See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack

Episode: Scott Van Pelt CFB Predictions and Story Time

Release Date: August 21, 2025
Host: David Pollack
Guest: Scott Van Pelt
Co-Host: Brent Rollins

Episode Overview

This special episode marks the kickoff to the college football season with guest Scott Van Pelt (“SVP”) joining David Pollack and Brent Rollins for an insightful, entertaining discussion. The show centers around authentic college football insights, bold predictions, and the unique perspective Scott Van Pelt brings from his decades in sports broadcasting. Expect deep dives into quarterback battles, conference storylines, “bad beats” lore, and stories from SVP’s career—including the origin of famous catchphrases, a behind-the-scenes look at “This is SportsCenter” commercials, and philosophical takes on life, sports, and pronunciation debates.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. College Football Season Kickoff & Early QB Decisions

[02:40]

• BYU’s Unconventional QB: BYU names Bear Bachmeier, a true freshman, as starting QB. Notably, he’ll wear number 47, which delights Pollack—his old number, rarely seen on QBs.
  • David Pollack: “Bear is going to be a national treasure and I guarantee you we're going to hear from that man a lot on See Ball Get Ball. I flipping love that.” [03:12]
• Notre Dame’s QB Situation: Discussion about CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey, with both likely to see the field early due to experience needed out the gate as Notre Dame faces tough opponents quickly (Miami, Texas A&M).

2. Notre Dame’s Mantra & Marcus Freeman’s Culture

[05:12]

• The team is wearing shirts with “SAS”—Short for “Still Ain’t Shiz (done),” a motivational reminder that the program has to prove it every year.
  • David Pollack: “You ain't done, Shiznik. Like, get your ace back to work. You didn't win nothing. I love that.” [05:16]
  • On Marcus Freeman: “That's why Marcus Freeman is probably going to continue to elevate Notre Dame back where they want to be.”

3. Kansas State vs. Iowa State – Meaningful Week Zero Clash

[07:06–09:57]

• Avery Johnson (Kansas State) is highlighted as an exciting talent—athletic, but needs consistency. Kansas State is positioned to make an early statement if Johnson’s completion percentage improves, signaling a potential Big 12 challenge.
  • Pollack: “If it gets to 63, if it gets to 65, like Kansas State's going to show everybody...they've got a great chance to be a player in the Big 12.” [09:24]
• Both K-State and Iowa State break in new receivers, so QB play is even more critical.
• Rollins jokes about being the “Weather Channel guy,” highlighting the importance of setting—even international games in Dublin (Ireland) open the season.

4. Auburn’s “Claimed” Championships & QB Talk

[11:32]

• Auburn’s claim to more national titles prompts playful banter; both hosts agree it’s fan banter and not especially meaningful.
  • Pollack: “Nobody cares about claiming anything back in that day. Now, listen, when UCF did it, everybody was pissed. Like, that was a different animal.” [12:11]

5. Scott Van Pelt Joins: College Football Excitement & QB Parity

[16:36–19:33]

• SVP highlights the season’s wide-open feel owing to many blue-blood programs replacing QBs.
  • SVP: “So often I feel like we enter a year where you have incumbents at quarterback...But...now it’s, who’s the guy?” [16:36]
• His personal example: winning a virtual championship in EA Sports CFB with a five-star transfer, reflecting real-life unpredictability.

6. Which Blue-Bloods Can You Trust? Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia

[20:06]

• SVP expresses most trust in Kirby Smart (Georgia) and Ryan Day (Ohio State) because they’ve won titles. Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer “inherits” more pressure and uncertainty post-Saban.
  • SVP: “I trust those two. The Bama thing, it's...It's hard. So, sure, I trust Bama. It's just the level of expectation...” [20:06]

7. Early Marquee Matchups: Texas/Ohio State, LSU/Clemson

[21:32–24:07]

• LSU-Clemson is not an elimination game, but SVP sees more at stake for LSU (harder schedule, on the road).
  • SVP: “If they go in and it's a hotly contested game...it's not eliminating...far more significant if LSU did it.” [21:56]
  • On the NIL era: Clemson builds from within; LSU aggressively hits the portal—different program models.

8. “Bad Beats” and “Pitchy Pitchy Woo Woo” – The Origin Story

[24:53–27:32]

• SVP recounts the gambling story that spawned his iconic “pitchy, pitchy woo woo” phrase; now mainstream, even the NFL uses it.
  • SVP: “The origin story…if you had the underdog...they gotta start pitching the ball all over...That’s the origin of pitchy pitchy, woo woo. And then I just started saying it on the show because I'm an idiot.” [24:53]
• The phrase makes its way from late-night TV to NFL team practice—Chip Kelly calls “Pitchy Pitchy Woo Woo Wednesdays.” [28:59]

9. SVP’s Maryland Faith and How NIL Is Changing the Sport

[29:52–34:08]

• Maryland football: SVP is realistic about battling in the expanded, even tougher Big Ten (“deepest end of the pool”). Locksley’s recruiting helps, but NIL-driven poaching makes it hard to keep talent.
  • SVP: “If Texas decides they want to come knock on the door and take a guy...there's just not a whole hell of a lot you can do.” [32:55]

10. SVP’s Broadcasting Journey & Philosophy

[34:08–41:59]

• SVP recounts his “accidental” path to ESPN, keying on an interview he did with Tiger Woods that put him on the map.
  • SVP: “Treat normal people like superstars and treat superstars like normal people.” [36:09]
• The essence: be yourself—no on-air persona.
  • Pollack: “You are who you are. Unapologetically.”
  • SVP: “Just be decent to humans...I always feel badly for that person because I think, man, I'd hate to have to remember my lines when I woke up every day.” [41:59]

11. Classic Stories: “This Is SportsCenter” Commercials

[42:53–47:34]

• SVP’s favorite moments include filming with LeBron’s literal throne and the famous Arnold Palmer “iced tea/ lemonade” spot with Stuart Scott.
  • SVP: “Arnold Palmer just busted my chops. But…I can just never convince myself that you would know who I am, because you're you and I'm me.” [45:13]

12. PREDICTIONS: Clemson “All In,” Texas Uncertainty

[47:46–51:36]

• Clemson is SVP’s pick—he loves the defense, Klubnik, and in-house retention. Texas? He wants to see Arch Manning in real action before he fully buys in.
  • SVP: “I’m long on Clemson. ...The team that I believe in the most...That's a team. I really like.” [47:46]
  • Regarding Arch Manning: “A lot's being assumed and it might very well be well founded...But I just want to see it.” [49:06]

13. Fun Closers: Pecan or Puh-kahn?

[51:54–54:15]

• Light-hearted debate on pecan pronunciation. SVP’s take: “Whatever y'all say is fine. ... My grandma called it pecan pie, so I say pecan pie.” [53:53]
• Pollack: “Everybody’s right.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bear Bachmeier’s Jersey
  • Pollack [03:05]: “He is your spirit animal. BYU. He's my favorite player in college football. Now, Bear Bachmeier rocking 47 at BYU at the quarterback spot.”
• On Notre Dame’s Mindset
  • Pollack [05:16]: “You ain't done, Shiznik. Like, get your ace back to work. You didn't win nothing. I love that.”
• College Football Parity
  • SVP [16:36]: “…how wide open it feels. So often I feel like we enter a year where you have incumbents at quarterback...But...now it’s, who’s the guy?”
• Blue Blood Program Trust
  • SVP [20:06]: “I trust those two [Day and Smart]. The Bama thing...it's hard. So, sure, I trust Bama…it's just the level of expectation that exists in Teatown...but I guess I just trust in Day and Smart more because they've won titles where they've been.”
• On “Pitchy Pitchy Woo Woo”
  • SVP [24:53]: “If you had the underdog…You start yelling pitchy, pitchy... So that's the origin story of pitchy pitchy, woo woo. And then I just started saying it on the show because I'm an idiot.”
• On Authenticity in Broadcasting
  • SVP [41:15]: “I've always felt that if you just are who you are, like, then you don't have to put on some costume to go be on television right now.”
• On NIL and Modern CFB
  • SVP [32:55]: “If Texas decides they want to come knock on the door and take a guy...there's just not a whole hell of a lot you can do.”
• On Picking Clemson
  • SVP [47:46]: “I'm long on Clemson, I'm just. I'm just telling you. ...That's a team. I really like.”
• On Pronunciation
  • SVP [53:53]: “If she said pecan pie, I say pecan pie. If you say pecan, brother, that's fine with me.”

Important Timestamps

• BYU QB and Number 47: [02:40–03:48]
• Notre Dame QB competition & “SAS” mantra: [03:48–05:16]
• Kansas State vs. Iowa State Preview: [07:06–09:57]
• Auburn “Championships” Banter: [11:32–13:30]
• Scott Van Pelt Joins, CFB landscape, QB uncertainty: [16:36–19:33]
• Blue Bloods Trust Factor: [20:06–21:30]
• LSU/Clemson Impact: [21:32–24:07]
• Pitchy Pitchy Woo Woo Origin Story: [24:53–27:01]
• NIL Changes Everything: [29:52–34:08]
• SVP’s Career & Broadcasting Philosophy: [34:08–41:59]
• “This is SportsCenter” Stories: [42:53–47:34]
• Clemson and Texas Predictions: [47:46–51:36]
• Pecan (Puh-kahn) Pronunciation Fun: [51:54–54:15]

Overall Tone & Style

Friendly, passionate, occasionally irreverent and unfiltered, with both serious insider analysis and laid-back, story-driven moments. Pollack, Rollins, and SVP riff with the easy chemistry of sports lifers, and Scott Van Pelt’s humility, humor, and warmth shine throughout.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is a perfect entry into the 2025 college football season, offering a blend of honest analysis, deep-dive predictions, and personal stories from one of sports media’s most beloved personalities. You’ll walk away understanding the season’s unpredictability, shifting landscape with NIL and transfers, and why authenticity—on and off the field—remains the truest play.