Hour 1: The College Football Power Hour

Summary

Episode Summary: "Hour 1: The College Football Power Hour"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
• Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz
• Episode: Hour 1: The College Football Power Hour
• Release Date: November 19, 2024

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1. Introduction to the College Football Playoff Debate

The episode kicks off with a lively discussion centered around the intricacies of the College Football Playoff (CFP) system. Hosts Dan Le Batard and Stugotz, along with contributors Greg Cody, Billy Gill, Lucy, and Mike Ryan, delve into the complexities and controversies surrounding the current playoff format.

2. Human Bias vs. Algorithmic Decisions in the CFP

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around whether the CFP selections should rely more on human judgment or algorithmic calculations. Dan Le Batard expresses skepticism about assigning precise percentages to team probabilities, emphasizing the human element involved:

Dan Le Batard (07:04): "It's a committee that picks who's in. People are deciding this. And so there is a human element of brand favoritism in the College Football Playoff selection."

Billy Gill echoes this sentiment, highlighting the opacity of the committee's decision-making process:

Billy Gill (07:50): "I don't know what the algorithm is that they're using. And I assume that what they're doing with strength of schedule and everything else is giving you as many metrics as they can that are going to be put in front of the committee, and then the committee will decide with all that data."

3. SEC's Dominance and Reputation

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a focal point of the debate, with hosts discussing its longstanding reputation as the premier conference in college football. Stugotz offers a nuanced view:

Stugotz (09:10): "The SEC has three times the opportunities to win the title, everybody will point to it and say see Best conference in America."

However, he also acknowledges that the SEC's current reputation might be inflated compared to its historical dominance:

Stugotz (09:34): "I think [SEC] can simultaneously be the best conference in America and overrated according to its present-day reputation."

4. Conference Championship Games and Playoff Implications

Lane Kiffin's perspective on the risks associated with participating in conference championship games sparks a discussion on how these games impact CFP selections. The hosts debate whether playing in and potentially losing a conference championship could disadvantage a team in the eyes of the committee:

Stugotz (10:45): "What's happening is that there's this fear... if a team gets blown out in their conference title game, that is going to stay with you."

Dan Le Batard adds context by pointing out the potential biases that come into play during these high-stakes games:

Dan Le Batard (12:19): "They're a committee that picks who's in. People are deciding this. ... There's nothing to be that upset about after the second week of rankings. It's okay, Kirby."

5. Potential Reforms: Swap Week and Season Flexibility

Innovative ideas to enhance fairness and competitiveness in the playoff selections are proposed. Jess introduces the concept of a "Swap Week," where teams can alter their schedules to better position themselves for playoff consideration:

Jess (32:57): "Every team, if they choose, can opt to swap out of the game that they have week 10 of their schedule to better their chances of making the playoffs."

Greg Cody enthusiastically supports this idea, while Mike Ryan suggests even more flexibility by allowing teams to end their seasons early based on their performance:

Mike Ryan (33:45): "Another option would be a team can end their season at any point in the season. ... judge me on 5-0."

6. The Role of Brand and Legacy in Playoff Selections

The discussion frequently touches upon how brand recognition and legacy influence CFP selections. Greg Cody underscores his preference for "big brands" in the playoffs, advocating for teams like Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Texas:

Greg Cody (09:10): "I want the matchups that I want. I want big brands in the College Football Playoff."

Stugotz counters by emphasizing the need for the system to recognize the current season's performance over historical prestige:

Stugotz (09:34): "I think the committee always seems to reward them... but they still have plenty of bad losses."

7. Fairness and Meritocracy in College Football

Billy Gill raises concerns about the fairness of the CFP system, questioning whether it truly upholds the meritocratic principles that sports are supposed to embody:

Billy Gill (19:35): "It is supposed to be merit-based. ... I think that's why we're always complaining about the officiating after every game that's played."

Dan Le Batard echoes this frustration, lamenting that the focus on top-tier teams diminishes the broader fan experience:

Dan Le Batard (23:59): "The best thing about college football is the rivalries, is tailgating... The hyper emphasis on just who is favored to win ... has taken away a little bit from how fun and exciting the regular season matchups are."

8. The Impact of Expanded Playoffs on Lesser-Known Teams

The hosts discuss how an expanded playoff system affects teams outside the traditional power conferences. They ponder whether teams like SMU, Indiana, or BYU could benefit from more playoff slots, enhancing competitiveness and viewer interest:

Billy Gill (22:59): "It's made to make the customer happy. ... it should be 12 teams in the tournament that have beaten Alabama."

Mike Ryan envisions a balanced playoff that includes both legacy schools and "Cinderella" teams, enriching the sport's diversity:

Mike Ryan (27:42): "I want the Indiana's, I want the BYUs, the teams that would have no chance if this were still a final. ... the perfect blend."

9. The Essence of College Football Beyond Championships

Concluding the episode, Dan Le Batard reflects on what makes college football special beyond the pursuit of national championships. He emphasizes the cultural and communal aspects that resonate with fans:

Dan Le Batard (27:19): "The best thing about college Football has not been who's going to win the national championship... it's the rivalries, is tailgating, ... watching games with your friends."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Dan Le Batard (07:04): "There is a human element of brand favoritism in the College Football Playoff selection."
• Billy Gill (07:50): "I don't know what the algorithm is that they're using."
• Stugotz (09:10): "The SEC has three times the opportunities to win the title."
• Greg Cody (09:10): "I want big brands in the College Football Playoff."
• Jess (32:57): "Opt to swap out of the game that they have week 10 to better their chances."
• Dan Le Batard (27:19): "The best thing about college Football... is the rivalries, is tailgating."

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Conclusion

In "Hour 1: The College Football Power Hour," Dan Le Batard and his co-hosts engage in a comprehensive and spirited analysis of the College Football Playoff system. They explore the balance between tradition and innovation, the influence of team branding, and the quest for a more equitable and exciting postseason structure. Through passionate debate and thoughtful insights, the episode offers listeners a deeper understanding of the current state and future possibilities of college football's most coveted competition.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugotz]

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[Billy Gill]

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[Greg Cody]

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[Stugotz]

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[Billy Gill]

Dan, stay away from my mom and mom. You shouldn't have did what you did to dad.

[Lucy]

We are here in beautiful Athens, Georgia, one of the best college towns in America, and we were denied for this game. They said no credential for you. But don't worry, game time hooked us up. They got us some tickets for this game. So I'm not media member. Lucy today. I'm not professional. Graduated with a journalism degree. Lucy today. I'm just a Georgia Bulldog today, and I'm having the time of my life. I bet he gets terrible gas mileage.

[Greg Cody]

Hey, we're gonna open that ass.

[Dan Le Batard]

Our backs are against the wall. We're gonna open that can of ass.

[Greg Cody]

And we're gonna dominate. That's what we're gonna do.

[Billy Gill]

Start to finish.

[Greg Cody]

We're gonna dominate.

[Billy Gill]

Start to finish.

[Lucy]

Everyone close their eyes. Raise your hand if you're nervous. Okay? All of you raised your hands.

[Billy Gill]

Do we get the W? I think we do.

[Greg Cody]

Whoa. Little that, little that. Shake and bake. You know what I'm saying?

[Lucy]

How many bars are in Athens do you guys know?

[Stugotz]

In the eighth. I think it's the most per capita. I am underage, so I do not go downtown.

[Lucy]

He's never done that.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm a good Christian man.

[Stugotz]

I do not go downtown.

[Lucy]

Never done that. So Athens has more bars per capita than any city in the country. So there are typical tailgates here. But a lot of the fans just go to the bars. And if the fans are going to the bars, then we should go to the bars. And if we're going to the bars, we might as well get a drink, you know, like we're at the bars. I can manage it. I believe in my heart I'm very good at holding my liquor. No one's ever actually said that to me, though, and I have no evidence to support that. I got to tell you, this place looks very familiar. I feel very at home here.

[Mike Ryan]

Good job.

[Lucy]

I was told to surprise you real quick.

[Stugotz]

Whoa.

[Lucy]

Do you see that rose zooming? That's a. How do we feel about the game today?

[Billy Gill]

My mom went to Tennessee and we haven't talked in three months.

[Stugotz]

But that has nothing to do with the game. We've had a lot of problems with drops this year. So, like, just like Graham's dad used to drop the ball in his parents marriage.

[Lucy]

What about my parents?

[Dan Le Batard]

Divorced.

[Lucy]

Do you have thoughts on that?

[Stugotz]

I have thoughts about my own parents divorce.

[Billy Gill]

Love is dead in our families, but love is not dead with the dogs.

[Stugotz]

I love when Carson Beck actually throws it to.

[Dan Le Batard]

He throws it to your team.

[Billy Gill]

He started dating one of the Cavanar twins.

[Stugotz]

Carson Beck sucks.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's dating a supermodel and has a Lamborghini. He has too much money.

[Greg Cody]

He doesn't care anymore.

[Stugotz]

That's his problem.

[Billy Gill]

Girl bear nuts.

[Stugotz]

Public enemy number one right now.

[Dan Le Batard]

Just maybe throw it to our team.

[Mike Ryan]

He needs to stop spending so much.

[Stugotz]

Time with that Miami girl.

[Lucy]

We hate Miami. Is that a collective? We all hate Miami.

[Billy Gill]

Football's a team game. 22 people. He's one of them. I don't give a how he plays.

[Lucy]

Raise your hand if they should break up.

[Stugotz]

If we lose tonight, cut ties. I don't think you should break up with her, but maybe like, put it to the side.

[Dan Le Batard]

Going back for her fifth, sixth year at Miami. So put it on pause for a second. Let's get. Let's secure it.

[Lucy]

Let's secure the bag. What is the worst fan base you all have ever dealt with?

[Greg Cody]

Florida.

[Billy Gill]

They're jorts and they're tank tops. They're ridiculous. I mean, Tennessee, I get.

[Mike Ryan]

Look at.

[Greg Cody]

First of all, look at that guy. All right. They're a close second. Okay.

[Lucy]

I've been barked at too many times today.

[Dan Le Batard]

Grown men barking at me. I don't know how to take it down here. I think the worst set of fans I've dealt with is Alabama. They have too many chants.

[Stugotz]

I'm like, la, la la la la donta. 1 worst fan base I've ever seen is Travis Scott fans.

[Lucy]

Okay, yeah, that's not 100% what I was looking for, but sure. Do you ever feel ridiculous as a Georgia fan when you bark or no?

[Stugotz]

Oh, no. I have no regret barking at any individual.

[Dan Le Batard]

I feel silly when other people are barking at me. You know when it's other teams and they're like, woo, woo. I'm like, this is what I'm used to.

[Lucy]

If you had to guess who Dan Lert is, who would be your guest?

[Dan Le Batard]

First thing I think of is Dr. Seuss.

[Billy Gill]

Okay.

[Lucy]

That's a good jerk.

[Stugotz]

A wacky scientist. I see the clips. I see the clips all the time.

[Lucy]

What's my name?

[Stugotz]

I don't know.

[Lucy]

Damn. Damn. That's all right. So you may be wondering what was the fan experience like for me? Well, this is our first game that we're not media credentialed. We're just fans living it up, having a good time. And no one offered us anything like nothing to drink. So still fun, though. Still a good time. And this trip was brought to you by. Game time. Download the Game Time app. Use code Lucy for $20 off your first order. Terms apply. What time is it? It's game time. The seats were awesome. Thank you. Game time.

[Billy Gill]

You guys imagine that those fans are totally reasonable and content about losing a couple times this season.

[Greg Cody]

No, no. But they're back. I mean, are they.

[Billy Gill]

Because they're still. By percentage, they are unlikely to make the playoff. Correct. Just simply by percentage. I. That a three win sec or three loss SEC team is going to get in?

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, I. They've only lost two games. Right. So are you saying like they got to lose in the.

[Billy Gill]

I'm a. I'm assuming that a three loss SEC team might get in anyway because of the regard that just have for the sec.

[Dan Le Batard]

I was going to say, like the playoff percentages. It's a committee that picks who's in. So I don't. Espn all season they've been putting these like, this team has a 60% chance of getting in if they do this or that. It's a. People are deciding this. What are they putting the percentage. I understand that there is like an algorithm that they've built that is predicting what they think will be the threshold for teams to get in based off their records and their schedules and how many games they've won and lost. But people are choosing this. And so there is a human element of brand favoritism in the College Football Playoff selection. We obviously Saw it last year when Alabama got in over Florida State after Florida State's quarterback got hurt. But I don't understand how you can put a percentage on that.

[Billy Gill]

Well, I don't either, because I don't know what the algorithm is that they're using. And I assume that what they're doing with strength of schedule and everything else is giving you as many metrics as they can that are going to be put in front of the committee, and then the committee will decide with all that data. But the thing that I wanted to ask you guys, because in this room, and I think throughout America, you have two different kinds of people when it comes to this sport, which is, yes, I'm interested. I enjoy it every week. And tell me who's going to be playing at the end. I'll argue about it then. And those people think the SEC is simply what it's always been. And then there are the people who are really in the weeds on watching everything that's happening every weekend, analyzing it, deconstructing the numbers of it. And those people continue to tell me that the people who aren't watching with the same dedication are appraising the SEC in a way that's more favorable than the SEC actually is. When you watch the games played, the people who think they're more informed are telling you at every turn that the SEC isn't what you think it is.

[Greg Cody]

They can go to hell. Okay? I don't care what they think, what they want. I want the matchups that I want. I want big brands in the College Football Playoff. I want Mississippi. I want Alabama. I want Tennessee. I want Georgia. I want Texas. I want Texas.

[Billy Gill]

A big brand.

[Greg Cody]

It's an SEC team like, I take them.

[Billy Gill]

So then all of the SEC teams are a big brand. If Mississippi is a big brand, I.

[Greg Cody]

Mean, for the most part, I'm leaving at lsu. But I want the biggest teams and the biggest brands in the College Football Playoff. That's what I want. Whatever what anyone else wants, that's up to them. But I'm telling you what I want, Dan. I want to see matchups that we rarely see in a postseason environment.

[Stugotz]

In college football, you're emblematic of the problem in the media, which is their name brands, because they've been around. It's. The whole system is gamed for people to put out rankings at the beginning of the year and refuse to capitulate on them being wrong at the beginning of the year. And most people are working from it. As the SEC is the best conference in America. I'll concede I think it is the best conference in America, but I think it can simultaneously be the best conference in America and overrated according to its present day reputation, which was built on the 2000 and tens when they were running everything and playing a totally different sport and having a full monopoly over it. Look, the ACC straight up has a chance to be better than.500 head to head against the SEC this year. The SEC has had plenty of bad losses, but for whatever reason, a loss inside the SEC with voters is considered a better loss than a loss inside a conference in other divisions. I am curious though what your thoughts are on what Lane Kiffin volunteered, which is there's this general notion amongst coaches which is we don't want to make the SEC championship game. We can lose that SEC championship game and it can maybe hurt us.

[Billy Gill]

Get the buy too, is what he wants. He's like, I want the buy.

[Stugotz]

Well, he's like, the risk of the buy doesn't outweigh potentially losing that because there is this fear. The source on the College Football Playoff committee not penalizing you for making your conference championship game is just touch, trust me, bro, because if a team gets blown out in their conference title game, that is going to stay with you. These are humans making this decision. And here's another scenario in which it might actually hurt you making that conference championship game an extra game. You shouldn't, in my mind, it shouldn't hurt you for making your conference championship game. That's an extra game that you play. But what if you suffer an injury? What if the Jordan Travis thing happens to you inside that conference championship game? The committee has already shown us that they will hold that against you.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, as far as the conference college Football playoff arguments have gone, it's gotten so toxic so quickly. And yes, we all saw this coming. But I am, I'm struck by the fact that we're on like week two and everyone like it's like Big Ten fans versus SEC fans and everyone's super angry at each other. But to go back to the conference championship point, this is something that like people have been, people have brought this up since they announced the 12 team playoff because yeah, like there are teams that aren't going to play that weekend that'll get the extra week of rest that took care of business but didn't make it into the conference championship. And the conferences are so big and they are so top heavy, especially in the Big Ten where the scheduling has Indiana playing Ohio State. But they don't have to play Penn State this year. They don't have to play Oregon this year where yeah, it's probably better for Indiana if they lose to Ohio State, don't play in the conference championship game and then make the playoff.

[Greg Cody]

But they have to lose a close game to Ohio State.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't think so.

[Greg Cody]

I think they did. If they get blown out, they're not getting in.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think that's subjective. But I think that that's also like Indiana fans. If you tell them that, they're not going to be very happy with you for saying that. Stugots. Because they've won more of their games than the SEC teams that are going to get in over them.

[Stugotz]

I think anybody can beat anybody that is going to be named to the College Football Playoff. I think it's wide open and I think it's great. But whatever happens in that final is going to be confirmation bias. They're going to give more lotto tickets to the secular and there may be one ACC team in there. And because the SEC has three times the opportunities to win the title, everybody will point to it and say see Best conference in America. What I'm afraid of is let's, let's play this out. Smu, let's say they run the table for the rest of the year. Let's say BYU ends up being Big 12 champions. SMU goes to the ACC championship game against Miami and say they lose then their two losses are potentially to two teams inside the CFP that have buys. The committee's gonna look at a two loss SME now because they've lost in a conference championship game and potentially a three loss SEC team. And I've got zero faith that they're going to look at that rationally and not apply their biases here.

[Jess]

The SEC team, you're not incentivized to miss the conference championship because you'll get a buy. But if you win the SEC championship, you get a playoff by so you advance further and you're gonna have to play those teams in the playoffs anyways.

[Stugotz]

Here's, here's with Lane's point. They won't punish the runner up in the sec. The SEC doesn't have to worry about that. I get where he's thinking. I get where it's really hard for humans to Deprogramming. Deprogramming. Help me out here. Deprogramming themselves here. If they see a, if they see a team blown out in that conference championship game.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's funny everyone said it at the same time.

[Stugotz]

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[Billy Gill]

Don Leardard well, my point about Jimbo.

[Dan Le Batard]

Fisher is that Nick Saban, he's been trying to cancel me for saying that Mrs. Met has cake and Bobby Bowden would have said Mrs. Met, she is snatched.

[Billy Gill]

St. Guts.

[Dan Le Batard]

I never pay for a player. Now I would pay for Mrs. Met to give me a lap dance.

[Stugotz]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.

[Dan Le Batard]

I do think, Billy, like, maybe, maybe it depends. And maybe it depends like it depends.

[Jess]

On your conference too, right? Because like, there's conferences that like, you wouldn't get an automatic buy. And if you're not in the conference championship, you're probably not going to get in.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, no conference gets an automatic buy. I think there, like is some confusion about the power conferences getting the four bye weeks. If Boise State or Tulane or whoever the highest ranked G5 champion is is higher ranked than the Big 12 champion or the ACC champion, which, like, theoretically could happen right now because there may be a two or three last champion in one of those conferences, they could get the bye week, which I think would be like, just confusing for a lot of people that thought that that was going to be the automatic. Like, no, if you're the Big 12, you get, you get like BYU should get the bye week or whatever. So that's not necessarily the case.

[Billy Gill]

Everything changes and we get into a situation where there is both confusion and anger about things that are subjective. I will tell you that there are very few things in products that are consumed or in entertainment that will create this amount of anger toward the product without harming the product in any way or its consumption enhances it or its customer base. Usually in any place that I'm selling you anything, if the customers are this unhappy with the imperfections in something, it affects sales. It affects the way that it's consumed. All you guys are doing by complaining about it is caring. And that is the fuel to everything in sports. Whether you're applauding the Cowboys or you're despondent today because the roof is falling in in their stadium. The thing that is valued most among customers is do they care? And all they show you when they complain about this shit is that they care more unreasonably about this than they do about almost anything else in their life. When they care enough to complain, I.

[Stugotz]

Think it's all gonna work itself out. And that's what I constantly tell myself when I encounter these scenarios in which, like the SMU one, I think we can all see that happening. And I do think while it may not be a real problem for the SEC by making it all the way to your conference championship, I do think it'll affect teams from the Big 12 or the AC.

[Billy Gill]

Well, this is what Jess is saying. How can you put a percentage on the algorithm if a human being's gonna have to decide between I've got Georgia with three losses or I've got SMU with two. Right. And a human being is gonna make a made for television event of like, yeah, of course I want Georgia there. It's not even based on this year. It's based on the last five years. And I haven't thought about SMU since they were recruiting, you know, Eric Dickerson with actual oil wells. They were offering him actual oil.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, it's also humans are making the decision while conferences and pundits and all of these different head coaches and players are lobbying their case towards them all season long. I don't know if you watch Kirby Smart's interview after the Tennessee game, but he said on the side or like on the field in his post game interview, like, this is the hardest environment to play and I dare the committee to come down here and play in a game or something like that. Like, he was like, already super fired out, fired up about the rankings. Even though it's like that. This is like, we haven't done the final ranking yet. Like, It's. There's nothing to be that upset about after the second week of rankings. It's okay, Kirby. You guys beat Tennessee. You're going to be back in the top 12.

[Greg Cody]

Now, Georgia never left. I mean, they're in the playoff. I'm guaranteeing it right now. They never left the playoff. I know they're on the outside looking in, but that was just to make us talk about it. I mean, they're fine.

[Mike Ryan]

I agree with you. Yeah, I agree. But you know what? The SEC does have a prejudice in its favor. It's earned that over the years. Right. The brand name schools have a prejudice in their favor. They've earned that, too.

[Greg Cody]

Sure.

[Mike Ryan]

If your choice is Georgia or tulane for the 12th spot in the playoff, it's obvious you're going to pick Georgia.

[Greg Cody]

You better take Georgia. Same with Miami.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, same with Miami. And they would do better TV ratings.

[Billy Gill]

It is supposed to be merit based. I thought one of the things we were trying to do with the imperfect measurements of how it is we arrive at a champion was for sports to be merit based. I thought that. I thought sports were supposed to be fairer than all other places. We could say life's not fair, but I thought sports were supposed to be fair. I think that's why we're always complaining about the officiating after every game that's played.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes. 100. I think this is the argument that a lot of fans are currently in the midst of. Is that are we basing the top 12 off of what you've done this season or are you basing the top 12 of what will produce the closest spreads for the opening round game? So, like, if, you know, if you have Indiana in the playoff because they've done. They won 11 games or 12 games this season, but the spread when they play Georgia is ten and a half points. Well, they can't be a playoff team. And it's like, well, that's not what. I don't think that's why we have the committee there. I thought that the committee was to look at what teams have done now, again, like, the problem is there is uneven scheduling. The conferences are ginormous. You're not typically playing the best team in your conference every year. But I mean, that's why there are 12 people supposedly to try to like balance these things out and make the best choices. And we will find out if they can do that or not this year.

[Stugotz]

The Mecca conferences going without divisions have really complicated things because it seems like this is going to be a problem going forward is you're going to have multiple teams gunning for a conference championship game that aren't going to have the space in their schedules to play one another. And without divisions, you're not legislating that. So it's a bit of a pickle.

[Jess]

So it hasn't happened yet, but I think I'm already ready for this to go back to just two teams. Like, just tell us the two teams that are playing for the national championship.

[Dan Le Batard]

Bring back the computer. Bring back the computer.

[Jess]

Let's have two teams and then we only have maybe two, three teams upset about not making it to the championship. Not 56 different fan bases thinking that they deserve to be in the top 20.

[Billy Gill]

There's not, there really isn't a lot like this where, you know, in boxing, gymnastics, the voting is subjective. It's not quite as clean as the scoreboard is the fact Teller. And so this one is just going to be an eternal anger among sports fans that people who want it to be fair and merit based are always going to lose to. Hey, it's a made for TV entertainment thing. Like, it's made to make the customer happy. SMU don't care that much that you're SMU because all of the biases are poured into what makes the best television product. What gets me the most eyes. And I get why the purists, the people who actually care about college football the most, are like, really? You're going to give this to the people like Stu Gotz, who's who, who still thinks Alabama is the best team in the country? And that should be 12 teams in the tournament that have beaten Alabama.

[Greg Cody]

And they will because they've gotten that fan with smu. They don't have me. I mean, if you want to get the most possible viewers, don't put SMU in there, okay? I'm telling you, right? Give me Georgia, give me Mississippi, give me anyone other than smu. That is a big responsibility of this committee to provide me with a playoff that I want to see.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, if you watch an SMU game, you'd probably be like, oh, this, this offense is pretty exciting to watch. Quarterback's pretty fun. But anyways, my, my thing about college football is that there's 134 teams in FBS, 128 of them say, give or take a few, realistically, probably can't win a national championship. And we put with the, especially with the expanded playoffs, we are putting so much emphasis on postseason and the national championship. And as a college football fan, for my whole life, the best thing about college Football has not been who's going to win the national championship at the end of the year. The best thing about college football is the rivalries, is tailgating, is watching, you know, players on your team get better over a season, watching, you know, games with your friends. Like, it's all of the things that make college football separate and distinct from the NFL where the purpose of the NFL season is who is going to win the Super Bowl. It is the biggest TV event in the world that is not for my life been. And my team's been in the playoff twice and has been in a national.

[Billy Gill]

Championship and will be in again this.

[Greg Cody]

Year, hopefully and every year.

[Dan Le Batard]

Big game against army this week.

[Stugotz]

I love to see a left.

[Greg Cody]

Left guard develop.

[Dan Le Batard]

But I think, I mean, if you, if you like football, it's fun to see a player that your coach recruited as a freshman come in and get. Really, it's. Notre Dame's seen it with Xavier Watts. This is totally random example, but he got recruited as a wide receiver, switched over safety, won the Bronco Nagurski award last year, came back, and he's having a insane season as the defending best defender.

[Billy Gill]

Do you not see the distinction between the way you care here, though, and the way Chris does?

[Stugotz]

Because Chris is really, really with how Stu cares. Because, I mean, he's a Northeasterner that doesn't know really.

[Dan Le Batard]

And I'm not saying I'm right.

[Billy Gill]

Excuse me.

[Stugotz]

You don't know shit about college football.

[Greg Cody]

No, but I know what I want to see.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, but what you want to see is antiquated. It's built on the. This media machine that just rewards it. You want to go back to two playoff teams? No, thank you. Because I know where. What conferences those teams are going to be coming from.

[Greg Cody]

Mike, what I'm saying benefits Miami, it benefits Notre Dame. Those are the teams I want to see in the playoffs.

[Stugotz]

Not as much. Not as much. Miami would benefit a lot more if they were in the Big Ten or in the sec. Miami does have a brand awareness to it that SMU doesn't because they're pretty much the same team this year and the rankings don't bear that out. And the projections that always have Miami at number three doesn't bear that out. And it's pretty disrespectful to SMU, who just ran into a major conference and is now seemingly headed to Charlotte. I'm really enjoying this year. I think the games have been good. I love playoff eliminators like LSU and Florida had with LSU because the committee always seems to reward them I think the games have been great and I'm really looking Forward to a 12 team playoff in a year where I genuinely don't know what the best team in the nation is.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right. Obviously winning is important, that winning in the postseason is important. Winning a national championship is super important. But if everyone only cared about winning a national championship, there would be no fans of those other 120 teams. And those people exist. They appreciate and enjoy the sport. And so the hyper emphasis on just who, who is favored to win in round one of the College Football Playoff I think has taken away a little bit from how fun and exciting the regular season matchups between those other teams are now. I think it's great that we're paying more attention to the G5 schools like Tulane and Navy this past weekend because that was a American Conference championship decider and Tulane smoked Navy like 35 to 0 and Navy's quarterback got hurt. And I like that that's part of the national conversation now because Tulane's going to have to play army in the conference and it's possible if army beats Notre Dame this weekend, they could end up in the playoff, which is insane. But I think from an argument standpoint it has been frustrating that it's turned into a sort of like, who's got the biggest brand? I just want to see North Carolina, Kansas, Duke and Yukon in the Final 4 conversation after two weeks of playoff shows.

[Billy Gill]

And I shouldn't be that dismissive of smu. I've been surprised and shouldn't be that they would have the money to get in the game last year with great defense this year playing totally differently than they played last year because they've been able to keep up with the spending that keeps them competitive. So I shouldn't just dismiss them. But the way that Stugatz and I think Cody are doing this reputationally with the SEC doesn't really allow a lot of space to be surprised by new blood.

[Mike Ryan]

Here's what I think. I love the College football playoff at 12 teams. Love it, love it, love it. And the main reason is that fundamentally I agree with Stu Gods. I want the brand names. I want the legacy schools, the Alabamas, the Miamis. But I also want the alternative. I want the Indiana's, I want the byus, the teams that would have no chance if this were still a final.

[Billy Gill]

Cody just threw his hands up in the air and screamed, what is happening?

[Greg Cody]

I just. So you want everyone in, but he.

[Stugotz]

More than 12 teams?

[Billy Gill]

No, no.

[Mike Ryan]

Here's what I want. Here's what I want. Okay, if it's an NCAA Final Four. I want the three great schools. Okay. I want the Duke and the North Carolina. But I also want a Cinderella in there.

[Greg Cody]

Right. Like Army.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes. And in my final 12, in my final 12 in the CFP, I want all the big legacy brand name schools that are going to get the TV ratings. But I also want the two or three Cinderellas, the Indianas, the BYU's. It's the perfect blend. And the fact that we're debating all this is wonderful for college football.

[Greg Cody]

You should be on the committee.

[Mike Ryan]

I should be on the committee.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. I think the other thing about Indiana specifically is that if you're going to a take points away from them because their schedule wasn't very difficult. Well, they did play the defending national championship and they beat them. And it's not their fault that Michigan sucks this year. It doesn't have a quarterback.

[Greg Cody]

I know, but Jess, their strength of schedule is 106th in the country.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right?

[Billy Gill]

We'll see in the next couple of weeks.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, like just. Well, we'll see aside, they, they're on paper, their schedule looked more difficult before the season started, but you can only play the games on your schedule. They still have their hardest game of the season this upcoming weekend. But it's very difficult, I think, to make these points about like, well, this team's better than Indiana because X, Y and Z. When Indiana, no one expected them to be this good this year. They are this good because their head coach imported a ton of transfers from his old school to Indiana. They've started meshing really well and playing really well together. And so putting any sort of like, it's impossible to do preseason projections for a team like Indiana this season. And so they're almost getting like penalized for not, you know, having people know how good they were going to be. And so if you're going to do that to Indiana, like, it'll be interesting to see if that ever happens to an SEC team that cobbles together a bunch of transfers with a brand new first year head coach. And if they're going to get discounted for it too, because it just feels like this is like a very unfair argument to make about a team that's been wildly successful this season out of nowhere.

[Greg Cody]

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[Stugotz]

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[Greg Cody]

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[Billy Gill]

Holt number one play a little touch of gray. You cannot give me enough fake Lou Holt saying any number.

[Stugotz]

Tripping my pal self Weird.

[Billy Gill]

You can't give me enough stugots. The drool on the microphone. I'm not sure why.

[Stugotz]

Checking on a pacifier to avoid eating my own face. This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

[Jess]

Jess was right. You can only play the teams on your schedule. But what if you could play teams that were not on your schedule? I propose in week 10 of every season, we institute swap week.

[Greg Cody]

Love it.

[Jess]

Every team, if they choose, can opt to swap out of the game that they have week 10 of their schedule to better their chances of making the playoffs.

[Stugotz]

Or if a team is crushing it so much that they're like, we don't even need any more impressive games.

[Greg Cody]

You could downgrade a game. Well, hey, I'm doing so well.

[Jess]

But the committee will then not only judge your performance in the game, they'll also judge how you chose to treat swap week. Did you want to keep the same strength as schedule? Did you want to strengthen your schedule? Did you want an easy bye week situation here? How would you choose to handle swap week? You don't do it at the end of the year because at the end of the year you have the conference championships and all that and you have some of the rivalry games. You have those things. Week 10 is prime for the picking. You make now a thing every October, November, whenever week 10 is swap week.

[Greg Cody]

Well done.

[Mike Ryan]

That's a good idea. You know, another option would be a team can end their season at any point in the season. In other words, if you start 5 0, you can say, you know what, I want to be judged on 5 0.

[Dan Le Batard]

Vanderbilt would be in the playoff if they stopped their season after they beat Alabama.

[Mike Ryan]

That would be a wonderful option.

[Jess]

It's something the committee would have to consider. The last game they played, they beat Alabama.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. I mean, all of a sudden Miami goes, you know what? We're not going to play the last three games. Judge me on nine and one.

[Billy Gill]

So you guys have the analysis. So Vanderbilt starts five zero and beats Alabama in game five. And you have the next. The next day. Oh, you got to be careful here. Vanderbilt's going to forfeit the rest of its games.

[Greg Cody]

No, you don't know, Dan.

[Jess]

Not a forfeit. It's not a forfeit because that. That shows up as a loss. They just have decided we're not playing anymore.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes.

[Greg Cody]

Why would Miami stop at 9 and 1 when they lost?

[Jess]

Well, now they wouldn't because what if.

[Mike Ryan]

They lose next week to Wake Forest.

[Dan Le Batard]

They're just going to lose to Wake Forest.

[Stugotz]

Maybe.

[Dan Le Batard]

Stop it. I think they should stop after 11 and 1.

[Mike Ryan]

They could lose at Syracuse.

[Jess]

Here's the thing. Had they gone 8 and 1 and they head into week 10, swap week, then they can add an opponent there. That's really going to boost their resume.

[Greg Cody]

I've never seen Mike angrier.

[Jess]

Well, because this is helping resumes.

[Billy Gill]

Because this is. Because listen to what's happening.

[Dan Le Batard]

There is no light behind.

[Billy Gill]

It's not merely that we've done 20 minutes of straight sports radio. It's not just that. It's also swap week, though, that Greg Cody in the middle of it, I'm pretty sure, just advocated for make all the teams play at the same time. Everybody in there. Throw everybody in the playoff. All 20 teams that I care about and have them all collide into each other with army and Navy there. Shoot off a couple of cannons, see if Cinderella runs out of there, throw a slipper in there.

[Stugotz]

Chaos.

[Billy Gill]

And just make it. Yeah. Just. Thank you. Thank you. That's a quicker way of saying it.

[Mike Ryan]

Roy never said that. But you are correct.

[Billy Gill]

But that's what he wants. All he wants is just throw. Give me a big college football gumbo and allow me to drink all day and eat poorly all day and just throw all the teams in there.

[Greg Cody]

Throw.

[Billy Gill]

By you in there.

[Stugotz]

Throw.

[Billy Gill]

SMU in there with two losses. Throw. Let's just throw everything in the gumbo.

[Mike Ryan]

You know what I do want? I want schools to stop using their acronyms, their initials. I'm down on the SM. Use the UCFS, the BYU's, LSU. What are LSU? Whatever happened to Brigham Young? Bring him back.

[Greg Cody]

You're right. Well, it's BYU instead. Right?

[Mike Ryan]

That's what I'm saying.

[Billy Gill]

Bring. Bring them Young.

[Mike Ryan]

It's Southern Methodist.

[Billy Gill]

Bring him back.

[Stugotz]

What are you, the attorney general?

[Mike Ryan]

Ridiculous.

[Dan Le Batard]

Florida Atlantic. When did we go from Florida Atlantic to fau?

[Stugotz]

Texas Christian.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, it's fiu. Right. Like, nobody says Florida. Internet.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's a different.

[Greg Cody]

You know what army is, Greg? Army is Army.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, exactly.

[Greg Cody]

Thank you.

[Mike Ryan]

It's like I don't go through life demanding to be called gpc.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

You know, quit using initials. College football teams.

[Billy Gill]

What is your middle name? Paul?

[Greg Cody]

Yeah.

[Billy Gill]

Okay, I forgot that. I'm sorry.

[Stugotz]

GPC.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, Uncle Paul.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

Brigham Young died in 1877.

[Mike Ryan]

That's right when Greg was born.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah.

[Billy Gill]

I have in front of me Field Yates is saying that Stugatz's book is according to Field Yates on Twitter. This is what he writes, some are calling it the greatest book ever written. Stugac is a literary genius, a modern day Shakespeare. Diana Rossini writes, and this is where she's exposing the grift. Hay Field. He sent me one of those books too, because Field put up a picture with your book. Stugatz's personal record book. He sent me one too. When I opened the note, I thought it would be a personalized letter thanking us for all the years of support and love. Instead, it was an obviously photocopied note asking us to make sure to post about the book.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, tight budget.

[Billy Gill]

I mean, Diana Rossini shouldn't be sharing with people that behind the scenes, you are not even writing personalized notes to people who you asked to write for your book.

[Greg Cody]

I have plenty of things planned for all the people who have contributed to Stugatz's personal record book, every single one of them. And they will receive a personalized letter from me or a phone call, depending on which is easier and how busy I am. I mean, they will, they will, they will, they will.

[Stugotz]

So far, plenty of people haven't look forward to it.

[Dan Le Batard]

I didn't even get a book.

[Greg Cody]

That doesn't mean they won't. They just haven't.

[Jess]

It's not.

[Stugotz]

It kind of means they won't, right?

[Greg Cody]

No, it doesn't. It doesn't. It does.

[Billy Gill]

Speaking of controversial shamelessness, we have a genuine controversy around John Stamos.

[Greg Cody]

What?

[Billy Gill]

That I want to get to next.

[Stugotz]

Season'S greetings podcast audience. It's Mike Ryan. And now is that time of year where you start hosting your family gatherings. Be it Thanksgiving, be it the upcoming holiday season. You're gonna have some folks in town, you're gonna be doing some entertaining. So why don't you make your family time a Miller time? It's the first thing that I roll out when I got guest over at the house, an ice cold bucket filled with that beautiful white can see. Miller thyme makes family time all the more special because for one thing, it's got taste that you can depend on. No games, no gimmicks, just a great beer. For people who like beer, Miller Lite is brewed for taste. It hits different than other light beers. It's got simple ingredients like malted barley for rich balanced toffee note flavors and an iconic golden color. And at just 96 calories in 3.2 grams of carbs per 12 ounces, miller time is always a good time. Even during the festive times. Making memories at year end gatherings tastes like Miller time. Go to millerlite.com dan to find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Celebrate responsibly Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Fewer calories and carbs in premium regular beer.