Ringer Tailgate – CFP Latest Rankings, Rivalry Week, Plus a Special Guest

Date: November 27, 2025
Hosts: Van Lathan, Joel Anderson, Tate Frazier
Special Guest: Jeff Ketchum (orangebloods.com)

Overview

This episode kicks off with the crew analyzing the latest College Football Playoff (CFP) Rankings before diving deep into the swirling drama of Rivalry Week. The usual banter about SEC supremacy, coaching controversies, playoff logic, and real fan culture runs throughout, setting the stage for a lively breakdown of the week’s biggest matchups. Later, the show features a spirited interview with Jeff Ketchum—recently at the center of a viral college football Twitter beef, which led to a charitable turn and some hard-earned online lessons.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. CFP Rankings Reactions & Playoff Picture

(00:33 – 20:55)

• Miami’s Playoff Stock

  • Van Lathan: Focuses on Miami at #12, noting a key win over Notre Dame and pondering how much that weighs on the committee. Miami’s consistency is up, making them a real playoff threat.

    “Miami is the one team... they really have started to put it on. If the committee wasn't looking closely before, they certainly are now.” (03:12, Joel)

  • Joel Anderson: Cautions about the “eye test,” noting Miami’s potential and how the playoff system is partly about putting the most dangerous teams in, even as lower seeds.

• Committee Storylines & Matchup Theater

  • Tate Frazier: Suggests the CFP committee is not immune to narrative-building, speculating on a possible Miami-Oregon “Coach Bowl” scenario (Cristobal vs. Lanning, 05:34).

• Consistency in Committee Logic

  • Debate around consistency: does losing a coach (Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss) matter as much as losing a star player (Jordan Travis at Florida State)?

    “If you are going to penalize a team for not having its quarterback... I do not see how you would not keep that same energy when you're talking about a coach like Lane Kiffin not being there.” (15:07, Van)

• Texas and the Playoff Chase

  • Joel: Sees Texas missing the CFP as a “failure” for a preseason #1, calling out the disparity between expenditures and outcomes (20:55).
  • Van: Wonders if Texas' own internal expectations differed from public hype and lauds their resilience despite setbacks.

• Rankings Graphic Mishaps and Light Banter

  • The hosts riff about the now-memed “6,7” committee ranking explanations, poking fun at CFP committee figure Hunter Yurachek’s attempts to be relatable (“that was whack”—09:04).
  • Extended tangents about “raising the roof” and childhood trends provide comic relief and team chemistry.

2. Coaching Drama and ‘Start, Bench, Cut: Lane Kiffin’

(19:00 – 55:37)

• Lane Kiffin Uncertainty

  • Discussion centers on the swirling rumors around Lane Kiffin possibly leaving Ole Miss for Florida or LSU.
  • Joel: Surprises everyone by favoring Ole Miss as Lane’s best choice (“Don’t take happiness for granted... Start Ole Miss. Don’t be dumb, don’t be stupid, man.”, 46:52)
  • Van: Notes Florida’s diminished luster and the cultural pull of LSU, but questions why Kiffin has never seemed fully committed to Ole Miss despite current success.

    “With the amount of success that Ole Miss has had and is having... What is making Lane Kiffin look outside?... This kind of doesn’t make any sense.” (51:28)

  • Tate: Compares Kiffin to a self-sabotaging character: “When everything’s going good, he gets the itch to leave and blow it all up.”

• Florida’s Decline in College Football Perception

  • Van identifies this as an underdiscussed storyline: “If he doesn’t end up at Florida, Florida’s got to nail their hire... That is a weird and odd situation.”

3. “It Just Means More” – Viewership, SEC Culture, and Regional Pride

(33:09 – 41:14)

• Van: Triumphantly touts SEC dominance in college football viewership, citing new Nielsen data showing 13 of the 20 most-watched teams hail from the SEC.

  “There is a different way that we relate and react and engage with our football in the South. That’s just a fact.” (37:40, Van)

• Extended, humorous discussion about the boundaries and cultures of “the South” (Texas is Texas, NC/VA as southern but not “Deep South”), peppered with gentle cross-regional ribbing.
• Joel notes how conference realignment is driven by television value, with the SEC consolidating major TV brands.

4. Rivalry Week: Games to Watch & Playoff Implications

(57:25 – 71:20)

• Ohio State vs. Michigan (“The Game”)

  • Hosts debate why this iconic rivalry carries such a generic nickname, then break down key matchups and weather implications (snow favors Michigan; still, Ohio State favored).

    “I don’t think the snake gonna bite this weekend, man. I think Michigan’s in some trouble.” (58:53, Van)

  • The game’s blueprint: Michigan must control possession, protect the football, and get creative offensively.

• Other Top Rivalry Games

  • Van: LSU at Oklahoma – “Right now, we’re in the yard accumulation business. If we can get 32 yards... That is a dub.” (63:43)
  • Joel: The Iron Bowl (Auburn vs. Alabama): “For the sake of Kalen DeBoer and his family, boy, you cannot lose this game. You will not want to come back to Tuscaloosa if you lose this.” (65:48)
  • Tate: Texas A&M at Texas, Vandy at Tennessee, Miami vs. Pitt among others noted as meaningful games with storylines beyond playoff implications.
  • Banter about tension between coverage of SEC games vs. ranked ACC matchups, with Van hilariously pressing Joel to “get on the dick” of ACC football if he truly wants parity (69:26).

5. SPECIAL GUEST: Jeff Ketchum – Twitter Beef, Charity, and Lessons Learned

(73:38 – 100:55)

Background

• Jeff Ketchum (orangebloods.com) recounts his recent public bet gone viral: a $1,000 wager for charity with an Oklahoma rival, Eddie Radosevich. When Eddie resurfaced the months-old wager after OU’s qualifying win, Ketchum initially objected—then relented after social media pressure, leading to big fundraising wins for Boys & Girls Clubs in Norman and Austin.
• Ketchum reflects on the unpredictable reactions to online “beef,” self-aware about his own reputation as a “dick,” and how trying to be funny or snarky online can misfire.

  “There are levels to personalities... Some people get to do things and some people don’t. If people think you’re a dick, when you try to be funny, they think that’s who you are.” (80:14)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “If you’re my age, you grew up with A&M kicking Texas’ ass... But anybody under age 40, all they know is Oklahoma being the school that stands in their way. You hate the people that keep you from winning things.” (98:26, Jeff)
• Van draws a TMZ lesson from “kids are off-limits” for snark, and Ketchum ultimately admits: “If I have to explain the joke, it’s a bad joke.”
• The bet snowballs into real good for charity—over $20K raised for Norman, +$2K for Austin, and sets off broader Boys & Girls Club contests.

  “Whatever we did, a whole lot more good has come out of this than bad.” (83:38, Jeff)

• Ketchum hands out Texas edge rusher superlatives—puts Colin Simmons above Brian Orakpo, settling a host debate:

  “Colin Simmons is the best edge player that Texas has ever had... No one has a better arm talent than Arch Manning.” (91:46, Jeff)

6. Quick Hitters: Coaching Carousel, Turkey Talk, and College Football Oddities

(108:08 – 119:10)

• Coaching Moves & Rumors

  • Art Briles hired by DII Eastern New Mexico (“looking crazy, bro... Art Briles… R. Kelly. It’s looking…” – Van, 109:04), Jim Mora to Colorado State, Cal fires Justin Wilcox, Saban pushing Brian Daboll for Penn State.

• Deep-Fried Turkey Debate

  • Eddie George’s “5-year same oil” process draws skepticism.

    “I don’t know enough about it, but I know using the same oil for five years is fucking crazy.” (113:29, Van)

• Thanksgiving Reflections

  • Chaos over how long it takes to fry “baby turkeys.”
  • The hosts express gratitude for listeners and each other, in classic, affectionate Ringer Tailgate fashion.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Miami is the one team... they're looking like things are okay. If the committee wasn't looking closely before... they certainly are now.” – Joel Anderson (03:12)
• “If you’re going to penalize a team for not having its quarterback... I do not see how you would not keep that same energy...” – Van Lathan (15:07)
• “There is a different way that we relate and react and engage with our football in the South. That’s just a fact.” – Van Lathan (37:40)
• “Right now, we’re in the yard accumulation business.” – Van Lathan on LSU vs. Oklahoma (63:43)
• “If I have to explain the joke, it’s a bad joke.” – Jeff Ketchum (82:39)
• “Colin Simmons is the best edge player that Texas has ever had…” – Jeff Ketchum (91:46)
• “Don’t take happiness for granted… Start Ole Miss. Don’t be dumb, don’t be stupid, man.” – Joel Anderson (46:52, on Lane Kiffin’s best job option)
• “We all bond in a locker room... But one place white folks don’t have a problem being racist to you is the locker room.” – Joel Anderson (102:32)

Episode Structure & Key Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------|------------------| | CFP Rankings and Miami Discussion | 00:33 – 06:57 | | Committee Antics ("6,7"), Banter | 07:00 – 15:00 | | Texas, Playoff Philosophy | 20:00 – 22:03 | | Lane Kiffin "Start, Bench, Cut" | 46:49 – 55:37 | | Southern Football/Viewer Culture | 33:09 – 41:14 | | Rivalry Week Previews (Big Games) | 57:25 – 71:20 | | Guest Interview – Jeff Ketchum | 73:38 – 100:55 | | Quick Hitters, Coaching, Turkey Talk | 108:08 – 119:10 |

Tone and Style

The show’s trademark blend of sharp analysis and off-the-rails banter is on full display. The hosts riff easily between serious football breakdowns and riotous asides—never shying from playful jabs, cultural debates, or poignant commentary. Both serious points and inside jokes abound, with everyone equally willing to shoot straight or roast each other.

For the Uninitiated

If you missed this week’s show, you missed a wild ride: in-depth talk on playoff logic, SEC supremacy, and what really drives coaching changes; a deep (and surprisingly moving) dive into the online perils and real-world impact of college football fandom, and plenty of quick-hit college football weirdness to prime you for the last, wild days of the regular season. Most importantly, you’ll feel like you’re hanging out right on the couch with Van, Joel, and Tate, laughing, debating, and loving every minute.

TL;DR:
Rivalry Week is here—this episode previews the chaos to come, skewers the College Football Playoff committee, contextualizes SEC fan culture, untangles coaching drama, and welcomes guest Jeff Ketchum for the definitive word on charity Twitter beefs, player greatness, and the fickle court of public opinion—all with the usual Ringer Tailgate mix of knowledge, heart, and hilarity.