Podcast Summary: See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack

Episode: Lane Kiffin's Timeline | Sam Leavitt's Future | CFP Punishing Tough Schedules?
Date: November 20, 2025
Host: David Pollock
Co-hosts/Guests: Brent Rollins, Podium Kings Host, John Sumrall (clip), Kirby Smart (clip)

Overview

This episode dives into three main topics dominating college football headlines:

1. The unintended consequences of CFP committee decisions on out-of-conference scheduling
2. Quarterback Sam Leavitt's portal rumors and his NFL/transfer prospects
3. The timeline and repercussions around Lane Kiffin's coaching future, the portal window, and playoff contender chaos

Pollack and team blend analysis, personal anecdotes, real-time chat engagement, and notable coach/player soundbites to illuminate changes reshaping the sport.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Committee Is Punishing Tough Schedules — At Everyone’s Expense

(Starts ~01:00)

• Pollock’s Rant:
  "If we're going to vote like this as a committee and we're going to place the premium on the losses, then I don't think we're going to get those matchups…We lose out in the end. And that sucks." (03:42)
• The CFP committee is heavily valuing minimal loss records, inadvertently encouraging teams to schedule weaker non-conference opponents.
• Week 1 excitement (Bama vs. FSU, Ohio State v. Texas, Notre Dame vs. A&M) is at risk—future schedules could become more conservative.
• Pollock’s Proposal:
  Wants a formalized conference-vs-conference challenge across power leagues ("like basketball"). Would provide a better data set and ensure top matchups.
• Notre Dame as a case study: rewarded for a tough schedule, but could’ve gamed the system easily by scheduling only weak opponents.

Memorable Quote:
"I’d rather have better games. So that’s my little rant on scheduling and what we’re learning about scheduling and how we can use it now in the future." (06:12)

2. Sam Leavitt’s NFL Future and the Transfer Portal

(Starts ~07:40)

• Pollock’s Analysis:
  • Leavitt is "one of the best in the business" for sheer talent—elite arm, big athleticism, serious competitive edge ("he’s got some ‘blank you’ in him" (08:04)).
  • Leavitt thrives off-script/under pressure, but concerns remain about his performance in structure and from a clean pocket (Brent Rollins: "his turnover-worthy play percentage…more than doubled. And…his performance in a clean pocket…[dipped] down this year." (09:50))
  • NIL now allows top QBs to stay in college for elite pay rather than jump to the NFL.
• Transfer Destinations (Speculation):
  • Indiana: Well-funded QB market, Signetti system could translate.
  • Miami: Attracts portal talent, big OL, future star (Malachi Tony).
  • FSU: Success with running QBs, system fits Leavitt.
  • Texas Tech: Pollock’s pick — "Why would it not be...straight cheddar, like, they can spend it, man…That investment has turned into winning and they're going to the College Football Playoff." (21:11)

Notable Exchange:

• Brent: "He's not in the portal yet."
• Pollock: "He's going to be, just..." (08:59–09:10)

3. The Wild Coaching/Transfer Portal Timeline

(Starts ~09:26 / Returns ~16:11 / 17:49)

• Pollock’s Frustration:
  "It's absolutely asinine that we're talking about kids in the transfer portal and it's about to come in waves throughout the next month. We shouldn’t be talking about this during football season…The calendar is absolutely stupid." (09:26 & 16:24)
• Specifics:
  • Portal opens while the season — and playoff runs — are ongoing; creates competitive imbalance, disrupts rosters.
  • Players and coaches can act as a "package deal" in portal situations.
  • Lane Kiffin’s uncertain future at Ole Miss: lack of extension signals likely movement; Kiffin’s personality thrives in this chaos.
  • If a playoff-caliber coach leaves after the regular season but before the playoff, players get a small extra window to follow him, leaving their former team scrambling.
  • Pollock: "I don’t know how coaches deal with that. It’s got to be infuriating." (19:54)

4. Podium Kings: Soundbites & Coach Insights

(Starts ~23:01)

• John Sumrall (on G5 playoff inclusion):
  "I feel like we’re one of the bottom 25 teams in the country...if we’re in the top 25 teams, there must be a lot of bad football going on." (23:16)
  • Refreshing honesty; a coach "who’ll call a spade a spade" (Pollock, 23:55).
• Terry Smith (after PSU interim win):
  "I’m just so blessed...I have the opportunity to be the head coach at Penn State." (24:55)
  • Emotional moment highlighting college football’s deeper meaning for alumni.
• Kirby Smart (on losing players who aren’t physical):
  "You don’t run from hard in life, you’ll find more hard." (26:48)
  • Pollock: "He wants to be unique. He wants to be physical. He wants to practice hard." (27:06)
  • The portal makes it harder to build accountability, but such culture-building is what attracts high-level recruits and keeps Georgia distinct.

5. Q&A: Portal, Committee, and Playoff Chaos

(Starts ~29:03)

• Early Portal Entrants = Quitters?
  Not fair to generalize: reasons range from playing time, culture fit, NIL pursuit, or coaching changes. Coaches often push stories quietly through agents anyway.

• Who’s on the Committee?
  "I am struggling to find nice things to say about the committee this week…this week was a pretty big strikeout." (31:14)

• Is it easier for QBs to adapt to a scheme than WRs/RBs?
  Rollins: With modern offensive similarity and player movement, "skill set matters."
  Pollock: Coaches now want plug-and-play "man bodies" with experience (34:41–35:41).

• Conference Championship Game Losses: Fatal for Playoff Hopes?
  Pollock: Teams shouldn’t be punished for playing extra games (38:27); only a blowout loss could threaten seeding.

• Would Ole Miss make the CFP without Lane Kiffin?
  "Yes. 100%. You can’t take that opportunity away from the kids." (39:54)

• Thanksgiving Hot Takes:
  Pollock: "I don't care for all of the things. I don't like casseroles. I don't like sweets. I don't like pies....Give me some turkey and I’m good." (44:07)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the CFP committee’s approach:
  "If we're going to place the, the loss as the importance...I think we’ll lose some of that...we lose out in the end." — David Pollock (03:42)
• On Leavitt:
  "He runs it like he stole it. He runs it like a running back. Extremely athletic, extremely big arm...he doesn't take a back seat to Quinn Ewers." — David Pollock (08:04)
• Brent Rollins on pressure:
  "He's like Nick Cage in The Rock. He loves pressure. He eats it for breakfast." (10:41)
• On coaching/portal calendar:
  "It’s stupid. We need to fix it. I don’t like complaining about rules…but eventually you get to a point just like with the SEC, you’re like, all right, I’ve seen enough." — David Pollock (16:24)
• John Sumrall's candid reflection:
  "There must be a lot of bad football going on if we’re in the top 25 teams." (23:16)
• Kirby Smart’s wisdom:
  "You don't run from hard in life, you’ll find more hard." (26:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |:----------|:--------| | 01:00–06:12 | Rant on CFP policies, scheduling incentives | | 07:40–16:10 | Sam Leavitt: Portal status, skills, destinations | | 16:11–21:11 | Transfer portal chaos, coaching timeline, Lane Kiffin | | 23:01–27:06 | Podium Kings: Sumrall, Terry Smith, Kirby Smart soundbites | | 29:03–35:41 | Live Q&A: Transfer reasoning, committee shade, scheme fit | | 38:27–43:12 | Playoff implications for conference title games, coach exits | | 44:07–48:24 | Thanksgiving takes, Christmas music debate |

Tone & Style

The show flows with Pollock’s animated, candid delivery—equal parts analytical and folksy, with real locker room language and banter. Pollock isn’t shy about disagreeing with conventional wisdom or committee orthodoxy, defends directness ("call a spade a spade"), and loves playfully ribbing his co-hosts and chat guests. There’s an obvious appreciation for college football’s emotional core (see the reverence for Terry Smith) and for its wild, unpredictable nature.

For New Listeners

This episode underscores why "See Ball Get Ball" stands out: honest analysis, inside access, and plenty of personality. If you want unfiltered takes on both the sport’s greatest games and its evolving off-field landscape, Pollock and crew deliver in spades.