Ringer Tailgate – Episode Summary
Episode Title: Michigan Fires Sherrone Moore, Entertaining Outcomes in the CFP, and Heisman Hype
Date: December 10, 2025
Hosts: Van Lathan, Joel Anderson, Tate Frazier (a.k.a. Billy), with Producer Billy
Episode Overview
This episode opens during college football’s lull before the College Football Playoff (CFP), but just as the news breaks that Michigan has fired head coach Sherrone Moore. The crew dives into the CFP bracket, odds, and the most entertaining possible outcomes, sparking classic “Tailgate” banter about underdogs, bluebloods, and chaos. The episode later shifts to riffing on NIL chaos, coaching drama, and a multi-pronged debate over who should win the Heisman. As always, the conversation’s fast, irreverent, and blends sharp analysis with straight-up chaos.
Key Segments & Insights
1. CFP Outlook: Chaos or Chalk?
Timestamps: 05:31–12:56
- Van’s Take: “There’s not going to be very much chaos. All the drama will come off the field. … This tournament is going to be dominated by favorites.” (05:35)
- Van sees the bracket trending chalk, not Cinderella, in contrast to last season’s big upsets.
- Joel’s Counter: “It is such an American argument to be like, I don’t even want to know if you good...” (06:38)
- Joel points out the hypocrisy about underdogs – we love them in basketball, hate them in college football.
- He believes upsets could happen among middle-seeded teams, but agrees JMU and Tulane stand little chance: “JMU and Tulane… they’re not dogs at all. They’re cats. Maybe even mice that you feed to other animals.” (09:27)
- Underdogs Discussion:
- Van: Miami, Oklahoma, Ole Miss are the true CFP “dogs.” JMU & Tulane are “chum in the water.” (09:21–10:08)
- Van’s bet: If JMU or Tulane pull upsets, he’ll wear their gear on the show. (10:04)
2. Alabama’s Status and Injury Impact
Timestamps: 11:10–12:55
- On Bama’s Underdog Status:
- Joel: “They’re not playing like the team we expect... Injuries are more impactful than people realize at this time of year.” (11:29–11:56)
- Discussion of Alabama holding out players in the SEC Championship “to have an excuse in case the game wasn’t as competitive.”
3. Playoff Odds & Perceived Favorites
Timestamps: 13:41–15:53
- Fanduel Odds Rundown:
- Ohio State (+200), Indiana (+300), Georgia, Oregon, Texas Tech, then a drop-off.
- JMU and Tulane are the longest shots: +70,000 and +75,000 respectively.
- Van: “Most people agree Ohio State’s the best team… These odds look pretty fire.”
4. Big 12 & Texas Tech Respect Debate
Timestamps: 15:19–19:12
- Joel’s Big 12 Realism:
- “This is the best Texas Tech team of my lifetime. It’s fair they’ve got the fifth-best odds.” (16:34)
- Argues Big 12 strength ebbs and flows, unlike SEC fans’ all-in boosterism.
- Heated, funny exchange with Van poking at Joel for contradicting himself and “Big 12 truther” tendencies, leading to jokes about “SEC dick licking” (19:12).
5. Most Entertaining CFP Outcomes
Timestamps: 19:51–26:14
- Joel & Van: Ole Miss winning it all would be chaotic fun, especially given ex-coach Lane Kiffin’s complicated feelings:
- Van: “If you’re Lane Kiffin, it’s easier for them to go out and lay an egg and lose.” (22:15)
- Van and Joel compare Pete Golding’s potential as the “Steve Fisher” of football – the assistant stepping in and winning it all (23:36).
- Other Entertaining Scenarios:
- Miami winning sparks endless “Is the U back?” convos and Notre Dame complaints.
- If Indiana wins: “It completely resets college football if that happens. … If they hold the trophy, we are in a brand new era.” – Van (33:33)
- Oregon’s overdue moment: “Nobody is really talking about… Dan Lanning… can they get over the hump with Dan Lanning?” – Van (30:09)
6. NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) & Messy Money
Timestamps: 39:59–47:23
- Top NIL Earners:
- Arch Manning tops with $6.5M; only Carson Beck and Jeremiah Smith in top 10 still alive for the title.
- Van: “Y'all better play ball. Y’all are playing not only for your money now, but for the future of NIL.”
- Joel: Warns boosters not to expect quick returns; “Sometimes there’s a correlation between [NIL money and success] – sometimes there’s not.”
- Discussion of how player payments are structured, and humorous asides about the difference it would make at 20.
7. Michigan Fires Sherrone Moore – Breaking News & Analysis
Timestamps: 68:13–87:14
- The News:
- Sherrone Moore fired for cause due to “credible evidence” of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. (68:46)
- Joel: “They fired him because they wanted to.”
- Van: “What details do we have other than an unnamed person that he was in a relationship with… If Michigan’s in the playoff, do either of you think they fire their coach right now?” (69:47)
- Both wonder if Michigan had a replacement lined up: “I would be so surprised if this wasn’t a splash hire.” – Van (72:12)
- Speculation about the fanbase fueling rumors and whether firing for cause is unusual for a winning coach.
- On Star Players (Bryce Underwood):
- Van: “With the number one recruit … do you make this move if you think he’ll transfer, or are you hoping he does?” (84:24)
- Consensus: Maybe Michigan’s board would take the reset as a win either way.
8. Heisman Trophy Arguments
Timestamps: 87:14–93:35
- Finalists:
- Fernando Mendoza (Indiana)
- Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt)
- Jeremiah Love (Notre Dame)
- Julian Sayin (Ohio State)
- Joel’s Vote: Pavia, for historic turnarounds at NMSU & Vanderbilt: “He’s a winner. He’s got the stats. … Even if he don’t win the Heisman, he’s gonna go into the College Football Hall of Fame.” (88:21, 91:32)
- Van’s Pick: Mendoza, “best guy on the best team.” Delivering in big moments despite not having outlier stats. (89:47)
- Balance: Both agree it’s a great story either way because either Indiana or Vanderbilt would win its first Heisman.
Notable Quotes & Moments
- Van, on JMU & Tulane:
“JMU and Tulane – they’re not dogs at all. They’re cats. Maybe even mice… you gotta feed that like they’re chum, chum in the water.” (09:31) - Joel, on Cinderella stories:
“It is such an American argument to be like, I don’t even want to know if you good.” (06:38) - Van, on NIL chaos:
“They go put some rules in… Y’all gonna get some Ricky Williams incentive-based contracts if y’all don’t start playing ball.” (40:38) - Van, on the SEC ‘paying players’ debate:
“If your team won a national championship, somebody got fucking paid… It was the wild wild west out there, and if you weren’t paying players, it's because you couldn’t afford it.” (97:42–98:20) - On Sherrone Moore’s firing:
“It seems to me there was a coordinated effort over the past couple weeks by parts of the fanbase … to put this case on the radar... It seems like the Wolverines fanbase did their head coach.” – Van (74:24) - Joel, on college coach scandals:
“It’s so hard not to fuck people, man. It really is. … So many people have just destroyed their life because they cannot not fuck people, man. It’s crazy.” (86:36)
Timestamped Highlights
- 05:31: Start of in-depth CFP predictions
- 09:27: JMU & Tulane as “cats, maybe even mice”
- 11:29: Alabama’s injuries and postseason challenges
- 14:31: Breakdown of Fanduel’s CFP odds
- 19:51: Most entertaining outcomes—Ole Miss chaos
- 30:09: Oregon’s “under-discussed” moment
- 33:33: What an Indiana championship would mean
- 39:59: Top 10 NIL earners list; implications
- 68:13: Breaking news: Michigan fires Sherrone Moore
- 87:14: Heisman debate
Tone & Banter
- The episode maintains classic “Ringer Tailgate” balance: expert, irreverent, “lunch-table” style arguing mixed with sharp insight.
- Regular friendly jabs traded about rooting interests, especially Big 12, SEC, and TCU/LSU allegiances.
- Frequent detours into pop culture, coaching gossip, and personal stories (autographs, interactions with celebrities, Nancy Kerrigan).
- Running jokes (“SEC dick licking,” “CFP cats,” Joel’s “they will fire your ass” warning for coaches).
Conclusion/Final Shots
- Sherrone Moore’s firing is dissected as emblematic of the current climate in college sports: win and buy-in or be gone—especially if you’re not a made man at a blueblood.
- The Heisman will be genuinely historic this year regardless of winner.
- NIL chaos is changing player loyalty and booster expectations.
- Van closes with advice: “Sherrone Moore, you got a whole community that's gonna support you, baby. … If you go fight it, just be wary of the text messages you have sent because that shit gonna come out.” (105:08)
- Joel shouts out Prairie View and the celebration of college football’s chaos and change outside the bluebloods.
Listen to this episode if you…
- Want playoff “chalk vs. chaos” debates explained with both analysis and personality
- Like unfiltered, hilarious takes on NIL, coaching scandals, and the realities of “pay for play”
- Want deep context behind the odds and playoff field, plus which storylines would shake up the sport most
- Love college football’s messy humanity as much as its on-field drama
Ads, intros, and outros have been omitted per instructions. All content focuses on the episode's substance and banter among hosts.