10 Tape Truths From Week 8: Finding Florida’s Next HC, Buying Julian Sayin Stock, Carson Beck Trust Issues, and More

Summary

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The McShay Show (The Ringer)

Episode: "10 Tape Truths From Week 8: Finding Florida’s Next HC, Buying Julian Sayin Stock, Carson Beck Trust Issues, and More"
Date: October 20, 2025
Hosts: Todd McShay & Steve Wiltfong

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Overview

This episode dives into “10 Tape Truths” that Todd McShay and Steve Wiltfong uncovered after a deep tape review of Week 8 in college football. The show drills into performances, positional analysis, NFL Draft stock movement, coaching futures—especially at Florida—and the underlying trends that define the season's second half. McShay and Wiltfong blend in-the-weeds X/O analysis with their candid, sometimes blunt takes, making the conversation essential for anyone serious about college football or the NFL draft.

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Key Discussion Points & Takeaways

1. Ole Miss' Run Defense – Still Flawed, but Not Hopeless

[03:06] Wiltfong:

• Ole Miss ranks 99th in rushing yards allowed, but does not need to be elite, just better.
• Personnel strengths up front: Xavier Harris (“330 pounds, moves really well for size, seven TFLs”) and Cam Franklin, but both “play high,” making them easier to move.
• Defense is too lateral. “Because everyone’s playing laterally...the ball carrier gets three, four more yards because they're not being violent strikers.”
• [05:00] McShay: Ole Miss’s remaining schedule gives them hope; weaknesses on run D may not be tested by upcoming opponents. Saturday’s Oklahoma game is huge for Lane Kiffin and company.

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2. Alabama’s NFL-Level Offense – Ty Simpson the Unicorn

[07:09] McShay:

• Alabama boasts “NFL sophistication like nobody else” on offense. “Ty Simpson...playing like a fourth-year starter. We don’t even have those.”
• NFL-caliber skill talent: Ryan Williams (WR, “superstar”), Jeremy Bernard (“worst-case, second-round draft prospect as your slot receiver”), Isaiah Horton and freshman Lottie Brooks.
• Praise for OC Ryan Grubb: “Putting on the plate of a guy who doesn’t have a lot of starts what you’d put on a third-, fourth-, fifth-year quarterback.”
• Detailed breakdown of motion, misdirection, and “magic show” play design creating one-on-one opportunities ([12:50]).
• Notable moment:

  “He makes this throw with so much confidence...it’s NFL stuff.” – McShay, raving about a first-quarter Ty Simpson crosser ([14:05]).

• [16:32] Wiltfong: “There are six players with 16+ catches through 7 games. What a problem to have. Ty Simpson’s been great, but Ryan Grubb deserves a ton of credit.”
• Alabama’s run-in: Every remaining game is winnable; this team could go on a special run after being left for dead post–Florida State.

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3. Notre Dame’s CJ Carr Looks His Age, But Team Depth Shines

[17:52] Wiltfong:

• Against USC, Carr “played like a redshirt freshman making his seventh start…he was tight.”
• Breaks down Carr’s missed throws, especially on bread-and-butter outs; “He was just pressing.”
• “The interception…as bad as it gets. You just can’t do it.” – Wiltfong on Carr’s red zone INT ([19:48]).
• [21:08] McShay: “The point is: developing this young quarterback for a playoff run, because that’s exactly where Notre Dame is headed.”
• [22:28] Wiltfong: “It’s a great sign for Notre Dame that their quarterback didn’t have his best game and they still played that well against USC and were able to pull away.”
• [23:38] Focus on RB J. Price:
  • “We should never call Price a number two. He’s a number one anywhere else.”
  • Two kickoff returns for touchdowns; “He runs angry. Contact balance. Willing to stick his face in the fan as a blocker.”
  • Praise for RB room: Jeremiah Love, Price combo and Notre Dame’s return to a power run identity.

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4. Julian Sayin’s Breakout – Time to Buy Ohio State Stock

[31:29] McShay:

• “BUY Julian Sayin stock. Now.” The Ohio State QB is “not a complete product…but it’s ascending and we’re watching it.”
• Lauds Ohio State’s patience: “Ryan Day and Brian Hartline recognized the task…let’s ease him in.”
• [33:13]: “Each week you see the confidence growing. He’s taking shots now he wasn’t taking before.”
• Breaks down Sayin's pocket movement and arm talent, especially his poise under pressure (e.g., TD to Carnell Tate).
• Outlook: OSU schedule soft until Michigan. When that game arrives, “the best quarterback on that field, as it’s trending right now, is going to be Julian Sayin.”
• [39:24] Wiltfong: “If Ohio State loses to Michigan and wins the Big Ten, they’re still the one seed...they get the benefit of the doubt over any other team.”

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5. Carson Beck’s Turnover Issues & Trust Concerns

[40:07] Wiltfong:

• Georgia QB Carson Beck “through four picks, actually had one called back because of a penalty...if 2024’s any indication, these turnover shows could continue.”
• Throws break down:
  • First pick (“bad execution”) vs Louisville.
  • Second pick: “A carbon copy of the play he tried to make against Texas…same decision...he just starts to lock onto guys and gets almost too casual.”
  • Final INT: “Louisville makes a great call…but Beck never saw it” ([43:09]).
  • Last year, “12 INTs, 11 in four games”—tendency to snowball.
• [43:44] McShay: “The most important thing in a relationship? Trust. I lost trust in [Beck]. Sometimes you need some space...I took that vacation.”

  “He’s got to regain trust: teammates, coaches, program, and evaluators as well. But that’s the last thing that should be on his mind.” – McShay ([47:11]).

• [47:18] Wiltfong: “My antenna is up for how this guy handles adversity on and off the field.”

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6. Missouri's Zion Young: “Completely Unhinged (in a Good Way)”

[47:55] McShay:

• Missouri edge Zion Young: “I want my pass rushers and D-linemen to be certifiably crazy…And nothing screams more certifiably crazy than the overtime coin flip” where he brought “pure chaos.”

  “He lost complete control of the thing…he’s unhinged.” ([48:32])

• Justifies the antics: “He backed it with his play: huge 4Q sack, sack in overtime, tackles for loss.”
• Edge rusher class is stacked: fans should watch the tape—Ruben Bane (Miami), Keldrick Falk (Auburn), TJ Parker (Clemson), Cassius Howell, David Bailey, Mateo Uyungala, and more.
• Games between Vandy & Missouri loom, both only losing to Alabama.

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7. Florida’s Next Head Coach Must Be Lane Kiffin (Or Similar)

[53:32] McShay:

• “Florida needs to hire Lane Kiffin. And if they can’t, they have to hire a Lane Kiffin type.”

  “You have this beautiful small window at Florida…DJ Lagway, Dallas Wilson, Vernell Brown III, Jayden Baugh. If one guy can convince them to stay, Florida becomes a destination.” ([54:18]) “How do you blow it? Bring in a defensive coach. That’s how you blow it.”

• "Kiffin is a more advanced, sophisticated Steve Spurrier. It just feels like Spurrier going to Florida.”
• [59:26] If Kiffin isn’t an option, top candidates: Jeff Brohm (Louisville), Jed Fisch (Washington), Alex Golesh (South Florida).
• Defensive identity will never be hard to find at Florida, but the offense is make-or-break.

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8. Texas Tech QB Will Hammond: Don’t Bail Yet

[62:05] Wiltfong:

• “I am still as high on Will Hammond as I was going into the Arizona State game.”
• His stats (22/37, 167 yds) don’t tell full story: “Third quarter was terrible, but so was Texas Tech. Seven total plays, long ASU drive, injury to top TE, WRs not separating.”
• “The two touchdowns? Tell me a lot of QBs can make those throws in college.”
• Emphasizes Hammond’s running ability and “chooses violence” in goal line situations.
• [65:16] “I would stick with the kid. I really believe he is not the reason they lost that game.”

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9. Oregon’s Rushing Offense—Finally Settling In

[66:55] McShay:

• “I finally feel good about the Oregon run game. And you say, well, this was against Rutgers, Todd—but I felt like before it was just too many backs.”
• Noah Whittington has emerged: “The vet…at 5’8”, 203 lbs...11 for 125 in this game, one big chunk run, but complete game.”
• Oregon has found their three-back rotation: Whittington (“the leader”), Jordan Davison (“powerful complement”), and Dier Hill (“super talented freshman”).

  “Whittington just looks like what Oregon should have at running back. Zero fumbles, very solid in pass pro…” ([68:17])

• [72:03] Wiltfong: Oregon’s RBs don’t need to be elite physically, just trustworthy in scheme: “They like to get guys about 15 touches a game; it’s about a committee.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ty Simpson’s Alabama Performance:

  “He’s playing like a fourth-year starter. We don’t even have those…It’s kind of a unicorn situation.” — Todd McShay ([07:09])

• On Notre Dame RBs:

  “We should never call Price a number two. He’s a number one anywhere else in the country, I think.” — Steve Wiltfong ([23:38])

• On Missouri’s Zion Young:

  “He’s the tone setter for Missouri…He’s unhinged, but in the best way. He’s violent. I know I’ve said it 10 times, but that’s why I kept writing it down.” — Todd McShay ([49:14])

• On Carson Beck:

  “Trust is the number one aspect…without it, it’s toxic. I feel like I’m that guy in a relationship with Carson Beck and I lost trust in him.” — Todd McShay ([43:44])

• On the Florida job:

  “Lane Kiffin is a modern-day Spurrier. He’s a more advanced, sophisticated Steve Spurrier—and he’s just crazy enough to make it all work down in Gainesville.” — Todd McShay ([59:08])

• On Will Hammond:

  “When Will Hammond gets a chance to take over an offense…I am super excited to see what the kid does next.” — Steve Wiltfong ([64:54])

• On Oregon’s RB Situation:

  “Whittington just looks like what Oregon should have at running back. Zero fumbles, very solid in pass protection…He brings stability.” — Todd McShay ([68:17])

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Important Timestamps

| Segment | Time | |---------------------------------- |------------- | | Ole Miss Run Defense | 03:06 | | Alabama Offense/Ty Simpson | 07:09–17:49 | | ND: CJ Carr & RB Depth | 17:52–28:29 | | BUY Julian Sayin Stock | 31:29–39:24 | | Carson Beck Trust Issues | 40:07–47:55 | | Zion Young Unhinged | 47:55–53:32 | | Florida Coaching Search | 53:32–61:55 | | Texas Tech & Will Hammond | 62:05–66:24 | | Oregon Run Game | 66:55–72:48 |

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Final Thoughts

This week's “10 Tape Truths” edition travels deep into the weeds, blending keen film analysis with rapid fire takes—sometimes controversial, but always evidence-based. From NFL-ready QBs and positional depth charts to the critical coaching search at Florida and the emergence of young talent, McShay and Wiltfong’s discussion will leave even the most dedicated fan with something new to consider heading into Week 9 and beyond.

Don’t miss Thursday’s episode: Todd’s first Top 32 Big Board of the season.

Transcript

[Todd McShay]

Man did we learn a lot in week eight of college football and then we got to the tape on Sunday. There's too much to get to for some long poetic open to this show. It's Monday so you know it's 10 tape truths from Stevie boy and myself mentioned. You know this only 185 days until the NFL draft.

[Steve Wiltfong]

I'm aware so mention Are you good?

[Todd McShay]

I'm good man. One time now kid. Feel like there's a clearer picture now. Steve Wegate told us a lot like really starting to hone in on who the top teams are, what the struggles are and now some questions have to be asked. Some coaching questions. We'll get to that. Some questions about candidate a specific unit, fix what's going on in order to kind of right the ship and make a run here at the end of the season. This episode is presented by Duluth Trading Co. Ready to give rival tailgates the foam finger. Duluth Trading Co. Crafts hall of Fame game day gear to help you grill hotter, cheer louder and tailgate longer. Bibs loaded with pockets, gusseted pants so you can crouch without snuffing out your coals and free swinging shirts tailor made for cornhole tossing. Stay comfortable from preseason to playoffs in the toughest tailgate attire around. Only at Duluth Training Co. We're in the second half of the college football season. We spend Sundays watching tape to share with you our 10 tape troops. And yeah, the McShay report is out. Google it. Subscribe, be a part of it. Got another one. Huge show on Thursday. First big board of the year. Top 32. We did the quarterback rankings last last week and I already want to start tweaking that a little bit. Right. And we have the top 32 coming out on Thursday. We'll have a follow up on Friday. It's a busy week. If you don't subscribe to the McShay Report. You probably want to do it like now. We're going to start ramping things up both for college football and the NFL draft. This episode is brought to you by Vuori. As an analyst, I'm a rankings guy. I scope the landscape, look at all the prospects and and then make the call. And looking at the Vuori Sunday performance jogger, it's safe to say I found your new favorite jogger. Soft, lightweight, four way performance stretch. The Sunday performance jogger moves with you. No restrictions. And get this, we just landed a deal for friends of our show. They're offering 20% off your first purchase. Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the [e-mail] McShay exclusions apply. Visit the website for full terms and conditions. But today's about 10 tape truths, and I honestly, I just want to jump right into it. Steve, give us your first truth from sitting down on Sunday, Watching the tape, specifically where you wanted to dive in and figure out kind of some questions and hopefully get some answers.

[Steve Wiltfong]

The Ole Miss run defense can get better, but it's not going to be an easy fix. Okay. Ole Ms. Is 99th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game. And I want to be clear about this. They don't have to be great. They don't have to be. You know, that great Bears defense from the 80s, it doesn't have to get there. This team's already 6 and 1 and gave Georgia a run for its money. At Georgia, we don't need it to be perfect, but it's got to be better than what? What. It's what it is right now. And there's a couple of things that are. If you're looking at this on the positive end, they got some dudes up front. You know, they've got guys like Xavier Harris, who's 330 pounds, moves really well for size, got seven tackles for loss. You know, you're looking at. They got some players. Cam Franklin's another guy, 290 pounds. These are guys get play inside and outside in that scheme. So they got some dudes up front that they could, you know, get things better than they are right now. But watching the tape, there are some significant concerns. We'll start with Harris, as good as he is, getting in the backfield and making some plays. He plays high. He's six foot eight. He plays high. He's a little bit easier to move than you would think. Franklin, the same thing. They play high, more importantly for me is it's too lateral. Their run defense is too lateral. You see, they like to play games up front where they're. They're stunting defensive tackles, they're slanting defensive linemen. And that's great. When you get into the gaps and you make plays, it's a problem. When offensive lineman can get a body on you and move you, that's an issue. I love Suntaran Perkins, the edge, he's light. You saw Georgia's tight ends, were able to block him. You know, one on one, that's kind of an issue. You got to be careful about that. I didn't see a lot of missed tackles on tape. That may have been issue at times. I didn't see it. But what I did see is because the everyone's playing laterally when they go to tackle a ball carrier, he gets three, maybe four more yards because they're not getting down and being violent strikers. So these are fixable things. But it's not just one issue. There's a number of things they got to get right.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah. And I for like as difficult as the schedule is for all these SEC teams and it seems like every week is a new challenge except when they get a team like citadel right in November 8th, when I'm looking at this I, I see. I see opportunity. I mean they Ole Miss and it's just the AP poll for whatever that's worth. But they only dropped to 8 in the old in the AP poll. Now in a few weeks we're going to have the, the college football the playoff the committee is going to come in and give us their first rankings. We'll have a feel at that point for where they view Ole Miss in the big picture of all of this. Oklahoma up next is like at Oklahoma feels critical. You know. And, and the good news for Ole Miss is what their weaknesses that you're describing is the weakness of Oklahoma's offense. They're struggling to run the football and they ran it a little bit better this last week. Jade Notts not existent. And so like it'll be interesting to see South Carolina is a shell of of what South Carolina was last year and what what Gamecock fans hoped it would be with Lenora Sellers this year. That's the next game. First first game in November. Then you get the Citadel. Then you get Florida obviously reeling. Just, just fired Billy Napier and we'll get to that coaching position a little bit here in the 10 tape truce and then you finish it Mississippi State all things considered. Man, when you look at like Alabama's schedule when you look at Oklahoma's schedule and you look at Texas and Texas A and M and what they have remaining with one loss in the sec, they're sitting in a good spot. But that's why it's not to me it's not the same as like Notre Dame against usc. For Notre Dame was an elimination game. If they won that game we we said the schedule lines up favorably where they should win out and be in if they lost that game, season's over. I'm not saying it's quite to that level but man is Saturday and Norman a big one for Lane Kiffin in that team.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Agree they're in a. They're in pole position.

[Todd McShay]

If they can get that win tape truth number two. And there's a reason why I'm, I'm leading off with this one from for my tape truce. Alabama has NFL personnel on the offensive side and NFL sophistication like nobody else in the country. I haven't seen this anywhere else and I've got to just like this Saturday, I'm turned the page on. He only had six starts. How's he doing this? This is just his seventh start. Talking about Ty Simpson, the quarterback, doesn't matter. He's playing like a fourth year starter. We don't even have those at high level guys go move on to the NFL typically if they've played, if they've started three seasons and playing at this level. So this, this is kind of a unicorn situation if you will. But let's get past that. And that's why I went and dove into the tape. What makes this group so special? I've shared a lot of the reasons why. Whether it was last week, on Thursday I did a deep dive into Ty Simpson with the other top quarterback prospects in the class. We talked about, talked about Ty a lot on Saturday night. Going into Sunday morning reacting to the Tennessee game. It's more. He deserves all the credit. There's nothing. When I went back and watched more tape and I had watched every other game, every other throw. It's more than just tie though. So while he deserves everything that's coming his way, let's not lose sight of what else is going on here. Okay. So much attention is being given to two and five, the wide receivers. That's Ryan Williams, a superstar who's been up and down this season, but was drops.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yep.

[Todd McShay]

Excuse me, Drops. They had the head injury kind of nicked up in another game, just not himself. The big, that big drop against Georgia kind of stands out the most on that first drive of that game. But he was back to his peak on Saturday against Tennessee and even when he wasn't at his peak, you got to give him the respect that he deserves because he'll kill you if you, if you try to man him up against some mid level with some mid level cornerback. Okay.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Right.

[Todd McShay]

And then there's five, Jeremy Bernard, who will get in the top 32. I'm not going to spoil it right now. He might be in the top 32. So we're talking a first, worst case, second round draft prospect as your slot receiver. Okay. So much attention. That was one of the first things that jumped out in the early series. So much attention is given to number two and number five, Williams And Bernard. Okay, that and the number three production role. I don't, I haven't heard anyone else talking about this. The number three production role is not Isaiah Horton. It was for a minute and it was expected to be coming into the season. Remember the, for the, the Miami transfer, productive last year, ex wide receiver. Thought it was a perfect complement to, to Ryan Williams and he's had moments, but it's really been the, the freshman was a load loads here, right? Yeah, he's become the guy, Lottie. Yeah, so. So Laudy's become the guy. And I went through like the pre snap motions and I want to make sure that people understand this. The talent at wide receiver is NFL caliber. The offensive line keeps getting better. The run game's not where it needs to be. But I'm just talking specifically, specifically about this passing attack, the route combinations, the play calling. The. One of the biggest things they do that's critical to what they do. And this is why I say NFL stuff. You see a lot of motions and misdirection and eye candy and all that throughout college football. But there's a difference when you're, when you've watched tape this long, there's a difference between doing it to kind of, you know, let's figure out is it man or zone and let's throw a lot at them because they're 18 to 22 year old kids with limited practice time and tape time and. And let's see if we can kind of get an edge here versus we're doing NFL stuff. Okay. And Ryan Grubb comes in and it like with a little NFL experience. But he's been doing these kinds of things. But now he's got a quarterback and he's had some. He had penix like but, but he is putting on the plate of a guy who doesn't have a lot of starts what you would put on the plate of a third, fourth, fifth year quarterback. Okay? So the pre snap snuff stuff is not just eye candy or figuring out man versus zone. It's intentional. There was an example right 937 left in the first quarter. They're in bunches tight to the left. That's three. Three receiver. One was a tight end. Two receivers, okay? They're bunched up. Then they motion 11 Rico Scott from that bunch out wide. So now you've got, you got two, two targets in on the wing if you will and kind of a slot area and then 1, 1 receiver number 11 Scott motions out wide snap of the ball. This is a lot of grub but also having a quarterback who understands what he's seeing and can make the right, the right play calls pre snap. He's in complete control. He'll look over sometimes, but he knows what he's looking for. Son of, son of a head coach in college football. University of Tennessee. Martin Simpson's dad, 18 years as the head coach there. So they motioned Scott out to the left and now, now they, at the snap of the ball, the, the, the wide receiver or sorry, the running back that's, that's standing next to Simpson and the H back stretch the defense wide by going, going out to the left. It looks like they're going to try to pitch to the left.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Right.

[Todd McShay]

And this is all done, all of this is done to stress the linebackers and the safeties. Okay. And then they have the two receivers that go out and they run in cutters, almost like a layered thing. They run from the left side in cutting to the right. So now these, these safeties have to respect that. The linebackers have to respect the middle of the field. All this shit's done. Steve. To create a, what a magic show. To create a one on one opportunity for Williams or. Which is hard to get, but because there was so much going on from, from the bunches to the motion out to the two receivers running in cutters to the fake pitch with the H back and the running back going to the left. Now the safeties and linebackers are all kind of like what, Everything's flowing to their right. The offense is left also that they could get that one safety to second guess before he goes and gives deep help over down the right rail. In the meantime, snapped fake the pitch, bang balls out. And it's not just out, it's perfectly thrown over the shoulder leading him back to the sideline, but inbounds and he makes an unbelievable catch. All you see on TV is oh, it's a nice throw. Great catch.

[Steve Wiltfong]

All that. Yeah, but all.

[Todd McShay]

It took all that other stuff. Okay. And then there's this throw from Simpson, right. It's a minute 45, first quarter. It's a crosser to Williams. I, I talked Alex McLaughlin as the M2QB here in Massachusetts and like we text and he's, he's obsessed with Simpson too. It's hard not to be, especially as someone who's got a coaching background. Right, right. He, he texts me with that throw. If you go back and watch it, it's 145, first quarter. There's this crosser that Williams runs and the defender literally like is in his pocket. It is not a throw that you want to make unless you're an NFL veteran quarterback and you trust the receiver and he makes this throw with so much confidence. Put just like we talk about layering. This was more like. But. But just enough arc to it and. And the ball comes in with the db, like literally right there. But it happened before the DB could even get like, get his bearings. NFL stuff. Alex, text. Alex, text me. Like right in that moment, I get this text. I look down my phone, it says stop the fight. You know, like it's that level stuff. I just hope people in the country because. Because everyone was stuck on what's it going to look like. New quarterback this year. Not sure how gifted and talented he is. Doesn't look the part. Not like super mobile, doesn't have the biggest arm. Although he's showing more. More velocity on the ball than I expected to see. What's it going to look like this year? And then they lose to Florida State and he's gotten better and better each week and. And everyone now is talking about Simpson and they should. My point is they're doing things at Alabama that I don't know that anyone else in the country is able to do because they've got the offensive mind calling the plays and all the misdirect. Not even miss all the motions and setting up plays the way NFL teams do in order to create matchups and a quarterback who can execute it at a uniquely high level. And I look at this schedule now like you got South Carolina on Saturday. You got to buy. Then you got three tough but winnable games in November. LSU's reeling. Where's Oklahoma going to be at that. At that point. And then you got the Iron bowl, which obviously there's a lot of emotion, a lot of history and a lot of. A lot of things go into that. But they're all winnable games. If you look at it right now. Right. They're favored in all three.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Todd McShay]

This has a chance to be a special, special run for. For a coordinator who's just come back in with his head coach. A first year starting quarterback after losing week one and everyone having them for dead.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yeah, I mean, it's different, but there's shades of that. You know, the Michigan game, burying Ohio State. Florida State was going to bury Alabama this year and all of a sudden they look like the best team in the country. Something I'll say is I love Lottie Brooks. He is super talented and he. And I can't wait to see what he does going forward. I also love Isaiah Horton. I think you're right. He's had his moments. I think he's played really well, to be honest with you. There's just so many mouths to feed. There's so many mouths to feed. It's. That's. What a problem to have. I mean, there are six players with 16 or more catches through seven games. I mean, there are players everywhere that are making plays for them. So it's. I'm with you, man. Ty Simpson's been great, but, you know, Ryan Grubb deserves a ton of credit. Kaylin DeBoer deserves a ton of credit. Those receivers deserve a ton of credit. I think that offensive line. I'm with you. Has gotten better and better, and I think it still has room to grow. I mean, you look at all of it, it's like. I think I texted you last week. I was like this. As good as this Alabama offense is, it's a rocket ship. It could absolutely be like. Just be different.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah. All right, take it away. What do we got?

[Steve Wiltfong]

Tape Truth number three. Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr played like a redshirt freshman making his seventh start against usc. After I gave him all his flowers. All his flowers, he went out and. And I. The only thing I can chalk it up to, really, is I think he was tight. And that's why I say that he played like a redshirt freshman making his seventh start. I think, really, for me, it was the second throw.

[Todd McShay]

It seemed like that, right? Like the emotional. The emotional reactions on the sideline. It felt. This is the first time that you felt the youth. I picked up on that, too. He's.

[Steve Wiltfong]

You think about it, he's eager to come out after losing. They haven't really, quote, unquote, played a, you know, a contender or, you know, what you would say, a real opponent. Since they lost that game to Texas A and M, I think he's looking to redeem himself, play a little bit better than he did in the first two games. You know, he wants to show what he can do. And I think also other players are making plays. I mean, everyone's making plays on Notre Dame. And I think he was. He was just pressing, right? And the biggest key for me was. I mean, the first play of the game wasn't great. He missed his tight end over the middle on a crosser. He kind of flung the ball instead of moving around a little bit and resetting his feet and delivering it accurately. That wasn't a great throw, but I wasn't really overly Concerned. And then the second throw of the game, he had to roll out to his right and hit Jordan Faison on and out from the slot. He's made that throw. It is a pillar of their offense. He's made that throw a ton of times over the last four games. And he missed it outside and he missed a few of those outside. And that was when I said, oh, this is, this is concerning. He's got a little too much juice. He's pressing, he's, you know, there's, there's obviously more throws. I mean, I could give you the whole list of, you know, but it was really missing the outbreak. He throws more than anything else.

[Todd McShay]

If you're just listening. Men's just flashed. Oh, sorry, a sheet of paper. Like, like probably it's a full sheet.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Of paper of all the places.

[Todd McShay]

3,000 words and like 12, 12 throws.

[Steve Wiltfong]

And we get to the interception. I mean, you look at that interception, it is as bad as it gets. I mean, he. It's a two man route. It's play action, two man route. You're in the red zone, you're up four at that point. There's six minutes left in the, in the, in the second quarter. You look like after USC got out to an early lead, it looks like you're starting to take control of this game. They run play action. They run a two minute out to the left. It's not there. Throw it away or try to run whatever you want. You want to try and be the hero with the running the ball. But what you cannot do is then work back to the right, kind of run around for a minute and then throw up an off balance throw that gets picked off and USC comes down and makes it a 14 13, game and a half. You just can't do it. On the plus side, I'll say this, that first drive of the third quarter, he went, I think he went four for five. He had the six yard touchdown to faze on at the end. That's the dude that I saw on tape. Timing and accuracy. He made a, he threw a, a curl route for 10 yards. And there was, the timing was perfect. He looked really good on that drive. It looked like he started to calm down in the second half. They didn't need him as much. They were going with the run game, so there was some positives to take out of it. But they've got to find a way for him to get off to a stronger start. And you know your guy, Todd Blackledge was perfect about it. He said he's just got to trust his arm, trust his read. Trust his. Trust his reads and trust his receivers. And it seemed like he just wasn't doing that early on.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah. And mentioned the word trust. Like, I don't know if there's an analyst out there that I trust more when it comes to, you know, what he's sharing on a broadcast than blacklidge. So, you know, people are probably listening or watching right now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. And we appreciate everyone for doing it. But just sitting here, being the audience for a minute, they're like, who pissed and menches oatmeal man. Like, can someone remind men that that, like, we. We just won 3424 and. And like that dominated a really good USC team and pulled away. But I do know that you have another tape. Truth. So instead of waiting as we go back and forth here, this isn't some kind of snake draft. Get to your next point. Because I think. I think it's important for people who are throwing things at their. At their devices right now, at you specifically, because you're not getting the point. You are getting the point. And the point is this. You got bc, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Stanford. And Stanford beat Florida State the other night. But, like, Pittsburgh's the tough one at Pittsburgh on the 15th. That's going to be a challenge. But other than that, and even in that game, this is about developing this young quarterback to get ready for a college football playoff run, because that's exactly where Notre Dame is headed. But now I want you to give the positive to Notre Dame fans and kind of walk them off the ledge here really quickly.

[Steve Wiltfong]

It's a great sign for Notre Dame that their quarterback didn't have his best game and they still play that well against USC and were able to pull away.

[Todd McShay]

That being said, a really good USC team. Yes.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Here's my next tape.

[Todd McShay]

Truth.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Notre Dame's J. Price might be behind Jeremiah Love on the depth chart. We should never call him. We should never call Price a number two. He is not a number two. I mean, he's a number one anywhere else in the country, I think. One. You know, I want to talk about two things about him other than the way he runs the ball and is a compliment to Love in the running game on offense. And the first is the return game. He's got two kickoff returns for touchdowns this year. He's got that aggressive, you know, fearless nature that you love in a return man. He could break a tackle, and then he's got the speed to pull away as soon as he gets a crease. You know, when you look back at.

[Todd McShay]

That game, I would never have Price pegged as this, like, monster kickoff returner. If you just watch him as a running back, isn't that interesting?

[Steve Wiltfong]

It's. It's very. I think it's. Honestly, I think it's super interesting also that I'm going to get into. I was going to get into this later. I'll talk about it now. This is a guy that went over like 740 yards for Notre Dame last year. I think could have gone anywhere in the country. I read an article from the South Bend Tribune that said as much that he had. Several teams were trying to get him to go somewhere else, and instead he stays at Notre Dame and is willing to return kickoffs and help his team in that way. What. What Marcus Freeman and his staff deserve. And I don't know if it's the NL man or what nil money. I don't care. Figuring out how to keep a kid like that in your building is obviously making a difference because remember, USC was up 24, 21 with 5 minutes, less than 5 minutes left in the third quarter. They had just taken a lead. It looked like momentum had shifted. And then they made the mistake of kicking off the Price, who broke two tackles and went to distance. He did the same thing against Purdue. He's got that contact balance to beat to break tackles as a return man and then the juice to go the distance. So you. One, you have him as a return man. Two, he doesn't play a big game and he doesn't play a big role as a receiver. I think he's 11 career cut catches. I think he might have two this year. He doesn't play a big game, big role as receiver, but he pass blocks, man, and he competes. And this is again, a dude that could be starting anywhere else, be a star anywhere else. But here. He's willing to go in and stick his face in the fan as a pass blocker and fight to sustain. It's not always perfect. A lot of college running backs aren't perfect in pass pro, but this dude's competitive. And then you add on what he is as a runner and. And yeah, let me just start here. Notre Dame's run game right now and over the last month, really even early in the season, is so much freaking fun to watch. I mean, guys are getting blocked up. I mean, this run game is special statistically, it should be ranked much higher, but I think they've been balanced on offense and they've Been using car more. They want to be more balanced. If they wanted to, they could run over all over anyone. I really believe that there aren't many. Maybe not Ohio State, I should say that. But there are a lot of defense is going to have a hard time stopping this. And I think the. When you look at.

[Todd McShay]

And it turns out that Texas A and M has one of the best defenses in the country. And yeah, if you're able to throw out the Arkansas game last week and it turns out that Miami has one of the best defenses in the country. If you throw out some a handful and they didn't give love enough and they did. So I'm just, I want to put it into context because it is a two loss team. They. And. And maybe you want to put it a little bit on. On Freeman and the offensive staff. Maybe they should have run the ball more but maybe they just went up against two great defenses that were expecting the run and they had to throw the ball to find success. And they learned from that game and they clearly have gone back to Notre Dame football with those.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yeah. Which is awesome. And. And the thing with Price is we talk about slow to. And quick through the hole. Right. Like slow to where you're allowing blocks to develop quick through. As soon as you see that crease, you're going to explode. He excels in that area. And then like what makes him really special I think is his ability to pull away when he gets a crease and then when he get. He hits the second level so fast that I think it surprises safeties, I think it surprises defensive backs that like, oh my God, he's on top of us. You know what I mean? And then if he's one on one, some guys will try to make that safety mix miss. He just runs away from him. He just pulls away. And you add on to that he runs angry. He's got contact balance. And I really wanted. There was one play that, I mean The Boise State 49 yard touchdown is the one that I think people are going to look at and be. He broke like five tackles on that play. People are going to point to that play as the best run of the year. And I get it. I loved play 16 in the USC game. It's a six. I mean it's a 16 yard run. Actually, it's not that one. I don't know if I wrote it down. There's a play in the USC game. I must have wrote down the wrong one where he has a chance. When you look at speedbacks, they have a chance to go outside, they almost always take it. And I think Price is a speedback, right? He reads the position of his tight end and instead of trying to pop it out, he cuts up field off the tight end. He's you, he's, he's not trying to just make big plays. He's looking to get north, south and use his explosiveness that way more than anything else. I, I look at him, I'm just, I mean, you talk about a number two.

[Todd McShay]

The beauty is too like. And again, like, I think people are like, okay, men just digging on car. Mensch is featuring Price and are we ever going to talk about Jeremiah Love with 260, 60 yard, 260 yards of total offense. The point to this whole thing, and I think this is a perfect example, the point to what we do on Monday is to tell you something you don't already know, is to go into the tape and maybe find something that's a little bit different, that's critical to what's going on. Positively, negatively looking to the future, whatever it is. And these are two great examples. Like if, if Notre Dame is going to run the table and like make another legitimate run in the College Football Playoff, car's got to make the improvement on the things that you talked about. And your first truth here. And then the second truth is like it Jeremiah, we all, any, any slap dick could come on the show right now and tell us that Jeremiah Love was awesome. But the combination of the two and the return game are so critical to what Notre Dame's doing. That like we need to, we can't overlook that, I think, is the point.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yeah. Yep, that's. I mean, that's exactly it.

[Todd McShay]

The McShay show is brought to you by FanDuel. FanDuel is changing the way you live bet football. And it starts with next drive sgps. That's next drive, same game parlays. You can bet what's happening on the next drive. Will it end with a touchdown, a punt, a field goal? Then see the player stats you need stack in player props and build your bet exactly the way you want. And every NFL game day comes with a profit boost you can use on your next drive SGP so you can get more out of every play. Whether you're betting a drive a player or the Next big moment, FanDuel makes live betting feel smarter, faster and way more fun. Visit FanDuel.com McShay to download the app today and bet the next drive. Your way must be 21 and older and present in select states or 18 and older and present in DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. Opt in required bonus issued as non withdrawable profit boost tokens. Restrictions apply including any token expiration and max wager amount. See [e-mail] gambling problem call 1-800-gambler or visit rg-help.com, call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org chatincenetic when did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom's 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn [e-mail] this episode is sponsored by American Eagle, so it's official. American Eagle just launched their exclusive limited edition collab with True Colors by Travis Kelce and we could not be more excited to check it out. From sweater polos to loose and baggy pants to comfy sets, there's literally something for everyone. They also dropped a handful of incredibly comfy graphic tees that you can easily wear on repeat with relaxed cargos or with jeans. If you're a huge fan or just love the collab, shop the first drop now before it's gone. You can check it out on AE.com or just go to the store. All right, my tape. Truth number five. Consider this your warning. And I didn't know until yesterday on Sunday. This is October. So it was October 19th. I didn't know until October 19th when I actually sat down and watched the tape by Julian saying stock, now.

[Steve Wiltfong]

You'Re in. All in.

[Todd McShay]

This is my psa. He's yeah. Yes. He's still inexperienced. No, it's not a, a, a complete product this point, but it is a stock that is ascending and we're watching it right now. And I think because we have Georgia Ole Miss and we have all Alabama, Tennessee and usc, Notre Dame and Ohio State schedule just isn't, it isn't that it's kind of flying under the radar. They're playing noon games or 3:30 kicks and it's Wisconsin and they're just, they're not in the spotlight like Ohio State typically was. Ohio State really hasn't been in the spotlight since week one against Texas in terms of like big time opponent challenge, all that. But it doesn't mean that you're when you see growth, you see growth. It doesn't mean that. That the. The opponent defines whether the player is growing or not. And I'm telling you, Julian Sayan is growing and he's growing. It was a slow. Like slow up the hill. Cautious. Let's make sure we have our footing. And the last couple weeks, two, three weeks, it has been kind of started slow jog to a borderline sprint in terms of his ascent. And I'm seeing. I'm seeing certain plays, certain reads, certain decisions, and then mostly certain throws that they wouldn't allow him to do. I. I want to start with this. I give a lot of credit in the like. What have you done for me lately? 7 seconds of attention social media society that we're in right now. Coaches getting fired every third day. It feels like.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Right.

[Todd McShay]

I want to give a lot of credit to Ryan Day and Brian Hartline for recognizing the task here. We've got a special talent at quarterback, but if we go throw them in and expect him to play at that special level right away, we're. We're doing him a disservice in our program. A disservice. Let's ease him in now. That sounds great. In summer meetings. That sounds great. As you're putting together your plan, even that week of game. It sounds great going into Texas, but can you have the patience and the discipline to maybe leave some stuff in, some potential big plays and some chunks and some to leave that on the field and say it's okay if we don't get that right now, we're good enough on defense. We've got a weapon here, here or there. They'll make a play here or there. Let's just win. But let's develop him properly. And as he's. Each week you see the confidence growing. He's taking shots now he wasn't taking before. I'm assuming without talking to Brian and Ryan that they've greenlit him to do so. But I'm just watching this tape. Man. 8:33, first quarter. Like the touchdown. The touchdown catch by Carnell Tate is the highlight. It's all watch SportsCenter or any other show that it's the catch, the helmet off, the screaming at the camera. It's awesome. Cinema. What's not being talked about is what got got the ball to that point where he could make that play in bracketed versus essentially double coverage. Two get two defenders hanging on him. Watch Saiyan in that play go back and actually watch from. From snap to finish the sliding left because pressure's come coming up the middle. Then instead of Most quarterbacks and maybe even saying in the first couple weeks that pressure comes up the middle. Bale. Absolutely Bale. Even Cam Ward, Shador Sanders. Last year we watched, it was bail, drift, sprint out. He was slide left and then climb back into the. Into the lion's mouth. And by doing that. Where are his eyes down the field. Okay. And it's not like he threw into double coverage. Todd, what are you talking? Like, you know, maybe it's. What is that? Because his eyes showed. Showed him the leverage that his receiver had on these two. With one. With one defensive back with his back turn and the other defensive back coming over to, you know, it's the leverage that he saw. So as he's sliding to his left and climbing, he also. What does that allow you to do if you're not drifting back and your momentum's not going back and if you're not sprinting out one side or the other, it allows you to keep your feet under you because you bit like, I don't care how talented it is, how many tick tock and YouTube videos are out there about Julian saying throwing off balance left, right, all this stuff. And yeah, that's pretty cool stuff. You can't make that throw and put it right where you need to put it unless you got your feet underneath of you and you can actually drill it and drive it the way you need to. So the feet were underneath. The eyes are where they're supposed to be. All because he shows the. That veteran savvy of I better slide and then I better climb back into this thing if I'm going to make this throw. And then he delivers it and puts it right where it needs to be. And then, yes, the rest is tape. Making an awesome play. Helmet knocked off and all that. That was like the first. There's this 212 first quarter, rolling to his right, drills a strike along the right sideline. That's a big time throw to Tate. Then that back corner end zone touchdown right, 535 left. Fourth quarter. This is all against Wisconsin. I should have said to Brandon Inis while rolling to his right, that wasn't eyes, that wasn't feet underneath him. That was just. I'm talented enough to make this throw, but I'm confident enough. The coaches have greenlit me. We're doing this thing now. We're opening this thing up and. And for day in the heart line to recognize. Okay, let's get. Let's. Let's weather the storm early on. And then we got this. This stretch of games. Man, where we can allow him to open things up and gain his confidence and take some chances. And if he makes some young mistakes, it's okay. This defense is so. Yeah, we're not going to give up a point, so throw a couple picks if you need to, but get it out of your system. Learn from it. You know, I was talking about rinse, refine, repeat. Yeah, well, he hasn't had to rinse a whole lot. He's just kind of refined. You know what I mean?

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

You know what? It's.

[Steve Wiltfong]

It's interesting to me is when you're talking about the way he's moving around the pocket there, all I'm thinking about is you talking about Jackson Dart last year.

[Todd McShay]

There's a little bit there. There's a little bit there.

[Steve Wiltfong]

That's what I'm hearing.

[Todd McShay]

Yep, there's a little bit there. And I'm excited to see the growth. But I'm saying buy that stock now because something's happening at Ohio State and the kind of on the back burner, like, don't talk about it.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Sh.

[Todd McShay]

Be quiet. You know, yeah, they can get to the high, but let's focus that. Tate with a great catch and the receivers are stepping up. And Jeremiah Smith, like, yeah, he makes a few catches, but, like, we got all these guys doing things. Don't. Don't worry about a court. Yeah, we're just a young guy. We're just developing them here and all of a sudden we're gonna get. We're gonna get to Michigan. We're gonna get to Michigan and everyone's gonna be talking about Underwood and, you know, all the talent and all this, but the best quarterback on that field, as it's trending right now, is going to be Julian saying. So I'm excited to see the development. Listen, it's truly hard to evaluate. I. I get that. And if you go look at their schedule and I won't bore you with the. With the schools right now, but they're not going to be challenged at all until Michigan. It would take an absolute collapse. Like, like Friday Night Lights going out to the gentleman's club and like not showing up to the game type situation for them to even have trouble between now and then. Okay, but we're going to find out, is this good enough to finally do the Michigan thing and then in the College Football Playoff, I think he's going to be ready to. Where he. He's an asset for this team rather than. Yeah, he makes some plays, but we got to kind of protect our quarterback because he's Just young.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yeah, I'm with you, man. I'm excited about it. I, it's, I, I, I, I can't help but ask this question. If Ohio State loses to Michigan and wins the Big Ten Championship, there's still a one seed, right? Yeah, there's still the one seed, right? I think you get. They get, Yeah, I think they get. After last year, they get the benefit of the doubt over any other team.

[Todd McShay]

And it shouldn't be last year or should be any previous year, but what they're doing defensively is, is becoming a thing of legend. So I, yeah, I hear you.

[Steve Wiltfong]

But in the back of my mind, I'm like, ryan Day knows how to win that tournament. I, I don't know. I think it might creep into the, the committee's minds.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah. Yeah, it could. Yeah. All right, you're up next. Tape.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Truth. Carson back through four picks, actually had one call back because of a penalty. And if 2024 is any indication, these turnover shows could continue. What do I mean by that? If you look at his 2024 season, right, that Alabama game that Georgia lost after trying to make that furious comeback they lost at Alabama, it was a nightmare for Beck in a lot of ways, through three picks. Comes back the next week against Auburn, he's fine, you know, has a pretty good game. Then he goes to miss. Then they play Mississippi State, two picks, Texas, three picks, Florida, three picks. And when you watch that tape, and I went back and watched all those plays from last year, you watch that tape and you can see how things start to snowball on him. You see how he gets a little overconfident pre snap reads. He gets a little lackadaisical with his reads and he puts the ball in danger more than I remembered. Even more than I remembered. And I saw some of the same things show up in, in this past game. So against Louisville, the first thing I'll say is this. The first throw he made, he put two. The first pick he threw was the Malachi Tony against Cover 3. Look, if he gets rid of that ball earlier and puts that ball ahead of Tony, it's a good ball, but it's a bad execution on the throw. The second pick is more concerning to me. This one, he's on the right hash. He does. They try, they're trying to sell a double move, you know, a hitch and go. He pump fakes the corner, doesn't bite on it. And he thr.

[Todd McShay]

Thr.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Tries to throw this ball from the right hash down the left, outside the left numbers. It's too Far inside. It's not, not enough air under it. The corner never bid on it. And I was like, I feel like I've seen this play. Well, yeah, it's a carbon copy of the play he tried to make against Texas in the SEC championship game. Now Texas had a pass interference play on the call. It would have been picked without the safety picked it. It would have been picked regardless of that call. But it's the same decision that he's making. He's, he just gets, he starts to lock on to guys and he starts to get just almost too casual with his pre snap reads. He's still, look, he's still playing well in certain ways. He's still, you know, the numbers look good in terms of the accuracy, accuracy. He's still develop, you know, spreading the ball around. But again he every once in a while just makes a decision where you're like what are you doing? And you know, we might as well just skip ahead to the last interception because it's the one that's getting all the, the press from him about him in the, in the post game talking about the receiver needing to make an adjustment and I understand that. Okay. If you look at that play, Louisville brings five, they rush five. But Miami is a six man protection and if you watch that, the way that play develops, they pick up that blitz, no problem. Now you might be making an adjustment but you don't have to hot read. There's no hot, there's no free runner where the quarterback has to get rid of that ball or he's going to get hit. That's just not the case on that play. Also it's, it's a first and 10 play. You have timeouts. You don't want to make that throw. You are in the plus. I think they were in the plus 31 yard line. You're already in a situation where you can attempt a game tying field goal. You don't need to make that throw. What happens is Louisville makes a great call and the linebacker makes a great play.

[Todd McShay]

But Beck never saw it.

[Steve Wiltfong]

And so yeah, maybe the tight end was supposed to run a different route. I'm not sure what route he would have run that would have made that throw. Okay. I just don't. So when you're looking at this, when you're looking at this in terms of he just like 12 interceptions last year but he had 11 of them in four games. So you're seeing these spurts. So I'm concerned he's not going to face the defenses that he faced on that run.

[Todd McShay]

Last year.

[Steve Wiltfong]

But I'm concerned about the decision to making and what we're going to see from the next few games from Carson back.

[Todd McShay]

What's the most important thing, Steve, in a relationship?

[Steve Wiltfong]

Trust.

[Todd McShay]

I'm just glad you didn't say sex.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yes. I'm blushing.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, I know. I mean, look at you, man. We all know what's going on there. Trust. A relationship without trust is a toxic relationship. And as an evaluator, you kind of have a relationship with every prospect, right? There's, there's highs, there's lows, there's defending, they're seeking information and truths, all of that. But, but just like in a, in a dating relationship or in a marriage relationship, like trust is the number one aspect of a relationship. Without it, it's toxic. And I feel like I'm that guy with the, with the. This. I don't want to put a mental image in it. I'm in a relationship with, with Carson Beck as an evaluator and I lost trust in him. And sometimes in a relationship, Steve, the, the best thing you can do is get some space. I think we've all been in that relationship where we're like, you know what, I just need a little space. Let me, let me think clearly. Let me take a minute away. Let me go on a trip. Let me go like regroup, right? And I took that, that, that vacation from Carson Beck this summer. I remember everyone's asking on our comments, you guys, as they're talking about Mater and Arch Manning and, and Mendoza and Nussmeier and Clubnik and all these quarterbacks, where's Carson Beck? He was supposed to be top 10 coming into last year. He had a bad year at Georgia. Now he's in a new place. And I kept saying, I need a break from Carson Beck. And yeah, I always go back to it and it's not really for the laughs, but it's just like I'm talking to scouts and there's all this stuff about Lamborghinis and Lamborghinis that have stolen and the Cavender twins and maybe some infidelity and all those sorts of things. And so, and it's not dissimilar from being in a relationship where you've got friends in your ears, right? And they're saying, well, I don't, I don't know if she's, if she's faithful to you. I saw her out at the club, you know, she, the way she talks to you or you're not, you're not the same person. I mean, how many Times you see that in rom coms or, or in real life. Right. You're not the same person when you're with that, that significant other. And so you take a little break. But then what happens in toxic relationships is typically you wind up going back together. Oh, she's. You know what, she's a really good person. She did some good deeds. She's showing up first to the building. There's reports of her being decisive as a. In the decisions and the teammates. So like, then you start, you're like, oh, maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought. Let's get a fresh start. And then you start dating again and, and eventually the toxicity, the same things resurface. And I kind of feel like that's where we are with Carson Beck. And honest to God, I wouldn't be saying all of this if it wasn't for that interview after the game. It just doesn't feel like it's ever a fully trusting relationship with Beck. And I, I'm pulling for him. He's not a bad guy by any stretch. Teammates do love him. There's. But he's got some stuff now, not just the four interceptions, but the way the things he said afterwards. Yeah, he's got to regain his trust. Teammates, coaches, program and evaluators as well. But that's the last thing that should be on his mind.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yeah. From a draft standpoint, my antennas up on how he handles diversity in a big way. Because you think about it on the.

[Todd McShay]

Field and off, right.

[Steve Wiltfong]

So the Alabama game is on the field. They got down big in that game and he starts pressing and making throws that he shouldn't. And now you're looking off the field. Think about. I know I just, I mentioned in that time period, it's, it's middle of October until, you know, early November of the time that he's throwing all these picks and what's going off the field at that time, everyone's talking about how Carson Beck's draft stock is plummeting. And I'm not saying that, you know, one being true doesn't make necessarily mean that it caused the other. I understand that and there's a lot to uncover as we get farther down this process. But my antenna is up for how does this guy handle adversity on and off the field.

[Todd McShay]

All right, you went back to back on Notre Dame. I'm going to go back to back here on SEC tape. True. So truth number seven, Missouri edge Zion Young is completely unhinged and I'm here for it. I'm here for it. I want my. My pass rushers and defensive linemen to be certifiably crazy. Like and. And nothing screen more certifiably crazy. If you have it. We can't run the rights here. If you haven't seen it, please go watch it.

[Steve Wiltfong]

It's awesome.

[Todd McShay]

The overtime coin flip. The referee, like, he lost complete control of the thing because Zion Young is unhinged. And the best part, what do they call the reverb inside the. The best thing is it's not only going on national television, it's being echoed throughout the stadium. He's f this and like he's going nuts. And you look across the field and it's like, oh, their captains are. They're worried this guy ain't right. And all of it would be a show where I'd be like. Like I'm not here for it if he didn't do what he did. Right?

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

Because it was. It was the fourth quarter sack against the right tackle that helped him get into overtime. Right. Then after he shoots his mouth off and scares everyone at the coin flip, including the opposing captains. But everyone in the stadium's a little like. He goes out sack against the left tackle on the second play of overtime, then the third and 17 that he created with that sack seven yard loss. He almost gets back to back sacks versus that left tackle. He did it against the right tackle in the fourth quarter. Now I'll do it against the left, but forces a throwaway that leads to the missed field goal. Okay. Then in the next overtime, it's a second and 13. He explodes past two blockers and makes this violent tackle for loss, setting up third and long. This guy's. Yes, he plays a little high versus the run. There's some stuff that he can improve upon. But this guy is so violent and explosive and you can see it's not just crazy. Like, look at me attention at the, at the coin flip, he. That's the way he plays. Chasing from behind, sprinting around the field. Meets you with violent intentions every time. He's got this quick swipe and violent hands. Everything's violent. I know I've said it 10 times, but that's why I kept writing it down. The finishing burst. Just like through ball carriers, quarterbacks or running backs. He's the tone setter for Missouri. And it's important when we get to the edge class and the top 32. I'll remind you right now, it's coming out Thursday morning on this show. My first release of the big board this year for the NFL Draft Rough draft has become our flagship show. It's on Thursdays every week of the college football season. I hope you join us on Thursday. I'll get into all the edge rushers. This edge rushing class, by the way, is starting to take off. You got Ruben Bane, might be the best prospect in the entire country. From Miami, you've got Falk Keldrick Falk from Auburn, TJ Parker starting to play a little bit better for Clemson even though the results wouldn't show you Cassius Howell. I told you, he's like a rabid dog.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Like just David Bailey is on an absolute tear.

[Todd McShay]

David Bailey's on a tear. Mateo Uyungala is a player. Even this past week you had our Mason Thomas. It's only 6, 5, 6, 1 and a half, 249, another sack and a half. Now 5 and a half through 6, 6 and a half games because he missed one because of targeting the edge. Derek Moore from, from Michigan, 63 and 3, 8 2, 65. Had two sacks and a force fumble. A pass rush win rate like in the 35 percentile this past week. So this edge class is awesome. Yeah. You might see Zion Young in my, my initial big board top 32 on Thursday. He's playing at that kind of level. And why is it important for college football? Well, all of a sudden you get two teams, Vandy and Missouri, going head to head. There's two combined losses and they're both to Alabama. And we knew Alabama was good at the time, but now it's like, oh, Alabama might be the second best team in the entire country. Right. And Missouri held him to 24 or 27 in that game. And I say held because look at what they've done, what Alabama's doing to everybody else. Okay. And he's leading the charge up front. And then I talk and then you look at, okay, we got Diego Pavia and it's going to take discipline and he's going to have to play smart and he's going to have to.

[Steve Wiltfong]

That's what's interesting about it. That's.

[Todd McShay]

I know we can get to it later in the week and we can talk about it after the fact. It is something we're going to have to watch. But when he, when Pavia starts running around and doing some of those things, I don't know that Zion is going to give him the time to do what he's been able to do.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Can't wait to see that.

[Todd McShay]

That's Missouri defense. 16.7 points per game allowed all season. That's 16th in the nation. And this game on Saturday is going to be a lot of fun, but you got to keep your eye on Zion Young because you never know what you're getting with this cat.

[Steve Wiltfong]

I love it. You say you talk about setting the tone. The tone was we're going to overtime. You guys might be a little tight. I live for this. And I think he left. I think he walked away before shaking hands. You know, a little Baker Mayfield type thing. I think he walked away before shaking hands. And the message was loud and clear, like, I, I live for this. I'm not your buddy. I'm coming now. I'm like, you guys. You guys got a problem with me. I loved it.

[Todd McShay]

I promised I'd stay in the sec. So tape truth number eight. Florida needs to hire Lane Kiffin.

[Steve Wiltfong]

I think Lane Kiffin's daughter might be upset about that. Isn't she at Ole Miss? And convinced him to stay.

[Todd McShay]

And if they can't hire Lane Kiffin, Scott Strickland, the ad, if he has full, complete authority on this, this is his third hire. And there's, you know, depends. But they just extended his contract. Whoever's making the final decision, I'm assuming it's Strickland with, with some voices, some input, focus on a Lane Kiffin type. And I know these are taped. True. So what does this have to do? Well, I've spent a lot of time watching this Florida offense this year. You've got this, this beautiful small window if you're Florida, to accomplish two things. A, you've got to hire someone that. Not with their words, but with their history of developing quarterbacks and offensive play calling and offensive production that convinces them, these guys to stay. DJ Lagway is loaded with talent, and I you. Billy Napier has been on the show. He's a friend of the show. I've talked to you about my, My, you know, working relationship with him. I love the guy. I think he's a. I think he's. He's a. He's a great man. And what he did at the end of last season was amazing. And Tucker, who our sweetheart of a. Of a director and producer, was really upset with the timing of it. And I get it, but I think this is something with negotiations. This has been in the works and I'm sure Billy was clued in on it and I'm sure the age. I'm sure there's a lot going on behind the scenes where it wasn't. They didn't fire him after a loss. They fired him because they got all the administrative stuff done and it was happening this week regardless of the, of the result. Okay, so we know what we feel about Billy. We know about what he did at the end of last year. But I never felt like, and this is whether you want to put it all on Billy or the coaching staff. I never felt like there was a decided schematic advantage offensively for Florida. Okay, I by here's what you have. You have DJ Lagway, you have Dallas Wilson who's a budding star at wide receiver. This guy's going to be special. You've got another year with Vernell Brown the third and you've got another year with Jaden Bought running back. There's not many places in the country that if one guy can come in with his staff and convince those guys just to stay that returns that level of offensive playmaking ability. Okay, and why. So the hire shouldn't just be for the next year or two years. It should be a decade long outlook. But I'm telling you that this talent that they have on the offense, offensive skill is so good that if the right guy comes in and gets the immediate results that should be gotten from, from this kind of talent, it then changes the whole buzz and the whole feel of the program moving forward. This becomes a destination for the top quarter, some of the top quarterbacks. It's not just like Texas or Ohio State or, or Alabama or you know, Florida gets in the conversation. That's why this conversation, this, this hire for Florida and Strickland and whoever else is involved is so critical because they've had to hire other coaches. I told you this is the third time that Strickland's had to hire a football coach. But they've never had this opportunity. It's unique and it's special and they can't blow it now. How do you blow it? Bring in a defensive coach. That's how you blow it. There's some amazing defensive coaches out there. There truly are. John Sumrall is like, it's gonna, you're gonna hear his name a lot of SEC jobs and bigger programs. He's done an awesome job. He's a great candidate for other places, but not here. Lane Kiffin is so uniquely. I've spent a lot of time talking to you mentioned. We've gone back and forth the way he has adjusted what he does from the USC west coast days to early on at Ole Miss with the fast tempo and all that stuff to back to more west coast principles but a more diverse look with Jackson Dart to we're going back to tempo, but it's a guided, intelligent tempo with a mobile quarterback. First, if he can do for Trinidad. If he can do for Trinidad Chambliss, what, like at Ole Miss, what could he do for DJ Lagway? Now, I'm a realist. I understand. Like, this is.

[Steve Wiltfong]

I was wondering if you're gonna get to this part of it.

[Todd McShay]

This sounds easy, right?

[Steve Wiltfong]

Sounds I love to take so far. I am.

[Todd McShay]

I. But. But like, I'm not just throwing it out there because, like, take the biggest name and the hottest. No, no, that stuff. I'm saying it because it. The fit is just too good. And I'm sure, sure it feels like Spurrier.

[Steve Wiltfong]

It feels like Spurrier going to Florida. I'm just being honest.

[Todd McShay]

What has, what has worked at Florida, man. Yeah, Spurrier and Urban Meyer. What are the ties that buy. That bind offensive coaches, right? It was Spurrier with all of his crazy stuff on and off the field. And it was, it was Urban who, like, really got his rise in the coaching community because of some of the zone read and the RPOs triple option stuff. And yeah, he passed it down and became a great leader, but offensive minded, okay. And helped the growth of Tim Tebow and so on and so forth. So it's got to be an offensive coach for all those reasons. And. And Spurrier, I mean, let's face it, Lane Kiffin's a modern day Spurrier. He's a more advanced.

[Steve Wiltfong]

So it's.

[Todd McShay]

He's a more advanced, sophisticated Steve Spurrier.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yeah, the comp, I think is great.

[Todd McShay]

And he's. And he's cooking crazy enough to make it all work down in Gainesville. It's a wonderful fit. But if it's not him, like, I hear Marcus Freeman, I hear some role. I hear it can't be a defensive coach here.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Will Stein from Morgan. Wouldn't that be a name?

[Todd McShay]

Will Stein would definitely be a name. Eli Drinkwitz is a name that everyone's saying, yeah, he's an offensive guy and had some. But like, I feel like Florida would be middling with Drinkwoods if I'm just being honest and I don't get involved in this foray. And I. Well, you've been talking about James Franklin a lot. Like, yeah, these are two where I can't help myself because I have too much information and I know what's going on. So if it's not Lane, it's got to be. It's got to be a guy. And my God, don't, don't allow it to Be James Franklin. My God. Don't. Please don't. So it's got. I hear three names. Well, two names. Three names outside of Kiffin and we'll move on. If you can't be Kiffin and throw everything you got at him. If it can't be Kiffin, I would say Jeff Brahm. It's gonna be something to get him out of Louisville where he loves and this is alma mater and all that stuff. But Jeff Brahm can do this job and we just saw it. If you didn't know it already what rocky you've been living under but you got reminded on Friday night against Miami. Jed Fish would be another name I would strongly consider with his offensive background at Washington. But I also if. If it can't be Kiffin, I would put a lot of time into Alex Golish at South Florida. He's a program builder with an offensive background. All right, I'm done.

[Steve Wiltfong]

You're and a history in that area for recruiting.

[Todd McShay]

All right.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Tape truth number nine. I love first of all that that might be my favorite take all year. I love that. I. I really think the Kiffin is such a good fit and I love the compass barrier. I don't think it's going to happen. I don't think it's going to happen.

[Todd McShay]

But I don't either. But I would. I would.

[Steve Wiltfong]

You're not wrong about why it should and why they should go after what.

[Todd McShay]

I'm definitely not wrong about though, there. I promise. It cannot that Florida's always got good defense because it's a. It is a fertile recruiting ground for defensive linemen, cornerbacks.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Right. They will have a defensive line.

[Todd McShay]

All you got to do is hire a. A good. It doesn't even have to be the top of the top. A good defensive coordinator. They're going to put a really good product on the field defensively. They always do. The offense has been what's been so up and down there. And you've got to bring in a guy what Kiffin would be ideal. But maybe it's a Braum, maybe it's a Fish, maybe it's a. A A Goish. Someone who can actually develop the quarterback and give you a decided schematic advantage in a lot of games.

[Steve Wiltfong]

I hear you. I love it. Great. No, no, I loved it. Tape truth number nine. I am still as high on Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond as I was going into the Arizona State.

[Todd McShay]

Stop it.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yeah. Listen, man. Don't. And, and I get it but we lost Steve.

[Todd McShay]

We gave him one start.

[Steve Wiltfong]

He was also 22 for 37. Okay. 167 yards. I understand all that and I hope that people know me well enough at this point to trust the fact that I'm not just trying to to the COVID my own ass because I was so high on him going into the game.

[Todd McShay]

I really feels like it.

[Steve Wiltfong]

I went in, I watched the tape. You, you're the worst. I wouldn't watch the tape. Here's. Let's start with the bad. Okay.

[Todd McShay]

Okay. He was.

[Steve Wiltfong]

The third quarter was terrible. He did not play well in the third quarter. Guess what? Texas Tech didn't play well in the third quarter either. They had seven total offensive plays in the third quarter. Arizona State just had an eight and a half minute drive. I think they just took over. That was the interception. Quarter. The interception is kind of funny to me because he put the tight end in a tough spot. But the tight end should have caught the ball and it bounced off the tight end. That's the interception. Okay. There were some. I'm just being honest about what I saw. Trust me when I say this. Receivers were not separating well in this game. They didn't have their talented tight end for large portions of this game. He, he was knocked out with an ankle injury. Terence Carter, I believe his name is. Yeah. Terence Carter Jr. Who's a really good player was knocked out for large portions of this game. There are a couple drops. I just want to be clear about that. You go back and watch those two touchdowns. The first half touchdown and then the second half touchdown. Where like, tell me, tell me a lot. Point out. A lot of quarterbacks can make that throw in the college game, those throws. The first one was a 30 yard touchdown pass off the back foot. Perfect timing, perfect placement. Corner, the end zone, the ball, it was 30 yards but the ball traveled 42 yards from where he threw it with pressure closing in on him. Unbelievable throw. The second touchdown was a back shoulder throw, perfectly placed. You're looking at some of the other throws throughout this game too. And zip, the zip on the ball, the accuracy on the ball. Even when things aren't working out well, it is clear, it is clear how talented this kid in is. And then I've said this from the beginning, the difference between him and Baron Morton is the run game is how well he runs. The touchdown run he had which is at a critical point in this game. He is wrapped up in the backfield, fights off and finds a way to get into the end zone. The two point conversion, he decides he just chooses violence. Lowers his shoulder and tries to to run over a defender and gets into the end zone for the two point conversion. They had no business being in this game late. They somehow found a way. This kid battled all day. I will say this. I'm out of the. I'm out Texas Tech. I'm not making decisions about your depth chart anymore. I never should have gotten that game. I won't say that. But what I would like to say is this. When Will Hammond gets the chance to take over an offense and he gets a chance to be the, the guy, I am super excited to see what this kid does next.

[Todd McShay]

Oh, yeah, yeah. I was just going to say it sounds like you're saying like the Matador club needs to keep recruiting because they've got their guy for the next two, three years. I really, I firmly believe Morton might just be the, the steady the ship for this, for this version of, of the Red Raiders this year. Fair me, don't be me.

[Steve Wiltfong]

I would stick with the kid. Okay. Don't bait me though. I would still do it. I would still do it. I, I really believe, and I said this after the game that this might be the case. I really believe that Will Hammond is not the reason they lost that game. I firmly believe that.

[Todd McShay]

Arizona State's trying to keep its hat in the ring here in the Big 12, right?

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yep.

[Todd McShay]

And they, and they did. They made a huge gash there. But with this win, Big 12 is kind of a mess right now. BYU Rising. But it's a great mess though.

[Steve Wiltfong]

You got Byzantine, you got Cincinnati, you got State, Texas Tech. Like there's a lot of teams in the mix, man.

[Todd McShay]

But, but that boy, does that, that game loom big. Is it November? I'm looking up. Yeah. November 8th, BYU travels to LCK. That feels massive.

[Steve Wiltfong]

It's a big one.

[Todd McShay]

So you got Oklahoma State and Kansas State to, to clearly define what's going on there. I believe it will be Baron Morton. But to figure out like, is, is he fully healthy or like are we there or are we going to stick with, with the kid and Will Hammond? So that's gonna be fast.

[Steve Wiltfong]

A damn good college quarterback, by the way. I've never said that I didn't like Baron.

[Todd McShay]

No, no, I know that.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Okay.

[Todd McShay]

And the leadership and like he's, he's, he's El down there. No question.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

All right. Ten tape truth number 10. Last one. I finally feel good about the Oregon Run game. And you say, well, this against Rutgers, Todd, what are we talking about? And they lost the week before. I felt like, because it was supposed to be Makai Hughes coming in right from Tulane. Yeah.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yes.

[Todd McShay]

And it just wasn't okay. But they've had like, it feels like a dozen running backs but like six different guys who are rotating in and out and, and that. But at one point it was like eight guys that were like legitimately getting carries or were part of the whole conversation. And that's cool and that's cute and you love having that depth, but you really got to have three running backs. I'm a believer in that. Okay.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yes.

[Todd McShay]

And until this week, until the last couple weeks, I, I was desperately trying to figure out. We know the past game is going to be good and we know that Dante Moore's sensational and we know he didn't have his best game, but we also know it was the offensive line and the wide receivers much more at fault. After you and I went back and studied the tape and we explained all of it last week on this very show, the 10 tape truths last Monday. So in order to not get yourself into a situation like that again, if your receivers aren't uncovering and you can't protect against a certain defense, you got to be able to balance things up and run the football. And, and I think now we're starting to see a rotation and a confidence in the run game that wasn't there even a week before. And yes, it was a very different defensive front. I get it. But there's confidence that I'm seeing. Noah Whittington, to me is finally the guy.

[Steve Wiltfong]

The vet.

[Todd McShay]

The vet.

[Steve Wiltfong]

You got all these. They got all these young guys. But yeah. Yep.

[Todd McShay]

And it makes sense. We've been in rooms. You've been in the offensive line room. I've been in a quarterback room. You kind of want the top dog to be the. An older guy, whether it's even a sophomore with freshman or junior with freshman. Sophomore. You kind of want the old man in there, the grizzly old man to be the guy because he's the leader regardless. He's pointing everyone in the right direction. So it's great when he could be the guy. Noah Whittington at 5 foot 8, 203 pound senior is the guy. He was 11 for 125 in this game. And yes, one big chunk run. I think it was 68 yards. Was. Was one. But I like the completeness of his game. Okay, let me take you through really quickly. At one point or the very first drive, they split him out wide and throw and throw, a, you know, an out route or whatever it was. Makes a nice catch. He had an awesome catch in the end zone. Diving, you know, kind of plucks it. Diving makes a hard catch. These aren't just like screens and stuff. So it tells me that they've got a guy who actually can be a contributor and. And they'll utilize them like a weapon at times. I'm not saying it's Christian McCaffrey, but I'm saying when they split out five, you've got to respect the running back there in Whittington. Okay.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Right.

[Todd McShay]

I see really good vision and balance as a runner. I don't think he's overpowering at 203lbs but he's tightly packed and he runs with good balance. Great job tempoing and patience with his right. You talked about it earlier patience before exploding. And I see that burst man, I saw it on that long run. He was clocked at 20.8 miles per hour. He's estimated for ran a 4, 46 according to like Huddle or whatever back in 2020 this guy's got burst. That burst in the street was 12:10 first quarter 68 yard touchdown run. You could see it second gear. And so now with him as your leading rusher but it was, it was 11 carries. That seems about right. 11 carries, maybe three, four catches. But now you get this Jordan, Jordan Davison, who's a really good complement to that with size, power, straight line guy, he had three carries for 100 yards against Rutgers. Also led the the team in rushing in that loss. But he's a good compliment. And then there's this Dier Hill who's a super talented freshman. They keep him involved in valuable carries. Right. There will be times where he needs to step up and make some big plays and maybe, maybe the talent level isn't there for Whittington or Davison and maybe they need him to come in and have a couple chunk plays and to spark the. But that's to me is the 1, 2, 3 that Oregon's been missing and what and also like Whittington looks like it has looked at Oregon for running back historically. I love her to the ground a little bit patient vision, feels it but has a little scoot to him. He just looks like what Oregon should have at running back. Zero fumbles, very solid in pass protection except he had a couple, couple tough ones against Indiana. But he's been solid and pass pro. You can utilize in the passing game. Hasn't fumbled the football. He just brings stability to this group that's had. It feels like 10 guys that they've been trying to figure out They've got to keep building this run game. Oregon, like, that's the thing. Because if you can balance out with a healthy run game with what Dante Moore is going to continue to develop into, I legit, like, I am not losing faith in this team as a legitimate college football playoff contender. Like, could make a long run. But they've got to have a running game, and Dante's got to continue to learn from some of the. When he has a hiccup or two, he's got to continue to learn. All of a sudden, this could be a very different feeling, Oregon team in January than what we saw against Indiana.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Yeah, I know. We got a wrap. So I just want to say this really quickly. You think about that Oregon running game historically, and I love that point you make because it was Jordan James last year, Bucky Irving two years ago. Both of those guys are not. I wouldn't put them elite in any physical traits, but are outstanding running backs.

[Todd McShay]

Even back in the day, like Kenyan Barner and the guy, like, you know.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Like, they're all like, the guys I just. Yep. The guys I just mentioned average about 15 carries a game. This is not an offense that has a bell cow. They have. They. They like to get these guys about 15 touches a game in the run game.

[Todd McShay]

Yep. And that's what I think we finally are seeing that Whittington can be that guy, which is, you know, if you're. If you're Dan Lanning and you're Will Stein, kind of exciting to see. All right, here we are. Start of the second half of the season. We know what we got, and let's just keep building with. With this. This personnel.

[Steve Wiltfong]

Love it.

[Todd McShay]

There's a lot to get to, man.

[Steve Wiltfong]

It's always like this on Monday. It's great, though. I always get stressed, and then it's an awesome show. I think it is.

[Todd McShay]

All right, Reminder, Thursday is going to be a blast. I'm gonna. I'm gonna lay out the first top 32. I already got 45 guys I want to put in it, so I got some decisions to make. Mench has got his board just sitting there like a. Like a silent assassin in the woods with this camouflage on, just ready to. Yep. Just a. You know, absolutely ruin me. And we'll have fun with that show. And then Thursday, obviously, with the. The McShay report. So we appreciate all the support and we will be back on Thursday and we'll be back again on Saturday night. Get that chat. Chat going already. They found Hoss last week, so I'm excited thank God. 5 stars Mitch must be 21 plus and present in select states. For Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18/ plus and present in D.C. kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem call 1-800- gambler or visit rg-help.com, call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org chatincenectic or visit MD gambling help.org In Maryland, Hope is here. Visit Gambling Helpline ma.org or call 1-800-327-5050. For 247 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY in New York.

[Steve Wiltfong]

SA.