Ringer Tailgate: Belichick’s First College Game, Miami’s Back, and the Real No. 1 Team in the Country

Date: September 4, 2025
Hosts: Tate Frazier, Van Lathan, Joel Anderson

Overview

In this lively episode, Tate Frazier, Van Lathan, and Joel Anderson tackle the fallout of Bill Belichick’s much-hyped college football debut, Miami's resurgence, and LSU's statement win. With their trademark mix of sharp analysis and banter, the trio covers the biggest games, emerging storylines, and the ever-chaotic world of college football after Week 1. They also dig into off-field drama, the state of storied programs, and preview what’s ahead in Week 2.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bill Belichick’s First College Game Debacle at UNC

• Belichick’s College Fit Questioned
  • Joel: The panelists are skeptical about legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick’s ability to adapt to college football. His signature deadpan energy in a pregame interview raises doubts about his charisma for recruiting and energizing college athletes.
    • "It just seems to me my big swag is that maybe Bill Belichick doesn’t quite get the college thing. Not a surprise. He’s never done it before. He’s an old man, you know, he’s 73." (03:52)
  • Van observes that Belichick looks drained and wonders if he even has “any pep left” at this stage.
    • "I think we got the best version of Bill Belichick we could have gotten. He’s tired." (05:05)
• Carolina Football’s New Spotlight
  • UNC’s hire of Belichick puts the program under the national microscope: “But now it’s going to be all eyes on North Carolina, just like it was all eyes on Prime when he began his tenure in Colorado.” (09:34)
  • Every opponent is motivated to “kick his ass this year” (11:42), with one ACC coordinator quoted postgame:
    • "It’s really, really important for all of us who have come up in college football to, quote, kick his ass this year." (11:42)
• Game Recap
  • TCU dominates UNC; the Tar Heels’ lone bright spot is Max Johnson, but by then “TCU had already called the dogs off.” (08:35)
  • The presence of legends (Michael Jordan, Lawrence Taylor, Mia Hamm) adds to the stakes.

2. LSU’s Statement Win at Clemson

• Nussmeier Shines
  • Van raves about LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier’s poise and skill, especially behind a reconstructed offensive line against Clemson’s vaunted defense:
    • "Garrett looks like, to me, the most comfortable quarterback in college football right now." (13:48)
• Complete Team Performance
  • LSU impresses on both sides of the ball, with Van noting excellent LB play, secondary depth, and a well-schemed attack that saw the Tigers grind out 108 rushing yards and control the line.
  • “What I saw was a team that knows its identity, knows where its strengths are and knows how to go win ball games, and that’s what they did.” (36:23)
• Clemson Overrated?
  • Joel questions Clemson’s credentials and QB Cade Klubnik’s NFL hype, calling out offensive limitations and lack of proven playmakers. (16:19)
• Coach Reactions/Banter
  • Dabo Swinney compares the game to “getting the final exam on the first day of class,” saying, “They made a 65. We made a 58.” (21:04)
  • Van with a shot: “Dabo made Brian Kelly look cool. And that’s harder to do than it is to beat the LSU Tigers… Thanks Dabo.” (21:04–21:29)

3. Miami is ‘Back’—Again

• Signature Win Over Notre Dame
  • The crew jokes about the annual “Miami is back” claims but acknowledges a real turnaround, highlighted by QB Carson Beck’s emotional performance and WR CJ Daniels’s jaw-dropping, demoralizing one-handed catch.
    • “You got Michael Irvin on the sideline going crazy… in kind of in vogue with what we do with college football. I would dare say that Miami looks like they’re back.” (22:07)
• Atmosphere and Stakes
  • Joel appreciates the packed home crowd: “It was kind of sad. I was like, man, damn, man, in Miami, nobody gives a shit anymore. But so to see the home stadium jumping like that…” (23:42)
  • Van: “When Miami is good, Miami is unfucking stoppable, right? And to see that logo be on losing teams... that’s when the U is not back. When the U is back is when the logo actually means something…” (25:01)
• Notre Dame Takeaways
  • Both teams played well, with Notre Dame “having no reason to have any different thoughts about their season” after a hard-fought loss. (27:45)
• Game-Changing Catches
  • The panel highlights Vernell Brown III's and CJ Daniels’ spectacular grabs, with the Daniels catch cited as "demoralizing for Notre Dame" and pivotal. (30:29–31:19)

4. Who’s the Real Number One?

• Ohio State Over Texas, but…
  • While AP ranks Ohio State #1 after a landmark win over Texas, Joel and Van debate their merits versus LSU’s all-around performance.
    • Joel: “They have just an incredible amount of talent on defense... Caleb Downs, if I had to pick, he would probably be my leader. For a Heisman candidate right now, I think he’s the best player in the country.” (33:26)
    • Van: “If I was to look right now and say which team put on a performance that makes me think that they’re the number one team as you’re voting, I would say it was the LSU Tigers.” (36:23)

5. Week 2 Preview & Other Storylines

• Game Day: Michigan–Oklahoma
  • Freshman QBs Bryce Underwood (Michigan) vs. John Mateer (Oklahoma); Brent Venables at a crossroads: “He has to show some proof of concept.” (42:08)
• Trap Game Watch
  • Van warns: South Florida at Florida could be tricky due to South Florida’s grit; Florida’s brutal schedule looms. (45:38)
• Iowa–Iowa State (“Cy-Hawk”)
  • Joel: Fascinated by the rivalry and Kirk Ferentz’s possible Big Ten coaching milestone. “It’s always a fun game, man… They always go down in the wire.” (54:14)
• Band Battles
  • Van hypes up Grambling’s band vs. Ohio State’s: “Hang on, Sloopy’ ain’t gonna get it done. All right? It’s not gonna get it done against Grambling.” (56:10)
• Mike Gundy vs. Dan Lanning: The NIL Spat
  • Gundy criticizes Oregon’s spending; Lanning responds, “You gotta spend to win.” Panel blasts Gundy’s outdated, “loser mentality.”
    • Van: "Mike Gundy, you got two choices. Get your money up or shut up." (61:02)
    • Joel: “You sound broke, Mike.” (63:20)
• Big Van On Campus—Double Feature
  • Ryan Day’s Nipple Ring: Van riffs on Ohio State’s head coach, joking, “If you gonna have the nipple ring, you gotta beat Michigan…” (67:55)
  • LSU Fan in the Stands: Lament over an LSU fan losing a fight in Clemson’s nosebleeds. “Don’t do that shit again, bro. First of all, you have slower reflexes than Chris Rock...” (68:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Belichick at UNC:
  “Bro, show a little enthusiasm, bro. You know what I’m saying? Sell your program. Sell yourself.” — Joel (04:10)

• On LSU’s win:
  “LSU’s legit, all right?...They looked competent, confident and cocksure.” — Van (12:56)

• On Miami’s resurgence:
  “When Miami is good, Miami is unfucking stoppable, right?...When the U is back is when the logo actually means something.” — Van (25:01)

• On Mike Gundy’s anti-NIL stance:
  “Mike Gundy, you got two choices. Get your money up or shut up.” — Van (61:02)
  “You sound broke, Mike.” — Joel (63:20)

• Band rivalry:
  “The Gramlin band is going to do what the Gramlin football team can’t do, which is fuck over Ohio State at home… Hang on, Sloopy ain’t gonna get it done.” — Van (56:10)

• Big Van on Campus—on Ryan Day’s nipple ring:
  “Having a nipple ring is actually a sign of greatness… But you gotta beat Michigan…” — Van (65:56)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Belichick’s College Debut & TCU Beatdown: 02:32–12:10
• LSU–Clemson Recap (Nussmeier, Defense, Dabo/Kelly Banter): 12:56–22:07
• Miami vs. Notre Dame, Is The U Back?: 22:07–31:39
• Highlight Catches Debate (CJ Daniels, Vernell Brown): 30:05–31:39
• Who’s Really #1 (OSU vs. LSU vs. Penn State): 32:17–37:50
• Week 2 Preview (Michigan-Oklahoma, South Florida-Florida, etc.): 41:46–54:30
• Band Battles (Grambling vs. Ohio State): 54:30–58:43
• Gundy-Lanning NIL Flap: 59:29–63:47
• Big Van on Campus (Ryan Day & LSU Fan Throwdown): 64:14–71:38

Additional Highlights

• Quick Hits:
  • Lee Corso goes 6-for-6 on College GameDay picks; picked LSU as national champs. (71:41)
  • Shout-out to Lenora Sellers, Frank Beamer, and Kirby Smart’s critique of Georgia fans.
  • Coach Prime confirms five-star QB Julian Lewis will play (likely due to a weak opponent, Delaware). (72:55)

Tone and Style

Throughout, the crew keeps things irreverent, self-deprecating, and highly knowledgeable—balancing expert insight ("LSU’s defensive adjustments") with wild barbershop banter (Ryan Day’s nipple ring, Joel’s many journalistic moves, and Grambling’s band sabotaging Ohio State halftime).

For the College Football Diehards (and the Curious)

From Belichick’s awkward foray into college coaching through LSU’s revenge tour and classic “Is Miami back?” debate, this episode hits every major story with humor and sharpness. Whether you’re tracking the polls, watching the drama off the field, or just in it for the band battles, it’s an essential listen—or, with this summary, an essential read.