Marler Monday: SEC Football is Back!

Summary

That SEC Football Podcast

Episode: Marler Monday: SEC Football is Back!

Date: August 3, 2026

Host: Michael Bratton (SEC Mike)
Guest: Chris Marler (@VerneFUNquist)
Summary by: Podcast Expert Summarizer

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Episode Overview

This episode marks the much-anticipated return of "Marler Monday" after a two-month hiatus. Michael Bratton (SEC Mike) and guest Chris Marler dive straight into all things SEC football as fall camp opens, unpacking big offseason storylines, revisiting predictions, and reacting to the latest Vegas lines. The pair offer candid, often comedic commentary on the uncertainty and excitement heading into the 2026 season. Conversation ranges from detailed breakdowns of team position groups and outlooks, to hot takes on scheduling, sleeper teams, and coaching situations. The banter is lively and unfiltered, maintaining the friendly, sometimes irreverent tone fans adore.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Fall Camp Excitement & Teams to Watch

[01:21]

• Chris Marler highlights his interest in key offensive lines, especially at South Carolina, LSU, and Alabama.
  • Also watching Alabama’s quarterback situation and wondering if LSU will field an all-freshman defensive line (outside of Prince Willon).
• Both hosts acknowledge that preseason predictions are always a minefield—“we're not geniuses...there's always stuff you miss” (B, [02:36]).
• Health is a key concern heading into camp.

2. Predicting SEC West Finishes: Bama, LSU, South Carolina

[03:06]

• Marler’s predicted order: LSU, South Carolina, Alabama.
• Records: LSU 10-2, South Carolina 9-3/8-4, Alabama 8-4.
• “I think South Carolina goes 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 and beats Alabama.” (B, [03:17])

3. Vegas Lines, Home-Field Advantage, and Underdogs

[03:50 – 08:20]

• Discussion of South Point Casino’s futures lines—strong bias for home teams; only Texas and Georgia favored in road SEC games ([07:12]).
• “Only 22% of true road teams are favored in SEC matchups” (B, [04:35]).
• Oklahoma viewed as undervalued by Vegas.
  • Despite making the playoff last year, Sooners are significant underdogs at Texas (6.5), Georgia (9.5), and Michigan.
• Teams with 7.5 win over/unders (Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Florida) face skepticism, despite fan optimism.

4. Media Days Standouts and Perception Shifts

[08:29]

• General consensus at Media Days: Florida, Oklahoma, and South Carolina might be underrated.
• Pete Golding (Ole Miss DC) impressed media, “if you were surprised by Golding being so...good in that setting, you just haven’t listened to him speak yet.” (B, [09:11])
• Oklahoma’s tough early schedule balanced by favorable home stretch, leading Marler to label them a “big believer” pick.

5. Missouri as a Sleeper?

[12:07 – 15:09]

• Listener question: Could Missouri surprise and beat Texas if QB Austin Simmons succeeds?
• Marler’s main concern: Defensive line, lost a lot of pass rush (43% of pressures gone), key departures in the front seven.
• Positives: Jamal Roberts (“most important non-QB on offense in the entire conference”, [13:00]), big fan of coach Eli Drinkwitz and QB situation.
• Defensive questions nagging: “I just worry about that defensive line and, and the edge rush position, which has proven to be such a huge, huge reason for success at so many places, especially Mizzou last year.” (B, [14:50])

6. Return of Ex-Players Due to New NCAA Rulings

[15:09 – 17:03]

• Sterling Webb returns for Missouri thanks to an eligibility loophole, causing confusion and debate.
• Marler frustrated with players returning after failed NFL bids: “I just think it’s so stupid...so many chances to everyone, but like the youth of America coming up through high school ranks...” (B, [16:13])

7. Texas A&M: Can They Repeat Success?

[17:23 – 22:19]

• Big doubts about Texas A&M’s ability to repeat 11-win season after heavy NFL/portal losses and coaching staff turnover (OC Colin Klein gone).
• “It’s hard for me to imagine...they’re going to be anywhere close (to 11 wins).” (B, [21:39])
• Marler’s prediction: A&M could improve as a team but have a worse record (8-4), due to brutal road schedule and lost continuity.

8. South Carolina’s Trajectory and Shane Beamer’s Hot Seat

[22:33 – 26:23]

• South Carolina considered a dark horse by Marler and media.
• Critical for Beamer’s team to exit September with no more than one loss.
• “There’s only two games on this schedule that are definite losses...does not mean they’re going 10-2.” (B, [24:24])
• Offensive line should improve (“They can’t get worse, right?”).
• Pressure is mounting: anything less than six wins would be “very disappointing.”

9. Florida’s Outlook Post-Napier and the Summerall Hype

[26:27 – 33:04]

• New coach John Summerall impresses with recruiting, but skepticism abounds over staff overhaul and schedule toughness.
• “Their ceiling is eight wins. Period.” (B, [28:32])
• Worst case: 5-7 after a rough start; best case: 8-4.
• “I think Summerall is going to succeed there...but significant less talent on this year's team.” (B, [32:34])

10. Arkansas, Auburn, and the Blue-Chip Ratio

[34:17 – 41:41]

• Marler jokes about lack of respect for Arkansas under coach “Ryan Silver Fox”.
• Auburn is “a fascinating case” with blue-chip ratio dropping from 60% to 30%, but expectation of improvement due to coaching changes.
• "Auburn-Florida is going to be a massive, massive game that we're not talking enough about." (B, [40:56])

11. Backup Quarterbacks, NIL Dynamics, and Injury Impact

[52:42 – 56:20]

• Discussion around the challenge of managing quarterbacks in the NIL era—most schools can only afford 1-2 highly-paid passers, depth suffers.
• Example: Ole Miss unintentionally found a star due to injury ($3 million QB sidelined).
• “I think across the SEC there may only be two or three guys that as of today we view as competent backup quarterbacks.” (A, [55:26])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We’re not geniuses…there’s always stuff you miss.” —Chris Marler, [02:36]
• “That’s not bad. I’ve got some bad takes this year.” —Chris Marler, on predicting LSU, South Carolina, Alabama, [03:27]
• “Only Texas and Georgia favored as road teams in any conference game...the home team’s not going to win every damn game.” —SEC Mike, [07:12]
• “I just worry about that defensive line and, and the edge rush position.” —Chris Marler on Missouri, [14:50]
• "It's hard for me to imagine...they're going to be anywhere close (to 11 wins)." —Chris Marler, on Texas A&M, [21:39]
• "This is going to be the most talented team Shane Beamer's had." —Chris Marler, [24:10]
• “Their ceiling is eight wins. Period.” —Chris Marler, on Florida, [28:32]
• "Auburn-Florida game is going to be a massive, massive game we're not talking enough about." —Chris Marler, [40:56]
• “Only 22.2% of the overall games for true road teams were favored throughout the season.” —Chris Marler, discussing Vegas lines, [04:35]
• "The NCAA got one, and he deserved it...It's just. It's such. And what's crazy to me, too, is that, like, we all kind of forgot how bad the NCAA was because they've just been so, like, forgotten about..." —Chris Marler, on Aron Carter’s 2-game suspension, [47:34]

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Important Timestamps

• 01:21: Fall camp storylines; teams/position groups to watch
• 03:06: Predicting LSU, South Carolina, Alabama finishes in 2026
• 04:08 – 08:20: Vegas lines, home-field advantage, and analysis of betting odds
• 12:07 – 15:09: Missouri’s sleeper credentials & defensive concerns
• 17:23 – 22:19: Texas A&M’s realistic outlook and concerns
• 22:33 – 26:23: South Carolina’s program direction, pressure on Shane Beamer
• 26:27 – 33:04: Florida’s projections under John Summerall
• 34:17 – 41:41: Arkansas disrespect, Auburn analysis, blue-chip ratio debate
• 52:42 – 56:20: Backup QBs, NIL, and injury impacts on the SEC
• 47:34: NCAA suspends Tennessee’s Aron Carter, NIL-era hypocrisy
• 55:26: NIL's impact on quarterback depth and opportunities

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Tone and Language

• The episode blends humor, irreverence, and honest insider analysis. Both SEC Mike and Marler riff off each other with jokes while providing strong, evidence-based football insight, never afraid of calling out the absurdity of college football "logic" and administrative decisions.

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Takeaways for Listeners

• South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Florida are emerging as possible "buy low" teams for 2026, but skepticism remains about their schedules and roster depth.
• Missouri and Auburn could surprise, but have critical question marks on defense and roster cohesion.
• Texas A&M and Alabama may struggle to repeat past success due to attrition and difficult schedules.
• Backup QB and NIL scenarios will be fascinating to watch as the season develops, with potential for "lightning-in-a-bottle" stories.
• The SEC’s pecking order is more uncertain than usual—there are plenty of traps and possible shakeups ahead.

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For the full show experience, jump to the timestamped segments above to catch the best of the banter and football talk.

Transcript

[A]

Foreigner Monday. Back after about two months off. Chris Barlow, the funniest guy out there. What's up, buddy?

[B]

What's up, buddy?

[A]

Hey, if I'm not wrong, did you get two fine mom appearances at media days? He.

[B]

He kind of invited himself to the wedding.

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

My hair's not doing well.

[A]

What if. What if Paul is brodo?

[B]

This is the whole time. That'd be funny. Yeah. He was like, when's the wedding? And I was like, oh, it's fall wedding. I was like, you should know because you're giving me away. And. And he was like, I could probably make it. He's like, what is going on?

[A]

What are you saying? So I guess he likes you better than anybody, huh? Twice. Twice as nice.

[B]

Very odd. I had a great week. Everyone but you was nice to me and my boss, but mainly you. No, I was like, I had a great week. I. I had a blast. It was a lot of fun. Pepper is here as well. You know, Mike, every time we go on the show, I feel like I look great. And then we get into the actual frame here, and it looks like. But I think that's just my face. That's just me.

[A]

I. I think that's how you look. Chase says, we missed you, buddy. We did.

[B]

M, I, Z

[A]

O, U. All right, so we got fall camp. What are you most excited about? Could be anything related to the nine teams you cover or the three teams that you are a fan of now or could be anything fall camp related.

[B]

Three teams I'm a fan of.

[A]

Well, Carolina.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

LSU tracks Alabama and sometimes Tennessee.

[B]

Oddly enough, I am not a fan of Tennessee ever. Oh, thanks. Rcl, mx. That was really nice to be. Actually, I am. I'm excited to see the offensive lines at. I mean, the three of those schools you just mentioned, South Carolina, lsu, and like the trenches for the. For those two teams in Alabama. Excited to see the quarterback situation at Alabama. What that looks like. Really eager to see what the office of line, South Carolina specifically is. And then I honestly, I. I kind of have this feeling that that outside of Prince Willon, LSU might throw out an all freshman defensive line. Like, I just think they're going to be very uber talented there on the defensive line. So that. That is something I'm looking forward to. And then honestly, just like, where we're right, where we're wrong. You know what I mean? I hope that everyone's healthy going into the season. And. And I just. I kind of wonder because, you know, we're not geniuses. Like. Like, there's. There's always stuff you miss.

[A]

I am.

[B]

You are genius. And I just want to know what, what we're gonna miss or what we've missed. It's like, I don't know if you saw this the other day. I meant to send it to you so we had something to talk about besides our feelings. And it was. What is this?

[A]

Here's a great question. Rank. The rank. The finishes of these three. Bama, lsu, Carolina.

[B]

Anybody give an honest opinion of that? Yes, I think LSU, South Carolina, Alabama.

[A]

So they're all going 8 and 4 and then Bama 7 and 5.

[B]

I think. I think Bama goes 8 and 4. I think South Carolina goes 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 beats Alabama. And I think LSU goes 10 and 2.

[A]

That's not bad.

[B]

I've got some bad takes this year. We talked about. You posted one of them. Like, like the 120 thing is stupid. Like to. I mean, I think Georgia can go 120 and will go 12 0.

[A]

You had Georgia and Texas, right? 12 0.

[B]

Yeah. And I don't think that's smart.

[A]

No. Well, but for you, I mean, that's. That's part of the. For the course. You know what?

[B]

Yeah, it's fair. But so here's the thing, too. Have you seen the lines that have come out for. For some of these. October 10th of Florida? I don't know about that.

[A]

Yes, we discussed that on the last episode. So I have them all here from the South Point Casino in Las Vegas. Any specifically that that really got your attention?

[B]

Did a whole article on it. I got my three best bets coming out on louisianasports.net in negative five minutes. It's already up. I have a lot of feelings on this one. I. It's. What's. What stood out to me the most is the disrespect Oklahoma's getting. I think that's kind of surprising. Like. Like just to see them as a six and a half point underdog against Texas wasn't surprising. But you know, they did make the playoff last year. And to say they're gonna be a touchdown underdog, that was kind of surprised by that. While also having them as a nine and a half point underdog on the road against Georgia. Those are two toughest games. But they're also an underdog on the road against Michigan. I think the biggest takeaway I had from the actual South Point sports book that we. That you brought up itself is. I mean, they gave a lot of credence to home field advantage. And, and I understand why. Like, it's. It's A massive deal in college football. I think there were 20. There were 62 total games that were listed from week two to the end of the regular season. They did not include week zero, week one, but 62 overall games. 27 of those were SEC games and only six true road teams were favored in those 27 games. So I mean, you're great at math. That's 28.6% of the over. No, it's 22. It's 22.2% of the overall games for true road teams were favored throughout the season. Ohio State, it seems like who that might be the team they're highest on. And because they're. They're a pick them against. Against Texas on the road. And then there's a couple other ones that there were pickums that surprised me. Tennessee and Bama with Tennessee at home and then Tennessee, LSU with Tennessee at home because you're not telling me those two are. Are the same. And draftkings they have Bama still favorite over Tennessee. I think that's kind of surprising.

[A]

Yeah, you're right. Tennessee is better than both those. So I agree with that. But yeah, that was a little surprising. Shane thought LSU and Bama we. You know, I had him guess the lines yesterday. Yeah, he thought Bama and LSU were. Would be favored over Tennessee on the road to see those as pick them said that that was interesting, wasn't it?

[B]

And. And they're. They're a pretty substantial underdog. They're eight and a half. This is on DraftKings, which is a little bit different by like a point and a half. I think. Eight and a half point underdog to a. M. That's Tennessee I'm talking about. And where's the other one there? I think they were like a. There was another one. They're. They're a one and a half point underdog to Bama on draftkings. And then there's another one where they are. It's not on the road, I don't know. But that. I just. I was just surprised by that. I did. I did not expect that to be the case because Nealon's is hostile of an environment to play in as any place in the country.

[A]

Oh yeah. Just ask Nick Saban who lost his last time there. I don't know what happened the other 20 times but he lost the last time he was there.

[B]

That's all that matters.

[A]

And to your point, Chris, is interesting because again, I got them all listed here. The only road teams favored Texas and Georgia.

[B]

Right In.

[A]

In literally any game in the SEC as a road team. Now, I guess you. Now, this is not technically an SEC game, but Florida at Florida State. Florida is favored.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But beyond that, only Texas and Georgia favored as road teams in any conference game. And we know it's. It's not going to break down like that. Right? I mean, the.

[B]

Right.

[A]

The home team's not going to win every damn game. But any concern, because you just hit on something here. And our guy, Neil McCready is. Neil McCready. Excuse me. I always say McCready. He's. He's. He's hammering home, you know, some. Somebody's got to lose these damn games, right? And when you look at Oklahoma's one, you mentioned seven and a half over, under. Ole Miss, seven and a half. Now, I do believe that's been shifted to eight and a half here lately. Tennessee, seven and a half, Florida seven and a half. You know, all these teams, maybe with the exception of Florida, I think Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee, they're like, yes, eight wins is a given. Yeah, the over under is telling us that's not a given.

[B]

I mean, and what I'm so surprised about, you left. You left Tampa in a huff. You were all upset. You're mad, you're crying.

[A]

I'm still crying.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

A week later.

[B]

Who's not? That's on Spider man yesterday. Haven't been able to get over it. So I think what we all. It's like, no one's gonna, like, you're not gonna go to media days. It's like, holy, dude. Brett Venables said this, this, and this. I'm all in on Oklahoma now. Like, that's not gonna happen. But I will also say that it felt like a majority of the. The. The people that were there kind of left with this idea that, man, I think Florida might be better than we think. I think Oklahoma might be better than we think. I think South Carolina might be better, we think. And Oklahoma, out of those three, seem to be the one that got, like, the most, like, run. Because I. I think. I think everyone kind of already bought into Ole Miss a little bit because of Trinidad and Keon Lacey. Not saying there aren't other reasons why. I'm just saying, like, for those specific reasons, people were already bought in or bought in. I think Pete Golding did an incredible job talking to the media. And, like, that's what we expected. Right? Like, that's. I mean, I think if you were surprised by Golding being so, like, coming across so well in that setting, you just haven't listened to him speak yet, which is not a bad thing. It's just, you know, there's just. He hasn't had that much time in front of the mic. But I do think that out of those, that Oklahoma was the one that seemed like, man, the schedules, it's difficult but manageable. You play your two toughest games are your three toughest games in the first five of the season. But I love the way the rest of it sets up, especially with like the teams they get at home versus on the road. You look at the schedule right now and after the first five games, two of the places you have to go to are on the road, are two of the smallest stadiums in the conference. And then Florida, and Florida's gonna be coming off a game against Georgia. I mean, who knows what they look like at that point. I'm just a big believer in Oklahoma at this point. Maybe I'm completely wrong and I'm totally off base here, but I'm a big believer in them. It does seem odd that, that no one else in that group. Like if Ole Miss went up to eight and a half, that's kind of crazy because of how difficult their schedule is too. But Vegas is just does not. They have not moved off that. I mean, one of the things I'm most shocked about and maybe I shouldn't be, but it just was shocking to see was this is an Ole Miss team that's favored by two points on this sports book by over LSU at home. Right. Like now when that first, that line first came out, hypothetical lines, whatever you want to call it, like way back in January or December or whenever it was, it was LSU minus one and a half, which, that, that means nothing when it's that far out in front of, in front of the game. But you know, we're about a month away now from the season starting and you're about 50 days from that game specifically, and they have an Ole Miss minus two. They, they are, I mean like they're an underdog against Georgia at home. They're an underdog on the road against Oklahoma. But a nine point underdog at Texas was very surprising.

[A]

And I, I could have this a little wrong, Chris, but I, I believe this is accurate. The, those lines that are put out like in January, February, whenever there are big time limits.

[B]

Big time limits on, on what?

[A]

You can bet on those, Pepper.

[B]

Big time limits. Tell them.

[A]

And these, these South Point. I think the limit's five grand.

[B]

Two thousand.

[A]

Well, okay, so I too, I knew I had something wrong, but again, that's, that's a lot of money that they could that they're willing to put on on their line. So they're, they're feeling pretty good about them and that's why they wait to the to this point in time. But yeah, hey we haven't talked much. Missouri, Missouri fan. He gifted 20 memberships. We'll give him a shout out here at the end but he's got a question here for us. Missouri's going to surprise everybody and beat Texas ass. They will probably still lose to A though Missouri going to surprise this year if Simmon hit Simmons. Allison Simmons the quarterback hits which you

[B]

agree with that Mike Say happy birthday to Pepper you piece of. I mean that dog. That's enough right now. So okay. So Mazo, you said what again? I wasn't listening to anything he says.

[A]

He's they're going to beat Texas.

[B]

That first logo is so over the top.

[A]

He says probably lose to A and M. But but he said if Austin Simmons hits they're going to be a sleeper.

[B]

So what worries me the most about Missouri I don't disagree with this. I think there is a. I think there is a twin who's my twin.

[A]

The dog.

[B]

That dude. I wish I had hair like that. So I, I anybody that knows me on here knows I, I have a huge affinity for Missouri. Okay. Like my best friend is a Missouri fan. We, we used to go to a games as Marlon he's been to like you know we've gone a bunch of Mizzou games together like like I like Missouri. I love Eli Drinkwoods. I want him to succeed. I, I have concerns because I think Ahmad Hardy is not going to be ready just from what we heard from from Drinkwitz. Now here's the, here's the good news. I think Jamal Roberts is the most important non quarterback on offense to anybody in the entire conference. This is a kid that averaged 6.1 yards per carry last year as a backup that was third in the league. He is a very capable back and if there's one thing we know about Missouri is they're going to run the out of the ball like three of the last five years they have had the SEC leader leading rusher and I think they're gonna, they're gonna be right up there again. That's what they're gonna want to do. I think they have the best quarterback that they have had like talent wise since Drink wins has been there. I, I think he is the most talented quarterback they've had. Arm talent, all that kind of stuff. Phenomenal leader Mike. We were down there for the Orange bowl in January down in New Orleans and, and, and Austin Simmons was still the one leading them out of the tunnel and it was, it was just very impressive to see. I, I, I'm a big believer in that kid's talent. He just needs some time to develop. But dude, you lost 43% of your pass rush from a tackles for loss standpoint, from a sack standpoint. I forgot. I think it's like around 40 something percent for, for pressures. You got gutted with Zion Young being gone and then and Damon Wilson the second being gone. That's where I have concerns about ou. I love Kate. I'm sorry Mizu. I, I love Kaden Green. You know, I love the running back tandem. I think they'll be fine at receiver even though you lost Kevin Coleman, who was a very underrated player last year. And I love the upside at quarterback. I think, I think you have a big step forward in the quarterback position in comparison what you had last year. But I just worry about that defensive line and, and the edge rush position, which has proven to be such a huge, huge reason for success at so many places, especially Mizzou last year.

[A]

Well, they are getting some help, Chris, with Sterling Webb coming back thanks to the, the court ruling. Anybody that missed it exhausted his eligibility, did not make it back to or did not make it on an NFL roster to my knowledge. So, so he's back. You know, how wacky is that is lsu, Carolina, Alabama, are they getting any guys potentially that exhausted their eligibility that may return?

[B]

I have no idea. I'm sure somebody will. I, I hate that I, it's so, I mean, like, what are we doing? Dude, my fruit gummies are melted. Oh, man. I left fruit gummies in the back seat. That sucks. Oh, no. That's a tale as old as time. All right, guys, everyone has that.

[A]

How old are you? Yeah, left the juice box in the back.

[B]

Se. My Capri Suns have all melted. Okay, so let me focus here again real quick. Sorry. The Red Sox just traded Anthony Ionson to, for Sterling Webb.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[B]

Hold on. So that is a, like that's going to happen. I don't know what we're doing though. I, I don't know what we're doing. Like, it, it seems crazy to me that you can sit here and be like, hey, you didn't do a good enough job to get to the NFL. You made your decisions to go to the NFL. Like, you know, you were not good enough here, but now you get to come back and compete for one more year before Guess what? You go back in the draft and you're still not good enough. Like, I just. And listen, there's a reason why it's the NFL. It's hard to do it. Like, it's hard to get there. So to sit here and, and give so many chances to everyone, but like the youth of America coming up through high school ranks and the players already on the team, I just think it's so stupid. And you in and you knew it was gonna happen, so you shouldn't get too upset about it. But it doesn't make it any less stupid.

[A]

Shouldn't Joey Aguilar be allowed to come back at this point?

[B]

Dude, for year nine is gonna end up at Texas Tech and I'm gonna kill myself.

[A]

That'd be amazing. Would it?

[B]

Yeah, it would be fantastic. All right. You get to take over for seconds. I got to post something for my job job. What do you want to talk about now, Mike? Juice boxes?

[A]

Yeah, juice boxes will be good. How about, you know, one team that a lot of people are really, really questioning outside of old Billy Lucci down at SEC media days was Texas A and M. Marcel Reeds got a lot of his doubters all across the country.

[B]

That one screwed me, huh?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Whatever that comment was I made,

[A]

I think most people believe Mike Elko is an elite coach.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But it's almost like Texas last year where you send 10 plus guys to the NFL. I know they hit the portal pretty hard, particularly on the offensive line and the defensive lines. But is it realistic for you to come together and, and put together back to back playoff type runs in College Station, something you have literally never done? I don't know. Like, I think it's conceivable. Chris, you tell me if I'm crazy. I think A and M could be better this year, but the record be worse because, because they were 11 and one last year and the schedule is, I mean, they got five losable road games.

[B]

Wait, what? Five? I mean, they have four. Well, right, they do have five. They do have five. Now to be said for not being tested like early on like that ASU game, I think it'll be closer than people think. But you're a 15 and a half point favorite in that one. Yeah, they gotta play the Chicago Bears in week one, it looks like. And then, and in Kentucky. I, I, I think this, this schedule, I've said this over and over and I, I brought this up at the start of the year and, and I think it was on this show and people got all upset because people want to be upset about everything. And, and the main comment was, okay, listen, it's hard. There's no way they're not going to take a step back, right? Like, there's no way they're not going to take a step back. And the reason behind that was because you won 11 games, like, you're gonna naturally take a step back. I don't think they're going to win 11 games this year. I just, I don't think that's the case. But then when I got so much pushback on, I was like, all right, well, let me dive into why I think that is the case. Well, for one, the way that this team is built. I've said this over and over and over again. It's just very hard for me to imagine. And, and no offense to A M. They could be turning the corner. I love Mike Elko. I love the upside of this program moving forward. I think they're going to be contending for spots in the CFP every year for a very, very long time. And that may be the case this year, too. But it's a loaded year at the top in the sec and there are other teams that I think are better than them, maybe not significantly better, but I do think it starts with Texas and Georgia. I do think LSU is a better team. You get them at home regardless of what happened last year. That's a place you've struggled at historically. I do think that, you know, going to Alabama is difficult. And I think the biggest thing for me is you. You lost your. You lost four or five stars in the offensive line, which was your, your entire key to your success a season ago. And if that wasn't it, it might have been the new offensive coordinator, Colin Klein. He's also gone. And if those two things were in it, it was having a first round receiver like Casey Concepcion, not just being able to catch the ball and be so explosive, that offense, but also return kicks, which you saw in the LSU game, how big of a deal that was. All three of those things are gone just in the offense and that is very concerning. And you. Then you look at the schedule which bring it back up. Tell me there's not a more built for the 8 and 4 Texas Aggies than this schedule. You don't get challenged in the first three weeks, then you got to go on the road at lsu. You don't get challenged for the next three weeks, and then you got to go on the road to Alabama. By the way, those two games are set up where they can win both. LSU plays Ole Miss the week before. Alabama's coming off. Georgia and Tennessee the two weeks before. Like that sets up perfectly for A. M. And then you get to October and listen, November. I'm sorry, November. There's no way in hell. I think they're winning either of those last two games and I think they win one of those other two games. You could sell me on, on South Carolina. You are coming off a bye week. That's huge. But Carolina beat the brakes off you last time you came to Williams. Bryce. Then you get Tennessee at home. It's a difficult situation or like a little bit of an odd game for Tennessee. I think it's sandwiched in between something. And then right before the LSU game, I believe Kentucky. Okay, that's not bad at all. So I wouldn't be surprised if they went down there and played pretty well. I just, I'm not sold on, on teams like you don't have to have continuity returning as like, like to be like, like the one key for success. Like there's no, with the, with the portal and, and the way the recruiting is and like head coaches and all that kind of. There's no like one key metric. It's like, well, if you have this, you, you're guaranteed to win. So I'm not even saying that like they, they, they aren't going to be good. I just have a hard time believing with that schedule they're going to be anywhere close to where they were. Anywhere close. It's bad that they're going to be near 11 wins, right?

[A]

No. And I think that's fair. That's a fair commentary to make. You got anything Carolina related that will make Shane Beamer safe? Hey, I like that guy. I like that guy.

[B]

I am fired up for this team. I just, I think they're gonna be much better than people think. Now.

[A]

They're a popular, they were a very popular team at media days.

[B]

They were. Yeah. You're welcome guys. So I, I think it is interesting that if they have. They have to leave September with no more than one loss. And I think I'm getting closer to right now to feeling like the, the game that scares me more for these two games is Mississippi State and Camario Taylor. I don't think there's a single player that left with more juice from Tampa than Mississippi State or sorry, than Camario Taylor. 6 and 6 would be 5 and stuff. They dodged Missouri. I. Listen, I. They're an underdog against Clemson. I think that's the only line that's been released so far. You look at the roster, talent and the blue chip ratio, they're going to be ahead of eight of their of their 12 opponents. They get seven of their 10 Power Four opponents. Breaking in a new quarterback I love. They get Tennessee at home and after a buy. I'm telling you again, there's only two games on this schedule that are definite losses. That does not mean they're going to go 10 and 2. But there's only two games on this schedule that are definite losses. And if you are an A and M fan or Alabama fan, I fully get it. Those two teams are three and one combined in the last two years against this team. But if you're an A and M fan and you look at me, all four of my eyes with a straight face and saying, yeah, we're gonna dominate them. They beat the brakes off of you for six quarters. You have one win over them in the last two years by one point. And Alabama not much better. I mean, it is. It has taken miracles for Alabama to figure out ways to beat South Carolina over the past few years. That doesn't mean they're going to automatically lose. And. And I also think that Bama getting them at night is a really big deal. I think that's a really helpful thing. It's not a sleepy game. I don't think you're going to overlook South Carolina for either of these teams because they can't afford to. But you got to miss me with the idea that that's a. That's a walk in the park and a. And just a guaranteed win for either of those two teams over a team that is. I has less talent on paper, but also just with your eyes. Less talent the last two years than this one will have. This is going to be the most talented team Shane Beamer's had. And. And they've done a really good job at constructing this roster. Defensively, I keep saying it, they're thin at linebacker, but they've. They're built so similar to the 2024 team. The offensive line, I'm gonna get myself in trouble. They can't get worse, right? They can't get worse. And I'd be shocked if they got worse. The Jakarta speak. Oh, yeah, by the way, Kendall Briles is the office coordinator, not Mike Shula.

[A]

The shoeless Shackles, we call them on this show. But hey, all that's fair commentary. We love Shane Beamer on this show. We know you're a big Beamer fan. Yeah, Beamer's a big fan of you. But everything you just said means you can't have another, you can't have another goose. You know, like five wins, even, even a six win. I'm not saying he'd get fired because, but I think very, that'd be very disappointing, wouldn't it, with, with the talent on hand?

[B]

I, I. And, and here's the thing. It's not just the talent. It's, it's the, you got to think about all the, you got to think about this whole thing from the big picture. And I'm not trying to be even more long winded than I usually am, but like, that would be shocking if they're much better. What's up? Go Gators. I think that that is one of the best points anyone's made. I think you have to look at this from like the, like the standpoint of. All right, Beamers on the hot seat. Is he gonna be fired at the end of last year? And that's like one. That was like a very valid question, right? Well, I don't think they're gonna go 4 and 6, mainly because they're going to be playing 12 games. But if they do go 4 and 6, we got a real problem.

[A]

Probably 1 and 3 versus Napier.

[B]

Cool. Are they, Is Napier still around or is he not?

[A]

I mean, that's, that's pretty bad though.

[B]

That is pretty bad. But way to hang your hat on like, like, good. Yeah. The coach we fired, dude, that coach is so Beaver couldn't beat him. Cool. He's gonna beat, beat these shits. And out of John Sumral in year one. I'll tell you what is going to happen is the, the idea that John Sumrall, because he went up to a podium and said a bunch of. And we're going to clip this, said a bunch of empty words into a room that became full of Gator fans out of nowhere. And I know that because there were so many more people in the room and they started clapping for him like it was a summer camp sing along at the end of the year. No clue what was happening there, but the fact that he was like, yeah, I would throw the table at that or I would throw the podium that this 68 year old geriatric photographer that's running up to the back of the room trying to get his phone and trying to silence and he's like, yeah, that pissed me off, dude. Good luck, man. Like, like, good, good luck. I listen, I, I am, I love his energy and he's going to be much better than Billy Napier, because anybody would be better than Billy Napier. But if you're sitting here telling me like, no, we're definitely going to win. You got a new coordinator, you got a new quarterback, you have all sorts of new faces. I do not believe in most of the pieces they have there. They're going to get boat raced by Georgia, they're going to get boat raced by Texas. The fact that they're only a four and a half point favorite of Florida State should tell everybody something. But, you know, we'll learn. We'll learn. I guess Florida's gonna be the team I piss off this year.

[A]

What's Florida's record this year? If they lose at Auburn and that

[B]

game's a pickle, they will see. I think they'll lose Auburn, but I think they can beat Ole Miss. Oh, that's a, that's a sneaky little trap game there.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

If they lose to Auburn, let's just do best case, worst case, okay, Say they go three and one in September and then they go two and two in October. They can go three and one at best in, in November. They're, they're, they're ceiling is eight wins.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Period. Worst case scenario, you lose to Auburn, you can't figure out the quarterback situation. You lose Ole Miss, who's a better team and a better roster than you. You lose to Missouri, you lose to South Carolina, you lose to Texas, you look up at in Atlanta on Halloween and you're two and six. That is the worst case scenario. I'm not saying that's going to happen, but there is a very real scenario here where they end up 5, 7, and it's after a 2 and 7 start because most of these rosters, top to bottom, are as good as yours and have a lot of other things in place that you don't have yet because of John Summer. Now, I'll also tell you this. Summerall's recruiting has been awesome. Hey, I have a question for you about your time at Ole Miss. Well, Hulk Hogan died and we're all gonna die.

[A]

I can't tell you how many LSU fans in the comments are like, what a horseshit question. Like, yeah, they're literally the only ones that are gargling what he's selling right now.

[B]

You know, probably, I think, I think that, hold on here. I do think that, that Florida in the future is something you have to buy stock in. I, I love what they've done in recruiting. Like, I've, I've, I think the absolute

[A]

worst case is 6 and 6 though for Gators.

[B]

So not 5 and 7. So one better game than me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And again, that's worst case.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because I think they're gonna be pretty good this year.

[B]

What if Tom Herman beats him in week one?

[A]

Is he still there? No, I, I think he's on administrative leave. No, he's, he's at Florida State now. He's like an analyst there, I think.

[B]

What if he goes back to FAU Week 1 and hands it to him

[A]

in the small Florida State may have hired him in anticipation of, of him getting fired at FAU mid season and just he's lined up his next position.

[B]

I mean, listen, I, I, I think Summerall is going to succeed there. In comparison to what we just saw. I do think it was, it's ridiculous to think that, that they're going to lose three games back to, back to, back to Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma. Like period. Like that's not, they're going to get boat raced by Florida, I mean by Georgia. Like, like there's no chance. If Florida always close this year in year one, it's always close the last nine and three this year, year one. I, I will, I will let Brodo come to my wedding.

[A]

You're that confident?

[B]

I'm, there's no chance they go nine and three, but again, I am buying in.

[A]

If they're undefeated, can Bro be the best man?

[B]

Yeah, without a doubt. Yeah. I'll name my, I'll name my firstborn Brodo.

[A]

Oh,

[B]

I've been a cousin.

[A]

Oh, wait, yeah, you're right. Four of the last five have been like 30 point games. Yeah, but last year it was close.

[B]

Here's what I will say too. Again, I do think that they're gonna succeed there. I love what they've done with recruiting. And this is like, it's a perfect, perfect example of what you're seeing now with the investment being made into first year head coaches. They, this is a, this is a, a very proud program. Right. And, and Napier, Napier being like, I'm, I'm not giving up the offense. I was like, you should give up the offense, brother. It's gotten worse every year and you're the only one calling the plays. Like, you know DJ Lagway wasn't going to save you. You couldn't save you from yourself like all that. But I love what he has done, the investment and the resources they've given him to start up. Like, like the recruiting right now, getting that Maxwell Hiller kid, I mean they got a kid. I think it's Amari Fountain who's a top 25 or top 30 recruit away from South Carolina. I Mean, they are going to recruit really, really well, and they. You should always be able to recruit there. So I love it. Again, big picture wise, buying into it. It's. It's sort of similar to A M but with significant less talent on this year's team. I just don't think it's going to be in year one. And I also, I. I'm probably overreacting a little bit to the summer all thing. Not me. But it was very odd to sit here and watch so many people be like, I'm a big believer in Florida. Do you see John Sumrall say he's gonna throw this damn podium, brother? Like, yeah, sure, sure. No, we're not gonna do that. How about that?

[A]

He says you should. What if we just sat here in silence? What a show that would be.

[B]

Let's all just be quiet for the next little while. I always. I can always tell. It's like, I. There's very few times that I feel like that I feel like I have, like, a very delusional take. Like, there's like, there's takes that are wrong for sure. But I can always tell when someone's mad. This guy's a idiot. It's that I've said something about their team that they don't like.

[A]

Keep your mittens off Page.

[B]

I love just bait.

[A]

We do have video of you touching him.

[B]

Oh, yeah. You know what's crazy is. So I've lost. I've lost respect for myself. Dignity. I've lost. Yeah, that for sure. I lost hair. I've lost. First off, my hair is still very full. It's going. That's forehead's getting bigger, though. I is. Why does he keep just typing Florida? And why did he type Arkansas last? I love that. No, I, I.

[A]

That's his sleeper.

[B]

Arkansas is it now. You want to talk about a team I do. Or a program I have zero respect for? It's Arkansas and Ryan Silver Fox. My God.

[A]

Rick Springfield.

[B]

Rick Springfield. It is, man. I. He just so. Yeah, I don't hate. I don't hate Florida. I should. I definitely overreacted to whatever was said because the Beamer comment triggered me. That. That is very true. But I also thought it was super weird that we left Tampa. We're like, dude, summer, old man. He's gonna win every game he plays because he yelled at some old man. Like, it's like, also, that guy's phone going off was so uncomfortable. Mainly because the song that was playing should not have been on that man's phone. It was very R B And it also went on for way too long. It was like a. It was like one of those washer dryer things. Like the songs that go on for like Jesus, we dream of the gators tonight. I would love to kill a gator. Like an actual, like an actual. Do you ever go on to go gator hunting?

[A]

Oh yeah, I've eaten gator.

[B]

Yeah. But if you're a kill to Gatorade.

[A]

Oh, I have not.

[B]

There's a quarter sized kill spot in the back of their head. You got to watch swamp people more. Dude. I. We're trying to do it for my bachelor party in two weeks and I would really love to.

[A]

Hey, something I've been trying to get out. But you, you've been rambling for 20 minutes here. Long time we had somebody. I don't want to reveal who.

[B]

What is it? Closet.

[A]

We haven't put out the video yet. I'm going to put it out fairly soon. But we had somebody at media days predict Carolina makes the college Football playoff.

[B]

It was not me and it was

[A]

like a respected long time guy in the business.

[B]

Who is it?

[A]

Thoughts on that?

[B]

Listen, I like what concerns me about them having a chance to make the playoff is I love the idea that you got to go nine and three. That is hobby. That's not true. This is a good chat today. I think, I think that, I think that they can go nine and three and I think we have, we all have this idea that well, if they go nine and three they can. You know, real quick, big Gator fan, explain to me why you think they're going 7 and 5 besides just saying numbers out loud. Just. This isn't kino. You tell me with actual reason why you think they're going seven and five and we'll go. We'll just have a little back and forth here. I, I think that what scares me about their schedule is they can go nine and three and a lot of us have this misconception of, well, if they go nine and three they're gonna get in, right? Like they're just. They're gonna get in. And I don't know if that's the case. And I think for South Carolina's case, it's like I again, I said there's two confirmed losses at least on that schedule and it's, it's Oklahoma and Georgia. Well, if you look at the rest of that schedule, I don't think Clemson is going to be the ACC champ. So if you beat them, that's not super impressive. Like, like, I mean it would be a huge win for them. But you would have to also find a win at A M or Alabama if, you know, like if you end up at 9 and 3, that also means you have to beat Florida and Tennessee, which right now are projected between seven and eight win teams and then you. The rest of it. So it's like you're telling me that the best teams on their schedule, if they went 9 and 3, it looks like the best teams they would have. They would have beaten were. Were you would have gotten one and three against. Right. Like, like I think, I think the, the games that I would include in that are Bama, A and M, Oklahoma and Georgia. And again, you're having a pretty big assumption saying you, you're automatically going to be Tennessee, Mississippi State, Florida and Clemson. But if you go one in three against Bama, Oklahoma, A and M and Georgia and you lose to three of the best teams on your schedule, that's not a super big resume builder to say that they deserve to be in. You would have to. If you were nine and three for South Carolina, you would have to have a win against Oklahoma or Georgia, probably Georgia, to get into the playoff.

[A]

Yeah. And I would have to think some close losses. Yeah, right. No blowouts, things of that nature. No, but I do think not to beat a dead horse. I think you're overlooking that trip at Florida. I mean, I don't think that's going to be easy.

[B]

You want to kill a horse. No, I don't think you're right. I don't think you're wrong. I mean, that's fair.

[A]

What, what's your thoughts on Auburn?

[B]

I am kind of a believer in Auburn. I, I feel like I, I really believe in the fact that, that they have. They're gonna be better offensively with like the addition by subtraction. Right. Like, like, dude, think about, think about what Alex Golish could probably do with that level of. Of talent that they had at the skill positions a year ago. Like, I mean think about all the four and five stars. I mean they had Eric Singleton, they had Cam Coleman, they had. You know, who was the five star that went to Minnesota for some reason?

[A]

Jackson Arnold.

[B]

Jackson Arnold. So you had all this talent there. Auburn's gonna be a fascinating case in the sec specifically of. Listen, we've talked about blue chip ratio and how it is like that is like one determining factor of the teams at least make it to and have a chance to win the national title. Because from 2011 to 2024.

[A]

I feel like that's kind of outdated Though with the portal and nil and all.

[B]

That was my next point. I was going to say so yes. Do you know what. So but for every year for there it was over 50%. Right?

[A]

Right.

[B]

Like every single team besides three of them, all of them were 61 or higher. You know what Indiana's was last year? 8. 8%. 8%. But so I do think it's outdated. I think it's a very flawed system or metric because it's like all right, if you're not accounting for like the players you get from the portal and it's just a high school rankings like that is obviously a flawed thing. My, my like thing that's so fascinating with Auburn though is they dropped in half. They went from 60 to 30% year over year. But now we also think that they're going to be better because of the coaching. So I just think it'll be interesting to see what that looks like. I'm telling you right now that Auburn Florida game is going to be a massive, massive game that we're not talking enough about. And I don't know if we're going to talk enough about it because of that LSU Ole Miss game on the same day. That's going to be a great game. Like that's me, a great game. I really regret yelling about John Summerall, but that is going to be an awesome game to watch in, in Jordan Hare between two coaches that were like up for the same jobs and, and a guy that I thought was guaranteed to go to Auburn for a while there with John Summerall. So I, you know, I think it'll be very, very interesting.

[A]

Wait, so are you sitting here telling me that it's a bad strategy to lose five star talent and replace it with South Florida players?

[B]

I'm not saying it's a good strategy, but you know what I'm saying though? Like, like we're all higher on Auburn because, but like because they had Hugh Freeze at the helm for the last three years. I mean did you see the thing from Chris Low today that was like hey, here's how many like ranked opponents teams had and it's, it's solely teams ranked at the end of the season. Auburn had 22, which was almost more than anyone else in the SEC. They. Do you know how many day 1, 3, 2.

[A]

Damn.

[B]

So idiot. You'd be terrible at guessing how many M M's were in my balls. No, but I. So I just think it's interesting. I think it'll be. They're going to be a fascinating case. You've got an elite quarterback from what most people think. And. And I think that they've got a lot of talent there. Is it enough? We'll see.

[A]

Hey, shout out our guy. J.D. pigail. I know you, you're a big fan.

[B]

Can I tell you a quick JD Mikhail thing real quick?

[A]

Please.

[B]

I'll interrupt you again where I go outside to get a little quick video to record. And I'm like, jd's the nicest person on earth. If you guys don't know him, he's. He's the most positive great dude imaginable. And I'm like, hey, man, do you have time? He's on the phone. Like, he's like, text somebody. I was like, do you have time real quick for a video? Yeah, yeah, whatever you need. Whatever you got. And I'm like, oh, thanks, dude. Like, so we like, catch back. Hey, man, I just want to let you know, man, I love you, dog. Like, you're doing great stuff, Marlowe, and I'm so happy. You're such a bright light in this space and you're always smiling. I'm like, oh, thanks, dude. Like, how's the. How's the week been so far? We're like seven minutes into our interaction. He goes, not great. Not great. Somebody stole our camera last night. And I was like, oh my God. Like, and he's just, he's putting on like the happiest face the world. Just so nice. And then he's like, yeah, all our equipment got stolen though. But other than that, I. Other than that, pretty good. Pretty good. Cracking me up.

[A]

He is. He is a shining light here, isn't he?

[B]

He really is. What were you going to tell me?

[A]

I asked him. Ball knower over there.

[B]

He is. Yeah.

[A]

Best quarterback in the Southeastern Conference by the end of the season. Do you know who he said?

[B]

Who?

[A]

Gunner. How about that?

[B]

Really?

[A]

And. And he said something that also. I think it was Mike Griffith also pointed out. If you look at how Gunner performed fourth quarter overtime and in the, in the games that Georgia was losing, remember there was a lot of games last year, they were down like Tennessee at Alabama. I. I can't remember the other ones. Ole Miss. Yeah, Ole Miss. They were down big when Georgia was down. His numbers are incredible in fourth quarter overtime. Really strong. And I think people just kind of overlook the fact that he was a first time starter last year, Year two, same offensive coordinator. Thoughts on that take? Because there's not a lot of people that are giving Gunner Stockton praise, you know, could you see a world where he is maybe Again, we're not talking NFL prospect, we're just talking college football. Yeah, maybe one of the better, if not the best quarterback in the conference by the end of the season.

[B]

I think that people have a hard time taking any of that seriously from a, from Gunner, Stockton or Georgia standpoint because they just don't care. Like, like, like, like Georgia. Georgia just does not care about putting up gaudy numbers. Doesn't mean they haven't done it before. Like, they've had plenty of, of times where they put up like really good, really good seasons. I mean, Stetson Bennett is a perfect example of that. But I think that they are just so unwilling and unwavering in what they want to do, which is just play really good baseball and go win games or. Sorry, baseball. I'm making a graphic again. Really good football and just go win games. They're not, they're not super concerned with trying to go out there and win like any sort of beauty contest. Like they're gonna bludgeon you and they're gonna run the football and he is going to be very underwhelming in a stat sheet. But he does so many little things. I think what I'm most excited to see about him this year is how many little things he can do to get people or get them in and out of stuff with, against defenses, like, like pre, pre snap, you know, whether it be like motion or, or like readjusting, like the line of scrimmage and, and all that kind of stuff or like the, the blocking, like for like the offensive line, getting them in and out of plays and, and things like that, that'll be really interesting to me. But he is a. It's, it's such an unsexy thing. I mean, Gunner Stockton is just, he's just jeans and like a T shirt. Like that's just who. It's like. If you saw him at a steakhouse, like, man, that guy's severely underdressed. And it's like that guy might have more money than everybody in here. Like, he's, he's just a very. I don't give a shit what you think about me. This is who I am. This is what I'm going to do. And every Saturday he's going to go out there and play really good football. The thing that was most impressive to me last year for me with him was the way he played in that Ole Miss game. I mean, you Nick Krueger idiot pain's like 150 pounds heavier than me. You.

[A]

No, but it's the commercials. You know, we're like, you're, like, you're not yourself. That you've had.

[B]

Oh, I overreacted again.

[A]

No,

[B]

but, yeah, so I, I just think he's like, he's just so. He's so good. It. It's like being like, I think underwhelming, like on a statue that people like. Oh, I mean, like anything in this day and age. It's like matieres putting up 350 yards against Auburn and Michigan. We're like, he's going to be a Heisman front runner. It's like that falls off by the wayside. Then you think about, you know, somebody like Trinidad, you're in that league, but you think about how they played against each other and who was the last one standing. Aguilar was outstanding in that game. And then who was the last one standing? I. I love you more. Nick Krueger. I. I love him personally. I think he's going to be a really good player this year. I don't think. I don't know if he will ever get the credit he deserves. Deserves.

[A]

He says they said Shane wishes he had Marlor's hair.

[B]

That's right. Everyone does. Sorry for my overreaction.

[A]

Hey, we haven't got your thoughts on.

[B]

And you never will.

[A]

Aron Carter getting suspended for two games for accepting a plane ticket from an agent after he declared for the NFL draft. Paid the money back. Thoughts on one of Tennessee's best defenders being suspended for the first two games of the season. And in the NIL era, where these guys are making millions of dollars, some of them yet a four hundred twenty something dollar flight is going to cost you two games.

[B]

You know, it's about time they got one of the bad guys. I think I, I was tired of it, that's for sure. There's only so many times you're gonna say, oh, man, well, if anybody can get a 400. What was it? 400. 3. 48 flight that he paid back. If it wasn't. If he wasn't such a bad person, you know what I mean? Like, if he wasn't, like, I'm just rattling off the top of my head. If he wasn't raising money for his girlfriend that has cancer and having all these events to raise money through his nil from that. If he wasn't about to graduate with a dean's list from the Honors College, like, if that was going to happen, if you didn't want to have, like, dreams being a physician, then I'd be like, yeah, like, good, good. The NCAA Got one, and he deserved it. It's just. It's such. And what's crazy to me, too, is that, like, we all kind of forgot how bad the NCAA was because they just. It's. They've had a great summer of PR because they haven't had any decisions to make. They've been just so, like, forgotten about that. They haven't been around. But now they're back, and they immediately reminded everybody, hey, by the way, we suck just as bad as we ever did like this. It's just so stupid. It's not going to affect Tennessee in the long run. Like. Like, it's not going to be something that's, like, super, super negative. And I do think part of it is, like, you know, Tennessee did get away with a couple things, like the Jeremy Pruitt thing. Nico. Like, they won some court cases, and I think this is, like, them trying to stick it to them. But, dude, pick a better example. This is so stupid, man. This is so stupid.

[A]

Hey, can you read this comment?

[B]

Sarclex's tube steak, well done.

[A]

Oh, I can't believe you said that.

[B]

What's tube steak? Is that, like, a sexual thing?

[A]

I don't know. I. I've never heard that before.

[B]

I think it's just steak, right?

[A]

Yeah, I think so.

[B]

Yeah. Okay, good. Thank God for that. Yeah.

[A]

Again. So we got camp, opening up lsu. Oh, thoughts on Kiffin again? I believe everything out of that guy's mouth. I mean, there's never been anyone more honest than him. Sam Levitt couldn't come to me.

[B]

Can I ask you a question real quick? Did you.

[A]

He was leading a practice. I mean, he couldn't miss Ed.

[B]

Did you believe that he got off social media because of his son?

[A]

No, of course not.

[B]

I just. I was wondering where we're at with that one. I have no comment on that, but thought it was interesting.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

To say the least. I. I don't have any feelings on him. Hold on. We're almost done here. We're multitasking, and everything's great. Like, I have no feelings on him. Whether he should have brought Sam Levitt or not, I don't really care. I mean, there's so many good personalities. I don't see how you don't bring tradez and how you don't bring wit. Bringing Daughtery was odd. Was odd. Just because Daughtery, I think. I mean, he's. Yes. He's like, returning leading tackler. He's gonna be great. I. I didn't think that was that big of a deal. It was Interesting that he, he went and spoke for 18 straight minutes and only answered four questions.

[A]

I.

[B]

There's not a part of me that's disagreeing with, with some of your takes or other fans takes about Lane Kiffin and what he, how he handled media days. But here's the other thing I'll say, and this is not me trying to do the Finland Kiffin. It's just me saying, but everyone loves Imagine Dragons, you idiot. Aren't you kind of glad that he didn't monopolize the entire conversation? Like, like, isn't, isn't there part of you that's like, I'm so glad we're not leaving Tampa in July at the end of July. And once again getting into all of the conversation about Lane Kiffin and all the same we've been talking about for. That's so good. Oh, that's good. You got. And also rclmx. I, I deserve every bit of shade that I've gotten today. I've overreacted several times and I was, you guys were actually pretty nice the whole time. That's my bad. It's My bad, guys. 12 F bombs. Well, there's 13. So I just, I, I think that it's. I was happy that we didn't have to go back into this whole thing because it has monopolized most of the off season and I just haven't really enjoyed that. I, I just, I, I would rather. I think there's a lot of really good storylines in this conference this year. Man. I think there's a lot of good storylines in this conference. And I, I thought, you know, guys like you did a great job at exploring a lot of those down there. I mean, you didn't stop working the entire time. I didn't start, but I, I just think I'm glad that we left Tampa without having to start the same all over again.

[A]

Well, let me ask you this. Sam Levitt, is he 100 full go to start camp as far as you're aware?

[B]

Yes, he has been.

[A]

Okay, well, that's good. I mean, yeah, we say these things in the summer, but they don't really mean anything, do they? Until the, until the practice starts.

[B]

They will report tomorrow. He is 100%. And yeah. Now I will tell you, I think the thing that's interesting about them and I think it's very important what he did in the portal was he wouldn't spend, you know, 5 million on, on Levitt. He went and got Hussein Longstreet, Landon Clark. I think Clark is, is, like better than than people realize. I don't think. I don't think that's gonna necessarily translate into him playing a bunch. I, I think that Long street being good and well versed and ready in this offense is important because if you think about the last two years, Mike, and I'm. I'm asking, so help me out here. How many starting quarterbacks have gone down the last years? Lenores has been out for at least a couple games. Matier was out.

[A]

Jalen Green's been banged up.

[B]

Taylor Green was banged up. Camario Taylor started for an injured. Blake shaping a bunch of times.

[A]

Kentucky's quarterbacks are always hurt.

[B]

Always hurt. Garrett Nussmeier was hurt. Gunner Stockton had to start the, the Sugar bowl because Carson Beck was out. Auburn had. I mean, I don't know if it was because of injuries or just Jack snarled. You know, being Jackson Arnold. You had a couple there. Let's see. I'm trying to go through here. Missouri's had multiple guys start at that, I think. I think Alabama, maybe Vandy A M. Who else am I missing or might be the only teams that haven't had to play play anyone because of injuries. I mean, like over the last two years.

[A]

Well, Connor Wickman got hurt. That's kind of what led to Marcel taking over.

[B]

Also true. So I mean, like, you look. Yeah, it's a really good point. So, like, it's just very difficult to get through now. Maybe that's just a rash of injuries. It's been kind of crazy that position in the SEC over the last two years. But what it does tell me is you want to make sure that whoever the backup is is at least good and, and you feel comfortable with like. Because it is hard to. To get through this league unscathed. It really is. And in football in general. So I think that'll be. Thanks, Kimas. I think that'll be really interesting to see.

[A]

And hey, I heard this point on. I want to give him credit because he said Neil McCrady there covers Ole Miss. He made a fascinating point that I never even considered.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But Ole Miss was. Was lucky in a sense that Austin Simmons got banged up.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because in the nil era, I mean, I don't know if you're aware of this. They. Neil's told me they were paying him around $3 million last year.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, and they got, they

[A]

saw, they saw Trinidad in practice. He was fantastic.

[B]

Right.

[A]

It doesn't matter how good he looked in practice. You're paying your starting quarterback three plus million. You got to play him yeah, and the only reason Trinidad got his opportunity is because he got hurt. And that was the. Literally the only reason. Trinidad is the guy we know today.

[B]

Yeah, I agree.

[A]

And who knows, who knows who could be the very next one. But that complicates all these, right, because I, I think across the SEC there may only be two or three guys that as of today we view as competent backup quarterbacks. Because the way it is now, every. All these quarterbacks make so much money you can't really pay multiple unless you're freaking lsu apparently.

[B]

Yeah, that's fair. I mean, and again, like we just went through the numbers. It's over a majority of the. The league has had some sort of injury. But I think you're right too about the, the Chambers thing. That is a lightning in the bottle tip situation. I mean he was also a guy. I think they paid either 450 or 600 to be the backup, but that's what it was for him being the backup. And yeah, they, they did a phenomenal job making sure they got him out of there.

[A]

All right, well, speaking of getting out of here, we're gonna let you get on out of here. Get, get some work done. It you want to plug anything before

[B]

you go, my butt.

[A]

Can you. Hey, send me a link to your article about the spreads. I'll put it in the show notes.

[B]

Yeah, I appreciate it, dude. I will, I will see you next week and I'll get it you later today because I talk about some stuff. Anyway, all fair. Bye guys.

[A]

See ya. And shout out Mizu Fan. He gave us 20 membership. So I just want to give all these shout outs to Hottie Tati, Fishing Uncle Sam B Stully, George Moat. Oh, Owl Shadow. Stand on Business. Mcam Dog, E F Sinister Sloth. Cool name. Jet Li. Oh no, it just moved on me. Son of a be. Well, I just missed it. But all y', all, welcome to family. We'll be back tonight with Steven lesson. Same time as always, 7 o' clock Eastern, 6 Central. We've got another fun idea for the show. We're going to be able to hit on each and every team. So we'll see you tonight. And we got about 20 more interviews dropping from media days. I'm getting them out as fast as I can, so stay locked in like subscribe until the next one. We will, will see you. Bye bye.

[B]

Hey buddy. This beer's for you, Mike and cousin Shane. That SEC podcast loves the pirate and the pirate loves that SEC podcast. Hail State. Saving on your education should be a right, not a competition at University of Phoenix. You'll get the best scholarship or savings you qualify for. Simple as that. Explore scholarship options at University of Phoenix.