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- [00:00]
A
We're coming and we ain't backing down. We don't need a bunch of cats in here looking in the mirror.
- [00:05]
B
Everybody just do your job.
- [00:07]
A
You understand that? Hey, will you shut up? I'm bitterly disappointed with the officiating today. Guys being dudes and they run through our like through a tin horn, man.
- [00:16]
B
Thank you, Lee Corso. Thank you to our Split Zone Duo audience. I'm Alex Kirchner and Richard Johnson. It smells like college football season a little bit, doesn't it?
- [00:27]
A
I don't know about that. It's a little early. I still got golf to play. Still got to go to the lake. I'm going to be in Europe, hopefully a few days after you listen to this, depending on when we put this out. So not yet. Not yet.
- [00:41]
B
Well, in my view, college football season begins when conference previews begin at Split Zone Duo and when relaunch week happens at Split Zone Duo. And as we release this episode, this comes out the Monday of relaunch week, which is July 19, 20th ish of 2026. We are in relaunch week and we are in conference preview season for the 2026 season. Your long wait is almost over. So soon enough we'll be meeting leather. This is the start of our seventh season together doing Split Zone Duo. It is your and mine 11th consecutive year covering college football together in some capacity. Thank you to our co founder Steven Godfrey, who you will continue to hear from regularly this season. Thank you to all of you for listening. By just being here giving us your time and your ears, you are helping to make this thing possible for us as a very, very small business that we think punches above our weight and is showing real staying power. I mean, we're practically on our fourth medical red shirt. Almost like we're lasting a very long time in this game. We're very grateful to all of you for that. If you want to help the show, you can do a lot of things.
- [01:50]
A
I will say we will sue the NCAA for extra eligibility.
- [01:53]
B
No, we won't do that. No, we won't. We will not. We will be honorable.
- [01:57]
A
Got lawyers in high places, I'll tell you that.
- [01:59]
B
We will be honorable. If you are interested in supporting the show in other ways, there's lots of ways you can do it. We've got a couple of YouTube channels, one for our episodes themselves, one for a little short history doc type of videos. You can go and find those via our show notes. But most importantly, you can subscribe@splitzoneduo.com subscribe to Really Support this thing. And basically double the amount of episodes you get from us, including coach carousel reporting, research, historical deep dives, fun guests, other special projects as they come to our brains. You can leave a review for us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. That helps too. And that's my spiel. Richard we're going to preview all 10 FBS conferences, plus the independents. We're also going to have our FCS upset draft preview for you before the season begins. In conference previews, we do not make picks for championships and such. We wait until the end of the off season to do that after we know who has unfortunately gotten hurt in fall camp and we've gotten a broader overview of the entire national picture. But we're still going to get into this thing in tons of detail with a favorite game of mine, a format that I actually cribbed from my amazing wife years ago that she likes to play on New Year's called Rosebudthorn, where we're going to go through every team in the league, pick a rose. That's a thing that we really like about this team that we think should be pretty good, a bud, which is a thing that we are intrigued by that could be good. It's interesting, maybe a bit upbeat, but it's a bit of a question and a thorn, a thing that we maybe don't like that we are concerned about for that team going into the 2026 season.
- [03:31]
A
Also for transparency for the audience because sometimes we change our mind on this and only do it when it's convenient. Notre Dame is not an ACC team for purposes of this current exercise. We will deal with them during our Independence Preview a little bit later in the preview cycle. It helps to make the Independence Preview, frankly, around 30 minutes, which is basically why we do it.
- [03:54]
B
Just to be clear, the ranks of the independents seem like they're shrinking all the time and this year we are down to Notre Dame and Yukon.
- [04:02]
A
And everybody knows that I don't actually treat Notre Dame as an independent because Notre Dame's independence is stolen Valor considering that they have seven or eight games that are basically locked into their schedule every year. Just to be clear, again, yeah, we
- [04:17]
B
are going to take these previews in roughly reverse standings order from last year, which means the first couple teams up are going to be ACC Championship game pugilists UVA and Duke. I will start with the Cavaliers. This is an interesting program because last year they went portal to save Tony Elliott's job and it worked amazingly, led by Chandler Morris, son of Chad. But the problem here that I would see for Uva in 2026 is that the vast majority of the important people from that transfer portal success were one and out. My rose with this program is that they are trying it in an interesting way yet again and now have some credibility that it might work with a lot of high floor transfer portal additions. They are bringing in 137 returning starts from, excuse me, they are bringing in 146 returning starts from other programs to go with their own. Slightly fewer than that, about 140 returning starts. Couple guys who are particularly interesting here who I think will be good, you got a defensive tackle, Zion Wilson, who had 10 tackles for loss, seven sacks for ECU last season. They have Brandon Hillman, safety from Michigan, who played for Michigan I think was going to be crowded out there, but it's still a nice get for a program of UVA stature. They have a very deep safety group, very deep defensive back group in general and worked great last year at limiting the big stuff on that side of the ball. It's a younger portal class than last year. So last year, headlined by Chandler Morris, there was a lot of portal to save the job, right? Like come in for one year, one last job in college football. They you move along. I think that this year's UVA team with the guys they've brought in has a little bit more room to run and to build multi year character arcs with some of these people that they have brought in via the portal. My bud that I am, you know, intrigued about, maybe a little optimistic about, is that while last year's offense was very, very good and it was the driving force behind this team getting to the ACC Championship, they were in the bottom third among power fours in explosive play rate, really had problems taking the big chunks. They had to stay on schedule to get their points and that's risky because these are college students. If you make them dink and dunk down the field, they're eventually going to mess up and you're going to have problems. The portal guy that I am very intrigued by to help with this big play problem is Rico Flores, wide receiver, former four star who did not work out at Notre Dame, spent a couple years at ucla. He was hurt two years ago, had a long way back last year, but they desperately need it because Trell Harris, wide receiver, very good player, plays at Oklahoma. Now they had a desean Martin from Kent State, another productive wide out. They got a UMass transfer wide receiver in here. So they are basically mining sort of the bottom of of the Mac and fbs. They have a Central Michigan offensive wide receiver who's kind of one of those wideout refugees from the Central Michigan offense that no longer really engages in things like throwing the ball and we're going to see how he can do. But it's a grab bag and they are losing important people from that area of the offense. My thorn, Richard is, is related, which is that the quarterback situation is. It's names, you know, but I'm not sure it's. It's good. I'm curious what your read would be on Beau Prabula and Eli Holstein.
- [07:41]
A
I mean it's roughly my read on Chandler Morris or was roughly my read on Chandler Morris and that worked out pretty good.
- [07:48]
B
I think there's a difference.
- [07:50]
A
Well, this is, this, this is where I want to go with this. Why I'm a little higher on whoever it is is behind center. Virginia at Virginia is because of the offensive line situation. Virginia's offensive line situation I think on paper you think is bad, but it's actually quite good because last year, last year Brady Wilson at center was an absolute rock for that unit. He was an all, I think was an all ACC center. And in camp they lost one of their best transfers, Monroe Mills, who came in from Louisville, who they were really counting on at the tackle position. They also lost McKaylen Thomas as well to injury. Both of those players come back on the right side, they return Mikhail Bowley and Noah Josie on the left side and then you've got Drake Metcalf who's kind of scooting over and is playing center. So like you're not going to deal with chemistry issues up front, more or less. I'm not saying you're returning an offensive line from last year, but it's not actually this go out and get players that you don't know, you don't know how they're going to gel. You're not familiar with them. Like it's in a way you're just reloading on the offensive line. And if you're going to be solid up front, then I feel a lot better about whatever you're putting behind those guys in this office. So in a long winded way, I'm more okay than I probably should be with both Beulah and or Eli Holstein.
- [09:23]
B
The difference that I see between those guys and Chandler Morris a year ago is that Chandler Morris had had a weird career and was a fourth school guy. Yes. But he had been building himself up at North Texas and as the developed product, he really hadn't had the chance at this level to just go with some Runway. Whereas you can't say that about Eli Holstein who had that chance at Pitt or about Bill Prabula who had that chance at Missouri last year. There was an injury as that year went on for him. But at the end of the day, both of these guys were in the portal because they got beat out by younger guys. Mason Heintschel at Pitt, Matt Zoller's at Mizzou. This feels less like a guy with momentum, in Morris's case last year, than just straightforward reclamation projects. And you know how those can go. But this program does have does have real transfer portal credibility after the way they got it together last year. And I think that's especially true with the guys with the guys that whoever is the quarterback ultimately probably Prabula are going to be thrown to. Like last year they lost Malachi Fields. They wound up getting the big step up season from Trail Harris and others and it worked out fine for them. Who is going to facilitate that again for what might be a slightly worse quarterback? We'll find out. But I don't feel nearly as down on the uva football program as we have in just about any other year that we have previewed them under Tony Elliott. Richard, tell me about the team that beat UVA in the ACC championship.
- [10:58]
A
It's going to be crazy that it's going to look on paper and history will remember this season, in my opinion for Duke as a significant backslide because this team lost five games last year. Like it's we all have to remember that because the ACC's insane tiebreakers, which allegedly they fixed. They put out a press release earlier this week. This is the week of ACC media days. We're reading this or we're doing the show. We are not reading the ACC tiebreakers. As you are aware. We do not do nor do we honor any conferences tiebreakers because they are absolutely absurd and ridiculous. But the ACC says they fixed the problem that was supposed to happen in May. It didn't it any event. So Duke's not going to go to the ACC championship game this year. Duke may win thereabouts the same amount of games that they won last year. It's going to look like a backslide because they're probably going to be like two to three games off of the of a conference championship title game birth. But then you're going to kind of zoom out and you're going to look like and you're going to say, oh okay, well you take a look at what they've lost from a team that wasn't that good last year and you're like, oh, okay, all right. That about works. That about makes sense. I don't know how you take a look at this Duke Rosser, particularly on offense and not like pretty seriously concerned about this. Darren Mens is gone. Okay, all right. I didn't know if you. I didn't know if you.
- [12:24]
B
I agreed. I think if they get, if they get even close to nine wins this year, that is an amazing feat. I could personally imagine myself being impressed if they made a bowl game with what they've lost this season.
- [12:39]
A
I think that's right about fair because it's so.
- [12:42]
B
It's a lot of people, right? Like there's obviously the most famous ones are Darian Mensah at quarterback and Cooper Barkate, his best wide receiver who went with him to Miami. But that doesn't really even capture it on offense. They lost like an entire team's worth of pretty high end wideout production for one thing. Because number one bargain was not the only transfer. Kweishan Brown is gone. Samir Hagens was a four year starter. He is gone. Andrew Anthony had a third or fourth act at Duke last year. He's gone. They're losing a ton there. They're losing an All American tackle, Brian Parker. They, they are deploying a replacement strategy at the skill positions that I longtime listeners will know I'm always intrigued by, which is the FCS G6 receiver move. They have a pen transfer Jared Richardson, who's an FCS All American wideout who profiles pretty similarly to Cooper Barkate coming out of I believe Harvard a year ago. Like it can work. You're also playing the hits.
- [13:43]
A
Remember you're also Duke. So there are some constraints with man
- [13:47]
B
and going I Stanford, by the way, similar story. We'll get to them. They have a almost one for one in this regard.
- [13:53]
A
Ivy League or you know, whatever FCS transfer is kind of the way you have to do business there. Dakota Quinones, who is my bud on this, they brings in from Dartmouth, he's a defensive tackle. Because the both lines of scrimmages are probably the most concerning thing about this Duke team. And they were pretty good on the defensive line. I mean they gave Illinois absolute hell, for instance, last year. And that game that they played, I think that was in September is early. It was if I recall correctly. So that was a thing that you actually felt pretty good about. I mean, you know that it's a man of Diaz defense. They're going to be pretty decent at havoc production. They had a truckload of turnovers last year, which is another thing that puts them on the regression candidate. Right. They were a pretty high turnover margin team. They had a lot of turnovers and especially conference play, they generated a lot of turnovers. So it's. There are just. The flags are quite red.
- [14:48]
B
Regrettably. Agreed. And that's not anything against the job that Manny Diaz has done there. I think he's a good ball coach. The quarterback situation we haven't even talked about. Cause I don't know where it's going to settle. It's. It's Walker Eget from San Jose State or a three star retro freshman Dan Mahan. We'll find out.
- [15:05]
A
Walker Eget without Danny Scudero.
- [15:07]
B
Correct. Danny Scudero, who for the second year in a row last year was a San Jose State wide receiver. Just lighting it up under Ken Neo Matilola, the former option coach of Navy. Also you have to talk about this with the ACC because the schedules are not the same. There's a wide disparity in what draw you get in this conference now because of the.
- [15:29]
A
Yeah, yeah. Everybody's. Everybody's schedule is not hard in the acc.
- [15:33]
B
No, but some are. I would say that this one is like this one has at Georgia Tech, which we're going to get to all these teams. I'm. I understand, but we'll talk about it at uva, like at an NC State. That will be probably not great, but is going to be kicking and screaming to keep Dave Dorn from getting fired because that's how it goes. They have an. At Miami, they have Clemson. All of these teams except one that I just mentioned have asterisk next to them. Reasons that they might not be that good, but I think six wins would be a perfectly solid output from this team this year. And if they could get seven or eight, I'd say, wow, what a coaching job. By Manny Diaz.
- [16:13]
A
S M. Um, are you kind of weirded out by the Kevin Jennings Heisman thing? Not weird.
- [16:23]
B
Yeah, I get it, dude. It's. It doesn't it smell kind of like last year when people were like Drew Aller, Kate Klubnick? Because it's the second or third year of these guys as starting quarterbacks and they've been kind of good sort of for good teams. But if you've watched them, which I know our listeners mostly have, you. You kind of don't get it.
- [16:48]
A
Yeah, they like, they're like naming a building after him or something.
- [16:52]
B
Yes. Some donor stepped up to put Kevin Jennings name on a building or on like A room at least. And this for an active athlete is cool, I guess. Actually. No. Weird. Weird. As someone who thinks we need to do less statuing and naming after people in general and especially living ones. Weird. But not up to me what the family does with their money.
- [17:17]
A
So no Jordan Hudson at wide receiver? No Romello Brinson at wide receiver?
- [17:21]
B
No. Everyone at every position that touches the ball except quarterback.
- [17:25]
A
And that entire defense is new up to and including the coordinator level. Like, I think there is going to be way too much on Kevin Jennings. Like, I think there's going to be the weight of the world on Kevin Jennings on Saturday. And I'm not talking about expectation Heisman. I mean just like to get in and out of any given Saturday. I'm a little worried that there's going to be too much on Kevin Jennings and I don't necessarily know that the development is really and truly there from him now. I know what the offense is going to look like. Sure, Casey woods is gone, but I mean, it's Rhett Lashley. It's Rhett Lashley calling the plays. Brett Lashley's awesome offense. So, all right, we pretty much know what that's going to look like and we know that Kevin Jennings is more or less a fit for that. But when the rubber meets the road at some of SMU's hardest games, I've seen what it looks like with a lot more continuity and better players than I think SMU is going to have right now this season.
- [18:26]
B
Yeah, yeah. Kevin Jennings, I want to be fair to because I think people are hard on him because when they've seen him in certain platform games, it's, it's sometimes been ugly. The best example is the playoff first round game two years ago at Penn State where he just immolated any chance they had to win with three interceptions that were not the good kind and a lot of sacks taken and it was ugly. He is definitely one of the 20 or so guys I would want to be. My quarterback. Most of the active quarterbacks in the sport this year. I think he probably raises the floor on this team a little bit. And while he has had some interception problems, there have only been five games in his career where he's thrown more than one. So it's not like he's doing this all of the time in a way that is keeping them from winning. I'm just worried about how much is going to be on his plate specifically because of how much turnover there is elsewhere. Like you say, it's the defense loses so many good Players, several of whom are now in the NFL. My favorite is Isaiah Nicobia who was their stud safety and defensive captain. He plays for the Bengals now. It just smells like a very, very challenging year for SMU I and they've recruited well and they have the payroll. So I think you have to be more open minded than you might otherwise be about them knowing something that we don't. But they also, like, they didn't really have a run game last year. I mean, actually that's a little strong. It's a little strong. But they had, they did not have the big play run game and they were not especially efficient down to down either.
- [20:06]
A
Well, I actually think the run game is the. Is the thing that I think I might hang my hat on for this team. Like, I think. And it's kind of counterintuitive because you're doing a Heisman campaign for the guy, but like I actually think you might kind of try to take the ball out of his hands sometimes and try to generate some more efficiency. Down, down. You bring a Kendrick Ray Fiel from Cal at, at running back. And I think there's some, some cause for optimism about what they have up front on the offensive line just from high school recruiting. Really. I think there's some cause for optimism there.
- [20:46]
B
But they made a conscious choice that you can clearly see in the lines to run him a lot less last season.
- [20:53]
A
Yes. Oh my God. Unquestionably.
- [20:55]
B
Yeah. Like this guy's the franchise. We're not subjecting him to any more hits than we have to. And I think you have to do that again because if something were to happen to him this year, there's no Preston Stone. No. It's an ugly situation. I think that was part of it last year. To your point, you know. Yes. That the Preston Stone, the other quarterback, was off at Northwestern. Was it so not going to like doubt this thing too much. I don't want to get carried away. I think Rhett Lashley may have actually been able to get other power conference jobs last year if he had wanted to. There's an interesting story by our friend Chris Manini in the Athletic about that this week. The fact that he didn't speaks not just to the money that snu has, but maybe possibly to what he thought he had coming for the next couple of years. But restrained skepticism is going to be my posture towards this team as well. I have no such skepticism.
- [21:47]
A
No restraint here, baby.
- [21:49]
B
About the Miami Hurricanes. Everything's a rose. What's not a rose? This is as good a roster as Mario Cristobal has ever had top to bottom. They clearly got their money right. You can tell by who's there and who isn't. I will try to get a little bit more specific and say that their offensive skill position situation is among the best in the country this year. Might be the best. Mark Fletcher, if there was one knock on him last year, is that he didn't really have the breakaway gear from down to down, but he can sometimes access it, as Texas A and M learned. Late in that game, he had a big run that sort of helped bust that game open to the extent that a 103 game can be busted open.
- [22:31]
A
Yeah, I don't know about busted open. I think maybe relatively speaking a little bit opened it up, maybe cracked it open a little bit.
- [22:38]
B
They got Charmar Brown doing third downs. Malachi, Tony has two more years that he has to play college football, which is great for them.
- [22:45]
A
That's not right.
- [22:47]
B
Cooper Barkett comes from Duke. He is the sort of deep threat they're going to need because they lost some of the guys who could do that for them. Keelan Marion and C.J. daniels are in the NFL. Their tight end, Elijah Lofton is back. I want to highlight for the second year in a row a wide receiver, Josh Moore, who I brought up in the preview last year. There was actually scuttlebutt from the local media at Miami in camp last year that this guy, Josh Moore, who had been a four star, was going to be the true freshman who did a lot of the work for them last year. That wound up not being the case. That wound up being Tony. But there's yet again talk about this guy, Josh Moore from Miami as being a guy who's going to jump forward for them.
- [23:24]
A
And of course you didn't talk about Cam Vaughn.
- [23:27]
B
Nope, I did not talk about Cam Vaughn. I also didn't talk about the quarterback, Darian Mensah.
- [23:31]
A
And I, like I am on record on this show, I have my doubts about Darian Mensah overall. I just don't know it's going to matter.
- [23:39]
B
And also have a doubts about Carson Beck. Is he going to give you a lower caliber of play than Beck did? Right.
- [23:43]
A
No, no, he might give you a
- [23:45]
B
lower caliber than Cam Ward did, but
- [23:47]
A
sure, that's all well and good, but he's not going to lose you games like Carson Beck literally did. Game, I should say, like Carson Beck literally did. And say what you want about Carson Beck. They lost the national championship game by six points. I mean, yeah, let's be honest about it.
- [24:05]
B
I Think you're talking about their Louisville loss last year being lost by him, right? Yes.
- [24:11]
A
Malachi Tony is the second best player at his position in college football. They Jackson Cantwell, freshman left tackle. Maybe you have some concerns, but it's a Mario Crystal offensive line. I don't have concerns. I don't.
- [24:26]
B
No, probably. So let's talk about that because I think this is going to be the relative thorning that I'm going to do. And I agree with you. They are going to have to figure out some things on the fly. They have two one very highly drafted, another pretty highly drafted tackle in the NFL now and Francis Malinoa and Markel Bell gone. It's not easy to deal with that. If there's anyone who would deal with it, I think it would be this guy. So we're not pressing panic buttons over it. And I think it's similar at the edges on defense. Richard, like the corollary to the way we talked about Ruben Ban and Akeem Mezador last year, two first round edges who were even better than that in college. If the NFL draft were just the best college football players draft, those guys would have been top five picks, both of them, not 15 and 22. Like there's probably a little step down there. Just probably is. Sometimes there isn't. I remember a couple years ago Texas lost a couple of defensive tackles to the NFL draft and you're like, oh, they're gonna have to step back a bit there. And then they didn't really. Sometimes you just restock. Ohio State wide receivers are another example. Sometimes they just restock at this level. They have Damon Wilson in from Mizzou via Georgia. He's the key portal help at Edge.
- [25:37]
A
And that's, I will say, by the way, Missouri, by way of Georgia.
- [25:42]
B
Like it's, it's some legal, I don't know, legal machinations there.
- [25:46]
A
I still, I'm still waiting for that one. I'm still waiting for that one to pop. Maybe it does here, I don't know.
- [25:51]
B
Yeah, that's a nil dispute situation too, by the way. But I don't think that's going to keep him off the field this year.
- [25:57]
A
The high key game of the year is November 7th when they go to Notre Dame and we're not talking really talking about Notre Dame this year, but like, I don't really know. I mean, look, the stupid Mario loss is still in there. It happened last year. So I'm not saying they're going to be nine and oh, going to Notre Dame, but they're not going to have lost more than one game going into that Notre Dame. I think we can all be sort of adults. Yeah.
- [26:22]
B
And I don't talk about Mario differently this year, too, because I don't, I don't disagree that he, you know, he had game management problems when they lost that SMU game last year. Like, he didn't do a good job.
- [26:31]
A
But the Louisville game was not game management.
- [26:33]
B
No, it was Beck. But also, like, when they won that game on the road in College Station, he managed that masterfully. Like, he's probably grown in this area. Like he, he coached the hell out of that game that they won in College Station in the first round of the playoff last year. But, like, there's just a level of ability at the, on the perimeters of the two lines that was so high that I, I think to not expect any step back at those positions is a little naive. Is that fair to say?
- [27:01]
A
Yeah. But on defense, I think they're so deep on the back end, in the back seven that I think you're going to be. They're going to be. I, I think the strength is kind of flipped from this year to last year. I think the strength is more going to be on the back end, at least in the beginning of the season, while they're kind of trying to figure it out, while they're trying to get the best out of Damon Wilson, for instance, as your edge rusher. I think the back end is deeper than the front for now, and I think that's going to help them.
- [27:28]
B
You mentioned the back end. The guy that I am maybe most excited about there is O.J. frederic, cornerback, big, long outside corner. I think this is actually the second year in a row that I've been on him in the preview, too. He was hurt down the stretch last year, but he came back. And if you get the chance, you probably find it on the Internet, on YouTube or Twitter somewhere. Go and find the tape of him on Jeremiah Smith in the playoff, of him on Charlie Becker and Elijah Surratt for Indiana in the national championship game. It was not his fault that they lost that game. This guy is a star, in my view and I think healthy this year. You will see that again. You saw it a bit when he was a freshman. You saw it in spots last year. It won't surprise anybody that Miami finds good corners. They tend to be good at that, historically. They have some recruiting footprint advantages to do. But this is, this is my breakout guy on this defense. And I say breakout guy because so many of the breakouts have already happened, like Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott at defensive tackle. I mean, you kind of know what you get right. Which by the way, helps with the edge situation, too. The fact that I think there will be pressure generated from the middle of that defensive front and no defensive back end will have an easier job than Miami's this year because, like, how long do we really expect guys are going to have to get open with what they have up front?
- [28:52]
A
Also, this is just. I just don't like this Clinton Portis son is on this team. I don't like that.
- [28:59]
B
I have a. I have a thought about this, Richard.
- [29:00]
A
It's not right.
- [29:01]
B
People are going too far with the whole. Look how old we are because former athletes have kids and Clinton Portis was
- [29:09]
A
on the 2002 team.
- [29:11]
B
Clinton Portis is 44 years old. Is it crazy that he would have like an 18 year old child?
- [29:17]
A
No, it's less about what it says about Clinton Portis and more what it says about me. Okay, it's about me.
- [29:23]
B
Well, sure, but I mean, the passage of time, my friend. Get comfortable with it. Richard, you have the Pitt Panthers.
- [29:31]
A
I do. I took them from you, which is a merciful thing to do. The roses are obvious. Mason Heinschel is back. Ca Bel is back. It's really impressive, frankly, that Pat Narduzzi kept them both. That's something that I think you got to give him plaudits for. I think the bud is this receiver that they're bringing in from Western Carolina. I think when you kind of look at Cade Bell's track record, you say, all right, those Western Carolina players, they've been able to find more with less. I don't necessarily.
- [30:04]
B
That's where he was before he came to Pitt and he brought Desmond Reed, who was a star of the last couple of years, from there.
- [30:09]
A
Yes. I don't necessarily know that. I love that Pitt kind of has to do this, but whatever. We know that Pat Narduzzi does not love nil and rev share, et cetera, et cetera. So can Malik Knight bring some level of explosiveness that they were still able to find last year, even though Desmond Reed was mostly hurt? I think getting Braylon Lovelace back on the defense is sick. Getting Rasheed Biles or not getting Rasheed Biles back. Excuse me. Is not. Which is probably going to be your biggest issue. That's your best player.
- [30:43]
B
Kyle Lewis is in the NFL. Their two best players, probably for like multiple years were these two linebackers, Rasheem Biles and Kyle Lewis. They played next to each other and Lewis was a fourth round pick. Dolphins and Biles plays for Texas. Not great. Not great. Especially because the Pat Narduzzi press quarters thing where you have defensive backs who are good enough to just mug wide receivers of the line and hope they don't get penalties called on them, didn't really play last year either. They had big explosive play problems defensively. I'm very worried their best thing on the team last year was the rush defense. And those two guys, Biles and Lewis were cleaning up a lot in that regard. I'm pretty worried.
- [31:28]
A
It helps to have. It helps to have cover.
- [31:31]
B
Yeah.
- [31:32]
A
So if the identity. I think it's safe to say the identity for Pitt has changed.
- [31:43]
B
How do you think.
- [31:44]
A
Is that fair to say?
- [31:45]
B
I think I know where you're going, but I want you to spell it out.
- [31:48]
A
If you're not getting this lockdown defense from them and it's going to be three years going of not like lockdown punishing defense, but relative bend to break as the compliment to explosive offense, which is I. Congratulations, Pat. That's personal growth, brother. If, if you've, if you've switched that identity and I don't necessarily mean that negatively. Went 8 and 4 last year. So it's not like the floors drop down on this thing.
- [32:17]
B
No.
- [32:17]
A
But as you like to say, it's kind of the pit thing where it's like you have a chance in November against Notre Dame and you get played
- [32:24]
B
off the park and Miami. Both of them. Yes. Which, you know, they're better teams but you would have liked to see in a little bit more than nothing in those games. I think that's a, that's a fair thing to say about the fan base. Their losses last year were all for the most part, except for the bowl game against East Carolina. They were pretty defensible. Like it was a Miami and Notre Dame and Louisville, West Virginia in a game that quarterback costume quarterback who's now UVA's problem. But I agree with you that I don't think that they can bank punching above their weight on defense anymore. And I don't think, I think they know that. Like I think Pat has been comfortable or expressed more comfort at least the last couple years letting Cade Bell play offense of a spready, aggressive variety that, you know, five years ago patnarduzzi was very uncomfortable with. Like Patna Dozy wasn't comfortable with it when Pitt was even winning the ACC in 2021. That's why I joke or do I joke that he hates the idea of offense in general, doesn't think it should
- [33:28]
A
be part of football.
- [33:29]
B
He's not behaving that way so much the last couple of seasons. And good, because they're going to need Malik Knight to go off and they're going to need to score a lot of points to win games this year. I also think we're going to know pretty quickly, roughly speaking, how good they are or if, or at least if they've cleared a certain threshold because their first two are against Miami University and ucf. Ucf, which I don't think we're going to rate very highly in the Big 12 and Miami in Ohio, which we think is going to be maybe the most expensive, probably the most expensive Mac team ever. So probably not a usual Mac team. I'd like to see two and oh, and I'd like to see it authoritatively. Will we? I don't know. We'll know soon enough.
- [34:13]
A
Big crash out potential. Big crash out potential, I fear on Pitt. Yeah, if you start owing to.
- [34:24]
B
If they started owing to. Which they could. Which they could. But they could also start two and oh, there. There is wide variance that I would acknowledge. Braylon Lovelace is still here. He's a good linebacker. So they didn't lose all of their good linebackers from last year. But otherwise, yes, I would. I would agree that it's a tough, tough spot there. Speaking of wide variance, where are you on Georgia Tech?
- [34:49]
A
I am not. I am not looking lovingly at the Bees.
- [34:53]
B
Huh?
- [34:53]
A
I am not. I don't love it coming into the season, to be honest with you.
- [34:59]
B
For me, Georgia Tech is the team in this conference that is the hardest to make heads or tails of. Like you could tell me that they were going to win anything from three to 10 games and I think I could believe your pitch if you sold it with enough panache.
- [35:13]
A
The funny thing is, overall, and despite all of it, they actually have one of like my favorite transfers of any team last year in Justice Haynes who comes in from Michigan. So that in and of itself is sick. It's just everything else.
- [35:29]
B
I'm going to bud what you're talking about instead of thorning it. The entire offense more or less new headlined by Justice Haynes. He keeps their Haynes quotient from crashing after Haynes King and Jamal Haynes move along eligibility wise. This is a running back who was most recently at Michigan. If they can block, which is an if he's a possible all conference player. Last year they had a blocking situation. They were good at it. They had an offensive line that could get downhill a lot of overhaul there, including a new offensive line coach among many other new offensive staff guys. Because Buster Faulkner the coordinator went to Florida to join John Sumrall. Three new starters on that offensive line. I'm really not sure who's catching what I think will be Alberto Mendoza's passes. It's a G5 FCS wide receiver extravaganza here that has worked for them before. Eric Rivers last year from FIU was good for them. So you could tell me that this team was going to have one of the better offenses in the ACC and I would believe you. But I could also see it being pretty ugly. Including. Because I just don't know what Alberto Mendoza's true talent level is.
- [36:43]
A
I think. I think the fact that Alberto Mendoza is on this team tells you the talent level of Alberta tells you what
- [36:55]
B
Indiana thinks it is.
- [36:57]
A
Sure.
- [36:57]
B
And they're pretty good at portal evaluation.
- [37:00]
A
Pretty willing to tip the cap to the folks in Bloomington as it comes to talent evaluation. If he could do. If the ceiling was capital H high, he'd be in Bloomington. So yeah, if the entire identity of this offense is going to change to be relatively more defensible negative by the way, that's derogatory with less creativity because the offensive coordinator's gone and you don't have this plus one run game that was really hard to defend and you're going to be this more like conventional offensive outfit. You have less at the skill positions outside of the running back, who I think is sick. Most of it's at Florida and on defense. You're on your fourth offensive coordinator in as many years. Excuse me, Your fourth defensive coordinator. Your fourth defensive coordinator in as many years. On defense.
- [38:05]
B
Yes.
- [38:05]
A
And that defense hasn't. It's. It's not like we're talking about, you know, a great defensive out outfit on that side of the ball anyway.
- [38:13]
B
Correct.
- [38:15]
A
I just. Not bad but just mid.
- [38:19]
B
I just middling. They were very much a middling defense last year all the way through. I think that's a good evaluation. Their offense was. Was why they had some success.
- [38:27]
A
I just don't really. I don't know how they're going to be better than last year. They were.
- [38:37]
B
I think the case that they could be better than last year is not. It's like a 10 to 20% probability type of outcome. Like I don't really expect that it will happen. But I think the, the case is if you, if you're willing to entertain that there is more in there with Alberto Mendoza than thought and that the defense gets a little bit Better because of how middling it was last year. Like that's probably the case. I would net with you that they won't do that. I'm especially like especially just curious and wide variance about the offense. If you look at what they did last year, they were 35th or 34th in offensive SP plus last year. Would you go over, under or better? Worse. On 34th and offensive SP plus A6 you go worse.
- [39:24]
A
Absolutely. Worse. Definitely.
- [39:27]
B
Yeah. Okay. You know what I think, right? I think worse because I think Mendoza probably will not be at the Haynes King level. I believe in Justice Haynes the same way that you do. And I despite the turnover from a very good offensive line, I think Brent Key is sort of in this way similar to Mario Cristobal in that I have some equity with him or he has some equity with us that he'd be able to figure out that particular position group. They need to figure out who's going to catch the ball because they have, they have a lot of losses at that position. They have a all CAA receiver from Elon who's in this, in this program now Isaiah Furman who I think is going to be very important for them. There's just a lot of turnover in ways that I'm not entirely down about. But it is enough turnover that you're. I probably should be more concerned in the way that you are.
- [40:20]
A
I do want to also see like if the Josh Petty experience is what I expect it to be or sort of what it was billed to be. Also did you know he got arrested last season?
- [40:30]
B
I did not know that.
- [40:31]
A
Did not know that. He entered a guilty plea to drug related objects and speeding stemming.
- [40:37]
B
This is the offensive lineman who is a former five star. One of their, one of their biggest recruits that they've had in quite some time.
- [40:43]
A
Yes, yes.
- [40:45]
B
I was unaware of that. Yeah.
- [40:46]
A
But should he be a key contributor on this team? Okay, that's the. That's a Bud. If I'm doing a Bud, my thorn
- [40:55]
B
here is that actually I'll go rose thorn in order. I think the linebackers are going to crunch some people. That's my rose Kyle effort is still here. He's like this classic neck roll middle linebacker who just roams around tackling people mostly not behind the line. But he's physical and he go sideline to sideline. Despite being huge and plays the position nicely. E.J. lightsey at will linebacker is also back. That's their top two tacklers. Lightsey in particular has been a very prolific run fitter, run stopper for them. So I think those guys will keep the defense somewhat together. The thorn would be just about everything else about the defense. Last year, only Cal among power conference teams had a worse rushing success rate allowed. Last year didn't really stand out. Anything new coordinator is Jason Seymour around those linebackers who are the foundation, they just ported a lot and we will have to see how it goes. But it's, it's high turnover. There's reason for concern. I think you've moved me to being a bit more negative about this than I was when I wrote my notes for the preview. I think I said anything from three to 10 wins would not absolutely stun me. I will shrink that. I'm going to shrink that from the, I'm going to call it a 4 to 8 win range would not shock me. I think there's still a lot of variance here, but I was being a little bit too broad.
- [42:11]
A
10 wins is crazy.
- [42:13]
B
Yes, I want to say thank you to home field, which makes really nice, really comfortable, officially licensed college sports apparel. I know it, you know it. We talk about it pretty often on this show. This week's plug for me is actually a different story. It's a customer service story. So my cousin Adam got married recently. Great guy, very close cousin, who I talk to a lot, wanted to get something fun for obviously that meant home field because he and his lovely bride Lindsay, Ohio State fans. Now with clothing, you should ask people what they want for the most part because you don't know their preferences. You don't always know their sizing. I got the wrong size for him and he loved the Ohio State sweater that I got but wanted a different size. And he called me after handling the customer service return exchange on his own. He said that it was one of the most polite, helpful customer service experiences that he had ever had. So we talk about the quality of home field stuff and that's real. But also the people there are very kind. They're very thoughtful. They will work with you to make sure that they are delivering for you, that they are getting you what you want and that you're having a positive experience. I want to say thank you to our friends at Home Field Apparel. Next time I'm going to order the right size. But thank you to home field not just for making cool stuff, but for being very customer focused. We appreciate all of your support. If you're a fan of a team in this league, go check out your school's collection. It's@homefitapparel.com I have NC state a back to back for me here, Richard, let's start where it's good. Rose, they have a chance to take advantage of a schedule this year. They are one of these teams. Remember last year how we were discussing this with Cal? We basically said, look, program's not in a great spot, but they have an interesting young quarterback. The schedule sets up nicely for them. Maybe they can make a bowl. That's what we said almost verbatim. Turned out it worked out exactly that way. Still fire Justin Wilcox, but they were able to have a little bit of joy because of the quarterback and the schedule. Quarterback and the schedule is what I got here with NC State, the quarterback and the schedule. I love CJ Bailey. I like watching him. I think he's. I think he's good. A little rough around the edges, but who isn't? I think he could be one of the 10 best quarterbacks in college football this year if things go well for them. And the schedule has no Miami, no smu, no uva, which is a good thing now. No Clemson, which is still a pretty good thing even though they're disappointing. Louisville is at home. Duke, the defending conference champions, are at home. I feel like NC State, especially because of what Dave Doran's record is, track record, is probably is going to win games again this year. Like more than a couple. Like I would think that they should be able to bowl. Maybe bowl, maybe bowl.
- [44:52]
A
Plus more than a couple wins. Yes, NC State. You heard it here first.
- [44:57]
B
I just, I think that the bottom is unlikely to completely fall out on this thing despite the other stuff that we're going to talk about.
- [45:05]
A
It's like I'm listening to a recording from seven straight NC State team. With you.
- [45:12]
B
Yeah, pretty much. They're going to win like seven games, give or take one. That's probably what's going to happen. And NC State fans aren't going to enjoy that. And I understand very much why you're not going to enjoy that. You're very in on CJ Bailey too, aren't you?
- [45:27]
A
I mean, yeah, but his best play, like their actual best players not on the team.
- [45:34]
B
Sure. So let's, let's get to that in a moment. Butting it here. Their center, Spike Souls was a freshman All American as a true freshman last year. Dave Doran still has that credibility as a player developer. He's demonstrated a skill for this. It has fallen off a little bit at the NFL draft level in part because of the next thing, the thorn. They lost Hollywood Smothers great running back to Texas. That just sucks. They are not the only middle class ACC team to be in this exact situation with their best player. We just talked about Pitt, but it does suck. They got used as a stopover stepping stone by wideout Noah Rogers, who went Ohio State, NC State, AL wideout Terrell Anderson was their leader last year, just like Casey Concepcion the year before. He plays for USC now. Jacarius Peak, future NFL offensive tackle, South Carolina. How much more can a program take?
- [46:35]
A
Not. Not great, not awesome. Not awesome.
- [46:39]
B
It's clear that they don't have a ton of funds. You can take that from the way this has gone over the last couple of portal cycles for them. And so they are replacing like every team in this position in like the middle lower class of the power four. They're doing what they can. They're doing interesting stuff to try to make it work anyway. And some of it will work. Eric Snow, good wide receiver who lit up the Mac at Buffalo is a good example.
- [47:04]
A
Victor Snow. Victor Snow. He is a fun player.
- [47:06]
B
Excuse me, Excuse me. Yes, that's a fun player.
- [47:09]
A
Yes.
- [47:09]
B
Eric Snow is a former NBA guard. He was always on my mind.
- [47:13]
A
Short ball guy for the Sixers.
- [47:14]
B
Yeah, yeah. Play for the Sixers, play for the Cavs. Yeah. Eric Snow. What am I doing? That's absolutely terrible. Victor Snow. Thank you for the catch. That would have been terrible that they're.
- [47:25]
A
That's a fun. That's a fun player on offense that you like on defense. King Mac in the secondary. All right. Okay. Not terrible.
- [47:37]
B
It's a linebacker name, not a DB name, but.
- [47:39]
A
Yeah, yes, yes.
- [47:41]
B
Yeah, that's fine. He comes from both Penn State and Alabama, so he's probably, hopefully at a level that will work better for him in this case. It's just too much, though. At some point. The amount of losses that they've sustained is just too much. And I understand how NC State fans are among the most fatigued, malaised fans in college football right now and why they are ready to be done with this. Short of passing the hat, there's maybe nothing that can be done to stop the portal defections. But in order to get the hat being passed, sometimes you just need a fresh coat of paint and a little bit of excitement. And that is why Dave Doran is going to appear on our Coach Firing Coach Departure confidence draft. Not because he's not a good ball coach, but because there's just no forward momentum here, even though the bottom is not falling out.
- [48:38]
A
Yeah. One of the things that I think we saw in last year's cycle is that like sleeping teams from A funds perspective can get energized. Not energized. The word is actually compelled. Can get compelled to spend X amount of money by a new coach and a new regime. Coming in.
- [49:06]
B
Take us to Berkeley, Richard.
- [49:09]
A
I'm gonna just do something stupid and become in on Cal.
- [49:13]
B
I think that might here same. No, I'm not bidding it.
- [49:18]
A
I like. Not even. I'm not like bidding it either. But like I should say not in the bit variety which it sort of was last year at wide receiver, I mean. All right. Ian Strong coming in from Rutgers. I'm interested.
- [49:35]
B
I'm not just him. Not just him.
- [49:37]
A
Yeah. They've got an Ohio player. Chase Hendricks had about a thousand yards for Ohio last year. The Mac. All right.
- [49:44]
B
Dorian Thomas, tight end from New Mexico Tools.
- [49:48]
A
And I think they're doing it.
- [49:51]
B
I think they're doing it too. Jks with this group of pass catchers. I mean. Yeah, yeah. I, I have. I have no real notes about that. Other parts of football teams that they have to figure out. Sure.
- [50:05]
A
He has to take this the next step as a player, which is. I think that last year was a lot of finding limitations and which I think is fine when you have a team that. That lacked what they lacked pretty much everywhere around you and had the issues that they had coming in the season. Now you're changing coaches. Now you have a build here for a medium and long term. You talked about having Malachi Tony for two years by eligibility. You have this guy for two years. Are you actually going to have this guy two years if you don't prove that you can build something around him? Because I'm sure next December folks will come calling if they don't have. If it's prove if he doesn't have what he needs around him. But I. We know he's got all the talent in the world. We know that.
- [51:05]
B
Yes.
- [51:06]
A
So I, I'm kind of in here, man. I think they're going to score a lot of points.
- [51:15]
B
I think even if the like almost no matter what the situation is with the offensive line, they're going to have to be points scored because of the quarterback and the wide receivers. Also we didn't mention. I don't think they're. Cooper Perry, who was a top hundred or so national recruit a year ago at Oregon and came over with Tosh Lapoy. I mean he's. He's going to have people who can catch the ball. And they lost Jacob DeJesus from last year's team, but he was a nice player. Very small slot receiver. But they're going to have guys who can catch the ball for this guy. As long as the offensive line is something north of a complete disaster, this is going to be a blast to watch. Yeah but you can. You can butt us and thorn us. Yes.
- [51:56]
A
The butt is got this player from Tennessee, Emmanuel Okoye who is the classic. Like there's so many of these players from Nigeria never played football before he got to Tennessee actually came in as a tight end and they switched him to edge. So if you want to kind of understand what we're dealing with from a body type perspective, I think if I'm Tosh Lapoint, I'm Ron Rivera. I've seen the physical profile of this kid and I think let me get a little bit of that. So is he a fully formed football player? I don't know. I think we're going to find out. But as a contributor of some sort on defense that's a. But I think it's just an interesting player to take to pay attention to especially because they're going to go to it looks like a four to five from a three down front. So there are some things that are going to be changing for I almost called it Oregon. There's some things that are going to be changing for California this year up on up front on our defense.
- [52:48]
B
Exciting times at the University of California at Berkeley. Clemson very getting late in the preview for us to be mentioning Clemson buddy my rose is that I think this is going to be the best Clemson wideouts group since the days when this program was at something like peak. TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco were about 1400 yards worth last year. They are both back. Tristan Smith was not a big star for them but he contributed. After being the rare Dabo Portal AD coming up from fcs he won one of those sham eligibility injunctions so he is back on this team as well. Here's a name you might have forgotten about. Tyler Brown ring a bell? Yes, people me may have forgotten about him. He was a really good player for them as a true freshman all the way back in 2023 and then he got a mix of injured and buried on the depth chart. He is still here and looks like he's going to play a real role for this offense. They have a true freshman very high four star top 15 wide out recruit Naim Burrows who sounds like he is going to play right away for this team.
- [53:59]
A
That is business the way it's supposed to be done for Clemson. I'll give him that.
- [54:02]
B
It is. It just is. It just is and it's good to see this is not necessarily the return of, you know, them having a Mike Williams or Justin Ross or T. Higgins walking through the door every five minutes. But it is a talented group. It should be one of the best groups in the country and it should give the quarterback. Generic quarterback. We'll get to that.
- [54:24]
A
Insert, insert name here.
- [54:27]
B
Pretty good use of targets.
- [54:29]
A
There are a lot of. So I think I wrote about Clemson around the draft at cbs and I talked to somebody who was like, it's definitely Vizina. And I was like, it is, because Dabo doesn't really sound like it is, but maybe it's one of those faux quarterback competitions and they just name in the start of the second week at camp and we move forward. So maybe the joke's on there. I. Maybe I'm.
- [54:59]
B
I am. I am predicting that this is going to be exhausting for Clemson fans. I think I can see what's happening here and I think everyone will be able to see what's happening here as I explain the candidates. It might be a legit position battle, which is, you know, one of the few in the house settlement era because you're spending money on. On quarterbacks. It's Christopher Vezina who's a junior, and Tate Reynolds is a freshman. The junior is the program guy who's been around. The freshman is the more highly touted guy. You can already see the contours of this one because we've seen it at Clemson before. It's Kelly Bryant versus Trevor Lawrence. I'm just going to quote Austin Hannon of 247 Sports for drawing this out in a way that we will all understand right away. Sweeney has a lot of belief in the guy that has waited years for his opportunity, while the fans are just hoping that the young slinger will get a fair opportunity. And at some point, yeah, we all get it. We know exactly what's going to happen here. See you in week five for the better young quarterback.
- [56:07]
A
Hope.
- [56:08]
B
Hope there aren't too many losses on the schedule by that point. The offensive coordinator is Chad Morris. Remember Chad Morris?
- [56:15]
A
I do.
- [56:16]
B
Very successful as a Clemson offensive coordinator once upon a time. Not exactly beating the charges that Dabo needs to have a broader horizon about where he looks for his offensive input. But I guess he, you know, the Garrett Riley thing didn't work out and I think Dabo probably feels have indicated that going outside the family didn't really work out. So they are back not just in the family, but to your old beloved cousin who was great there literally when Taj Boyd was Clemson's quarterback. It could work. I'm actually a bit of a Chad Morris truther in that I don't think he's a terrible football coach. And I think what happened at Arkansas was a confluence of circumstances rather than evidence that this guy doesn't know anything about football and can't run an offense. But it's a big bet on Dabo's part. My bud, that was my thorn is the quarterback situation. My bud is that the defense was not that far away last year. The backsliding there has been less than it has been on the offense.
- [57:16]
A
But tell me the butts this defense got worse.
- [57:20]
B
Yeah. T.J. parker's not here anymore. That's a problem.
- [57:23]
A
Now do I think Amari Adams can step up and be the next one? Sure. Is Will hell awesome? Sure. Is Sammy Brown great? Yes. It's not you know what players.
- [57:31]
B
Yes. But you Sammy Brown middle linebacker is really good.
- [57:35]
A
You can't look at this 11 and say it's better than last year's defense and last year's defense player for player one through 11 and last year's defense. I don't know that there were many more disappointing position or sides of the ball pound for pound in this station of the sport than that Clemson defense.
- [57:55]
B
Yeah, I remember last year expecting a ton more at this time from TJ Parker, the edge rusher who wound up being a very, very early second round pick. He had had 11 sacks as a sophomore, that went down to five as a junior and that was despite having held opposite him. I think there's some game planning focuses on him that are going into that. But part of that's actually part of why I'm just open to seeing if there's improvement this year. They did not get the linebacker Luke Forelli, who was going to be one of their big ads from Cal. But he is the player at the center of the Ole Miss Clemson tampering dispute who is going to play for Ole Miss this year. But the defense is not at the level that it was when they were good, when they were great. But it's also not as far away as it's been. And I think Tom Allen's a good football coach who understands the sport. I think there's a chance that they could climb in that area this year.
- [58:48]
A
Richard Louisville, we got through that without me doing the Dabo thing. That's personal growth. Offense definitely backslid last year from Louisville but it was fine because the defense ended up being sick and I think that helps for a more balanced unit I think last year's preview I said some version of it's a Braum offense. They'll find a way to get Miller Moss at 3,500 yards passing. And they didn't actually because they said we're going to run the ball. Isaac Brown was awesome. And they became relative more of like a havoc ball control defense. They were awesome up front. What they did with different, different front presentations and with different blitz structures was sick. You know, the Miami game was actually like the platonic ideal of it. I think when you watch that, especially against a great offensive line as Miami had last year, the offensive line here for Louisville is pretty torn up. That's the thorn here, which you know, that kind of happens. Their wide receivers were pretty good, hard to replace. But Trey Richardson, who comes in from Vanderbilt is a good player. I, I am not. I know that everything from touches turns to I don't know about gold, but at least passable at the quarterback position. And he does it year over year. But I don't know about this Lincoln Keenholtz thing at quarterback that they're, that they're doing here.
- [60:11]
B
No. So Lincoln Keenholes is the Ohio State blue chipper who did not win the Ohio State job. Seen it before and seen it. I mean how many, how many Ohio State wasn't the guy quarterbacks have transferred to lower station power conference programs and how many have been good?
- [60:31]
A
Syracuse's defense, it did work.
- [60:33]
B
It worked for Kyle McCord. It worked for a certain player at LSU in the late 2010s as well.
- [60:38]
A
Never heard of him.
- [60:40]
B
But I also have a little skepticism about this kind of thing. I'm kind of with you on this. Like when we see, when we see the Ohio, you know, the Ohio State or the Georgia transfer quarterback who didn't work out, how many times does it look the way that you hoped it would look when they were a recruit?
- [61:01]
A
Yeah, not usually. But I will say I do think that they have a relative change in identity in that they're not going to bring this guy in and ask him to do absolutely everything because of sort of what I was talking about earlier where I do think they are going to be a lot of it more balanced as a team, which I think is good. They've still got sick edge rushers. TJ Caperstone's roster is a good player. So you put all that together and I think you take a look at Louisville and look, man, someone has to be in the ACC championship game against Miami. Someone's got to do it.
- [61:37]
B
Yeah, I think they have Every opportunity. I love the edge rushers. Love them. Clev Lubin, A.J. green, Tyler Thompson from Carolina. That's three. Three is a lot to have at that caliber. It's like, it's that. It's the combination of general Jeff Brown belief, the fact that their. Their losses last year were kind of weird for the most part in different ways. They showed the upside when they beat Miami last year. And what you said about someone having to be the other team opposite Miami. I am. I'm bullish on Louisville this year. Buying, buying stock in some size. You think he's going to be there beyond this year? You know what? Hold that thought. We'll talk about it on the coach.
- [62:22]
A
Thank you.
- [62:23]
B
The coach departure confidence draft. Actually, maybe not because I don't know if we do coaches getting hired away. I don't know if they count in that situation, but.
- [62:30]
A
Well, yeah, like, like when you think a coach is going to retire and you say a coach is going to retire and then he quite literally goes and does not retire. Does the opposite of retire. Goes to.
- [62:41]
B
Resigned first.
- [62:42]
A
A bigger program resigned first. Yeah.
- [62:45]
B
It was a victory for Alex. Wake Forest for me. Richard, how many games this team win last year? You know, it's.
- [62:52]
A
Yes. Because we've done this before. So regale me.
- [62:55]
B
Okay. You know, if I were to tell you our dear listeners that Wake Forest won nine games last year, would you be surprised? Probably. Jake Dicker had a national coach of the year case last year. Really did.
- [63:09]
A
Yeah, absolutely.
- [63:11]
B
Really did. It was great. I am unfortunately here to tell you that it's going to be less great this year. This is the single most clear cut, lock, stock and barrel regression team in the sport this year. No doubt.
- [63:24]
A
Really?
- [63:26]
B
Yeah. Oh, okay.
- [63:28]
A
All right.
- [63:28]
B
I mean like six would be amazing.
- [63:31]
A
Who am I to doubt you?
- [63:33]
B
Six wins would be unbelievable if they could pull that off this year. And they might because he's a great football coach. But I'm thinking about them kind of similarly to how we thought about Syracuse last year when they were coming off a double digit win season. My rose here, no way they do
- [63:45]
A
that again kind of thing.
- [63:46]
B
I just don't think it works. That's not to say that I don't believe in this coach, but my rose here is the edge rusher situation. Langston Hardy and Gabe Kirschke combined for 12 sacks last year. They have more returning production in that area than most. They have cornerbacks who are in from FIU and Georgia State who were very locked down at the lower levels. That is, you know, the kind of use of the portal that programs like this have to pursue. Kind of similar to how we were talking about with NC State. My bud is Gio Lopez, the quarterback in a power four environment that is not wildly dramatic and bad. I don't hold it against him at all how badly it went at North Carolina. And I, I, I took note of his dad talking shit about the culture there after he left. Not because that's the first time that a player's parent has ever complained about a former coach after that player moved on, but because talking about the pressure there and the way that Belichick interacted, or more accurately maybe didn't interact with his college quarterback just felt like it fit perfectly with what some of our stated fears were about how Belichick was going to be as a college football coach. So now Gio Lopez, formerly very good at South Alabama, takes a crack in a much more normal power conference program at Wake. I think that could go well. The arm is real. There's, there's a, there's a way the ball jumps from him when he throws it and he can occasionally do it accurately. That makes me interested in him. My thorn is that the hits are just going to keep coming in the portal. They're just going to keep coming. Texas came in here, plucked the left tackle and their number three wideout, their number two wideout is at Oklahoma State. Now their number five wideout is at Florida. These destinations tell me something about the way these players were valued in the portal. Their best defensive lineman, maybe their best player overall. Mateen Ibarragba is at Texas Tech. That tells you something about how he was valued in the portal. He's going to be very important for a playoff contender. This just keeps happening every year. It's why Dave Claassen, to my eye, quasi retired, resigned, whatever you would call it. It's extra hard this year because the program defining player of the last few years, Demon Claiborne, the running back, ran out of eligibility. So the offense in particular is just really doing this thing from scratch this year. The cornerstone player on the defensive front is gone. It just is really hard sledding.
- [66:24]
A
I actually on defense they're not going to be bad. I will say on defense they are not going to be bad. And I do think that will help make them a tough out. You bring back Langston Hardy on defense. He was a sack guy for them.
- [66:36]
B
They were so soft. Yeah. And Kirsky. Yeah. This the ends. Absolutely. The defense was really impressive last year and the offense was despite like a truly dreadful quarterback situation. Was pretty good too.
- [66:48]
A
They, I think they will be a tough out. It will be an easier out than they were last year. I mean, SMU went in there last year and figured out like you're not just going to smoke these guys.
- [66:59]
B
No wake beat them on like a last second field goal. Did they not?
- [67:01]
A
Yes.
- [67:02]
B
Yeah.
- [67:02]
A
Yes.
- [67:04]
B
I guess I should maybe be a little bit more tempered because of how, I don't know.
- [67:08]
A
That's not what I said. That's not what I said. I said they're going to be a tough out.
- [67:15]
B
If they can win six this year after winning nine last year, that would be awesome. That'd be very, very impressive. That is Wake Forest. And whether you are driving through a forested area or a more swampy area or a beachy area, a mountainous area, a desert area, perhaps an urban area, you are going to want to do it on reliable, durable, well performing tires. And dear listeners, I have good news for you on that front. Nokian Tires, the inventor of the winter tire, maker of tires that work really well all year round, is heading into its fifth. Can you believe how time flies? Fifth season with us as a sponsor of Split Zone Duo. They're not just a sponsor, but they are my very real tire provider. Use them every day or every day that I drive. And Wes bowling and a lot of the folks there have become good friends we've gotten to see all over the country. We are thrilled that they are back for 2026. We are thrilled that we now have listeners in Finland. Thanks to Wes and Nokian we are truly global. We've always wanted to be a Baltic college football podcast in that way and now we are thanks to Nokian tires. 2026, our fifth year together. It's amazing. Thank you very much. You'd be very wise if you're in the tire market to take a look at Nokian tires, ask a dealer about them this year. We appreciate their support of the program. Richard, the Stanford Cardinal.
- [68:30]
A
Continuity. Continuity. Yeah, I don't. Nobody is expecting much of anything from Stanford. That's fine. Second year in a row. We know the deal here. Andrew Luck this and that. One of the worst teams in college football last year overall and you know probably going to be running that back. Nico Brown will say as far but concerned. Nico Brown, Yale wide receiver comes in actually pretty cool player so I'm excited to see how that goes. Chris Richard is the defensive coordinator, which I didn't realize.
- [69:03]
B
Oh sure, yeah.
- [69:05]
A
A name you may be familiar with. Jaguars, Cowboys, a couple other places. It's a long term build For David Pritchard, I just. It just is.
- [69:19]
B
Yep. I agree with you on Nico Brown as maybe the most interesting addition. Bucket getting wide receiver for Yale. Ask anybody in the Ivy League about him. The quarterback is Davis Warren. I mean, the quarterback is Davis Warren. The quarterback is Davis Warren. I'm not.
- [69:38]
A
Someone's got to play back there.
- [69:40]
B
Yeah, someone has to play back there. Someone has to play back there. Four wins was pretty good last year, and I don't know if they can actually get back there this year. It would be hard. Their conference schedule is Miami at Duke, Georgia Tech at Wake at Notre Dame, ish conference, NC State at Louisville at a better Virginia Tech at Cal, which we've talked about believing in smu. Good luck with that, man. Good luck with that. Three wins would be. Would be like, okay, like this is still on schedule.
- [70:16]
A
Are they. I'm not. I'm not pulling a. Like here. Are they going to be Hawaii?
- [70:22]
B
Didn't they not beat Hawaii last year?
- [70:25]
A
I don't.
- [70:26]
B
No, they didn't. They lost to Hawaii last year, so maybe not. Maybe not. This game is in Palo Alto or Stanford.
- [70:40]
A
But it's week one, so it's not like there's no travel. So there's no. Like.
- [70:44]
B
Yes. Yeah, it's week one rather than going down there. I think in week zero last year. Yeah, it was when they played them. They are building something. The money. The money is getting right at Stanford. It will not shock me at all if I don't. Okay, I don't. It's a hard job. We did a whole show on why.
- [71:02]
A
Sure, sure.
- [71:02]
B
Why. It is kind of a bad job now, though. That was before some more money came in. It was.
- [71:07]
A
But I don't know that that money, as I understand it gets them like. I think that money was to get them to par. Maybe so I don't know that that money was to get them to birdie Eagle. I'm watching, literally watching the open championship. It's on my mind. So I just. It gets you up to par in this league and par in this league is not good enough, in my opinion. That's. That's a broader problem with the acc.
- [71:39]
B
Speaking of problems with the acc, the Florida State Seminoles are next. Late in the preview to be doing Florida State
- [71:47]
A
to get to the boys at Tallahassee, to get a long time to get to them.
- [71:53]
B
Rose. I think their portal work was at least like eyebrow raising for me. You've mentioned Xavier Chaplin on the show before left tackle. There's a world where he is a bigger loss for Auburn than Cam Coleman was. And I think Cam Coleman is good. They added Chris Jones from Southern Holy. I just said there's a world where I don't think it's likely. I just said there's a world where Chaplin is a. Is a lottery NFL pick and goes on to be Penne Sewell. That's. That's that world. Sure.
- [72:24]
A
I just watched Auburn wide receivers.
- [72:25]
B
Richard Auburn wide receivers. Auburn wide receivers are never actually at their peak. Like the last Auburn thousand yard receiver was like in the stone Ages. That's all I'm trying to point out. I don't want to get us sidetracked. My point is there's a world where Xavier Chaplin looks like an amazing player for Florida State and a real loss for Robert. That's what I'm saying.
- [72:47]
A
Okay. All right. I actually, I actually like Florida State's skill players, to be honest with you. A lot actually.
- [72:56]
B
Sure. Let's. Let's bud that then I'll kind of bounce back and forth. Rose and bud. I'm going to sort of take together actually because it's just, it's portal and development. There is some stuff happening here. Makai Dansey introduced himself to all of us very quickly in the Alabama game last year. Wide receiver. He's back along with Deuce Robinson, who was the star wide receiver. They have the D brothers. Mandrell De Se had six and a half sacks as a true freshman. It's not a big defensive front, but there are some interesting people on it. They need the D. They need Daniel Lyons, the big nose tackle to have really big years. Who are, who are your most interesting skill guys on this team? I assume Danzy and Robinson.
- [73:33]
A
Yeah. Chroma. What they have at running back is honestly pretty cool with Wiser and Chroma. Danzy's obviously fun. I am most interested in what they do at tight end. They were bad at tight end last
- [73:44]
B
year despite adding a lot of tight ends and coming out because Gus was the offensive coordinator last year. He is no longer. They. They beefed up a bit to play a little bit of what you might call Sean McVeigh ball now in the NFL. Though Gus was doing it first. They played very little multi tight end stuff for years. They got into that with Gus. I don't know if that will continue this year or not.
- [74:06]
A
Norvell is back calling the place because Gus left in February. They got a JUCO guy who they're bringing in who like if Ashton Daniels, which I'm not. I'm.
- [74:20]
B
Someone's got to play quarterback. Someone's got to play quarterback.
- [74:23]
A
But they've got a juco and what what I mean by that is they got a juco player coming in that I do think there will be dissent for him to play if Ashton Daniel struggle in the way that people that the backup quarterback is the most popular player on any football team.
- [74:38]
B
FSU's backup quarterbacks have probably been the most popular people in the program for the last handful of years. So that tracks. I okay Thorn time. It takes a lot of charity to get to any conclusion other than that this is one of the worst quarterback situations in the power four with the people we just mentioned. Best thing you could say about Daniels is that maybe he's okay and doesn't actively lose them games. The basic case with him is that he played for three years at a dying Stanford program and then was pressed into duty in a miserable falling apart Auburn and actually played kind of okay sort of against Alabama in the Iron Bowl. There could be more, but there probably isn't. Two years ago he threw 12 picks. It was a lot of interceptions and it's not a very nice schedule which again you have to think about in the acc, SMU at home at Bama on the return, UVA at Louisville, at Miami, Clemson at Pitt, Florida, which I don't know yet but if you can find eight wins there as we sit here today, you're a pretty good investigator. Like you've got a good, a good nose for victory if you can find eight wins there. And I don't know what would make people happy with Mike Norvell, but I don't really think it would be less than that. It definitely wouldn't be less than seven
- [76:00]
A
if they so the question is going to be quite literally is he going to be here for this? But if they finished the season five and oh, if they did the Billy Napier thing from that one year when, when it was like oh it's kind of shaky and then they finished season five and oh and they beat Clemson, bc, Pittsburgh, NC State in Florida, which is wholly possible now again, he's got to be here for them to do that. But if they were to do that and in the season five and oh is that good enough for folks?
- [76:36]
B
It's a fair question and I think there is some level of grace that the school wants to extend to him as evidenced by the fact that he is the coach of the team this year.
- [76:44]
A
Well, but it's cheap.
- [76:46]
B
Well, grace on the. Grace on the account of a buyout. Yeah, I just don't see I don't see a huge program transforming set of Portal editions, though I do see some good players. Chaplin, Chris Jones, linebacker from Southern Miss. It just feels like they need a lot of player development to have happened over the last nine months. They need people to get a lot better. And there are some who you would think they would like Mandrell De Sear, like you would expect you'd get continued growth from Makai Danzey, Deuce Robinson. But they need a lot of that to go from what they were to what people there, at least the fan base would consider acceptable. And I can't feel that confident that they're going to get there this season.
- [77:33]
A
North Carolina, Richard, as we know, it just can't be worse on offense. It definitely can't be worse on offense with Bobby Petrino at the wheel. I think that, you know, it's not going to be 2017 LSU, but it's got to be better. Just has to be the thing that I'll continue to kind of say about last year's North Carolina experience, which as Godfrey's right to say, this isn't really why you hired him. But they were better than it actually looked last year, especially in the back half of the season. And the defense was honestly not bad. Now we know, and as Godfrey would say, hopefully you didn't hire this guy to be not bad. I get it. But there, I think there are more building blocks than people want to believe with this North Carolina team because of all the, you know, around it.
- [78:29]
B
Yeah, I kind of agree with you. I actually wrote about this last week for opt analyst. I was doing a, you know, is there any hope at Colorado with Dion or UNC with Bill type of story? I think there is some light in the end of the tunnel for UNC because of the clear priority shift to high school recruiting and the bulk that they've taken at least quantity wise there.
- [78:59]
A
Yeah, because they did lose depth. They lost depth. Yeah, I will say.
- [79:03]
B
But what I'm kind of, what I'm kind of wondering about is how that maps on at a high level to Belichick's timeline. I don't know how long he's going to be there. I would be a little surprised if it was more than two more years. You could sell me that it would be one more year. And there have been a couple mismatches like this that we talk about now in the Portal house era. USC is the other one that comes to mind. We talked about them over the off season where Lincoln Riley is going into an obvious hot seat year that points like at first blush, more towards Portal. But that's not what USC has done. USC has really, in addition to some Portal really gotten gotten serious, gotten more serious about high school prep recruiting. And in USC's case, it's pretty clear that what they've done is tried to recruit in a legitimate NFL model. Like you're signing with usc, you're not signing with Lincoln Riley. Like we are trying to operate with an empowered GM who isn't the longtime consigliery of the head coach in the way that Michael Lombardi is for Bill Belichick. And so it makes some sense, even though it doesn't necessarily map the win now that the coach needs. Can you say that about North Carolina, where Lombardi is the roster guy? I mean, is he going to outlast Belichick here? Really?
- [80:13]
A
One real major problem that they also have is I just the way Bobby Petrino likes to run an offense. Now look, Bill. Bill let offense take over before. It's not like he's averse to tilting his program toward offense. Now I think the way that they're going to operate at times may come at the expense of the defense. And that's what I'm concerned about with this Carolina team building.
- [80:59]
B
What do you think that might look like in practice? Weakness wise or strength wise?
- [81:03]
A
Well, last year they were bad on offense. Yes.
- [81:06]
B
Yes. I think that's hard to get. More than fair to say. Yeah.
- [81:10]
A
Hard to get worse.
- [81:10]
B
Yeah.
- [81:12]
A
So if you're similarly, maybe not. I shouldn't say similarly, but because again, it's hard to be worse if the way you get better on offense introduces more variance. Are you buying boom? Are you hoping for boom? That's all well and good. However, if you get bust, it's. It affects the solidity of that defense in a way that I think is worrisome, if that makes sense.
- [81:46]
B
I think that's a thing for them to be fairly worried about. I also don't like that one of the two or three best guys on this team last year, Tyler Thompson, is the guy we mentioned playing at Louisville now, edge rusher. Because the defense last year was great at one thing particularly, which was the explosive play stuff. They gave up very little of the big stuff. And that has been a, of course, as you know well as an NFL guy, a hallmark of Bill's great defenses historically. Doesn't matter which zero star safety the Patriots signed off the street two days before there was a lid on those defenses. And actually North Carolina retained some of that character in his first year there but that was trait wise about the only thing to love about that team and they have a lot of holes to fill. I cannot imagine the Billy Edwards thing working well. There's a lot of at the bottom of this conference saying it for now a third time someone's got to play quarterback and I think that's what's happening
- [82:40]
A
there too is this is the bottom of the ACC worse in the bottom of the Big 12 haven't done the
- [82:45]
B
Big 12 preview yet so I don't know.
- [82:47]
A
It's bad man. It's bad. By the way, Milkhart Abu Jode is a 10 sack guy that comes back so yes that is going to help you on the edge.
- [82:59]
B
Yep. Yep. Won't have Thompson opposite him but yes they have. I don't I think you make a fair point to open this preview that there's a way to overstate the lack of talent on this roster that we shouldn't engage in. But like with quarterback you can't overstate it. Like going into the year with Billy Edwards at quarterback is just is tough and it'll be very very tense and nervy and interesting to see how much development happens here and on to what extent that matches with how long Bill expects to be in that job. Don't know.
- [83:30]
A
They they have a backup in from Texas A and M who I think you're going to see at some time this season.
- [83:36]
B
Oh also by the way the the FOIAing like the TMZ style interest in this program. It will continue as far as I know it. Bill's romantic situation has not changed. It will continue. And all press is not good press that helps you set the agenda for your college football team. The Virginia Tech Hokies appearing late in the preview because they did suck. But I think they're probably going to suck less if you get the chance. I would actually refer you back to our off season subscriber special. Just scroll down in the feed we had on Tim Thomas of the Tech Lunch Mail. There's a lot happening around this program administratively, financially right now. And even since we've recorded that they have swapped out their athletic director, Whip Babcock, who had clearly been sidelined, they hired Brian White who is now the youngest athletic director in the conference at 42. He is from the notorious I was gonna say notorious, but from the known the well known White college athletics family. Danny Tennessee is his brother Mike, the UGA hoops coach brother. Former Duke AD Kevin White is the father of this family. So lots happening. James Franklin is wearing maroon ties at ACC media days and doing better saying, not mispronouncing like enter Sandman. And he's getting himself put into the local traditions on the actual football. This is a real blank slate. We're just going to have to see. I'm allowed to do this with one or two teams every preview season, right? Just kind of say we're just going to have to see. Yeah, it's I'm going to give you some more, but I want to preface this by trying to get myself amnesty for what I'm when I'm wrong about a lot of this stuff. Rose great defensive coordinator hiring Brent Pry Brent Pry Virginia Tech actually plucked this guy from the coach carousel after he was fired by his previous school. That was Virginia Tech last year. Things fell apart on both sides of the ball at prize old school Virginia Tech, but they actually did in general until it fell apart, which it did improved their defense under Brent Pry from where it was under Justin Fuente. They were roughly a top 40 unit until they weren't. Everything went to shit last year. He's a known good defensive coordinator. He's a known good collaborator with James Franklin. The defense kept some people too who I think are good. Caleb Spencer will linebacker slash edge Aiden half sacks last year. He is back. I think they're going to be harder to score on this time around than they were last time around. That is roughly the faintest praise that could possibly be given if you watched Virginia attack last year. Not trying to say that it's anything more than that, but you know, I expect them not to not to have the number 97 defense by SP plus nor the 109 offense by SP plus Bud. All inclusive portal strategy for this year. Franklin brought some Penn State guys with him who were actually good or at least compelling. Interesting some of them. I'm not sure if Matt Campbell would have wanted to keep or not. Like, you know, Rocco Becht might have more value to Matt Campbell than Ethan Grunkemeier would even with less eligibility remaining because Becht is Campbell's guy. But Gruckenmeyer as recently as a year ago was seen as, you know, pretty interesting young quarterback prospect. He comes with Franklin after playing out the string for Penn State after Drew Aller got hurt. Jacquez White from Troy was one of the best corners in the G6. He is here. There's kind of a fun roster build going on where James just took people from every station of the sport like there there is a complete grab bag of prior programs, types of players, obviously position groups. Kushon Brown From Duke, prolific slot wide receiver. He should lift some things for this offense. This is a throw it at the wall and see what sticks kind of year. Do you think that some things will stick averaging Tech?
- [87:41]
A
Yeah, I mean it's, it's, it's going to be something for sure. Especially with all the resources they're putting into this. All that stuff sort of stuff I say, I would say for James Franklin. Yes, yes.
- [87:52]
B
My thorn is that this team sucked at absolutely everything last year. And so the chances that they are able to not suck at anything this year are very low. There will be huge weaknesses. I don't know what they will be, but there will be a couple things that this will be one of the worst programs in the power four at because for there not to be would mean that they were plugging a lot of holes. More holes than I think you have Spackle to plug. I don't think that's a very good home repair metaphor there. Spackle is more for walls, not where leaks are. But you know, I was moving some art around the walls recently, so Spackle was on my mind.
- [88:27]
A
Interesting. Yes. I'm sure your lovely wife was putting you to work with her interior design bonafides Boston College. I would rather not if I'm honest.
- [88:39]
B
Oh boy.
- [88:42]
A
I will say I. This is honestly all jokes aside, bud and rose probably into one. I am actually very interested in this quarterback situation, which I cannot believe I'm saying. But they bring in A guy, Mason McKenzie, who's a D2 player, got D2 like player of the year honors, I believe or some way shape or form. This guy can move like real deal scoot when you watch it. I am really interested in how this is going to work for Boston College. I think Temple was in on him. And why I look longingly upon that is because Temple was more than just in on a D2 player last year of some repute, Trinidad Chambliss. To the point that if he literally doesn't get on a plane to go to Oxford. Trinidad Chambliss plays a Temple last year. I'm telling you.
- [89:43]
B
So Casey Keiller, he's a hitter.
- [89:46]
A
If. Yeah, if, if Temple. If Temple is in on you as a lower level player. My eyebrow raises. So my eyebrow raises.
- [89:55]
B
It makes sense. It makes sense. That's what KC was doing for a long time.
- [89:58]
A
My eyebrow raises about this young man. There's some, some cause for optimism for Boston College because of that. Um, Kalin Shazinski at tight end also is an interesting player. I didn't want to just look at this roster and say there's fuck all. But
- [90:16]
B
that's gotta be. That's gotta be one of the. The Chadzinskis, right?
- [90:20]
A
Other than that. Other than that, man, I dunno, man. I dunno. No Turbo Richard. No Louis Bond at skill position. They're gone.
- [90:35]
B
Richard, I got really bad news for you that's coming across my desk as of the morning that we are recording this.
- [90:42]
A
Oh, you're kidding.
- [90:44]
B
I'm not kidding.
- [90:45]
A
You're not serious.
- [90:47]
B
I got really. This actually is terrible. We're just gonna leave this in because I think it does kind of capture the experience. But Kalin Katzinski, as of the morning we are recording this.
- [90:57]
A
You're joking.
- [90:58]
B
Thursday, before it comes out, is out for the year with an Achilles injury.
- [91:03]
A
All right, man.
- [91:05]
B
God, that's awful. Yeah.
- [91:08]
A
Yeah.
- [91:10]
B
So if it was an SNL skit, it would be funny. It's real life, so it's not funny.
- [91:16]
A
Yeah.
- [91:16]
B
I hope he can rehab quickly. It's. It's funny. I was just Googling him to see if he was Rob Jaczynski's son, which I assume he is.
- [91:26]
A
Who. All right.
- [91:29]
B
Announced it. Announced it in the last 15 minutes or so that we're recording. This way, man. I'm not kidding. I'm not kidding.
- [91:38]
A
So. Ok. All right.
- [91:40]
B
Honestly, this is good because this is how I know you're doing your homework well in advance and not. Not stuffing it in right before we put the mics on. But yes, literally in the last minutes, it's been announced that he is out for the year with an Achilles.
- [91:52]
A
All right. New coordinators at Boston College as well. They say that they're. They've unlocked some more resources and blah, blah, blah. They're going to be really bad
- [92:04]
B
probably. So the team that was at the bottom of the standings last year or another team at the bottom of the standings last year is Syracuse. We had the right read on them last year from the start that the schedule was too hard. They were losing too many people from the 10 win team that they had in Fran Brown's first year. And then things accelerated in a bad direction because Steve Angeli got hurt and they went three and nine. They had a sneaky analytics case last year for worst team in the Power 4, though not quite because Oklahoma State takes that cake. Rose. The defense sucked at everything last year. They were really bad. They would occasionally blow up run plays that a decent stuff rate, but they weren't consistent and they got gashed. The Rose is the coordinator hire coming in to fix it. Vince Karras from Toledo is here. This guy run you tell people about this, Richard?
- [92:54]
A
No, I was going to say that's. It's sneaky. One of the better coordinator hires all December. Honestly.
- [93:00]
B
He has run a lot of really productive punch above weight defenses in the Mac at Toledo. They are consistently one of the best defenses in the G6 and they have put a shockingly consistent volume of players into the NFL draft, including the upper rounds just in the past few seasons. What can he do in the lab with a head coach Fran Brown, who has a defensive background himself? We will find out. It's also a pretty high returning production load on that defense. It wasn't good production last year, which gives you pause of course, but I think it is worth raising a brow at Syracuse. Probably improving, if not this year, at least as the season goes on on defense. But the quarterback room is bizarre, but maybe in a good way. Angeli is back from injury. They also added Amari Odom from Kennesaw State. You might remember him from the comeback he led to beat Jacksonville State on the road in the Conference USA title game last year on the Friday night of that weekend. And also Malachi Nelson is in the room still giving it a shot. This is the long ago five star, very, very hyped quarterback. There's very little stylistic consistency between these quarterbacks, between the things that they do.
- [94:18]
A
Right. Run them all out there.
- [94:20]
B
And so Steven Jelly was giving you
- [94:23]
A
something though last year before it, before he got hurt.
- [94:26]
B
He was, he was hurt pretty early in the season last year he got
- [94:29]
A
hurt against Clemson, if I recall correctly.
- [94:31]
B
Yeah. And then they sent out and they
- [94:34]
A
were, they were threatening in that game until he got hurt, if I recall correctly.
- [94:41]
B
He only appeared in four games and he was giving them something. He had a 10 touchdown to 2 interception ratio. He was averaging, clearing 8 yards a throw. Enough that he's the clear heir apparent if he's feeling good to be in the job again this year. But they put some, some proven depth behind him, particularly particularly in Amari Odom Thorne. I actually was prepared to say that this was going to be Portal losses because they lost 38 guys in the Portal. But they didn't lose many high end recruits or highly rated guys in the Portal among those guys. Which kind of makes it smell like this was just a bit of a roster clean out.
- [95:23]
A
Wait, also, am I stupid? They kicked Clemson's ass last year. Oh, perfect. Yeah.
- [95:30]
B
Yeah.
- [95:30]
A
They won that game by two scores.
- [95:32]
B
I let that pass. So that was one of their three wins. Was beating. Wow. Was beating Clemson by two scores. Yeah, of course because they always play Clemson tough, tough in Death Valley. And that was also the game, now that you say it, that was the game that it became clear that Clemson was like bad, bad, bad. Like that was. Yes, I do remember that. Now that you. Now that you bring it. They lost Jontae Cook who went to Ole Miss. That's his fourth school. I'm assuming Syracuse did not think he was going to be around for the long haul. Wide receiver Ole Miss also took their number two wide receiver, Darrell Gill. As far as I could tell, there was no assistant connection there. That was just national scouting on Ole Miss's part to go and pluck these guys.
- [96:09]
A
I mean they do do that. I mean it ain't like they had a ton of connections to the Trinder Chandlers.
- [96:13]
B
No, they just go and do that. But anytime it's a couple from the same position room I would think. Oh, like is Syracuse's wide receiver at Ole Miss wide receivers coach at Ole Miss? No, they just went and got these guys I expect better than they were last year which is not too hard to do. I do not think they are going back to 10 Winsville but I think they're going to be better than they were last year. Richard, let's wrap with our preseason awards slash superlatives. I kick it to you first for your split zone duo preseason dude of the year in this conference.
- [96:42]
A
The answer here is obviously Malachi Tony, just let's be adults here but I'm going to take Justice. Yeah, I'm going to take Justice Haynes on offense. Like I really think that is going to be cool for Georgia Tech. Justice Haynes or obvious JKS is the other obvious choice there.
- [96:59]
B
Yeah, I take offensive dude of the year Jaren Calvis, Sanga Pulatelle defensive dude of the year. The D Doty Clev Lubin, the Louisville edge rusher.
- [97:10]
A
I'm going to go Will Helt on defensive dude of the year. Seven and a half sacks last year. I don't think truly tells a story of how impactful he was for them. He was tremendous for them last year and I think that sack total is going to go up. I think he'll be a double digit sack guy this year for Clemson and he will, he'll. He'll continue to be their best defensive player.
- [97:32]
B
The coach who will not be here next year. Last year because we check our work on this each season I took Justin Wilcox. Bang. And Richard took Jeff Braum thinking he would leave. Jeff Braum did not leave. Who you have this year.
- [97:47]
A
I'm going to go Bill o'. Brien. I just don't know how long we're doing this for with Bill o'. Brien.
- [97:52]
B
I like that pick. I'm going to go Mike Norvell to be different, but I actually might like your pick more. But I'm going to stick with Mike Norvell. Richard, it is time for a special coach award from you.
- [98:06]
A
Yeah, we're going to go minority coach of the week for the first time this season. We're going to go minority coach of the week in an interesting schematic spot now again, just of the year. Of the year. Thank you. Now, just so we're clear, this is not an achievement award. This is simply looking at a minority coach in a certain schematic spot saying, huh, that's kind of interesting. Louisville co defensive coordinator Steve Ellis comes in from the Ron English. Ron English stepped down in I think January for personal reasons. I think that this is important because this, like I was saying earlier in the Louisville preview, this Louisville defense I think is going to be the thing that you hang your hat on there. So he comes in as the OTC here. Going to be interesting to see how it, how it works. He's got a lot of FCs experience and G6 experience.
- [98:55]
B
The low key game of the year, something people should look forward to. Essentially means you cannot pick Miami playing Notre Dame. You need to pick something slightly off the board though. Don't be insufferable about it. I'm taking Louisville SMU in week three at Louisville. If SMU were to win that game, I would probably shift into a way more POS like positive posture about them and start thinking about them as one of the favorites to be the team playing Miami in the ACC championship. I appreciate this league trying. By the way, on Friday night games, FSU at Louisville, Pitt at Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, smu. Those are all Friday games this year. I like a nice Thursday Friday night college football game Clemson at Cal on a Friday night in the last week of September. That's okay.
- [99:43]
A
I think Clemson and Cal is an absolute gut check. I think on for both ends but on one obviously more than the other Friday night west coast tilt going out there for Clemson. I don't think Clemson's done one of those yet. I don't remember. If I'm not mistaken, I don't remember. Yeah, I you are going to learn a lot about Clemson in that spot.
- [100:14]
B
That is folks, the ACC preview for 2026. This is split zone duo relaunch week. As we turn to the 2026 season. Thank you again to our subscribers@splitzoneduo.com subscribe we would love if you would try us out this season if you have not yet. We think you'll enjoy it very much if you do. Nine more conference previews to go. We will see you very soon and we will take your notes by by the way in the comments. It's what's in duo.com we do a lot of research on these things, but I'm sure there are some notes, some things that we've missed. We would be more than appreciative if you share any of those with us because we're still doing our own prep as we go towards kickoff in Week one. We will see you soon.