Podcast Summary: See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack

Episode: Rece Davis & David Pollack Preview CFB WEEK 6 | Pre-Season QB Hype: Who Breaks Through?
Date: October 2, 2025
Host: David Pollack
Guests: Reese Davis, Brent Musburger

Overview

In this episode, David Pollack is joined by the legendary ESPN host Reese Davis and regular contributor Brent Musburger to dive deep into the college football landscape at the halfway point of the 2025 season. The group offers keen analysis, debate, and humorous banter while breaking down surprising storylines, preseason QB narratives, and team outlooks heading into Week 6. Pollack kicks off with a list of "what we've learned" so far, prompting candid responses and sparking in-depth discussion. The guest appearance by Reese Davis adds personal stories and broader perspective on this unpredictable, parity-filled season.

Main Themes

• The brutal unpredictability and emerging parity in college football this year
• Assessing pre-season quarterback hype and who is or isn’t living up to expectations
• Evaluating team strengths, playoff scenarios, and identifying underappreciated programs
• Insight into adjustments coaches and programs are making in the current college football era

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What We've Learned: Surprises and Bold Realities (02:15–06:00)

• David’s List of Midseason Realizations:
  • Arch Manning isn't in the Heisman race.
  • None of the SEC’s top three QBs are the preseason darlings (Manning, Nussmeier, Lagway, Sellers).
  • Clemson is out of national championship contention.
  • Penn State still can't beat top-5 teams.
  • Ohio State and Oregon keep reloading—the class of the Big Ten.
  • Georgia can’t get past Alabama.
  • Oklahoma (OU) is the most improved team in the country.
  • LSU’s defense is finally legit again.
  • Tennessee doesn’t miss Nico at QB.
  • ACC is deep with surprise contenders—Louisville, Miami, FSU, GT, Virginia. Not Clemson or SMU.
• Pollack’s challenge: “Tell me what I missed. Tell me what you don't like. Tell me what you do like.” (03:00)
• Musburger’s shock: That “not a single expected SEC QB is dominating” and Trinidad Shambliss is in the conversation instead.

2. Quarterback Hype: Who Breaks Through? (06:00–10:11)

• Surprising QB Standouts: Trinidad Shambliss, Ty Simpson, Diego Pavia—stat monsters, not preseason favorites.
• Brent Musburger: “Does anybody imagine Nussmeier, Manning, Lagway, and Sellers wouldn't be the best QBs in the SEC? That's crazy to me… Trinidad Shambliss is one of the top three.” (05:53)
• Klubnik, Arch, and Lagway:
  • Klubnik has a big opportunity for a bounce back vs. UNC; Arch Manning is poised for improvement after a bye week; skepticism remains for Lagway's offensive trajectory.
• David: “If you're picking between Arch and Lagway... I'm gonna go Arch. Despite Florida playing really good defense all year, they're last in the power 4 in sack rate and pressure rate. So Arch should be nice and comfortable...” (09:58)

3. Team Deep Dives & Systemic Trends (10:17–13:04)

• Georgia's D-Line Woes: Lack of push attributed to youth and inexperience—“It's experience, it's reps. There's a ton of youth. We're not used to this with Georgia's line.” (10:47)
• USC and the “Food Poisoning” Game:
  • Pollack (emphatic): “I'm completely buying this. USC being sick…down their best safety, o-line too. So I do think this is true.” (11:40)
  • Hilarious recollection of a center vomiting on the football vs. Clemson—“There were chunks on the football... It was absolutely disgusting.” (12:11)
  • Long-term: USC offense still potent, but defense must improve for real playoff contention.

4. Podium Kings: Coach and Media Moments (17:09–19:08)

• Celebrating sideline characters:
  • Dan Lanning's postgame intensity: “You can't tell me that guy wouldn't have eaten a kneecap just then.” — Reese Davis (17:45)
  • Lane Kiffin’s charisma after a big win and podium antics.
  • Reese Davis’s classic ESPN flashback impression—good-natured roast from Musburger.

5. Reese Davis Interview: Big-Picture Insights

Parity and Playoff Chaos (24:09–25:26)

• Davis: “I'm not sure there's a dominant team... Miami deserves to be number one. Ohio State was really impressive. Oregon's really good too. That's the number one thing I've learned. And I think we're going to have three-loss teams in the playoff—and several two-loss teams.” (24:09)
• On the SEC: “I don't know who the best team is. It might be A&M. It might be Ole Miss.” (25:26)

Underappreciated Storylines (27:04–28:41)

• “Maybe we're not paying enough attention to the Big 12… teams like Arizona State, Texas Tech could surprise, and Indiana might still be underappreciated... We're probably still underrating Indiana.” (27:04)
• “If one of these big jobs opens, why would you not see if Kurt Signetti would take the job? Doesn't matter that he's 64.” (28:13)

Coaches and the Modern Game (29:51–31:50)

• On Lane Kiffin: “A lot of it's just maturity... He's always going to have that quality—he's great content.” (31:01)
• Why he’s happy to see Kiffin growing, not just as a coach but as a person.

Coaching Ascendancy: Who Would You Take Over Dan Lanning? (42:22–43:22)

• Davis, pausing: “There are some maybe his equal… But he'd be right at the top of the list.” (42:36)

6. Other Team Notes & Playoff Scenarios

• A&M: Davis is buying their upside; wants to see more from Marcel Reed downfield but “they returned a lot of dudes, especially up front, and the portal gave them explosive weapons.” (34:12)
• Alabama vs. Vanderbilt Preview: Davis expects a high-scoring game, noting Alabama’s tackling issues vs. mobile QBs: “Their tackle percentage... is just about 80%. That ranks, like, 112th in the country. That's a bad recipe with that guy (Pavia).” (38:00)
• Georgia Outlook: Likely closer to 10–2 than 8–4, but no star-studded defensive line this year. “Who are those guys that you can hang your hat on?... They got four sacks in four games.” (43:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pollack’s “All In” Clemson Tattoo:
  Musburger: “Your all-in tattoo was a farce.” (04:35)
  Pollack: “It was a good thing that wasn’t permanent.” (04:54)

• SEC QB Surprises:
  Musburger: “Nussmeier, Manning, Lagway and Sellers… none of those four would be the best quarterbacks in the SEC—that's… crazy to me.” (05:47)

• Reese Davis on Parity:
  “I'm not sure there's a dominant team. Miami deserves to be number one... I think we're going to have some three loss teams in the playoff.” (24:09)

• Pollack on USC’s Offense and Sickness:
  “Center gets in his stance and literally yaks all over the football. It was absolutely disgusting.” (12:11)

• On Coaching Maturity:
  Davis: "A lot of it is just maturity. We're all, except for you, aging... Maybe it comes along with age. But [Lane]'s never going to lose that helicopter quality that stirs things up." (31:01)

• On Georgia’s Defense:
  Davis: “That Georgia defense won the Super Bowl last year.” (44:47)

• Behind the Scenes – Suit Story:
  Davis on wearing suits for TV bits with Saban: “I felt like I was about to put somebody six feet under, or I was about to serve the appetizers.” (36:23)
  Musburger: "Happy wife, happy life. Amazing. It's very, very simple." (37:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• David’s “What I’ve Learned” List: 02:15–06:00
• Surprise QB Standouts: 05:39–10:11
• Georgia & USC Deep Dives: 10:17–13:04
• Podium Kings/Coach Soundbite Segment: 17:09–19:08
• Reese Davis Interview Starts: 24:09
• Parity/Playoff Chaos: 24:09–25:26
• Undercovered Teams in CFB: 27:04–28:41
• Lane Kiffin’s Evolution: 29:51–31:50
• Alabama vs. Vanderbilt Defense Preview: 38:00–40:39
• Georgia’s Defensive Troubles: 43:33–45:41
• Coaching Scenarios (Dan Lanning): 42:22–43:22
• Reese’s Early TV Career Story: 48:18–51:21

Overall Tone & Energy

Playful, high-energy, and unvarnished. The hosts and guests enjoy riffing on inside stories (wedding mishaps, first jobs, cake mishaps), but always circle around to smart, data-driven CFB analysis. Pollack and Musburger keep it lively, while Reese Davis brings wisdom, humility, and honesty about the game and its personalities.

Closing Thoughts

This episode mixes sharp college football insight with infectious, authentic camaraderie. The analysis is direct, the surprises are plenty, and the stakes—especially for QB storylines and playoff races—feel as high as ever. Listeners are left with a sense that anything can happen in 2025, and tuning in each week is more essential than ever.