Podcast Summary: "KENNY DILLINGHAM | David Pollack's CFP 12 if the Playoff Started TODAY"

Podcast: See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack
Host: David Pollack
Guest: Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State Head Coach)
Date: November 11, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into Week 12 of the college football season, breaking down College Football Playoff (CFP) scenarios, analyzing key matchups and performances, and featuring a candid, insightful interview with Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham. David Pollack and his co-hosts provide their takes on officiating, team rankings, playoff locks, and potential spoilers, before welcoming Coach Dillingham to discuss coaching philosophy, player management in the NIL era, and more.

Key Sections & Discussion Points

1. Rant on Officiating & Replay Delays

[00:22–04:45]

• David opens with a blunt critique of college football officiating—specifically, interminable replay reviews.
• Quote: "Give me a shot clock, like, just give me a 20-second shot clock. As soon as he looks into the thing, let's get this thing cleaned up, man." — David Pollack [03:21]
• Suggests instituting a “ref clock” to speed up reviews, referencing a particularly egregious sequence in the LSU game.

2. Pollack’s Current CFP Top 12 Rankings

[04:45–09:52]
Pollack unveils his top 12 if the playoffs started "today" and explains his process, focusing on merit, injuries, and resume.

Pollack’s Top 12 (as of Week 12):

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Ole Miss
7. Texas Tech
8. Notre Dame
9. Oregon
10. Texas
11. Georgia Tech
12. North Texas (representing a rotating Group of Five pick)

• Discussion: Pollack and Brent banter on the merits and flaws of teams at the edges (Texas, Oklahoma, BYU, Utah, Vandy), with the ACC’s chaotic playoff picture also noted.
• Quote: "All of them have flawed resumes... I flip a coin like you did with the group of 5." — Brent [07:14]

3. Playoff Locks, Bubble Teams & Eliminator

[13:49–17:12]

• "Locking In:" Pollack considers Ole Miss, A&M, Ohio State, Indiana to be playoff locks after Week 12, barring a collapse.
• The "Eliminator" segment says goodbye to teams officially ousted from CFP contention (Washington, Iowa, Louisville).
• Wesley’s Quote: "Who's your daddy? Indiana... They are no longer the most losing team in all of college football. Northwestern now has 716 losses and Indiana has 715." [36:27]

4. Analytics and Matchup Deep-Dives

[18:10–32:18]

• Red zone struggles for Texas Tech are dissected: only 45.5% red zone TD rate in conference.
  • Quote: "That's very ungood." — Brent [18:54]
• Alabama vs. Oklahoma preview: Concerns about Alabama’s run game and how Oklahoma's defense might pose problems.
  • Quote: "I do not look at this game and go, Alabama's absolutely guaranteed to win." — Brent [22:15]
• Texas at Georgia preview: Discussion of both teams’ defenses, QB play, and importance of having a bye.
• Notre Dame at Pitt and Iowa at USC are highlighted as ranked matchups with playoff implications.

5. “Victory Formation”: Who Won the Weekend?

[32:23–37:19]

• Nebraska: Praised for a big win and a 7–3 record—pollack hails the performance of young QB TJ Lateef.
  • Quote: "Nebraska was already a good team. Nebraska's weakness...was their offensive line. When you add a mobile quarterback, that cures some of those deficiencies." — Brent [32:57]
• Sam Houston State Bearcats: Recognized for a remarkable comeback and special teams heroics.
• Indiana: Cited for a big comeback win and finally escaping the all-time loss record.

6. Interview: Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State Head Coach

[38:19–58:07]

Coaching Philosophy, Player Management, and Building Culture

• Rest & Recovery:
  • Dillingham discusses giving his staff and players extended breaks during the bye week to ensure players “come back with a vengeance.”
  • Quote: "If my gut says guys need a mental break, I do it...The players win games, they lose games. They're the key to the program, not me." — Kenny Dillingham [39:13]
• Adapting to the New NIL Era:
  • Navigating player workload and feedback (via agents), establishing trust through a leadership council, and emphasizing over-communication.
• Ownership and Accountability:
  • Dillingham shares his mentality: "Everything is my fault. I don't know how to explain it...never tried to have excuses." [42:25]
• Building Team Culture:
  • Passion is non-negotiable: "Passionate people are not replaceable...if you want toughness, you have to recruit it."
• Fun and Competition:
  • ASU’s motto: "Have more fun working harder than anybody in the country."
  • Fosters fun through regular competition, including shooting hoops before meetings.
• On Copying Schemes:
  • Dillingham openly borrows ideas from top coaches: "That's welcome to football...You should see something and go, yeah, give it to me." [53:01]
  • Studies Lincoln Riley (GT counter/split-back), Wake Forest (slow mesh RPO), Washington (pro-style concepts).
• Defensive Inspirations:
  • Praises Dan Lanning (Oregon) for innovative defenses, and enjoys hybrid schemes with three-high safety looks.
• Dan Lanning “psycho” story:
  • Recounts a freezing January “Tour of Duty” practice: "He may have not had a shirt on or in a cutoff shirt with like the shortest shorts. Proving a point of like, let's go. Like absolute crazy man motivating people..." [55:45]
• NIL & Returning to ASU:
  • Pollack jokes about NIL’s potential to bring him back; Dillingham revels in the pride and fun of pre-NIL days.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On officiating reviews:

  • "Just give me a shot clock…Let's make it faster." — Pollack [03:21]

• On the difficulty of ranking the playoff bubble:

  • "All of them have flawed resumes. I flip a coin like you did with the group of 5." — Brent [07:14]

• On Texas Tech’s fatal flaw:

  • "That's very ungood." — Brent [18:54]

• On playoff contenders’ vulnerability:

  • "The more that I continue to do this...that number is getting smaller" [11:43]
  • "I don't think there's a bulletproof team by any stretch of the imagination." — Brent [11:52]

• On Nebraska’s QB change:

  • "Nebraska's weakness by far… was their offensive line. When you add a mobile quarterback, that cures some of those deficiencies." — Brent [32:57]

• Kenny Dillingham on culture:

  • "Passionate people are not replaceable. And if you don't love the game, you better find enough people on your team that are going to play with so much passion that it's infectious." [44:51]

• On coaching accountability:

  • "I think everything is my fault. I don't know how to explain it. And I think when…everybody's gonna look internally, not externally, when things fail." — Dillingham [42:25]

• On copying coaching schemes:

  • "That's welcome to football…You should see something and go, yeah, give it to me." — Dillingham [53:01]

• On the importance of fun:

  • "Everything we do is about competition…I'd much rather compete in something than just get through something." — Dillingham [49:22]

• On Dan Lanning:

  • "He may have not had a shirt on or in a cutoff shirt with like the shortest shorts. Proving a point of like, 'let’s go,' like absolute. Everybody else is bundled up...That's Dan, though. Dan's—he is who he is." [55:45]

Key Timestamps

• 00:22: Rant on College Football Officiating & Replay Delays
• 04:45: Pollack’s CFP Top 12, Rationale, Debates
• 07:14: Playoff Bubble Teams/Group of 5 Coin Flip
• 13:49: Locking in Playoff Teams & the Eliminator
• 18:10: Texas Tech in the Red Zone: Analytics
• 22:15: Alabama-Oklahoma Matchup Analysis
• 24:01: Texas-Georgia Matchup, QB Discussion
• 29:25: Notre Dame at Pitt, Iowa at USC, Key Games
• 32:23: Victory Formation (Who Won the Weekend)
• 38:19: Kenny Dillingham Interview Begins
• 39:13: Dillingham on Player Management in Modern Era
• 42:25: Dillingham on Personal Accountability
• 44:51: Building Culture with Passion and Toughness
• 53:01: On Borrowing Schemes and Coaching Influences
• 55:45: Dan Lanning "Psycho" Motivation Story

Overall Tone & Takeaways

Candid, energetic, and unfiltered, the episode delivers incisive analysis of college football’s playoff picture and coaching landscape, blending numbers with real-world coaching insights. Pollack is direct and passionate, especially when decrying modern college football’s time-consuming reviews or discussing why culture matters more than ever in the NIL era. Dillingham’s segment is lively and revealing, with a conversational, authentic tone that matches the show’s approach—no-nonsense, relatable football talk for true fans.

For listeners seeking deep playoff insight, candid coaching philosophy, and a few jaw-dropping anecdotes, this episode stands out as both engaging and informative.