← See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack
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- [00:00]
David Pollock
What's up, everybody? David Pollack here of C Ball Get Ball podcast. I hope you like it, man. Be sure to follow the show Wherever you subscribe, YouTube or any of your other platforms. All right, welcome back in to another episode of C Ball Get Ball. Brent, we took the week off. Brent Rollins joins me. I'm David Pollock. We took the week off, 4th of July, by the way, for everybody out there. This is the last week off for a long, long time. Like, I, I can't even, I don't even know when the foreseeable future is, but it's going to be a long time because football is ever approaching and there's going to be so much goodness to talk about. But happy 4th of July to everybody. Hope everybody got their, their time. Where does the Rollins spend the Fourth of July?
- [00:40]
Brent Rollins
I mean, early in the week it was baseball and then later in the week it was just pool, golf course. No, it was earlier in the week because it was the whole week off. But big tournament. We did pretty well, though. But still yet a lot of, lot of golf. Couple days of that.
- [01:01]
David Pollock
I saw you out of the field yesterday. Yesterday I got home run into each other.
- [01:06]
Brent Rollins
Yep.
- [01:06]
David Pollock
Yeah, for a cup from a couple of trips. Went to, went to Destin, you know, drove down, drove back up. Then baby girl had a tournament in North Carolina, drove back, literally a bunch of step back into Georgia, dropped them off, grab the dumbbells, go straight to the, to the track because Brent, I needed to go get it out of the, out of the element, out of my work. My, my, I like my things the way I like. This is why I don't like to travel. Like, I know some people love to travel, but like I like having my gym in my pantry and just so many things when I get out of whack and I'm gone that I don't enjoy and probably the most is, is my diet. Like I had coolers upon coolers. I'm the only one who goes to the beach with four coolers. Like down to the beach with four full coolers of my food. And I just, I can't stand being away from all my things but had to get back on it, man. We did some farmers carries the length of the track with dumbbells and oof. It was not, it was not two things.
- [02:07]
Brent Rollins
The farmer's carries, by the way to the beach are probably insane. Carrying the coolers. Those are probably tough. And let's describe a little bit, just for the audience, how psycho you are when it comes to what you did yesterday. I Was there sprinting with my son and throwing some baseball around. You did the little different. You just happened to show up and do a little different animal there.
- [02:26]
David Pollock
Yeah, we showed up with some dumbbells. Now my buddy Russ Tanner, he's an offensive lineman who played at Georgia. Russ always wants to move. He likes the idea of moving, but he doesn't really like doing it. So he's one of those guys. There's always different kinds of people that work out, right? There's people that work out, that they want to be there, they're excited to be there, they work, which isn't a lot. There's people that be watching complain, but still do the work. And then there's people that be watching complain and then don't really do the work. So whichever category you fall into, there's. There's a home for you with your workout people. But I texted Russ, he was like, yeah, I need to do something. And I know Russ. Russ eats like a pig. Like, Russ is a former offensive lineman and he wants to eat. And his idea, he's like, if I'm going to throw a Fourth of July party, I'm going to eat. I'm like, why? You just feel like crap the next day. It doesn't feel good. So he's out there and he's, he's, he's complaining a little bit. He's. He's a little bit of whining, but we grabbed the, we grabbed the dumbbells. We did a mile of walks with dumbbells around the, the track. And the track was hot. Like the track in the sun at 4 o' clock was hot. But after every quarter mile, we did 25 push ups, 25 sit ups, 25 squats. Then you pick them back up, you go again for another lap, drop down 25, 25, 25. Pick them up. And we were sweating. We were sweating gravy for sure by the end, by the end of it and kind of get back in a little bit of a rhythm. And just like this show, man, we gotta, we gotta get back in a rhythm. And it's, it's getting closer and closer and some injuries while we happen. By the way, you don't usually hear of injuries in the off season, but UTV accident happened at Notre Dame and they lost. If you would like love to pronounce this name. Charles.
- [04:06]
Brent Rollins
Huh? Jagusa.
- [04:08]
David Pollock
Yeah. Offensive lineman, starting offensive lineman for Notre Dame. Which is, which is one of the strengths. But I'll say this about Notre Dame also kind of one of the, the. I wouldn't I wouldn't say it's a weakness. It's a strength. But the depth is not a strength, Brent. And this is a guy now that you get hurt. And so that's not a good thing before the season, especially in a UTV accident.
- [04:33]
Brent Rollins
No. And that's. Those things are never. I've long stayed away from them for that reason they're fun. But for that reason I stay away from them. But also byu, the quarterback.
- [04:46]
David Pollock
By the.
- [04:46]
Brent Rollins
Way, because he was violated the honor code.
- [04:49]
David Pollock
Yeah. So he was about to get in trouble with the honor. Now listen, the honor code is strict. Like just to be clear, it's not like every other campus in the country. And they take it, they take it very serious. And violating the honor code usually has something to do with alcohol or women or some form or fashion or both. And Red Slab, who played really well last year and had one of the fun moments by the way, I love last year because he was keeping track of the the off season rankings at quarterback in the conference and in the Big 12 Conference because remember they're in the BYU's in the Big 12 and he was and he just was keeping track of how far down the list he was. And they continued to stay undefeated. So I kind of like that swag about him. But now going to the transfer portal.
- [05:32]
Brent Rollins
And not officially there yet, though that's the interesting he isn't officially there yet but likely will be likely goes the.
- [05:38]
David Pollock
Transfer portal and doesn't have to serve a suspension. He can go somewhere else. So he wants to go play football and not serve a suspension. That's the way to go. Because nowadays Brent, when you get suspended because now it's pay for play nowadays you also get hit in the wallet. So that's a, that's an interesting thing to to consider now when you're an athlete.
- [05:56]
Brent Rollins
And then there's also a college football news related if you were some of those people who decided to buy a certain version of the video game, I think today was the day for you, for the mo, for the general public. It's what, the 10th? So a little bit later this week that everybody gets to play the video game and hear your commentary.
- [06:18]
David Pollock
Yeah. And if you, if you're like my son, you'll, you'll go in immediately and change it to a different voice. That's what he does so he doesn't have to hear my voice continually. Yeah. But the game is always, is always exciting. I already have my buddy texting me about the game and we would never mention his name on Here, James Argo, obviously, but like James just. I was like, how, How's NC State? He was like, just looked at our roster and we're going to cover this today. So we're going to jump into this right afterwards. He goes, yes. Just looked at my roster. He was like, bro, it's going to be a tough year. Last year he was all in, baby. He was all in. And I thought him and I was with him, with Grayson McCall, I thought Grayson was going to do and give them some, some star power at that spot and some good play that they hadn't had in a long time. But now rebuilding, retooling just like a lot of the acc. So let's kick it off, man, and get to the acc.
- [07:07]
Brent Rollins
So acc, which I was looking back, I was thinking, should we rename the ACC maybe to like. It was like it wasn't them. Last year, SMU was the regular season champ. Clemson won the conference championship. But eight out of the last 10 years it's been Clemson. So I was thinking you could put make it be like always Clemson's conference or annually Clemson's conference or something.
- [07:31]
David Pollock
All in with Clemson.
- [07:33]
Brent Rollins
Yep, all in Clemson's conference. Florida State in 23, Pitt in 21. That was the other two out of those 10 years. But yeah, for the most part, Clemson's conference.
- [07:42]
David Pollock
I was going to ask you those because I thought those were very interesting. But what's crazier to me, this is what's really nuts about this league when you start to pick. So obviously we're going to go ahead and tell you we're picking Clemson. I can guarantee you Brent's going to pick Clemson. I'm going to pick Clemson. If you don't, you're probably crazy. But the bigger question about this league is who the heck do you pick next? Because I think it's a roulette game. And for years on TV with Rhys Davis, we always did the Wheel of destiny in the ACC. So how about this? In 24, Clemson beat SMU. In 22, Clemson beat UNC. FSU won obviously the year before that in 23. So I'm just the year's Clemson won. Hey, in 20 they beat Notre Dame for the COVID year, you know, which was weird. 2019, they beat Virginia. 2018, they beat Pitt. 2017, they beat the U. Miami. 2011 they beat Virginia Tech. Dude, that's crazy. Not nine of those. You're seven of those eight wins are against different teams. The only repeat one was. Was uncle. So I mean it's just been a Lot of others. And then a lot of Clemson that's played really, really well. And I guess my question is, man, before we get into all this, is, is it. Is it. Is there any of the others that you considered? Did you consider anybody else on that. On that tier one, or did you go Clemson, slide them over and then. Okay, we'll discuss who's going to finish second.
- [09:10]
Brent Rollins
Yeah, I basically did what we did for last year's schedule in a way, how it fell with them not playing each other. Where you had Clemson, Miami and SMU that didn't play each other. I started looking. Okay, who plays each other? Smu, Miami, Clemson kind of plays a couple of them. But Louisville, Louisville is another. Like.
- [09:29]
David Pollock
Yep.
- [09:30]
Brent Rollins
Who doesn't play a bunch of the others? And that's kind of where I went in terms of. We'll get to that later. But. All right, one other trivia question for you. So the most conference wins in the ACC the last three years. Clemson, Louisville. And then who do you think is third? Because that's the. The amazing one. The known football powerhouse. That is.
- [09:53]
David Pollock
Okay, so FSU is interesting, but they had. They had two wins last year, so one conference win. So that's got to knock them out of the mix. Miami's been very inconsistent, very up and down. Louisville has had great.
- [10:09]
Brent Rollins
So it's those two. Clemson and Louisville.
- [10:12]
David Pollock
So they're. They're pretty easy. Wake Forest with Dave Coston was really good for a while, but they kind of. Kind of fell off with consistency. Georgia Tech?
- [10:24]
Brent Rollins
No, thanks. Last couple years, the opposite of football powerhouse. You think of basketball powerhouse.
- [10:29]
David Pollock
Duke?
- [10:30]
Brent Rollins
Yeah, Duke is the. The team with the. Other than Clemson and Louisville with the most conference wins in the last three years. And I think that's probably a good way to transition into this first sort of category is who do we look at as the leap team that's gonna step up from the standing? So I'll list the teams that were less than.500 in conference play a season ago. North Carolina, we don't have that long.
- [10:55]
David Pollock
Of a show, coach.
- [10:56]
Brent Rollins
NC State, Virginia, Cal, Wake Forest, Stanford, and then Florida State. By the way, who. Well, was in. Was at the bottom of that list with. With the one and seven conference record. So who do you think is the lead team? There's one obvious selection there, but who. Who might it be, other than the obvious?
- [11:12]
David Pollock
Well, so I look at this and I'm like, okay, the top six, you know, five or six in the acc. I feel very. I looked at it and I was like, I feel very comfortable. They're all going to be there again. I mean I'm, I will not be surprised if they all very much stay similar. I think the obvious one is probably Florida State. Like Florida State's not going to be. They're not going to be one in seven. But, but, but by the way, I wanted to put some context. I am a positive guy. Like I am going to be positive. I'm going to try to stay in the positive lane. I don't say things just to be stupid. There's plenty of people that will do that. If you want to tune into that. It's probably not your show, but Florida State sucked. Like, Florida State was terrible. Like they're, they went 1 and 7 in the ACC and they lost by an average of 20 points. This is not a terrible, this is not a terror's row of a league. This is not a league that's super deep, that's super talented. 1 in 7 lost by an average of 20 points. Lost to Notre Dame by 49, to SMU by 26, to North Carolina by 20 floor to Florida at, at a conference or out of. Obviously by 20. Like I just don't know what the heck that is, what that was. Now listen, Tony White comes in as your dc Gus Malzon comes in as your oc and so I got to think with the talent and Thomas Costaniello at quarterback, but I think he's good. I gotta think Brent, that he, they go from being a bottom team, the last team in the acc. And I can't see him being lower than like seven.
- [12:50]
Brent Rollins
Yes. Middle of the pack.
- [12:51]
David Pollock
It's got to be a, it's got to be a big, big turnaround and it has to be Florida State.
- [12:56]
Brent Rollins
Was there anybody else that you. Because to me, I, I look at this a lot of times with. That's a big leap for them. If they say they get back, you know, four and four, five even five and three in ACC play. That's a big leap from where they were a season ago. To me the leap is, hey, can you, can you be a. Someone that leaps up into the conference championship game discussion and you, and you.
- [13:22]
David Pollock
Got one of those.
- [13:23]
Brent Rollins
And to me there's one team that could take a couple game leap in. Especially within conference play, by the way. Especially within conference play. And that is the team that is 75 miles to the west.
- [13:34]
David Pollock
I would go with Georgia Tech.
- [13:36]
Brent Rollins
Georgia Tech, yeah.
- [13:37]
David Pollock
And I could see that because Haynes King's in year 27 or is it 28? How many years has he been. I mean it feels like it feels like it's been a while, homie. Like, Haynes King, and he's.
- [13:48]
Brent Rollins
You're three at Georgia Tech.
- [13:50]
David Pollock
Yeah. You know what's interesting about Haynes King, I think if you played like, pickup and you just said, hey, we're going to go do a pickup game, like, you're not taking him very high. Like, he doesn't throw it elite. He doesn't run it elite. Like, you'd kind of be like, all right, there's a lot of people that I'm going to pick before that dude. And then, you know, he goes out there and he just, he finds a way to break a tackle and get 20 yards. He finds a way to, to read it correctly and get yardage and, and to make the pass a play when you need it. Like, it's just, it's interesting. But I do think with, you know, with Hayes, with Rutherford at receiver, like, you've got some weapons. You've got an established. You got an established culture. You also got a coach that I think everybody believes in, of his identity, of who he is, and then an OC with Faulkner who everybody believes in and thinks he's great. So I, I could see that, I could see that with Georgia Tech, but I just, I'm not going to bank on it. But, bro, if I'm looking at the bottom, I just like, is Stanford the worst team in college football?
- [14:54]
Brent Rollins
Like, after all the departures they might be this year?
- [14:56]
David Pollock
All the guys, like, they got a good dn. Bam, he gone. They got a good receiver. Bam, he gone. Like transfer portal. Like, the coach has been there 10 days. You know, they got a new GM and Andrew Luck who's going to learn how to do this stuff on the fly. Like, obviously it's, it's, it's just tough. I can't imagine that Stanford is going to be very good.
- [15:15]
Brent Rollins
So the other one I thought about.
- [15:17]
David Pollock
Was same characters at the top and on the bottom. I think it's going to be the same characters, too.
- [15:21]
Brent Rollins
Yeah, Pitt was the other one I thought about because they started out seven and oh, and then lost six straight. It's like, okay, can you. And you still return your qb, you still return. You're really good running back in Desmond Reed. Like, you've got playmakers. Can you get other things fixed and, and be a little more consistent and not sort of fall off a cliff and maybe get your two bet two wins better in the league and five and three instead of three and five.
- [15:43]
David Pollock
But I think that's easily, I think that's easily the best Pick when you're looking at all those other teams because Pat Nardi's. Pat Narduzzi has shown you culture, he's shown you toughness, he's shown you winning with what, with less talent. Like Pat Narduzzi does it consistently and their offense is always like, oh God, please don't screw me up. Don't screw it up. This possession. Like, it's always hard to trust their offense. But I mean they, they were a stop away from beating Clemson, you know, I mean, Kate, club Nick scramble in the 2 minute drill away from beating Clemson and they, they're always, they're always competitive, they're always tough. Like if I'm a pit native man, like I'm, I'm okay with that man. Like I'm always in the mix and I'm well coached and you know, don't typically beat myself. So yeah, Pitt is definitely clearly above all the rest of those other teams. Unc with Bill Belichick, what is he going to be? I mean, who's going to be their quarterback? Like, I know they paid a bunch of money to a kid from New Mexico and like, that's fine, but Max Johnson, who's coming back off of injury, I'm just telling you right now, is a Belichick. If Belichick sits down with him and gets to know that personality and he comes from Brad Johnson, who's an NFL style quarterback, who's got some, he's got some great moxie to him and some toughness to him. Now that would be interesting to pay all this money to somebody and then not use them. And I don't know if they're going to do that in this day and age. But I have no clue what to expect from Chapel Bill, except a hot honey walking the sidelines. That's all I know is going to happen.
- [17:17]
Brent Rollins
Well, that was, I was actually going to bring them up because I don't. There's nothing with the rest of this that I look at them and like say, okay, they're interesting or that's going to be intriguing. It's literally just him in terms of watching and how he handles the college game. Now they did bring some kids with, from Washington with them, but. And you think, okay, well, they're going to be better defensively. They're gonna, in terms of just overall coaching, he's gonna bring quality coaching there. But does it lead to anything greater than 3 and 5 or 6 and 7? I don't really know.
- [17:46]
David Pollock
Well, I, I don't know either. But if I'm Gonna bet on it? Then I'd say yes, because here's the thing. Being around Bill a little bit, I've never. For example, I'm going through all the NFL meetings. I'm literally sitting down as a player, and I go in every meeting door or all these different meeting rooms, and you sit down and they tell. They give you your spiel. And like the Cardinals, Danny Green was selling me hard, like, hey, you want to be a Cardinal? This is going to be a culture. This is our field. He showed me how it rolled out and it rolled back in that big toaster in, in. In Arizona. I'm like, sweet. Yeah, the Cardinals stink pretty regularly. Like, you're excited, though, and I like your excitement. Marvin Lewis, Tony Dungey. But, like, one room was very different, and that was the Patriots with Belichick. And just, he chimed in, he asked questions, he asked about my scar in my head. No one else asked about that. Like, no one else asked about the accident when I fell down the steps on a houseboat. Like, very detailed oriented. Being around Vrabel and Bruski for all these years and stuff, too. Like, he's just so buttoned up and he's forgotten more football than most. Like, he's going to stop. If you don't have good quarterback play, he's going to stop you. Like, he is absolutely going to stop you. And if you have good quarterback play, I bet you he can confuse him. So I'm really interested. That'll be a fun storyline. Like NC State. Argo said it like that. There's a very good chance they fall off a cliff, but I draw the line, you know, Virginia Tech. Interesting to watch them, to see what they become. Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia. Here's the one thing I'll say about Virginia and Tony Elliott. They've not been good, but they, for the first time are spending resources now and bringing guys in and trying to win. Like, for a while it was like, nah, I'm not going to do that. But they're actually trying to. To bring people in and trying to make it work. And I think that goes a long way for them to see if they can maybe get past three wins in the conference. But a lot of this is the easiest league to, to pick when it comes to preseason. And it's also the, the. The. The least amount of depth by far in any league, least amount of teams that I'm going to put on this thing that I think can win it.
- [19:54]
Brent Rollins
And I think that might actually come to fruition when you look at college football. Playoff Projections which we'll do at the end. These next two categories I'm going to kind of blend together because for me it's the same answer who has the toughest schedule in the league and then who's coming back down to earth. I think those are one in the same and I think that is Syracuse. Syracuse because schedule wise Tennessee in the opener, which granted Tennessee has a new qb, but still Tennessee in the opener at Clemson, at smu, at Tech, at Miami, at Notre Dame, Notre Dame, like just a lot of ats that are not going to be fun for, for Fran Brown and potentially I guess Angeli at QB and who and maybe the Collins kid from lsu, but still Collins.
- [20:43]
David Pollock
Is supposed to be the starter. So that that's interesting among itself. But here's why I think we both believe this too. Pena leaves, goes to Penn State. They lose Gads in a tight end. Kyle McCord was an animal. Like Kyle McCord was the definition of lightning in a bottle. The definition of. By the way, I was wrong. Like I watched that kid at Ohio State and I'm like missing something, something, something's not there like this dude's. I just don't see it. I don't think Ohio State saw it. This is why it's important to have a transfer portal window to me and have having the transfer portal. Brett. Because not all coaches are right. Don't operate under the assumption that all coaches put players in boxes and are willing to move them from a box because most players aren't like most coaches aren't. They get their mind around something. It's. Once you get labeled, it's really hard to get out of it and but he struggled like crazy and that was on him and had some decent performances. I remember the Notre Dame game late. Like he made some plays and found a way to get it done. But last year they win 10 games. I mean listen, they had a great schedule too, so they were the opposite end of this. But Syracuse definitely not benefiting from the schedule again if it's a toss up game or they're more talented and you're at their place, your percentages plummet to win. And Brent gave you away from home for Tennessee, away from home, Clemson, smu, Miami and Notre Dame. So like several of the best teams in the conference. I still believe in Fran Brown, by the way. Like, I still think, I still think Fran Brown's honesty, candor, like kind of moxie and kind of like blank you. He's got some of that to him. Like, you know, I'm going to do it my way, which I think is really, really cool. He's a, he's a New Yorker. That's different. Like I kind of, I appreciate that about him. He's a great fit for Syracuse. I just think they have to take a step back from that 10 win campaign a year ago.
- [22:33]
Brent Rollins
When you look at it strategically too, where is he also winning right now? He's winning in recruiting.
- [22:37]
David Pollock
Yeah.
- [22:37]
Brent Rollins
Just recently got a five star receiver commit from, from out of Florida. And it's like, okay, I'm going to show the world that I can, you know, get some guys and coach and be a great coach and be successful, knowing I might take a step back a year from that. But then the recruiting will pick back up and I want to try to build something that's sustainable over the long haul versus the just portal every year. And it's. You're trying every year just to play the portal lottery so well.
- [23:03]
David Pollock
And until you change my mind and until you prove it to me on the national level, everybody who's won a national championship recruited a high level. Like there is no one that's turned it completely around and said and then gone and won a championship. Now Ole Miss to me did about as good a job as anyone last year. Like they, they basically went and just. They went grocery shopping and they got the eggs and they got the meat, they got the milk, they got all of it. Like they went, they went all in, spent some cheddar and changing. Now listen, Texas Tech this year is a prime candidate. Like let's watch them because they were a good team a year ago. Like, does this take them over the top now with going and getting a couple of dudes which can. Absolutely. I think that's the way to do it. But you still got to have some form of a culture. When you look at champions and all the champions in the past last year, you know, you got Ohio State. Obviously everybody knows what they are. They played Texas in the semifinal. Both those teams recruited an elite level. Notre Dame and Penn State recruited an elite level. Like their, their, their ancillary pieces are necessary. But, but not. Yes to me, not just going and buying all of that and putting it together in one year and saying this is, this works and this is what it is.
- [24:08]
Brent Rollins
The other couple other candidates, in terms of the down to Earth1 is SMU because they were 8, 0 in the league a year ago.
- [24:15]
David Pollock
Like first year in the league, kind of like Oregon, by the way, just walked in there. Like I thought this was supposed to be difficult. Like I, y' all Told me like going into the power five was supposed to be really, really hard. They weren't even in the Power 5, Power 4 now. Like they weren't invited for all of those years and they just walked in and said huh, this wasn't that bad. Like this ain't that hard. And had had a chance to beat Clemson late too. They, now they, they didn't show up in the first half and that's their fault. But yeah, obviously going to college, they, they have to. I would think, I would think more. I mean you've talked about this already, the defensive side of the football, like that regression I think happens a little bit and then maybe a little bit on offense and then maybe you're not near as good as you were obviously.
- [24:59]
Brent Rollins
And you could still be a really good team and be 6 and 2 in the league because your schedule is way different. So that's, you can still, you could.
- [25:05]
David Pollock
Still go to the College Football Playoff.
- [25:07]
Brent Rollins
Like potentially because they're non conference too with pcu and Baylor wins if they beat that win those two games.
- [25:13]
David Pollock
So it's, it's, it's a, it's, it's going to be interesting to watch for sure that side of the, the non Clemson side and who, who we start picking.
- [25:21]
Brent Rollins
All right, so one of the team before we get in these, before we get into the next category, which is transfer of the year, Miami. Do you think they maybe take a step back because they just lost Cam Ward, who wasn't just a first round pick. He was the number one pick.
- [25:35]
David Pollock
He was good.
- [25:35]
Brent Rollins
Martinez, he was okay.
- [25:36]
David Pollock
He was pretty, he was a pretty good player.
- [25:38]
Brent Rollins
Solid, very solid player. No. Martinez running back? No. Restrepo? No. By the way, top six targets, 375 of their 456 targets gone. And with their schedule like so and so much of what they did a year ago was Cam Moore being superman. So do they take a step back, adding Notre Dame to the non conference league, not, you know, Florida being maybe a little bit more difficult opponent this year versus what they did to him in the opening game. So that's one for me that they might kind of take a step back too potentially.
- [26:09]
David Pollock
I, I see it. And especially because barely beat Cal like you remember that 39, 38 game. Like Cam Ward went off, you know, for three for 28 points I think in the fourth quarter. By the way, Reese Davis sounded like an absolute humpy in the booth. He's like, smelled like he smoked a cigar.
- [26:26]
Brent Rollins
Long day for him. It was a long day for him.
- [26:28]
David Pollock
Oh my gosh. It was, I think it was a four point win. It's Virginia Tech. It was a Hail Mary at the end of the game. Syracuse late in the season barely beat them. But every game they played was, was pretty close, pretty competitive. Georgia Tech barely beat them. But yeah, I think here's the thing. Miami's talented, they've recruited really, really well. But the same reason I'm never going to pick Miami to win anything of consequences because I don't think they've done a good job when they, when they need most and their, their staff needs to go get them a win and be organized. And I just like Cam Ward to me did it freestyling a lot. Yes, but, but I do think the talent gap between them and at least there's 17 teams in the league now. Is there 17?
- [27:17]
Brent Rollins
It's something like that right around like.
- [27:19]
David Pollock
That of the other 17 teams, they're more talented at least than, than 14 other teams.
- [27:25]
Brent Rollins
Right?
- [27:25]
David Pollock
Like at least in 14 other teams. So their talent's going to win them a shoot ton of games. But yeah, opening up with Notre Dame is going to be very interesting to watch because Notre Dame breaking in a quarterback, then breaking in a quarterback. But let's not forget like Carson Beck's a good player, man. And I think, I think a lot of people are going to look back and they've hated on Carson Beck and they're like, God dang, this kid's really good. Go look at him two years ago, I mean when everything was good at Georgia and listen everybody, I've heard so many people say when you're throwing The Bowers and McConkey, yeah, anybody can look good. No, when you have the anticipation that he has getting the ball out, the quick trigger, like he's got some good things to him that I think that with a good OC now in Miami, with good weapons in a league that's going to be, they're going to be more talented than people. I still think they're going to score a bunch of points and I think he's going to be, I think he's going to be one of the best players in the league, especially at the quarterback spot. So I'm all in. I think Beck, I'm a Beck fan, I think he's a good player.
- [28:24]
Brent Rollins
I would have said prior to last season, especially when you're looking at it in terms of talking about the draft and things of that nature is he was the best in structure quarterback in the country. The thing for him was, was when he got pressured and last year when he got pressured. It looked very good. It turned into unplayable almost in like his passing PFF passing grade under pressure last year was 30.6. And does that maybe get regressed back a little bit more in the positive sense? So, all right, we'll, we'll, we'll get to him now. So because I'll give you as him as one of the options as transfer.
- [29:08]
David Pollock
I think Miami will protect him too. By the way. I think Miami's offensive line is the strength of their team. I think they'll run the football, they'll spread it out. I think he'll be protected. That's why I think he'll be great. But go ahead.
- [29:18]
Brent Rollins
All right, so Carson Beck at Miami, coming from uga. Miller Moss at Louisville, coming from usc, Darian Mensa at Duke and then a couple others. Non QB Eric Rivers, the receiver that transferred to Tech from FIU and then will help who is transferred to Clemson, no less, from Purdue.
- [29:42]
David Pollock
Like they do that.
- [29:43]
Brent Rollins
Who's that actually happened?
- [29:45]
David Pollock
Yes.
- [29:47]
Brent Rollins
So who would you say is the transfer of the year in the conference?
- [29:50]
David Pollock
Okay, this is easy to me. I think Beck's going to kill it. But if you're watching college football and if you've watched Louisville and if you've watched Jeff Braum, he's a fricking superstar. The way he coaches the game, the way he does, the way he feels the game, the way he can, you know, use misdirection, the way he can use pro style concepts with spread concepts and, and take any quarterback, and I mean any quarterback I think he could win with any quarterback in this league. And I just think with him, with, with their, with their running back, who's on my fantasy team, I think is going to absolutely destroy it. Like if you saw him as a freshman a year ago, like the dude had superstar written all over it. Now come back, get a little bit bigger. The speed's still going to be there in this offense. Miller Moss, Miller Moss also showed me some swag last year, man, like he showed me because he got the Shiznik kicked out of him. That dude got absolutely destroyed. That offensive line was very ungood for usc and I think Miller Moss is going to come in and absolutely tear it up at Louisville.
- [30:59]
Brent Rollins
All right. I, I, in terms of impact, the Mensa kid at Duke I think might have like if he can lift them up like their schedule is another one for me that potentially. But no, I agree. I think you're right with Braum and Miller Moss so good. Jeff Brahm, the hell kid at Clemson like, he's going to make woods and Parker that much better. Like another guy there that can take pressure off of two great players, make them even better. Like you talk about with, you know, Jonathan Sullivan being there one year and then not the next. Like.
- [31:35]
David Pollock
Well, and the importance of, like Clemson last year when those guys rotated, they fell off a cliff. Like when they, when they subbed out, there was a significant drop off. And they've recruited so well and now they develop. Like, I look for that to be a little bit more of a strength and a depth factor. Won't. Won't be as big of a deal. And that will. That will definitely help.
- [31:54]
Brent Rollins
All right, so next up, coach of the year, which, by the way, has only been won by Davos Winnie twice in 2015 and 2018. Where are you heading? Where are you going?
- [32:07]
David Pollock
And by the way, picking an ACC coach of the year is another thing that's fun because if you look at.
- [32:13]
Brent Rollins
The past winners like Satterfield, one and they were eight and five one year.
- [32:19]
David Pollock
Yes. In 19, I think it was. But like, lastly, lastly, won it last year. Lastly, obviously undefeated, walking in the conference, like, with the championship belt around his waist and not losing a game during the regular season. Before that was Norvell, then Elko, who obviously goes from Duke to A and M. Hey, Clawson. Coach Clawson 20 in 21. Brian Kelly in 20. Yep.
- [32:47]
Brent Rollins
Because that was noted because Notre Dame was weird. Yep.
- [32:50]
David Pollock
This is what happens. It's weird. And like you said, Scott Satterfield, Dabo's only won it, like, in the last, you know, whatever, seven, eight years. Like, he hasn't won it since 18. That's really strange, isn't it? Like, that's. It's crazy that they found ways not to give it to him. Obviously. They gave it to him a bunch. You know, before that it's Davos Sweeney. Like, it's not. I don't. I love to find other names and other guys and I really want to be like, I want to give everybody love. And now can you even name, you know, can you even name Stanford's coach like most people in the country.
- [33:22]
Brent Rollins
Right.
- [33:23]
David Pollock
Frank Wright.
- [33:24]
Brent Rollins
Oh, right now, right. That's right.
- [33:28]
David Pollock
Yes. Like, it's just crazy. Like, it's going to be interesting to see, but I don't. I don't foresee that. But you might go the, you might go a different route because of. Because the team you talked about a second ago. Are you going there? I.
- [33:41]
Brent Rollins
That. That was the name that I have circled, by the way, just happens to be a Great first name, but coach Brent Key from Georgia Tech, I think that would. That was going to be my pick because I'll lead into the next question. Clemson's in the championship game. Who's there with them? I'm going with the Yellow Jackets. And mainly because of their schedule, because if you look at their schedule, they have Clemson in the third game at home, and then it's at Wake Forest, Virginia Tech home, at Duke, which is their toughest, you know, potentially toughest road game. Syracuse at home, who was already said, think we're taking a step back at NC State, at Boston College, pit at home. I think they go 6 and 1 in the conference or 71 in the conference.
- [34:29]
David Pollock
But, you know, the, the interesting thing about Georgia Tech, because next we're going to parlay this into, you know, going to the College Football Playoff. They open with Colorado, which is, which is a tough game. I mean, I think Colorado is rebuilding, but like that they've got talent. They've got some. Yeah. At Colorado, which will be difficult. And then they end with Georgia, which, which will be difficult. Obviously, even though they've given them some work the last couple of years, they've definitely made it hard on them. So you think about Tech, too, for bigger picture, playoff picture, you know, kind of will be in the mix. And man, we, we talked about it earlier with the qb, with the running back, with the receivers. Like, this is, this is a team that, like, Faulkner knows how to dial up plays. He knows that they know how they've, they've taken, they're taking a step backwards on defense. And I'm interested to watch them on defense and what, who they can stop, you know, but offensively, I know they'll score. So I have, I have no problem with that. Being Georgia Tech, I would take Louisville. I just think that, like I just talked about with Louisville and Miller Moss, like, I just think that Louisville is going to be a team that I just, I trust them. I trust who they are always. I trust that they'll score points. Always. Kind of like Faulkner. And you look at their schedule. Eastern Kentucky, jmu, Bowling Green, Pitt, Virginia. They got to go to Miami, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Cal. They play Clemson. By the way, they beat Clemson a year ago. Don't forget that. Then they play SMU and then they play Kentucky. So they've got a tough schedule. But I do think that they're a team that will be super competitive. You saw it a year ago and I think you'll continue to see it. They'll continue to grow with Coach Braum and I think they're going to be right there in the mix. I think they take. Listen, they played for it against FSU two years ago, so it's not like they haven't been in this situation.
- [36:20]
Brent Rollins
Miami was. I did think about Miami in that realm because they only play Louisville. They get Louisville at home and they have to go to smu. But that feels like a. Much like we saw last year at Syracuse. Late they go and take. Take that loss. They got to go at Virginia Tech and at Pitt in the season in November, in like late November.
- [36:43]
David Pollock
Those are two tough places to play. Like Miami teams going into severe cold because Pittsburgh is going to be mother freaking cold. Like when you go from the south and it's still beautiful down there, way down there in Miami and you go to Pittsburgh and you go to Blacksburg, like you're going to be off the bus with so many layers, it's going to be ridiculous. You give me the Ham Warners, like, they'll be, they'll be. They'll be huddled up like a campfire around the burner down there near the sidelines, the heated seats. Like it'll be in full effect. So that, that's the part of the schedule that I thought would be interesting as well, having. Having that late in the year, just being from South Florida, obviously.
- [37:21]
Brent Rollins
All right, so College Football Playoff teams, obviously we're putting Clemson in because we pick them to win the both of us picking them to win the championship in the conference. Is there another team? Two questions. One, is there another team? No, I didn't put in either. I wrote just Clemson.
- [37:44]
David Pollock
I think just Clemson. Last year we were really close to having just smu. So, you know, think about that like it was. It was right there a year ago. And so I think he wins.
- [37:57]
Brent Rollins
They're the only one.
- [37:58]
David Pollock
Correct. They're the only ones. And then, you know.
- [38:01]
Brent Rollins
Yes, Miami, like, was Miami. I can't remember now.
- [38:04]
David Pollock
Well, Miami was battling with Ole Miss and Bama and yeah, so they, they could have snuck in there, but in the final rankings they were not in the mix because the other two were ahead of them. So it's, it's. It was very close a year ago. The league not being very deep, the league not having. And here's the thing, you know, the Big Ten at the bottom is, is pretty bad, but the Big Ten towards the. The middle and the top becomes really, really good and you got multiple teams that can win it. Sec, same thing. Couple of bad at the bottom. But on the whole, a lot of teams that can Be consistent. They can beat you. And then the Big 12, you know, I think it's pretty, it's, it's, it's a little bit more top heavy than it was. I think Arizona State is up there. Who'd you pick to win the Big 12? You picked.
- [38:47]
Brent Rollins
We haven't done that yet. We haven't done a whole Big 12 show yet.
- [38:50]
David Pollock
Yeah, but I thought you feel Arizona.
- [38:53]
Brent Rollins
State is the team to beat. Yes.
- [38:55]
David Pollock
Yeah, but I think, I think you pick some, I don't think you're going to pick Arizona State. And so it'll be, it'll, it'll be interesting to watch the Big 12. This is why the Big 12 and the ACC are fighting with the Big 10, the SEC about getting more bids because the automatic bids and what they want because this is the perceived huge difference in their scheduling versus, versus other. And listen, it's there. Like it's there whether we want to agree with it or not. Like there is a big difference, but one. And, and they're not going to be happy about it. That's not going to be, that's not going to be a fun thing to be discussing late in the season.
- [39:28]
Brent Rollins
All right, so the second question. Is there any world where you see Clemson not being the representative from the acc?
- [39:39]
David Pollock
Yeah, Cade Clubnick gets hurt? I mean, I think, you know, something like that. I just, and listen, I, that's a better question for you because you know, I'm all in like I'm, I'm full head esteem and I see, I see all the things that just, I've seen in the past that, that win games with the quarterback and the experience of the wide receiver and the two first round defensive linemen, I mean I just. And corner with Terrell. Like, I just. And then you got the, like their defense, man, they never should have been that bad. But now having woods and Parker and Sammy Brown in the middle, who's a freak show, like, Freak show Terrell in the backhand. Like you've got players at every level that can dominate the game. And so I think they can win, you know, a multitude of ways. So I just don't like, maybe they get there and they, they trip around, they lose the game, but I think they'll dominate the league outside of a, you know, outside of injuries. I, I just can't see anything that would take them out of it.
- [40:38]
Brent Rollins
Yeah. And that's what you. So if you say that, okay, they're going to be in the game potentially and lose that one singular game, it puts all the importance on Their opening game as well as their final game with LSU in South Carolina, which they take two Ls, they take two Ls there. Like they're not getting the benefit of the doubt by being, they might not be getting the benefit of the doubt by being in a championship game of the ACC at that point.
- [41:04]
David Pollock
Well, and I think, I think this is what really helps Clemson or it really helps the ACC too. Like Clemson has a chance to go earn some cred for them right out the gates. You go beat LSU, who's everybody. Everybody's going to have in the top 10. Like that's a great start to the season. You beat another SEC team to end it with South Carolina. Like you, they've got a chance with their schedule, with their non conference schedule to make some hay, like for seating purposes in the playoff, for, for bragging rights in the acc. Then when they go struggle, you know, on the road at Louisville, you know, like, okay, well, Louisville's a good team. It's not just Louisville's terrible, you know, and the whole league's terrible, which a lot of times is kind of what you point to. But, but their schedule, listen, of the teams that we talked about in the acc, they played Georgia Tech, they play smu, they play Louisville. Like those are the better teams that we're talking about in this league. So it's going to be fun to watch them play. And I expect, I expect them to be by far the most talented team in every game they play. And that might be the whole season, Brent, like week one, they're the more talented team. To me, that's what's crazy. Like it's not just Clemson riding on coattails past. And because the recent history hasn't been as good. To me, this just feels like the old school history. And I say old school, it's like eight years ago, seven years ago, last five years, six years. Trevor Lawrence was there like four years ago, bro. So I just, it just, it's got that feel with the leadership, adding the transfer portal and the culture still being as good as ever. Man, you better, you better watch out because Clemson's, Clemson's here to stay.
- [42:43]
Brent Rollins
Hashtag all in.
- [42:44]
David Pollock
All freaking in. All right, so I've already stated I'm all in on the Tigers. We know that. We've hashtagged it, all that good stuff. How about the other Tigers? How about the Auburn Tigers? Wednesday we're going to talk to coach Hugh Freeze and talk about his squad. Man, they've gotten better at wide receiver, they have gotten better at quarterback. Like I think the wide receiver room has a debate to be the best in the country. Like, that's how kind of good it could be. And so what has he seen from his guys, you know, this spring? What is he expecting? He'll join us and we'll cover the sec. Like, we've done the Big Ten, we've done the acc. Do the SEC next with media days around the corner, and we'll get you all lined up. You'll already sound so smart for media days. You'll be like, yeah, I already heard that. I already know who schedules as hard as I already. I already know who's going to be coach of the year. I already know who's going to win the conference. So we'll see you dudes Wednesday. Thank you for joining us. Like always.