Ringer Tailgate – October 22, 2025

Episode Theme:
The panel dissects the high-profile firing of Florida head coach Billy Napier, the dominoes it could set off in the college coaching world, and the season’s mounting chaos as top teams continue to falter. Big Van on Campus returns for an epic LSU rant, and the crew bounces from coaching rumors to playoff odds with equal parts expert analysis and unfiltered banter.

Main Topics & Takeaways

The Fallout From the Billy Napier Firing

(05:16 – 15:15)

• Immediate Reactions:

  • The panel’s been predicting the Napier firing for weeks; now it’s official.
  • Tate Frazier calls it "the long national nightmare of Gainesville."

• Who’s Next for Florida?

  • Lane Kiffin is the obvious favorite: Joel wonders if it’s actually an upgrade from Ole Miss but acknowledges the lure of Florida’s resources and recruiting base.
    • “…Florida really puts you in the game, man. Like, we've seen proof of concept…” – Joel Anderson (06:13)
  • History lesson: Only Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier have truly excelled at Florida in the modern era.
    • "There's only been, like, Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier in my lifetime who've really exceeded what their expectations are." – Joel Anderson (06:48)

• AI Enters the Chat:

  • Van asks ChatGPT for the top five candidates. AI’s list:
    1. Lane Kiffin
    2. Eli Drinkwitz
    3. Jedd Fisch
    4. James Franklin
    5. Urban Meyer
    • “This coaching search feels really artificial to me…” – Van Lathan (09:08)

• Cynicism and Fan Pressure:

  • Van predicts the new hire will be "raw meat for the fanbase" rather than an innovative, patient choice.
  • Joel: The program risks fading in relevance for a whole generation if it doesn’t get it right now.
    • “They don’t even know who Tim Tebow is ... they were born in 2006.” – Tate Frazier (12:52)

• NIL and Modern Challenges:

  • New coach will have to inspire fan credit—the NIL collective needs a convincing figurehead.
    • “You really need a figurehead that people can say, ‘this is worth my $200, $300, $2,000’ or whatever.” – Van Lathan (14:35)
  • Tate notes retaining top recruit QB DJ Lagway helps soften the transition.
  • “This is going to be a talking point for quite some time.” – Tate Frazier (18:18)

Contemplating Lane Kiffin’s Next Move and Legacy

(16:31 – 20:55)

• Lane’s Image and Strategy:
  • The crew jokes about Lane’s “hot yoga” photo and his calculated visibility at high-profile games.
    • “Lane is looking at the rest of the college coaches like, ‘Look at me… I’m ready to go to Greece…’” – Van Lathan (16:47)
  • Joel points out Kiffin’s moving-on patterns and how Florida might appeal as his next big jump.
• Does Kiffin Need a 'Forever Job'?
  • Van: Lane still hasn’t proven he can build a championship program and requires a “final stop” to cement his legacy.
    • "He is still riding the fumes … of a believed potential that has never manifested itself on the field." – Van Lathan (19:22)
    • "Lane Kiffin needs his last job...the job that'll make him Urban Meyer, Kirby Smart, Nick Saban." – Van Lathan (20:20)

Is the USC Job Cursed?

(21:02 – 22:43)

• USC’s Recent Struggles:
  • Van questions why so many "hot" coaches (Kiffin, Sarkisian, now Lincoln Riley) haven’t thrived at USC.
    • "Maybe the pressure...the lifestyle...whatever it is, they couldn't make it work there." – Van Lathan (21:23)
  • Joel: Maybe USC is a tad overrated historically except for brief peaks.

Season of Chaos: Upsets and Collapsing Powerhouses

(23:38 – 28:29)

• Absolute Unpredictability:
  • Van: “Chaos reigns in college football. We are here, guys!” (23:38)
  • Vandy beats LSU, Indiana climbs the Top 10; major programs look suddenly vulnerable.
  • Joel: “This is the NFL now.” There’s too much faith placed in 19- and 20-year-olds for consistency.
    • “It’s a miracle that every year there’s an undefeated team…” – Joel Anderson (25:21)
• The Vandy Loss Analogy:
  • Van compares LSU losing to Vandy to getting beat at Madden—unacceptable, requires “rededication.”
  • Memorable moment: He admits hiring a private Madden coach to get better (27:41).

The Florida State Letdown and the Power of Early Perceptions

(30:59 – 36:02)

• FSU’s Collapse:

  • Joel: “FSU’s biggest mistake was getting everybody’s hopes up.”
    • "Beating Alabama fucked everybody's minds up, and now Mike Norvell is in hell." – Joel Anderson (32:11)
  • Van rewatched FSU’s Alabama win: “They flopped them, bro…outcoached Alabama…”
    • "Florida State had Alabama outflanked and outleveraged." (33:29)
  • Nobody can make sense of FSU’s drop-off; now they've lost four straight.

• Troll Culture:

  • The crew jokes about media personalities and “rules of trolling”—must stick around when things go south.
  • "Danny Kanell gets real quiet once the wheels come off." – Van Lathan (36:31)

CFP Odds & Contender/Pretender Game

(38:14 – 44:49)

• Playoff Picture:
  • Surprising playoff odds for teams like Notre Dame, Miami, and BYU.
  • Van: “The fact that LSU is on the list at all. [Are] y’all trolling?”
  • Praise for Notre Dame’s running back duo: "Jeremiah Love is the best running back in college football. Not even close." – Van Lathan (39:42)
• Miami’s Stakes:
  • Joel argues if Mario Cristobal’s Miami, with a soft schedule, misses the playoff this year, calls for his job are justified.
    • "If Miami can't make the playoff this year, you've got to think about firing Mario Cristobal, man." – Joel Anderson (42:01)
  • Van pushes back: “If you’re talking about firing a 10-2 coach... I personally don’t…”

The Last Undefeateds—Who Survives?

(45:00 – 47:45)

• Run Down of Undefeated Teams:
  • Only six remain—Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, BYU, Navy.
  • Van and Tate predict most will falter, but Ohio State could run the table.
  • Joel and Van bet Indiana’s trip to Penn State (Nov 8) could be a “losable game.”

Coaching Hot Seats & State of Wisconsin

(47:28 – 53:04)

• AD Endorsements and Financial Pleas:
  • Wisconsin AD supports Luke Fickell but stresses need for new financial investment.
  • Panel runs through what keeps a coach in place during a down year (effort, improvement, internal belief).
    • "What does everyone at the top... need to see to believe there's a future with him at Wisconsin?" – Van Lathan (51:13)
• Program Identity:
  • Joel reminds listeners Wisconsin was a non-factor until the 1990s; program trajectories can change quickly.

Week 9: Big Games & Storylines

(54:03 – 59:47)

• Top Matchups:
  • Ole Miss at Oklahoma
  • Mizzou at Top-10 (!) Vandy
  • Texas A&M at LSU (“the game to get right” – Brian Kelly)
  • UCLA at Indiana
• Ole Miss/Oklahoma Stakes:
  • Both teams are at a crossroads: Ole Miss can’t afford a second loss, while Oklahoma must seize a rare “winnable” top game to be a legit SEC threat.
  • "Oklahoma has to win this game, because this might be the easiest game they have down the stretch." – Joel Anderson (57:45)
  • Lane Kiffin’s flirting with Florida adds an extra layer of drama.

Other Notable Games & Coaching Chatter

(61:08 – 68:05)

• Watch List Games:
  • Colorado–Utah: Has the Coach Prime hype faded?
  • BYU–Iowa State: Sorting out Big 12 contenders.
  • South Florida at Memphis: G5 playoff stakes; USF’s Alex Golesh could rise if he wins.
• Pocket Watching & NIL Rants:
  • Oklahoma State’s coach calls out Texas Tech's NIL situation; panel is fed up with “broke” talk.
    • "Stop sounding broke...coach your fucking team.” – Van Lathan (66:07)
  • College football’s new reality is resource disparity, but evidence shows money isn’t everything.

Big Van on Campus: Brian Kelly & the LSU Rant

(69:41 – 77:56)

• Cake Analogy & Accountability:
  • Van eviscerates Brian Kelly’s noncommittal answers about LSU’s lack of physicality, using an elaborate cake-baking metaphor.
    • “Sometimes I just bake a cake and the cake is all fucked up and there's no one to blame. ... [But] you baked the motherfucker. You baked it. It's your cake.” – Van Lathan (71:02)
  • Rips the program for not playing to LSU’s tradition of dominance.
    • “Why are we not LSU? That’s the question. … Ask Brian Kelly why we're not LSU.” – Van Lathan (74:48)
  • Big, emotionally charged roll call of “dogs” from LSU’s past—calls for the current team to reclaim that identity.
• Memorable barbs:
  • “We're LSU. We're supposed to dominate—Eric Reid, Devin White, Delpit … I'm talking about knocking people off the ball, man!” – Van Lathan (74:23)

Closing Banter & Parting Shots

(81:01 – 84:03)

• Joel on Maryland’s Mike Locksley:
  • “They gonna fire your Black ass, bro.” (82:08)
• Van Dishes Relationship Wisdom:
  • Ties back to earlier banter: “We ain't stupid, man. … We know we need a better cake.” (83:52)

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• “Florida really puts you in the game, man.” – Joel Anderson (06:13)
• “The coaching search feels really artificial to me.” – Van Lathan (09:08)
• “In that Florida State locker room, there's a really good team in there. ... They just don’t know how to harness it anymore.” – Van Lathan (34:41)
• “Jeremiah Love is the best running back in college football. Not even close.” – Van Lathan (39:42)
• “If Miami can't make the playoff, you have to fire Mario Cristobal, man.” – Joel Anderson (42:01)
• “Coach your fucking team. ... I'm getting sort of sick of this [NIL complaining].” – Van Lathan (67:07)
• “Why are we not LSU? That’s the question. ... Ask Brian Kelly why we're not LSU.” – Van Lathan (74:39)

Engaging Moments & Running Gags

• ChatGPT/AI as CFB oracle – The crew’s amusement and skepticism toward using AI for coaching searches.
• Lane Kiffin’s hot yoga photo – Used as commentary on his persona and the image-driven side of coaching.
• Van’s Madden coach metaphor – Blending video game humiliation with LSU’s real-life struggles.
• Banter about “being dogs” – Listing LSU legends, lamenting the lack of “bite” in today’s squad.
• LSU vs. TCU fight – Van and Joel trade barbs about their respective programs’ humiliations.
• The return of “Who’s broke?” discussions – Call-outs on NIL money dominate various school narratives.

Timestamps to Key Segments

• 05:16 – Firing Napier & What’s Next at Florida
• 09:08 – Why This Coaching Search Feels Different
• 13:32 – NIL Money and the Pressure for a “Name”
• 16:31 – Lane Kiffin’s Image, Future, and the “Final Job” Question
• 21:02 – Is the USC Head Coach Job Cursed?
• 23:38 – Season of Chaos: Power Programs Falter
• 27:41 – Van’s Madden Coach Analogy
• 30:59 – Florida State’s Collapse & “Beating Alabama Broke Them”
• 34:41 – Is There Still a Good Team Hidden in FSU?
• 38:14 – Contender/Pretender: CFP Odds Talk
• 45:14 – Will Any Undefeated Teams Make It?
• 47:28 – Luke Fickell’s Job Security
• 54:03 – Week 9 Marquee Matchups Preview
• 61:08 – Notable Other Games: Colorado–Utah, BYU–Iowa State, South Florida–Memphis
• 66:07 – “Pocket Watching” and the NIL Rant
• 69:41 – Big Van on Campus: LSU Rant/Cake Metaphor
• 74:48 – “Why aren’t we LSU?”
• 81:01 – Parting Shots: Maryland, Relationships, Closing Laughs

Tone & Style

High-energy, irreverent—but always informed. The crew expertly mixes deep-dive CFB analysis with pop-culture references, personal stories, and playful jabs—a fan-forum vibe, but smarter.

TL;DR:
This episode spotlights the high-pressure Florida coaching search after Billy Napier’s firing, discusses Lane Kiffin’s wandering career and “image management,” illuminates the season’s pandemic of upsets, and finishes with Van Lathan’s passionate (and hilarious) meltdown about LSU losing its “dog” persona—delivered with their signature blend of expertise and chaos.