Ringer Tailgate – Championship Weekend LIVE REACTIONS

Episode Date: December 7, 2025
Hosts: Van Lathan, Joel Anderson, Tate Frazier ("Billy" on transcript)
Theme: Conference Championship Weekend LIVE – Reactions to CFB Chaos, Who Reigns Supreme in the SEC?, and Debates over Playoff Selection

Episode Overview

This lively, unfiltered live episode of Ringer Tailgate brings Van, Joel, and Billy together during college football's championship weekend. The trio jump into instant analysis and wild banter as key games unfold: SEC, Big Ten, and ACC championships all under the microscope. They debate the playoff chaos resulting from Alabama’s loss, Texas Tech’s historic win, the never-ending “who gets in?” playoff debate, the fate of Notre Dame and Miami, ACC drama, coaching changes, and more—mixing sharp analysis with running jokes, sports culture hot takes, and self-deprecating humor.

Main Topics and Takeaways

1. The Eternal Playoff Debate: It Never Ends

• Van’s “I Told You So” on Playoff Debates ([02:21])
  • Van asserts, “There's always a goddamn debate over who the fifth team is,” noting expansion won’t end controversy. “If it was a 24-team playoff, the argument over the 25th team will occur.”
  • The hosts collectively agree: the “who’s left out?” drama is intrinsic to college football and, honestly, part of its fun.
• Joel Doubles Down on Inevitable Controversy ([04:31])
  • “Whatever the barrier is for entry, people are going to be worrying about who didn’t make it in ...” – Joel Anderson.
  • All agree that, even with 12 playoff teams, the snub arguments will never stop.
• Notable Quote:
  • Van: “Welcome to the last 50 years. And there doesn’t seem to be a way to answer this question that is going to satisfy people. This is a part of the sport. Enjoy it.” ([03:03])

2. Live Game Reactions: SEC, Big Ten, ACC

• SEC Fallout – Bama, Georgia, and Politics ([30:13])
  • The group discusses whether Alabama’s performance kept them in the playoff.
  • Van dismisses the idea that a lackluster performance alone could doom Bama: “I don’t think anything was gonna keep Bama out of the playoff besides a generational drubbing” ([30:36])
  • They allege committee politics: keeping the SEC engaged is a top priority.
• Big Ten Showdown: Indiana vs. Ohio State ([87:27]–[90:00])
  • Real-time breakdown as underdog Indiana takes a late lead on Ohio State.
  • “The idea that Indiana is up on Ohio State late in this game, it’s incredible ... we could actually win the national championship this year.” – Joel ([87:52])
  • Signetti’s coaching lauded: “If Kurt Signetti does this in his second year at Indiana ... this has got to be the greatest coaching job” – Joel ([102:00])
• ACC Chaos – Duke, Virginia, and Playoff Fallout ([12:52], [13:09])
  • Duke, a five-loss team, puts Virginia on the ropes live; hosts marvel at the absurdity and implications for the playoff.
  • “If Duke really loved the ACC, wouldn't they throw this game?” – Billy, poking fun at the logic of conference politics when the league’s playoff hopes are at stake ([14:13])
  • Van, sarcastic: “Nobody’s throwing a game for the good of the conference. If I’m Duke and I win the game, I start my own playoff push!” ([14:34])
• Texas Tech’s Historic Big 12 Win ([15:23])
  • Joel: “This is the biggest day in Texas Tech football history, at least in my lifetime.” ([15:23])
  • Van compliments Tech's defense and balance but questions their national championship ceiling.

3. Playoff Selection Debates: Who’s In, Who’s Out?

• BYU, Notre Dame, Miami, the Multi-Loss Dilemma ([19:53]–[25:16])
  • Joel stands firmly: “If you lose twice to the same team, you’re out.”
  • Van pokes at inconsistencies in the logic for playoff selection—strength of schedule, loss quality, and snub precedent.
  • The Miami vs. Notre Dame debate: Host consensus wavers, but there’s acknowledgment the committee could flip them at the 11th hour, despite past rankings and direct results ([41:14], [44:53]).
    • “If they put Alabama in between Miami and Notre Dame ... that can be their way to weasel out,” warns Billy ([44:53]).
  • On precedent: “There is no precedent ... they've changed the rules” – Billy ([44:53])
  • Legal threats loomed if Notre Dame is snubbed for Miami—though all agree “we played and I won” is a trump card for head-to-head ([45:41]).

4. Media and Cultural Sidebars: What Makes College Football ‘More’

• SEC: “It Just Means More” ([24:50])
  • Hosts rib one another on “It Just Means More,” the SEC slogan, as Joel argues a two-loss SEC team could be more deserving than a one-loss Big 12 team: “We suspect they're pretty good ... it's possible they could still be national champion caliber” ([24:55]).
• Playoff Committee, Need for a CFB ‘Commissioner’ ([56:29])
  • Nick Saban calls for a CFB commissioner; hosts debate appropriate committee structures and propose more transparency for member selection.
  • “I think that there needs to be a little bit more centralization...” – Van ([56:29])
• Old School Memories and Running Gags ([32:14]–[39:02])
  • Hosts riff on being old enough to remember the pre-playoff era, the Challenger explosion, obscure TV shows, and more—lightening the serious discussions.

5. Coaching Carousel and Program Rebuilds

• Penn State’s Hire of Matt Campbell ([69:35]–[75:51])
  • Van: “A good hire, young, energetic coach ... the timing seems terrible now, but they got a lot of resources.”
  • Joel questions the ceiling: “At a job like Penn State, I would kind of just rather have a guy that got five stars ... it’s going to be very tough for you to develop three stars into guys that are going to be able to compete with Ohio State.”
• Wazoo’s Coaching Moves Under Scrutiny ([75:51])
  • Billy critiques Jimmy Rogers’ hiring: “He [Rogers] sabotaged the start of the season ... I would not be encouraged to be bringing in Jimmy Rogers.”

6. Heisman Discussion: Who Deserves It?

• Contenders, Stats, and the Value of ‘Most Important’ ([102:43]–[109:39])
  • Mendoza (Indiana), Diego Pavia (Vandy), and other dark horse candidates debated passionately, with both stats and “impact on the team” weighed.
  • “I think Diego Pavia should be the Heisman this year ... he’s meant more to his team than anybody else in the country.” – Joel ([103:13])
  • Van and Joel compare stats and resumes with recent underwhelming Heisman years, especially Eric Crouch.
  • “If you're not actually giving it to who we think the best player in college football is, who’s the most important? Who's done the most?” ([104:26])

7. Memorable Moments & Running Jokes

• Raising the Roof, Houston Comets, and Credit Battles ([08:01], [29:10])
  • Van and Joel razz each other over the origin of “raising the roof,” giving overdue credit to the Houston Comets.
• Physical Size and "Who Would You Rob?" Hypotheticals ([81:07]–[83:46])
  • The hosts humorously compare their heights/weights on air, leading to a bit where Joel asserts he “doesn’t look like an easy mark.”
• Locker Room Tussles and the Meaning of Masculinity ([85:25])
  • Extended riffing on wrestling in high school and college, affection/masculinity, and “tussling” as a show of affection or dominance.

Notable Quotes and Timestamp Highlights

• On Playoff Drama:
  • “There's always a goddamn debate over who the fifth team is. … Welcome to the last 50 years. … This is a part of the sport. Enjoy it.” – Van ([02:48]–[03:39])
• On SEC Privilege:
  • “If you go through the [SEC] conference with one loss, you should probably make the College Football Playoff, right?” – Van ([23:26])
• On Texas Tech:
  • “This is the biggest day in Texas Tech football history, at least in my lifetime.” – Joel ([15:23])
• On Notre Dame-Miami Playoff Debate:
  • “The team that won the game has to go in ... If not, line everybody up in t-shirts and shorts, let them run the 40 ...” – Van ([46:21])
• On Alabama’s Playoff Spot:
  • “I don’t think anything was gonna keep Bama out ... besides a generational drubbing.” – Van ([30:36])
• On Heisman Voting:
  • “I think Diego Pavia should be the Heisman this year ... meant more to his team than anybody else in the country.” – Joel ([103:13])

Key Timestamps for Deep Dives

• [02:21] – Playoff debate never-ending, Van’s "I told you so."
• [15:23] – Texas Tech’s Big 12 triumph celebrated.
• [30:13] – Alabama-Georgia, SEC playoff politics.
• [44:53] – Notre Dame vs. Miami vs. Alabama selection scenarios.
• [56:29] – Should college football have a “commissioner”?
• [69:35] – Penn State’s Matt Campbell hire and program rebuild talk.
• [87:27] – Indiana leading Ohio State live, significance unpacked.
• [102:43] – Heisman candidate discussion (Mendoza, Pavia).
• [108:31] – Reviewing Mendoza’s stats, Heisman resume.

Language, Tone & Format

• Tone: Smart, irreverent, energetic, self-effacing; a mix of serious analysis and off-the-rails humor.
• Language: Conversational, slightly profane, full of playful ribbing and inside jokes.
• Attribution: Quotes and opinions are labeled by speaker and timestamp for clarity.

For New Listeners: Why This Episode Is a Must-Listen

If you want comprehensive, real-time reactions to the chaos of college football’s championship weekend—mixed with sharp insights and the fun energy of sports bar banter—this is your episode. The wide-ranging discussion covers playoff controversies, live game pivots, coaching news, meta-sports culture, and the very spirit of college football: deserving teams, unending debates, and the camaraderie that keeps fans coming back every Saturday.

Don’t miss:

• The hosts’ passionate arguments about playoff selection fairness and inevitability.
• Live emotional swings as underdogs challenge bluebloods on the field.
• The spirited debates on “who actually deserves the Heisman,” with unusual nominees.
• The irreverent breaks into culture, history, and sports media, giving the show its unique, engaging flavor.
• Off-the-cuff, hilarious moments—from “raise the roof” origin wars to physical size showdowns.

For more:

• Ringer Tailgate’s next episode will react to official CFP rankings and continue their season-long tradition of making the complicated fun (and sometimes a little bit chaotic).

End on their mantra:
"Let’s raise our roof!" ([111:36])