Alabama-Oklahoma CFP INSTANT REACTION

Summary

---

See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack

Episode: Alabama-Oklahoma CFP INSTANT REACTION (December 20, 2025)

---

Episode Overview

In this "instant reaction" episode, David Pollack and co-host Brent Rollins break down the roller-coaster College Football Playoff matchup between Alabama and Oklahoma. The discussion highlights the momentum swings, key mistakes, standout players, and coaching adjustments that shaped the game. The analysis dives deep into both teams' performances—especially Alabama’s comeback from a 17-point deficit and Oklahoma’s implosion via turnovers and special teams mishaps. Along the way, the hosts provide context on season-long themes, broader takeaways for the playoff picture, and even weave in coaching news and college football culture.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Game Recap & Initial Impressions

• Alabama’s Comeback:

  • Alabama fell behind 0-17 early, looking lethargic and mistake-prone.
  • The momentum dramatically shifted after a failed Oklahoma conversion and a pick-six by Alabama.
  • Alabama went on to score 27 unanswered points.

• Oklahoma’s Collapse:

  • Oklahoma dominated early, but self-inflicted errors—including dropped passes, bungled punts, and a missed late field goal from their Lou Groza-winning kicker—turned the tide.
  • Special teams play, particularly the punting disasters, got special attention.

• Quote:

  “Oklahoma up 17 to nothing, doing what they want, giving up absolutely nothing to Alabama... and then all of a sudden it switched, and it switched in a hurry.” – David Pollack (02:20)

---

2. Turning Points & Crucial Plays

• Pick-Six Before Half:

  • A highlight moment: “The pick six was the big play, man… I don't even know what the heck he [Matier] was doing.” – Pollack (03:41)
  • Oklahoma’s QB John Matier threw a critical interception returned for a touchdown, swinging momentum.

• Punter Meltdown:

  • Unusual blunders from Oklahoma’s usually reliable special teams:

  • “The punter dropping the ball in the first half… I've never seen... complete nutter, just screw up mentally.” – Brent (06:47)

• Key Missed Opportunities:

  • Dropped Oklahoma passes—especially the 3rd and short that could have stopped Alabama's comeback.

  • “That drop pass, like that's a wrap. Like ball game's over.” – Pollack (08:12)

---

3. Alabama’s Adjustments & Leadership

• Sticking to Aggressiveness:

  • Alabama did not revert to conservative play-calling despite adversity.
  • Deciding to go for it on fourth down instead of settling for field goals.

• Ty Simpson’s Growth:

  • Initially rattled, the Alabama QB steadied mid-game, contributed key passes even as the run game lagged.

  • “It takes a quarterback, man, it takes a guy at the trigger that can stay calm. That's the son of a coach that's got all the intangibles you want.” – Pollack (27:34)

• Max Protection Calls:

  • “They went max protection a couple of times. Stop putting five guys out in a row... Sometimes, it's really good to leave a bunch of guys in.” – Pollack (27:34)

---

4. Oklahoma’s Offensive Limitations

• Lack of Consistency & Layering:

  • Offense seen as too predictable: no progressions from play to play, few adjustments

  • “[Oklahoma’s] offense just looks like a bunch of plays… needs more consistency and efficiency.” – Brent (13:54)

• Matier’s Up-and-Down Play:

  • Showed flashes with elite throws but too many missed basics, fundamental flaws, side-arm releases leading to batted-down passes.

  • “He's not fundamentally sound... he's going to jump. He's going to throw it. Like it's not going to be the release point.” – Pollack (15:30)

---

5. Special Teams—A Decisive Factor

• Field Position Swings:

  • Poor punting from both squads, but Oklahoma’s gaffes proved more costly.

• Missed Field Goals:

  • Even Oklahoma’s award-winning kicker faltered under pressure.

---

6. Broader Playoff Implications & Personnel Talk

• Defenses Prevailing:

  • Both teams' defensive units stood out; execution was lacking offensively.

• Alabama as a Dangerous Underdog:

  • Despite a “sloppy game,” Alabama is considered a better future matchup for Indiana (their next opponent).

• Coaching Carousel Insights:

  • Side conversation about Will Muschamp joining Texas—his leadership style and the value he brings to Sarkisian’s program.
  • Parallels drawn to other programs needing an “edge” that comes from coaching personas.

• Quote:

  "You have to have the guy that people fear. … The players take on the persona of your coach." – Pollack (37:25)

---

7. Memorable, Lighter Moments

• Fan Reaction:

  • Live chat jokes: “Choklahoma” label gets some laughs, and Texas fans appear delighted at OU’s loss (07:09).

• Halftime Oddity:

  • The random 50 Cent music break confounds the hosts:

    "I'm literally with the kids and the wife. I'm like, is this the halftime concert? Did I miss something?... That was strange." – Pollack (21:33)

• Viral College Football Culture:

  • Shout-out to viral sensation Nolan McGill for refusing to sing a rival’s fight song:

    “Why not? Because it’s trash.” – Pollack (39:08)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Discussion | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:20 | Alabama’s disastrous start and momentum shift begins | | 03:41 | Turning Point: Pick-six by Alabama shifts the momentum | | 06:27 | Oklahoma’s special teams implode, “never seen that” blunder | | 08:00 | Missed third-and-short opportunity for Oklahoma | | 13:01 | Alabama receivers and Bernard’s performance | | 15:30 | Oklahoma’s offensive design and Matier’s fundamentals debated | | 18:35 | Alabama defensive adjustments and heat on Matier | | 21:33 | 50 Cent’s surprise cameo and effect on the game atmosphere | | 23:37 | Simpson’s outside-the-numbers passing evaluated | | 27:34 | Max protection discussion and leadership traits of Alabama’s QB | | 29:23 | State of defenses, why Oklahoma can’t win the big one this year | | 34:40 | Will Muschamp to Texas: impact and reasoning | | 37:25 | Value of coaching “edge” and program identity | | 39:00 | College football viral moments: Nolan McGill | | 41:30 | Playoff outlook—Alabama vs. Indiana |

---

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On Alabama’s resilience:

  “They stayed the course, man. They kept swinging. They became more aggressive...” (02:20) — Pollack

• On Oklahoma's meltdown:

  “They absolutely shot themselves in the foot. They made the mistakes over and over again after dominating field position...” (04:45) — Pollack

• On key play calling:

  “It was the right call to go for it on 4th and two, even when it was 17-nothing… I need actual points.” (09:27) — Brent

• On Matier’s fundamentals:

  “He's not fundamentally sound... he has this side-arm release. Like, there's just a lot of balls that get batted down that get missed.” (16:30) — Pollack

• On the importance of coaching personas:

  “You have to have the guy that people fear. You have to have the guy that, when they talk, they're like, crap, I got to do this thing right. It has to be in your program.“ (37:25) — Pollack

---

Recap & Overall Takeaways

• Alabama’s identity and toughness showed up at just the right time: Surviving a hostile road environment and correcting early mistakes, the Tide weathered adversity and capitalized on Oklahoma's errors.
• Oklahoma’s old demons haunted them: Critical errors in execution, mental mistakes, and a lack of offensive adaptability derailed what looked like a defining win.
• Defenses matter again: Both teams’ defenses were praised, but Alabama’s ability to shift schemes—adding pressure and disguising coverage—turned the game.
• Special teams cannot be ignored: Field position and execution here played as crucial a role as any quarterback or coordinator.
• Playoff path ahead: Alabama advances with justified optimism, but with recognized offensive flaws. Oklahoma must confront why its flashes of success couldn’t translate into postseason triumph.
• College football remains a world where coaching personalities and fan cultures matter almost as much as tactics on the field.

---

Host: David Pollack
Guest Analyst: Brent Rollins

(Commercials, intros, and outros have been omitted for a focused summary of content.)

Transcript

[A]

Did you know that driving under the.

[B]

Influence of marijuana is illegal?

[A]

Driving high will get you a dui.

[B]

And if you're wondering if law enforcement can tell you're driving high, well, everyone else can.

[A]

Friends, I can tell you drove high.

[B]

Parents, I can tell when you drive high.

[C]

Relatives, I can tell you drove here high, didn't you?

[B]

So what makes you think law enforcement can't. I can tell if you feel different, you drive different. Drive high, Get a dui.

[A]

Paid for by NHTSA the College Football Playoff is everything. Toughness, growth, sacrifices. Planes are focused. Is this where I 50 everything you got all damn day. The attention to detail is like none other. Be physical, be flat. We are the winner. Tulane takes on Ole Miss, followed by James Madison in Oregon.

[B]

It's time to bring it first round.

[A]

Coverage of the College Football Playoff presented by allstate Saturday at 3:30 Eastern on TNT and HBO. Max, are you ready? Let's go.

[C]

Want to make a difference in your community, but not sure how? Go to GoFundMe.com right now and start a GoFundMe. Seriously. Your next fundraiser doesn't have to start in a school parking lot or a church basement. You can start a GoFundMe today in just minutes. Fundraise for yourself, a friend or family member or an organization. All that matters is that you care about them. GoFundMe is the trusted place to fundraise for what you care about. With no pressure to hit your fundraising goal, but tons of tools to help you reach it, you can confidently start fundraising right now. Whether it's creative, local or critical, your cause matters. And there's a reason why. GoFundMe is backed by millions and chosen by fundraisers everywhere. It works and it matters. GoFundMe helps you make a real difference. Start your GoFundMe today at GoFundMe.com that's GoFundMe.com G O F U N D M E dot com this is a commercial message brought to you by GoFundMe.

[B]

And how about that Pollock interception in the end zone?

[A]

Well, it's David Pollock and I think people are going to learn what kind of ball player he is. He's got a heart of a lion. I'm real proud of that kid.

[B]

This is C ball get ball. College football's top show for football analysis, predictions and coach interviews. Now here's your host, three time all american, seven time Emmy award winner.

[A]

David, what happened was that was absolutely nuts. Welcome on in reaction show first college football playoff game. Man oh man, was was Boomer sooner Getting yelled loud. Was it going nuts? Was it crazy? Great home atmosphere. I mean, Oklahoma up 17 to nothing, doing what they want, giving up absolutely nothing to Alabama, swarming Ty Simpson. They, they couldn't get a first down. Alabama. Alabama couldn't even punt the football worth of crap. Like everything was going against them. And then all of a sudden it switched and it switched in a hurry. And Alabama scores the next 27. And the pass rush picks up and Ty Simpson becomes more dangerous. They made some plays. Alabama, you know, you know, you know, it's crazy. All year long it's been fun to watch Alabama. They haven't changed who they are. They still, they still didn't try to run the football, but I thought they, they still stayed aggressive like they are the first. Fourth and two. They're down 17 to nothing. They're finally in field goal or finally in a position to do something and they decide to go for it on 4th and 2. It would have been easier to go. It would have been easy, really easy to stop the bleeding to, to go for the field goal. First of all, it would have been really easy for Alabama to lay down period. Like they just, they, they were getting dominated. They had leaked oil coming in this game. Everybody talked about how much they had struggled, they knew how much they had struggled. But they stayed the course, man. They stayed the course. They kept swinging. They became more aggressive on John Mattier. John Mattier throws the absolute most jump passes in a game I've ever seen. Like his feet just, he won't get them set consistently. And John Mateer, honestly, man, the pick six was the big play, man. Like there, there was a couple of plays to really, really highlight, but everything going their way. I literally look at my son going in the half, I'm like, listen, Alabama's recaptured some of this momentum, right? That they got 10 points. Oklahoma's man did they make some serious mistakes to get him back in it. But I'm like, don't mess it up. Going in before half. Keep the seven point lead. Mater. Unbelievable, man. Like makes throws the pick six. The horrible decision. I don't even know what the heck he was doing. Like obviously miscommunication with him and his wide receiver. To me then this game was all about Oklahoma mistakes. Like Oklahoma continuously made mistakes, continuously shot themselves in the foot. Special teams has been special for Oklahoma all year long. Their kicker, Lou Gro award winner doesn't miss, right? Even late in the football game. Like misses a field goal for a chance to make it a seven point game for us to, to Keep the game going. But the. The punter dropping the ball in the first half, that. That went right through his hands. Then he misses another one late. If you're watching the football game, like, I just. I think Oklahoma is going to look back on this game and be like, man, we had a 170 lead. Everything going our way at home, and we absolutely shot ourselves in the foot. We made the mistakes over and over again after dominating field position and being smart and using material in the run game. And then all of a sudden it got loose with special teams, it got loose with punting, it got loose with turnovers. Brent, it felt like last time we saw this game in reverse, like, especially the first half, like, it felt a lot like that. Like it was. It was Alabama making the mistakes and Alabama getting themselves back in the game, right? Like, and now this time it was Oklahoma. Like, hey, watch. No, no, no, watch me. Let me show you how I can do this because I can make the putter dropped the football right through his hands. Like, I, I've never seen. Oh, my gosh. Like, listen, so let's.

[B]

Let's start there. I've done special teams grading for PFF and for. For NFL and college.

[A]

Have you ever seen that?

[B]

I want to say it's around 250 to 300 games at least that I've done. Never. Never.

[A]

Nobody. Because he had touched him and it's.

[B]

Like he was dropping to Punnett, but he dropped it too soon. It was three feet in front of him. It was. It was a complete nutter. Just screw up mentally. But you. So you talked about Oklahoma and the collapse and it was. It was an. And we talked about it on Wednesday and I remember I asked you, is it going to be like a baseball or basketball crowd where the whole crowd is just on pins and needles because they realize stuff's going bad.

[A]

Westbury. Choklahoma.

[B]

Oof. I mean, I saw that you're going.

[A]

You're going wet away. Going real hard on him already. Geez.

[B]

But you could just. The pressure got to them. But you talked about just Oklahoma in general. So would you. In terms of turning point in this game, would you go to the play that Oklahoma didn't make matier scrambling and had an easy run for a third down, tries to throw a, you know, deep crosser to the running back third, who drops it on third like two or three? Or would you go to the play that Alabama made right after that to Brooks when he made the heck, you know, really good catch on a corner route on a third and six when they were backed up, that kind of got him rolling. That led on that, that first play of the touchdown drive.

[A]

I, I think the, I think the third and two play, when John Mattier actually scrambled to his left, makes the play, all the bleeding would stop. Like it would, it would inject them.

[B]

It would get them 170 at that point it was what it was. 17 oh. At that point, like the ball game.

[A]

The ball game's over at that point. Like Alabama has to be one dimensional. Like it just, it gets, it gets horrible fast like that, that Oklahoma dropping passes. Not only do they drop punts, they drop passes. They just really struggled to make plays. And Brent, we've talked about this passing game being just awful, like, just not good in so many spurts. And the way Oklahoma came out, man, I really loved it. Man, I love the way they came out. They came out with passion, they came out with energy. Their defense played great. It was very concerted effort to give John Mateer the football. Like run him in the football. That's what he's good at, right? Like run, counter run. Let him pick a hole, let him break tackles. Like get him comfortable. But, but yeah, the drop passes, listen, they made some good catches too on some balls. But like mater on that third down and two, the drop pass, like that's a wrap. Like ball game's over. It's. It's. If he, if he makes that catch, you score, you know, in the red zone again, you go up like it's, it's hard for Alabama to get back in this football game.

[B]

But then they did and that's. Man, you know, they. And I think it was actually the right call to go forward on fourth and two there even when it was 17 nothing. Because yes, you want, I mean, you want to feel good, but you also realize that, hey, we need actual points. Like, yeah, I don't need feel good points. I need actual points. And they needed it. And much like he did against Auburn, he's like, all right, I'm going to go for him. Fourth down, I'm just going to kick field goal and be conservative here. And that. I think it was the right call in 17 Brooks, that dude played his absolute tail off. And guess what? Him, Bernard and Horton, that's their three best receivers, 100%.

[A]

Ryan Williams, another big drop on the, on the sideline. You got to make that catch. Like, you've got to make that catch for your squad. You can't keep missing those plays, man. Ryan Williams misses way too many plays. Brooks though, the fourth and two catch by Brooks that he made three people miss. He double caught it for a second and and then made somebody miss. Made somebody miss. Made somebody miss. It was a really good catch. Nationwide is so much more than a great insurance company. They're one of America's largest financial services companies. Like how I'm more than just Peyton Manning. I'm also motivate Manning. When I say insurance, you say financial services. Insurance, financial services. Insurance, financial services. Now when I say nationwide, you say is both. Nationwide is both. Nationwide wide for your insurance and financial needs. Nationwide is on your side.

[C]

Nationwide Investment Services Corporation Ember Finra Columbus, Ohio.

[A]

The College Football Playoff is everything. Toughness, growth, sacrifices, life and focus. This is where I think everything you got all damn day. The attention to detail is like none other. Be physical, be flat. We are the winner. Taine takes on Ole Miss, followed by James Madison in Oregon.

[B]

It's time to bring it first round.

[A]

Coverage of the college football playoffs presented by allstate Saturday at 3:30 Eastern on TNT and HBO. Max, are you ready? Let's go score holiday gifts. Everyone wants for way less at your Nordstrom Rack store. Save on Ugg, Nike, Rag and Bone, Vince Frame, Kurt Geiger, London and more.

[B]

Cause there's always something new.

[A]

I'm giving all the gifts this year with that extra 5% off when I use my Nordstrom credit card.

[B]

Santa who join the Nordiclub at Nordstrom.

[A]

Rack to unlock our best deals. It's easy. Big gifts, big perks. That's why you rack.

[C]

Want to make a difference in your community. But not sure how? Go to GoFundMe.com right now and start a GoFundMe. Seriously. Your next fundraiser doesn't have to start in a school parking lot or a church basement. You can start a GoFundMe today in just minutes. Fundraise for yourself, a friend or family member or an organization. All that matters is that you care about them. GoFundMe is the trusted place to fundraise for what you care about. With no pressure to hit your fundraising goal, but tons of tools to help you reach it, you can confidently start fundraising right now. Whether it's creative, local or critical, your cause matters. And there's a reason why. GoFundMe is backed by millions and chosen by fundraisers everywhere. It works and it matters. GoFundMe helps you make a real difference. Start your GoFundMe today at GoFundMe.com that's GoFundMe.com G O F U N D M E dot com this is a commercial message brought to you by GoFundMe.

[A]

Bernard though, that catch he made, it made me go okay. Why are we not throwing to him more? Like, I feel like Bernard needs to be the focal point in the offense and early in the season, remember they put him in the backfield, they gave him jet sweeps. They, they, they, they did a lot around him and I think that needs to, to continue. For Alabama I thought they'd run more up tempo. I thought they'd run more screen game. They didn't. They try to screen, you know, a couple times they gave up a sack and then they gave up an incompletion where it was awful. Like a lot of Oklahoma's twists and stunts kind of went right into the, right into the screen action and kind of killed the screen right away. But like this, this offense, it's still, it's still lacking. Like it's still. Well, it still doesn't have a lot of punch to it. It still doesn't have a lot of pizzazz to it.

[B]

But I have a thought on that. Watching it like you think about, especially when you like if you. Did you watch. Did you happen to watch the Seahawks Rams game last night? Unbelievable, phenomenal offense. And it's those, those guys run plays that develop and have layers and it's all right. I'm running this in the first quarter, this in the second quarter to set up this in the third and fourth quarter type stuff. I think Oklahoma's offense just looks like a bunch of plays now. They did have the QB counter that then turned into a QB counter, RB RPO that led to a touchdown from a tier that's great. But their passing game and even a lot of their running game when the QB goes empty it or you know, pump fake screens, things like that, there's just not layers, there's not stuff that you know, breeds consistency. And I think that's something that Arbuckle is going to have to do in the off season is really sort of look in the mirror and be like, okay, how do I, you know, I have some a good base now. How do I add to it to create a consistency and efficiency within the offense? Well, it was rolling early, they were at 17 points of Bama, had 12.

[A]

Yards and they got to catch the ball more for their guy too. Like listen, I didn't think mater was by any stretch like on target all the time. But even when you're off target a little bit on those third downs, you got to move the sticks, man. You got to make plays that are in traffic when they play zone over the middle. And he throws it over the middle. He also makes two or three throws a game that you just go, okay. Human beings aren't supposed to make those. Like he. Again, I talk about him. It's just horsepower.

[B]

Like his horse velocity was even up today.

[A]

It's still. Well, the tapes off the hand, you saw the black tape is off the hand. And it looks like he's more willing to let it rip and fire it. But. But I do agree with what you said. Like, I think that. I think the offense needs more to it. I think it needs more play shot shots down the field. Because again, everything you saw in the back end with Oklahoma is like, it's like the way you play Ty Simpson. Like it's kind of packed those crossing windows, a lot of eyes on Matier. But those shots down the field, they're consistently there. Now they don't hit a lot of them. They don't hit a lot of them. But. But you got to take some of them. And you know what you're saying in the chat, Crunch times, crunch time, sports advantage. You're right. He's not fundamentally sound like mater. He's going to jump. He's going to throw it. Like it's not going to be the release point.

[B]

Like if you look at his release point, when you watch his fingers, like they showed that one that, that sailed. His fingers are sort of here when he releases the ball from this angle.

[A]

He hit a defensive end in the face, bro. He hit a. He hit a defensive end in the face when he threw it. Who didn't jump. He didn't jump. He was standing there. Yes. Like that's how much it's. When he's. When you get a good push in the middle. He's very compromised because he's not tall and because he's not tall and he has this, this side arm release. Like there's just a lot of balls that get batted down that get missed. And let's.

[B]

I got to shout out Sandman in the chat. So we had Choklahoma. Now we also have mobile homer back to sitting on the couch.

[A]

Oh, man.

[B]

Texas fan. Texas logo. So Texas fans obviously enjoying the fact that Oklahoma lost, but at I couple of things. When you look at Oklahoma and what they did in terms of shooting themselves in the foot. The very first one was a dumb self inflicted wound. 55 with the penalty, personal foul. You're up 14. You know, you're up and you're rolling and then that turns into a field goal instead of maybe going up 14 like or whatever that may have been.

[A]

I, I agree with your premise of this. It was stupid. The play was not blown dead. And I don't think he blindsided the guy. He was freaking blocking. Like, I thought he. Like, I get it when you, when you clean up a pile and you go and you destroy someone, 100% get it. By the way, 44 wasn't a personal foul to me. I'm not calling that.

[B]

That's a little. Yeah, that was a little. I thought that was.

[A]

That was ticky, tacky. But I didn't think 55 was earlier in the game either. Like, again, if it's a blind side, it's one thing. That dude looked right there. The pile was still moving. He was like, oh, I got to block my guy. Like, I got to block my guy. I thought it was a terrible call. Like, I thought it was an absolutely atrocious call. And it definitely backed him up, sucked the momentum out and didn't help. But obviously Oklahoma continued to.

[B]

Well, you're right about the pick six too, because if you don't, if you're just running the football there and like, okay, if we break one, it was second and 13.

[A]

It was second and 13. And I'm like, this is a guaranteed passing situation. And the one thing that evolved about Alabama that I really, really liked, they came into this game thinking, we need to rush 4. We need to be conservative. We need to do our zones in the back end. They were like, screw that. Like, we're not giving. And here's another thing, too. I thought Matier's feet were very calm in the beginning of the game.

[B]

Oh, in the game, early, yes.

[A]

To start the game. I was as impressed as I've seen him. Like, if his eyes, if his eyes come down, a lot of times they're not coming back up. But I want him to shuffle in the pocket and stay alive to continue to make throws down the field. I thought he did enough of that early, but then they started heating him up and they started doing a great job of disguising and they used Hubbard a couple of times and dropping a 300 pound lineman in other directions. And then I think they started to. To rattle Oklahoma a little bit. And here's another thing too. Oklahoma's offensive line, three freshmen, they don't get movement. They did a great job protecting him early in the game. He didn't get. But. But then towards the end of the game, you saw it, man. The pass rush games got home. They started to penetrate. They started to pick tackles. Like, they really started to to do their job. And before we get Brent, before we get to your. To your next point, your last point, um, during the season, guys, like, as an analyst, like, your brain's always tracking this stuff, like tracking injuries, all the stuff that's going on. I'm always asking, who's hurt? How serious is it? Like, what do we need to change? I used to bounce between, like, X and. And text and way too many tabs just trying to keep up. And now, dude, seriously got an unbelievable system. I got an agent at my disposal. It's called Zapier. Zapier. Literally, you just put anything into the workflow, like injury alert workflow. Automatically scans the web. New injuries across top 25 teams, playoff pictures, highlights, whatever I say I want it to do whatever matters. Starters versus depth charts, how long they'll be out, how it impacts a team, and send it straight to my inbox. I literally get it right to me so I don't have to do it so I can watch games throughout the day. I'm focused on football and I don't have to worry about anything else. So if you want to go ahead and get you an agent with anything, man. I do it with podcasts, with. I do it with sermons. I do all the different things. It's one of the. The leading automation tool. Totally free for 14 days. If you try out the link below for Zapier, listen, they'll get all the details for you, all the things for you, and they can detail how. Brent, how Oklahoma came charging to a halt.

[B]

I wanted to. I mean, we've. We've crapped on, or not necessarily crap, but we've. We've talked very negative.

[A]

We've told the truth.

[B]

We've told the truth about Oklahoma's struggles. Tonight, let's give Alabama some credit, because you. They get it to 27, 24, and now, you know, 50 Cent comes out and does whatever he. He did. And then I thought for a second.

[A]

50 Cent was going to be the MVP. I thought. I thought 50 Cent. That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen, by the way. Like, Fowler comes back from break, and he's like, 50 cents out there. And I'm literally with the kids and the wife. I'm like, is this the halftime concert? Did I miss something? Like, did we just go back in time? I'm like, wait a minute. They. They just like, you know, the fourth quarter, four's up. Like, hey, let's get weird now. Let's bring out 50 Cent and let's go. Many men, like, they. I Know they play one of his songs before the fourth quarter, but I'm just saying, like, that's. That was strange. Like, it was very interesting, especially when.

[B]

The other team had scored 27 straight points. But.

[A]

But hey, they immediately scored touchdown after it. So.

[B]

And then they were spamming a punt, but Bama punts them sort of down, down in their own territory. And Oklahoma gets one yard, by the way.

[A]

Can we talk about that? Bammer's. Bama's punter sucked badly in the first half. Like he couldn't hit the ball square. And then Oklahoma's punter drops the ball, shanks one late to set Alabama up again. Like, you saw Ohio state miss a 27 yard field goal. Like, it's going like this in my head now. Okay, let's make sure we recalibrate who's got good special teams. Like, because they do matter. Like, I know we don't talk about that as much, but like tonight it was the field position for Alabama was. You go three and out, three and out. Oklahoma's got the ball, such good field position near midfield. Twice 10 points just like that. Right. Like taking full advantage. And so that was kind of a hidden part of the game.

[B]

But yeah, like, Alabama answers and Bernard makes the big catch. Now you go back up 10 on top of his dome and Simpson, even though. So I actually. One of the things. Two. Two things that I really kept focused on tonight. One was Simpson outside the numbers. Because we talked a lot about that, how teams were forcing him to work outside the numbers. He was five of 11 and I think three drops outside the numbers. So he was actually pretty consistent.

[A]

But they also made some big plays outside the numbers, didn't they? They made a couple of TD to.

[B]

Brooks in the corner. Yes. Third down to Brooks in the corner. Bernard, ridiculous catch. The big play to Horton where the right tackle jumped.

[A]

He was really offsides.

[B]

Thought that was Fowler's. Like I was looking for the flag.

[A]

He was clearly off sides. That was like. That was unbelievably offsides. Like, and again, it's. You know how hard that is to be able to start seeing like the ball move and him move that. That was. And when you put it in slow motion, we're like, dude, are you blind? Like, how do you not see that?

[B]

But yeah, was good outside the numbers. The other thing, empty rushers or just sort of untouched rushers. Oklahoma had five, Bama had two. Oklahoma got three sacks. Bama got two sacks. So it was. I thought that kind of equaled itself.

[A]

Out, but no, that and. And to me, Ty Simpson early was way jumpy. His feet were jumpy. He got hit. I thought Ty really did a good job of calming down throughout the game, trusting his protection a little bit more, which is not easy to do, especially when you don't have a run game.

[B]

All right, people, serious question time. Did you know that driving high is considered driving under the influence? That's right. Driving under the influence of marijuana is against the law in every state. That means even in states where marijuana is legal, that means driving high could get you a dui. And if you think law enforcement officers can't tell when you're driving high, well, you're wrong. If you're high, they can tell. Your friends can tell. Your co workers can tell. Even your parents can tell. Everyone can tell. So what makes you think that law enforcement officers don't know when you're driving high? You'd be wrong. They can tell too. Driving under the influence of marijuana can slow your response time and change how you perceive time and speed. So even if you think you're fine to drive when you're high, you're not. Because the bottom line is if you feel different, you drive different. And driving high is driving under the influence. So remember, drive high. Get. Get a DUI paid for by NHTSA.

[A]

Football is so much more than a single season. It's something you look forward to 365 days of the year. Just like Nationwide is so much more than a great insurance company, they're one of America's largest financial services companies too. For your insurance and financial needs, Nationwide is on your side. Nationwide Investment Services Corporation Member FINRA Columbus, Ohio the College Football Playoff is everything. Toughness, roles, sacrifices, Place your focus. This is where I think everything you got all damn day. The attention to detail is like none other. Be physical, be flat. We are the winner. Tulane takes on Ole Miss followed by James Madison in Oregon.

[B]

It's time to bring it first round.

[A]

Coverage of the College Football Playoff presented by allstate Saturday at 3:30 Eastern on TNT and HBO. Max, are you ready?

[C]

Want to make a difference in your community, but not sure how? Go to GoFundMe.com right now and start a GoFundMe. Seriously. Your next fundraiser doesn't have to start in a school parking lot or a church basement. You can start a GoFundMe today in just minutes. Fundraise for yourself a friend or family member or an organization. All that matters is that you care about them. GoFundMe is the trusted place to fundraise for what you care about with no pressure to hit your fundraising goal, but tons of tools to help you reach it. You can confidently start fundraising right now. Whether it's creative, local or critical, your cause matters. And there's a reason why GoFundMe is backed by millions and chosen by fundraisers everywhere. It works and it matters. GoFundMe helps you make a real difference. Start your GoFundMe today at GoFundMe.com that's GoFundMe.com G O F U N D M E dot com this is a commercial message brought to you by GoFundMe.

[A]

Oklahoma or Alabama did something else that I really, really liked. They went max protection a couple of times. Stop putting, stop putting five guys out in a row. Stop, stop taking my protection away from me. Sometimes it's really good to leave a bunch of guys in. Run a two man route, right? Like that's okay to do as well. I thought Alabama did enough. But, but you got to have something inside of here, man, like inside of that chest to, to be able to get down early when the place is going bananas. You get down 17 and to be able to respond. And it takes a quarterback, man, it takes a guy at the trigger that, that can stay calm. That's the son of a coach that's got all the intangibles you want. I never, I never lose confidence in that dude. Like he's got, he's got the it factor times 10. He doesn't, he doesn't go pout, right? Like, you watch him, he's got the iPad. You watch him like he's not going to call his guys out. Like Ryan Williams slipped on that one. He was like, come on, dude. Like, you could tell he wanted to get on him a little bit more, but, but it just does such a great job and it's just, it was, it was an unbelievable turnaround. Unbelievable. Wake up. And maybe this, maybe this clinches for Alabama. Maybe this gets something rolling inside of them.

[B]

So I have a question related to that. So this was something I tweeted earlier. Most likely post game narrative tonight. Healthy Bama. Oh, Hoosiers are on upset alert. So it was, I mean, maybe a little bit, but not really. I don't think. Healthy Oklahoma. No Hoosiers on upset alert. Wasn't that two kind of, as the kids say, mid teams duking it out and one was less mid. Do you think that's.

[A]

I think, I think people are going to say the late. The latter.

[B]

Yeah. Or is there something else? Maybe. Yeah.

[A]

Well, I mean, I, I didn't listen We've talked about it this year, man, and it's really cool. As a defensive guy, like defense is back, right? Like defense in college football is more prevalent. The establishment of all the hybrid guys, the establishment of all the, you know, the ability to change the picture and really confuse guys and simulated pressures and you know, guys being so much better on that side of the football has changed it. So it's awesome, um, it's awesome to see defense carrying the day. That was sloppy though. That wasn't. I didn't see, I didn't consider that high caliber of football, high execution, guys making plays, you know, less than left and right. I do think it's two really good defenses but I do think, I also thought that like Mattier just kept like he also threw it over some guys heads. Like he also, you know, scrambled some when he didn't need to. Like, I think there was some sloppy execution. But we talked about Oklahoma and we talked about their flaw and we talked about, listen, can they keep winning low scoring games? Can they win a shootout? Man, they got up, they got up big and the defense let them down and the defense didn't do what they usually do and Oklahoma lost the game and it's not a spot and it's why we didn't pick or we didn't think Oklahoma could win the natty. Like it's what we knew was going to hold them back from getting to where they wanted to go. The offense started the season gangbusters. The defense finished the season and was very consistent. They didn't do it together down the stretch and that's why they're. They're going to be at home and watching the rest of the playoffs.

[B]

And I do think in terms of forwarding to the next round, Alabama given at least the QB with consistency at the quarterback position and weapons, plus a little bit with weapons on the outside, I. They give a better matchup to Indian in terms of potentially having a better game than Oklahoma because I was, wait, I was like, okay, Oklahoma, if you can keep Bama under 20 again and your offense looks like it's found some things out and it did. It looked that way early even during some outside zone which they barely ran all year. Yeah. So. But then once that early stuff went away and then it kind of got back to the let's just run plays kind of thing. Does. All right, so does. Does tonight change your thoughts on the first game and in Miami tomorrow at all given the sort of environment and how things went tonight?

[A]

No, no. I picked Alabama to win this game.

[B]

I did not.

[A]

And I'll stick with. I'll stick with A and M to win the, to win the next one. You knew they were both really close games. You knew the home field of, you know, the home field. The home field advantage was real. It was fun. It was cool to see, like the fans and everybody going nuts. But who can beat me a multitude of ways again? Brent, can you beat me without your fastball?

[B]

Can you go left?

[A]

Can you beat me with your changeup? Yes. Can you go hard to the bucket with your left hand? I think A and M has a better chance to do that. Like, they have more war weapons at their disposal, more ways to win and being at home. So, no, it doesn't change. But, you know, if you're Indiana watching this game at home, are you thinking like, yeah, I kind of like this matchup. Like, this is. This is not bad. Do you think, do you think people at Michigan are upset right now tonight? Do you think they're.

[B]

I don't know. Well, actually, they're probably very ekg. It's like, up. Do it. Do we want him? No.

[A]

No.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

No. Yes. And if you don't know what we're talking about, Michigan has an opening and.

[B]

And a lot of people are connecting dots.

[A]

There's a reason it's not filled yet, but there also is supposedly a timetable that, that now might be exceeded if he's still at Alabama, which might open the door for a guy we've had on here on the show before, actually a two time guest we've had on the show before that might be coming from the West.

[B]

All right, so another thing that actually happened over the past few days, I was, I had a thought today. So Will Muschamp, former head coach of Florida, defensive coordinator, Texas analyst, like all sorts of. All sorts of things. He's been, you know, South Carolina is now back to being defensive coordinator at Texas. And I was thinking about this and I'm like. And I want to get your sort of thought, one question first. Who do you think made the call first?

[A]

What do you mean?

[B]

Did Will call and say, hey, you looking? Or you think that was the other way all the way around?

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Hey, you want to come?

[A]

Absolutely. That's. Will you please come? That's like, hey, I. I need you. I think, I think Sark, first of all, Texas's defense down the stretch, I think for the last five, gave up over 30 points a game. And this is a defense with a lot of talent on it and a lot of talent. A lot of guys that you're going. Yes, please. Yes, please. Yes, please. I want him Sunday.

[B]

Sunday.

[A]

One hit. Yes, but, but I think the most important thing that's, that's to know about this is first of all, Will Muschamp's a dude as genuine as it gets. A player's coach knows how to get the most out of his guys. Detailed, aggressive, but not reckless. A big difference. But the biggest thing that Will Muschamp brings to Sark is a mother flipping edge. Like some, a guy that will bring some juice, A guy that will hold people accountable. A guy that brings passion and energy that's contagious. Sark ain't that like Sark's cool. Sark's Cali. Sark's Cali. And Muschamp is the opposite. Mus champ is a down south dirty boy like, and he is going to get in your ace and he's going to tell you what he feels and he's going to hold you to a standard and he's going to do it like at an alarmingly detailed rate. But, but how about his career too? Full circle, man. Coaching. Waiting for Mack Brown in 2009, goes, takes over for Urban Meyer's squad in Gainesville, works his way to Kirby Smarts there as a co. D.C. when it was really, really good to think that you had Schumann, Lanning, Kirby, Will Muschamp all in the same room at a time is, is absolutely scary when it comes to game planning. Like that's just, that wasn't fair. And the players that we could list off ad nauseam but man, Texas got themselves the perfect compliment to Sark. Like the perfect compliment.

[B]

So here's my other thought with that. Do you think and I'll sort of run it through you and see if you think this has some validity to it. Sark may be looking in the mirror a little bit and saying, hey, somebody, George is kicking my hind in. They've owned me. I have to evolve and okay, if I can get a guy who can one help my defense and elevate my defense, but also tell me what it is that they are kicking, how, how they're kicking my butt off in my offense and now I can evolve and do those things. Feels like a little bit of a self awareness from him.

[A]

But this is pretty simple though. It's what Kirby Smart said on our show this week when he came on. It's what you're demanding, it's what you're, it's, it's what you're coaching. You, you get what you're coaching your players. Take on the Persona of your coach. Like, and that's. And must. Champ is going to bring that to the defensive side of the football. Sark's going to be Sark on the offensive side of the football. But I got news for you. Just, just like with, with Dabo, it's not, there's not a surprise of why Dabos had a drop off. What did Dabo have early on in his career at Clemson?

[B]

The guy that looks like he would like eat a player's head off if, like he wanted a guy that had.

[A]

A personal get back coach that strangled his britches. Right. They grabbed his britches and pulled him back. Like, Dabo lost that guy. Dabos kind of struggled to find it again.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Like, you have to have the guy that people fear. You have to have the guy that when they talk, they're like, crap, like, I got to do my. I got to do this thing, right? Like, it has to be in your program. Especially if your head coach isn't going to be that guy. Now listen, Kirby ain't got to worry about that because he is that guy. He's that dude. He's on the set. Yes. If you leak that, if you didn't find the leaked audio, if you didn't see it, like, you'll, you'll, you'll get an earful. Watch your children.

[B]

Well, actually, that was somebody just sitting in the parking lot because it's a daily thing.

[A]

That's, that's amazing. But no, speaking of, that's big time. Like, get. I, I've got to get tougher. I've got to get more like Georgia. So it makes total sense to get a guy that knows him inside and out.

[B]

So speaking of Kirby in the interview and another interview, I have a question for you. Your boy, Nolan McGill, man, stud of Internet fame, and I, I props to him. I think, you know, to my knowledge, your schedule is taking you up near where he is. I bet you could probably get some serious swag for UGA stuff to get to give to Nolan McGill.

[A]

Yeah, we're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna take care of no one. We're absolutely gonna take for no one. Take care.

[B]

That was, that was, that was phenomenal.

[A]

That was fantastic. Like, and how about Wesley the great West Blankenship reached out to him and right away, like, set it up for us to interview. And, and I just loved it when he was like, yeah, yeah. That was never an option. I'm not singing that song. Why not? Because it's trash. He was like, it's Trash. He was like, not going to do it. But it's amazing when you have a Kirby Smart interview on your channel, on your YouTube channel and you look at the views and it's like 34,000 or something like that. And then my man Noah from Tennessee, who nobody knows what just happened. Oh, my man's like, at 20,000,000,000 views, it's amazing. But hey, the kid was raised right apparently, right. Like he was. My favorite part about it was like on all the social media, all the Tennessee fans were like, respect. Like respect, respect. Like they, they respected the mess out of it. That's what I thought was cool. Everybody in college football was like, I get it. I understand that when it's the team.

[B]

That you do not like. Yep.

[A]

Shouldn't. Shouldn't cheer for them.

[B]

That's college football for you.

[A]

College football. We done?

[B]

Hey, we got another double digit victory unfortunately in the playoff. I mean, it was a much better game, but yeah, another double digit victory. And Also Oklahoma is now 05, I think in the playoffs, unfortunately. Should have factored that into my pick a little bit.

[A]

Well, that was the Lincoln Riley era.

[B]

That was 14 playoffs too.

[A]

Do you want to change your pick for tomorrow and join the winning side or you want to go. You want to go with the other side?

[B]

No, I figured I just might as well go. Owen 2. Okay. All right.

[A]

I did.

[B]

I don't want to recant the pick. I'm not going to pick it.

[A]

No, you shouldn't do that. I had both these teams in preseason. I kind of hate it that it has to go. Rooks, shut up in the chat. Stop. Stop picking Rooks. We don't. We don't care about your picks. Adam Rooks. WDE stands for war. Dang Eagle, by the way. He said he's going with Miami, so.

[B]

Great lefty shot that Rooks has.

[A]

Yes, he does. Joe Long says A and M. Easy. Pollock, you look bum. Bama 1. I picked Bama to win. But okay, if.

[B]

If anyone knows, knows you at all, you want to be right more than any allegiance to anything. You like being right more than anything.

[A]

Love being right.

[B]

Especially when I'm wrong.

[A]

Love being 10 against Brent in the playoffs. We'll keep a running tally now that I got the first.

[B]

Hey, now we get, you know, sec Big Ten next, you know, Bama and Indiana.

[A]

And I can promise you Bama ain't scared. I mean, Indiana ain't scared. Excuse me. I can promise you Indiana is not looking at them going, oh, that a on the side of the helmet like Indiana's not scared from Alabama. It's a different world. We will see you guys tomorrow after after the big time games after a and Miami. It should be a it should be a great one. Kyle Field will be rocking the 12th man will be rolling cball get ball. Don't forget to like rate hit subscribe all that stuff. David Pollock, Brett Rollins, West Blankenship we are always here. Love talking football. Appreciate you guys so much for joining us.

[B]

Peace.

[A]

The college football playoff is everything. Toughness, rose, sacrifices, focus. This is where I think everything you got all damn day. These the attention to detail is like none other. Be physical, keep playing. We are the winner. Tulane takes on Ole Miss followed by James Madison in Oregon.

[B]

It's time to bring it first round.

[A]

Coverage of the college football playoffs presented by allstate Saturday at 3:30 Eastern on TNT and HBO. Max are you ready? Let's get em.

[B]

The holidays mean more travel, more shopping, more time online and more personal info in more places that.

[A]

Could explore expose you more to identity theft.

[B]

But Lifelock monitors millions of data points per second. If your identity is stolen, our US based restoration specialists will fix it, guaranteed your money back. Don't face drained accounts, fraudulent loans or financial losses alone.

[A]

Get more holiday fun and less holiday worry with Lifelok. Save up to 40% your first year.

[B]

Visit lifelock.com Specialoffer terms apply if you're.

[A]

An H Vac technician and a call comes in. Grainger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product.

[B]

Fast and hassle free. And you know that when the first.

[A]

Problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat. With Grainger's easy to use website and product details, you're confident you'll soon have.

[B]

Everything humming right along.

[A]

Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickgrainger.com or just stop by.

[B]

Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[A]

Hi, I'm Logan Urie, Hinge's lead relationship scientist.

[B]

We asked 30,000 people about their dating lives.

[A]

Gen Z daters told us they want.

[B]

Deeper conversations, but they're 36% more hesitant.

[A]

Than millennials to start them. We call this the communication gap, the space between wanting connection and starting the conversation.

[B]

But here's the good news.

[A]

It doesn't have to be this way. Ask one better question or share something honest and watch the connection grow. Find more in Hinge's 2025 Gen Z date Report, now live at Hinge Co. Happy Holidays. Want to give your host a gift? Consider subscribing rating and reviewing the show the holiday season. It really helps the show grow from all of us at believe. Have a merry Christmas, everyone, and a happy holiday.