See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack

Episode: "David Pollack's CFP 12 if it Started Today | What Happened to Georgia?"

Date: September 30, 2025
Host: David Pollack with guests Brent and Wesley

Overview

This fast-paced episode dives into David Pollack’s hypothetical College Football Playoff (CFP) Top 12 if the expanded playoff started today, discussing the shocking turns in Week 6, Alabama’s reasserted dominance, and what’s gone wrong for the Georgia Bulldogs since their golden era. The crew unpacks fan reactions, critical matchups, coaching carousel chaos, and the state of powerhouse programs, while providing sharp statistical insights and candid, often humorous, commentary.

1. Fan Feedback and Alabama’s Big Win (02:35–04:37)

Highlights:

• David and Wesley read out YouTube comments from Alabama fans joyfully ribbing Pollack after Georgia lost.
• David acknowledges Alabama’s performance:

  "Bama played really good. Like, they played good. They deserve to win...Bama earned the victory, baby." (03:27)

• Brent calls the Alabama-Georgia fourth quarter “a knife fight in a trash can.” (04:27)
• Pollack repeatedly credits Alabama for poise and discipline in a hostile Athens environment.

2. Pollack’s Hypothetical CFP Top 12 (04:37–18:55)

Key Points and Rankings:

• Miami #1: Cites quality wins over Notre Dame, South Florida, and Florida.

  “You see all the recipes for goodness...they play FSU next week at FSU. Fantastic.” (05:11)

• Ohio State #2: Lauded as potentially "the most feared team," especially defensively.

  “I think Ohio State has the best defense in the country…to watch them completely retool, rebuild, reload…” (06:08)

• Oregon #3:

  “Dante Moore is the truth…he’s as good as any quarterback in the country.” (07:50)

• Ole Miss #4: Jumps after beating LSU, with defense and QB Chambliss highlighted.
• Oklahoma #5: Solid despite QB John Mattier’s injury, defense praised.
• Texas A&M #6: “Not a complete team” but big comebacks and dominant defense.
• Indiana #7: 50-point win over Illinois and “adversity win vs. Iowa.”
• Texas Tech #8: No top-tier competition yet, but “they open-hand slapped everyone so far.” (10:02)
• Florida State #9: Noted for strong out-of-conference win over Alabama; “Huge…because they challenged themselves.” (12:57)
• Alabama #10: Praised for discipline and execution in Athens.
• LSU #11: Defense is “insane,” offense struggling.
• Memphis #12: Group of Five auto-bid.

Memorable Moment:

• Wesley imagines a Miami vs. FSU quarterfinal and a Miami–Ohio State title game (18:26).

  "That's actually 2002, huh?" – Pollack (18:55)

3. CFP Eliminator: Teams Dropping Out (19:37–22:21)

Brent: Auburn is out due to lack of identity and offensive struggles.
David: Iowa “just can’t have nice things,” especially after injury woes and lack of offensive consistency.
Wesley: Pittsburgh eliminated after blowing a big lead to Louisville, with a comic aside about a ball boy going “beast mode” (22:21).

4. Coaching Carousel and Early Firings (23:05–29:36)

Discussion:

• Recaps firings: D’Anton Lynn (UCLA), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), Sam Pittman (Arkansas), Brent Pry (Virginia Tech).
• Emotional/embarrassing losses are driving earlier firings:

  “If you go to Oklahoma State, you lose by 66 to Oregon…then you lose at home to Tulsa…embarrassing. Hard to come back from.” (24:23)

• Brent notes emotion is higher as schools spend big on NIL:

  “Emotion and money tied together.” (26:43)

• Notable buyouts history:

  “Jimbo…$76 million. If you want to tell me to go away for $76 million…” – Pollack (28:12)

• Arkansas as a tough sell for head coaches, with preference shifting to G5 up-and-comers (29:36).

5. What’s Happened to Georgia? The Dawgs’ Decline (30:09–43:09)

Data Points:

• Georgia “4–3 in their last seven Power Four games.” Four wins required OT (30:39).
• No halftime leads over Power 4 teams since October 2024 (31:15).
• Coaching attrition after championships—Fran Brown, Mel Tucker, Dan Lanning, Dale McGee, Buster Faulkner, and Todd Monken all departed.
• Portal and NIL draining depth and experience:

  “There’s a lot of guys that would still be on this roster…that would provide depth, that would be juniors, that would be seniors.” (36:08)

• Recruiting misses, especially in the secondary, and loss of elite defensive talent.
• Brent’s take:

  “There was no area that was a minus...now, because of all these things…to me, it’s the depth pieces.” (36:36)

• Quarterback play “just hasn’t been [elite].” (37:40)
• Comparing to past dominance:

  “You’ll never see another defense like that in college football.” (38:54)

• Transfers named as missing difference-makers now starting or starring for other programs (40:30).
• Pollack: “It’s a new-look Georgia team…they’re not a lock [for the CFP].” (41:01)
• Odds of 8–4 season higher than 10–2:

  “I think there’s a better chance Georgia goes 8 and 4 than they go 10 and 2.” (42:23)

6. Numbers Don’t Lie: Pro Football Focus Analytics (43:09–51:21)

Upcoming Big Games Discussion:

• Miami at FSU: Both are among the “worst tackling teams in the Power 4.” (44:05)
  • Malachi Tony (FSU) cited as the lone matchup nightmare offensively.
  • Brent: “Beck was 0 for 7 with an interception on throws over 10 yards…didn’t complete a pass over 10 yards.” (44:25)
• Vanderbilt at Alabama:
  • Vandy is the “physical” team; Bama spreading it out.
  • Bama is only Power 4 team without a turnover; Vandy #2 in turnovers forced (47:04).
  • Bama QB Simpson: “91.8 grade over last 3 games…potentially the best QB in the country right now.” (48:20)
• Texas at Florida:
  • Florida’s offensive ineptitude is glaring.

  “Florida can’t look worse offensively…it’s humanly impossible.” – Pollack (49:14)

  • Jaden Ball is “#2 in the Power Four in missed tackles forced per attempt.” (51:03)

7. Victory Formation: Who Won the Week? (51:26–53:17)

Brent: Lane Kiffin — for dominating with a backup QB and owning the media cycle.
Wesley: “Lone Duck” Oregon fan at the Penn State white-out — winning on the road amid a sea of white shirts.
Pollack: Virginia — stunning FSU for their first ranked win since 2019, first top 10 win since 2005;

“Nine different receivers caught a pass Friday night, and that’s five straight games rushing over 200 yards.” (53:17)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "That fourth quarter was a knife fight in a trash can." – Brent (04:27)
• "You see all the recipes for goodness..." – Pollack on Miami (05:11)
• "Ohio State...the most feared team." – Brent (07:10)
• “They open-hand slapped everyone so far…” – Pollack on Texas Tech (10:02)
• “Money” is what makes these firings come faster now.” – Brent (26:43)
• “Georgia is not a lock to make the playoff.” – Pollack (41:01)
• “I think it’s 8 and 4 [for Georgia].” – Pollack (42:23)
• “Florida can’t look worse offensively…it’s humanly impossible.” – Pollack (49:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:35 – Fan comments and Alabama banter
• 04:37 – Pollack’s CFP Top 12 breakdown
• 17:09 – Debating spots 11/12: LSU, Memphis, and group of teams just missing
• 19:37 – CFP Eliminator: teams officially “out”
• 23:05 – Early season coaching firings and NIL impact
• 30:09 – What’s wrong with Georgia? Historic numbers and root causes
• 41:01 – Pollack: “Georgia not a lock for CFP”
• 43:09 – Key stats for Miami–FSU, Vandy–Alabama, and Texas–Florida
• 51:26 – Victory formation: who won the week?

Tone and Style

The tone throughout is candid, energetic, and occasionally self-deprecating. The hosts mix in humor with blunt truths, never pulling punches on teams’ struggles or their own missteps. Georgia’s slide and the unpredictability of the new era of college football are dissected with equal parts analysis and wit, making the recap especially engaging for long-time and new fans alike.

For listeners who missed the episode:
This summary covers all major football analysis, playoff debates, team breakdowns, and signature Pollack humor — minus the ads. You'll get the week’s top narratives, stats that matter, and a grounded look at both college football’s chaos and its enduring appeal.