← See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack
See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack
SEC Previews: Florida | Texas A&M | Oklahoma | Missouri | Mississippi State | Arkansas | Kentucky
00:53:07
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- [00:00]
David Pollack
What's up, everybody? David Pollack here of C Ball Get Ball podcast. I hope you like it, man. Be sure to follow the show wherever you subscribe, YouTube or any of your other platforms.
- [00:10]
Brent
So SEC media days concluding. So now you get a whole lot of me here. And we've looked at nine teams now and we got seven to go. And we were going to kind of get through those seven tonight. And one of the things I thought was interesting point of discussion from. From Media days is whole conference games and the number of conference games. All right, let's. Let's give you a test and see.
- [00:38]
David Pollack
You got me, cousin.
- [00:40]
Brent
I. I got you. I can hear you clearly. There we go.
- [00:43]
David Pollack
That's right. Let's go.
- [00:44]
Brent
Yes, we're much better off. And the whole nine versus eight types topic, and where do you stand in that realm? Whereas Big Ten plays the nine conference game, the SEC plays eight. And thank you, Ross, for, for checking in there and keeping with us. Where do you stand in that conversation? Because I actually, by the way, Danny Canel of all people, had had a great idea, I thought, where he said, hey, everybody go to eight and then more power, four conference games against each other. I thought that was actually logically good.
- [01:23]
David Pollack
I mean, it's, it's also something that I've been saying for years with the cross, everybody playing someone in a conference. It would give us a lot more, you know, data points if we would do that. Listen, don't you think it's fair? Here's, here's the problem if we want to get down to this. The problem is not all conferences are created equally. Correct.
- [01:42]
Brent
No.
- [01:43]
David Pollack
Like that's a fair assessment. No, nobody's going to disagree with that. Like the ACC and the Big 12 are clearly lagging behind. Everyone agrees with that. Now, the Big Ten in the sec, the Big Ten's got two national championships in a row. So like they're, they're definitely riding high and there's a reason that people are talking about them as a great. But if you're going to talk about the. The most talented conference top to bottom, here's an interesting thing, Brent, like, Brett, how many teams in the SEC do you think can win the league?
- [02:13]
Brent
The league. A lot. That's a. And that's probably one of the. So difficult looking.
- [02:18]
David Pollack
Okay, but how these schedules. Give me, give me. How many teams do you think can play for. How about this? I'll do. I'll do you one better. How many teams. How many teams in this. Okay, that's a lot. Like in this league, can can play for the championship. Like that's. That, that's an interesting conversation for me because I go into the Big Ten, I'm not giving you very many names. I'm absolutely correct. I'm going to give you three.
- [02:43]
Brent
Three and a maybe.
- [02:44]
David Pollack
Yeah. And so that's where I understand where the SEC says that the atmospheres in the SEC are extremely difficult to play. But I also understand too where like I want to play the same game everybody's playing. Because here's where the SEC to me gets a big, a big advantage when they play that no name school late in the season when you're guaranteed to get a dub and they all do it like they, they all play, you know, one of the directional schools late in the season to give you a tune up. Yeah. A Mercer type of a deal before a rivalry game, before that big game at the end of the season. And so I understand where we're coming from. Do I want uniformity? Sure. Like I'd be fine with all of them playing eight. I. But, but I just want to say this. I want all of them to play eight, but I want all of them to play competitive games outside of their conference. That way we get the best chance. Now listen, not every team's going to be up. Not every team is going to always give a game outside of things. But I would love to continue to say it. I want two teams to play teams out of conference in multiple conferences so we get a better litmus test of how people cross match up and how good conferences really are. Because it's really difficult to tell. Last year everybody goes sec, head and shoulders. South Carolina could have been in the playoff. Well, Illinois proved they could have been in the playoff. Like it's a great, it's the greatest litness test is when you play head to head. So I, I would love to see more of that. And I think we'd have a better chance. But make it 8. Make everybody challenge themselves out of conference and play other teams. And then I think we'd have a really good fun show.
- [04:22]
Brent
So by the way, now that, now that we're clear with the, the mic and the sound, where are you coming to us from again?
- [04:29]
David Pollack
I am in. I. I am in. Okay, I'm in North Carolina. We're playing our tournament in South Carolina. So this is the Adidas national championship for, for our 15U, 16U 17U girls that we play with for team Elite. And we actually play literally for it all. So you'll go through the gamut now, Brent, like you've Been ranked throughout the season. And now you'll play tournament style. Play win in advance. Win in advance to go try to be a national champion. So it's pretty cool. Like, the. The levels definitely amped up. Listen, it's girls basketball. I get it. My son isn't having the greatest of times. Like, he's not, like, really dialed in on the side saying this is high caliber, but it's. It's fun. So in. In North Kakalaka tournament. Right. Right down the road in South Kakalaga.
- [05:18]
Brent
Yeah. All right, cool. All right, so we got that out of the way. Gators, they're first up four and five, by the way. I. I did. If you would ask me midway through the season, would Billy Napier still be here?
- [05:32]
David Pollack
I would have said no.
- [05:33]
Brent
I would have said definitely no. And then they went four straight. Lagway sort of takes off, you know, and. And now everything is sort of positive and a lot of great positive vibes looking forward to for this season.
- [05:48]
David Pollack
Well, and here's why it's positive. It's positive because what did Napier do really well, Brent, like, to me, the culture of the team to stick together with all the negativity swirling, it shows you something about this dude. Like, he's got something to him that he can get people to buy in even when things around him is going crazy. That's a good coach. Like, that's a really good coach. Napier scheme is very hard to defend. The way they do the stretch and the way they. The way they run the football, and it's usually pretty productive. And I thought the line of scrimmage is the fact that, like, they lose guys that are all over the place last year that are on different rosters because of all the negativity. They still plug and play and had a great line of scrimmage. So I think that's another strength coming into this season. The Florida Gators come down to absolutely one thing, and it's DJ Lagway. Like, how good is he? Because the elite. DJ Lagway is as elite as anybody in the country. And I know that sounds strange, but, like, I'm putting him up there with Levitt. I'm putting him up there with Club Nick. I'm putting them up there as high as you want to put him up there. The. The fastball, the. The deep ball, the arm is insane. Like, it doesn't take a back seat to many people in the. In college football. How much did last year help him gain experience? I. I trust this Brent. I trust his heart. I trust his toughness because I saw him pop his hamstring and come back and still continue to fight for his team a couple weeks later. But, but it's, it's, to me, it's the development at the quarterback spot and does he go to that next level where it's not just the deep ball, it's the intermediate passing, it's the checkdowns, it's the short stuff. Like he's, he's got all the tools. But this offense has to. Has to run the ball well, which I think it can. And then he has to develop as a, as a really strong quarterback that knows the answers to the test, that knows how to check it down, that knows how to stay on schedule, on script, and not just the highlight plays down the field.
- [07:46]
Brent
Efficiency, I think is probably the word that you're talking about when you look at the numbers though, to back up what it is that you just said. 8.8 big time throw percentage. That was number one in the SEC a year ago. That was number one in the power four last year. All QBs. So like in terms of.
- [08:03]
David Pollack
Brent works for PFF Pro Football Focus and they obviously do college and pro. What does that mean? What does a big time throw mean?
- [08:10]
Brent
That's the highest graded throws plus one or better on the, on the, on the scale and basically any. It's the highest graded best throws that you can be in terms of accuracy down the field. Oftentimes it's that. It's accuracy down the field, it's putting in the bucket outside shoulder the receiver when it's tight coverage. That kind of stuff. The best throws that are out there he made on a percentage basis. He made him at a higher rate than anybody in college football last year. So the tools are there to be the. And that was my number one question. He put himself in the best quarterback in college football conversation because you have an O line that returns. It's very solid.
- [08:46]
David Pollack
Center is elite. Center is one of the best in the country. Like really, really good. And here's somebody said in the comments Soren's. Soren's wrath said in the comments, like what makes this Gator offense so good? What's this or what's the strongest part of this Gators offense? To me it's the line of scrimmage. To me their scheme is really, really good. They do a great job of hitting you in the mouth, getting plus yards, stretching you out wide like being very, being very difficult from a. You can't just get in one front and play them like they have answers up front they do a great job of working together. When you run a zone scheme a lot of times too and guys work together, they have to communicate, they, they have to get on tracks. Like they're very well coached up front. The strongest part to me is their line. Like it's the guys up front that can pave the way. The running back spot is going to be a strength like we, we saw we, oh my gosh, Ball looks like he's going to be a wrecking ball. Like he looks like a grown man that can, that can tote the rock because last year you again another guy ETN goes to Georgia and you're like, that dude's really good. I saw him make big time plays in the Florida offense. It didn't matter who they. That's what shows you how good this offense is, Brent, because they put another guy in and he's good. They put another guy in and he's good. And it's the, it's the scheme up front, it's the lineman, it's the communication. Those guys are really good.
- [10:07]
Brent
Second question. Defensively, Vinnie Sinceri, which is a name that college football fans should recognize. Former Alabama player, won some national championships at Alabama at sort of a co DC primary. I don't really know exactly how they're doing it there because there's him and the Roberts guy, but he's there. And you've got a lot of depth up front, really good players and SAP and Banks up front. I, I, to me, key players to watch for them defensively are, and it's, and it's a question a lot of times we ask with all these teams is what are you getting from other guys? If these other guys can be elite type players that raise the ceiling of your defense. And it's the former five stars that aren't necessarily like penciled in starters but Kormani McClain at corner and LJ McRae at edge. Do these guys, you know, sort of give you what the talent suggests that they possibly could from a production standpoint? Because to me they're very solid. But you get something from those guys, it raises the ceiling of Florida's defense.
- [11:05]
David Pollack
First of all, like I think when you talk about Banks, Brent, I don't think you talk about like a good lineman. I think you talk about a guy that could be the best in the country like that, like the upside for, for me, for him is elite of elite. Like could be a wrecking ball, like could be a one man wrecking crew that makes plays that penetrates that, that just dominates the Line of scrimmage. And that's just. You don't say that about many teams, and you saw it last year with him. And so I think that he's a. I'm sure you got some PFF numbers for me for that, right? Like, I'm sure you got some kind.
- [11:37]
Brent
Of, like, I mean, 29 pressures. He had four sacks. Yeah. Very high grade.
- [11:42]
David Pollack
I just feel like. I feel. But I feel like he's going to ascend. I feel like he's going to continue to develop. Here's what I'll say about what you just said and those guys you mentioned, obviously, they're talented. I'm at a point where I trust Napier to develop them, too. That's. That's where I'll say, now, listen, let's get to the real part of this because we got to get to these other teams, too. There's also a schedule problem. Like, there's a schedule problem.
- [12:05]
Brent
Can they survive the early month stretch? At least 2 and 2? That is my question. Because it is after.
- [12:12]
David Pollack
Give it to us. Give it to us.
- [12:13]
Brent
Florida, Long island at home. Okay, game one scrimmage. South Florida at home. Not necessarily a scrimmage. That's a. You got to play that game. But then at lsu, at Miami, home, Texas at A M, can you get two and two? Because that is brutal.
- [12:32]
David Pollack
And here's the thing. They were. Their schedule was brutal last year. And the way they started gave you every reason to think that they would quit, they would fall off a cliff, and they didn't. So to me, they feel we're going to get to Oklahoma today, too. They feel like Oklahoma to me. Like, they feel like a team that. If they had a different schedule and played in a different league, I'd say they're a playoff team. They're a fringe playoff team. But. But that's the problem with the sec. How many times are we going to say this? Like, teams that could. That could get hot and make it like lsu, like Florida, like Oklahoma, like it should. But you just look at that schedule that's pulled up right there and you go, gosh dang. Like, they can play great football like great football and win nine games. Like Billy Napier can be a better coach. They're a way better team. And if they win nine games, I think they're in the playoff conversation. Like, that's how. That's how brutal that schedule is. But who are we getting to next? Let's keep. Let's keep rocking and rolling.
- [13:29]
Brent
By the way, I think they're a 9 and 3 team. I think they take care of every everything in the non conference which includes Miami, Florida State, South Florida. But they're 3 SEC losses. That's what I feel for that, for that group. Woo. Pig Suey, the pit boss. Arkansas, by the way, Pittman in year six. Now that's crazy. Nine and four in year two, four and four in the sec. That's the best they've been. And if I told you there, there were they had played in 16 one one score games in the last three years, what would you think their record is in those 16 games?
- [14:07]
David Pollack
2 and 14, 4 and 12.
- [14:11]
Brent
Like 4 and 12.
- [14:12]
David Pollack
Not far, not far off.
- [14:14]
Brent
And that's just, that's been their bugaboo is they're playing teams tough. They're right in there with a lot of, in a lot of games. But there's not quite getting over the hump.
- [14:25]
David Pollack
Well, okay, so let's address why. Like let's, let's address why. The consistency of the teams that they play. They're not as talented. So when you're not as talented, you've got to do something different. You've got to win the turnover battle, which like this last year, last year I think about like the turnover battle and like Oklahoma State. I'm like, bro, you're slapping these dudes in the face and then you're throwing pick sixes and turn the ball over. Like how about the kicking game last year too? Good lord. It was a, it was a cluster. It was ungood, very ungood. So they've got to win special teams, they've got to win the margins. But let's, let's not, let's not not go too far and not mention Taylor Green. He's been my guy. I've been talking about him for years. Like I thought he would win the Boise job. It's crazy. He didn't win the Boise job and he left Boise, which is absolutely nuts. But you talk about, I'm just telling you, Taylor Green will be discussed when we start talking about the NFL draft next year. Like he's going to be a guy that's going to go, oh man, like look at those skill sets. 6, 5, 6, 6, 2, 40. Can run, can push the ball. Bobby Petrino came in last year and everyone thought Sam Pittman was going to get fired. Bobby Petrino was going to be the interim coach. That's what everybody talked about last year, how it was going to go. That offense took a step forward. Second year with Bobby Petrino, what he can do at the quarterback helm. Arkansas is going to hang around every game. Do they fix this turnover problem? Do they get the kicking game solved? Do they win close games? They're going to be in a talent deficit. Like that's, that's normal for them and, and, and it's just the world that they live in. But I think that, I think there'll be a team that will be a pain in people's butts and hang around and a team that can beat you like, like the Tennessee game when you, when you watched them a year ago.
- [16:07]
Brent
Yep. Taylor Green, by the way, basically has an entire new receiving core. And probably actually the most significant news of actual news from SEC media days was Sam Pittman talking about the injury to one of his receivers. The CIS kid that transferred from Stanford. He had some sort of wrist injury. He thinks it might be a season in season ending surgery. I think I read that like when you're breaking in new guys, you don't want to take one from that room. But you made the point about Petrino and I actually think one of the things that they need to do is help their quarterback more so than they do run game. They are that. But also just how they throw the football. It is truly a push the ball down the field offense. He's in the top 10 in the Power 5 in terms of average depth of target, in terms of screen percentage, one of the lowest in the, in the power five. Like 8%. Most teams hover in the 15 to, you know, 20% range. Make things a little easier for your quarterback, be more efficient and allow him opportunities to make those big plays. But I do think their season comes very much like last where they'll get somebody one or two.
- [17:14]
David Pollack
Yeah.
- [17:14]
Brent
But be in that 500 overall and potentially because by the way, they got at Memphis and Notre Dame as well.
- [17:21]
David Pollack
Like they got a brutal schedule. Their schedule sucks. Like, pull up their schedule real quick, hit them and then let's get to the next team. Like, it's not, it's not fun.
- [17:29]
Brent
Adam. Miss at Memphis, Notre Dame, Tennessee, a M, Auburn, Ms. State. Okay. At LSU, Texas, Missouri. Like it's, it's not fun. But yeah, I think they'll get a couple. But they'll be right about where they were last season in the SEC where two or three wins and you know, around 500 potentially get into a bowl game. The other interesting thing from there we go, there's Arkansas schedule, the Notre Dame, like adding Notre Dame and Memphis to your SEC grind, that's just, that's just not fun.
- [18:04]
David Pollack
I just. No, I want you to, I want you to tell me what the other interesting thing from media day was because I, I don't find a lot interesting. I'd love to hear what you found interesting.
- [18:13]
Brent
Coach Drink. Because Coach Drink is fun. And, and, and he, and he enjoys making fun of himself. He said he wasn't going to talk about, I think the Epstein files. He wasn't going to bring that up, but he talked about his playoff number and he said, hey, I think 30 is the number in terms of playoff teams. I, I didn't re. He, he. I read or listened to him talk about his structure, but 30 was his number. Would you. He. I think he based it from a percentage like the NFL. Hey, the NFL does correct X percentage. So let's get, I mean, I get that, but got to do a better.
- [18:49]
David Pollack
Job of playing some of this audio sometimes on the, on the show as we, as we get, as we go along, because it was. Listen. They talk for a while obviously. And that's, that's, that's. You don't need to listen the whole time. But actually Wes has some of the sound. So Wes play, play some of the sound of Drink. Because I, I just, I love the way he addresses this and it's like first of all, he's kind of smarmy when he starts. But, but I like just listen to Drink and his playoff recommendations.
- [19:19]
C
With our commit here, you know, when, when I think about college football right now and think about what do we need to do, I think it really comes down to two things. What's best for our players and what's best for our fans. The rest of us are really only important because of the players and the fans. And so when you think about whether it's 12, 14 or 16, you know, to me, if we're, if we've decided to go into this expansion of playoffs and we're trying to follow an NFL model, well, the NFL takes 44% of their teams in order into the playoffs to increase the passion or keep the fan base engaged. If we're talking about 12, that's 9%. If we're talking about 14, that's 11%. If we're talking about 16, that's 12%. That's really not changing the math for the fan base. So I really don't understand what's. What, what the big fight is about. The other thing I don't really understand about this. You know, we have a lot of complaints whether we're talking about 68 teams in the NCAA basketball tournament. We're complaining about the committee. And now we last Year we complained about the committee selections. I mean, we produced all kinds of stats and handed them out about why the SEC was so good. Well, the problem is we have a human committee that has no standard set of structure of how they're going to select. They're all human beings. They all have implicit bias. So now we're going to go from. From 7 to 11, and we think that's going to solve the problem. Until we figure out what exactly the standards are, I don't think that's good.
- [21:00]
David Pollack
Okay, so, okay, first of all, Brent, you're a numbers guy. Like, are you. When you hear people. When you hear him start to talk and you hear him talk about the, the numbers of, of. Of the percentages and stuff, like, first of all, does that excite you? Do you get jacked up about that? Does that make you, like, like, want to go write a pff article?
- [21:27]
Brent
No. No, it doesn't.
- [21:28]
David Pollack
Okay. You're a nerd.
- [21:30]
Brent
I like that he's using logic.
- [21:33]
David Pollack
Okay. He sounds like a school teacher. But here's the. Here, here's. Here's something that I find very interesting. I want you to answer this question for me, Brett. When we had the BCS, what did we have?
- [21:46]
Brent
2.
- [21:46]
David Pollack
2. And we had a formula. We had computers, and everybody griped and everybody moaned. We go to four, and we have a committee, everybody gripes, everybody moans. We're always going to have negative feedback. Now, what I say about, like, what he said was, the more inclusion, the better. And why is that better? It's always better because late in the season, every game matters. Late in the season, we're going to be talking about teams that we wouldn't be talking about otherwise. How is that a downfall? Like, but at what point do we also get to. Just personally, at what point do we get to where, like, now, the more you expand, the. The more the regular season doesn't matter. Late in the season could be really, really good, but you lose and you're like, if you got 30 in these things, like, you can go ahead and put in 10 schools. Like, you can put in 10 schools. You can just, okay, here's the 10. We'll go ahead and pick the next 20. Because this is. This might be a little bit flux, but, my God, the top 25. And then plus five are going to go. Like, that's what we want to do. Like, that's. I'm. I'm. I'm not in for that. I like more football. I like. I think we're going to get to 16, but. And I Love drink. I love the way he thinks, I love the way he talks. I love the way he runs his team and his offense. Like they were a sneaky 10 wins last year by the way. And they were back to back top 25 teams, double digit wins.
- [23:06]
Brent
Third time in the school's history that they've won back to back 10 games. Had back to back 10 win seasons. That's a lot, a lot of football played in Missouri, only the third time in school history.
- [23:17]
David Pollack
So what do we, what do we think about their squad this year? Because I think it's interesting. I, I think it's interesting. I'll let you go first.
- [23:27]
Brent
Well, Bo Kula, is he ready to be the guy? Because he's actually been really good. In this small sample that we've seen of him from Penn State, do you.
- [23:36]
David Pollack
Have numbers, do you have numbers to back that up?
- [23:38]
Brent
Oh yeah. He was 92.6 passing grade last year.
- [23:43]
David Pollack
How many throws?
- [23:44]
Brent
56.
- [23:46]
David Pollack
Oh wow. Gez.
- [23:47]
Brent
Small sample size, Very small sample. But 37 of 56, 424, nine touchdowns, one pick in the little that we've seen of him. But the biggest thing is can they take advantage of the absolute just home fest that they have? They don't play a road game until October 18th. October 18th at Auburn. That's unbelievable.
- [24:06]
David Pollack
Incredible. It's incredible. Obviously hosting Alabama, hosting South Carolina. Those are two. So Central Arkansas, dub, Kansas. Yeah, it can be tricky sometimes. Louisiana, South Carolina, UMass is a dub. Alabama, Auburn, you got Vanderbilt, you got a N, you got Mississippi State and then at Oklahoma, at Arkansas to finish it. You know, it's interesting. Great schedule, don't leave your home. Good atmosphere obviously where you play. But Prula, if I'm, if I'm a Missouri fan, I have a lot of optimism about this kid from the second half of the Wisconsin game last year. He was forced into action. Aller was out. They needed him to come up big against a good Wisconsin defense and he did. And that's where like I think Eli Drinkowicz with his style of offense with Kirby Moore and the way they run the football, Ahmad Hardy coming over like they run the ball every year they do the things I'm talking about with that stretch and then they like they were more of a, of a drop back passing team last year, which this year they're going to run, run some more, run some more and they're good at it. And they got a quarterback now that fits that mold. Great. They got a really good offensive line. Like Missouri's another team. They've got a bunch of really, really good pieces. This offense could be a pain in the neck. Like, it could be a problem for a lot of people. It could be ground and pound. It could be Vandy esque from a year ago, eat the clock, shorten games, you know, and then. And then defensively, I just go to the other side of the football and I wonder about replacing a lot of guys. Bringing over Damon Wilson from Georgia, who we watched him last year, Brett, before the season, and we were like, that guy's got a chance. He's got some twitch. They pay him a lot of money to bring him over. I'm sure you've got some numbers on him because he was. He was a good. He would have started this year for Georgia.
- [25:56]
Brent
Well, I think he can, actually. So you think about last season for them. Johnny Walker at edge had 50 animal pressures, which was top five in the power four, three, 10 sacks, third and sacks. I think Damon Wilson can replace that production like, I think, because I think they're just gonna say, hey, here's the edge. Go free. Go get whatever you can get any. And let him just run and go beat people. And I think he actually has a lot of skill as a pass rusher that well.
- [26:24]
David Pollack
And they turn him loose, actually.
- [26:26]
Brent
Yes, that's the big.
- [26:27]
David Pollack
That that's where. That's where people are gonna. People get upset sometimes. Not upset. Like, people don't understand that systems make players a lot of times and the system you play in defines how successful I am. Just like a quarterback, but just like defense, defensive line man, if you turn me loose and let me go, like, I can penetrate, but I don't get my head chewed off because I'm out of gap. Like, listen, that's the way I played. Like, I played defensive line and it was a suggestion whether I kept contain or not. Like. But here's the thing. I made a bunch of plays. And if you make a bunch of plays, it's okay because you can give up a few plays. But you just. You need some guys that are okay with that. That. You need a couple of guys, two or three guys that really like Jalen Carter was one of those guys for Georgia. Like, swim, move, get out of gap. I just got a sack, coach. What you got for me? Like, you need. You can have two or three guys like that and then you need eight soldiers that do their job every single play. But you need some unpredictability. Zion Young on the outside for Missouri. I think Missouri's edge could be a strength of their team and it could be very productive. But defensively they're replacing a ton. The schedule obviously sets up really, really well. But I, I like this Missouri squad. I like them being at home a lot. I like their schedule. I think they're going to be right there in the mix for, for another season like they had a year ago.
- [27:49]
Brent
Yeah, I'm very interested to see if they get to be five and oh, hosting Bama because then it's a big time game for them at that point. But I, I see them in that 7, 6, 7, 5, 8 and 4 kind of realm. One team I don't see in that realm is unfortunately the Mississippi State Bulldogs who did not win an SEC game a season ago, didn't win many games at all and lost all of their SEC games by double digit points. So rough year one for Jeff Lebby.
- [28:18]
David Pollack
Jeez.
- [28:19]
Brent
Do they get one this year?
- [28:20]
David Pollack
Geez.
- [28:20]
Brent
Do they get one this year? Okay, positive. Blake shaping was actually very good. Solid time that he played for. Shoulder injury. He's back and I even saw a quote where he felt like he can throw the ball farther, even sort of better at this point. So hey, that's maybe something to build on. Their schedule stinks again. Like it's just.
- [28:40]
David Pollack
Okay, so. So they're not going to be a good team. Pull up their schedule. Let's just see, let's see, let's see. Here's what I want to say. I want to know the wins. Brent, give me, give me the Mississippi State game that you look at on this schedule. Listen, if you're wanting to. To be optimistic, Mississippi State fans, I. It's probably the wrong show. I mean, I just, I'm sorry, there's not a lot to be optimistic about. But the schedule, I mean, it's not fun.
- [29:08]
Brent
Southern myth. But then they get.
- [29:10]
David Pollack
You're gonna give you, you're gonna give them that one.
- [29:13]
Brent
I'm not going to give them any game. Take that back. They get out the state. Alcorn State in week three, Northern Illinois, week four. I don't, I don't know that I want to give them that, but Arizona State as well, Week two and then the SEC gauntlet for them. I will say this though.
- [29:33]
David Pollack
Go ahead.
- [29:33]
Brent
I might, I might hold off until the prediction part until we get to the last team that we're looking at. So I'll, I'll wait for that.
- [29:40]
David Pollack
Well, let me say this about, Let me say this about Bull State. I think here's what you want to see for Mississippi State fans. Like, first of all, it's a great Fan base. The stadium's unbelievable. The cowbell is. Is crazy. It's cool. Like, I'd love to see just some excitement. You hired Jeff Lebby because you wanted Jeff Levy to bring an offensive philosophy and style that was really, really fun and unique. And so, like, I don't have a lot to give you about optimism, but, like, let's see it do this, Brent. Like, let's see the offense, you know, get their tempo the way they want to get their tempo. Let's see the offense score some points, create some explosiveness and get some kind of fun. Like, that's what. That just needs some kind of identity. They can't be bad on both sides. Like, Jeff. Jeff is a brilliant offensive mind, and I just. I want to see the offense improve and be dominant, like, be good. I know the defense is going to be. Have holes in and stuff like that, but, you know, you just want to see something positive going in that direction so you can build some kind of optimism and say, like, we're gonna go do this. You know what I'm saying? Like, okay, I feel better about where we're going to be next year.
- [30:50]
Brent
Yep, I agree. One thing, that should feel pretty good. And. Well, I actually have a prediction for Miss Date later, so stay with us on that.
- [31:00]
David Pollack
Stay tuned.
- [31:01]
Brent
Yeah. Boomer, Sooner, Oklahoma. By the way, in terms of picking and looking at all of this, the single hardest team to look at was this. Why?
- [31:14]
David Pollack
Why?
- [31:15]
Brent
Because. Because the Delta, the change from what they were offensively to what they potentially are and can be this year is the widest gap, I think, of any team in the league.
- [31:25]
David Pollack
Is it fair to say. Can I say this and feel very confident Oklahoma's offense will be the biggest turnaround in all of college football?
- [31:34]
Brent
I would. There's no. I don't see how. Unless they are bad, unless they aren't.
- [31:39]
David Pollack
Good or they're gonna. They've. If they're. If they're. If they're average, they are so much better than they were a year ago offensively, it's ridiculous. Like, if they're average. And so we've talked about Oklahoma a little bit. Like, I'm. I'm all in on Oklahoma, too. Like, I just. I like. I like the additions. I like Arbuckle. I like that. I like you going into the portal. Like, listen, Oklahoma is not Texas. Oklahoma does not have the resources that. That other schools have. But I think they did a good job of identifying a few things that they had to have. They had to have the quarterback print. They had to have it like they had to have their guy at qb. They got the best guy available. The absolute best guy available. Like a guy that fits their style. A guy that makes plays when plays aren't there, that can scramble. They can make plays on the move. You know, they can't be. They can't be. They can't have as many guys hurt as they did a year ago. That's impossible. On the offensive side of the football, that. That won't hold true. And then I've said this and I don't know if people understand this or not or believe it and you don't have to believe it. This is the best D line in the league. Like this is. This is across the board, outside and inside. This is as dominant as a group as you're going to find in the country. Like it's that kind of good. So like Oklahoma's not going to be. To me, like, they take massive steps forward. Arbuckle calling the offense, Venables calling the defense. You got your qb. Offensive line will be better. Receivers will be better. Everything about OU to me, the, the, the Arrows going up.
- [33:24]
Brent
Yep. By the way, you said the best one available of the top 10 highest graded returning quarterbacks, Matier is the only one. John Matier is the only one who's on a new team. Everybody else sort of stayed where they were and he actually had the number one rushing grade of all quarterbacks a season ago. Over a thousand yards rushing, equal sort of scramble and design yards. I think that's something that they're going to have to sort of manage, I guess in a way to get him.
- [33:50]
David Pollack
Through, not to take shots, to get.
- [33:53]
Brent
Him through the SEC schedule. But the other thing here is you talked about the additions and we had Jim, Jim Nagy on over before the draft and he's done a lot of good things there. Jade knot. Can you get Jade knot from two years ago at running back? And you know you have that QB running back combo. Playmakers back healthy potentially. You mentioned the D line. R Mason Thomas, big time baller, absolute.
- [34:20]
David Pollack
Here's what I love about our Mason Thomas. Like, Brett, I gotta shout these dudes out when I can. Everyone wants and everyone talks about guys off the edge. Oh, give me the length. Like the length is so good. Like I don't care. Like, here's a beautiful thing about not having length. I was underneath every single person I went against. Like I had leverage every single time. Our Mason Thomas is 6:2. But let me tell you something. That first step, bro, it is awesome. It is fantastic. He's quick. He knows how to get around the edge. Last year was kind of a slow start and really this is the first time he got a ton of snaps. And I'm sure you got a snapshot in front of you, Brent, with all the. The grade of him and all that stuff. But like once he got through those first couple games and the two lane game is when I really saw. I was like, I kept writing down 32 like, who the freak is this guy? Like, God dang. He's causing fumbles. He's like, he is just all over the field. And when you watch Oklahoma, man, 32 off the edge. He doesn't have the quote unquote measurables. He's got the first step that's elite. He's got the motor that's freaking fantastic. He's got pass rush repertoire like that. Dude, it's impossible not to fall in love with a guy like that.
- [35:31]
Brent
And now the bad part. Their schedule still stinks. Sucks.
- [35:36]
David Pollack
Like, this is Gators.
- [35:37]
Brent
I got the short end of the stick with the new the them versus Texas. They 100 did like without a shadow of a doubt. They got the short end of that stick. And they also add Michigan as a home game in week two this year.
- [35:48]
David Pollack
So how about, how about Ross hating on the. On the Sooner struggle, bud, for five wins for the Sooners.
- [35:55]
Brent
Like, bro, I think Ross Texas fan, if I remember right.
- [35:58]
David Pollack
Yeah, get out of here, Ross. No, not. Not digging that. Look, look at the schedule, though. Illinois State dub. Michigan, like, they gotta go. Are they at the big house? Are they hosting that? Thank God it's. Thank God it's in Norman. The game's gonna be absolutely insane. Elite Temple, give me that dub. Kent State, give me that dub. Auburn, obviously going to be tough, but thank goodness it's at home. LSU at home, like, yes, please. Ole Miss at home. Goodness gracious. Missouri at home. Thank God a lot of those are at home. But then don't. Brent, go ahead and give me that last part of the schedule because at South Carolina. At South Carolina. At Tennessee, Texas. Well, Texas is. Yeah, obviously Texas is. Yeah, Dallas. But that, that home schedule is tough. The non conference because you bring in Michigan is, is really cool. Like again, give me more of these games. But, but, but if y' all think that Michigan's going to come down and bully Oklahoma, I don't. I don't think that's going to happen. Even though Michigan's been bullying a lot of people in college football, I like.
- [37:07]
Brent
Him in that game and I actually like them to be 5, 0 heading into the Texas game. After that, I don't know. Just because it's such a week to week grind. After that.
- [37:15]
David Pollack
Yeah, Ross, how you like that? Brit likes him in the first five, bud. Struggle for five wins, Claire. How about that? Ross? Eat it, Ross. Brent just told you they'll be 5 and 0. Get you some. Where we at next H. Aggies. Aggies.
- [37:34]
Brent
Eight and five in. In Mike Elko.
- [37:36]
David Pollack
You think. You think Elko. You think Elko. You. You think people in A and M are, are excited about Mike Elko? Like, do you think they're jacked up about him?
- [37:46]
Brent
I don't know. I mean, I don't know about him specifically, but I think they should be excited about their team. I like their team.
- [37:52]
David Pollack
I'd be excited about what the heck I got, man, because I had a few lean years with some coaching and I just, I thought I had it figured out going in the right direction but like to turn around in year one, the, the culture, the competitive atmosphere, like, I just think it was really fun to watch and I know coach Elko really well, but like just a fan of a fan of, of the way he carries himself. A fan of his defense, the soundness, the accountability. Like he creates accountability with people in a great way. And I think that you'll continue to see that from A and M. I think the discipline will pick up. I think the past defense is going to be better this year. Last year at times I was like, golly, man, if they don't get to him in the front half, like, oh geez, this is. This, this ain't good.
- [38:39]
Brent
But the speed fence, and you speak about that getting to them. They got to replace the three S's. Stewart, which by the way, have you noticed that he's still holding out with the, with the Bengals and they're still.
- [38:50]
David Pollack
I told you. Listen, don't blame Shamar Stewart. Everyone holds out with the Bengals. That's what they do. It's what I had to do, unfortunately. But no, don't blame them. Don't blame him.
- [39:00]
Brent
Yep, Shamar Turner and then Scoggins, like those three guys, like NFL guys that are now not on your roster, you got to find a way like Cassius Howell was a playmaker there and he's got to step up. And you got some others and you got some portal additions along the D line. But that was such a strength for them a season ago. Can it.
- [39:17]
David Pollack
Such a strength.
- [39:18]
Brent
Can they get back to that? The other thing though, in terms of strength, they might have one of if not the best offensive line in the country. With Zaun at tackle, the hyphenated Reed Adams at guard. That's big time. Crown over the other tackle. Like all back. All good to go there.
- [39:38]
David Pollack
Marcel running a, running a running back. Well, first, first, what you said is really good because last year they were banged up along the front a lot. They kept having injuries, so they built some debt. But they got some dudes, they got some grown men up front and then they got a back that I'm not sure there's a back that runs harder. Like Le'Veon's a grown man, bro. Like that's, that, that's an adult. Like I remember tackling Jerome Bettis and I always equated it to tackling a tree. Like just running, you're just running in and tackling the bottom of a tree. Just, just think of it like there's no give. Like it's just. You just go tackle him. Like it just. And it hurts. And, and, and when he got hurt last year, I think it hurt their squad a little bit too and it took away some of that physical element. Marcel Reed, we got to talk about him because last year when he came into the lineup, noticeable different and explosive plays. Noticeable difference in QB run game. I'm very interested, Brett, to see how this offense looks because you've had a year now, he got some experience a year ago and now you've had another year to develop it around him. Because I don't think it was developed around him a year ago. It was developed.
- [40:50]
Brent
Go ahead.
- [40:51]
David Pollack
No, no go, bro.
- [40:52]
Brent
I was just. I, I like the additions, the portal editions with Concepcion coming over. Got bussy already there. You've got guys that win and win quickly that aren't. You don't like Noah Thomas leaving and going as a big play threat, 66 guy. I, it fits to me these guys, 6 foot 5, 11, 180, 190 pound guys that win, win quickly. The RPO game with him now becomes, I think the biggest part of their offense. And I like the fit of the receiver core with him in year two.
- [41:24]
David Pollack
Are you talking about Casey Concepcion?
- [41:26]
Brent
Yes.
- [41:27]
David Pollack
That dude is a manchild. Like I, I that. Okay, here's if y' all don't know this, he's a first round pick in the draft next year. Like he is one of the few guys that, that here's what I liked about him the most. Brent, you, you put him in the slot first of all. Throw it to him now. He catches it right after the catch. Is freaking elite. Elite. Really, really Good, but not a lot of guys have that ability. Also Brent, to, to sit down in the holes of zones and understand coverage. Like some guys are really small and really good after the catch and really fast, which he is fast, but they don't understand, you know, holes. And they don't have the savvy and the smarts and the intellect. He does Brent like he is, he's a superstar. Like, he is a guy that, like, I think people are gonna be like, where the freak did he come from? And because he was stuck in purgatory with an offense that didn't give him the football and didn't have good QB play, I think that he's gonna, I think he's gonna be otherworldly. I don't think people understand how good that cat is.
- [42:34]
Brent
It all depends obviously, though, on Reed and his development and yeah, he's got.
- [42:38]
David Pollack
To get better throwing the football.
- [42:39]
Brent
Yep. And by the way, every young quarterback, hey, decrease your turn of early plays, increase your consistency, things like that. But I think they did some of those things there. Schedule wise. They gotta, they don't have Notre Dame in the opener this year. I think that's a big deal. It's week three, so they get a couple, they get UTSA and then Utah State the first two weeks, which UTSA is never, that's not a pushover by any means. But Notre Dame in week three and then into the SEC schedule and I, I don't know that they're getting that win at Notre Dame. But after that is three straight home games. Auburn, Mississippi State and Florida. So they could potentially get on a very positive run with the SEC home slate to start. But I still think they're probably much like they were a season ago, you know, 7 and 5, 8 and 4.
- [43:26]
David Pollack
So you say get on a positive start. You're basically saying that Auburn and Florida suck. Is that what you're saying?
- [43:32]
Brent
I mean, you're saying no, but they're home. Out of three, they're home.
- [43:36]
David Pollack
That's the biggest. That's a, that's a tough place to play, man. Like that is. That's, that's a tough place to play, man. Like when you go there and you literally. I remember going there and looking around and I was like, oh my God. Gosh. Like these people are swaying. They're into it. But yeah, Mississippi State sandwiched between Auburn and Florida, those are going to be hard fought wins. They're at home, which is good. You got at Arkansas, at lsu, is tough at Missouri. Then you get South Carolina and then you go At Texas at the end of the season. So a lot of, a lot of tough squads. You know, it will be interesting just to watch to me this offense and just how they morph and how much, how much big play they get out of it because that'll be, that'll go a long way for them.
- [44:18]
Brent
I think the theme of the day and we'll kind of quickly talk about the last team, Kentucky, last but not least. And my prediction by the way, earlier, as much as we had not great things to say about Mississippi State, I think Kentucky's the one that's going with the donut this year. I think Mississippi State actually gets somebody and Kentucky goes with the donut in SEC play this year. Well, I just, I. All the playmakers are going. I don't see anybody that's making plays for them if they win a game that they grind out. I mean with, you know, Calzada that you know of beating Alabama fame with, you know, team we just talked about, but I just don't see them from a talent perspective competing weekend. And we got all their best. A lot of their best players are either gone to the league or gone to the portal.
- [45:06]
David Pollack
Yeah, a lot of, A lot of them on other rosters. And, and you know, when you think about Kentucky and some of these schools moving forward that are, that are big basketball schools, man, and the budget, like, yep. You're like, man, I would love to have Barry on. Oh, he gone like, you know, you know what I'm saying? Like you just. So many guys that we've already talked about. Dane, Keith, Nebraska, like I, I look at other rosters and I'm like, God, this guy's explosive. Oh, he's from Kentucky. Oh, that's so that, that's, that's the world they live in because again the revenue split for every team and what they're willing to pay salary cap wise, when you're a basketball school as well. Big Blue Nation is, is obviously awesome, but they want to be great at hoops. And you know, Calzada at least has got a big dub, he's got some experience, he's got some toughness. But, but here's what I'll say, man, after watching this squad a year ago, I don't care who you put at quarterback, Brent. Like you could have put Cam Newton back there. They weren't protecting him. I mean, my gosh, like I felt legit, I felt legit horrible for Brock Vandergriff. I mean I was like, man, this poor guy, like what, he retired willingly? Like that's how bad it was last year. He literally was like, I got another year of eligibility left, like, professor, I'm out of here. That's how, that's how big of a struggle that offensive line was. So I just, I don't know. That's got to get better. You know, the schedule. The schedule. The schedule could be worse, though. I mean, the schedule absolutely could be worse. But you throw Louisville on there at the end of the season, that ain't fun. Advandy, I guess, is the game that you, you point to and can they, can they get that dub with. With Vandy. But it's, it's, it's gonna be a tough one, Kentucky fans, but, you know, basketball hopefully will be around the corner and hopefully they'll, they'll be successful there.
- [46:58]
Brent
The theme of the day, I think, with all these teams that we've talked about with a lot of these, are does your quarterback take a step, take a leap? And if your quarterback takes a leap forward, if Marcel Reed, if DJ Lagway, if John Matieres shows in the sec, he's just as good. Like, if all these guys take a leap forward now, the trajectory of your season gets completely changed and you're potentially on that fringe playoff and. Or pushing for a playoff spot.
- [47:24]
David Pollack
Well, and all the teams we're talking about, Brent, as the best teams in these leagues and the most talented teams, year after year, they're all replacing the quarterback spot. Like, it's not one. It's. It's all of them across the board, almost unanimously. The main teams we're talking about winning the SEC are all replacing the quarterback. And then you got South Carolina, who you feel you know probably the best about because of, you know exactly what you're getting from your dude. You've already seen it, so you feel confident you got a new oc, which will be different. But, but it's. I just. Who's going to be the guy? You, you've seen flashes and that. That's the weird thing. Brent, too, when we were going through this A and M, I've seen Reed, Texas, I've seen Arch Manning, Georgia, I've seen Gunner Stockton like that. I saw them in spot duty play a little bit last year, you know, and then you got material comes over. Obviously, I've seen him already compete, like, so it's interesting now in a new spot, maybe a new team. But you got Nussmeier, who's already been there. You've got, you know, Lenora Sellers, who's already been there. We know what they're going to do when the lights are the brightest. We know what they're going to do in these loud stadium in these tough atmospheres. So, so when you take some of these newbies on the road and you got to see it happen, what happens. And that's why the sec, it's going to be fascinating, man. And the, the how you're going to say like I'm guaranteeing you this. It's. It's a hard league to predict because every team is counting on younger guys than they usually do in crucial spots or inexperienced guys in crucial spots.
- [49:00]
Brent
So what do you think happens? Who's in the title game in the league?
- [49:06]
David Pollack
I mean I'll pick one because this is easy. Texas. I think Texas second team. Who's the second team? I think Texas. I think Texas is in. Man, I, I feel like if I'm going to go to the next team, man, like I do feel like Bama sits pretty good this year from a schedule standpoint, from a weapon standpoint, from an experience standpoint. Do I have question marks about them? Yeah, but I got question marks about everybody. Like so I'm thinking, I'm thinking Texas and Bama will play for the SEC championship but I don't think either one of them even remote. I have no doubt saying that neither one are going in undefeated. Like not a chance in Hades are they going in undefeated. And we've seen that a shoot ton in this league. We've seen, we've seen a ton of Georgia, Alabama undefeated. We've seen LSU undefeated. Like we've seen a lot of that. Brent, I'm ready to put that stamp down right now. Ain't nobody going into that title game undefeated.
- [50:07]
Brent
I think you're right. I think actually in terms of who I wrote down initially, Alabama and Texas. And the only reason I put Alabama there was because I think until Georgia beats them like Alabama, like I'm giving Alabama that win until Georgia beats them. If you're asking me to flip a coin there, even if it is at Georgia this year. So that's one where. Because I think there's going to be three, four teams that are six and two and it's depends on who beats who. And if you look last year there were nine, nine teams at four and four or better of the 16. So that's, that's where we, I think we're going to be. I think we're in agreement there but I'm sure we'd be wrong. And by the way, I wouldn't be shocked by any two teams unless you put Van, unless Vandy or, you know, maybe Tennessee somehow comes out of there or some team like that. You could give me seven teams. I'd be like, okay, yeah, I could see them in the SEC championship game.
- [51:02]
David Pollack
The only thing I'll say I'll be shocked by is if Texas isn't there because their schedule is very nice. Yes, okay, like very nice. Now this is going, going to Ohio State is, is very difficult in the beginning, but that doesn't count against him in the SEC record. But they're. If you're looking at SEC schedules, you're like, yeah, I'll take that. Like them in Tennessee come to mind that I'm like, yeah, that's pretty good. Georgia's is pretty solid. Like Bama's is pretty solid. So those teams that were, you know, they're pretty dang good. And Georgia this year plays their tough games at home where they've got a 31 game win streak. They ain't lost since 19. Like they lost since Jake Fromm was there, for God's sakes. Like it's been a hot minute. Like so that's, that's interesting. Big the, the SEC is going to be good next week. Hit the Big 12, right? Like, let's get some, some Big 12 love.
- [51:48]
Brent
And I think Monday will be like roading it again because I will be out of town and you still might be, I think in terms of how we get there. But.
- [51:56]
David Pollack
Oh, I am. I mean, I just can't wait to sit here in South Carolina, watch more girls basketball, baby. Yes. Like, just sign me up, baby. Yes. I am coaching. I am helping coach now. But like, that doesn't make it the days any shorter. Like I love it. I love watching my daughter. But man, like the hotel rooms are just fantastic. I just love it. Love being right on top of each other in hotel rooms. Love not having my food. Brett, you know how I am about my food, bro. Like, yes, I eat the same food every day. I just need my yogurt, my egg whites. I just need my cottage cheese. Like, I don't need, I don't need a lot of other things. Just give me my stuff.
- [52:33]
Brent
So did you get a room with a fridge so you could go shopping and get it, get your stuff a hundred percent.
- [52:38]
David Pollack
But it's a little, little fridge. So I just got to be very judicious about. I got to go every other day. But, but we're going to make it happen. But we'll get on the Big 12, you know, next week. They got, obviously Arizona State is a favorite, but Texas Tech has rebuilt their roster as well as anybody in the country. And then, you know, Kansas State's always in the mix. And you got BYU and you got Utah, who's got a great line of scrimmage. So we'll get a Big 12 next week. Thanks for joining us, dudes, and we'll see you guys soon.