← See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack
See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack
Chris Fallica CFB PREDICTIONS | Ohio State Names QB1 | Michigan NCAA Ruling
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- [00:00]
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- [00:31]
Steve Gorman
Gorman, radio host, sports sports commentator and former drummer for the Black Crows. Let's talk about something that affects us all. Drinking and Driving Summer's drawing to a close and football season is kicking into gear. We just can't wait for those tailgates, cookouts and get togethers with friends to enjoy the game and throw back a few cold ones. Let me suggest a few more items for your plans. Always plan for a safe ride home. Just like in sports and music, I always have a game plan and the most important part of any plan is is sticking to it. If you plan to drink, take that plan a step further. Call a ride, share a taxi, a sober friend, or a designated sober driver. Drinking and driving is a decision that will change your whole world. Get a dui, crash your car, injure yourself or others. The consequences are immediate and everlasting. Please be safe for your sake and everyone on the road and get a sober ride home. Drive sober or get pulled over.
- [01:30]
Chris Felica
Paid for by NHTSA for 140 years.
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Narrator
MultiCare has been in Washington prioritizing long term solutions, partnering with local communities and expanding access to care. Together, we're building a healthier future. Learn more@ multicare.org what's up everybody?
- [01:48]
David Pollack
David Pollack here of Cball 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 on everybody to see Ball Get Ball. Brent Rollins joins me as always and Brent is one of the smartest football fans guys I know. Period. Works for PFF. Mr. Mr. Numbers and Brent, I love it man. Because if today, if your woods, if your fire isn't lit, your woods wet. Okay? Like if you're not getting ready for week one man, and you're not excited, like I'm out on you, you probably need to leave the show because it's about as exciting as it gets. Like sitting on the couch this Saturday with Lindsay, I was Like Bev it all, like, I'm not going to have another Saturday on the couch with you like this again. And I'm really excited about it. Like, I'm, I'm so stoked that we, we will. And I know that's not the right thing to say to my wife, but I'm like, bevidal, I'm going to have something to watch for the next so many weeks and, and I'll be so busy, you don't have to worry about entertaining me.
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Brent Rollins
I would say. What was her response to that?
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David Pollack
Because she was excited. I think she was like, this is great. I'm, I'm really, I'm really good to get rid of you.
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Brent Rollins
I did, I did think of for a second there that you went a little Chris Farley trying to get that right. You know when he's always telling Tommy boy when he's telling you want to.
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David Pollack
Stick your head up a butcher's ace.
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Brent Rollins
He finally gets it right in the end. But the part of the game week part of it, this isn't just like a, hey, a nice game and you get football back. This is legit. Like college football playoff implications who can win the Big 12 big, big game to start the season out the gates big time.
- [03:28]
David Pollack
And I love that we get Chris Felika on. We'll get him on a little bit later in the show just because you know him like big brain, Mr. Handicapper, thinking about all the if, ands or buts already text me 30 times about how stupid I am for some of my picks. So looking forward to that. We're going to do a college football versus the new proposed college football 28 versus maybe an old school method. And then we'll talk Michigan and that, that whole situation that everybody's been talking about maybe with a little bit different spin than everybody else. But first QB1 picks, man, couple schools announcing and I'm so shocked, Brent. Like I'm just, I'm blown away. Like not a single one did I look at and I was like, man, that was a big time, different pick than I would have but go through them. Who got the starting nab?
- [04:14]
Brent Rollins
Julian Saiyan is obviously the big one at Ohio State. Then you have Aguilar at Tennessee, Angeli at Syracuse, which by the way, like those, that game I think is going to be a fun game to watch in the opening weekend. Syracuse, Tennessee as well. Syracuse, Tennessee. But yeah, yeah, no surprises, no shocks. The like the big news of the day was something, I don't know what was like four or five hours ago maybe or sometime this afternoon when you found out that Quentin Joyner, the running back at Texas Tech who transferred USC tears ACL Michigan as Sooner Cowboys points out and the thing loses the five star lineman that, you know, was sort of gonna play time.
- [04:53]
David Pollack
He was absolutely gonna play. Like, those are two impact players. And I'm not sure when you talk about like a left tackle, you know, coming in and starting week one, it's tough to do. It's hard to do. But that is somebody that you look at, you go throughout the season, you go, okay, I, I bet you by week six, week seven, Michigan has a guy that he was a top 10 guy in all the country across the country, everyone wanted him. So two huge losses on teams that are, that are going to be playoff contenders this season, that will be. You know, again, we talk about depth throughout the season, how much it matters.
- [05:26]
Brent Rollins
And Joyner, like a week ago we looked at players that could, hey, if they have this great season, it might put their team in the playoff. And Joyner was the name that I mentioned. But you look at the guys at Jacoby Williams and Cameron Dickey that are sophomores for them, they're there and their stats, like on a per attempt basis, missed tackles force, things like that, very similar to Taj Brooks's. They just didn't have the volume, obviously. But it, A lot of times with these injuries, it's all these teams can handle. One in a room, it's the next one that, you know, the next ankle that gets tweaked or the next knee that gets hurt, that kind of thing. And that, that's what ends up being.
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David Pollack
Big time, especially with running backs. It comes throughout the season with nicks and bruises. You're getting tackled almost every single play. All right, next, we're getting to the big story. The, the story that everybody's been talking about with Michigan and all the stuff. I think this is interesting here. Here's what I find interesting. Brent, before, I probably take a different angle than everybody else, but, like over $30 million in fines, that's a lot. Like, that's a lot, a lot you.
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Brent Rollins
Could get there.
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David Pollack
But that's, that's, that's an inordinate amount. That's the most we've heard of. Like, that's, that's a huge hammer that's being levied with a lot of money that can affect them. Sharon Moore. Okay, so the joke that was, he got suspended for two games, game three and four this year. Now he's suspended for game one next year. Just what the funk are we doing like, I can't. Why, why do we do that? I don't get that. I don't understand. Like, it's almost like, wait a minute. Like, let's, let's see this. Let's make sure we don't do it. This is the optics. Like, what are the optics? Like Levy the fine. Levy the punishment. If you think they should be punished, punish them. But that, that was comical. I like almost laughed at that. And then one other part I almost laughed at too.
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Brent Rollins
I say I wrote joke with like multiple exclamation points, which I know you would be fond of because you're Mr. Exclamation Point. But it's like that was just a joke to me. And the fact that he gets, you know, when you look at it's game three and four this year and not, you know, Michigan or not the Oklahoma game, that kind of like, that's just, that's amazing to me.
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David Pollack
Hey, did you write down joke. Anything else? Did you write down joke for anything else?
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Brent Rollins
I mean, not really, bro.
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David Pollack
You didn't write down joke when it says a 10 year show.
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Brent Rollins
Cause for Harbaugh, For Harbaugh, I mean, really, he's.
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David Pollack
He gone. And by the way, I thought it was even funnier because that's on. That's tacked on to the, to the one he already got for. I think he already had five years, so. And he served one of them. So like he's, he's got a 14 year now run that he had.
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Brent Rollins
He handed them a title like he's a forever, like, you know, goat in that. In, in Ann Arbor in Michigan, man. So like. Yeah, that's just, that's a joke. That's another joke. That's funny that you say that. But what was. So what was funny about it? And look at the whole process of it and science dealing and I mean you deal with it at every level of football. It's, it's a thing. But like Connor Stallions and he was sort of the mastermind of a lot of that and whatnot. But he was actually looking and tweeted something about, hey, they need to change these systems. And so I like quote tweeted it and put modern day Frank Abagnale Jr. Like, if you remember the movie Catch me if you can, where he was like, like that was a great crook and he turns out to be the, you know, the guy that helps him with the checks and all that stuff. Connor Stallions like my tweet. So he, he thought, he agreed with my. Maybe, maybe the NCAA should Just, you know, employ him and say, hey, how do you fix all this stuff? So we can't steal things.
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David Pollack
He's got a big show. Cause he's. He's out. He's out of the game for a long time, too. That was. Yes, that was part of it, too. Like, they're. They're very much trying to keep him away from college football. He's a young cat man. Like, and if you think he operated any of this, like, not. Not with clearance and his coach not knowing. Yeah, that's not how. That's not how this stuff works.
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Brent Rollins
I. I do think the funniest thing, though, is that they're appealing it that to me, like one. That's attorneys who are getting more billable hours. I get all that. But still, the fact that they just didn't be like, no posies and ban. No vacation of victories. No. And just some money. They didn't just say, okay, that. That's hilarious.
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David Pollack
Well, but all of it, again, we're not. I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna exacerbate this point by any stretch and. And do anything that. That can go off the rails. But, like, it's the ncaa. We're not surprised. That's not a shocking thing. We didn't put one thing on here that had to do with the QBs, by the way, that I want to cover, because it's the single greatest player that I've ever seen play live. Brent Rollins is Cam Newton. They retired Cam Newton's jersey at Auburn and going to. Yeah, they're going to retire his jersey. Brent. I've covered the game for. I covered it. I started covering it at CBS Sports, but I started with ESPN, like in 2008, something like 2000, somewhere around that region, and then covered it for all those years. I've never seen a better football player. I've never seen a better run when he carried that 2010 team on his back to a championship. Like, I don't think people understand until you see Cam Newton in person. That's not a small dude, man. Like, that dude, 6, 5, 2, 60. And you watch him run around LSU guys like, how. How is that possible? Like, and then he runs by people, run through people. The combination of strength, charisma, like, the. The dude always had fun. Like, you could tell he was always having fun. He was competitive like Cam Newton. He is. And I'll be interested to hear Felika talk about this, because I do want to ask him this. He's. He's the best football player that I've ever seen with my eyes. And when I saw him. And listen, I've seen Johnny and I've seen Tebow, I've seen those guys. And I'm not knocking them. I'm just saying that guy was different. And what he did with that 2010 team was unfreaking believable.
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Brent Rollins
Yep. And carrying them to the title is definitively a factual statement. Like there's. It wasn't like that team was loaded with NFL guys that I don't.
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David Pollack
I don't think a single offensive player you can remember, like, I mean, Dyer that didn't get tackled like that was a guy that you possibly remember. Lutzenkirkin at tight end was. It was another guy. The unfortunate accident with him, but like, there was not a lot of talent on that roster. And he said, hop on. And Superman came out weekend Perfect offense for him too. He was unbelievable. Unbelievable offense, unbelievable time. First guy to get to 2,000 passing, 1,000 rushing. Like really, you know, changing that landscape. He had 50 tuddies. Like the dude was. The dude was on st. I remember rushing for over 200 yards against LSU back when LSU was like a defensive team that stopped you week in and week out and then six touchdowns in the SEC championship game. And I mean, he was just like, he just picked. How about the point, 24 point comeback against Alabama and the Iron bowl when you thought they were about to be out of it. Out of it completely. So, you know, tip of the cap. I mean, I just. He's. I've never seen another one like him, Brent. I haven't. Like, I've never seen another build, make model. Lenore Sellers has attributes that I would give, like Cam Newton. But Cam is much bigger.
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Brent Rollins
He's 3 inches and 20 pounds still.
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David Pollack
I mean, like, Cam could have been a defensive end, Cam could have been a running back. Cam could have been an outside linebacker. Like the positions he could have played. It's pretty incredible, man. I mean, just an incredible athlete. I'm not surprised that they're. That they're doing that.
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Brent Rollins
So they obviously played in the BCS championship game.
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David Pollack
Yep.
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Brent Rollins
So would you rather have the BCS or What the Big Ten? The garbage that the Big Ten is talking about with 28, 24, like a gazillion teams.
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David Pollack
Yeah. And we're about.
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Brent Rollins
Which would you rather have I.
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David Pollack
Man, so the Big Ten, like the 2018 thing. Like, so seven automatic bids for the SEC, seven for the Big Ten, five for the ACC, five for the Big 12, two for the group at five, and then two at large like I read it, Brent. I and I get it and I know the money component of it. No part of me wanted it. Like no part of me. The only thing I liked was like okay, get rid of SEC Championship Week, Big Ten Championship Week, Big 12 Championship Week, ACC championship week, start the playoffs a little bit early. Like I could see that being something that I would like to see done with the future if you're going to expand just for less games and stuff like that. But man, I can't get with it and I didn't love it when it went to four and I'm always that guy that doesn't like to continue to move and change. I'm just not a changing kind of a guy. But 28, man, that just that jumped off. I didn't love it.
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Brent Rollins
Two things. One, let this marinate a little bit where we are. Like let's see it. Let's let it play out for a few years. Especially now the seating is fixed. And too this also felt semi negotiating. Hey, you're going to stay here. You're going to stay here. Well, that's a big number. And then we'll meet in the middle and everybody's happy kind of thing.
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David Pollack
Well and you a lot of times they throw this stuff out there and then see how it sticks and see how it's received and then obviously make changes. But the Big Ten in the SEC they'll decide and then they'll let the ACC in the Big 12 know but all right, so let's get to the big fellow, the big brain. I can't wait to just hear Bears season picks. You know he's got them all lined up, the over unders, all the different things. Can't wait to talk to the big fellow in that big brain. Mr. Repeat Customer. The only two time appear on C ball get ball. We got more bald. That is for dang sure. Like the baldness just grew the bear Felica like what was where are we at in the season prep man? Are we rocking and rolling? Are we just turning through the pages of magazines and just haven't left the room in three days?
- [15:15]
Chris Felica
Yeah, we're good. I will fully admit I am not is up on a lot of the group of five as I would like to be at this point but we feel pretty good about where we are in terms of the the power four and I I still haven't put together my playoff bracket yet but I'm gonna get there.
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David Pollack
I'm disappointed that you're not up to date on that bear. If you you heard us Talking I think before you got in here, Cam Newton jersey being retired, man, like for, for me I, I said this is, that's the greatest football player that I've ever seen with my eyes. Watching a football game live for all of those years. Like he took the cake for me. You had more years than me with, with all in the sport, in the game. And you've seen many more players and many more great players. Where does he rank on your list?
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Chris Felica
That, that and that that season in 2010 was probably the best season I've seen from someone in Dominican. Sue's season in I guess it would have been what 2008 when he nearly single handedly carried Nebraska to the Big 12 champion championship game. Warren Sapp's 1995 season. 94. 94 season was unbelievable. Barry Sanders season when he said those were some of the. Some of the ones. But what you and Brett were talking about though, like they didn't. I don't think that they didn't have a single guy drafted on the offense. Defensively. I think Nick Fairley was the only player who was drafted off that defense. Like it was basically here I am. If you can stop me, great, but you're not going to be able to stop me. It did. It was one of the worst defenses ever to, to win a national championship. And it was solely because of two.
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David Pollack
You could argue too that Nick fairly carried them on defense too because he just found a way to cause fumbles, get TFLs, get sacks like it was. He was incredible. He deserves a lot of credit for that run too. He was the best player. He was the next best player on that roster and it wasn't even close like that's. He was definitely good. All right. Fire away. Bear. I want your. I want your hottest take for this season. I want your. I want the Bears like the biggest. Like this is going to happen, by God. Like you know, whatever it is. The gambling terms, I don't know what they are. Bear, still, you taught me a lot over the years, but I still don't know how to use them. But like lock, stock and barrel, click, click, boom. What is bail.
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Chris Felica
This is going to happen. Okay.
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David Pollack
We had no prep, by the way, I gave Bear no heads up on any of this.
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Chris Felica
That's kind of an open canvas here for me. Yeah, South Carolina is going to go under their season win total of seven and a half. That that is going to happen.
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David Pollack
Why?
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Chris Felica
Why? It is an absolutely brutal schedule. I worry a lot about the turnover that they've had. Not only a new group of wide receivers but losing like guts guys on that defense like Edmond, Warrior and Canard, you remember too like they weren't thought to be very good last year and then it just clicked in the second half of the year. Sellers is a fantastic player but if you look at every single one of those road games that they have, A and m, Ole Miss, LSU, MO, every single one of those is losable. They got Oklahoma, Alabama and Clemson at home. They got the Virginia Tech game in Atlanta which they should win. But assuming they win those four by games that, that they have, they're gonna have to go four and four in those eight games to beat me. And while I love Sellers and I love Shane like I, I just don't know if that's gonna happen. So yeah, I am, I am under 7 and a half on, on South Carolina in terms of a win total.
- [18:53]
Brent Rollins
That's a really good one. And that's by the way especially since he didn't prep you and that that was kind of an off the cuff guarantee right there. That was even better.
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David Pollack
That big brain works. He ain't worried about it.
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Brent Rollins
Yes. But let's, let's talk about little sort of Davey being in this all positive world. He's hashtag all in. He got a tattoo on it, you know, on his lower back. Hashtag the Bear. I think I heard a little bit is, is anti dating in terms of this Clemson love. So, so where are you be the contrarian for, for him.
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David Pollack
Hey hey, before he starts I'm gonna, I'm gonna let you inside the curtain of college game day. For all those years Bear never liked Clemson ever. Never like Clemson. Clemson hater.
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Chris Felica
Dude, I, I always, I'm kidding Bear. I in that title guy. I picked him to beat LSU the year they lost by a million too. I, I, I love Clemson the year that lost a pit. I, I made a big bet on him at like plus like 600 to win the title.
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David Pollack
So why don't you love him now then big fella?
- [19:49]
Chris Felica
Because I think the love is a little bit unjustified as, as to where we are. Like they weren't even thought of as being a playoff team last year until Miami blew a 21 point lead that up at Syracuse last year. I know Klubnick and the wide receivers are back but we're assuming that the freshman is going to, is going to be great. But you look at what they did last year. You got blown out by an SEC team in the open or not now it helps that the game is in Clemson this year against lsu. You lost at home to South Carolina. You got dominated by Louisville on your home field. You stole a game at Pitt that you had absolutely no business winning. Like, they were that close to being kind of like eaten for last year and not even in the ACC title game. I think they're, I think, by the way, this year you got to go to Louisville, you got to go to South Carolina. Even though I don't necessarily think South Carolina is a great team, I think BC is going to be better. You got SMU still on that schedule. Georgia Tech, there's always a pain in the. You know what to play. Like, there are a lot of losable games there for, for, for Clemson and SMU kind of handed him 14 points at ACC title game last year because of turnovers. And like, that's, that was the story of their season. Their ability to kind of create turnovers and score points off of them. Club Nick didn't turn the ball over. You and I had to have a little talk about this. And you love the Tom Allen High. You think that is a.
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David Pollack
Love it.
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Chris Felica
Massive improvement of what they're going to be defensively. But I just think they're being built up a little bit based on kind of stumbling into an ACC title that they nearly weren't in. And then they played Texas a lot closer in the college football playoffs than I think people thought. Look, could they absolutely be the team that rips through the acc? Maybe they'll be the LSU by two touchdowns in the open. Or maybe they'll go to Louisville and win. Maybe they'll go to South Carolina and win. Maybe they'll go to Georgia Tech and win. Maybe they'll blow SMU out at home. But I'm. I'm Barbie. Where. I think, I think with Clemson this year, I think they're really good, but I don't think they are like preseason number one, preseason number two. Good. Like a lot of people think they are.
- [21:59]
David Pollack
Yeah, I, I understand why people say that and why you look back and project forward. I just, I, I didn't see. I didn't see a player problem on defense as much as I thought they needed to do a better job with the scheme. That's why I think there was no. There's no better scheme fit in the country higher than Tom Allen with Dabo and company at Clemson, like, that is like tailor. That's like a glove to a hand. Perfect fit for each other. So I think that makes their stock go. Go way up. All right, Bear, what about the sec? Like, who's, who's the teams, me and Brett, when we talked about it, we had three teams. We felt pretty confident that we said, we're. We're in that very much in that picture. And that was Texas, that was Georgia, and that was Alabama. Those three teams we felt like were in a little bit of a tier up top, and then everybody else was kind of nipping at their heels behind.
- [22:49]
Chris Felica
Do you really put Alabama in that tier? I know a lot of people are really high on them this year, but it almost feels like we're still living in this era of, yeah, but it's Alabama. They'll be back. Yeah, but it's Alabama, but there's a big butt there. And that. But is sitting on the college game day set now. Like, they couldn't run the ball worth a lick last year.
- [23:11]
David Pollack
Just call Nick Saban's butt big. No.
- [23:16]
Chris Felica
It was a good, good catch, though. Yeah, but no, I, if you look at, if you look Ryan Williams's performance in, in numbers after the Georgia game last year, now, maybe it was a Jalen Miller problem, but like, his numbers, like, I don't think he had a gate. I think he had one game with like more than like 70 receiving yards the rest of the season after that Georgia game. And maybe that's a Miller thing, and maybe Ty Simpson will. Will be the guy. But I, I just think we're just kind of like automatically assuming, okay, it's Bama, they got talent. Kellen DeBoer has Ryan Grubb in there kind of. Kind of to fix the. The offense a little bit. They couldn't run it last year and now who's going to replace Miller, who was their starting running back? And he wasn't great. So I don't know. I'm not, I'm not ready to put Bama in that class. With Georgia and Texas, they're like, they're three, but I think there's definitely a. A drop off from. From the top two.
- [24:13]
Brent Rollins
Bear would have loved the game we played last week, Davey, with the sort of me being the Larry Munson, because he's basically reciting all these negative things that I. That I recited for all these teams. All right, so given that, then I'm assuming Bama might be your answer to this question. If, if you look at sort of those big three in the SEC and the Big Ten with Texas, Bama, Georgia, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon. Is Bama your choice of the. Hey, if someone out of that group of six kind of core teams doesn't make the playoff, it would be them or is there One other I think.
- [24:48]
Chris Felica
It would be them. Yes. Even though I will say this while I just said I think at Texas and Georgia are the two best teams in the SEC. Would it necessarily surprise you if Georgia went 9 and 3 and maybe they were on the outside looking in like I, I think everyone all this talk about Ohio State replacing Will Howard and Julian Sayan and Arch Matting now with quarterback for Texas and headlines of the season like the biggest headline and the biggest question to the season for me. Can Gunner Stockton actually play? Because you hear all this, all this talk from a lot of people. Oh George is going to be better off with. With him than Carson Beckett quarterback and and we we saw him in the playoff and it's an unfair sample size. But, but, but do we know. We don't know that for sure. Like are they going to be able to run the ball? It was last year an anomaly with the backs that they had and Frazier putting the ball on the ground the entire time. The offensive line wasn't as good. Is that going to be improved like you. You could see a path where maybe where Texas goes there and wins and may maybe my opinion on Bama is off and maybe there's another game in the mix there that they, that they slip up if, if indeed Stockton isn't the guy at quarterback that Kirby and everyone down there thinks he can be. So yeah, while I think the answer to the question would be Bama, Georgia wouldn't be a bad out for that because while Oregon I think talent wise is not as good as those other teams, the schedule is just an absolute joke. Like they go to Penn State early in the year and even if they lose that game, there's an excellent chance that they're going to win out. They get, they get USC at home. They got to go to Washington late in the year. That's always a. A tricky rivalry game and a tough place play. But. And who knows if the model Williams is going to emerge like a lot of people think he's going to. So the, the answer would be Alabama. But I don't think it's. There isn't a non zero chance that Georgia could struggle a little bit more than people might think this year.
- [26:46]
Brent Rollins
I just love that he said non zero right there. But by the way David, you did hear that because said that a few times recently. He made fun of me. But anyway, yeah, he tried.
- [26:55]
David Pollack
Well, that's Brett. Hey hey, hey Chris. That's when Brent tried to sneak in Vanderbilt as a team that could make the playoffs. He's like there's a non zero chance. I was like I said if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle. No, it's a zero percent chance of that happening. It's not going to happen. Like not in a million years.
- [27:14]
Chris Felica
Yeah, yeah, sorry that's, that's a zero. You know, I saw somewhere, one book out there today had their win total at four and a half. Like that seemed pretty low. They're not going to fall off a cliff this year, are they?
- [27:27]
David Pollack
They were 4 and 4 last year in one score games and that doesn't usually happen. They don't usually win those games. So I do think they come back to earth in that category because you know as well as I do they're out talented in every game.
- [27:41]
Chris Felica
Right.
- [27:41]
David Pollack
I mean they're, they're not playing a single game where they have more talent and, and bear down the stretch. Like that offense got figured out the last four weeks of the season. That, that's the biggest thing with Vanderbilt to me because I think they're going to have to continue to evolve. But, but they kind of figured out how to get that stopped on that side of the football. And then defensively nobody, nobody's turned Vanderbilt into a dominant defense. No, nobody's, nobody's ever saying that. Like they've been, they've been like bottom tier in the, in the whole college football game for, for a while. Like bottom 25 for like 10 years.
- [28:13]
Brent Rollins
I got us off on a tangent. My bad.
- [28:15]
David Pollack
Yeah, you did.
- [28:16]
Chris Felica
No, that's okay. We liked it. I'm gonna, I'm gonna keep us off on a tangent. I loved your what has a better chance of happening thread last week. That was great. I, I enjoyed going through that.
- [28:26]
Brent Rollins
So you and Davy actually disagreed by the way with the Texas one. So the, the what's more likely A Arch wins the Heisman or B they have two losses going to Georgia. You were very much thinking two losses. Davey thinks Arch when the Heisman more likely so debate.
- [28:42]
Chris Felica
I. I just think there's a clear question. I think, I think there are more holes on that Texas offense than people might be willing to, to realize.
- [28:51]
David Pollack
Like the office on the offensive line.
- [28:52]
Chris Felica
Offensive line was fantastic last year and, and now you got to replace a bunch of guys receivers. You lose a lot of game breakers on the outside. There's. They couldn't run the ball worth, they couldn't run the ball worth a lick against Ohio State and even Arizona State in the playoff and even against Clemson down there. Like I don't, I don't know. We'll See, maybe, maybe I'm wrong and I'm not one of these people like buying into the whole. Well, well, Quinn Ewers was a seventh round pick. Arch couldn't beat him out then why should that, that, that, that doesn't make any, any sense to me at all. But I, I, while I think the Texas defense could be the best individual unit in the country and I can't wait to get to Columbus next week for that game, by the way, I, I might add something to do with him having that total move from like 51 down to 48 and a half with some people. But yeah, I think that's going to be a, that's going to be a good like, like Pollock Georgia era. Like a good Florida Georgia game. 14:9 in the third quarter lately. Third quarter, fourth quarter, good, low scoring game, defense is dominating.
- [30:03]
David Pollack
Yeah, it's interesting to me because I understand that quinyear's comment. I really do. I understand why people say he couldn't beat him out and I get that component of it. But, but we act like Sark's not great at what he does and we act like Sark. I give Sark. There are certain coaches that I'm absolutely going to give the benefit of the doubt and he is absolutely one of those. Like, he knows how to move the football, he knows how to be creative. And here's the thing, he'll, he'll use Arch's legs too if he needs to and we saw that was a force. So I think the run game is going to get better. I have this much concern, like literally, I'll give you double zeros of weapons, homie. Like, the weapons at Texas will be just fine. Like absolutely. Demo Wingo, Andreas who comes from, from Cal. Like, it'll be business as usual. Big play guys in Texas. I just, man, I don't see a lot of holes and I, I'm not, I'm not sitting here proclaiming Arch is going to win a Heisman, but I think that dude in that offense with those guys around him and with Sarp calling plays, it's hard not to be a great player. He's that good to me.
- [31:15]
Brent Rollins
So Bear, do you think that that's a sort of justified that they're an underdog even though they are sort of right now kind of consensus number one going to, going to Ohio State in week one?
- [31:25]
Chris Felica
I, I think that line is basically the whole, it's a home field number. You basically what that number is saying is these two teams are even. Ohio State's at home. They're they're going to get the slight edge. But yeah, everything that we just said about Texas, we have. I have like the same type of concerns on the other side. Like you mentioned how the offense could be different with Texas with Arch being more of a running quarterback. Like Ohio State's going to go through the same thing with Julian saying like, completely different offense, completely different quarterback than what we saw last year.
- [31:56]
David Pollack
No Chip Kelly either.
- [31:57]
Chris Felica
I mean, you got a fur. Exactly.
- [31:59]
David Pollack
And we know, we know how good that sucker is. We've had many conversations with him and.
- [32:02]
Chris Felica
What he first time play caller with heartline. I say he can spin it, but can they protect him? And if they can't, he's not going to be able to have the wheels like Howard did. And we saw so many of the big plays in the playoff last year were based on Howard's leg. So yeah, I. This is going to be a real, a close, low scoring game and hopefully for Ohio State, their. Their offensive line will. Will prove to live up to what they hope it can be. Because that was obviously a big question last year after Simmons got hurt. And then finally they figured it out. And I think Howard's legs were a big part of that, so.
- [32:37]
David Pollack
Big part. And we even mentioned Patricia on the other side too, who's. I think we've got question marks about as well. So interested to see that. But what about. What about some other teams? Maybe the Big 12. The Big 12 is an interesting pick this year because I think a lot of people feel like there's four or five, six, seven teams that could be in the mix. And then there's some people that think Arizona State, what they saw a year ago, like they're believing they're buying and they think Arizona State's clearly the favorite. What do you land on that?
- [33:03]
Chris Felica
I would make Utah the favorite.
- [33:06]
David Pollack
Oh, I love it.
- [33:08]
Chris Felica
Just because I think Dampier coming in there, he's gonna. I think. I don't think they'd ever admit it publicly, but privately I think they're kind of happy to be done with the Cam Rising drama. Is he gonna play? Is he not gonna play every week? And nothing against the kid. It was just. He just didn't know. I think Kyle kind of wanted to step down. I think he wanted last year to be his last year. And I thought he had the type. I think he thought going into the year that he thought he had the type of team that was going to win the league and get to the playoff and he. And he could go out on that note. But everything Went wrong and he decided to come back. But, but you bring in Dampier, who can, who can run behind a really physical, good offensive line, I think they're going to be much better in the trenches than they've been in previous years. So I would make Utah the favorite to win that league. The team that I'm really interested in there is Houston. I think Willie Fritz in the second year there, I think he kind of turned the roster over and ran a lot of the malcontents off. Their offense was terrible last year. And you bring in Connor and you bring in Connor Wigman at quarterback, you got a bunch of other transfers in there to kind of help an offense that struggled. I think they're going to be better. Like we saw last year, BYU was picked 13th in the league in the starting, not. No. Arizona State was picked last in the league and they won the league. So if you're looking for like a sleeper to kind of maybe like take a stab at it, I had them over six and a half wins it plus money. I think they're like 20 something to one to win the league. I think Houston could kind of be a little bit of that team from off the map that maybe makes a run in the Big 12. You look at their schedule, there's a really good chance that they're 4. 0 when they host Texas Tech. I, I think it's late September, the first week of October. But just give a, give Houston a little, a little second look at some point early in the year, maybe especially before the odds makers maybe adjust how good I think they potentially could be. But yeah, you're right. Last year we thought it was. You could put seven or eight teams in a hat and you could pick any one of them or any two of them and that would be your Big 12 championship game. Two teams that weren't even the hat wanted making the damn game so well, Iowa State was, but, but, but Tina wasn't even that one of. One of the damn league.
- [35:19]
David Pollack
Brent, I'm going to let you ask the next question, but if I'd have put, if I'd have put a lot of money on that. If we were talking about Houston tonight and them being a team, I'm not surprised because this is what Bear does and, and you'll see you've seen on his board for years, like the most obscure picks. I did not have Michigan, I did not have Houston up there at all. I did not think about them with all there's like 70,000 new coaches, new players, but sure, have at it. Let's go Houston in the over.
- [35:43]
Brent Rollins
Well, that's actually it leads to a great question from a process standpoint now with the transfer portal and how teams are literally just turning completely over. How are you looking at that in terms of what you do and projections and things like that? Because you're basing it on something that you completely haven't seen any of them together. Like Houston is a completely new team.
- [36:05]
Chris Felica
It's a com. It's a complete dart throw, to be quite honest with you. But I think from, from, for me, I like to start my prep a little bit later because of that second portal period and I like to see what teams are bringing in. I don't want to build an opinion on a team in January or February and then everything completely changes after that second period. So I like getting a little bit of a later start. I like. I like to form an opinion more on teams that I probably don't like and look for. Look, look for leagues or conferences or awards that might be up for grabs at the I might see some kind of. Some flaws in the favorites and maybe go down a little bit, a little bit deeper in that and that's. That. That's the situation I see with the Heisman this year. And I know I'm probably going to get some eye rolls here, but cars. I Bet Carson Beckett 371 to win the Heisman and he was favored to win the Heisman entering last year and everything that what I hear is he's been fantastic down in Miami. I know people are a little bit worried about their receiver room, but they love room.
- [37:17]
David Pollack
That's not what I'm worried about in Miami. I got other things I can tell you. I'm worried about Miami, the defense, what.
- [37:24]
Chris Felica
They did defensively in the Portal, especially in the secondary.
- [37:28]
David Pollack
They can't get worse.
- [37:29]
Chris Felica
No, they are going to be infinitely better. I think Heatherman bringing in Heather from Win from Minnesota is a massive couple. The three backs that they have.
- [37:40]
David Pollack
Big physical offensive line.
- [37:42]
Chris Felica
The offensive line is going to be one of the best three to five in the country. And I think there's a little bit of a, of a chip on Beck's shoulder because I think people are forgetting how good this Guy was in 2023. He was great. Now I know, I know he had Bowers and I know he had McConkey and he had that great Georgia offensive line and skill all over, but he still had to make the decision to make the plays. And then last year we just talked about it before the offensive line was bad and wide Receiver kicked off the team, you had running back, everyone hurt all over the place. He ultimately got hurt. If you look at Arian Smith and Dylan Bell like where they ranked in the SEC in drops was insane. Like I think people are really, really looking too closely at last year and not enough of what he did prior to that, so.
- [38:28]
David Pollack
Well, that's something we agree on, homeboy. That's something we are in the same camp. Because I just think, well, again like Brent's Mr. Numbers Guy and you're a numbers guy too. Like it just like when you watch Carson Beck play. When Carson Beck plays in rhythm and he's protected and he plays on time. The dude anticipates at a high level. He's accurate at a high level. Like he understands what to do. He didn't have that a year ago, man. Not only did he not have the protection, he didn't have the run game either. And he still won Georgia a lot of games. They still won the SEC because of him. I know Gianna Stockton came in and ball and did his thing late, but like without Beck that would not have happened. So I'm big on Miami as well, homie.
- [39:10]
Chris Felica
And that's what I got. What I was prefacing it with, how I got here was like if you look at the odds for like the Heisman Trophy and you see Club Nick and Arch, Manning and Nussmeier, like six and a half, seven to one, like why are you going to bet those guys at that price when Club Dick and Nussmeier, one of them is going to lose right out of the gate. Arch could lose potentially right out of the gate. And you're going to get a better price on one of those once those teams and players lose. So it's ridiculous to bet a guy like that to win the highest one you can go down. Like Lenora sellers is like 20 to 1 or 18 to 1 to win the highest one. But I don't think South Carolina is going to have a good season. He sure as hell ain't going to win it. So like you can kind of go down and kind of. And this is what I did last year, like a lot of the, like yours and all, a lot of the other quarterbacks, like there were holes there to shoot whether it's in their play or their team or whatever. And ultimately that's how I landed on Travis Hunter at 65 to 1 and maybe lightning will strike twice. Who the hell knows? And I think the other guy that I have had that one last year.
- [40:15]
Brent Rollins
65, he mentioned that on our show last year.
- [40:18]
David Pollack
Yes. Oh, man.
- [40:19]
Chris Felica
That's why I'm back.
- [40:23]
Brent Rollins
Winners hashtag.
- [40:24]
Chris Felica
I think Jeremiah Love is someone who is worth a play to at 45 to 1.
- [40:28]
David Pollack
Okay, okay, there you go. That was leading me right where I wanted to go. Anyways, like. And we got it in the chat as well for Brad. He said Miami beating Notre Dame, though. What do you think about Notre Dame? Because, Bear, you might have been one of those ones that were texting me late in the season last year. What is Notre Dame ever won? How are you buying this team? Because I got plenty of that from. From people in this business that I've worked with in the past and they did okay, man. And Marcus Freeman's changed that outfit. But obviously, you know, some things to replace. But what do you think about that team, Notre Dame and then that game?
- [41:00]
Chris Felica
I think they're absolutely a playoff team. I think that. I think that game is going to be another real close, low scoring type type game because I think the best unit on the field is going to be the Notre Dame defense. And while I love Beck and I think Miami's got some weapons, it's going to be hard against that secondary. Now can they get a pass rush? We'll see. Maybe Miami will just kind of. Kind of run the ball on them. The thing I worry about Notre Dame is the quarterback situation. Like, is this really a battle? Do they have. Do they want Carr to win? Do they want Minchi to start Game 1 against Miami? Like, is there something maybe going on behind the scenes that we don't know about that might dictated decision? It's like, that's what worries me. Like, is there. Is there an Ni. Like, is there an Nil deal? Like, is there. They were. Are they worried about whoever doesn't win the job running off? Because they don't have anybody after that. After those two guys, like they would. They're in deep. You know, what if there's Car or Minchi, whoever's not there leaves. So we'll see. Push comes to shove, I think Miami does win the game because I think ultimately they have more answers on offense right now than Notre Dame was. But. But I do think Notre Dame feels pretty good about what they have at receiver this year compared to what they did. What they did last.
- [42:24]
David Pollack
I can't believe you didn't mention your alma mater's home crowd too. Like Notre Dame having to go to that Miami atmosphere.
- [42:31]
Chris Felica
Dude, it's a sellout. First of all, remember. And oh, by the way, I think you remember the last time you were there, right? You remember that? When you. When. When you got up on that diving. The diving board in the middle of that dove on campus before the game? What. What happened that night? That's that stadium and crowd that you're. You're giving. You're giving the shits. That was pretty.
- [42:51]
David Pollack
That was pretty solid.
- [42:52]
Chris Felica
Yeah.
- [42:53]
David Pollack
That's the best. The best thing I remember about the crowd in all the years was that cat that. That somehow survived by aiming down the rafters. But, hey, you. You were there a long time. That has never been the best.
- [43:06]
Chris Felica
And that's why the Orange bowl may have been. It may have been a, you know, p. O. You know what? But it was ours.
- [43:13]
David Pollack
And Wes just put the picture up of me. The high dive. Yeah. Thank you very much, Wes. Hey, that. That, by the way, got me in a lot of trouble. My wife was like, hey, so if I was on TV in a bathing suit, would you be okay with it? I'm like, you'd never be on TV in a bathing suit. What are you talking about? She was like, it's not. It's not a real life thing, but would you like it if I did that? I'm like, you're not going to be on TV in a bathing suit. Like, no, I don't. I don't care. She was not happy that I did that. But I can tell you this. Being on that high dive bear, every part of me wanted to come back down those steps. And if that camera was not focused, I would have. I would have gone right back down.
- [43:51]
Chris Felica
Push. To answer the question, though, push comes to shove, yes, I do think Miami wins the game.
- [43:56]
David Pollack
All right, well, that's a.
- [43:57]
Brent Rollins
That's a.
- [43:57]
David Pollack
That's a big one.
- [43:58]
Chris Felica
What other.
- [43:58]
David Pollack
What other things are you. Do we touch everything that you're hot on? I mean, we didn't really talk about the Big Ten in Michigan.
- [44:04]
Chris Felica
Minnesota. Minnesota. Love Minnesota. Over seven and a half wins. You see here I come in. I come in here with South Carolina, Houston and Minnesota.
- [44:16]
David Pollack
Amazing. That's. That's amazing.
- [44:18]
Chris Felica
Why.
- [44:18]
David Pollack
Why Minnesota? Why you buying Minnesota?
- [44:20]
Chris Felica
I think at some point, don't you just kind of have to trust PJ Fleck?
- [44:25]
David Pollack
He's a good coach, man.
- [44:27]
Chris Felica
The. The type of player he brings in, the culture that he brings in. Like, he just wins every single year. And like I said, I know that. I know they lose the defensive coordinator to Miami, but you look at some of the way they. Way they lost games last year, Penn State having to do the fourth down punt, or else Minnesota might win. That game, the North Carolina game earlier in the year, the Michigan game where they had the onside kick called back on a shaky penalty. I know you got a new quarterback in Lindsay and it's probably going to be more of a, more of a throw to set up the run. Koi Parish is going to be a two way guy who I think you're going to get to see quite a bit this year. And he's going to get some run. Not as necessarily a Heisman guy, but he's kind of a Travis Hunter kind of junior type guy. This is not a team that is going to go to Oregon and win or go to Ohio State and win, but you look at the remainder of their schedule, there isn't a team on there that you're going to go into the game and say they can't win that game, they can't win that game. So if they lose to Iowa State and lose to Oregon, I, I think they can win eight of the other 10 games to, to get to eight wins.
- [45:40]
David Pollack
And that's what you get with, with the Bear. Like you, you get, you get all of it. Which is, which is fantastic. But now I think we'll probably have you on a third time. Bear just, it's probably going to be necessary. But I'm with you. I had Miami in the playoff. I had, I have A and M making the playoff. So that, that's probably a stretch out there. You got, you got A and M.
- [46:03]
Chris Felica
I don't have any. I, I don't know how it's ultimately going to go. Like what particular teams. But I think you're going to get Clemson and Miami from the ACC. Yeah, you're gonna get the Big 12 champ. You're gonna get Notre Dame, you're gonna get the group of five, that's going to be five and then you're going to get seven between the Big Ten and sec just like you did last year and that, and that'll depend on. You'll probably get Penn State, Ohio State, Oregon, Big Ten and then, and we'll see from the, from the SEC who goes. And then there'll be one. Like I, I don't think like that was a bet that I made as well last week with the Big 12 under one and a half playoff teams just because that's what happened last year and the way the match shakes out, I think that's how it's going to shake out last year. And it's not a knock on the Big 12 as a conference. I think it's a deep league with a lot of good teams, but the fact that one in like nine and eight are basically the difference between those teams isn't, isn't great. It means you're going to get a whole lot of 9 and 3, 8 and 4 type teams and that's not going to shape up to a, to an at large type resume.
- [47:06]
David Pollack
Well, having you on Bear reminds us that the, the season is upon us and it'll be glorious. And daggone, man, you got a good one out the gates, you know, being at, at Ohio State after winning a championship. So the fans will be a little bit more excited than they were in that Tennessee game to start the, start the playoffs. They'll be jacked up. They'll be excited. So appreciate you joining us, big fella. I guess everybody else will love that. Yeah, man, we're good. Like, you got. Hey, if you got more, go ahead. If you, if you got some more notes you wanted to uncover. But we're trying to do a better job, so we've been told by analytics, our producer Wes, and analytics, like 50 minutes or so. Yes. We're not supposed to go over 50. Now, when I'm in a podcast, and I think you're the same way, Bear, when I'm in it, I'm like, I don't care. I'll take it. Like, if you're going to give me good stuff, I'm in. But the analytics are, you know, you're an analytical guy anyways, so here's one.
- [47:54]
Brent Rollins
Good thing we could. What's the best course, your best corso story? I know you, you guys work together all those years and it's going to be. You're going to be there for that sort of last game.
- [48:03]
Chris Felica
Well, the, well, the, the. I mean, he, he gave me the nickname and it dates Back to like 2003 when Kirk and I were having lunch in a, in a hotel restaurant. And we're sitting down and anyone who knows Kirk and I and seen us out knows how, like, any dead space on the table when we're eating is like wasted space. So Lee comes, walk. Comes in after his, like, morning walk. And he comes in his uniform. And his uniform at that time was black leather bomber jacket, blue jeans and white tennis shoes. And he's not like, bashful at all about, like, making, like, being. He doesn't want to, like, sneak in and like, not be seen. He, like, wants to make his presence known. So he just. Yo, Chris Felika. Kirk Curbstreet. How you guys doing? So now everyone knows not only is Lee there, we're there and we got T shirt and shorts and for brunch and barely just out of bed. So Lee comes over and he, he looks it. He looks at the table, he looks at Kirk, he looks at the table again and then he looks at me and he lives. Look at you, Felica. Just like a bear. You eat, you sleep, you. You take another nap, you eat again. You're just a bear. So that's, that's how the, the bear nickname came.
- [49:25]
David Pollack
I never knew that. I never knew that at all. All those years, man, I never knew that. That is absolutely.
- [49:31]
Chris Felica
I'm sorry for saying all these naughty four letter words, David.
- [49:33]
David Pollack
That's okay. It's all good. You know. That's. That's great, man. We'll see there. Big noon kickoff like always. Doing your thing, right?
- [49:41]
Chris Felica
Absolutely. Yeah. Look, looking forward. I got, I got, I got plenty more, of course with stories as well. I, I actually feel, I'm. I actually feel pretty good and pretty honor. I actually sat down when I went over to ESPN a couple of weeks back for the first time since I, since I left and sat down for like two, two and a half hours telling the producers all sorts of good old stuff, which was great. So we'll see how many of them make it. UTSA to win the American plus 500 as well. By the way, big physical group of five offensive line that might look more like a power four team. They're not going to go to A M Week 1 and win. They're a big underdog. But they might be favored in every single one of the remainder games. You know, 11 and 1. I think there's a chance that there might be a in the mix for playoff.
- [50:28]
David Pollack
And there's Bear's parting shot. He gave me some goodness goodness on the way out that he's. Now he's gonna go eat, sleep and like Corso says, appreciate you big fella.
- [50:38]
Chris Felica
The eating's been done. Ms. Molly made a little peach cobbler that was, that was destroyed before the. Before they hopped on here. So now we're just gonna go straight to the sleep.
- [50:46]
David Pollack
You the man, dog. See you, brother.
- [50:48]
Chris Felica
Take care, guys. Great talk.
- [50:50]
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Chris Felica
Banana, chocolate and strawberry flavors.
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Brent Rollins
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Chris Felica
Not even a little? Not even a crumb.
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No, please.
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