The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 2: The Bevacqua-Off 2.0 (feat. Jessica Smetana)
Date: December 10, 2025

Episode Overview

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and company deliver their signature blend of sports talk, pop culture banter, and irreverent humor. The main focus of this hour is the aftermath of the College Football Playoff selection process, the controversy involving Notre Dame's exclusion, and the ensuing debate between conference alliances, particularly centering on Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua's criticisms and strategies. Jessica Smetana joins the show, offering her perspective as a Notre Dame insider and cohost of The Echoes podcast.

Main Topics & Segments

1. Jessica Smetana Reacts: The Notre Dame Playoff Letdown

• [02:03] Jessica Smetana finally joins following Notre Dame’s playoff snub, wryly noting she’s had "three nights to sleep on this."
  • "I've gone through all five stages of grief. Now I'm on to acceptance that you do this every time." – Jessica Smetana [02:04]
• Discussion of how Notre Dame fans are feeling and how the university’s perception in the national landscape is shifting after another controversial selection show.
  • "Yeah, like, Notre Dame fans already know everyone hates Notre Dame. ... Oh, you mean people are going to not like my football team now? That’s crazy. I’ve never felt that before." – Jessica Smetana [03:50]

Notable Quotes:

• "I've reprogrammed my brain to know that she's never going to give me anything. So when she does something like that, it's better than tears." – Mike Ryan [03:23]
• "After all these years of fandom... I was bawling my eyes out. It was incredible. Thank you for asking." – Jessica Smetana [03:05]

2. The ACC vs. Notre Dame: Twitter Drama & the “Punching Down” Narrative

• Discussion on the ACC's embarrassing attempts to flex on social media and the real weight behind the so-called "controversy".
  • "ACC... have like, no followers on Twitter... less than me. And I don’t even, I have deleted Twitter from my phone for the last month." – Jessica Smetana [05:11]
  • Mike Ryan and Jessica agree: the issue with the college football playoff process goes much deeper than petty conference spats on social media.
• The “Pound of Flesh” Theory: Pete Bevacqua, as Notre Dame AD, gives fans a target by chastising the ACC but avoids conflict with more powerful entities (e.g., the SEC).
  • "Nobody minds punching at Jim Phillips. No one respects him." – Mike Ryan [04:48]

Notable Quotes:

• "I think Pete was smart in seizing on the ACC thing, which... that is something that he can win because nobody minds punching at Jim Phillips." – Mike Ryan [04:49]
• "It's sad that it's punching down on a conference commissioner from one school’s AD. I think that tells you everything you need to know about that." – Jessica Smetana [18:54]

3. The Flaws of the College Football Playoff Committee System

• [07:02] Critique of the logic and process of selection, including the value (or lack thereof) of weekly rankings and the impact of public pressure and narratives in swaying the committee.
  • "The more they talk, the less you really have faith in what the actual process is." – Jessica Smetana [06:55]
  • "Bullying works. We've seen public pressure... influence those that have more influence." – Mike Ryan [09:08]
• The problem of independence for Notre Dame: "You're not going to have your conference... making the SEC games that are not big games feel like big games." – Jessica Smetana [09:08]

4. The Notre Dame Playoff Dilemma: Financial And Competitive Realities

• Notre Dame’s business relationship with the ACC is dissected:
  • "ACC games on average sell out 23% of the time. When Notre Dame plays in them, they sell out 90% of the time." – Jessica Smetana [09:40]
  • However, "ACC actually gets money from Miami making the postseason"—Notre Dame keeps its own postseason revenue [10:14].
• The expansion to a 12-team playoff was supposed to fix these headaches, but familiar SEC advantages reemerged.
  • "Florida State was left out... That was really important two years ago and now it's not as important in this ranking." – Jessica Smetana [10:05]

5. Notre Dame's Opt-Out of the Pop-Tart Bowl

• [21:38] The group reacts to Notre Dame's decision to skip the Pop-Tart Bowl. Conversation weighs player agency, bowl prestige, and media overreaction.
  • "It's not a moral failing to not play in the Pop-Tart Bowl. The game is still going on." – Jessica Smetana [22:13]
  • Mike Ryan questions how “player-driven” the opt-out truly was. Jessica defends the process and the right of players to decide:
    "If the players want to play in the game, you should probably let them play the game... it was a player-driven decision." – Jessica Smetana [23:12, 23:54]
  • Jessica downplays the significance: "I don't think it's quite as big of a deal as a lot of people are making it out to be because it is a bowl game." [25:17]

6. Marcus Freeman’s Future and the Notre Dame Coaching Conversation

• Speculation about the odds of Marcus Freeman's return as head coach.
  • "If Marcus Freeman leaves, I know a head coach who's available... Brian Kelly, come on down." – Jessica Smetana [27:17]
• Discussion of Pete Bevacqua’s intentions to retain Freeman with a big contract.

7. Pop Culture & NBA: Tyler Herro and Heat Roster Construction

• Shifting to NBA talk, the crew debates Tyler Herro’s fit on the Heat and the ongoing narrative of trading him as a "luxury" for the franchise.
  • "The Miami Heat go on these runs without Tyler Herro. ... He's a talented scorer, but for this system under this head coach... he stands in the way of real progress for this franchise." – Mike Ryan [35:35]
  • Amin challenges the "nobody thinks he's a keeper" defense: "That's all he's been the whole time since he signed that deal... the guy that you throw into a deal..." [37:46]

8. LeBron, Rich Paul, and Miami Heat Conspiracies

• Jessica and Jeremy highlight Rich Paul’s and LeBron’s continued praise of Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra, suggesting a pattern possibly pointing to future movement or mind games.
  • "Rich Paul, when talking about what's going on with the Lakers... singles out Pat Riley and the competitiveness that he'd always had." – Jessica Smetana [46:29]
• Fantasy Trades: The panel explores theoretical trades between Miami and the Lakers involving LeBron James, Tyler Herro, and others, contemplating legacy and competitive incentives as LeBron ages.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I've gone through all five stages of grief. Now I'm on to acceptance that you do this every time." – Jessica Smetana [02:04]
• "Bullying works. We've seen public pressure... influence those that have more influence." – Mike Ryan [09:08]
• "It's sad that it's punching down on a conference commissioner from one school’s AD. I think that tells you everything you need to know about that." – Jessica Smetana [18:54]
• "It's not a moral failing to not play in the Pop-Tart Bowl. The game is still going on." – Jessica Smetana [22:13]
• "The Miami Heat go on these runs without Tyler Herro... for this system under this head coach, he's a luxury that they don't really need." – Mike Ryan [35:35]

Fun and Side Content

• Tony’s Top 5 (Favorite NFL moments/trends) [40:57]
• Stephen A. Smith’s infamous “Goldberg as #1 wrestler” list ridiculed [39:47]
• Banter about Jessica and Gojo’s podcast facial expressions/photoshoots [20:50]
• Jokes around Miami elections and Christmas baking [28:31]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jessica Smetana’s reaction to Playoff snub: [02:03–07:00]
• ACC vs Notre Dame Twitter drama: [05:11–06:01]
• Playoff committee process critique: [07:02–10:05]
• Notre Dame/ACC partnership economics: [09:33–10:14]
• Notre Dame opts out of Pop-Tart Bowl: [21:38–26:30]
• Future of Marcus Freeman as head coach: [27:14]
• NBA/Heat: Tyler Herro debate: [35:27–38:01]
• LeBron/Rich Paul Heat Conspiracies: [45:49–47:39]
• Fantasy trade talk (LeBron/Heat): [50:05–52:26]

Tone & Style

The show’s tone is sharp, clever, and often self-deprecating, full of in-jokes and asides that regular listeners will appreciate. Jessica Smetana’s slightly sardonic, fan-weary energy is met by the show’s typical snark and irreverence. Analysis is served with mock-seriousness, but the emotional stakes—especially around Notre Dame’s continuing playoff drama—are real, even if delivered with a wink.

Takeaways

• The College Football Playoff selection remains deeply contentious, with both process and politics under fire.
• Notre Dame’s unique place as an independent and as a “brand” school continues to fuel resentment, both nationally and among their own fans.
• Jessica Smetana’s insight provides a clear-eyed, often dry, counterweight to knee-jerk fandom—eschewing tears for bemusement and skepticism.
• In both college football and the NBA, the panel is quick to spot the real levers of power: TV deals, conference maneuvering, and the influence of agents and superstars.
• The Notre Dame Pop-Tart Bowl opt-out is a microcosm of the ongoing evolution (or devolution) of bowl season importance for top college programs.

Recommended listening for: Fans of college football, Notre Dame, Miami Heat enthusiasts, and anyone wanting an irreverent window into the intersection of sports, media narratives, and fandom—with a healthy sense of humor.