Ringer Tailgate – Episode Summary

Podcast: Ringer Tailgate
Episode: The Best Team in the SEC, Johnny “Mentor” Manziel, and the Biggest Games of Week 6
Date: October 1, 2025
Hosts: Tate Frazier, Van Lathan, Joel Anderson

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the chaotic heart of the 2025 college football season as Van, Joel, and Tate hash out the ever-controversial questions of rivalry games, coaching expectations, the SEC’s best team, the Penn State conundrum, and the curious case of Johnny Manziel mentoring Diego Pavia. Expect sharp takes, irreverent banter, inside stories, and some classic Ringer chaos.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The College Football Culture Wars: Rivalry vs. the New Playoff Era

• Joel’s Take (04:22): With the expanded playoffs, fans shouldn’t treat a single regular-season loss like it’s the end of the world:

  “...this is not the old NCAA... It’s the NFL. If you are a Chiefs fan and the Chargers beat you in week one, you wouldn't be like, ‘man, Andy Reid, Pat Mahomes, man, they ain’t got it no more.’” (04:22 – 06:16)

• Van Disagrees, Defends Tradition: Van rebuts, arguing the culture and tradition of college football rivalries are unkillable, even with playoff expansion:

  “…that’s college football. College football is—Hey, Grambling went on to win the black college national championship. They're playing in the celebration bowl, but we beat them 31 to 14, baby. They suck. That’s what I’m talking about.” (08:16)

• Host Banter: Hilarious riffs ensue about fan angst, pageantry, and why, for example, Ryan Day winning national titles but losing to Michigan every year would haunt the Ohio State faithful.

Notable Moment

“I’m trying to help you. I’mma put one titty on your shoulder. …One fat man titty. And that’s gonna change your whole life. You’re not gonna say this no more.”
— Van to Joel (10:57)

2. The Penn State-James Franklin Conundrum

• Tate Explains Double Standards (16:38): Contrasts how Penn State’s patience with James Franklin differs from the expectation-laden cauldrons at OSU or Georgia:

  “James Franklin, 4 for 21 in these games…they’d have his head on a spike…But after that game, they were almost gracious, like, ‘don’t let this define his career.’” (16:38)

• Van’s Sideline Therapy (17:43): Van analyzes the postgame scene after the Penn State loss with Drew Aller:

  “He walks over to his coach…I think he’s expecting to be consoled…and James Franklin says, ‘line up.’…He’s sick of it, too.” (17:43)

• Is it Time for Hot Seats? Joel points out Franklin’s inability to “win the ones with even talent” as the separator between the good and great.

3. Who’s Actually the Best Team in the SEC?

• The Candidates:
  • Undefeated: Ole Miss, Oklahoma, A&M, Vanderbilt, Mizzou
  • But do any feel like the best? The answer is more complicated than the records.
• Joel’s Pick:

  “I think it’s Oklahoma with healthy John Mateer. …they’ve got a defense of that old Bob Stoops quality.” (25:07)

• Van’s Pick:

  “Unfortunately, it’s Alabama. The tradition won’t die there in Tuscaloosa, and we thought that it did.” (28:02)

• Ole Miss “Belief Gap”:

  “Nobody is going to believe Ole Miss until they do it, right? Like, they're just one of those programs. It’s like, nah, we don’t trust you.” — Joel (32:03)

• A&M, Mizzou, and the Rest: Respect for A&M’s big win, but skepticism remains (“nobody believes in A&M…gotta see it”).

4. Start-Bench-Cut: Most Disrespected Undefeated Teams

Candidates: Memphis, Iowa State, Missouri

General Verdict:

• Start: Mizzou — SEC bias, actual resume, legit defense.
• Bench: Iowa State — Good wins, but yet to prove on the road.
• Cut: Memphis — Nice win streak, but “fighting for their lives with Arkansas.”
  (36:58–40:51)

5. Fraud Detection – Season’s Biggest Disappointments

• Unanimous Choice: Clemson, with preseason hype now utterly fizzled:

  “I mean, it’s gotta be Clemson, man…there’s not a single game—the one win they have, they did not look good. Like, there’s nothing that is going well for them.” — Joel (43:00–44:11)

• Van Expounds: Not just projection—Clemson should have been good. “They are getting pushed around in spots where we did not think they would.” (45:32)
• Dabo Swinney’s Bizarre Response: On getting advice:

  “The man upstairs, that’s the only advice I need. God’s good all the time.” (46:21)

• Hosts Rib Dabo: “That statement right there was Dabo Sweeney singing Amazing Grace at the talent show. …The only reason why you bring that up is because you can’t follow it up. Okay, what did God tell you about how to run the ball?” — Van (48:47)

6. Week 6 Big Games & Controversies

• College GameDay Controversy (53:40): FSU fans think Kirk Herbstreit is dodging Tallahassee, but it’s an ESPN/SEC bias, per Van.

  “There is no fucking way that GameDay should not be at Miami and Florida State this week…That game is one of the more important games of the entire year.” (53:40)

• Joel’s Twitter Block Saga: “He blocked me after [I joked about Army-Navy]. …That was a good tweet!” (54:55)
  • Hosts discover live on-air Herbstreit has unblocked them on Twitter (56:36)
• Favorite Games:
  • Miami vs. FSU: “That game will say so much…It might be the death knell of Florida State’s season.” — Van (58:27)
  • Texas vs. Florida: High-stakes “QB mid-off”—can Arch or Lagway get it together? “This game is...a referendum on Arch.” — Van (61:08)
  • Virginia at Louisville: “How do you summon the same urgency and energy after [last week]? ...It’s really disrespectful to Louisville. Louisville’s undefeated—and unranked.” — Joel (63:21)
  • Iowa State at Cincinnati: Underrated QB matchup, per Tate.
• Other Notables:
  • Ludacris performing at Clemson-UNC…at 9am (67:56)
  • Mississippi State-Texas A&M, Boise State-Notre Dame, Washington-Maryland (“Joel Anderson heart divided game”)

7. Big Van on Campus: Johnny Manziel Mentoring Diego Pavia

• Initial Reaction: Some see Manziel as a cautionary tale; Van counters:

  “The perfect mentor for Diego Pavia is Johnny Manziel, someone who seemingly has been through all of those things and has come out the other side of it...not tragically gone.” (73:14)

• Van’s Life Advice Take:

  “Some of the best advice I ever got came from a crackhead.” (71:47)

• Statue Material:

  “Learn from Johnny. Don’t be Johnny. Off the field. I beat [Alabama] once. Diego’s got a chance to beat them twice. That’s the kind of shit they build statues for.” — Johnny Manziel, via Tate (74:09)

• Mentor as Dating Option?:

  “Diego Pavia’s mom finally has a date. Johnny who can take her out? Johnny Manziel.” — Van, (73:44)

8. Parting Shots

• Van’s Plea to Brian Kelly (Coach, LSU):

  “Brian Kelly, stop with us. Tell the truth at all times…If I ask you for your Social Security number, you need to give it to me…We’re mad, okay? Brian Kelly, keep it all the way real.” (79:51)

• Joel’s Satirical Wish: Wants Arkansas to hire Jon Gruden after Sam Pittman’s firing. “Not only do Arkansas fans want this, but everybody in the SEC wants this, too.” (82:07)
• Tate’s Closing Message: Tell the truth! (“That’s our message for the day...Tell the truth. Everybody be honest, and you know—things will work out for you.” 84:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “College football is...cultural warfare that exists on the football field.” — Van (12:56)
• “He’s sick of the bullshit too.” — Van on James Franklin and Drew Aller (17:43)
• “Nobody’s gonna believe Ole Miss until they do it.” — Joel (32:03)
• “The only advice I need: The man upstairs. God’s good all the time.” — Dabo Swinney (46:21)
• “Some of the best advice I ever got came from a crackhead.” — Van (71:47)
• “If he beats Alabama again for the second year...Diego Pavia has a chance to cement his legacy amongst the five great Vanderbilt football players of all time.” — Van (76:23)
• “Brian Kelly, keep it all the way real.” — Van (80:04)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:22] – Joel: Modern playoff era, why losses aren’t the end of the world
• [08:16] – Van: Rivalries & culture in college football
• [16:38] – Tate: Comparing Penn State’s patience with Franklin to other bluebloods
• [17:43] – Van: Franklin/Drew Aller postgame moment
• [25:07] – “Best Team in the SEC” segment begins
• [36:58] – Start-Bench-Cut: Most disrespected undefeated teams
• [43:00] – Fraud Detection: Clemson called out
• [46:21] – Dabo’s quote on “advice from above”
• [53:40] – GameDay controversy, Miami-FSU
• [58:27] – Van on Miami-FSU stakes
• [61:08] – Texas-Florida “referendum on Arch”
• [63:21] – Joel on Virginia-Louisville
• [67:56] – Ludacris to perform at 9am before Clemson-UNC
• [71:47] – Van’s “crackhead advice” story, ties to mentorship segment
• [73:14] – Van: Manziel is the perfect mentor for Pavia
• [76:23] – Van: Pavia’s possible legacy at Vanderbilt
• [79:51] – Van’s message to Brian Kelly, “keep it real”
• [82:07] – Joel: Arkansas should hire Jon Gruden
• [84:21] – Closing message: “Tell the truth. Everybody be honest…”

Final Takeaways

This episode encapsulates what makes “Ringer Tailgate” distinctive—blending high-level analysis with wildly original commentary and a comedic sensibility. The hosts dissect the week’s biggest storylines: shifting stakes in the playoff era, rivalry culture wars, the SEC’s murky pecking order, coaching hot seats, “fraud” preseason darlings, and the role of mentorship (however questionable) in college football. If you missed the episode, this summary delivers the insights, jokes, and spirit—unfiltered and unmissable.