Protect College Sports Act: Will it Work? | Top-25 DROUGHT BUSTERS in CFB

Summary

SEE BALL GET BALL with David Pollack
Episode: Protect College Sports Act: Will it Work? | Top-25 DROUGHT BUSTERS in CFB
Date: June 2, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, David Pollack and regular co-host Brent Rollins deliver an honest and layered discussion on the future of college football. They tackle the proposed Protect College Sports Act, explore which schools might finally break long-standing Top 25 ranking droughts, and dive into the health—and chaos—of the modern sport. Expect insider info, names to watch this season, and candid commentary from coaches, insiders, and personal experience.

The tone is direct, informed, and lively, reflecting both hosts’ deep engagement with college football’s shifting landscape.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. The Protect College Sports Act: Will It Work?

Segment Start: [01:04]

• The Proposal: The Protect College Sports Act is designed to create a uniform set of national rules for college sports, versus the current patchwork of state laws.
• Support and Opposition: Heavy support from the ACC and Big 12; not-so-much from the Big Ten and SEC, who together cover 65% of the country.
• The Real Motivation: The Act is an attempt to "save college football" without turning players into full-time employees, keeping the existing structure while tweaking power and eligibility rules (five-year maximum eligibility, limits on transfers).
• Likelihood of Passing: “15% chance of passing this. That’s what I was told. Like on the high end, 15%. It’s not happening.” – David Pollack [04:56]
• Power Dynamics: The Big Ten and SEC’s disapproval makes passage essentially impossible as currently proposed.
• Antitrust Quirks: The act would grant antitrust exemptions to keep the two biggest conferences from becoming even more dominant, in effect protecting broader competitive balance.

Notable Quote:

“The players are the most powerful entity in college sports, and they know it.” — David Pollack [04:07]

"Kiffin Rule" Discussion:

• Proposal to prevent coaches from leaving teams mid-season (“fun to talk about, but it’s not going to get passed”)
• Underlines need to fix the sport’s chaotic calendar rather than blame individual coaches

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2. ACC Drought Busters & Breakout Players for 2026

Segment Start: [08:14]

Pollack shifts to name and analyze under-the-radar players and trends for ACC teams, based on direct coach feedback.

Stanford

• Micah Ford (RB): “Bell cow… power, agility, home run speed. He’s got it all.” [09:14]
• Nikki Prongos (LT): “Huge left tackle. Six-foot-seven, enormous.”
• Matt Rose (LB): “Second leading tackler in the ACC last year… all over the field.” [09:55]

North Carolina

• Jelaney Thurman (TE): “Long, smart, athletic, physical. Period traits that you want.” [10:16]
• Greg Smith (DB): “Tall, long, athletic, rangy… Can do a lot of different things in the back end.” [11:10]
• offensive scheme under Bobby Petrino (“might be career changing, might be life changing, might be job changing” — Pollack on Belichick’s staff [11:09])

NC State

• C.J. (Bailey) QB: “Not going to compare him to Vince Young… but his stride and size look very Vince Young-esque.” [13:00]
• Duke Scott (RB): “Over 200 yards vs. Georgia Tech, looked like a baller.”
• Harvey Dyson (Edge): “Super gifted pass rusher… gets in very weird spots but still finds a way out. That means I’m a football player.” [15:21]
• Jackson Fick (Nickelback): “One of the lowest completion percentages in the country. Great in coverage.”
• JoJo (Josiah) Trader (WR): “Tracks the ball, elite speed… by the end of the season, people will say ‘where did NC State get this guy?’” [16:32]

Miami

• Ahmad Moten (DT): “Best player on the defensive line for Miami in the national championship game. Twitchy as a mug.” [19:06]
• Josiah Moore (WR): “6'4", 215… freaky traits, speed, athletic ability, breakout player.” [19:34]

Virginia Tech

• Kamari Copeland (DT): “He’s Hulk-like. Squats almost 700 pounds, benches 455.” [20:39]
• Jacques White (CB): “Best cover corner.”
• Luke Reynolds (TE, Penn State transfer): “Don’t think blocker… think split him out, versatility, hands, catch radius.” [22:01]

Pollack emphasizes: These names come straight from coach conversations, not websites; watch their impact this year.

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3. Top 25 Drought Busters: Which Programs Will Snap Their Streaks?

Segment Start: [23:57]

Brent and David go through a list of Power Four teams with the longest active streaks of not being ranked in the AP Top 25, rapid-fire debating their chances for 2026.

Full List, with Notable Comments

• Rutgers (since 2012): “No shot.” [25:35]
• West Virginia (since 2019): “They’ll get somebody—Rich Rod—a great coach… not enough to be ranked.” [27:00]
• Stanford (since 2019): “Veteran roster, but no. Travel in the ACC makes it harder.” [27:41]
• Maryland (since 2019): “Washington isn’t a guy, he’s a dude… number one on the list so far to be ranked.” [28:23]
• Cal (since 2019): “Playoff sleeper. Cal’s gonna ruin lives in the ACC.” [31:18]
• Northwestern (since 2020): “Disciplined, tough, but need more speed/playmakers.” [32:35]
• Virginia Tech (since 2021): “Excitement at an all-time high… could squeak in, but may level off.” [34:25]
• Purdue (since 2021): “Barry Odom is a good coach, but they lack the firepower.” [36:16]
• Michigan State (since 2022): “Too early, still reloading.” [37:08]
• Baylor (since 2022): “If DJ Lagway can finally stay healthy, maybe.” [37:54]
• Minnesota (since 2022): “Consistently good, not great. Need a breakout.” [39:50]
• Arkansas (SEC, since 2022): “Only SEC team on the list. Tough early schedule.” [40:25]

Overall Trend: Many drought teams are Big Ten members, underscoring the league’s recent struggles outside its top tier.

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4. The Health of College Football: Crisis or Just Chaos?

Segment Start: [43:43]

• Fan Poll: Rate the health of college football on a scale of 1–10.
• Tough Questions:
  • Layoffs/staff cuts at schools even after private equity influx
  • Coaches being fired after only five games (see: comments from Steve Sarkisian & James Franklin)
  • Accelerated expectations and return-on-investment pressure
  • Chaos from rapid roster turnover and transfer portal activity

Notable Quote:

“It used to be like, hey, give me three years… now it’s like, yeah, five games ain’t enough, bro.” — David Pollack [45:34]

• Kirby Smart’s stance: If no national rules, he's "not afraid" for the SEC to break away (“he is a forward thinker… what he says tends to trend”). [46:16]

• SEC Critique: The SEC’s current opposition to new rules is “recency bias”—everyone’s been paying players for decades.

• Pollack’s Diagnosis: “I think it’s an 8. The healthier TV commitments and financial commitments you have, it’s healthy. Are there rules and things we don’t like? Absolutely… once the rules settle down, it won’t be as aggressive.” [48:56]

Issues Identified:

• The postseason calendar is “stupid”—semifinals on non-major channels, stretched into late January ([49:47]).
• The calendar and schedule are secondary to bigger chaos: “semi-pro” nature, player movement, and money flow.

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5. Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the Protect College Sports Act:
  “This is an attempt to save college football without making [players] full-time employees.” — Pollack [04:15]
• On the Big Ten/SEC’s power:
  “You ain't getting nothing through Congress that they don’t want. Period.” — Pollack [07:47]
• On coaching turnover:
  “What the heck are we doing? Like, that is crazy. Are you not allowed to struggle a little bit occasionally?” — Pollack [45:34]
• On Kirby Smart’s mindset:
  “Go watch how everything tends to trend with what he says… he is a forward thinker.” — Pollack [46:16]
• On sport transformation:
  “Business is booming. Business is good.” — Pollack [49:47]
• On player movement:
  “You are the average of the five people you spend most time with… same holds true for recruits.” — Pollack [55:23]

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6. Heartfelt Personal Moments/Weekend Winners

Segment Start: [51:34] and [53:22]

• Mike Leach Hall of Fame induction recognized, including his famous play script prank on Texas (“one of one… honesty, candor, and innovation.” — Pollack [51:34])
• Pollack’s son commits to Clemson: David shares the family’s journey, recruiting process, and the emotional “how to commit” moment—personal but illustrative of what’s at stake for families and young recruits [54:50].
• Brent celebrates his son’s final season in high school baseball with impressive stats and a moving look at how fleeting youth sports can be.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Protect College Sports Act/Legislation: [01:04]–[08:14]
• ACC Drought Busters & Breakout Players: [08:14]–[23:46]
• Top 25 Drought Busting Analysis: [23:57]–[41:11]
• Health of College Football Discussion: [43:43]–[51:34]
• Mike Leach & Weekend Winners: [51:34]–[54:50]
• Personal Family/Recruiting Stories: [54:50]–[58:58]

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Final Thoughts

This episode offered a passionate, detail-rich exploration of the crossroads at which college football finds itself—caught between explosive growth, mounting chaos, rising stakes for everyone involved, and the clash of tradition versus transformation. The show pairs inside info with candid, relatable storytelling, making it a must for fans navigating these turbulent times.

Transcript

[Host]

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[Brent Rollins]

says live.

[Host]

Says live. Sweet Live. Welcome here on cball. Get ball. The my connection does not say live. So I'm just trusting Brent. Brent pointed to me. Brent Rollins joining me as always. Brent the did anything happen this weekend? Anything big happen with you guys?

[Brent Rollins]

We're going to talk a lot about this weekend. I think later. Let's save that to the end with.

[Host]

We'll end with who the who won the weekend.

[Brent Rollins]

Well, yes, because there's just a lot of both per a lot of personal things we can talk about. Both of us.

[Host]

All right, let's talk about this. Perfect. Or let's talk about this. I think it's worth talking about because people are going to talk about it and so I guess we need to talk about it as well. But obviously Ross Dellinger, by the way, Bren, is he not always on everything like he is?

[Brent Rollins]

Yes, always

[Host]

out and interesting. He's talking about it the, the ACC and the Big 12, you know, sent letters basically some Senator Cantwell. And by the way it's you need help in this thing are all in on the protect college support. Like they're absolutely 100%, 100,000% all in on this. Is of it real quickly. But just to create one set of national rules. Think about it like national law. Right. Like, you know, law in this country like the states obviously have the right to continue to do its own thing but national law is huge. Brent. I think my computer sucks by the way.

[Brent Rollins]

So it was, it was freezing up just a second for a moment there. Yeah. Just it is periodically a little sketchy but it comes in and out. Do you need to step back for a sec? Yeah, you are frozen up well. All right. So talking about this act.

[Host]

There we go. I think it's done. I think it's back.

[Brent Rollins]

Okay.

[Host]

I think we're good.

[Brent Rollins]

There you go.

[Host]

I disconnected.

[Brent Rollins]

Maybe not. Yeah, you're pretty. You're pretty well frozen and frozen with a great picture for those. All right. There it is. Going in and out. Yes, very much so. But I do think like your point of this, trying to create a uniform set of rules that they all exist under. However that happens. I think that's what fans of college football in terms of steps in the right direction, that's, that, that's what everybody wants in a way is just, okay, let's, let's figure out have, let's all have one set of rules and there's certain things within it like the five year eligibility we've talked about the only one time transfer and then after that you got to sit out a year. Those are, those are things that are just sort of commonsensical in terms of.

[Host]

I've had you consistently for a while. Do you have me now?

[Brent Rollins]

Yes.

[Host]

Okay.

[Brent Rollins]

Yeah.

[Host]

Good. Before I talked.

[Brent Rollins]

Sorry, continue.

[Host]

Yeah, no, I definitely think those are, here's the bottom line, Brent. I'm glad you got to outline some of that stuff. And the five year of max thing, I think everybody supports that. Like, who's not on board with that? Like, yeah, we don't need to have 25 year old, 5 year old linebackers. Okay. Like it's, we used to call these guys doctors that went to school. Now they're linebackers. We've already talked about that. Like, but the conferences, you know, teaming up to negotiate TV deals. Interesting. Can I read you though? Overall, it's, overall, this is an attempt to save college football to, without making full time employees. That's what this is like. Instead of like negotiating with the players, making them full time employees. By the way, the players are the one who have all the power in this. The players are the most powerful entity in college sports. They know it. So they're trying to obviously get the committee together, make some tweaks, get a vote. Here's the good thing. Here's what I'm going to tell you. The text messages I got from people that actually know exactly what's going on with this stuff, they think it's interesting that it's going to get to a vote. They think it's interesting that it's got this far. It's notable. They said it's, they said it's notable that it's moved to this point. That's notable. That's something to take note of it and say, okay, that's, that's, that's interesting. 15% chance of passing this. That's what, that's what I was told. Like on the high end, 15%. It's not happening.

[Brent Rollins]

This is not happen.

[Host]

So you're saying there's a chance. Mary Swenson Samsonite. You know how this works. Like it's, it's going to happen probably at some point in the future, but once we start moving forward in the Future, this form, it's going to have to change a lot. It's going to have to morph a ton. Um, but it's a long way to go. And guess who doesn't like this. Brent. Guess who's not a fan of this?

[Brent Rollins]

Certain conferences.

[Host]

Two conferences. Guess who they are.

[Brent Rollins]

The. The two. The two. The two big ones.

[Host]

The two big ones. The Big Ten in the SEC are not proponents of this, which means as constructed, not happening. Like, I understand why everybody else wants it to happen and kind of work their way into, like, hey, let's make this uniform. Like, let's all be at the party. Let's all hang out. Let's all cool. Let's all be cool together and do this together. And hey, one, two, three. Yeah, unity. No, that's not the way this works in college sports. And so that's why this ain't going to happen.

[Brent Rollins]

Well, there's an interesting piece of it, because one little thing that I looked at was, like, the antitrust exemption, and it's preventing the two of them from merging and sort of becoming all powerful. But that's actually. And you think, oh, that reduces competition. That's kind of the opposite of what antitrust is. But it's protecting the competitive world that the rest of the college football teams exist in, and it's sort of protecting that level of competitiveness within that. So it's kind of an oxymoron in a way. But the other thing was the Kiffin rule. I thought that was at least fun to talk about. The coach can't leave while the season's happening. That. That seems like that will never get past, but it's at least fun to talk about.

[Host]

It's. It's. It's not going to get passed. But can we do something about it, though? Like, is there some way to move back timetables? Is there some way to move the counter? Like that. That's. That's what we've got to understand. Like, these things that suck. Like, we've got to find solutions to it. And again, is Kiffin to blame? No, he's not. Kiffin's not to blame. That the college football calendar is what it is, how he handled it. You can feel whatever way you want to feel like. And I think most people feel the same way. Probably wouldn't leave, probably wouldn't do it, but the calendar has to get fixed. So that's. That's stupid crap doesn't happen ever again.

[Brent Rollins]

And I think let's put a pin in that specific discussion, because that, to me, is Something that one. If those who are looking at the rundown of the show that that fourth bullet point there. Healthy question mark. It's question we're going to tackle. That specific issue that you just mentioned is one I think that and especially with announcement that came earlier today that I'll talk about. So that was one.

[Host]

Yeah. Here to put it. To put an exclamation point on it. The Big Ten in the SEC covers 65% of the country. They're going to have the majority of the say they're in the. In the end, they'll have the majority to say you ain't getting nothing through Congress that they don't want. Period.

[Brent Rollins]

Right.

[Host]

Well, games not gonna happen.

[Brent Rollins]

Everybody, their games are the most watched. Their games command the most money. Everything that they drive. Everything. That's for sure.

[Host]

I'm not. It's, it is what it is. That's. It's part of the game. All right, let's get to the acc dudes, man. We've been doing this again. The criteria is very, very simple. I'm talking to coaches, I'm talking to teams, to personnel. Listen, some are more vocal than others. So some, we're going to give you some really, really good names. But this is not off of a website. This is literally from coaches from what they've seen in the spring, who's going to be their guy that you don't know about yet. So in the, in the acc. Yes, Stanford is in the acc. You got to remind yourself of that. Micah Ford, running back for eight for Stanford. When you think about Bell cow True number one, we're not. We're going back to Christian McCaffrey and Toby Gearhart have had some ballers, obviously, like Ford is tough as crap. He's got the power, he's got the agility, the home run speed. He's got it all. He's, he's the bell cow he should be this year. He's going to be the guy that runs through on offense. When you look at the offensive line, Nikki Prongos is a huge left tackle. Six foot seven, enormous. Rates really high. Brent, we've told you, works for pff. He rates really high on the pff. They got him to stay breaking in a new quarterback. Obviously huge. Getting the run game going. Obviously huge. Dude that could have left ballerina. Absolute baller Matt Rose. If you watch Stanford at all last year, he was the second leading tackler, I think in the ACC period. But he, he, he literally 35, was all over the field tackling everybody. And I think he had like, I think he had 106 tackles and the next closest guy on Stanford was less than half of that. It was like 54. So he was everywhere, all over the field. Will have to be really good for Stanford to be really good. But those are three names to know when you're playing against Stanford this year in the ACC or teams that are playing Stanford. Those are guys, those are big time guys that are going to be on the roster. North Carolina. Okay, I would like to point this out. Brent, get on here real quick. Talk to some of the folks. I was wondering if you actually got

[Brent Rollins]

any information from anybody.

[Host]

I got conveyed that my comment was heard about, about the comment that I made about Belichick's girlfriend being 12. So it makes you say, okay, my bad. It's probably my bad. But like learning to relate to younger folks. He should have that figured out. When she is in her 20s, she's in her 20s around the players, you know, close to the players ages. But I was able to talk to North Carolina and get some guys. Jelaney, Thurman. And by the way, tell me if this doesn't sound like a good breakdown for, for when you're talking about like Belichick and thinking about him and who he is. Thurman, tight end, long smart, athletic, physical like that's. Those are the traits, period traits that you want, right? Like you want a guy like that. So you think about this offense man

[Brent Rollins]

sounds like directly from time.

[Host]

So, so big time. By the way, that Bobby Petrino comes over, might be career changing, might be life changing, might be job changing. For Bill Belichick to have someone he can trust to let him say, go with it. Roll with the punches, bro. It's all you. And so having Thurman at tight end, a go to guy, you know, Bobby will work that thing and make it look good. So that tight end is a, is a guy to look out for this season. DB Greg Smith, tall, long, athletic, rangy, anticipates really, really well. Super smart. Can do a lot of different things in the back end. Will be asked to do a lot of different things. When you think about this North Carolina defense really, really struggled a year ago. Really struggled. Now can they get that cranked around? Can they get it turned around? Can they get guys in spots where they have identities, they know who they are, they don't give up as many big plays, right? Like they don't need to give up those big plays and make people earn it. Find ways to get turnovers. If they do. I think you know Greg Smith will go a long way in being that guy. To break out.

[Brent Rollins]

Those sounded like they came directly from coach Belichick. Like five words, period.

[Host]

I can deny that, actually.

[Brent Rollins]

I'll let you finish up with the rest of them.

[Host]

Yes. All right. Hey, this one right here, North Carolina State. North Carolina State. I got a feeling. And let me tell you something, the first something that's brewing and if you don't know what that is, welcome to the channel. First of all, rate, like subscribe, do all those fun things here for C Ball, get ball. But we do a show once a week during the season and we'll do a show and it's called Something's Brewing. And this, that's a team that's like got something cooking. And one day we're gonna have a great coffee sponsor. Hopefully Dunkin Donuts. That would be fantastic. Like something's brewing. They've got something going. North Carolina State might be that team for me this year. I just, I got a, I got a feeling. And James Argo is going to be all over that. But I do think they've had one 10 wins season in the history of their program. 1. I think they got a real chance to get their second. Like a real chance. And if you watch them a year ago, do not talk to me. Like, we cannot even think about putting their QB on this list. Like, he's a baller. Don't go there. That's done, that's taken off the list. Like could have gone somewhere else. Three year starter by the way, coming back to NC State, proving what kind of program they have that they can keep a dude like that, stay loyal to him. He can stay loyal to the program. They like a lot about him. And when you watch him, Brent, I've said this before in the past. Like I'm not going to compare him to Vince Young. His stride and his size. He looks very Vince Young esque. And I think that's a fair comparison when you're looking at the QB Mr. Bailey, for, for NC State. Okay, guys, you might not know two guys you or three guys you need to know because, because talking to them, they're, they're, they're, they're pretty jacked up about their guys. And Duke Scott, okay, remember Hollywood Smothers goes in the portal. He goes to Texas, goes to the next, next big payday. Congratulations to him. Duke Scott, if you watched last year, I think it was the Georgia tech game. Over 200 yards look like a baller. Like, look like another guy. Not like, hey, I don't have to pay Hollywood because I know I still got a guy that can come in and do this thing. And so maybe that's why you see that they're okay with Duke Scott taking the reins. Seen it, done it against a really good team. Right. Um, so that's big time and I understand he can do that and I know he can do that. Next guy is Harvey Dyson. This is a, this is a guy that's a two lane transfer. I love talking to coach about this guy. Like super.

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[Host]

Super gifted pass rusher and I love what he said. Brent, Brent, jump up here real quick. You're going to love this. How about this? He said coach said he's a, he's a natural pass rusher. He said he gets in very weird spots but still finds a way out. I love that Like I love like that means I'm a football player. That means I can just.

[Brent Rollins]

Natural instincts.

[Host]

Yes. Just I can kind of worm my way. It's not always the prettiest but I get it done. And Harvey Dyson is a guy that transferred from Tulane. He's going to be a baller. He's going to go get the quarterback like another dude to look out for an NC State. We got more nickelback Jackson Fick. If Brent had his pff numbers in front of you he could tell you this dude was one of the like I think he had one of the lowest completion percentages in the country. Can do a lot stud. Great feet, great in coverage. Really, really good. One of the best nickels in the country in all of college football. It's a really good thing for NC State to have but the dude, the dude is JoJo Traitor. That's the dude. And when I said when that name was said Brent it is said people are going to go how did they let him go?

[Brent Rollins]

Miami, right?

[Host]

That's yes. People are going to ask by the end of this season where did NC State get this guy? Tracks the ball. Elite speed. Like can go get it. Has great size, has every package in the receiver. The best gifts that They've had there at that spot. Guess who he went to high school with. Brent.

[Brent Rollins]

Let's see.

[Host]

Take a guess who they're think about C.J. bailey.

[Brent Rollins]

High school teammates because he's from Miami, right?

[Host]

Yep. He goes in teams up now. But. But I think you're going to be like, where did JoJo Trader come from? That's a bad boy.

[Brent Rollins]

So I was looking at their schedule. Bad boy in NC State. Since you brought up the something's brewing piece there with them.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Brent Rollins]

And am I you better reading this correctly that they play in Brazil week one against Virginia? I might. I went at FBS schedules and looked and yeah. Then they're off. And then they play Richmond and then at Vandy, if that is correct.

[Host]

Which is. Which is. Which is a good one at a conference. It's good to play. It's good to play Vandy this year. But much better.

[Brent Rollins]

Much better this year.

[Host]

Definitely. Yeah.

[Brent Rollins]

But speaking of Miami. Right.

[Host]

I think NC State's going to do just fine. By the way. I think NC State's going to have a great season. I think Josiah Trader is going to be lethal. Legit nasty downfield threat, create a little more balance, make C.J. bailey even better. And he's really good to begin with.

[Brent Rollins]

So a lot of good games at home for them too.

[Host]

Yes. Just. And that's a great atmosphere. Just remember that name. All right. Miami again. There's no alphabetical order, any crap like that. We're just kind of bouncing all over the place. And whoever gets back to us, Miami, Brent, jump back up here. Damon Wilson does not count. Does not count. Like we cannot count him. Like Georgia guy, baller, ten sack guy. Doesn't count. Mensah does not count. Like there's no way he counts if you haven't been watching. Like, he was a bad mother. Shut your mouth at Tulane. He was a bad mother. Shut your mouth at Duke. And the dude got his contract bought out and he still got paid. So he got broke off like a number one QB. Like one of the best, most highest paid QBs in the country. Doesn't count. But he's a baller. He's really, really good. I'm going to say a name that you're going to know because you watch a ton of tape. Ahmad Moten. If you watch the national championship game. He was the best player on the defensive line for Miami. He was the best player.

[Brent Rollins]

I was like, he came back.

[Host]

I. I was too. Absolute stud all over the place. Elite traits. Twitchy is a mug from that defensive tackle spot. Like Twitchy as crap, like gets in the backfield. Athletic ability is crazy. They're bragging about his, his leadership and what he's been. He's been a little bit banged up in the spring, but. But I got another receiver for you. And maybe this is why other guys left other spots and went to other teams. Josiah Moore, 6 4, 2, 15. When you think about this guy, they said freaky traits. Speed, athletic ability, breakout player. They're gonna, they love him. Highly competitive room. We also know that bar crates coming over from Duke as well. Yep, Malachi Tony's there. But this guy in the spring was turning heads, they said, turning heads, running by people. Athletic ability. This room is really, really good. And I think people are going to think about other names and listen, Malachi, Tony was one of the best receivers in all of college football, but Joshua Moore is going to throw his hat in the ring. He played a bunch a year ago. He's going to make big plays in this offense and he's going to be one of those guys like, oh, Miami's got another great wide receiver. He was a freshman last year with Malachi Tony, this is. He's coming into this season now, but this will be his breakout year.

[Brent Rollins]

When you think so Tony and you know, smaller guys, slot play him everywhere. Bargain is like six one six foot in and out as well. This guy being the six, four. Like, you got all the types, got all the things you want for, for

[Host]

the quarterbacks, wide receiver, freaky tricks on the outside. All right, I got some good one for you for this one. I got Virginia Tech. First of all, remember Bruce Feldman does the Freaks list every year. A name that will be on that is Kamari Copeland. They said, I believe the quote was, he's Hulk like. And I was like, what do you mean? They're like freaky in the weight room. Squats almost £700, benches 455. Absolutely freaky defensive tackles. When you, when you squat like that, your twitch is good. When you squat like that, you hit people hard, like you have insane power. It's just the way it works, man. So he's a guy to look out for at that defensive tackle spot. Jacques White is going to be their best cover corner guy. He's transferring in ball hawk. Like his physicality, like his experience. Only one year left. Again, everybody on this roster transferred. So it's just a matter of like, where did you come from? Almost every single person is a new guy that they're going to have to find new places for. But the guy to look for when you watch Virginia Tech, the main name is Luke Reynolds and kind of bullish on this guy. They kind of like this guy. Athletic ability, 6, 4250 junior tight end. Where's he from? Penn State.

[Brent Rollins]

I'll say. Came from Penn State too, right?

[Host]

Train transfer from Penn State. Don't think blocker, don't think in line as much as split him out in the slot, move him around, get him the rock hands, catch radius like versatility, like all of those things really.

[Brent Rollins]

Tyler Warren, more Colston Loveland.

[Host]

Yeah. And former high school qb. Good fluid, good fluidity route. Running good yards after the catch. Like really, really good athlete. And when you think about this offense and what it's going to become, you need that guy, right? You need that guy to. You need that matchup guy that can help you create in the run game, dictate to the defense, be a big riders, be a wide receiver or you know, wide receiving tight end or a guy that I can also put in line and block nickelbacks. Right. Like having that chess piece to be able to do different things and really dictate to the defense. We're seeing more 12 personnel, which is one running back, two tight ends. You're seeing more 13 personnel, one running back, three tight ends. The tight end position's gotten so versatile. Defenses have gotten so versatile. You got to find a way to answer and tight ends are a way to kind of use them as big wide receivers. And even, even you're seeing wide receivers insert more and block more than they used to, which is a good thing for offense.

[Brent Rollins]

He's familiar with this quarterback.

[Host]

Creative, very familiar with this quarterback.

[Brent Rollins]

So Meyer joined them as well.

[Host]

Gronker Meyer joins him as well. So there you go. That's. We got some teams covered for you, man. Stanford, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Miami and Virginia Tech. The ACC teams to think about, guys to think about again, according to coaches, people around the program that are very, very familiar with them and, and know exactly what's coming. And guys you might not know yet, but you will.

[Brent Rollins]

The, the Virginia Tech conversation and Stanford I guess too, is a good segue into the numbers that we're going to look at tonight because we do this every Monday.

[Host]

Yeah, we do, baby.

[Brent Rollins]

I saw this a week or so ago. Of teams that have are power four teams that are have the longest top 25 droughts. Like it's been a while since they've been in the top 25. Some of these are really lengthy, some not as much as some since 2022 like Virginia Tech since 2021 they haven't been in the top 25 since 2021. Wow. AP top 25. So did they have that.

[Host]

They had 11 straight. They had eight straight 11 win seasons and they've had one since. Correct.

[Brent Rollins]

Eight straight 10 win seasons with being

[Host]

straight 10 win seasons and then one since. I mean, it's crazy how much that went, you know, down, down, down.

[Brent Rollins]

And so let's look and I'll go through these teams. There's 12 of them and it'll be a quick question of do you think they can do enough to potentially get into the top 25 this, this season? And there's actually a.

[Host]

By the way, I never know these questions beforehand. I'm always on the spot just to let you know, just to jump into these. Because you like it that way. I appreciate it.

[Brent Rollins]

You'd rather be that way?

[Host]

That way it's more fun.

[Brent Rollins]

All right, so the first one since. Haven't been there since 2012.

[Host]

Rutgers 2012. Who?

[Brent Rollins]

So Rutgers.

[Host]

Oof.

[Brent Rollins]

Lost Caliac Manus. You got Dylan Lonergan. The transfers in K.J. duff you talked about as the dude at wide receiver is one of the

[Host]

best, one of the best wide receivers in the country. Like first round pick type good. That's how good Duff is.

[Brent Rollins]

I looked at their schedule and no shot. I don't see that.

[Host]

No shot, like so the next shot,

[Brent Rollins]

next four have not been in the AP top 25 since 2019. So a little over, around six years. The first one is this helmet behind my left ear.

[Host]

That would be West Virginia, by God.

[Brent Rollins]

There was one year that I think they could have been maybe at the end of the year, but in a final poll after winning a bowl game, but still not there. But another year where you get a ton of transfers. Michael Hawkins comes in from Oklahoma at quarterback. They did get Cam Cook from Jack State. Running back. That's a big time dude. Running back. So maybe that lets Rich Rod and his offense start going.

[Host]

Hey, don't you think it's going to be the team though? Yes. When you watched him last year, when you watched Hawkins Jr. Last year, he left a lot to be desired with the throw game. Like and. No, two years ago. Sorry. It was two years ago. Right.

[Brent Rollins]

That we played one game last year with.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Brent Rollins]

Mattier's thumb issue. Yeah.

[Host]

But like, but then you saw, but you saw the flashes of athletic ability. And you know, remember because they benched, they benched Jackson Arnold, put him in, then they put Jackson Arnold back in. But you could see like really good athletic ability. You think about Rich Rod, you Think about that system running the football. He's going to carry it. Going to put up some yards, going to put up some numbers. No, they're not going to be right.

[Brent Rollins]

Yeah, no, Stanford. Sorry, Brent, that's. I. It's too many question marks. There's way too many transfers again. Now, if they get rolling and they get the right mix. Okay, maybe, maybe so.

[Host]

Hey, they'll get somebody. They'll get somebody. Oh, yeah, they'll get somebody. Yes, they'll get somebody. With that offense, with that pace, they're going to suffocate somebody. They're going to get a few turnovers. That pace is going to suffocate you. And next thing you know, you're like, what the freak just happened? When we're down, we got to fight our way out. And they'll be in. Rich Rod's a great coach. Like, don't get it twisted. He's a really, really good football coach. So he'll get. They'll get somebody. They're not supposed to.

[Brent Rollins]

So Stanford you talked about. I went and looked. So from 2010, which was Harbaugh's last year, to 2018, they had a 78% winning percentage. Since then, 31%, 24 and 54. They do have a veteran roster, but, yeah, I didn't. I didn't see that one. I don't see that.

[Host]

They were. They retained some guys, which was good, but. No, I mean, they get. They get screwed, by the way, with the acc, too. I mean, it's like, I know people got to go to them, but they got to go across the country consistently, and it's just not smart. It's not good for business.

[Brent Rollins]

No, the next two are interesting. Maryland hasn't been in the AP Top 25 since 2019. Can Malik Washington take a big leap and change this? And they play a team that I'm going to talk about here in a second in week three that might kind of decide one of the. And they get them. Get them at home. So that's an interesting one.

[Host]

I could see. I could see Maryland making the leap because of what you just said. Washington isn't a guy. He's a dude, man. Like, he's a dude. He. He's the guy that. He's the guy that, if you can get a little bit better play around him, he's the guy that can do this because arm strength, athletic ability, size like that dude can make. He can make superhuman plays. If they can develop around them and develop some of the roster, they've recruited really well by the way Maryland's done a good job, they keep nabbing five star defensive ends and that area is really, really good for football. And Washington is a guy like he's a guy but around him has to get better and more consistent. But they I could get down with easily the most, the number one on the list for sure so far of teams that I'm saying that can take that next step and can be ranked

[Brent Rollins]

so salty fisherman77 Great question. Is this going to be the question every year for these type of teams? Too many transfers. I agree. It's, it's, it's on you as a coach to find the right deal with a lot of these sort of second tier, second tier teams. Yeah. The next one I think is I think they're going to get in the top 25 and I think they're a playoff sleeper and that's Cal. Cal has not been in the top 25 since 2019. You've already talked.

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[Brent Rollins]

Tosh, We've talked about JKs like I'm very much in on potentially Cal being a playoff sleeper.

[Host]

And Cal, I just, I'm just telling like they got a big commitment from a QB by the way. Beat out a bunch of stars like one of the better quarterbacks in high school football. That's committing. Tosh, he didn't bring like hey, the third string guy from Oregon, he's bringing four star guys from Oregon. He's recruiting. He got his qb, he got his next qb like and just, just go back and watch his interview like you're literally going to be like, oh, I have eligibility left. I'll come play for you, Tosh. And that place means something to him. He's a cow bear. Like, he's from there, dude. It's not just another place. And he's going to bring them back to a really good football team. So, yes, 100%. Last year again, they had big wins. They beat Louisville, remember, like, big upset. Like, they had some moments and you were like, that guy's good. That guy's good. That guy's good. Like, they've, they've got some. They've got some development to do. And they've always got. They've always, like Wilcox, always find players, found players. He did a good job, man. Like, he found players now. They could never put it together and have a great year, but it wasn't like, it was terrible. And I think Tosh now coming in with his style and the way he is, 100 million percent. Cal is coming. For some people, Cal's gonna ruin lives in the ACC.

[Brent Rollins]

All right, next one. So since 2020, Northwestern, they've had a winning record. They haven't been in the top 25, but they've had a winning record. Bowl win in two of the three David Braun years FORMER C ball get ball GUEST but can Aiden Giles and Chip Kelly create some magic? Maybe. I don't know. We'll see. I. I'm not overly strong. They'll be good again, but I don't know about whether they get in the top 25.

[Host]

When you watch Northwestern, what do you see that's missing?

[Brent Rollins]

Playmakers. Like speed. Elite playmakers. Yeah, speed.

[Host]

Yeah, they don't have speed. But what is Chip able to do? Run it consistently, creatively. You know, he's got, he's a. He's been a great coach for a long. What he did, Ohio State, by the way, to get them a Natty was absolutely stupid. It was stupid. It was stupid. The way what he changed from the down, the stretch of them being. And as bad as they were to what they become in the play, what they became in the playoffs was absolute genius. It was a stroke of genius by him. Like, remember, the offensive scheme literally went from here to here. Like, what they did up front, what they started running, what they be from a scheme standpoint, it was. It was incredible. So, Chip, can they create more explosive plays? And if they do that, obviously, we know Braun's going to be. Their teams are disciplined, their teams are tough. Their guys are getting pillaged every year from their roster. The stadium expansion, by the way, is exciting and new and awesome. Like it's crazy. It's a crazy, it's crazy atmosphere type deal. Northwestern's always a good out. Like they play teams tough always. They just don't have that last little bit of punch to really make people pay and create big plays.

[Brent Rollins]

All right, so then I told you that Maryland plays a team in week three. That we'll talk about here in a second. So Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech at Maryland, Week three after the run that Frank Beamer had where you just talked about eight straight 10 win seasons. Fuentes or when Justin Fuente was 10 and nine wins. So yeah, I, this is the other one on this list for me there. I could see Virginia Tech potentially getting out to a decent start and everybody feeling the Franklin vibes and they, they squeak in sort of the bottom half of the top 25.

[Host]

And then are you, are you saying you feel it and then it's going to go back down and then it

[Brent Rollins]

might level off a little bit maybe. I mean never know unless drunk, unless Grunkemeyer is just really good. Who knows?

[Host]

Listen, it's not a, it's not a, it's not a knock. It's fine. But if you've listened to the pod. Brent is not the biggest James Franklin fan. He's not. And that's by the way, we have that right. We have the right to like coaches and not like them. Like Brent's not a fan fan of James Franklin. Here's what I'll say. I don't dislike him at all. I just. Well, you're not a fan of his coaching.

[Brent Rollins]

Not in the big games, no.

[Host]

That's fair. And by the way, the numbers are the numbers. It's not like, it's not like we can change the numbers. But Virginia Tech, you got excitement. I mean, come on. Like excitement is at an all time high. Investment is at all time high. Like it's got a great spot for him. See that? It's an awesome spot for him. He'll thrive better there. He, he fly. He thrived great at Vandy. Right. He was really good at Vanderbilt. So I think he's going to do well. But I think the most important thing he did was bring the fan base together and then buy in and realize the world they're in. And then he said, oh, hey Penn State. Hey. Hey you. Hey you. Hey you. Hey you. Hey you come with me.

[Brent Rollins]

Okay.

[Host]

And that's a big deal, man. Know the system. To have a chance to do what you said early and do this, you've got to know Each other. You got to build some trust. Having those guys is pivotal. We've seen it with Indiana, we've seen it with a bunch of spots, man. Like, bring in your own guys. That's why I think Oklahoma State has a chance to be really good this year. Bringing your own guys, like, it's a very big help to know them, know their personalities, what they do well, what they don't do well. So you can start off with, with a base knowledge.

[Brent Rollins]

Also, since 2021, Purdue has not been in the top 25, 3 and 21 the last two years. Last 10 win season for them is 1979. Barry Odom in the second year, you know, V did a great job. I don't know that it's going to be the case at Purdue.

[Host]

I'll tell you this, though. Barry Adam's a good coach. He's a good football coach, and he's a good defensive mind. And he's going to have to build this and find some ways to get some folks there. But I love doing the question with great offensive coordinators is who's the best guy you play against? And Barry Odom was always one of those guys that are like, he's just frustrating. He just makes you earn it. He's annoying to go against. And so that kind of magic, maybe

[Brent Rollins]

they clip somebody, but I don't think they're getting in the top 25. All right, four, four more quick. I'll kind of run through them relatively quickly here. So since 2022, a playoff, a team that's actually been to the College Football Playoff, Michigan State hasn't been in the top 25. Pats, Fitzgerald, former C Ball Gable guest Alessio Milavojvik at QB played well at the end of the season. I looked up how to pronounce his name. It was when I first read it, I was like, I hope you nailed it.

[Host]

But remember who was the pitched? Childs, who's now Childs, who showed some promise early in the season and then fell off a cliff year before, showed some excitement. Pat Fitzgerald, by the way, at Northwestern, always got people. He always got people and kept it competitive. Too interested to watch him come back and now see what he can do. I just. I think it's a little premature, a little early to do it.

[Brent Rollins]

Baylor has not been in the top 25. He had a great year in a big year in 2021 Sugar bowl win, but not since have they been in the top 25. Can DJ Lagway resurrect his career? That's the question For Baylor, if he can and he shows something, then maybe they can get rolling. But I'm not overly confident there.

[Host]

You know, it's interesting. I, I like, I like the kid a lot. I like Lagway. When you listen to the kid talk, I like him. I like, I like what he stands for. I like who he is, I like the way he talks. But you know, it's amazing if you go back and you watch him throughout his career in high school and to now, he's never stayed, yeah, but he's never stayed healthy. He's never stayed healthy. Like, it's just, it's, it's been an issue. And when you listen to him talk, I know there's something, there's something there and I like him. But there's also something missing. There's something missing that I don't. It's not arm strength, but it's, it's consistency and maybe, maybe the change of weather and the change of place. You know, we've seen change of schedule, we've seen the different systems where you go thrive somewhere else and, but I do know this. When you're a five star quarterback and when you have all that acclaim, here's what it does at Baylor, you, when, when you come to Baylor and it doesn't work, fans aren't irate, pissed off. If it's a three star guy, they're pissed off. But if you brought me a five star guy that has all this talent and it comes, dude, y' all know what he, y' all knew. Y' all saw what he was ranked coming out of high school, like one of the best in the country. Like shoot. I shoot my shot is what I do. If I'm, if I'm Baylor, I shoot my shot to create some excitement, to maybe catch lightning in a bottle and maybe turn it around and maximize it. But there's usually a reason why it hasn't worked before and there's a reason why guys go, you know, backwards, you know, whatever that looks like in, in their different realms. But he's an easy kid to cheer for. But I think something's missing and I don't know what it is. It's not talent, but it's something with processing. Slash, feel, slash. Just it, you know, just it.

[Brent Rollins]

Minnesota consistently good. Not necessarily great veteran roster. Drake lindsay@QB A lot to life. Yes, they got Mississippi State at home in week two. They get that. Okay, maybe they get something early in the season.

[Host]

Wouldn't they rather have Mississippi State at home in, in November?

[Brent Rollins]

Yeah, they'd probably Definitely.

[Host]

Rather like. No, I don't.

[Brent Rollins]

Have you noticed the theme, by the way, of these teams?

[Host]

What's the theme? I mean, you got a lot of

[Brent Rollins]

six of them from one conference, I must say.

[Host]

You got a lot of Big Ten.

[Brent Rollins]

A lot of Big Ten teams.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Brent Rollins]

And the lone SEC school who has not been in the top 25 since 2022 is Arkansas.

[Host]

Wow. Are you, are you, are you making a point with that?

[Brent Rollins]

Are you Just, just, that's the stat. No, that's the only one on the list that was an SEC school that has yet to be in the top or that hadn't been the top 25 since 2000.

[Host]

But that's, that's recency bias.

[Brent Rollins]

It is.

[Host]

That's recent.

[Brent Rollins]

Did you see the, the statement by the Arkansas ad?

[Host]

No.

[Brent Rollins]

He was not very happy with the way the TV schedule was because they got to go to Utah on the 12th or September 12th at night and then they host Georgia at noon, which is 11 o' clock their time the next week. And he's like, that is unacceptable. Tweeted a big thing and it's kind of up to the TV folks, that kind of stuff.

[Host]

Yeah. And you know where it's going to get you? Nowhere.

[Brent Rollins]

Nowhere. One little special edition if you'll be, if you'll bear with me of, of the numbers piece. I, I, I got to talk about Cameron Rollins season that he had in baseball baller. I can't, I can't not. Because he's never going to and no one else will. So I'm going to for him for a little bit.

[Host]

Cameron Rollins is Brent Rollins son.

[Brent Rollins]

He just finished up his senior year. We got beat in the state championship. Unfortunately we had picked a bad day to have our worst day.

[Host]

Fielding was pathetic. Pathetic. It was pathetic.

[Brent Rollins]

Worst it's been all year and we've been great all year at that very. Anyway, he finished with hitting.433.514 on base, 1156 OPS. He had second most hit hits in school history.52. He had school record six triples, 36 RBIs, 48 runs, five hit.514 in the playoffs. Hit.506 in the last 22 games. And he was over three in the first championship game. He hit two balls right at people. If he wouldn't have been 0 for 3 in that first championship game, he would have finished the year on a 22 game hitting streak. I was the only one who knew it. I didn't tell anyone. Like I didn't even tell him. I didn't tell Deanna.

[Host]

Like, yeah. And you didn't want to rob the juju. You didn't. You want to. You don't want to mess with the mojo, did you?

[Brent Rollins]

Right? No, I didn't tell a soul. And, but no, against the guy, like we faced like 3, 3, 4 draft pick type guys or big time school commits. He was 5 for 11 with a walk against guys throwing like 93 plus so.

[Host]

And he could play college baseball, but he doesn't want to.

[Brent Rollins]

He says he's a full time golfer now.

[Host]

Do you not love that? And if you know me and Brent, we've grown up coaching since our kids were tiny. Like, Brent was throwing to Nicholas in the, in the box when Nicholas was pissing himself, literally.

[Brent Rollins]

He's come a long way since then.

[Host]

Self. He's come a long way since then. But Brent and I have had the pleasure to coach all of them growing up. But Cam, if, if you'd have told me that Cam would have been a great baseball player and not wanted to play college baseball. I said, sounds like camp. Absolutely sounds like camp. I want to go play golf. I want to go have fun. I'm out of here. Peace. See you, dad.

[Brent Rollins]

And he got me. He got hurt his junior year. If he'd had this year as a junior, like, it would have been a different story. I think he got hurt and kind of struggled, fought through the shoulder issue. But yeah.

[Host]

Oh, well. Oh, are we, are we doing this? Question of the night. I think we do. It's on the graphic.

[Brent Rollins]

Yes. Question of the night was this.

[Host]

You too?

[Brent Rollins]

No, this was not. This was not me. I think this was Wesley. This was. This was Wesley.

[Host]

Okay. I like it.

[Brent Rollins]

And his, his question was, is college football healthy? On a scale of 1 to 10, what is your rating for the health of college football?

[Host]

And here's some things.

[Brent Rollins]

And he had some. He had some things.

[Host]

Like, I got some. I got some things to put. Yeah. Like Utah laying off staff after this private equity deal. Remember, we heard all about this private equity deal bringing in more money so we can make more investment. Why are people continuing to make staff changes and layoffs. Why are staffs shrinking? Because the money's going to the players. I need to spend money on the players. I don't need to waste money on a guy that's doing social media. X, Y and Z. I can cut other people from the roster. They're not as important. I've got to make sure that my team succeeds. So that's part of it. Sark's comments. I watched a coach get fired five Games into a season last year after being in the semifinals the year before. Is that healthy for the sport? That was. That's Sark saying that, like five games in. Brent's guy, James Franklin gets fired after literally being in the semifinal. Listen, you can say what you want about, like, Franklin. In no way did I think he should have been fired. In no way did I think he should have been fired. Like, no way. I mean, what the heck are we doing? Like, that is crazy. Are you not?

[Grainger Advertiser]

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[Host]

Allowed to struggle a little bit occasionally. And again, what's going on in the sport? Turnarounds very fast, a la Signetti coming in, turning over rosters, spending all this money. I want return on my investment. I want it fast. But you're seeing coaches get fired at faster rates, alarming rates. It used to be like, hey, give me three years. Like, I get three years, right? Three to five years, right? Roster over to recruiting, recruit, develop my guys. Now it's like, I mean, yeah, five games ain't enough, bro. Five games. I mean, come on, the clock is ticking, dude. You told me you were going to bring in X, Y and Z and.

[Brent Rollins]

And I wrote this check for that guy.

[Host]

And that's the thing. You've got to make those decisions, like, right as a coach, you got to make those decisions on where you're going to invest and you got to plant your flag in the ground. And obviously, the game has been changing so much too, which sucks because sometimes it's. You just were a little bit late. And again, I've talked about it. Good coaches have been fired. Like, really good coaches recently have been fired. Kirby's comments, I've said for a long time to our president, he said this on Tuesday. I've been a few huge advocate of that. If we can't find rules that everybody plays by, then we should play on our own. I'm not afraid of that. I'm not afraid to break away and say that our conference is strong enough to go out there and play. It just takes One, it just takes two to do this. And there's two in particular that absolutely can do this. Listen, you can think whatever you want about Kirby Smart. Go watch how everything tends to trend with what he says. He is a smart dude, man. He is a forward thinker. The dude is not stupid. He cares about. He cares about the sport, but he also understands the Sport better than 99.9% of people. Whether he wins whatever, we can debate who the best coach is. I'm just telling you, he knows how to put systems in place and get crap done. He knows how to be innovative. He knows how to think outside the box. He knows how to be creative. You're watching him navigate a world where he doesn't have as many recruits. And listen, here's the comment that comes with this is, you know, isn't it interesting that the SEC now has a problem with the new system of everybody getting paid? That's what I keep hearing from everybody. Do y' all really think that everybody wasn't getting paid? Do y' all really think this happened in one part of the country? Only one part of the country? You lost your fricking mind. Where did Urban Meyer come from? Yeah, he came from the south, but he went to Ohio. Like, don't. Don't get this twisted. Like, people have been getting paid for a long, long time. Like, Jimmy D, our buddy, told plenty of stories about Oklahoma back in the day. And then you got plenty of SMU story. The list goes, dude, it's been happening in college sports for years and years and years now. It's gotten bigger and crazier. It's nuts now. But I want to be.

[Brent Rollins]

I like his comment, too, about. It's. The sport has never been a playoff sport, and now we're a playoff sport.

[Host]

Playoffs are bust.

[Brent Rollins]

And that, like the. The conversation there. And that's kind of changed. All right, so what's your number one to 10? What's your health rating? If you had to. If you had to pick a number, I think that was the question Wes posed.

[Host]

I think it's an 8. I think the more you have eyeballs watching your sport, it's healthy. The healthier TV commitments and financial commitments you have into your sport, it's healthy. The more money that's coming in, it's healthy. Are there rules and things we don't like? Absolutely. Just keep in mind, nobody wanted free agency in the NBA, nobody wanted free agency in the NFL, and now it's rampant, and you're used to it, you know, so once the rules get settled, Down a little bit. It won't be as aggressive and it won't be as angry. And the rules will be a little bit more restrictive and we'll all be playing a little bit similar. A more similar game than right now. I think it'll change. So there needs to be some tweaks, but I don't think it's a full scale. Oh, my God, we need to melt down. Everything is bad. No businesses. We. Business is booming. Business is good.

[Brent Rollins]

I'd still. The calendar, though, is stupid. And they just sent out the College Football Playoff broadcast schedule today. And you've got a lot of games that are not on that are like TNT. True TV. HBO.

[Host]

Yes.

[Brent Rollins]

Like, one of the semifinal games is on TNT, but the semifinals are on the 14th and the 15th. And the championships, what, the 20 something or other this year, the 25th or 24th. It's that to me, if you don't like college football has to own around New Year's and be done for the most part around New Year's Day. And they can own December, I think, while the NFL is finishing the regular season of a lot of just meaningless games too, in that realm.

[Host]

That's what's crazy.

[Brent Rollins]

It gets fixed, but.

[Host]

But it's showing you what's the most important thing. The calendar is important to these coaches, but the crazy moneyness, movement, eligibility stuff is more important because that's what they're really trying to get situated first. Like, the calendar stuff is a little bit smaller and it's a little bit less of a deal, but to me it's a big deal. Like, what do we. January 25th is the championship game or 26, something like that. Like, you might as well go ahead and chalk up now. It ain't spring ball, it's OTAs, which is coming. Like, it's smaller amount of practices. Like, this is. This is more of a semi pro league, all in all. Always. Like, it's just becoming more of that. So when do we officially become that? Maybe a little bit more. All right, let's get the weekend winners. Winners. Mike Leach, congratulations going into the College Football hall of Fame. Rightfully so. I tell you what, Brent, I covered all these guys and you just. You never knew what Mike Leach was going to say. I mean, it was.

[Brent Rollins]

He's one of one.

[Host]

Awesome. Awesome. I mean, you'd walk in there and he'd talk about pirates and gold and swords and just. It was amazing. It was absolutely amazing. But he had stories for days, analogies for days, Honesty, candor and innovation. Like, do you think about his offenses and what they were able to accomplish. He didn't accomplish these things at lsu. He didn't accomplish these things at major schools. He went and beat people with Washington State and went to Mississippi State. Like, he, he had some good years, right. In some spots that weren't a lot harder to. To win at. He was different. He was unique. He was okay with it. And the biggest Okie doke of all, man, the script in the, in the Red river rivalry.

[Brent Rollins]

Yes.

[Host]

Like purposely having a GA drop a play script of what they scripted as the first 15 plays. And Texas bought it hook, line and sinker. Like, literally somebody went over, picked it up. If you haven't seen it, it's awesome. Go look it up. Game day. Rinaldi did the piece on it and it was so cool. But Mike Leach drew a fake script, dropped it so Texas would find it. They found it and tried to attack it and they literally go up 21 to nothing. I think just like that. Because the script and using it against Texas.

[Brent Rollins]

I will say, anyone who is watching us now, that to me is one of the greatest episodes that we've ever done in these couple years that didn't necessarily get as many people watching is the interview we did with Rinaldi that was so awesome.

[Host]

I can't believe people didn't watch that.

[Brent Rollins]

It was fantastic.

[Host]

It was so good. From Tiger woods to Federer to Leech.

[Brent Rollins]

Like, literally NFL versus College, all that.

[Host]

I mean, Mickey, like, it was, it was unbelievable. Probably still holds a lot of weight. Go back and watch it. You know, like.

[Brent Rollins]

All right, so a couple of people have mentioned this in our chat saying, exciting day for the Pollock family. So winners of the weekend, Nicholas Napster Pollock and the whole Pollock family, you're going to have to get a new helmet. Behind. Behind you. Yeah, that's orange.

[Host]

I'm going to have to do that.

[Brent Rollins]

I would hope that David would give that to you. Right.

[Host]

I think, I think we can work on that. I. I went in the closet. Me and Lindsey, we were going on our official visit to Clemson this weekend. I went in the closet and I was like, where's the orange? Don't really have much orange. Our sandals, our. Our sand. Because we're, we're going to the lake. Like, you're right there on the lake and go boating and all that stuff. All of our flip flops and all of our slides. They got Georgia dogs on them. Like, all of them. Like, we got plenty of black and red. We have very little orange. And you know, you know how it is. Brent like, your kids are. Your kids are different, and they're all different, and the way they forge. Their paths are different. And so many people have texted me from these different sites, like, hey, can I talk to Nicholas? What do you think he said, Brent?

[Brent Rollins]

Nah, I'll pass.

[Host]

I'm good. Like, I just want to play football. And so very, very strange feeling. But. But my favorite part of the weekend was he texted me on Friday night.

[Brent Rollins]

And. And for those who don't know, Nicholas committed to Clemson today. Like, announced it today.

[Host]

Nicholas Pollock. Yeah, he.

[Brent Rollins]

He.

[Host]

He. He announced it. He def. He's the one who said it and shared it with the world. But, hey, he asked me Friday night. He goes, hey, daddy. He goes, how do I commit? And I was like, what do you mean? He's like, how do I. How do I do it? And so I went to his room. I was like, all right, buddy, this is how you do it, man. And I. I. I shook hands with him. I dated him up, put on the back. I said, pound it. I said, spin in a circle. And. And then you look at dabo and you go, I want to be a Tiger. And he goes, really? I was like, no, bud, there's no way to do it.

[Brent Rollins]

No.

[Host]

Like, there's no way to do this. You just. You just say, hey, coach, I'd like to do it. But the way he did it was kind of cool. When you go into Dabo's office at his house Saturday night, we were there and at his house, and when you go into his office in his closet, Dabo has the year. And everyone who signed his. Everyone who signed on national signing day for him, he. They signed in his closet wall. So every single person on his closet wall. So he has every class at Clemson, you know, going. And we went in his office, and. And I was like, oh, VHS test tapes in the closet. We went in the closet. And then Dabo was telling us he was breaking it down. We already knew about it. He was telling us he was breaking us down. And Nicholas is like, hey, I'd like to. I like to put mine right there. And he's like, really? He's. And he's like, yeah, I'd like to be a tiger. And he's like, let's go. So, yeah, it was crazy weekend, man. Interesting. Fun to watch kids really, like, form their. Form their future and what they want to be and who they want to be. And it's fun to listen to him talk about what's important to him and, you know, fun to watch him go chase it now it's going to be.

[Brent Rollins]

It's going to be interesting, and you're going to have it this year. It's going to be with him. And it's going to be so weird because I think that was the weirdest thing about the. The game. A week and a half ago in the state championship game, it just ends. And then these people that you've spent, in essence, your entire, you know, while the kids are growing up, it's just like, hey, this was awesome. It's fun. And then everybody kind of goes their separate ways and does their things and the kids aren't together again. It's like, it's. It's that one moment time and it's gone. And watching them is like being able to watch your kids play. That's the greatest thing. I think that I saw Big and rich. The guy, one of the. Yeah, his son is evidently a pitcher, and he's like, hey, I wouldn't miss sitting behind. Behind the. The plate for anything. It's where I want to be always.

[Host]

Well, it's, It's. It's interesting. It's cool. You know, I definitely want to. I want, I want to take people through some of the process at some point, too. Like, just to teach people, you know, like, what it is and how it works and kind of what these visits look like and stuff. I just think it'd be fun for fans to really get it and understand it. But there's so many layers to it, right? And there's so many things that go into it, and there's so many things that you have to consider and look at. But the world's changing, too, with the sport and with the GM component and how the meetings work and how the academics work and, you know, it's. It's. It's a lot to process. And you think about being 17 and having to process all of that. Dude, it's hard. It is hard for them. And those meetings are tough, but I think you just, in the end, like, what. What's the most important things for you, you know, like, where. And I told Nicholas before the visit, I'm like, buddy, look at the guys around you. 31 kids coming in to Clemson with you. All 31 have been offered. I was like, look at the guys around you. That's who you're going to become. Like, whoever you spend the most time with in your life, you will become. That is. It holds true for us old people. It holds true for young people. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. And so are these people you want to be around and you want to be with. And those are things that, you know, you can't. You can't force. You know, you can't force through it. You can't make it up. It's going to be what it's going to be.

[Brent Rollins]

And so, and Napster's come a long way from, from that time on the

[Host]

coach pitchfield from when they pissed his pants when Brent was throwing him, throwing him fastballs in the dugout. He has come a long way. We've come a long way, Brent. This is a nice long show. Great show. We'll be back here Wednesday, man. We're getting closer and closer, guys. Like, I hope y' all feel it. It's bro, we ain't far, man. I mean we're in June.

[Brent Rollins]

Start making like picks here soon. Like the actual.

[Host]

We're gonna have a ton of. We got a bunch of QBs from a bunch of different big time schools that are going to be joining us. Start making some sleeper picks. We need to do that. We need to talk about all the different teams, the different leagues, the schedules because we're getting more and more excited just like you guys are. And remember, do that rate like subscribe thing. I'm terrible at telling you. I'm supposed to tell you more often, but I don't. So hook a brother up, help us out. But you guys, thanks for joining us. Appreciate y'. All. Enjoy. Enjoy today. We'll see y' all back Wednesday night. Peace.

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