CFP Latest Rankings, Diving Into Rivalry Week, Plus a Special Guest

Summary

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.

Transcript

[Sponsor/Ad Host]

This episode is brought to you by CarMax. When you buy a car with CarMax, you call the shots. You want to test drive every car in the lot. Want to shop while you watch the game? Want to match your car color to your sports team? Want to shop online, in store or both. It's your move every step of the way and support from their helpful no pressure associates is there whenever you need Want to drive CarMax, shop [e-mail] Foreign.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Welcome back to Rigor Tailgate, the Wednesday edition of the show. We got a very fun show, a very special guest that will be joining us later for a little big van on campus. We got Jeff Ketchum of orangebloods.com A man in the mix of one of the biggest online beefs of the week. So we're gonna break that down. Van's got some thoughts, Joel's got some thoughts, and we'll talk a little Texas, Oklahoma. It of course, is rivalry week, so we got a lot to get to on the show. But first and foremost, let's say what's up to Van Lat. Van, good to see you, man.

[Van Lathan]

What's up? What's up? What's up? Ringer Tailgate. Let's get cracking. Yeah, guys, I'm on a Celsius.

[Joel Anderson]

Woo.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

He's on a Celsius. He got the Laker shirt on. He's got the bucket hat on. We're ready to rock. Joel Anderson, as always, in the TCU sweatshirt. Joel, what week is this again?

[Joel Anderson]

It's rivalry week.

[Van Lathan]

There you go, Joel.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, you slow down.

[Joel Anderson]

You got to slow down with it. You know, that helps a lot when you get into it. It. So word. It just got in my head. Yeah.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

This is Ringer tailgate presented by FanDuel. And college football Saturdays are heating up. Whether you're in it for the early kick or the late night action, FanDuel let you bet your way with same game parlays, live betting game props and more. And Missouri, get excited because FanDuel's coming your way December 1st. Download the app and head to FanDuel.com tailgate and make every Saturday count. Must be 21 or older in present in select states or 18 and older in present in DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Chad In Connecticut, there is a race right now, an arms race to get to the college football playoffs. So let's start there. CFP rankings, they are back out. We got a 6, 7 reference, which I think confirms Billy Gill's point that it's officially dead. Once the grown ups are doing this, everybody's out on it. But one big reaction. I'll start with you, Van, from the CFP rankings is there learned from Tuesday night.

[Van Lathan]

Miami, man. Miami sitting there at 12. It looks like Miami is. They're, they're, they're trending towards the playoff. Like, how much do you think the victory over Notre Dame is. Is weighing on the committee's mind about whether or not to keep Miami in or out? Miami is the one team that I'm looking at whenever these rankings are released because they have started to look a little bit more consistent when they're playing. But beyond that, they have a really good win. And that really good win is over a team Notre Dame that I have to admit continues to look unstoppable. When I looked at it, I'm like, okay, Miami. Miami is looking like things are okay. You guys, what are your thoughts?

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, I mean, I think Miami looks a lot better than it did a couple weeks ago, and I think so. That was the context to my belief that Notre Dame should have been over Miami because I was like, well, not only has Miami lost twice recently, but they didn't look good. Right. Like, even in their win against Stanford in the first half, they look sort of sloppy. And so I just thought I was like, well, I don't know, you know, how they're going to hold up and how they're looking. But like handling these teams the last past couple weeks like Virginia Tech, I mean, it would have been real easy for them to just kind of sleepwalk through that game. And that kind is typically what Miami has done. And the crystal ball error. Okay, two for two. Yeah, right. Crisp, crisp. But like, they really have started to put it on. And I mean that, I mean, you. It's certainly now. If the committee wasn't looking closely before, they certainly are now. And so that eye test thing actually starts to matter. And they're looking at Miami and they're like, h, they look pretty good. And I think it also helps too for Miami that like, we could legitimately they have enough talent to win the national championship. And that's sort of what the idea of the playoff is. It's not, it's not just necessarily to expand opportunity, even though it is. But you want to pick a national champion. Well, one thing about Miami is that if they're a lower ranked team, if they get in, you know, they're you know, the lowest ranked at large team or whatever, they still have a real shot to do some damage in the playoffs. Yeah. And like, that has to sort of matter when the committee is putting things together.

[Van Lathan]

A team that actually has the capability to make a deep run based upon their roster and how they can play when they're at their best. For sure.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, that should be the argument. There's also the confusion, I think, with the graphics that we put out every week where Miami is penciled in as the ACC champion. Obviously, a lot of things have to break their way in the final week for them to make the ACC championship game. So they would not be in that spot. That would be either SMU or Virginia, most likely. But if it is smu, that's one of the quote, unquote, bad losses that they had. But SMU is trending in the right direction, so that could be more of an argument for Miami to be in the conversation. There's also, like, the committee loves the storylines, obviously, the narratives. We could get a situation where Miami has to travel to Oregon in Austin, where we get Crystal Ball, AKA CRO, going up against Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks. That would be a great game. Like, if I'm talking about, like, trying to set up the matchups for intrigue, I feel like that would be the move if you're the committee. Right.

[Van Lathan]

Van, I always like a coach bowl. I left to go here for Greener Pastors and now I'm back here having to play. It was the game that never really happened between LSU and Notre Dame in any way. But that game that pits these two guys is literally the same situation. Crystal Ball leaves Oregon, goes to Miami. The young whippersnapper Dan Lanning gets the job at Oregon and now has Oregon playing in a way that many people would argue that Miami is not playing. Those are the types of storylines that make this game what it is.

[Joel Anderson]

Well, Van, you from that, you from that soil. Because that is the context to the Alabama LSU rivalry in a way. And you tell me if I'm wrong about this. I remember they played each other and they're like two story programs in the same conference. It's sort of a rivalry. But the Knick Saban never gave a.

[Van Lathan]

Fuck about him before.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, the Nick Saban thing took it up, but that made it a whole thing, right?

[Van Lathan]

Yes. Cared much more about Auburn. Like it for me personally, before, prior to the Nick Saban situation, never came, never gave a fuck about him. Before they were Alabama, don't get me wrong. But lsu, Alabama, to me was not appointment viewing until the storyline became, look where Coach Saban is. And there's just something else to it. We have phenomenal football teams that could not get over the hump because there was a more phenomenal football team in.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Tuscaloosa and a better coach. I mean, that was really the problem. You had the Mad Hatter, Les Miles over there. And every time you looked at the sidelines with Alabama, you're just like, I kind of trust Saban more in these situations. Yes. You know, Les Miles had some incredible calls, you know, some of those field goal fakes that he had for touchdowns against Florida, for example. Right. Those are some great moments. But it always felt like the stabilized version was Nick Saban, and Saban was the one that got away. So it also hurt that Saban would always say these nice things about lsu, about how much he, you know, kind of regretted leaving and things like that. So it just always created a lot of intrigue. Joel, one big reaction from the CFP rankings.

[Joel Anderson]

So sort of from the rankings, and it goes back to the six, seven of this all. Man, can we give Hunter, you're a break, man? That man had a lot on his plate as recently as two weeks ago, like, basketball seasons got started. That man. That man got Calipari to come from Kentucky to Arkansas, by the way, you.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Know, he was in a coaching search for football.

[Joel Anderson]

He's in the middle of a football coaching search was just ended today, apparently, because he reportedly hired Alex Golis from usf and he was like a backbencher on the CFP committee. Right. He didn't have to do anything. That was Mack Rhodes job. Mac Rhodes goes out there and it makes explanations that gets everybody mad. Okay. And so, you know, for people that have not been following that story, Mack Rhodes had to step down from that position and also from his job as the athletic director at Baylor, from some unspecified allegations. We don't know what they are. But it was bad enough that he.

[Van Lathan]

Felt like you had to get your ass out of there. Yeah.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

He's like, it came out as personal reasons, and then there was some more nefarious implications. We don't know for sure, though.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, yeah, he said. He said, you know, it'd be best for me to get out of the spotlight for a moment. So your second is the next man up, man. You know, he already had a lot to do. This is this. This is like the third or fourth or fifth most important thing that he has to do. And I bet he's probably like, oh, man, I gotta. I gotta go on camera. I. You know, I didn't bit my lines, you know, I had to pay attention to all this. I mean, he's not paying attention to this stuff. So everybody. So I think what he did with that 6, 7 thing. He was trying to break the tank attention, man. He says, I'm a regular person, just like you guys. I like, I'm in on the joke, you know? Ridiculous.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, that was whack.

[Joel Anderson]

But he was trying, man.

[Van Lathan]

No, no, no. He was trying. You do this. I wish Billy was here. You do this to. To. To. To troll on purpose because, you know.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Thank you.

[Van Lathan]

Like, you know that.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

It's like, here comes his music.

[Joel Anderson]

You.

[Van Lathan]

You do that. Like, we. Every time Billy drop. We should put the undertaker on, you know, that was whack. Come on.

[Joel Anderson]

Already had enough guests today, man.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

We haven't had any guests yet. What are you talking about?

[Joel Anderson]

Oh, that's right. They haven't heard the rest of the show yet. That's correct.

[Van Lathan]

Billy, what's. What was your opinion of the six, seven thing that your check did?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

We talked about this, like, last week, two weeks ago, where you're trying to convince me and Tate the 67 was still a thing that people liked and you liked and all this stuff. And, like, we were the bad guys. We're like, I don't know. This seems like it's gotten to, like, you know, the old people now and then. When he did it, I was like, ooh, I think this. It's worse than we thought.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, he was trying, though, man. But I mean, it's just. I like when people give an effort, you know, when they're trying to say, I'm a likable person. I want to people to like me. I want. You know, I just feel like a lot of people don't try anymore. Like, they don't care if there seem to be. What is it called? Vice signaling? Like, where there's, like, being a bad person. Yeah, that's right. You're raise the roof because I'm making a.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

No, Joe.

[Joel Anderson]

Do the.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Do your version of.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, I got right into it because I didn't make that up. I didn't make that up. That's real loyal to the soul, dog.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Do you go up on one leg when you do it?

[Joel Anderson]

I do. Like, you seem like, yeah, give myself some leverage.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I want to make sure you do it right. Yeah.

[Joel Anderson]

Hey, hey.

[Van Lathan]

I gotta say it, bro. Joel, I thought about this. Joel's raised roof is better, bro. It's more entertaining. It is. It is.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

It's giving, like, A Motown vibe. Yeah.

[Joel Anderson]

I don't. I'm not blaming that on Luke because I think by the time he got to it, it was. That was sort of the version of 6:7 for the 90s. It was just like. By the time Luke got to it, you know, it was just kind of like a played out thing. But when we did it in 94, three years earlier, it was new. Nobody had seen that was played out. It was derivative.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

The thing about last week in your stories is it seems like your friend is the one that invented all these things and you were kind of taking credit. Like, you said your friend raised the roof first and you did it back.

[Joel Anderson]

No, I said that he got arm. He was starting and he didn't follow through. It was just kind of like his arm was out like that. And I'm just.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

He got stuck at the roof and.

[Joel Anderson]

I kept it up.

[Van Lathan]

I'm like, you're the Steve Jobs of raised the roof, right?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah.

[Van Lathan]

Wozniak actually built a computer.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, but you had the vision. We both have arms, so I was like, he built a computer.

[Van Lathan]

You had the vision, though. This is.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, I had the vision. That's right. I had the vision. I was like, oh, you're doing something. Let me. Let me go ahead and finish that off.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Are you the Jobs of Breezy?

[Van Lathan]

What? You said what?

[Jeff Ketchum]

You said what?

[Joel Anderson]

Come on, bro.

[Van Lathan]

You said what?

[Joel Anderson]

Come on, man.

[Van Lathan]

So what you're saying is you saw your friend and you went, damn, you doing something. Let me go ahead and finish you off.

[Joel Anderson]

Come on.

[Van Lathan]

Come on, crazy.

[Joel Anderson]

Don't be toxic.

[Van Lathan]

Oh, by the way, I just say, with your check, man, all that. You can't do that. I always tell a story about my dad. Rest in peace to my dad. My dad caught my mom singing Nelly one time.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

My mom, what's on?

[Van Lathan]

My mom was going, you can find me in St. Louis some other 12, y'. All. Yay. Some just smoke and fuck all day. My dad heard my mom saying that, and he was like, you can't do that. He was like, smoking and fucking is for the kids. You need to be in here running his household. It was very funny. He was very upset. And that's how I felt listening to your check. Talk about the six, seven. Don't do that. We don't need that. That's not for us, man. It's for the kids. If the kids have that.

[Joel Anderson]

I mean, damn, bro. I mean, again, he's a busy guy. I just thought he was trying to show that he's with it and connected to people. You know, I didn't think it was cool, but I just. I felt people been so hard on this man, and he just, like, did not expect his fall to be this. Like, he did not expect to go into Thanksgiving and everything to be on. On him like this. I can relate to that. Sometimes, like, it's a lot of stress.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

You're right. I think he's. I think he got a little broken.

[Joel Anderson]

I gotta do.

[Van Lathan]

Do that.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, man. So he's trying to reach out. That was a cry for help. Like, I'm trying to extend myself to y'. All. And y' all said the people. Van Lathan says, y', all. That's wet. You just.

[Van Lathan]

The only reason why you're doing that is because that's his flipped. Bill is the 6, 7 thing. You feel a kinship with him because of the whole the Bill situation. Stop it.

[Joel Anderson]

It's funny because I actually do have a new cap in here. I'm not going to get up. But it was a Washington Bullets hat that I bought that's new, and I have a. I would show people that Bill.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Put it on. Put it on.

[Van Lathan]

Yeah, put the hat on.

[Joel Anderson]

All right, hold on one second.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Oh, man. Joel, don't get bullied into this.

[Van Lathan]

Hold on. I want to see.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

We're back on. Brim. Watch.

[Van Lathan]

Brim, watch.

[Joel Anderson]

All right.

[Van Lathan]

Oh, okay.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I like that. Eddie's got the sticker still on it.

[Van Lathan]

All right. All right. Leave it on.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, that's nice.

[Van Lathan]

Leave it on. There you go. Okay. There's a slight little. I think it's fine. I think it's fine.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, I think.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I think that's good.

[Joel Anderson]

There's no.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

There's no shade to be made there.

[Van Lathan]

No, there's no shade. I think it's fine.

[Joel Anderson]

I told people, man, that was a hat that I'd really. I don't. I wanted a better Rocket set, but that was the one that was available to me at the time.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I like that. Rocket's hat. It was just the brim, I think, was the issue. But this brim is flat. Looks good. Got the. Yeah.

[Joel Anderson]

I told people.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Way to go. Way to go, Joe. Joel's having a great show so far.

[Van Lathan]

Fantastic show.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I do want to ask about the implication. The 67 was obviously the big storyline, but what he was asked about was Lane King Kiffin. He said, if Lane Kiffin is basically, If Lane Kiffin is not coaching Ole Miss, does that, you know, move them down the. The meter, the rankings, whatever you want to call it? And he said, you know, there'll be six or Seven. And that's why I did the whole joke. But when Jordan Travis was hurt, it took Florida State completely out of the playoff because, hey, they're not the same team without him. I feel like Ole Miss is a totally different team if the guy calling the plays is not there and their head coach isn't there. So to me, that feels like weird logic. I don't know.

[Van Lathan]

It's completely inconsistent. You're a thousand percent right. When they go out on that field, part of the identity of that team is what Lane Kiffin sees and what he's going to call. They are not the same team if he is not calling the plays, analyzing the game and making in game decisions for them. He is one of those coaches, a heavy lifting coach. So to me, in my opinion, if you are going to penalize a team for not having its quarterback and base the playoff on how good you think they are in their current incarnation and not what they've done throughout the whole season, 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.

[Joel Anderson]

This is a different committee. This is a different season. And it isn't a perfect analogy because the difference with that Florida State team is that we got to see them after Jordan Travis was hurt and they won. We got.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

And they won and they won.

[Joel Anderson]

But they looked ugly in a way that suggests. Louisville. They were not. They did not look like the same team that they had before they played North Alabama. And so people were like, I'm not justifying the decision there because I think that they probably should have played. But then if they would have gotten beat, like they, you know, they gotten beat by 40, everybody been like, oh, man, we should have had Alabama.

[Van Lathan]

But so what you're saying is if a team gets beat by 40 or something like that in the playoff.

[Joel Anderson]

No, that's not. That's not what I'm saying. Okay. All right. Y' all see where you're trying to go? And I wanted to.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

A different kind of balls.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, I want to kind of. I want the karate chop that a karuchi.

[Van Lathan]

Man. Shout out to Coach Prime.

[Joel Anderson]

Man, I hope they. Okay, man.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Coach prime in the Raiders box, by the way, a lot of people reading into that. Maybe he's looking to the NFL.

[Van Lathan]

Yeah, it's nothing to read into, right?

[Joel Anderson]

He look into it. They ain't looking to him. They're not looking to him. But no, man, I mean, nobody will have had a chance to see Ole Miss if, after this game, if, if they, if they actually beat Mississippi State their season, they're probably not going to play in the SEC championship game. So nobody will actually know if it's a better. If it's a worse team or the same team because Lane will, you know, later be gone and they wouldn't have played since then.

[Van Lathan]

Well, you know that it's a different team.

[Joel Anderson]

We saw them and they did not look good. And that's.

[Van Lathan]

You'll know that it's a different team. Right. If you have any. Well, I mean, if you understand their game day process and how involved Lane Kiffin is and how the team runs and how Elaine Kiffin offense runs, then you will know that it simply cannot run that way if he. Unless he's there.

[Joel Anderson]

But, you know, I mean, you could make. I mean, if you were trying to be disingenuous, but it might be better. Like we might have a. We might do it better. We might. I mean, they could, they could say it, but you don't. The thing is, you can't prove them wrong because you have not seen them without Lane Kiffin yet. We got. Again, we saw that Florida State team. I don't think, I don't think this. I mean, I think it would be.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Fair to move Ole Miss down a couple spots if Lane Kiffin's not coaching. I think that would be fair.

[Joel Anderson]

Playoff, man, you just can't.

[Van Lathan]

No, you can't move them out the playoff. But once again, the way I look at this is if they go out and they win the egg ball, they've earned their way into the playoff. Yeah, I, I think that you should be putting teams into the playoff in an argument or a discussion about who's earned it. Not an argument or a discussion about who has the best chance at the national championship. Because if that were the case, then none of these group of five teams.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Would ever make the playoff and Miami would definitely be in the playoffs.

[Joel Anderson]

Right.

[Van Lathan]

So what I'm saying is who has earned it should be the argument. And I look back at that and I'm like, well, shit, they. If we're forecasting who's the best team to win, who had the team that has the best chance to win a national championship. I think that's a different metric as far as like analyzing the season. But, you know, whatever, we'll see what happens.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Also, it's pretty obvious that Lane Kiffin is trying. I mean, Trinidad Chambers tweets out. You know, basically, he's our coach. We're with him no matter what. They had a couple other players come out and Say the same thing. It definitely seems like Eric Morris is doing this with North Texas. Right. He just took the Oklahoma State job, but he's coaching the bowl game. He's going to do the postseason with his team before the end of the season before he goes to Oklahoma State. It does seem like Lane is trying to push that agenda where even if he is going to go to LSU or Florida or somewhere else, he still wants to coach this team in the playoff, which is going to be very messy. If that's the case.

[Joel Anderson]

If I'm Ole Miss, like, why cut your nose off despite your face, man, Let him coach.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I would let him coach, too. Honestly.

[Joel Anderson]

Get your money out of him. Get your money out of him. Milk it.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, yeah.

[Joel Anderson]

And it'll hurt lsu. Like, if he has less time.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I agree. And you play him next year, a.

[Joel Anderson]

Month less than offseason with this team like that, it actually could hurt lsu. So let him coach. I don't, like, don't be dumb. Don't, don't. I mean, Ole Miss. Don't be stupid, man. I mean, it will be sad if. I totally understand it, but, bro, like, you might have a chance.

[Van Lathan]

Yeah, man. There's something I could say right now that there's a parallel to this that would be hilarious, but we can't talk about it, so let's just go ahead and move on.

[Joel Anderson]

Wait, hold on. What's going on here?

[Van Lathan]

No, no, no.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

All those parallels.

[Van Lathan]

No, no, no. Let's continue to go.

[Joel Anderson]

Let's continue.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Last thing on the rankings. I didn't want to hit.

[Joel Anderson]

Can somebody text me with the parallel?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

We'll get in the chat. Texas preseason number one just based on the rankings right now, pretty much no shot at them getting into the playoff. Maybe they beat A and M by a lot and there's some major jump that happens, but for the most part, it's kind of a wrap. Would you consider this, Joe? I'll go to you first because you've been speaking to Texas all year long. Would you consider this a. A failure for the preseason number one to not make the cfp, or do you think because of the way they've been playing lately, it's not really viewed in that fashion?

[Joel Anderson]

No, it would absolutely be a failure. I mean, if you're the preseason number one and you don't make the playoffs, it's one thing if you go 10, 2 and make the playoffs as an 11 seed, you know, is the lowest at large or whatever. But if you don't actually make the play the playoffs with the money, they spent on this roster. The expectations they had, like, that's. That's the game that Texas wants to play, like. Right. They're not. They're not Vandy. You know, in that way. And I actually. I was going to say to you, Tate, I actually kind of feel like some people will consider 9 and 3 Texas over 10 and 2. Vandy. Like, if it comes down to it, or 10 and 2, you know, there's. Whatever. I'm trying to think of who the last ranked 102 team would be, but I've already seen.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

What about a BYU team that gets stomped out again by Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game?

[Jeff Ketchum]

You.

[Joel Anderson]

I mean, you know, the drumbeat that is going to come from SEC partisans and. And Texas fans will be like, yeah. Oh, man. Well, they had to go through the sec, man. You know, I was.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

So they're like, give me a spread on a neutral field versus byu.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, right. Let's see what Texas would do against BYU if they had to play minus nine and a half. That's gotta take the long. Right? Gotta get them in, so. But it's a failure.

[Van Lathan]

I don't think it's a failure, and I'll tell you why. Well, I can't. Let me not say that I don't think it's a failure. I think for us, Texas has been underwhelming and disappointing. What I would be interested to know is how good Texas thought they were. Because when you talk to Sark and when you listen to Sark, it seems as if their expectations for this season were different than maybe the national expectations were. And that might be a reason why the team stayed together. The team stayed together and continued to play minute after minute, quarter after quarter, because there was something for them to play for. They didn't just get knocked out of the we're the best team in the country conversation and then completely give up. There's a chance and a possibility that their internal expectations were set differently than what ours were. Yeah, sure. We look at them as a preseason number one and go, you know what? They don't make the playoffs as a preseason number one, that's whack. And like you, you. You definitely have been a disappointment. But I would wonder if you talk to Sarkeesian, whether or not him watching his team get better, him watching his team triumph over adversity, watching Arch develop, whether or not he would think that this was a disappointing season for what they've been able to accomplish and how they've been able to continue to evolve.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Especially if Arch is a two Year plan, which seems like that was the plan all along.

[Van Lathan]

Seems like he's coming back.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, it's year one of the two year process.

[Joel Anderson]

Oh, and I give a caveat that if they beat A and M on Friday, I think, and they beat them in such a way that it makes them spiral going into the playoffs, I'll take, I take back that it was a failure.

[Van Lathan]

Okay, that's fair.

[Joel Anderson]

You know, I take that back because. But I think, I think that people will look at. Well, man, A and M is in there. Texas Tech is in there. Maybe even North Texas and maybe smu. They might all, they all have a.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, a lot of Texas representation.

[Van Lathan]

There's a Texas party and the Longhorns are left out.

[Joel Anderson]

Y', all not Texas. Yeah, that's kind of, that'll be, that'll be kind of weird to take.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, you got the rest of the state trying to dunk on you, but. Yeah, that's a fascinating conversation. We'll talk a little bit more Texas coming up a little bit later. Let's go. Overreaction of the week. This was a big talking point. Dan Lanning, head coach of Oregon before the USC game, they love leaking these, these tapes of, you know, we've seen them talk about Coach Prime a couple years ago before they came there. So Dan Landing giving a, a, a pump up speech to his team before they take on the Trojans. Let's take a listen right now.

[Jeff Ketchum]

This game we're all putting on the line for you. It's a DNA game. Connection, toughness, growth, sacrifice.

[Van Lathan]

It shows up right here.

[Jeff Ketchum]

And in this fight, as they get a little bit tired, we say one more round. After we hit a big play, we say one more round. Right after they start to bleed, we say one more round. Really simple for the seniors in this room. You get an opportunity to lay it on the line. They're living off their history. Matt Leinart, he ain't walking through there. Reggie Bush ain't gonna show up, but.

[Van Lathan]

I'll tell you who he is.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Dante Moore's gonna show up. Bryce Betcher gonna show up. Pancho gonna show up. Clay Perch is gonna show up.

[Van Lathan]

We got the Warriors.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Nesmith, necessary to go walk out there and deliver.

[Van Lathan]

Understand something.

[Joel Anderson]

Why are you wearing black?

[Van Lathan]

You're going to a Trojan funeral.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

So you heard him. Understand something. Why are you wearing black? You're going to a Trojan funeral. So Dan Lanning sending a message out there to USC before this game, if you needed a little bit of context as to why he had this, there was a Game notes from the USC media side that definitely had some. Some. Some, you know, interesting lines in there. Talking about the history of usc, talking about how, you know, they're going to go duck hu. All this sort of stuff. And then Dan Lanning used that as a motivation for his team. Joe, you were fired up when you heard Dan Lanning give this speech.

[Joel Anderson]

It's just also so funny because, you know, it's just some intern in the SID office. They put this together and somebody said, yeah, yeah, right. And it got him all worked up. He's just, you know, they're like, man, because I was. I was looking at these game notes because I look at them to prep for the show, and usually they're just kind of, you know, just nuggets. Like, it's just fact nuggets. This person actually told like a. Tried to tell a story and had like a narrative here in these notes. I mean, they had a lead. The conditions are perfect to head up north for a duck hunt. I mean, you know, they were really trying something. And Dan Lanning was like, man, get the out of here. I did. This pisses. This pissed me off. I'm sick of this. I don't want to hear. He's like, I don't want to hear USC talk about us ever again. He said, get. Get your name out of our mouth. And so I love it, man. Man, you can tell he played for Kurt. You can tell he coached under Kirby Smart, because Kirby Smart's the only other dude, the only other coach. I can hear the pre. The pregame speech, and I'm like, man, sec. Kind of get you kind of. You know what I'm saying?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Kirby does talk.

[Joel Anderson]

That Lamar Thomas. No, you remember when. You remember when Lamar Thomas was out there and they had him in. In the booth when the FIU Miami fight started? The only thing FIU has ever done in football. They got into a fight with Miami once. Thomas, Billy. And Lamar Thomas is like, I want to get down there. He's like, you don't do that. You come into the ob, you make me want to get down in that thing. When I hear Dan Landon and them talk like that. Kind of wanna. Kind of want to dump, too, you.

[Van Lathan]

Know, It's a shot for no reason. Duke, he.

[Joel Anderson]

I was just. I was saying what happened.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

This is a Thanksgiving episode. You're supposed to be nice, what you're thankful for, supposed to be gracious. You're stirring up, you know, I don't understand. How is it that you have become the likable one when you're the one that's constantly starting the problem. Like everyone. Joe shoots first, just defending themselves, and Joel somehow is the victim.

[Joel Anderson]

Do you want me. Do you want me to be honest?

[Van Lathan]

Oh, shit. Yeah. Just go ahead.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I think so. Joel. Yeah.

[Joel Anderson]

Well, I'm handsome and charming.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

That's gonna. That's gonna hurt the Q scores.

[Joel Anderson]

I'm just. Okay.

[Van Lathan]

I'm glad he said it.

[Joel Anderson]

And I'm.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

That's gonna help, Billy. That's gonna help.

[Joel Anderson]

My wife will never believe that I said that. She will never believe that I said that.

[Van Lathan]

Joel is the king at talking himself out of the, like, crazy. It's like. It's like Joel, like Joel. Joel was winning.

[Joel Anderson]

You put me in an awkward position.

[Van Lathan]

He was winning the look. You know why? I'm handsome and charming. Got you.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

That hurt the breezies.

[Joel Anderson]

That hurt the breezes. I was joking. I was.

[Van Lathan]

You meant every word of it. You licked your lips at the camera. Are you crazy?

[Joel Anderson]

I'm joking. It was a joke. What I was saying.

[Van Lathan]

What I wanted to say is.

[Joel Anderson]

Because I'm self.

[Van Lathan]

Definitely.

[Joel Anderson]

I know that I'm. I know. I know that I can be ridiculous.

[Van Lathan]

And I let you know why it works.

[Joel Anderson]

Why?

[Van Lathan]

Because I'm. Look at him. Put the goddamn bomb on his lips. He's trying to seduce the audience.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Joel's the only one that went to that foot doctor and only got an X ray. You know what I mean?

[Joel Anderson]

What are you doing? What are you doing, man?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

He's responding. Took a shot at fiu.

[Van Lathan]

You took a shot. Then you called us ugly, man.

[Joel Anderson]

Everybody's handsome here.

[Van Lathan]

Right?

[Joel Anderson]

Right.

[Van Lathan]

Gotcha. Anyway, look, this is what I'll say about Dan Lanning. Stop putting these videos out. Stop putting these videos out. Because I just don't want recruits to see this stuff. I don't want recruits to see that type of stuff. That shit was like William Wallace, Braveheart type shit. I know y' all want to cancel. Mel, I'm talking. I'm not talking about Mel. I'm talking to. Why, Mel? Why'd you do it? Why couldn't Mel. Why did you have to continue down the road that you were on? We could have just enjoyed these movies, but lethality take our lives. But they would. In this day, they will take our lives, but they will never take our freedom. I'm standing there like, bro, who could I kill, bro? Like, what you want me to do, man? And while I'm watching Dan Lanning, it's black. Cause it's a Trojan funeral. Let's go, man. Let's go. Out there and take my cleat and put it in somebody's throat like that. That when Dan Lennon gets in his bag like that, I just don't understand how you wouldn't want to play for him, man. It's crazy.

[Joel Anderson]

It's like, yeah, man. Oh, yeah, man.

[Van Lathan]

Stop putting these out. I don't want recruits to see that.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

And feel surrounded by ladies and fucking.

[Van Lathan]

Brian Kelly, don't put these out no more.

[Joel Anderson]

I mean, it's just too bad, man, because I mean, you know, that's a year ago. People would have been like, well, you know, if that LSU job comes open, that's a Dan Lanning spot right there. Like, that's a Dan Lanning is a LSU guy.

[Van Lathan]

What I really feel like, though, more than anything is that when Dan Lanning's name gets thrown around it always, I don't think. I think Dan Lanning is a savvy enough coach to understand what a good situation he has in Oregon.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I agree.

[Van Lathan]

Yeah, he has a fantastic situation. He's going to have resources, he's going to have access, and he's also going to have a very football rich culture. A football rich culture. People love, love the Ducks, but it's not the type of place where you're in a pressure cooker game by game, year by year, with a fan base that's culturally made up of, you know, the south of the Midwest. It's a different situation in the Pacific Northwest. So for Dan Lanning, a guy who's always going to be able to maximize the talent that he gets, Oregon is a great place. They're going to win a national championship up there with Dan Lanning. I really believe that.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I believe it, too. I'm right there with you.

[Joel Anderson]

The only thing that makes, I mean, the only thing that makes it difficult is how far away it is. And now, given what the conferences are already, you got to do some traveling. You got to do some traveling. Anyway, I remember I talked to a dude, he ended up being an NFL player, but when he was in high school, he went to Florida and he said, I would have gone to Oregon if it wasn't so far away, you know? So, like, people really like that place. That campus, Eugene, is kind of raggedy, but the campus itself around there is gorgeous, man. So, yeah, Dan Lennon, it finally took somebody like Willie Taggart. I got to go to Florida State, Mario Cristobal, I got to go to Miami. Me. Dan appreciates what he's got in Oregon, and it's good that he sees it, man, because it's A good. I. I think college football is better when the Ducks are good.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, I agree. And it's also, you're in the Big Ten, and you're kind of like, right there with Ohio State as far as being, like, top dog for the most part. Obviously, Indiana in the conversation, too, right now. But, yeah, Dan Lanning got it figured out. Great speech. Love to see it. Also, when you got Nike in your back pocket, that's a nice place to be. And all of college sports and all of sports in general. I did want to ask about this. Start, bench, cut, lane, Kiffin edition.

[Van Lathan]

Hold on for a second. Tate. I gotta call an audible. Tate, don't overlook. Look, the first fact statement. The first fact part. Don't overlook the college football's most watched team. I want to get. I want to hear Joel on this. Tate, can. Can. Tate. Is that okay? Tate, if you.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Van Lathan]

I just want to hear. Tate, don't overlook. That was Tate. Just so y' all know, Tate is the MVP of the entire tailgate universe. He actually makes the document and puts the show together. That's a whole Tate situation. And he put this in here. And I just want to make sure that, like, you know, this is kind of dealt with. So if you don't mind, Tay Frazier, please.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

We got first take, but we got first fact here. The SEC has 13 of the 20 most watched teams on average in 2025. We'll say that again. 13 of the 20. Number one. This is via Nielsen. So this is Nielsen data that's coming in right now. Alabama, number one on the board, 8.14 million. Georgia right behind them, 7.35. Then Tennessee at seven, a little over seven. Texas right behind them. Oklahoma. So that's your top five. LSU at six. So the first team outside of the SEC just by the numbers. Ohio State. Then we get back to the sec. Florida. Then Florida State, first ACC representation, then Notre Dame. So that's your top 10 right there. Notre Dame, around 4.4 million. Joel, obviously Van wants to get your reaction to this. Does it just mean more?

[Joel Anderson]

You know what Derrick Coleman once said?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I love Derek Coleman. I think young thug just said that recently.

[Joel Anderson]

Florida State is like number eight. I don't. Is this. Is this just from this season? Okay.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

This is from 2025. Yes.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah.

[Van Lathan]

Florida State's number eight. That's a legacy brand.

[Joel Anderson]

Florida, the over Notre Dame. I mean, I feel like that probably the year is kind of two ACC.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Teams, Notre Dame's by proxy acc. That's their schedule.

[Joel Anderson]

I'll give you that I'll give you. So just, just so people know, Just.

[Van Lathan]

So people know, has 13 of the top 20 most watched teams. What does, what conference has the second. Like what, what conference is second? Who, who is second? Like what's the, what's the, the densest number?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

And Big Ten. Big Ten would be second.

[Van Lathan]

And big. Big Ten has. How many?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

They have Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State. So they have three.

[Van Lathan]

They have three. Okay, so listen here. So let's look, let's look at this.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

ACC with two or three. ACC has three as well. Sorry. Miami, Clemson, Florida State.

[Van Lathan]

So let's be fair here, okay? The SEC has a contract with espn. Okay? So a lot of these games are coming on espn, which is the hub of college football for a lot of people. Okay? The, the Big Ten games, you know, you're looking at Big Noon, kickoff or all of that stuff, you know, whatever's going on. So there are some things that just have to do with the structure of the business that factor into this. But the number one thing that factors into it is that we care more about our fucking football. Which is another reason why when we're talking about this kind of stuff, Joel, and you're making fun of it just means more. And all of that stuff, it means more. Vandy and Michigan. Vandy and Michigan are neck and neck in terms of who's. Who's watching. Vandy. Shout out. Vandy. Vandy is in this bitch. LSU 6.42 million average viewers. You're talking about a team that is a four loss team. Is there's a possibility. I can't say for sure, but there's a possibility that it means more, Joe. That's all I'm saying.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Florida, I mean, good God, you got 5 million people watching Florida every week on average.

[Van Lathan]

Every single week, Joel.

[Joel Anderson]

I mean, Coley, no Big 12 in the top 24. I mean, nobody's going to care. And this is going to get me people to laugh at me, but I'm just going to go ahead and say it. Like five of these teams were Big 12 programs like a decade ago. You know what I mean? It's just like, who gives us. Well, I mean, y' all just took in y'. All, y' all took in y' all expanded, took programs that had big, big brands and brought them in. You know what I'm saying? It's just like Missouri, yeah, Missouri's down there.

[Van Lathan]

Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma, yeah, Oklahoma, Texas, all of that. But even these Texas A and M, you'd have to ask yourself, these teams are big, but if These teams weren't a part of the SEC infrastructure right now. They wouldn't have been wanted. They wouldn't have been wanted. They would have been like the Goose.

[Joel Anderson]

They'd have been like, PC loose.

[Van Lathan]

Look, all I'm saying is, when we talk about the sec, I am with you. I completely get it. I understand it that there is a lot of gas that gets put on the conference. I totally get it. But there is a different way that we relate and react and engage with our football in the South. And I'm sorry, man, that's just a fact.

[Joel Anderson]

Joe, I'm from the South. I understand.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I'm from the South.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah. I'm from Texas. Yeah. Yeah, I'm from Texas.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Texas is Texas.

[Van Lathan]

You're from Texas.

[Joel Anderson]

I mean, it's a part of the. It's a part of the south, but it is not necessarily.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

It's its own thing.

[Joel Anderson]

Hold on, hold on.

[Van Lathan]

No, no, no, no, no. Stand on it. Fuck all that talk about Texas.

[Joel Anderson]

It was part of the essence.

[Van Lathan]

Texas can't be Texas. Can't both be. We. Texas, we different than everything else, but then we also. The South. I actually would say all of this. I would say the south as Texas extends into Houston. Houston is a part of it. Houston is a Southern city.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah. Houston, Atlanta, two Southern capitals.

[Joel Anderson]

Everything else is kind of a Southern town, too, but everything else is.

[Van Lathan]

That's it. That's it. It's Texas. So it's really not the South. Right. And they don't want to be the South. So just stand on it. The North Carolina. I don't know, bro. I don't know, man.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Virginia, North Carolina. We're kind of together. We're in our east coast, Southern, kind of, like, there's parts of it.

[Joel Anderson]

I get why that, but, man, you know, like, Richmond was the capital of the country. Confederacy, man.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I mean, Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina are. I mean, we were early on, James, about the essence. Yeah, yeah, man.

[Joel Anderson]

Got essence, man. Yeah. I mean, they. They had listeners in the Negro.

[Van Lathan]

You know what, Tate? It is. From what we know from what was expl.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

You're talking about is South Carolina.

[Van Lathan]

It definitely is the South.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

We got north in the name, you know?

[Van Lathan]

Wait, this is what.

[Joel Anderson]

But this is why you make the deep south, south distinction. Yes, yes. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Exactly. There's different factions of the south, you know? Yeah. Like, my version of the south that I like to, like, point to. I like Georgia. I like North Carolina. I like Virginia. I like Louisiana. You know, like, these are places, like. I'm like, all right, I like I like what they got going on. Mississippi, not for me. Alabama, not for me. Tennessee, definitely not for me.

[Joel Anderson]

They got Kentucky.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Not for me.

[Joel Anderson]

Saying he ain't like, Mississippi. Mississippi, man. Or what. He said the brothers didn't want to go there. Tate. Tate's one of the brothers. Yeah. I don't want to go to Mississippi.

[Van Lathan]

Take one of the brothers. I. I just don't. That's just a hell of a thing for him to say. The whole team is black. That's just like a. That's a hell of a thing for him to say. I don't know. I know a lot of guys. This is a hell of a thing to say. Mississippi is a black state.

[Joel Anderson]

It's a black state in the Union. Yeah.

[Van Lathan]

Yeah. It's a black state. So they probably don't want to go there because they already there. Well, but.

[Joel Anderson]

Okay, but hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. I mean, all those states, though, they didn't get. They didn't. They don't necessarily get top choice of the brothers because of decisions they've made and continue to make in that program.

[Van Lathan]

It might be that they the only program they going to play for Bruce Pearl. They was playing for him. Like, it's. I don't know that that's the calculus with them.

[Jeff Ketchum]

I don't. I like, shout.

[Van Lathan]

I wish that it was.

[Joel Anderson]

Why do you think they're the only program in that little footprint, other than Mississippi State that's never won a national championship?

[Van Lathan]

Resources.

[Joel Anderson]

They've not been great. I mean, Ole Miss is resources.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Oxford's a great town.

[Van Lathan]

Oxford's a great town. But resources. And the state does that. For some. For whatever reason, the Mississippi is not as fertile ground for football players as what Louisiana is. There actually reasons. But, like, we don't get. We gonna go off the rails again.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

And so I take it back. I like all the South. I'm scared. I don't want them to come after me.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, look, man, I just. I mean, are you saying. So you say. I'm getting people. People will have to believe that some black people I like Birmingham, were afraid to go to Ole Miss because of the name Ole Miss, because of the mascot is the Rebels. The iconography is recently as a few years ago in this just sort of the general history of Ole Miss. Are people really gonna contend that that has not affected that program? When even Tommy Tuberville in the 90s was like, could y' all please stop flying that flag at the game, man?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

So hold on.

[Van Lathan]

Lsu. But wait a second. LSU had to do that, too. Like, there was a whole thing back in the day, 2000-2001-2000-2003, whatever, to have people stop flying a Confederate flag. I'm not saying that. That's not a concern. I'm not saying that at all. But I'm saying just to say that, blanketly, you need a little bit more of a. And maybe he did. Like, this has nothing to do with Stephen A. Smith. I just know that, like, the team is a black team. They got a lot of black players on the team. I don't know. I wouldn't go there and do the whole deal for the Rebels and all of that shit. I think that shit is whack, but I don't know that that's stopping people from going. And we talking about, you know, we talking about, you know, DJ Metcalf, like, AJ Brown. We talking about no black.

[Joel Anderson]

They've done better in recent years. But that is a thing that is changing. Like, it has not always been like that. And they've not been able to recruit like those other schools. It's been very like, Q4, when Hugh Freeze did it, that's when everybody was like, oh, they cheating, right? They were like. Because Elle Miss doesn't recruit like that. Like, their people, like, man, that's kind of funny.

[Van Lathan]

They don't get. They don't recruit like that insofar as they don't get the number 1D line prospect in the whole country. But they do recruit like that insofar as they get black players to come to the school.

[Joel Anderson]

And again, Ole miss, how many HBCUs.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Are in old or in Mississippi?

[Van Lathan]

You got Jackson, you got State, you got Mississippi Valley State. What else? Mississippi Valley State.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

There's 10 in North Carolina. Just thinking about the states, I don't.

[Joel Anderson]

Know if Delta State counts as a HBCU or not.

[Van Lathan]

The two big ones that I know, all corn. The three. Yeah, three big ones.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

There you go.

[Van Lathan]

State. Those. You know, those three people, you know.

[Joel Anderson]

So again, this is another thing that kind of cuts against that argument. Jackson State has more hall of Famers than Mississippi. Mississippi State and Southern Ms. Combined.

[Van Lathan]

9.

[Joel Anderson]

Right? Like, and then all the. The legacy of those schools is such that, like, what, Jerry Rice didn't go to Ole Miss, right? Yeah. You know, Stephen. So I'm just saying, most of the best players in Mississippi, Marcus Dupree, he know the Ole Miss, right? And even when he came home, he didn't go to Ole Miss. He was.

[Van Lathan]

Yeah, but.

[Joel Anderson]

But I'm just saying. Got this.

[Van Lathan]

What I'm saying is they should be.

[Joel Anderson]

Able to own it.

[Van Lathan]

It's Ole Miss versus Oklahoma is where Marcus Dupree ended up going and then came back to Southern. It's like. It's like there's a. There's a team that they're recruiting against. All those players right there that you're talking about. If you're talking about Walter Payton or Jerry Rice or all of those guys, those guys are fantastic, obviously talents, but they weren't overwhelming athletes. So it's a. There's a chance that the reason why those players became hall of Famers is because they got a chance to go play and develop at players. And you know, Steve McNair. Steve McNair could have gone wherever he wanted to go. Yeah.

[Joel Anderson]

So they wouldn't let him play quarterback at a lot of places.

[Van Lathan]

They wouldn't let him play quarterback in a lot of places. So what I'm saying is that, like, if. Maybe if Ole Miss would have let Steve McNair play quarterback, he'd have been slanging it around Steve McNair. Rebel, rest in peace. But I don't know. I'm not saying that I can't speak to this for sure, but I don't know that anyone can. That's why I like saying that it's kind of like that black guys don't want to play an Ole Miss. I don't know that you could really say that.

[Joel Anderson]

Well, I mean, again, I get. I'm not. I don't. Far be it for me to defend Stephen A. Smith. Maybe we should have gone at his neck more, maybe because. Because he responds to everybody. They call him out, you know, so that would have been a good way for us to go about this, but I do think that people will be in. So I'm. Again, I'm not saying that some of that has dissipated and Ole Miss has a different reputation. And even the school itself, the institution has done much better relative to its peers in terms of recruiting black students. Whatever else, man, we are really going to turn some people off on this show. This. This segment right here.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

No, I'm listening to all the places that I like. I like Bowling Green, Kentucky. My dad worked there for a while. So shout out to Bowling Green, Kentucky. I said I didn't like the state. Tennessee.

[Van Lathan]

Like, I'm from Louisiana. I don't fuck with Mississippi like that. Do with that what you will. I enjoy the shared culture of our brothers and sisters in Mississippi, but I don't. I like where I'm from.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Me too.

[Joel Anderson]

Have you ever seen a brother. Okay, here's the thing. Have you ever seen a black person in your life in an Old Miss jersey anywhere outside of Mississippi? Outside of Mississippi, yes.

[Van Lathan]

And I've asked them, what are you doing? But I've seen. But I definitely have. Remember, I'm from Louisiana. Yes, I've seen that. I've seen that.

[Joel Anderson]

Which jersey was you wearing? Deuce McAllister.

[Van Lathan]

Oh, no, it wasn't Deuce McAllister, Lyman. But once again, Deuce McAllister. A G for Ole Miss.

[Joel Anderson]

I mean, they. They've had black players. They just had not gotten as many as they probably should have relative to where their population is. That's all I'm saying.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Speaking of Ole Miss star bench cut, Lane Kiffin edition. Let's do it real quickly. He's got three options on the table. Everybody wants him to figure out what he's going to do Saturday. We're supposedly going to get an announcement after the egg bowl on Friday night. Ole Miss, Florida, lsu. Start. Bench cut. Joel, I'll go to you first.

[Joel Anderson]

Okay. Am I Lane or Joel?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

You are Lane.

[Joel Anderson]

Oh, I'm laying. Okay, you're laying. Start Ole Miss. Don't take happiness for granted, man. He might know something about this because he re. He's back with his wife after he divorced her like a decade ago, and he went. You know what I'm saying? It made him unstable.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

He said, we're not sure that they're all the way back together.

[Joel Anderson]

They've posted pictures indicating.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I think they're in a situationship.

[Van Lathan]

They trying to figure it out.

[Joel Anderson]

They're trying to get. But look, but look. But this is what co parenting.

[Van Lathan]

Somebody about text. Somebody about to listen to Joel and text Lane Kiffin. Oh, so you back with her, huh?

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah.

[Van Lathan]

Look, look, hold on. Joel from the podcast.

[Joel Anderson]

It's official.

[Van Lathan]

You told me y' all was still figuring things out. What do that mean, Lane?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yep. Hot yoga is going to be awkward.

[Joel Anderson]

V. I mean, I don't understand how that's more reckless than van said. Lane Kiffin. I'm saying it appears that he's got back with his wife. You know, he seems happy. I'm just. I'm the kind of person that believes in taking a chance on themselves, but I'm also the kind of guy that you really shouldn't try to chase happiness. You know what I'm saying? Like, if you're in a good place, people appreciate you right here. Ole Miss baby Bench Florida. Not bad. His wife. His ex wife is a grad there, but I just. I don't know, you know, whatever and then cut lsu.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I'm shocked by this.

[Joel Anderson]

I would not, man. Them people are.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Billy reminded us better to get divorced too late was Joel last week. Just for reference, he might have been.

[Joel Anderson]

Able to hold on to if he had kept. If he. If he had kept the lines of communication or he might not have to go through a divorce.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I'm shocked by that. I. I did not expect that to be the three. I. I understand Ole Miss as a start, but I thought Florida would be the obvious cut. But you say lsu. What about you?

[Joel Anderson]

Some people are inclined to not like him already.

[Van Lathan]

All right, let me ask you. So are we doing based upon what we think is going to happen or what should happen?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

What if you're laying Kiffin, what you think would be best?

[Van Lathan]

I'm so Ms. Benching LSU. I'm cutting Florida.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah.

[Van Lathan]

It just doesn't. It's obvious that. Whatever. And you know, I say this now and maybe he ends up in Florida, but it's obvious that Florida doesn't have the snap, crackle or the pop right now to make Lane Kiffin want to coach there. And I'm telling you right now, man, to all of my Florida fans, all the people that I know, we've gone to war with Florida and that whole thing, but I like watching Florida football be good and be successful. If you're a Florida fan right now, you gotta be petrified, man. You gotta be petrified. When was the last time Florida was looked at as sort of like an also ran? Not from a competition standpoint, but from a college football cultural standpoint standpoint. From a standpoint of a team that can kind of be discarded as a coach, makes a decision between LSU and Ole Miss. Now, maybe he ends up at Florida, but if he doesn't end up at Florida, Florida's got to nail their hire, and they have to nail their hire with somebody who can bring some type of excitement back to Florida. That is a weird and odd situation for Florida football to be in. But yeah. So I would star Ole Miss, bench lsu, cub Florida, if I am Lane Kiffin, what people are not talking about, they're talking about why Lane Kiffin is going where he's going. But they're not talking about sort of the reality of the situation and what might be motivating Lane's decision. So the LSU job is a good job. You ask around, people talk about the LSU job. If you can harness LSU and deal with the culture, the LSU job is a good job. It's a great job. Right. With the amount of success that Ole Miss has had and is having not has had, but is having. What is making Lane Kiffin look otherwise, what is making him look outside of his campus, outside of his state, to any other job. Like, why is this a thing? What is it about Ole Miss that Lane Kiffin can't quite commit? Maybe this is, we've talked about this, how he is and he can't quite commit to anyone, but maybe there are things once again that he knows about that job that we kind of don't and that, that, that has to be considered at this point because I'm being honest with you, with the one loss team, with everything that they, this kind of doesn't make any sense.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I agree.

[Van Lathan]

It, it, I, I, I get that the LSU job is a better job and that the ceiling is and has been higher at lsu. I get that. I understand that. But I would be super fucking weirded out if I was an Ole Miss fan with this entire deal. This is off. And maybe Lane never thought that he was going to be there long term too. I don't know.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, that, that to me is the reason why maybe he's always been kind of looking for the exit strategy, but I do feel like it's like Talladega Knights. He's like Reese Bobby, he's Gary Cole's character, you know, Ricky Bobby's dad, where when everything's going good, he gets the itch to leave and blow it all up. And I do feel like Lane has a little bit of that in him where it's like, this is a little too perfect. I'm a little too happy. I've figured everything out here. How do I, you know, it's like, how do I self sabotage this situation? Oh, I'll go to LSU in the dark of the night and create a lot of pressure on myself and also break and, you know, create a whole bunch of chaos at the school that I'm gonna have to go to and play at next season. With LSU, he's the favorite right now to get the job. Minus 175. I mean, that, that is shocking, as you can see.

[Joel Anderson]

I mean, already, I think I feel like the LSU fan base is already just sort of agitated about this.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, they're annoyed.

[Joel Anderson]

They're annoyed. I don't, you know, I, I, and but the thing is, when Van is saying, oh, what does he know about that job? I kind of go back to what, you know, Stephen a hinted at is that we all know that Ole Miss is sort of a step down from the Georgias, the Alabamas, the now Texas's right, you know, so they're down from that and traditionally been below Florida because it's like, man, it's a little bit harder to get kids under it. It's a little bit harder to get the five stars to come down here. At least right now, like maybe think all I'm a guy that can affect that. I'm Lane Kiffin. I can recruit better than most anybody else has here since Hugh Freeze did, but, you know, I can.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Even the name Ole Miss has a tinge to it, you know.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, man, that's what I said.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Like, it's not Mississippi. Like, you're not going to Mississippi. You're going to Ole Miss.

[Joel Anderson]

You're going to Ole Miss, man. And like lsu like you, I'm saying that, yeah, LSU is like, well, you know, man, I could probably, maybe if I get things in alignment and I get everybody on the same page here, I can get things working. But I don't know, man, it just, I don't know, I just, I feel.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Like, Van, you should be more excited if Lane Kiffin is actually going to be doing this. But it does feel like everybody in the LSU kind of the power circle feels like everybody has this kind of weird take on it. Like no one's excited. And if he's going to come there, he needs the excitement, especially if he's bringing order on with him.

[Van Lathan]

I mean, if he brings Coach O with them, I would be over the moon just thinking about Coach O's ability to kind of do his job and focus and rebuild his reputation with the fan base. That would be fantastic.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Obviously they say bring him back, but don't let him around the boosters. That's. That's the word.

[Van Lathan]

Keep him away from different activities and make sure that there are no girlfriends at practice. But I think that like having Coach O, who I have a lot of affection for, back would be fantastic. Look, anybody would be excited about Lane Kiffin coaching their. Anyone. I can tell you one, I told you before, like, we need stability. We need to understand like what's happening in somebody who is a process driven person. And like, for me, there's a lot. There's a lot for me. Like I like to watch the soap opera. I don't like to star in it.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, right.

[Van Lathan]

But there's a lot. There's a lot because this also reeks of the whole Lincoln Riley situation to where you're going to get Lincoln Riley. You're going to get Lincoln Riley. Lincoln Riley then goes to SC and you, you get Brian Kelly or whatever. They've always been this Tom Herman was fucking around winking at LSU for a while and then Tom Herman goes to Texas and that ends up being a blessing in disguise. That we get Coach O, who knows exactly what to do to direct the energy of the fan base and get the players excited and bring the snap, crackle and pop to lsu. So I don't know, there's a lot. There's a lot every single day. Not talking about football games, not talking about Oklahoma this week, but talking about a coach and his career decisions. That's not the way I want to really consume my college football. Just be quite honest with you.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, it's a very as the World Turns kind of look at college football. You know, not exactly what you want to be doing when you're talking about college football. We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, biggest games of rivalry week, week 14. We're also going to have our favorite other matchup and of course, a very special big band on campus. We'll be right back after the break.

[Sponsor/Ad Host]

This episode is brought to you by Degree Original Cool Rush, the scent that's made a legendary comeback. See, Cool Rush isn't just a scent. It's the kind of fragrance that guys remember, ask for by name and rave about online. It's bold, it's fresh, delivers all day sweat protection with that cool, crisp vibe that made it a legend. So if you haven't tried it yet, head to your local Walmart or Target and grab Degree Cool Rush, the fan favorite scent from the world's number one antiperspirant brand. This episode is brought to you by Degree Original Cool Rush, the scent that's made a legendary comeback. See, Cool Rush isn't just a scent. It's the kind of fragrance that guys remember, ask for by name and rave about online. It's bold, it's fresh, delivers all day sweat protection with that cool, crisp vibe that made it a legend. So if you haven't tried it yet, head to your local Walmart or Target and grab Degree Cool Rush, the fan favorite scent from the world's number one antiperspirant brand. This episode is brought to you by Spectrum Business. Without Internet, you wouldn't be able to hear my beautiful voice right now and businesses wouldn't be able to stay connected the way they need. So what if I told you you can get free business Internet forever? With Spectrum Business, just add four mobile lines, get business Internet, advanced wi fi and security shield for free for life. No contracts, no added fees. All you have to do to find out how you can get free Spectrum business Internet [e-mail] freeforlife. That's where you go. Restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Welcome back to Ringer Tailgate. Biggest games of week 14. Joel, what week is it?

[Joel Anderson]

It's rivalry week.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

There's a little bit of a W in there.

[Joel Anderson]

Did I. Did I mess it up? Okay, it's rivalry week.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

There you go. Three for four, 75%. Biggest games of week 14. Obviously the biggest game is the game. I wanted to ask about this. Ohio State, Michigan. This was never really the way that it was dubbed when I was younger. They never said like, this is the game. I feel like Gus Johnson created this. But there is no nickname for this game. I find that a little bit strange for it to be the best rivalry. But also it doesn't have a nickname because we have so many great nicknames in college football. Joel, you seem like you're nodding your head. You agree with this.

[Joel Anderson]

It is kind of weird. I thought that the game was the nickname for it, but I guess I.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Thought it was Harvard. Yale was the game. Right.

[Van Lathan]

I thought this was the big game.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

That's what they've dubbed it in recent times. Or the game.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, I feel like. So I read both Schembechler's autobiography as a kid and he didn't even refer to it as any of that. It was something like the ten years War or something. It was like him versus Woody Hayes.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, it's like. It's like micro names giving the coaches. Yeah, exactly. Lloyd Carr era vers. Yeah, right. It's very strange. So anyways, Ohio State, Michigan, biggest game of the weekend. A lot of implications there. Van, at the beginning of the season you said that Ohio State and Ryan Day in particular is snake bitten by Michigan. Do you still feel that way as we head into this game?

[Van Lathan]

I don't. I don't think. I don't think the snake going to bite this week. I gotta say. I gotta stay. I gotta stay true to it.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Okay.

[Van Lathan]

Because I like I called it. I gotta stay true it. Just true to it. But I don't know if the snake. I don't think the snake gonna bite this weekend, man. I think Michigan's in some trouble.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah. Troubled waters might be a little too deep.

[Van Lathan]

What's the weather gonna be like? Can somebody look that up?

[Joel Anderson]

No. Yes. Snow. 70% chance of snow. It's gonna be. The high is going to be freezing.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

It's perfect for Michigan.

[Van Lathan]

Perfect. That's a perfect situation for Michigan.

[Joel Anderson]

It really is.

[Van Lathan]

They're not, not what you would call an air raid offense. They can use their running quarterback, try to control the game, bully things around a little bit on the old line, if you can, maybe take some of that away. But you still gotta deal with that defense, man. You still gotta deal with that defense. I don't know. It's gonna be a tough game for Michigan to win.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Jeremiah Smith, questionable for this game. Cardinal Tate, questionable for this game. Obviously they're both going to play because it is the big game, but it is fascinating if Those guys aren't 100%. The offense doesn't get rolling, they're not able to run the football. The snow is falling down, the ball is a bit slippery. The defense isn't in position because they can't see anything because the snow and the cold and all sorts. I don't know, it feels like a recipe for maybe Michigan biting a little bit back.

[Joel Anderson]

I just wonder if, because we see it, because it seems like it's so perfectly lined up and it's at Arbor, Ann Arbor, that this will be the game that Ohio State handles business, right, where it's just like, all right, like, you know, oh, it seems like things are lining up for Michigan to take advantage of Ohio State and spoil their season again. But I kind of, I'm with Van on this. Ohio State's been looked like the most dominant team in the country pretty much all year. I think Michigan is okay. Like, they're outside. If they won this game, they would definitely be in the playoffs. I mean, that is the thing. If they win, they're going to get in, but they look like a, you know, a playoff bubble team. And I don't know, I just, I kind of feel like this is the, this is finally the Ohio State team that's going to handle up, you know, get this monkey off their back and then they'll, you know, they'll have to fight it out in the, in the playoffs because I think that they still haven't been tested yet. Right. Like, they still haven't really faced a team of somewhere near the talent of them since that Texas game. That's a long time to not have to, you know, get your heart rate up in the fourth quarter. So, you know, maybe this, maybe, maybe this will be the game, but I don't think Michigan has enough talent for that.

[Van Lathan]

What's the blueprint for Ohio State to win this football game?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Excuse me?

[Van Lathan]

For Michigan to win this football game? What's the blueprint for Michigan to win this game against Ohio State? What has to Happen for them.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Time of possession, just control the ball.

[Joel Anderson]

Possessions limited Ohio State's possessions. The problem is that, man, Michigan, you know, Justice Haynes isn't going to be playing, right?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, I know it's a big knock.

[Joel Anderson]

So that hurts, right? But the backup is pretty good. And again, like you said, you know, Bryce, Bryce Underwood can run a little bit, so that can help. But yeah, they got to keep the ball away and they cannot turn. So like you're going to ask a freshman in a big game like this, hey, against that defense, don't turn it over.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Orvl Reese, Caleb Daniel have to be.

[Van Lathan]

Creative with, with the play calling as well. Bryce Young is going to have to get some yards on the ground. They're going to have to move him around, use his athleticism and keep Ohio State off balance. Because once you let that defense settle in, lather up and get into what they're doing, one, two, attack, it's going to be very, very difficult to beat the athletes they have. So they're going to have to keep them off balance. It'll be an interesting game if, if you turn at the end of the first half and this hasn't kind of got the ball constrictor or hadn't gotten away from it, could be an interesting game. It'd be interesting to see how Ryan Day and Ohio State rebound after last year.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

If I was Bryce Underwood, I'd be watching Denard Robinson tape all week. You know, like that's the kind of guy that you gotta play. Like in this game, just be running the football, get on the edge, make these guys make decisions and then use that athleticism like he said.

[Joel Anderson]

The one thing I would say is that this is so much better for Ohio State to be on the road. Because the thing about last year is that when the game was still tight, it was like 10 to 3 and it was just quiet in Columbus and you just, it felt, all of a sudden, it just got weird. It was like, man, you're not pulling away from them. What's going on?

[Van Lathan]

Yeah, you could, you couldn't be more right. Like the crowd's trepidation started to spill over into even you watching the game. Like, yo, these really in trouble for real.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Like, and they really hate Ryan Day. Like, that was the vibe of the stadium. They were just like, yo, get this guy out the of here. Yeah, it was tough. So that's the best game of the weekend. There's also some other big games obviously on the board. Vanderbilt at Tennessee, Texas A and M, Texas, Alabama, Auburn got the egg bowl, also Miami, Pit, which has some implications that matter. Georgia, Georgia Tech, Arizona, Arizona State. If there was a second best game on the board, if we give Ohio State, Michigan sort of the credit there. Van, is there another game there that you say is the second best game of the weekend?

[Van Lathan]

LSU at Oklahoma, baby. Like the. The question about LSU football right now is not whether or not we're going to win the game. It's not whether or not we gonna score. It's whether or not we can get one yard. That's every time we get a yard, man. Fuck score. We ain't even trying to score. We're trying to get a sustained drive of 32 yards. That's it. If we can get 32 yards either with the combination of running and passing and penalties, it's a win. I'm telling you right now. That's what the goal right now in this game is to accumulate 130 yards of total offense. That's a dub. If we do that. That is what I'm talking about.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Time to accumulate.

[Van Lathan]

We're in the yard accumulation business. And it don't matter what we have to do. I'm down for anything. I'm down for a double reverse for three yards. I'm down for a flea flicker to a quick out 8 yards. I'm down for a fake punt on 4th and 23. That gets 12 yards.

[Joel Anderson]

Damn.

[Van Lathan]

I just want to see yards gotten. Cause when I'm looking at the game, they don't really be getting yards like that.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, it's a huge accumulation. Could save Tiger Nation.

[Van Lathan]

And it's not a yardage struggle against Alabama. It's a yardage struggle against Western Kentucky. So I want to see Fluke shit. I want to see somebody fumble a lineman, get it and rumble, stumble, bumble for three and a half yards. Cloud of dust, cloud of grass, cloud or whatever. That's what I want to see. Can LSU get a yard on offense? That's what I'm looking for.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I like it. That's. I like that breakdown. Oklahoma, obviously trying to avoid a trip there at the end of the season against lsu. LSU maybe can make some noise. Joel, Second best game of the weekend for you.

[Joel Anderson]

I've been thinking it's tough because there's so many good ones like the Texas and the A and M game.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

And I think that's my pick.

[Joel Anderson]

Vandy and Tennessee. See, I'm going to go with Auburn at Alabama, at Auburn. Because Iron bowl, because for the sake of Kaylin DeBoer and his health and his family and his state of mind, boy. You cannot lose this game.

[Van Lathan]

If you lose.

[Joel Anderson]

Oh, my God. Yeah.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Go to Penn State if you lose this game.

[Joel Anderson]

I mean, bro. Yeah, you got to get you again. You got Kanye with Rockefeller. Can I get that deal? Have his agent call Penn State because he will not want to go back. He will not want to come back to Tuscaloosa if they lose this.

[Van Lathan]

They can't lose, bro. They can't lose, man.

[Joel Anderson]

And the thing is, man, they really can't.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Then Alabama's calling Lane Kiffin. He's got a new team in the mix.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, right. Yeah. Something else opened up. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, bro, this. Cause this. This is kind of the ideal Auburn situation for a year that didn't really turn out as expected. A win. They can get to a bowl game. They got a court. They've moved on from the Jackson Arnold era. You know, that crowd's gonna be crazy. They're going to honor Bo Jackson on Saturday. I think it's been. I mean, just feel so old. It's been 40 years since he won the Heisman, so. So this is the crazy anniversary of that.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

So.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, man. And I just. A and M. Has not looked good. Like, they just not in recent weeks.

[Van Lathan]

Like Alabama.

[Joel Anderson]

You mean Alabama. I'm sorry. Yeah. Thank you. Alabama's just not look good, man. Like, they just look like they're struggling. They're kind of struggling in the way that Oklahoma is. Why that game was sort of. Even though Alabama moved the ball up and down on them, I was just like, I feel a team that can't run the ball, like, and they can't impose their will. I always think a team like that can lose. Lose. And what does Auburn do? Really well. They defend against the run. Really, really well.

[Van Lathan]

So, Joe.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

And it's always close in Auburn.

[Joel Anderson]

What's the line on that game? Yes, Alabama. Two and a half point favorite.

[Van Lathan]

Five. Five. Five and a half.

[Joel Anderson]

Okay. Okay.

[Van Lathan]

Alabama, five and a half. Sometimes six. Some six in some places.

[Joel Anderson]

A top ten team versus.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I was gonna say, you would think that would be like 10 points.

[Van Lathan]

You know, typically, you think they. You know, they. I think they're. There's the rivalry week.

[Joel Anderson]

Not so easy to say.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

It's rubbing off. Yeah. It's in my head too.

[Van Lathan]

Situation that that's going on there. And also just, you know, the history of these two teams matching up. It seems like there's, you know, there have been times when one team has been dominated, but it's a game that's difficult to dominate.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, it is going to be Fascinating. It's always a close game. I do wish that Deuce Knight was playing after that six touchdown game for Auburn last weekend. They're saving him. They want to his year of eligibility. Similar thing happening at Colorado. They just announced that for juju. But again, a lot of things happened in the last week of the college football season. We're going to be live on Saturday talking about all of it. A lot of big games. Some other notable ones. I, I did not mention Navy at Memphis, which is another good one. Texas Tech, West Virginia, maybe West Virginia. Rich Rod could make some, uh, magic happen late the year. Yeah.

[Joel Anderson]

You know, just playing out there. I mean, weird shit always happens the last week of the season.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Like, absolutely.

[Joel Anderson]

It's not going to unfold the way we think it's going to somebody. There's going to be a crazy upset on Friday or Saturday. So.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I mean, even Oregon at Washington, you know, like, that's just a weird game.

[Van Lathan]

Like, Joel, for all the shit that you talk about needing to get. There's a ranked matchup in the acc. I haven't heard you bring it up.

[Joel Anderson]

Oh, Georgia versus Georgia Tech. Oh, you back on this?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

No, no, no. Miami pit.

[Van Lathan]

Miami pit. There's a ranked. Hold on, hold on for a second. Wait, no, wait a second.

[Joel Anderson]

Cole's ignoring it.

[Van Lathan]

Wait a second. There's a ranked matchup in the ACC.

[Joel Anderson]

You keep.

[Van Lathan]

He's on the Big 12.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

He's on the Big 12 agenda.

[Van Lathan]

Wait, wait, wait. No.

[Joel Anderson]

What is he doing?

[Van Lathan]

I'm so sick of the bullshit that people knew. You talking about Alabama, Auburn, the Iron Bowl. You're falling for the sec. There's a ranked matchup up in the acc. A very consequential game in the accident, potentially for Pitt. A conference that you say needs to learn how to get on its own dick. Well, Joe, you got to help them. You got to jump on.

[Joel Anderson]

I don't need to guide their hand.

[Van Lathan]

You got to hop on the dick, Joel. You got to hop on the dick. If you want somebody else to. Don't ask somebody else to do something that you not down to do. You get on the dick first. So it's Miami versus Pitt and I didn't hear you say anything. You talk about the Iron Bowl. SEC propagandist.

[Joel Anderson]

I don't think the game is going to be the best. I think the drama, the storyline is the most interesting.

[Van Lathan]

Oh, my God.

[Joel Anderson]

And a part of that is that I think Alabama's a little overrated.

[Van Lathan]

Well, whatever. So that's all. You're falling, you're falling for the propaganda right here.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

They did lose the Florida State.

[Van Lathan]

The fact that you're doing it like, what the hell is going on? Stand up.

[Joel Anderson]

Have a lot of games in it, bro. That ain't just gonna be sec. Don't go.

[Van Lathan]

That's crazy.

[Joel Anderson]

Don't worry.

[Van Lathan]

That's crazy. I look at this entire. I look at this entire list.

[Joel Anderson]

Biggest games. LSU versus Oklahoma.

[Van Lathan]

Like, biggest games of the week. Ohio State's on here. Then look Vandy, Tennessee, Texas A and M. Texas.

[Joel Anderson]

I'm interested in Arizona, Arizona State, Mississippi State.

[Van Lathan]

I don't know what you guys are talking about. I'm trying to do a show.

[Joel Anderson]

I'm trying to do a show. You didn't want me to talk about Maryland football. You didn't want me to talk about Indiana podcast. Now talk about the whole sport from.

[Van Lathan]

Sea to shining sea. Did you hear Dan Lanning?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Indiana, Purdue.

[Van Lathan]

Indiana. Purdue. What about. Can I interest you in Navy at Memphis? Like there's other. There's other football being played. Joe, come on. Joe, why didn't you talk. I can't. A ranked matchup and you didn't even mention it. You all right, bro? All right.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Also, it's going to make Darduzzi look like a genius if he gets his ass beat by Notre Dame and then wins the last two games. You know what I mean? So it's. There might be a method to the madness if he does do that.

[Van Lathan]

That. Speaking of reactions, I can't wait. If Miami lose.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Oh, if Miami loses.

[Van Lathan]

Back to the. To the spaces.

[Joel Anderson]

Oh, man, that space, man. They still need to let them call the game that any game did Miami is playing in. I would love to listen to.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

What was that name of that group? That group was great.

[Van Lathan]

It was the Jam. The J Space. It was from. Uncle Luke was promoting it on his page.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

We need them on the show.

[Joel Anderson]

That's the guy that does the. Has the handle demand of your dreams or something like that.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, we need. We need Billy. We need to get together as a group and reach out if Miami loses because we need their reaction because we're not going to do it justice. They were on top of it from the jump.

[Joel Anderson]

The man of your dreams. That's his name.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

The man of your dreams.

[Van Lathan]

But they were. They were being. That was one of the most entertaining football conversations.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I was hilarious. Yeah, they were locked in.

[Joel Anderson]

I don't. I don't think Pitt can beat Miami. So that's why I'm just kind of like. I just. I can't.

[Van Lathan]

Shut up. Up.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Oh, they can beat Miami.

[Van Lathan]

Yeah. They definitely can be Miami. You lying. Billy wanted to point out Joel stealing. Raise the roof.

[Joel Anderson]

That's true.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah. If we get Uncle Luke on the show, we have to ask him about raise the roof.

[Joel Anderson]

I didn't say he stole it. It became part of the cultural the.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

You said he culturally appropriated it from you.

[Van Lathan]

Lying. You said he stole that.

[Joel Anderson]

I'm not lying. I mean, again, I said we were doing something different. We weren't doing. I wasn't doing that shit that he. They were doing in his.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

This is my favorite move. This is so good.

[Joel Anderson]

Get out of man. Go home, Billy.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Billy's pulling up direct quotes from Joel from last week. He's locked in again. The beef continues. Let's turn it over. Big van on campus. Like we said, a very special edition. We're going to now introduce the man in the middle of quite the beef right now. Oklahoma versus Texas. But at the end of the day, everybody wins. The Bros. Boys and Girls club. We talked about this on Saturday. Jeff Ketchum coming up on big van on campus. All right, as promised at the top of the show, a very special big van on campus. We got a guest in the building joining us now. He is the founder, the owner and the guy who has been in the mix all week. Orangebloods.com Jeff Ketchum on the show. Jeff, thanks so much for joining the program. Good to see you, man.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Good to be with you fellas. Invite. I'm a fan, so, you know, like fanboy out a little bit.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

We got a lot to get to, so I'll turn it over to Van because this is his segment and Van is very invested on what's happening on the streets of Twitter. So Van, take it over from here.

[Van Lathan]

Jeff, we're going to talk to you about a lot of things, but we have to start where it all started. The wager, the bet. When. Okay, well, let's. Let's play it, play it out for people. Actually, you tell people what happened with the wager and with the bet and how this all got started.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Eddie and I were exchanging some pleasantries. Eddie Radosevich from Soonerscoop.com and he and I have known each other for like 20 years. Sometimes we like each other. Some. Some days we don't. Seems like probably most days we don't. But there have been moments we were getting into it about something and I proposed to him, I think, on December 19th of last year. Thousand dollar wager. If OU wins 9 games, I donate a thousand dollars to the Boys and Girls Club of Norman. And if they don't then he donates $1,000 to the boys and Girls Club of Austin. I made the wager offer. He didn't respond. I smoke a lot. So that just was out of my brain.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah.

[Jeff Ketchum]

For a long. Forever. Forever. So it got popped back up Saturday after. God, I think it was even after Texas had finished playing. I'm trying to remember the order of events, but Saturday afternoon, he retweets it it. And he's like, hey, thanks for all that you do. We appreciate your support. And I mean, it got me. So I can appreciate, like, he kind of got a win in that because it gave the appearance that the bet had been accepted previously and that I owed a thousand dollars. And my initial response was just focused on, wait a minute, there's no live bet. This isn't a real thing. Bets don't count if the other person doesn't accept the bet. Leaned in on that. In fact, one of my initial points was, just tell me one time where this has ever happened. Like, don't tell me I'm the precedent. Show me the precedent. And I'm willing to. And what I actually thought would have been funny, and where I think he would have really gotten me is if he'd retweeted it and just said, I accept. Because then it would have been a little bit like an open fantasy football trade that the worst guy in the league makes, where he just leaves it open for six weeks and somebody hurt, and then you just chalk it up to the game, like, oh, I should have known better. But I really dug into my principles that, like, this was not a live bet. And then I found out, and honestly, I really didn't appreciate the scope of it until I listened to y' all show on Saturday night and y' all talked about it. And I was a little mystified at, like, wait a minute. I thought everybody was just going to be on my side that there is no precedent that this has ever been a thing. I got the opposite. And then I realized, well, maybe I'm wrong. And here we are.

[Van Lathan]

So this is. This is my point of view. And I'll let the guys jump in here too, as well. My point of view is that when if this was the other way around, if, let's say that he had made that same wager to you, you would have had to accept it because he was making the wager to you. But since you made it to him and you put it out there, it's on Twitter. Twitter is just going. It's looking for reasons to hold you to Stuff, Jeff.

[Jeff Ketchum]

But is there another example of this ever? Am I the verb? Am I the verb?

[Van Lathan]

No, I think that you ought to. George Washington, of this betting situation. You have set this precedent. Now, I think that's you, Jeff. I think you gotta kind of live with that, actually.

[Jeff Ketchum]

If that's the way this goes, the catch them clause, the next time this happens, y' all need to keep it real on the streets. Now, it can't be like, I got got. And then in three weeks from now, something like this happens, and y' all treat.

[Joel Anderson]

I'm.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Oh, I'm okay with. I paid the bets. Like, it's done. It really is. Now, about what are the rules on the streets? And you're telling me I'm pot committed once my chips are on the table. And I can live with that.

[Joel Anderson]

Damn. Wait, do you think it's about that or do. Because I don't. I don't know how serious people are, but they seem to be upset that you said things about the school children of Norman, Oklahoma. People keep bringing that up.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Strong double down, Jeff.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Here's the thing. I am a product of the boys and girls club, so, like, whatever we want to say, like, I'm not going after the kids. I actually kind of take some offense to the idea that I'm talk. I'm talking about the state of Oklahoma as their great. The great obstacle they have to overcome in life and, like, the education in Oklahoma. But it's not like I'm the kids, but what I realized. And Van, I feel like you may be able to appreciate this not because you are what I am, but, like, there are levels to personalities, and some people get to do things and some people don't. I asked myself, before I recorded this video that went semi viral, what would Eddie do? Because Eddie has gotten me a couple of times on social media. He once recorded a video where he dressed up like a bishop or a cardinal and read over my last rites while I was in a. Like, in a casket.

[Joel Anderson]

Like, man, long standing beef. God damn.

[Jeff Ketchum]

And the thing is, we need the video of that. It's out there. It's out there, right? And look, sometimes you gotta tip your cap to the. To the other player and just be like, hey, man, nice hoop.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Right?

[Van Lathan]

Right.

[Jeff Ketchum]

So I'm like, well, what would Eddie do? And I thought to myself, he'd be over the top. He'd be snarky, he'd be condescending, and it would be a spectacle. So when I recorded this video, I thought, because. And Eddie's also kind of teflon man, right? He's kind of a court gesture of college football. Everybody loves him because he'll do stuff like go to the bus stop and pretend to look for a coach on the coaching search. And like, it is clever. I thought, I'm going to do what I think Eddie would do to me. How do I hurt Eddie?

[Van Lathan]

I got to be Eddie.

[Jeff Ketchum]

So I recorded this video. I thought it was over the top. It's super snarky, it's super condescending. And I thought in the name of it's over the top. It's all of these things, it would be seen for that. But what I realized, and I have to learn the hard way, is if people think you're a dick, like just as a baseline feature of your personality, like that guy is an. Then when you cut one of these videos that are supposed to be over the top, they think that's who you are. And so it's like there's catch talking about it doesn't matter if like the stuff I'm talking about isn't even real. I talked about like, like the boys club, giving kids presents under the tree. That's not even what they do, right? But like when you're a dick and this is, this is a feature, I can't help it. And doing this for 25 years in the public sphere, I have a lot of people who are like, that guy is not a good dude. I don't feel like it's earned. But I have been snarky for so long, I've said so many smart ass things. I have offended so many people along the way that in this situation, I think I'm a victim of. Nobody thinks I'm funny. And so when I tried to be funny, all I did was make it worse.

[Van Lathan]

This is what I'll say. And this is TMZ knowledge. Cause I can understand what you're basically saying now is that like reputation. Like for example, there's an opposite version of that. Like 50 Cent can't do anything to offend anyone ever. Don't matter what he do, because it's 50 cent and we know that that's his personality. I'll say this though. There was a rule that we used to have at tmz. And it doesn't seem like this would be a rule, but it was a rule. And it made Honey Boo Boo coverage very difficult. Cause she was a big deal during the time that I was there. But Harvey would be like kids and that would be the thing. Cause when you talk about the boys and girls Club. You just talking about the whole shit that went on, but people took it.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Like, if I'm self editing after the fact, you know what? And I still think I would have gotten killed. But, like, that's the only thing in the video that you can really point to and say, right? Made me feel a little squeamish.

[Van Lathan]

And then.

[Jeff Ketchum]

But the thing is, if I have to explain the joke, it's a bad joke.

[Van Lathan]

It's a bad joke.

[Jeff Ketchum]

So I can't sit here and be like, everybody else is getting this wrong. Y' all just don't know how fucking smart I am.

[Joel Anderson]

Film.

[Jeff Ketchum]

I kind of like to have to wave the white towel and go, you know what? Swung and missed. I tried to be funny. And sometimes you got to remember that on Twitter, like, hey, this is really funny. And you have to stop yourself and go, is it funny or am I about to, like, get fired? And, you know, the good news is nobody's around to fire me. There were people not. I didn't have any advertisers or anybody, like, push a button. This wasn't a thing on Orange Blue Bloods, but it. It was. And look, we got tens of thousands of people who are on the website. Like, they get mad at me pretty easily. This didn't move the needle at all, really, on my side, but, man, OU fans, A and M fans, college football fans, who I've annoyed over the years, you know, there was just a little bit of like, you know, and when it turned into I donated the thousand dollars.

[Van Lathan]

There you go.

[Jeff Ketchum]

As soon as I did the video that, like, not only are we going to do that, but we're going to make some money for the Boys and Girls Club by doing this. Like, I. I realize there's got to be some real good that comes on the other side of this. I think Sooner Scoop has raised 20 plus thousand dollars for the Girls and Boys Club in Norman. Yeah, Orange Bloods raised, including my thousand, like, almost $2,000. We raised another two grand for Austin so that both sides of the bet were covered. And then in two weeks, weeks, we're doing all of the Boys and Girls Clubs. Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, Waco, you name it. We're basically going to do a contest, and we're going to try to raise money over the course of a week for all of the Boys and Girls Clubs. I will say I. I've talked to a lot of Boys and Girls Club representatives, and I know they may have thought that I was an asshole, but they've all been super nice and have just thanked us for, like, hey, whatever it is that y' all did, a whole lot more good has come out of this than bad. That's kind of been my approach. Like, I realize my Q rating goes down that, like, I won't ever recover in the name of some people who will have seen that for the first time. But I'm comfortable in my skin. I've, I've, I've done worse. I, I, I had to volunteer for a suspension in 2014 with Yahoo. Who couldn't even, didn't even have the, the, the ability to suspend me. I had to basically fake a suspension because I tried to get funny. And then I thought I could make fun of racist people. Old white racist people from the south because I'm white and kind of from the South.

[Van Lathan]

Yeah.

[Jeff Ketchum]

And what I learned that day was, man, again, I said the Ole Miss had lost a game. And I, in the middle of a TV break, in a commercial break of a game that Texas was playing in, saw this sad looking fan and I wrote, the people of Oxford haven't been this despondent since the desegregation of the schools.

[Van Lathan]

Oh, I like it. It, I like it. I, I like it.

[Joel Anderson]

See, you came to the right place.

[Van Lathan]

See, you came to the problem. See that, that, I, y' all know that's a, that's a lath. I like it.

[Jeff Ketchum]

You know, but I didn't realize it. We were in the precipice of, like, the country changing, right? And white people were striking back. I thought, wait a minute. Why can't I? And so I've been through this before. So, you know, like, this isn't nothing compared to the night at midnight. I'm on the phone with Eric Winter from Yahoo Sports, who's like, we got to make sure this doesn't get on Marissa Mayer's desk. Because she just may look at you and go, I don't care that it's the biggest site in the Rivals network. I don't care about Rivals. Just get rid of him. This was never that. This was a walk in the park compared to, like, I had the ad at Ole Miss, who's now the ad at Ohio State, Ross Bjork. I think he'd had a few beverages that night, and he retweeted it and got real salty about it. And then they tried to say that it was connected to a Laquan Treadwell injury, like, all of the worst stuff possible. They were like, that's what that was. Instead of me just being an asshole and being like, I'm Gonna make fun of racism and all the white people that, like, you know, I just felt like I'm gonna be snarky. Cause that's who I am. And, like, I really do, at some point, have to realize I just need to shut up.

[Van Lathan]

I'll tell you one thing, though. Coming to this podcast with that anecdote was a smart move.

[Joel Anderson]

That works.

[Van Lathan]

You knew your audience for that one.

[Joel Anderson]

Now you see, you know, I got my Texas shit now. Cause you know, I'm from Texas. And so, you know, Jeff, man, I mean, the eyes of Texas shit, man, y' all ain't gonna put you. I'm not gonna put you in the crosshairs. Unless you wanna speak up for that.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Hey, man, I am on. I in trouble for that. You know what I got in trouble for?

[Joel Anderson]

For that. Okay?

[Jeff Ketchum]

The most benign thing ever. And I lost about a thousand subscribers for this. The black players at the University of Texas, former players, had released a written statement saying that they were supporting the Texas players. The black players who'd released the saying that they weren't in favor of the school song. And they were basically saying, we stand behind the current players. I was at the park on Twitter with my kids or playing on the slides. I'm not really. My brain just thinks of stuff that gets me in trouble. And then I just let it go. I hit quote, retweet, and then I just asked, I wonder if any former white players will support the players the way that this group of players has just done. I didn't think that was that controversial. I thought it was a perfectly fair and, like, obvious next question to ask. But a little bit like that Ole Miss thing. It was like, wait a minute. You're calling all of us white people racist? I was like, well, no, that's not what happened. I just. I'm asking, will anybody support the players? And I think it's a fair question to ask given the circumstances of the climate and the discussion that we're having. Yeah, man, they got mad.

[Van Lathan]

I got.

[Jeff Ketchum]

I get in trouble all the time.

[Van Lathan]

I see why they don't like you now. I know what they trying to do.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, see, I see now we. Yeah, we. We kind of to also any white play a step up.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Jeff, Col. Jordan Chipley.

[Joel Anderson]

What they're from Mule Shoe, man.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Jared. Jared Wy stepped up, and he was one of the guy who's a current player on the team. But that was about as good as it got.

[Van Lathan]

J. W Catch. Now that you've pandered enough to get us back on your side, like Let me. Let me ask you a question. You're going to settle a Texas debate that we've had on this podcast. We've had a Texas debate on this podcast. Before we get to Arch Manning, the takeaway from the entire bet was that there are. I want to say this seriously. There are kids right now that are going to be taken care of in a way that they wouldn't have been taken care of because of what happened. Happy ending, wrapping in a bow, whatever. It's about the kids. And the kids got what they needed. Everybody did something good. So. So I'm moving on. Colin Simmons vs. Brian Arakpo. Joel has said that there's no comparison between these players.

[Joel Anderson]

That's not accurate.

[Van Lathan]

That's not catch. Let me tell you what happened.

[Joel Anderson]

That's not accurate.

[Van Lathan]

Like he said that there's never been an edge at Texas. Like that. There's never been an edge at Texas like Simmons.

[Joel Anderson]

I stand up for that.

[Van Lathan]

And what I said was there has been an edge like Texas at Simmons, like Simmons at Texas. And that edge was Brian Arakpo, who was legitimately one of, if not the best edges in college football during his time at Texas. What do you think? I'm asking you to settle a bet. Is he right in the fact that Simmons just blows a rack pole out of the water, a rackpole ain't shot, he never admired to shit and nothing? Or is there a case to be made that he was as dominating in edge as at edge as Simmons is right now?

[Jeff Ketchum]

Two things, two baby things. First, pew, pew. Second, talking about second. I think there are levels to this. Whatever levels of emphaticness we're going to get to. This is goat status of this position group at a power school. So it's going to be a conversation that's close no matter how emphatic we want to get right. Colin Simmons is the best edge player that Texas has ever had. And this goes back. I honestly would rank this motherfucker, man.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Joel's been winning lately.

[Jeff Ketchum]

He's fired up because here's what I did. He had a four game stretch where he had six and a half sacks, like 12 pressures or something. Ridiculous. This was a few weeks ago. So I went back and looked at every defensive end that Texas has had going back to 1990 to see if I could find a similar stretch. And as it turns out, no player at Texas, at his position, whether it's Tony Bracken or Brian Iraqpo or Sergio Kendall or any of those guys.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, I thought Kendall might be in there. Yeah.

[Jeff Ketchum]

You know Tim Crowder, Brian Robison had a bunch in this stretch. None of these, Alex Okaford, none of these guys didn't had a stretch of four games that were even remotely comparable to what Colin Simmons did in a four game stretch this season. He started off slow, took him about three games to get going, but he's been unstoppable since. And I don't know that I've ever. Even with a rat Poe, even with Brackens. I don't remember feeling like, oh, they just took over a complete series in a bunch of different ways. I didn't think Colin Simmons was this complete. I thought he'd be a 15 sack guy that, that play in 15 games. And so he might put an absurd number up in part because he plays a bunch of games, but he's probably, he's in double digits now through 11 games. And like, I think he has one more year. He can't go pro. I think next year he's like national defensive player of the year candidate. And if he can keep this run of form up, he'll be. He'll be.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

He is.

[Jeff Ketchum]

I think he's better than a Brian Arakpo. And as a guy that saw Brian Iraqpo, Houston Lamar, like in the flesh numerous times.

[Joel Anderson]

Right.

[Jeff Ketchum]

I don't say that lightly. I just have an immense amount of respect for like what Colin Simmons has done.

[Van Lathan]

Wow.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Joel, Good job.

[Van Lathan]

Joel, Good job, Joe. That's a Texas expert right there.

[Joel Anderson]

Now, Jeff and Tate, y' all heard Vance say we made a bet, right?

[Van Lathan]

Who made a bet?

[Joel Anderson]

Did he not start this open with a bet?

[Van Lathan]

Yes.

[Joel Anderson]

Didn't he just say this was.

[Jeff Ketchum]

We were deciding that?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

It's the catch him clause.

[Joel Anderson]

Yo, it's the catch em clause, dog.

[Van Lathan]

I made a bet.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, you said it right before you went into your preamble to ask the question to Jeff. You said we made a bet.

[Van Lathan]

Okay, well, Joel set the terms of the bet.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Boys and Girls Club, you might be getting more money.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, right. I don't know, man.

[Van Lathan]

It's going to be the boys and girls club of Joel's apartment, his house. Joe, don't care. Love the kids like that.

[Joel Anderson]

I mean, I'll make a little bet to him. I still get my Boys and Girls Club releases and stuff. Yeah, I was a big brother when I was.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I was a big brother too in high school.

[Van Lathan]

Yeah, I'm a big brother right now. I'm huge now. Look, he arch Manning. What to Tate. What's the headline? I saw some. There was a back and forth between.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, Nate Tice put out that if he was going to make the number one pick. And Nate Ti has been great with quarterbacks. He had Drake May number one in the Caleb Williams class. So he's been on the right side of history so far with the quarterback decisions. But he said that if he were taken the number one pick this year in the draft, he would take Arch Manning number one. Now, Jeff, you've watched Arch closely, probably more closely than anyone in the country. Do you think that's an insane take? Do you think it's an irrational take or do you think it's something that looks the part at this point? Because we have been giving Arch a bunch of compliments over the past couple of weeks.

[Jeff Ketchum]

I think it's insane in 2026 if you were to take him number one and the expectation is that he would start and be expected to carry an immediate load in the NFL. He's not ready for that. He's better than I thought he would be. I thought he was somewhere in between. Truly a six star level prospect and then something slightly below that. He's such a good athlete that you feel like people underrate that. I think the thing that I underestimated and he came in his initial first semester at Texas, there were people whispering, this guy kind of sucks. He'd be, he'd be behind the walk ons on the depth chart in this, in his first spring as a freshman, we were hearing he's behind the debt, he's behind the walk ons on the depth chart. And we were like, well, we're not reporting that because like in a week from now he won't be. And people will remember that. We reported that forever. But that was going on. Yeah, he throws balls now like he's just a deliverer of the football that I think is better than any Texas quarterback I've ever seen. He does not do this wow easily. He, he misses guys in the flat that you would think because of his background and the name and everything else, that would be the simple stuff. He makes six or seven throws every game that when you watch them back from the end zone, like perspective, you really get an appreciation of where he's putting the ball, how he's delivering the ball. Now look, I haven't. This isn't Oklahoma, right? They had a stretch where it's like Baker, Mayfield, Kyler, Murley, Jalen. Hurts like they've had a bunch of guys. Texas hasn't, but I've seen them all and no one has a better arm talent than Arch Manning. But no, I, I Think he's going to be a number one overall pick, but I think it would be. I think 2027 is his bag, but I think 2026 would be a really bad spot for him to be in. And his family has been really consistent behind the scenes with this. Dude is going to start 25 times in college before he goes pro, and y' all just do with that. Whatever y' all want to do with that. It's going to be 25 plus, and if it's 20, he's coming back for another year. Are there dynamics where that could have changed? Maybe, Maybe. But, man, I swear, they have set it. Every year that he's been on campus, the line has been the same. And when they waited an extra year to get started, let Quinn Ewers finish out. Whatever it was that Quinn was doing, I think it was an exhibition of, like, the patients they're saying they will work with. He could have transferred last year, started 12, 13, 14 games, done that this year, and been ready for the pros, and they're just not in a rush to send him to the NFL.

[Joel Anderson]

Jeff, I got. I got. Since this is rivalry week.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Oh, good job, Joel.

[Joel Anderson]

You like that? All right. I just have to slow down because it's rivalry week. I want to ask a question as a native Texan who's, you know, on the outside looking into the Longhorn.

[Jeff Ketchum]

I see you repping. You're okay. Like, you bring it. You guys are playing for a national championship. You got nothing to. Nothing to hide from.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah. Eight and four in. In those 12 years in the. In the big 12. Jeff, who do you all hate the most? Because I actually, I've always said, man, A M and Texas hate each other so much. Like. Like, they don't with each other, like A and M left, right? Like, I think it's. It's like, in the idea that, like, A and M tried to get the. Away from University of Texas, and Texas was like, with Oklahoma, man, we can go to the SEC to get together, man. We be. We can, you know, it. I mean, it could just be the two of us. Like, y' all would never do that with A and M. So I've always kind of thought A and M was the one y' all hated the most.

[Van Lathan]

Is.

[Joel Anderson]

Is that right? Who is. Because then I saw this week, I was, man, these OU fans are going at your neck, man. I was like, God damn, they were really after you.

[Jeff Ketchum]

There's a lot of history there. It's a lot. It depends on how old you are. This is A really interesting look. I'm 49. I went to Texas from 95 to 99. When I went to college, 95 was the first time that Texas, I think they'd beaten A and M once in the previous 10 years. Texas fans like to say that A and M only did it because they cheated. They got put on probation. So, like, there's a bunch of context behind this one 10 year stretch. My dog says hello, by the way. Those. If you're my age, you grew up with A and M kicking Texas ass and you were in school at a time where like, they didn't just beat Texas, they beat down Texas. But then my group gets out of college and what happens? Texas takes control of the rivalry forevermore. Like they've had control of the rivalry since 95. Then, oh, you pops up with Bob Stoops in 2000 and they drop a 63 to 14 on their head on the way to a national championship. And then outside of a stretch from 05 to 09, Stoops just owns Texas for the better part of a decade and a half. And everybody that has grown up after me. So anybody who's under the age of, let's say, 40, they all hate Oklahoma. All they know that Oklahoma is the school that's been standing in their way for anything for a long time. No Texas fan has felt that about A and m, literally since 1994. So you just got to have some years on you to, to care about A and M that much because they haven't been a threat. And I think one of the things I know about college football is you hate the people that keep you from winning things.

[Van Lathan]

Yeah.

[Jeff Ketchum]

And taking things from you. So it would be OU to the. The mainstream public.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

There you go. Well, we got a great game this weekend. A and M, Texas, Marcel Reed, Arch Manning, gonna be a good one. Jeff, we appreciate you coming on the show. We appreciate hearing your side of the story. Always good to catch up up orangebloods.com Go check out Jeff. And this was great for the rivalry, by the way. Oklahoma, Texas, I think this was a big win for both sides. Everyone's arguing the best rivalry in college football. Ohio State, Michigan always kind of says they're those guys, but, you know, yeah, it means more. There you go.

[Van Lathan]

It means a lot more. That's all I gotta say.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Jeff, we appreciate you coming to the show and we'll have you back again, man. Hope you have a good week and enjoy the game on Saturday.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Thanks, fellas. Appreciate.

[Van Lathan]

Appreciate it. Appreciate you coming on, man.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

All right, there you have it. Big van on campus, first guest there. And, Joel, you had a pushback here for one of Jeff's points, right? One of the players he brought up.

[Joel Anderson]

Oh, yeah, right, Absolutely. I just wanted to bring up because he said that at that point, that when he stood up for and asked if any other white players were going to support their black. Black teammates and not wanting to stand up for the eyes of Texas, he said that Jared Wiley did it. And Jared Wiley did not last long at Texas after that. He ended up transferring to tcu, was a great tight end there, and ended up going to the league. I think he played. I'm trying to remember who Jared Wiley plays for now.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I remember him in the league. He's with the Chiefs. I was gonna say.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, there you go with the Chiefs. So, man, shout out Jared Wiley, man. He. He made a stand there, Texas, and then came home to tcu, and we took care of him and helped him get along his way, so. So shout out him. So, yeah, Jeff, but we have not heard. I would love to know if there were any white players again that took him up on that call, because I have not heard anything about that.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, we'll. We'll go do some digging.

[Van Lathan]

If. If we was. Let's say it was.

[Joel Anderson]

Come on, man, don't do this.

[Van Lathan]

Okay, you know what? I'm not gonna do it.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, man, I'm not ready.

[Van Lathan]

Because we already know Tate. We already know Tate.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

But I was just saying, you. You. You don't get as much credit when you're in the locker room for doing it. You know what I mean? Obviously, there's, like, a little bit of peer pressure that's involved. It's better to me, like, if you're outside of the situation, you got a little cachet, a little power in your suburban neighborhood. And you say it, you know, because then you gotta go deal with all these other dads at the golf course and all these other places, and they're like, what the hell are you talking about? You know, it's like, stand on, I hear you tape.

[Joel Anderson]

But there's two things. There's two. I didn't hear about no other white players in the locker room doing it. And I'll just tell you, like, it is interesting that we have a bond in a locker room. You know what I'm saying? Like, we're all bonding brothers. It's a team. But one place white folks don't have a problem being racist to you is the locker room. You know what I'm saying? So, you know, like, it Ain't. I mean, usually it's like them people over there believe what they believe. We believe. We believe, but we come together on the field or whatever, you know what I mean? And so I. You know. I don't.

[Van Lathan]

Joe's TCU experience was like, remember the Titans when they.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Let's do some quick hitters.

[Van Lathan]

Joel. Joel. Joe. Joe. Who was the white boy that you did left side. Strong side with? That was Joel at camp.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Left side, left side. Strong side.

[Van Lathan]

Strong side.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Left side.

[Van Lathan]

Strong side. Soul brother. What kind of power you got, nigga? Get the fuck out of my face.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I got soul power.

[Van Lathan]

Nah, it was beautiful. It was beautiful.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I do love that.

[Van Lathan]

I didn't expect that in the. Just real quick, before we go. I didn't expect that in the theater from. Remember the Titans. I didn't expect Bertier to be like, yeah, we're cool. I was like, oh, shit. I'm feeling affected. Bertier's like, yeah, left side. Sean, the whole team is like, oh, my God, they're touching each other. What's happened? Do we have to wear these jerseys?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah. Julius and Jerry.

[Van Lathan]

Julius and Jerry.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Gary. I called him Jerry. Gary Bertier.

[Van Lathan]

Julius and Gary Bertier. Who was your Tate? Who was your Julius?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Cameron Butler. That's my guy.

[Van Lathan]

Damn.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Also went to Howard's, man.

[Joel Anderson]

I had. I had two. One was. No, listen, I want to say John Martin, I don't know what happened to him, because he transferred out. You know how in the 90s, if somebody transferred the next year, you never hear from him again? So it's like. Like, John and I had this relationship where I hung out with him pretty heavy for that semester, and he went home, and I understand that he. I think he transferred to the University of Miami, and I never hung out with him again. But he took. I mean, the thing about John, that was so cool, man. And I'll just never forget that motherfucker made me take him to a. A tanning salon. He's like, bro, I need to go to the tennis salon, dog. I want to go out here. And I was like, I'll take you, but I'm not getting in. I'm not going into the tennis salon. So I'll never forget that woman standing outside. Like, John walks in to get his tan, and the woman comes out. She's like, boy, you come on in here, too.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Will you get.

[Joel Anderson]

You guys get tans, too? And I was just like, nah, that's. I just sat in the car. You know what I'm saying?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

He was going to the tanning salon.

[Joel Anderson]

Tanning salon, bro. Tanning salon. I'll never forget that shit. I don't know.

[Jeff Ketchum]

What.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Gary Bertier would never be at a tanning salon.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, man, that was just. I was just. Didn't y' all go through phases like that in college? It was like three of three months where you would hang out with somebody and you just. I never saw him again. I was like, damn.

[Van Lathan]

My man Jensen from Alaska. He was from Anchorage, Alaska. Like, yeah, like, he was weird.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

And you got love for those people all the time. You know what I mean? There's, like, no ill will. You're just like, I, you know, just falls apart.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. John, you out there, man. Hit me up. The other one was Marshall. Oh, my God. I can't remember Marshall's last name. But then I saw around 2008, 2016, that was a change. And so we're no longer connected on the Internet. But.

[Van Lathan]

Obama was, too.

[Joel Anderson]

Marshall Patton.

[Van Lathan]

Marshall was cool with Joe, but Obama was a bridge too far. 2008. Hold on.

[Joel Anderson]

The. The. The tenor of a lot of posts in that era changed. And so, you know, learn things about.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Facebook is wild, man. You learn a lot about people on Facebook.

[Joel Anderson]

But I like that he had a weasel. He had a weasel, man. I'll never forget that he had a weasel.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I go kind of a red flag a little bit.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah. We got married in, like, college, bro.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, that's also a red flag.

[Van Lathan]

That's what happens. Anyway, we.

[Joel Anderson]

We.

[Van Lathan]

Look at us now. Now we're each other. Take, you know who my birdier is.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Who's that?

[Van Lathan]

It's you.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Oh, man.

[Van Lathan]

Yeah.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I'm on the right side. I'm better on the left side.

[Joel Anderson]

Don't put that on birthday. You know, Bertier died when he was 27 years old.

[Van Lathan]

Well.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

But he won a lot. He won Olympic gold medals.

[Van Lathan]

Olympic gold medals and stuff.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah.

[Van Lathan]

But I think he died in, like, a car accident or something like that, right?

[Joel Anderson]

A second car.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

A second one. Yeah. Which is crazy.

[Van Lathan]

That was cool, though. Like, they came together at camp, and then the real question is, before we go, is not who's the Bertier, but who is Petey? Who is Bertier's homie? Remember Bertier's homie?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Oh, yeah.

[Van Lathan]

That didn't want to.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I knew a bunch of Bertier's homies.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Yeah.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

A lot of those guys.

[Van Lathan]

You gotta warn us about Bertier's homie. Cause, I mean, we know Joel is Petey, so like it. We don't.

[Joel Anderson]

I. I don't remember the movie very well. What's his name?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Donald Faison. He is. Yeah.

[Joel Anderson]

People did. I mean, whatever. People in college, people used to say, I used to look like that guy. And I was like, I don't. I don't see that.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I don't see that either. That might be some TCU commentary. I don't know.

[Joel Anderson]

A long time ago.

[Van Lathan]

Hey, Faison. Hey, Faison, come over here, bro.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

They're like, you like scrubs?

[Van Lathan]

You like. Hey, you like. Hey, face on here. Go get the chick. Fil.

[Joel Anderson]

Like, Clueless was the thing. Then Murray. It was like Murray. It was like Murray. Because I never. I never watched Clueless, but Murray. That was a kid's name.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, there you go. Love it. Quick hitters on the way out. Sonny Dyke sang to his team. Joel. TCU was it. Don't stop believing that. They sang as a team. Your thoughts.

[Joel Anderson]

Nothing has happened.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Silence.

[Joel Anderson]

The only thing that. The only thing that has happened that I've been. Been moderately pleased with the T.C. sanders, that we beat us in here. That's it.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah.

[Joel Anderson]

Everything else. Nothing is happening the way I quite want it to happen. But Sonny Dykes does to his. He does seem to be a really good guy.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, it was coming from a good place. Another good thing for you this week in the news. Former Baylor coach Art Bryos hired at Division 2 Eastern New Mexico.

[Joel Anderson]

I told y'. All. I told y' all.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Somebody was at Penn State, but he ends up at Eastern New Mexico.

[Joel Anderson]

Hell, I would rather. I mean, in. In another world, I'd rather have Art Brows and John Sumro.

[Van Lathan]

I would.

[Joel Anderson]

If I. If I could. If you could make that decision without the context. I would rather have Art Brows.

[Van Lathan]

I just got to say something, man.

[Joel Anderson]

Okay.

[Van Lathan]

It's looking crazy, bro. Art Brows. R. Kelly. It's looking.

[Joel Anderson]

You don't have to make that connection.

[Van Lathan]

But there is, bro.

[Joel Anderson]

You don't have to make that connection, but there is.

[Van Lathan]

Like.

[Joel Anderson]

I didn't say that I like Art.

[Van Lathan]

You championing him. Like. I'm not. Look, I'm not championing.

[Joel Anderson]

I just said that. Don't do that, Van.

[Van Lathan]

Okay. All right. Good for everyone. I hope everybody is safe. That's, you know, good for everybody. God bless.

[Joel Anderson]

Me, too. I be. Me, too. I don't want his son as the officer offensive coordinator at my school.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

There you go. You know, it all connects. A couple more things. Colorado State is expected to make UConn coach Jim Mora, who's done a great job at UConn, if you haven't been watching Connecticut football, went independent. They've won nine games. Back to Back years, got some good players. He's now going to Colorado State to be in the Future of the Pac 12. Pretty big deal for him to go do that. So nice note there for Jim Moore also. Obviously we know him from UCLA coaching the pros all these different places. This is. Cal has fired head coach Justin Wilcox. That was another big note from the weekend. Kind of shocking that they got rid of Wilcox, but again a lot of people trying to push for different guys for that job. Nick Saban is pushing for Brian Dayball to be the head coach at Penn State. Van, do you like the idea of that?

[Van Lathan]

I am kind of like it maybe, but I don't really know for. For Brian Dayball. Like they were really, really, really loyal to him. And in New York for a long time. He seems to be the type of coach that people really believe in what's in his head and they're waiting for the right situation for it to show itself on the field. Like he, he's. When he gets in front of people, he's an impressive guy for some reason, but the Giants never looked really like shit. And that's kind of where I started following his career.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I feel like he's good in the kind of pre game film room, things like that, dealing with the players. But on the field, like in game decisions are pretty horrible. So if you got someone to deal with some of that stuff, maybe that makes sense. But Nick Saban, obviously pushing for him. Some people have pointed out he's a Jimmy Sexton client. So there could be some reasons.

[Van Lathan]

Gotta stop doing that on game day.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, I agree. Kind of over it stop.

[Van Lathan]

Like we, we get that there's an agenda. Sexton is the master of the universe in the entire college football. But like don't be a mouthpiece. Yeah. Like Nick Saban, that's his home to be. To be up there doing that.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

If somebody got me hundreds of millions.

[Joel Anderson]

Yes. I was gonna say he's like man, that man. I mean he didn't just make it.

[Van Lathan]

I mean Day Ball also coached. He also coached with Nick. Sam Saban. So like he, he coached with Nick Saban. So Nick Saban is somebody who knows him and knows his. His entire. He was on staff there.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah. Couple more from the coaching side of things. Mike Norvell will be back at Florida State. They plan to retain him for 2026. He said, quote I'm not going to let them down. I know what it's got to be and we're going to get it done. Joel, do you believe him?

[Joel Anderson]

No, he's going to have to.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

He's going to make the graphic just.

[Joel Anderson]

No, no, he, he has to read recruit. I mean because he's so portal heavy because he's not been great at recruiting there. They're going to have to turn that roster over again. So he's going to have to get the next Tommy Castellanos and figure things out. I mean, how many coaches have ever played their way off the coach that way off the hot seat? It just doesn't happen very often, does it? Usually once you on that watch like it just kind of you're delaying the inevitable.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Luke Fickle might be doing it at Wisconsin.

[Joel Anderson]

That, that's. I mean that, that that's a.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Maybe one guy.

[Joel Anderson]

I think Wisconsin should. Maybe I. Because I don't.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Napier did it last year. Yeah, but not for too long.

[Joel Anderson]

Not for too long.

[Van Lathan]

I mean successfully coach yourself off of it forever. I'm hard pressed to think of too many guys have been able to do that.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, yeah. Once it's kind of. Yeah. Once it's in the ether, everybody's like, all right, get this guy out of my face.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah. Who are you going to recruit this year? Like, like top that's going to commit themselves. You'll be like, well, yeah, Mike. Mike Norville is going to be there all three years. I got to be. Be there, you know, so.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, yeah. A little bit different. Last thing. It's Thanksgiving. Eddie George put out to the people his turkey preparation. I wanted to run this by you guys. I don't know how much you are locked into the turkey preparation process, but he says he likes his turkey deep fried. He has used the same oil for the last five years. It's a 72 hour process. I've fried some turkeys before. It's a dangerous proposition because the grease shoots back at you. It's a crazy thing. Sits in homemade brine for two days. He injects it with homemade marinade, wraps it and refrigerates it for 24 hours. He takes it out the morning of Thanksgiving and then re dips it back in hot oil to get it ready and primed for the day. Van, does this sound like a good turkey to you?

[Van Lathan]

I don't know enough about it, but I know using the same oil for five years is fucking crazy. Yeah, that's. I don't know enough, but maybe you're doing that to lock in the flavor or what?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I don't.

[Van Lathan]

I have nothing. What's. I don't know what's going on, but just when I look at the oil Thing. I'm just out on the rest of it. That's crazy to me.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah. Where does he keep the oil?

[Joel Anderson]

He moved that oil from Nashville to Bowling Green. You know, just. I mean, he's been moving that oil around. I just. All right. I mean, you know, if Taj and the rest of the family like it, then great. But that doesn't. You know, I don't. I don't know how to fry turkey. So it could be that this is the best thing ever.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I had never done it before. I did it in Charlotte when I was in college. And, I mean, the. The grease and everything pops up, like when you drop the turkey in so you can get absolutely rocked. Like, I mean, my hand got burnt while you do it. I mean, it's.

[Joel Anderson]

It's so funny, man. You were frying a turkey in college?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah.

[Jeff Ketchum]

Doing.

[Joel Anderson]

For who, Your whole family?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

No, no, no. It was with. I went to a friend's house while I was in Charlotte. Charlotte? Yeah.

[Van Lathan]

So, wait, you went to their house and they had you frying the turkey?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

They had multiple turkeys. Like, people in the neighborhood were coming over to fry their turkeys, like, in the fryer. It was a crazy. I didn't even know that was at the fryer.

[Van Lathan]

So people were coming over.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

People come over, bring their turkeys, dip it in, and it's like a. It was an extra turkey. Like, they would have a homemade turkey, but this. Then they would have, like, a separate fried turkey that was like an appetizer turkey. You know what I mean? It was crazy. I've never seen it.

[Van Lathan]

Like, how long does it take to fry the turkey?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Five, ten minutes. That's not that long.

[Van Lathan]

And the turkey's done.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

It's. It is done. It's. It's. It's. Yeah, you dip it in. Let it rip.

[Van Lathan]

Hold on for a second.

[Joel Anderson]

So him. Eddie, George.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Well, he's. He's made it into a whole process with the. The way that he's, like, marinating it and the whole thing. You know what I mean? But the actual.

[Van Lathan]

Like, you have the turkey, you fry the entire turkey, and it's like 10 minutes.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

That's what I remember. This could be, like. It could have been longer, you know, like, there's probably going to be someone that's going to be like, it's 30 minutes. You're an idiot. But, like, in my mind, it was like, 10 minutes, and. And it was like, the turkey's ready to rock.

[Joel Anderson]

Unbelievable.

[Van Lathan]

Yeah, it takes. Hold on.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah. Google it for me so I don't sound so dumb. I already turned off the entire south.

[Joel Anderson]

This just seems. This is. It's just crazy, man. Because I just like it says 3.

[Van Lathan]

To 4 minutes per pound. So a 12 pound turkey takes about 36 to 48 minutes. Ain't no way you drop the whole turkey.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

No, these are little baby. What I was doing was like smaller turkeys. They're like. Like I said, they're like appetizers. Turkeys. So like you were just dropping those birds in there like this isn't the big. This isn't the big.

[Van Lathan]

Are you sure you were doing like a Cornish hen?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

No, it was a turkey, I promise.

[Van Lathan]

Okay.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

And then I. I never had baby turkeys at man. Oh, you go to the like. If you go to like food line or whatever the comparable. You know what I mean?

[Van Lathan]

So these are. You. So you were.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

So these are like four pound turkeys. I would say three. Three pounds.

[Van Lathan]

The kids, the kid turkeys. The turkey.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I guess if you put it like that. Yeah.

[Van Lathan]

Which the know that like what. What did. What did. What did he say? In. In no country for old men. There's nothing the way to put it that. That's the way it is. He said to him, no, put it the way. That's the way it is. You can't. You. You child killing turkeys.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I was eating ve turkey like g.

[Joel Anderson]

Say it's a ve turkey.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yes.

[Van Lathan]

Crazy.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

But this wasn't my concoction.

[Van Lathan]

Again, I on you. You kids. The kid turkeys. Right?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I just don't know what the turkeys did to have a day where they.

[Van Lathan]

Get to be a pro life turkey situation for the. Why we can't kill the kids, bro.

[Joel Anderson]

They cut the lives of these turkeys short for that. Man. That's crazy.

[Van Lathan]

That's nuts.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I like to think they were genetically made in a laboratory or something. You know what I mean?

[Van Lathan]

You're telling yourself stories.

[Joel Anderson]

Yeah, okay.

[Van Lathan]

I know you would like telling yourself stories.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

That's true about turkey. This is a one off for me. I do not fry baker baby turkeys every year.

[Joel Anderson]

I wish there was video.

[Van Lathan]

I wish there was video. I gotta be real with you.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Honestly. If I could.

[Van Lathan]

If I could call plan turkey hood. I would get them involved in what y' all had going on. Talk about it take five minutes. Of course it takes five minutes to fry a child. You sick.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah, okay. It's give. It's giving bad vibes right now. I don't like it. I don't like it. Billy Gibson, come back in. We need a last call slash imparting shots. Do you Have. Billy, don't bring me into this to save you. You kill baby turkeys.

[Joel Anderson]

That's it.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Billy, how many turkeys have you deep fried? Any. Any parting thoughts? Any parting shots before we get out of here? Nah.

[Van Lathan]

No.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

No shots at anyone. I want this to be like a love fest, like friends here. Joel's the one that brings in the negative vibes. You're killing baby turkey.

[Joel Anderson]

Are we even talking about nothing negative? I just wanted. I was asking questions. I didn't know that it was gonna lead to that. Yeah.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

You have a nice hat today, though, I'll tell you that. It's a good hat. Yeah.

[Joel Anderson]

I appreciate you.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I'm thankful for Joel and Billy being kind to each other.

[Van Lathan]

I'm thankful for it too, man.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah.

[Van Lathan]

I will say this. I am thankful for ring or tailgate and the community that we're building, man. You guys send the podcast to a friend. If you have a friend that loves college football that wants to listen to four yahoos. Really, three and a half Billy won't commit to the. If you guys want. If you guys want to listen to. To three and a half four yahoos talk about the sport that they love, send ring your tailgate to a friend, man. Help us grow.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

I like that. I think that's a great last note to end the show on. I hope everybody has a happy Thanksgiving. Everybody enjoys their time with their friends and family. Don't deep fry any baby turkeys. That is something that I learned on this show and I hope everybody will join us on Saturday. 6 o' clock Pacific, 9 o' clock Eastern. We'll be reacting to all the games on what weekend, Joel?

[Joel Anderson]

Rivalry week.

[Van Lathan]

Not that, but rival.

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Three for five is good, though.

[Joel Anderson]

Rivalry week. I got it there. Was that better?

[Host 1 (Tate)]

Yeah. Four for six. There you go. We appreciate everybody tuning in and we will see you all on Saturday night. Must be 21 or older in president. Select states for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 and older in present in D.C. kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem. Call 1-800- GAMBLER or visit rghelp.com call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit MD Gambling Help.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit Gambling Helpline ma.org or call 80032755000 for 27 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPE NY or text Hopeny in New York.

[Jeff Ketchum]

This episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing company. No matter how you do game day on the couch in the crowd or manning the snack table. Athletic Brewing fits right in with a full lineup of non alcoholic beer styles you can enjoy bold flavors all game long. No hangovers, no buzz, no sub out for water in the fourth quarter. Stock the fridge for kickoff with a variety of non alcoholic craft styles. Available at your local grocery store or online at athletic brewing.com near Beer Fit for All times.