show that they're willing to spend enough money to maybe they get considered for the Super League. Like maybe they think that that's what's really going to be the ultimate decider and who gets into that is like who's willing to foot the bill like smu the same way they're doing to be in the acc. It's like we don't even want the money. We just want to be in your league. Maybe that's what they're attempting. I think that it is a incredibly bad financial decision. If you think that's going to work because I don't think Sacramento State spending money is what's going to make them attractive. It's be people who care about watching the program and I don't know that anybody does.

[Chip Patterson]

Interesting. You know, interesting extra data point to that. But again, the wheels are in motion. Maxion will have a west coast presence. And for everybody in the tailgate who brought up with the highest amount of maturity, Sac State versus Ball State. I appreciate you. I'm just, you know, I appreciate we there. There is a running for those who are not [e-mail] cover three, there's a running set of jokes there, including that the game and the rivalry could be sponsored by Johnson and Johnson. What?

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't get the joke. Can you explain it to me?

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah, exactly. It is. It's. It's Ball State against Sac State or Sac State against Ball State. You can arrange those however you would like to. Okay. Will one of these teams ever make it to the 24 team playoff? Coming up on the other side, we've got a look at what a 23 plus 124 team playoff could look like. Let's take a look at it, let's unpack it. Let's think about how possible this format could be. All that and more next.

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[Chip Patterson]

The COVID 3 podcast late last week on a document what do we say? We socialize these plans. We socialize these ideas. We create PDFs, we send them to Leadership the Big Ten is is is working on the proposal and trying to get more people on board to a 24 team college football Playoff. Now we have known, thanks to rampant reporting, that a 2014 playoff is something that the Big Ten has been pushing. But unlike some of the previous proposals, this one does not include automatic qualifiers broken down by conference. This would be a 23/1 model where the 1 is still reserved for the group of six, but it also includes some pieces that we've discussed, including the calendar. It proposes the elimination entirely of conference championship games. It includes the proposal that two rounds of the College Football Playoff would be on campus, meaning that every team would be guaranteed, you know, every team that is a top 16 seed would be guaranteed at least one home game instead of, for example, our top four seeds go right out to the bowl games. It also includes a mid January finish. Based on what I could tell that that's about a week earlier certainly than what we would have in in January of this coming 20s, January of 27. Danny, a couple other details we can sort of work through as well. What what'd you make of the Big Ten's 24 team college football playoff proposal, which now has a few more details than just sort of who gets into the bracket.

[Danny Cannell]

I think they should have called this a 16 team college football playoff proposal with a round of play. In games like that, the 24 is so shocking to everyone that's out there. Like I haven't seen anybody say that they like this. I think they could have tried to package it a little bit better because I do think it is shocking to hear 24 and it is a lot of football teams, but I think there's some good ideas in it. Like I, I think the conference championship games are just dying like they don't have the significance they used to. It feels like a wasted Weekend. What? It doesn't fit with our playoff system. When you have teams that miss the conference championship actually get an edge because they get a buy and it doesn't hurt them as much. I do think the value of having an extra home playoff game would be awesome. Getting two weekends of that is a huge win for college football fans. I think it does make it more. It adds some, you know, if you're worried about the regular seasons being diminished, it does add, you know, the regular season value by the best records. You get those home playoff games. So I think there's some good things to it. I feel like I'm the only one. I'm on an island that says, you know what, this may not be that bad, but I do think the 24 team is a huge like shock to people's system. That's why people are so against it.

[Tom Fornelli]

There anything that like in this that was really new? No.

[Chip Patterson]

Well, not much.

[Tom Fornelli]

We discussed all these things a few weeks ago.

[Chip Patterson]

I think.

[Danny Cannell]

Well, it really has been out there for a year.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah.

[Chip Patterson]

No, hold on. To fast forward into this. There was some pieces that I did think were new. I had not seen someone put in writing that of the 12 new games that would be created, ESPN would only have the rights to two of them and 10 new games would be put up for bid.

[Tom Fornelli]

Okay. So was the tv.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah. Now we're starting to talk about. And I did not have, I had not seen put in writing exactly what it could look like. And the idea that the push behind it included not having super long layoffs and staying consistently in the conversation rather than having all that dead time. Because if you are going to expand it, I don't want it to end in February. You know, I don't want to continue to have these 12, 14, these long, long layoffs between the rounds of the playoff. So I, I did think there were, there were pieces of this in terms of how it would actually function and be put into place. Also to hear this reasoning piece which makes sense in the current transfer portal era, the. And with a push from fan bases for playoff or bust, it is forgiving in a way that you could say it's soft, but it is forgiving a team that might take a couple weeks to be able to really find its footing. There was the quote in there about if you got a team that takes a loss or two early, they would still be able to try and hit their stride before the end of the season. Tom. That it's different than College football was 20 years ago.

[Tom Fornelli]

Not with the smiling because it's wrong. I'm smiling because this is what I said was going to happen the entire damn time.

[Chip Patterson]

You're supposed to do a heel turn. This is the year that you love.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, I'm not. I have no problem. I'm with Danny. I have absolutely no problem with this. None whatsoever. I don't even think you need to call it the playing games. Although, I mean, yeah, you're replacing conference championships with playing games, essentially what you're doing.

[Chip Patterson]

So I do like the marketing criticism, the ad, the criticism. Like, you could have. Oh, you could have packaged this better. 24 is just going to turn people off because it is such a large number.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, because these are the same dumbasses who think the game matters more because you put the word playoff on it. So if you sell it to them as a 16 team with four playing games, they're too stupid to realize it just means It's a 2014 playoff. So. But like I. Listen, we just discussed, Sacramento State is paying up to join the Mac. All right. I, I've never been before, like, a proponent of playoff expansion, but I feel like of all the stuff that is currently happening in this sport, just based on the changes that have taken place, this is the least defensive proposal change that I have seen. Like, this is what was coming the entire time. And I see, I see so many people who are taking umbrage, like, oh my God, this is a horrible idea. They're going to destroy the regular season, buddy. They, they destroyed the regular season already. Like, what changed? We, we destroyed it with a 12 team playoff to where Alabama gets its ass kicked in the SEC championship game, but we have to pretend that didn't happen. So they get to hold on to their playoff spot and Notre Dame gets left out. Like the regular season hasn't really mattered. The champion two years ago lost twice during the regular season, including in the last week of the regular season. They're just expanding it. This is what you pushed for all along. This is what you wanted all along. And now that it's 12 and they're saying they're going to go to 24 now, it's no, now it' bridge too far. Like, you can't complain that Alabama might cancel the Ohio State series and then also complain that they're going to expand to 24. Because if you want to solve all these problems that you have created, really the only logical way to do it is to expand the playoff because it brings in more money, it distributes the games to more networks, and you've been complaining forever that ESPN is the only one who controls it. So now you're finally getting that. And it gets more teams in and it keeps you interested late in the season. You no longer feel like your season's over by October because you were a moron to begin with. Like, this is perfectly sensible stuff. I don't think it's going to go through. I think it will be a while. But you're kidding yourself if you don't think we're going to get to 24 at some point. Because look at what's happening. The teams that aren't getting in 12, James Franklin is getting fired. All these coaches are getting fired because they couldn't get into a 12 once. They can't get into the 16. We're going to have to expand again because, damn it, we can't keep paying these $60 million buyouts for these guys. For missing the 16 team field, I.

[Danny Cannell]

Would say James Franklin got fired because he couldn't beat top five teams they were in the regular season.

[Tom Fornelli]

Like Franklin hadn't beaten top five teams for a decade before the 12 team playoff came around.

[Danny Cannell]

Exactly. He got fired because he lost in Northwestern as well and he lost to ucla. It wasn't just the fact that he missed the playoffs.

[Chip Patterson]

It was emotional. It was a very emotional firing. So what it. Where do you, do you think that if this is to bring up like the Overton window discussion, do you think this sets one end and then we end up in some kind of compromise? If you're, if you're in the sec, are you moved by this at all? To be able to go halfway and offer some sort of middle option, to be able to get both sides to the table?

[Tom Fornelli]

If, if I'm the sec, and this is not like there's no auto bids. It's all just top 24 teams. How the hell would I not be in support of this?

[Danny Cannell]

Right?

[Tom Fornelli]

I'm going to get eight or nine, 10 teams in every year. Half my league is getting into this playoff. Like I would be fully on board. And especially if you're divvying up the money based on how many teams get in to each league. Hell yes, let's do this. That's, that's the one thing that's always kind of baffled me about the SEC not wanting to expand even more. As long as there aren't auto bids. Yeah. Hell yeah. Give me all those spots.

[Chip Patterson]

They would have had the most in that, in this, they. They put out the bracket.

[Tom Fornelli]

They would have had the most every year. If you go back a decade, however long you want to go back and do the format what it would have been in a 2014. The SEC would add more teams in every single year.

[Danny Cannell]

How much do you think of this as Fox input?

[Tom Fornelli]

A lot.

[Danny Cannell]

Yeah. I mean, to create inventory.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah. The commissioners are just. Well, never mind.

[Danny Cannell]

And Tony Petiti was a TV guy. I mean he's had a TV background, so he, he's got a lot of those relationships already.

[Tom Fornelli]

You say was.

[Danny Cannell]

They all kind of still are.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah. The. It is, it is undeniable that the Big Ten pushing for a format that would create playoff games that could be up for bid. There is a television motivation there.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yes.

[Chip Patterson]

I find it interesting from our seat that you've got a lot of coaches that are out there feeling the pressure to make this new playoff that just like, yeah, let's expand this thing. Because if my, if my donors and my fan bases want to see us in the playoff, we. And I'm having to, I'm having to break in a new quarterback every single year who just showed up in, in February, then yeah, I need as much wiggle room as possible. And so all these things sort of leading to a drive from the coaches to be able to create as many playoff spots as possible for themselves because that is just a matter of self preservation. They, they cannot handle with the way that rosters are currently so fluid, they cannot handle the pressure of two losses getting you almost out of the picture unless your name is, unless you start the season as a top five team. And that's a. Basically a closed door club at this point.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, I mean, you know, just bringing this up for no reason. I don't know if you guys like the NBA All Star weekend was this weekend and the commissioner of that league is just maybe like, you know, he's trying to come up with ideas to make sure teams actually try to win during the regular season. I don't know what happened to the NBA to make the regular season not matter in that sport. I don't know. It's like maybe because they put half the freaking league in the play playoffs every year. Who knows? We'll see. I don't know. But anyways, we need to keep expanding this thing.

[Danny Cannell]

NFL's playoffs are awesome. NFL regular season is still really good.

[Tom Fornelli]

The NFL is not comparable to anything else. The NFL is a religion. It's not.

[Danny Cannell]

See, I think college football is a religion. That's where I think the biggest problem with the NBA is. The players don't care about the regulars. Like they don't care about the sport they play. Like they never want to play hard. Like, that's. They never want to play, period. Like, I think that's the biggest risk that you run into with that sport.

[Tom Fornelli]

The only place north of the Mason Dixon line where football is a religion is in Indiana, thanks to the Indiana Hoosiers. All right.

[Chip Patterson]

No, Columbus, Ohio.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, they don't care anymore. They just. They just want to pay guys and get to the league. They don't care about football.

[Chip Patterson]

I do.

[Danny Cannell]

Don't you think, though? And I mean, ESPN congrats them for owning college football. I do think it would be healthier from the overall health of the sport if there were multiple networks involved. And I think it'd be way more financially lucrative if you did have them bid on this. I think it would be better you would stop having the accusations of, oh, ESPN is just scripting this for ratings now. Everyone likes ratings. Fox and ESPN both. But I do think it would be healthier for everyone that's involved. And I. I get tired of it because I, you know, you feel it when you feel certain, you know, commentators saying, oh, we've, you know, this team looks like they're like, they are campaigning for programs that play on their networks.

[Tom Fornelli]

They're campaigning for the programs they're familiar with.

[Danny Cannell]

Yes.

[Tom Fornelli]

It comes across as they're rooting for that team and they're pushing that team because their bosses are. If you want to go in the conspiracy, telling them they have to do it, when in reality, it's just, I've seen this team play four times. I think they're pretty good when they're. When they're playing at their best and they deserve to be it. That's really all it comes down to The.

[Danny Cannell]

Jerry said you can do that without expansion. I don't know. Can you? I don't know if you can until those. The deals come up again, which would be 20, 30, 2031.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah.

[Chip Patterson]

So it. We saw it with Indiana. Did you. Did you notice any of that during the Indiana, Alabama game? Some of the, like, just a lot of conversations like, wow, this Indiana team's.

[Tom Fornelli]

Pretty good, because they haven't seen them all yet.

[Chip Patterson]

I truly felt like a lot of college football fans saw Indiana for the first time in the Rose Bowl. It's like, wow. Wow, these guys are good. They were doing it against Alabama on espn.

[Tom Fornelli]

You know, we are doing everything in our power to nationalize this sport, but it is a regional sport. Like, a Florida fan has no reason to watch Indiana on Saturday. Unless they're playing Indiana. They're not playing a team that matters to them. They are not a team that matters to them. They're watching their rivals. So, yeah, like when you get to the playoff, SEC fans haven't really been watching the Big Ten. Big Ten fans haven't really been watching the sec. It's just, it's the way it works. But we're trying to make it into the NFL. And also the greatest irony of all of this to me is we created the playoff because for years we were basing our national champions on polls. We were getting people together and having them vote, and then whoever they thought the best team was was proclaimed national champion. So now even though we're expanding to 24 teams in this scenario, how are they deciding the 24 teams? By having a vote. And we're pretending that the selection committee and Chip, I mean no disrespect, I know how much the esteem you hold the committee in, but obviously we're going to act like the 12 people in that room are any different than the 68 voting on the AP poll.

[Danny Cannell]

They're not.

[Tom Fornelli]

But it's the same damn way we're doing it. Just we've slapped the word playoff on it.

[Chip Patterson]

There was also a wrinkle in the proposal which said no rematches in the first round.

[Tom Fornelli]

Which, good luck. You've got 20 team leagues and half the field is going to be made up of two leagues. Good luck. Without those rematches.

[Chip Patterson]

That's. I mean, that's when we start to get into seeding principles. If you get the field that big, no one's actually going to be. I mean, someone will. But the complaints about who's in and who's out at the bubble will be, I think, superseded by people complaining about who got screwed by being the 12 seed versus the 10 seed that'll last year being moved around.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, it'll last a year until it happens. And everybody's going to get in an uproar and it's just going to be like the buys were for the conference champions in the first year, the 12. Everybody's going to say this was the dumbest freaking thing ever. Let's fix it. So, yeah, go for it. Just do it on. Do it on the fly.

[Chip Patterson]

We will discuss more about national champions in just a little bit, including our annual discussion for who will be the next first time national championship winning coach. Who will be the first net first time national championship winning program. We had both of those boxes checked this past season by Kurt Signetti and the Indiana Hoosiers. Quick little note from late last week. Thursday night, after a Diatribe from a judge that lasted about nine and a half hours. Trinidad Chambliss. The. The path has been cleared in the courts for him to compete in 2026. DK. I mean, number one, what you have done to Ole Miss, a ceiling is obviously dramatically different in my opinion. Number two, anything big picture to be taken from this one?

[Danny Cannell]

No. Because every case is so individual.

[Chip Patterson]

Right.

[Danny Cannell]

Joey Aguilar's hearing was on Friday. We don't know how that one's going to go. You know, we had Charles Betty Ako shut down. That was completely different because he was playing in NBA games. But they are so. They're all. Are so different and unique. Selfishly, as a college football fan, I'm fired up to see Trinidad Chambers play again. I think he's a really good quarterback who's going to come in probably a top five Heisman pick for him. I think it was. A buddy of mine texted me. He's like, I can't believe they let a Mississippi judge rule over this case. And I'm like, where else are you going to find a judge in the state of Mississippi from? But I told him this was probably at minimum a $4 million win for Trinidad Chambliss. Like, that's going to be probably in the ballpark and that's probably on the low end, some of these quarterbacks, but they're making huge win for him financially because I don't know where he's going to get drafted. If he's a first rounder, maybe it's better. But you know, there was some indecision about where he would go, but I think it's great. I mean, I'm, I'm selfish. I want to see him play another year. I don't love six years, but hopefully we'll get something in place sooner and we can get him six years in college football.

[Chip Patterson]

I was going to say, like from the. Again, case by case basis, I saw a guy who played three years of competitive football, wants to play a fourth at a place where he just showed up. You know, like, I just, just from like the human fan level, I just, I did sometimes I do get a little bit of a, hey, buddy, get a job. You know about some of these eligibility cases in this case. And maybe my bias is the joy that Trinidad Chambliss brought to watching a football game with his playmaking. But I saw you play three years of competitive football after a red shirt year and a DNP year where your mom says that you were trying to get a medical red shirt and you didn't get it. But I, I'm not seeing somebody who's burning up a ton of the eligibility pie for unnecessary reasons on this one.

[Tom Fornelli]

I mean, it's, it's weird. I, I, I've got no problem with Chambers getting another year. I wish we could finally get just some eligibility rules put in place that are ironclad and that everybody agrees to. Because it is funny. Like the NCAA statement after the ruling came out was. It was funny to me in that, and I'm guilty of it just as much as everybody else. But they kind of, it just shows the lunacy going on for the ncaa, saying the schools asked us to create these rules and now those schools are complaining that we're enforcing them and taking us to court, too. So we don't enforce them even though they agreed to these rules. And I guess we're just going to have to keep fighting them. It is, it's like the schools create the rules until a certain school doesn't want them anymore, and then they're like, these are wrong and unfair and it's all the NCAA's fault. So we're going to sue you and we're going to get a judge crash crying for an hour and a half instead of just giving us a damn ruling like, brother, like, this, this isn't your moment. Stop trying to make this about you. Just, you're a judge. But like, again, lawyers, judges, they've all been great for college football. Everything they have done has improved the sport immeasurably. But I, I don't think Chambliss is the problem here. I, I think the problem is more like Danny touched on, like, the Betty Akos and the guys who have left and given up their college eligibility, knowing the ramifications of doing so and making that decision who are now trying to get back in. I, I don't think Chambliss getting an extra year hurts the sport long term. I think it hurts a few players who are hoping to get spots. But I think allowing the Betty Akos and who's the kid from UCLA that's trying to come back.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

That kind of stuff, I think would cause a whole hell of a lot of damage. And I, I think we need to keep that from happening. And I think that's on the schools as much as it is the coaches and the ncaa. It's on everybody to keep it from happening. But, yeah, I don't know. It's, it's gonna be weird just because there's not gonna be any consistency from case to case. Like the Joey Aguilar one might not win. He might lose. And Trinidad Chambliss will win. And you'll look at their two cases and you'll be like, what was really the difference? I don't know. One had sleep apnea, so he gets to play again.

[Chip Patterson]

Well, isn't Joey on eight?

[Danny Cannell]

Yeah, he's a little further down the road. His is more similar to Diego Pavi is the junior college route. Where do those years count? Did you see the attorney? And that one.

[Tom Fornelli]

It's pretty.

[Danny Cannell]

It's worth looking up the Tennessee. So the guy is. We went to Tennessee, but is the NCAA's attorney. And he makes this. It's a great, like, one and a half minute little speech where he's like, we love Joe. He's like, look, we love Joey Aguilar and all that he's brought to the program in Knoxville. And he'll always have a home in Knoxville. But this is Tennessee. We're above breaking the rules to. It is. And first thing I thought is, Joey Aguilar might always have a home, but you may not have a home in Knoxville. Their season goes off the road. And it's crazy because he. It's a really good speech that kind of just sets a pretty good context. And I was looking up some. Some like, articles on this, and they said if you heard both attorneys, the NCAA attorney, which is rare, they have gotten smoked in all these. They said he was more eloquent and, like, grabbed your attention a little bit more with his thoughts. So they said, well, they thought Joey Aguilar was going to win. This attorney might have made a really strong case. But I guess we're supposed to hear on that one tomorrow. Tomorrow or Wednesday with President's Day today.

[Tom Fornelli]

Can I just give a. Whatever to some of our fellow journalists out there?

[Chip Patterson]

Sure.

[Tom Fornelli]

Just a little friendly. Just a friendly reminder for those of you who parrot what a couple of lawyers say constantly, as if they know the law better than anybody else just because they're lawyers. Try to keep in mind what those certain lawyers, their entire revenue source is based on right now. Just instead of parroting what they say for the.

[Chip Patterson]

For practical, like Ole Miss outlook, like you said, Danny, I think Trinidad Chambliss starts the year as one of the top quarterbacks in the country. You lost Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weiss Jr. Your new offensive coordinator, was the past game coordinator under Lane Kiffin for a couple of years before he went to go take the ECU job. My expectation is that the Ole Miss offense will still be built to highlight Trinidad Chambliss's playmaking ability, that they will be aggressive, they will use tempo, that he will have a chance to lead Ole Miss into the College Football Playoff, that they will start the year probably ranked somewhere between 10 and 15, and they have a tougher schedule, but they'll have a quarterback that, in my opinion, gives them a way better chance of being successful than the unproven, you know, unproven outlook that you would have with Deuce Knight. Talented physically, but certainly raw compared to the experience you get with Chambliss. So huge for Pete Golding going into his first year, to have a quarterback that you can trust like that as a. As opposed to going the unproven route.

[Danny Cannell]

I almost got faked out by a fake account, but there was a fake account. It was my first thought, is Deuce Knight. Does he know this was going to happen? And how does he feel about it? Like, are we going to see him be. I've mentioned it several times on here. Somebody's going to, you know, challenge the transfer portal window. You know, if he's sitting there and he goes through spring and he realizes, oh, I'm not. I'm not seeing the field at any time, is he going to be willing to sit there? Is he going to want to play somewhere, you know, or if another school gets quarterback hurt, do they come, oh, Deuce Knight's available. Let's try to get him from Ole Miss because he knows he's not playing. That was one of my first thoughts when I saw this.

[Chip Patterson]

Understanding early in this process, like, a lot. Again, maybe this could have been an email. Maybe this could have been a waiver process. Maybe we didn't need a long diatribe from a judge to wind up at the same place where we wound up. But the belief within the Ole Miss football program since the beginning of the paperwork was that they would eventually get to this ruling. I have to think that some of that communication is like, Chambliss. I'm not going to call him a bridge quarterback, but this is very obviously his last year. And so for Deuce Knight, for Deuce Night.

[Tom Fornelli]

You don't know that.

[Chip Patterson]

I know. I know, right? But you. For Deuce Night, I would. I would think that if there was so much confidence in the success of the waiver process, that the communication was tonight, like, hey, you're going to play behind Trinidad. Maybe we need you, but that's to get you ready for being able to come out. I mean, you're. You're Dante Moore playing behind Dylan Gabriel, you know, like that, that sort of succession plan being set up for him. So, you know, we'll see. It, it will be interesting. I don't, I think the NCAA has a chance to appeal. Tom, you mentioned the NCAA statement. I understand why they're going to defend their own bylaws in court as a matter of precedent. You can't just like lay down. But I, I believe that. My, I don't believe. I think Chambliss will be the starter when Ole Miss starts the season. And that will be a season of a lot of intrigue and importance in.

[Tom Fornelli]

Oxford if, if Chambers better be the starter.

[Chip Patterson]

Oh, after all this, considering what Ole.

[Tom Fornelli]

Miss is paying him to come back and what they spent on lawyers, I think better be the damn starter.

[Chip Patterson]

We'll see. Coming up on the other side, will Pete Golding be the next head coach to be a first time national champion? We'll get into the candidates and more next. We heard you. Nine years of bring back the snack.

[Tom Fornelli]

Wrap and you've won.

[Danny Cannell]

But maybe you should have asked for more. Say hello to the hot panny snack wrap.

[Chip Patterson]

Now you've really wanted.

[Tom Fornelli]

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[Chip Patterson]

Back here on the COVID 3 podcast. So for a couple years now we have been going through the exercise which for many years has felt just theoretical in terms of who will be the next program to be a first time national championship winner. So we do the same thing for coaches as well. Obviously it's a larger circle for coaches than it has been for schools and programs. And that's because until last season we had not had a first time national championship winning program in terms of claimed recognized national championships since Florida in 1996. That was broken by Indiana. Now, reason why I want to bring this up. If we look at the history of programs winning their first national championship, what I found, gentlemen, were some clusters. Now it's not, you know, overwhelming, but the idea that Florida in 96 came on the heels of Florida State in 93, shout out Danny and the Knowles on the heels of Colorado in 1990, then before that a huge cluster of Clemson in 81, Penn State in 82, Miami in 83, BYU in 84, then a huge gap, much like the gap that we had seen before. I was able to reach back to Arkansas in 64, but again, even beyond that it starts to get a little claimed. Not claimed. It starts to get a little bit dicey. So as we start our conversation with programs, you think we are on the precipice in this era of maybe getting much like we did in the 80s, much like we did in the early 90s? Are we on the precipice of seeing a cluster where the championship winning club gets some new members?

[Danny Cannell]

What'd you say?

[Tom Fornelli]

Said no. No, no, no. Okay.

[Danny Cannell]

I mean, I say yes.

[Tom Fornelli]

I do feel like it's harder to say now because of the current landscape. Like we really don't know. Like the sport is changing so much. But I will say, you know, the last national champions, we went from Michigan to Ohio to Indiana. So we're all, we're going around Lake Michigan right now, which means Illinois will win this year and then next year, two years from now, it'll be Wisconsin, who I believe has not won a national title. So maybe that's who we should be looking at.

[Danny Cannell]

I did have a Big Ten school, but I did not have a traditional.

[Tom Fornelli]

One we've had for like the last 10 years, pretty much.

[Chip Patterson]

And also for the purposes of the way I was doing this, Tom, Illinois has already won national championships.

[Tom Fornelli]

See, that's the thing. I feel like. Do we need to reframe the conversation? Like first national title or the first one of the modern era? Because there's a lot of schools that won national titles in 1940, and that is not the same thing to me.

[Chip Patterson]

I'm sorry, Indiana had not done it at all.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah.

[Chip Patterson]

And there are. I've got seven schools that I, I have a couple that are very much closer, but seven schools that I, I would at least nominate for potentially being close. Danny, you said you've got a Big Ten school. Is it a school that recently joined the Big Ten?

[Danny Cannell]

Yes.

[Chip Patterson]

I mean, that's not like.

[Danny Cannell]

Yeah, I already got them in the national championship game, remember? I mean, I hope they book their tickets. Dante Moore is coming back against Texas. They've been knocking on the door. They've been getting close. I mean, I think they've got to be the number one candidate of these schools, the odds makers. Already they're 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 on the, you know, fanduel odds makers to win the national championship. So they have the best odds and they've got the resources. Like, I think that's a big part of this conversation is who is going to spend or who wants to spend to get that first national championship. And I think Oregon clearly has that, that desire and they have the ability to back it up.

[Tom Fornelli]

Agreed. It's just like what I said a minute. We've been calling Oregon this team for a very long time now, and they have not broken through. And I would say there's a new dog on the block.

[Chip Patterson]

Texas Tech.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yes.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah, that's the other.

[Tom Fornelli]

Because the way that they spend and the way that they're doing it. Well, guess who started doing that itself now. Texas Tech. And I feel like Texas Tech. And we don't know what the format's going to look like exactly, but they have an easier path to the playoffs like Oregon might have to fight for at largest, because they're not guaranteed to win the Big Ten every year. They've still got to deal with Ohio State, Michigan, usc, Penn State, Indiana, all these programs that they have to get through first. Whereas Texas Tech, right now it looks like BYU is their only real competition. Maybe Utah, depending on how post Whittingham looks.

[Chip Patterson]

So the. The. If we're in our 2014 playoff conference championships don't matter. You just got to be a top 20 to be able to get in. Texas Tech, I think undeniably is that it's Oregon and Texas Tech in the top tier. If the starting point for which. Which programs could you see getting it done in 2026? Oregon with Dante Moore, Texas Tech with Brendan Sorsby. The rosters that they have, the path that they have in the current college football playoff format. Oregon and Texas Tech, to me, are where it gets interesting for 2026. Do you want to hear a few other nominations that I would propose?

[Danny Cannell]

This is too.

[Chip Patterson]

Okay. All right. All right, go.

[Danny Cannell]

I mean, I think those are the clear. Like, they're like legit. Like you can picture it happening. None of us would be surprised. Surprised. But I do think if we see another Indiana situation where you see a team get hot out of nowhere, I mean, and wouldn't it. I mean, if this was ever a. Wouldn't it be hilarious. Wouldn't it be hilarious if James Franklin leaves Penn State where he never could win the big one? Virginia Tech, a place that has an empty trophy case that they put in since 1999 that they have been waiting to fill. They play in the acc, which is wide open behind Miami. Like, half the battle's getting there. Now, I am definitely talking my way into this one, but I think if you would have said this about Indiana a few years ago, you would have said, ah, there's no chance now, do they. They do have the financial commitment. They do have a ton of players coming in. I think They, I think they're a part of the conversation when we're having this one. I don't think it's a zero some. I don't think it's zero chance, but I think they have to be in this conversation.

[Chip Patterson]

James, I know you're a big fan of the COVID 3 podcast. I want to address you directly. I am sorry I was disrespectful. Virginia Tech under James Franklin is a terrific call for could the pieces come together. They, I mean, they played for the national championship before. They've gotten to the sweet taste. They've been in BCS bowl games. And I was so disrespectful, I included their rival on my list. The way Virginia has spent and changed their approach to football, I think is worth, it's worth considering that they could keep things moving. They continue to get these record gifts. They continue to really prioritize making sure that football is just not something that you do as a cocktail hour, but a sport that you want to go and field winning teams for. Tony Elliott just led one of the most successful seasons in the hundred plus one hundred fifty plus year history of Virginia football. So do I think that that's a program that maybe, you know, you hit right on quarterback and a few other things. Do I think that's one that could be there? Absolutely. I think, I think I would rank James, I do rank James Franklin ahead of Tony Elliott in terms of my own personal coach rankings. And I do think the Virginia Tech investment is something that I overlooked. But Virginia has been investing over the last, like, year, two years, so they've at least gotten a head start there. I had Virginia on my list of seven to be able to potentially be a candidate to go and make a run at it.

[Tom Fornelli]

Should I read off like a list of Power 4 teams that haven't yet, just so our listeners are more aware, in case they don't already know?

[Chip Patterson]

Sure.

[Tom Fornelli]

Boston College, Arizona, Utah, Texas Tech. We mentioned Mississippi State, NC State, Oklahoma State, Mizzou, South Carolina, Oregon. We discussed Arizona State, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Cincinnati. Now Purdue, Louisville, Bandy, Kansas, Duke, and Chip's beloved North Carolina Tar Heels. So those are the teams that we're dealing with, trying to figure out which one's going to be the next one there first.

[Chip Patterson]

It's great context, Tom. I appreciate it.

[Tom Fornelli]

It's not a great list.

[Chip Patterson]

Louisville also on my list.

[Tom Fornelli]

Okay. Yeah. You know, Indiana just won a national title, so I got to check myself.

[Danny Cannell]

Right.

[Tom Fornelli]

Got no shot of winning, but Louisville's not winning the national title.

[Chip Patterson]

I think. I think Utah is interesting, but with.

[Tom Fornelli]

Whittingham leaving, that is going to be. I mean, they had such a long, sustained run of success going from urban right into Whittingham and being able to sustain that through not just the two coaches, but through like 15 different conferences that they were in during that time period, too. So, yeah, I don't know. Like, I have confidence Utah is going to remain one of the better teams or more consistent teams in the Big 12, but I just. I need to see it with Scally before I can really sit there and say I think they've got a shot.

[Danny Cannell]

Arizona State's probably won. I mean, they did make the playoffs once. We got Cutter Bowley coming in, who showed some shines at Kentucky. They also have Mikey Keane coming in. I can't believe he's. That's a name still going around. It is hard for me to believe in them as a true player. When I see Kenny Dillingham begging for money, you know, and begging local restaurants to name menu items after them so they can pay the players for them, it does make me a little bit concerned. Like, what's the top end? But I think the fact that success they've already had has to have them in the conversation at the top of the list.

[Chip Patterson]

If I give you Vanderbilt and Missouri, which one would you take? I've got both of them on my list of potential nominees here.

[Tom Fornelli]

Only one of them has Barton Simmons as their general manager. So I'm taking.

[Danny Cannell]

And the number one, one of the top quarterbacks in the country coming in, huh.

[Chip Patterson]

Vandy?

[Danny Cannell]

Yeah, yeah. You know, Right.

[Chip Patterson]

Knocking on the door of the playoff this year again, Copy and paste some of what I was talking about in terms of. They have seen investment. They have figured out ways to be able to raise the talent level of the program in the modern era, you know, overcome what's always been looked at as some of the academic, you know, some of the academic hurdles that have to be overcome in terms of fielding a competitive roster in the Southeastern Conference. I've got Vanderbilt on my list. Absolutely. What about Mizzou?

[Tom Fornelli]

They have the financial buy in. I don't know if they have it to the level of some of the other programs. And we also saw that that is a state that is willing to change its state laws to help accommodate its football program in this modern era. It's just a bunch of other states have now since followed suit. So the edge that they had there is not quite there. But like, that's a talented team year in and year out. It's just it's, it's having difficult time getting to that level of being able to consistently win against SEC opponents.

[Danny Cannell]

They are, by the way, they're kind.

[Tom Fornelli]

Of like the SEC's Maryland. Well, like, yeah, they're killing you in September.

[Chip Patterson]

Well, Missouri is also another one of those programs where when I was, when I was doing my, when I was doing my research here, I was like, have they really just never won one? Like they didn't even get a shared one. And you know, just to, to think about the consistency that I mean just growing up sort of the Gary Pinkle era, right? I mean Gary, Gary Pinkle rarely had bad teams. They were frequently in the mix, oftentimes flirting with, you know, top five, top 10 status, some epic years in the Big 12. And I was like, man, just they didn't pop once and the answer is no. So that one was a surprise given the school footprint, talent base. You know, I just Missouri putting it all together. I think that for some people the sleeping giant term gets thrown around a lot. I think that we could read Missouri finally putting it all together for a title run as a little bit of a sleeping giant awakening moment.

[Danny Cannell]

It's interesting as we're talking about these teams, Missouri, Vanderbilt, they're like right in the same grouping on FanDuel's national championship odds. Utah we already discussed and BYU is in there. BYU's Kalani Sataki's kind of elevated them. I mean they got their quarterback back.

[Chip Patterson]

They've got the 1984 national team.

[Danny Cannell]

Oh, duh. Yeah.

[Chip Patterson]

But Kalani Sataki can pivot us into that next conversation. All right, Mikey, let's look at the co recent coaches which again this is going to be a more frequently we're going to see coaches be able to break through because the gaps you see here can simply be explained as Nick Saban. That would be the reason why we had a lot of gaps between the 2009 and the 2020 type era. That would be six national championships in a 12 year run for for Nick at Alabama recently, our Jim Harbaugh, Ryan Day and our Kurt Signetti obviously giving us a couple first time national championship winners. So we've got a lot more options here. I guess the, the fun place to start is where would you put your money on who that could be in this one. And using the FanDuel odds, I'll give you the top of the list. Marcus Freeman, Steve Sarkeesian, Mario Crystal Ball, Lane Kiffin, Mike Elko, Kaylin DeBoer, Pete Golding, Brent Venables, Lincoln Riley I think is your top tier there. Of that group, who would you think is most likely to be a first time national championship winner?

[Tom Fornelli]

Freeman, like, if we're going like this year, I would go for even because I just think Notre Dame has an easier path because if it's, it doesn't like it's got again, I'm not saying they got an easy schedule. I'm not one of those people. But they don't have to go to the conference championship and they have a lot, a lot more gimme games than most other teams. They're very good.

[Chip Patterson]

Notre Dame's going to be the 12, 0, undefeated 1 seed to start the College Football Playoff. So they will have a, they will have a good shot at it. But you know, we, we talked about Lanning a little bit before Joey McGuire there before Steve Sarkeesian.

[Danny Cannell]

Lanning versus Sark. I mean, one, it's gonna be a new, gonna be a first time national championship winner. Book it.

[Tom Fornelli]

What about the conversation? But I, I mean, again, I don't think Miami's going anywhere. It's just last year kind of felt like a perfect storm situation to where that team peaked at the right time. It was a very veteran team. Will they be able to kind of rekindle it again? Right. And reload right away? I don't know yet.

[Chip Patterson]

Our friend says nobody thinks it's going to be Sark.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think plenty of people in Austin think it's going to be Sark. It's considering Texas might be the number one team to start the season again next year. A lot of people think it might be Sark.

[Danny Cannell]

I almost feel like if you don't, I mean, all these coaches can be disappointed if they don't win it. But it does feel like the year for Sark to do it. He's got Arch coming back. He just brings in west champ shakes up that they've spent a month, a bunch of money in the portal getting guys like Cam Coleman to come in there. Like they've, they're always big spenders. I do think they've got to look at it as, this is the year.

[Tom Fornelli]

We haven't even mentioned the Hundred million dollar man.

[Danny Cannell]

Oh, wow.

[Tom Fornelli]

Right? I mean, that's why they paid him to come to lsu. To do what? Twin national titles. You might do it. He might beat all these guys. I mean, assuming he coaches in the playoff, like, you know, you never know what other schools could come open.

[Danny Cannell]

If LSU gets to the playoff, NFL could come calling.

[Chip Patterson]

If, if Sark can't get it done, we going, we Got a big game. Sark problem. Can't win the big one.

[Tom Fornelli]

Nobody can win the big win until they do. Like I still see people saying Dan Lanning can't win big games despite the fact that he beat Ohio State and won the pen Big Ten last year. You can't win big games.

[Chip Patterson]

Yes. Lane Kiffin right there in in the mix as well in as you start to work your way a little bit further down could I. Do you think that one of those top tier coaches would get a national championship before we see Matt Campbell win one at Penn State?

[Tom Fornelli]

Yes.

[Chip Patterson]

Rhett Lashley.

[Tom Fornelli]

Can'T rule anybody out.

[Chip Patterson]

1980, 1982 national championship kept and I think maybe two others kept SMU off of the first time national championship winning school or program. But Rhett Lashley, you can get everything going in the right direction if you're gonna put, if you're gonna put Miami that high. Rhett's got two wins against Mario in each of the last two seasons in the regular season. So might be another team to, to keep an eye on. I've kind of got them loosely power ranked as the biggest. The, the next up among contenders behind.

[Danny Cannell]

Miami in the conference is Jennings back. Yes, Kevin Jennings. Joey McGuire. Do we mention him? We mentioned Texas Tech. So yeah, it goes hand in hand.

[Chip Patterson]

But yeah, the Lanning, Texas Tech and then I think it would be the same thing with Louisville and Brahm, Missouri and Eli. All those programs, you know, even James Franklin, Virginia Tech, all those go hand in hand. Whittingham at Michigan maybe.

[Danny Cannell]

I just hope it happens quick because if it doesn't I just wonder how long he's going to be there. I think they got a two or three year window.

[Chip Patterson]

John Summerall.

[Danny Cannell]

That's a good one.

[Chip Patterson]

Like I would look for the coach at programs who have won a national championship.

[Danny Cannell]

Right.

[Chip Patterson]

Programs that know how to do it might be a great spot. I mean that's where Lane Kiffin at LSU heightens Lane Kiffin's chances to win a national championship because he's the LSU head coach and the LSU head coach, Lane Kiffin, Tom Fornelli, any, I mean just anybody you have enhanced your chances to win the national championship.

[Tom Fornelli]

Two jerks, huh Golish? Sure. Yeah, for sure. Auburn's probably gonna win like multiple national titles. How many? Who's going to be the next coach to claim their first national title to spot despite not winning it? It's going to be the Auburn coach, folks. That's it. But like I, I do think going back to the start we, I, I feel like we need to reframe this conversation to where, like, if we go back, what was the case that. That changed the TV ruling? NCAA 84.

[Danny Cannell]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

In 84, like Oklahoma. We should maybe go back to, like, and start thinking it. Since 1984, which programs have won national titles? Because that really was the thing that kind of sent us along the path that we're currently on. And I feel like that would be considered a modern era. So then maybe BYU would count, being.

[Chip Patterson]

Right there on the cut line. Yeah, but Kalani Sataki could do it. You know, being able to break through. What are the chances Kaylin DeBoer wins a national championship at Alabama?

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't know. Like, a few years ago, Alabama was the big scary dog on the block, and now they're scared to play teams in the regular season. So I don't know what's going on with that program.

[Danny Cannell]

What happens first? I mean, does he win an Addie or does he get fired or does he leave? And, I mean, that's. That's the question.

[Chip Patterson]

I think killing DeBoer could win a national championship. So do I might not be at Alabama.

[Danny Cannell]

He should be on the list.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah, the. The coach who had Penn State fans rooting vigorously for the Auburn Tigers in the Iron bowl, you know, yeah, he could win a national championship somewhere. But we'll see, we'll see along the way. Always fun to be able to dive into this. If you've got other names that you would like to suggest for this conversation, feel free to let us know. We can maybe include them. Circle back to it when we have our mail bag episode on Thursday, but we will be back with you on Wednesday, 11am Eastern Time. Come and hang out. And you can follow him on Twitter at Tom Fernell. You can follow him at Danny Canal. You can follow me at Chip Underscore Patterson. Gentlemen, thank you very much.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think your coach is going to be the next one to do it.

[Chip Patterson]

Bill.

[Danny Cannell]

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[Tom Fornelli]

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