See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack

Episode Summary: College Football Week 1 PICKS – Texas-Ohio State, LSU-Clemson, Notre Dame-Miami

Release Date: August 29, 2025
Host: David Pollack
Co-host: Brent Rollins

Overview of the Episode

David Pollack and Brent Rollins dive deep into one of the most anticipated opening weekends in recent college football memory, featuring three top-10 matchups: LSU at Clemson, Notre Dame at Miami, and Texas at Ohio State. The duo offers blunt, enthusiastic analysis—examining rosters, coaching changes, quarterback situations, and lines of scrimmage. They wrap with bold picks and commentary on the season’s playoff implications, all in Pollack’s trademark straight-shooting, no-nonsense style.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Coaching Hype and Preseason Signals

• Skepticism About Coach "Sell Jobs"
  • David recaps his experience meeting with coaches, noting:

    "If you went judged on that based on that, you’d be wrong. A lot. A lot." (00:49, Pollack)

  • He calls out Jimbo Fisher as the “best ever” at hyping his own roster, underscoring the need to trust tape over preseason praise.

Game 1: LSU at Clemson

(Begins ~01:34)

Storylines & Matchups

• Clemson's Small Questions vs LSU’s Big Ones
  • Brent:

    "This is more about the questions on one side versus the knowns on the other." (01:34, Rollins)

    • For Clemson: New DC, questions around true freshman RB Gideon Davidson.
    • For LSU: Massive turnover on defense and OL, "DBU" reputation slipping.

LSU's Defensive Woes

• Pollack points to LSU’s secondary decline:

  "Their secondary has been bad and you’re playing against one of the best passing offenses... So I expect a lot out of the Clemson offense. To me, it’s LSU’s defense." (02:13, Pollack)

Key Players & Units

• LSU’s new OL must replace four starters; Clemson’s star D-line (Peter Woods, TJ Parker) loom as threats (04:06).
• LSU’s freshman RB Harlem Berry could be an X-factor, but ball security on road is a concern (06:37).

Coaching & Culture

• Clemson’s new DC, Tom Allen, described as high-energy, with Pollack crediting him:

  "He knows how to change defenses... They play fiery. They don’t miss as many tackles." (05:13, Pollack)

Predictions & Implications

• Pollack picks Clemson:

  "Clemson’s my national champion. I got Clemson winning this football game. They’ve got a lot less to break in, a lot less new." (07:17, Pollack)

• Both hosts agree a road win by LSU would be “season-altering,” pushing them into playoff contention (08:02).

Game 2: Notre Dame at Miami

(Begins ~09:00)

QB Questions & Coaching Trust

• Brent:

  "If they get sort of average quarterback play from C.J. Carr and he doesn’t turn it over two or three times, I think the totality of the talent of Notre Dame wins the game." (09:51, Rollins)

• He picks the Irish, largely trusting Marcus Freeman over Mario Cristobal in-game (10:23).

Miami’s Redemption Shot

• Pollack highlights Miami’s history of talented rosters but coaching missteps:

  "You’ve seen Town the last couple years with Miami and you see people like me hesitant to pull the trigger because I haven’t seen it done yet with Cristobal..." (10:42, Pollack)

• Miami’s O-line and D-line cited as strengths; WR and QB situation still murky.

X-Factors

• Notre Dame’s secondary (Leonard Moore, Christian Gray) presents a tough opening for Miami's new QB.
• Pollack surprises by picking Miami in a close one, favoring home underdogs and line play:

  "I think Miami can hold up... I got the Canes in this football game in a close one." (12:46, Pollack)

Game 3: Texas at Ohio State

(Begins ~13:22)

Historical Stakes & Key Stats

• Two programs facing the defending national champion on the road in consecutive seasons—a rarity (13:22).
• Texas: New era begins with Arch Manning. Both analyze his readiness and supporting cast.

Offensive Line & Defensive Fronts

• Rollins says the game pivots on which offensive line plays better, noting both teams lost high-end OL talent:

  "Which offensive line plays better. Because it’s not like, you know, and Ohio State returns guys, but it’s not like they’re returning D guys. They lost the really good guys..." (14:16, Rollins)

• Texas’s Colin Simmons and OSU’s Jeremiah Smith highlighted as impact defenders.

Coaching Changes

• Departure of elite coordinators from OSU (Chip Kelly, Jim Knowles) tilts the coaching edge to Texas:

  "Texas has the more proven, better roster and more established coaches. That’s the big… losing that one-two punch to me is enough." (15:29, Pollack)

Predictions & Historical Trends

• Both pick Texas narrowly, underlying Texas’s depth and QB edge with Pollack noting:

  "Texas’s defense is the best in the country... I can bet on Arch Manning’s wheels to make a couple of big third downs, move the sticks..." (16:22, Pollack)

Fun Facts & Statistical Trends

• Pollack drops:

  "How about this stat—in the last 20 years, when a QB makes his first start against the number one team in the country? 0–18." (18:00, Pollack)

• Ohio State hasn’t lost an opener since 1999—a true strength-vs-strength opener (18:15).

Cultural Moments & Show Nostalgia

(~19:00)

• Lee Corso’s impending final headgear pick is discussed nostalgically:

  "I think because of nostalgia, you’ve got to finish the way you started... Everybody soaked that moment in." (19:07, Pollack)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Pollack on overreliance on coach chatter:

  "You kind of learn to listen with kind of half your ear open... you make up your own minds by watching tape and seeing things." (01:03)

• On Clemson’s upside:

  "Tom Allen gives them the energy, the passion. They play fiery. They don’t miss as many tackles." (05:13)

• On picking Texas over Ohio State:

  "Texas has the more proven, better roster and more established coaches." (15:29)

• On opening weekend intensity:

  "We get playoff games week one. Like this is, this is fantastic." (08:29)

• On the power of the home underdog:

  "You play on the road, you better have a dude like you better have your guy that you know has been there, can done that..." (13:22)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Coach Messaging and Preseason Bias – 00:49–01:34
• LSU at Clemson Deep Dive – 01:34–08:29
• Notre Dame at Miami Analysis – 09:00–13:08
• Texas at Ohio State Preview & Picks – 13:22–18:38
• Corso, Nostalgia, and Show Wrap-up – 19:00–End

Summary Table of Picks

| Game | Pollack's Pick | Rollins' Pick | |------------------------|---------------|---------------| | LSU @ Clemson | Clemson | Clemson | | Notre Dame @ Miami | Miami (close) | Notre Dame | | Texas @ Ohio State | Texas (close) | Texas |

Final Takeaways

This jam-packed episode is a must-listen for diehard fans craving authentic, up-to-the-minute analysis and inside perspective on one of the most dramatic opening weekends in recent years. Whether you missed it or just need the bottom line, Pollack and Rollins deliver clear, passionate, and sometimes surprising picks, always with an eye for the big picture and the narrow edge that swings a college football classic.

Next up: Live reactions Saturday, a Sunday recap, and another round of breakdowns next week on "See Ball Get Ball."