A Conference Championship Weekend Preview With David Pollack. Plus, Can Notre Dame Win It All?

Summary

Podcast Summary: The McShay Show – “A Conference Championship Weekend Preview With David Pollack. Plus, Can Notre Dame Win It All?”

Podcast Information:

• Title: The McShay Show
• Host/Author: The Ringer
• Episode: A Conference Championship Weekend Preview With David Pollack. Plus, Can Notre Dame Win It All?
• Release Date: December 5, 2024

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1. Introduction to Conference Championship Weekend

Timestamp: [01:18]

Todd McShay welcomes listeners to a special edition of The McShay Show featuring longtime NFL Draft and College Football analyst David Pollack. The episode focuses on the upcoming conference championship games in college football, highlighting key matchups, team strategies, and potential impacts on the College Football Playoff (CFP).

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2. SEC Championship Preview: Texas vs. Georgia

Timestamp: [02:44]

The discussion begins with an in-depth analysis of the SEC Championship game between Texas and Georgia. Steve Levy remarks on the potential playoff expansion, noting, “...all the favorite four back in, if you will” ([02:44]). Todd McShay agrees, suggesting that the 12-team expansion might only be a win away from excluding traditional powerhouses like Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama.

Key Points:

• Texas Defense: Highlighted as possibly the best unit on the field, praised for excellent tackling and aggressive play.
• Georgia’s Defensive Consistency: Despite high expectations, Georgia’s defense has shown inconsistencies, with Levy commenting, “...the pressure...not overly complex” ([12:54]).
• Quarterback Matchup: Todd expresses a preference for Texas quarterback Carson Beck, emphasizing his improvement and efficiency ([10:56]).

Notable Quote: David Pollack emphasizes Georgia’s defensive performance, saying, “I think it's driven Kirby a little bit nuts. But here at the end of the season, you still got a chance for all of your goals to come true” ([14:55]).

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3. Notre Dame’s Championship Aspirations

Timestamp: [03:38]

The conversation shifts to Notre Dame, with Pollack affirming his belief in the Fighting Irish’s potential to contend for the national title. He states, “...I'd just see Notre Dame...,” highlighting their balanced attack and strong defense as key factors in their championship run.

Key Points:

• Offensive Line Excellence: Todd praises Notre Dame’s offensive line for their cohesion and effective blocking schemes.
• Running Game: Emphasis on Notre Dame’s ability to control the game through a robust running attack.
• Defensive Strengths: Notre Dame’s physical and fast defense is highlighted, though concerns remain about their kicking game’s reliability.

Notable Quote: Steve Levy notes, “...they're going to make you defend. They're not going to make a ton of mistakes” ([08:50]).

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4. Big Ten Championship Snapshot: Penn State vs. Oregon

Timestamp: [25:33]

The Big Ten Championship between Penn State and Oregon is dissected, focusing on Penn State’s offensive line struggles and Oregon’s dynamic offense.

Key Points:

• Penn State’s Offensive Line: Criticized for lack of physicality and inability to dominate the trenches.
• Oregon’s Offensive Versatility: praised for their motion, formations, and quarterback Dylan Gabriel’s quick decision-making.
• Defensive Matchups: Emphasis on Penn State’s front seven and Oregon’s offensive line challenges.

Notable Quote: Steve Levy states, “...if Penn State can dominate and Penn State's front guys kick the crap out of people consistently, they can hang with Oregon” ([28:32]).

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5. ACC Championship Showdown: Clemson vs. SMU

Timestamp: [37:08]

The ACC Championship features a classic matchup between seasoned Clemson and the emerging SMU team. Discussions center around Clemson’s offensive struggles and SMU’s defensive prowess.

Key Points:

• Clemson’s Offense: Struggling with consistency and pass protection, but shows improvement in key areas.
• SMU’s Defense: Lauded for their physicality, pressure on the quarterback, and ability to disrupt Clemson’s running game.
• Player Development: Highlighting SMU’s Kevin Jennings and Clemson’s Antonio Williams as pivotal players.

Notable Quote: Steve Levy comments on SMU’s defense, “They stop the run. They can be active up front” ([36:45]).

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6. Big 12 Championship Insights: Iowa State vs. Arizona State

Timestamp: [42:37]

The Big 12 Championship pits Iowa State against Arizona State, with a focus on Arizona State’s opportunistic defense and Iowa State’s offensive challenges.

Key Points:

• Arizona State’s Defense: Known for high interception rates and aggressive playmaking.
• Iowa State’s Offense: Struggles without key wide receiver Jordan Tyson, making their playoff hopes bleak without him.
• Quarterback Performance: Levitt’s looming potential to set records and his impact on the game’s outcome.

Notable Quote: David Pollack remarks, “...they’re so comfortable with the death by a thousand cuts” ([30:22]).

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7. Player Spotlights and Draft Implications

Timestamp: [47:34]

The episode highlights standout players from the conference championships, discussing their performances and potential NFL prospects.

Key Points:

• Marshall Edge and Mike Green (Penn State): Leading tackle-for-loss and sack leaders, respectively, making them attractive NFL prospects.
• Rashard Smith (SMU): Praised for his vision, agility, and potential as a draft steal.
• Clemson’s Elijah Roberts and Harrison Hunt: Recognized for their impactful defensive plays.

Notable Quote: David Pollack shares his favorite draft prospect, saying, “...Marshall Edge, Mike Green, he leads the country in tackles for loss” ([47:34]).

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8. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Timestamp: [53:15]

As the conference championships conclude, Todd McShay and guests reflect on the implications for the CFP and the upcoming NFL Draft. They emphasize the importance of defense, offensive line performance, and quarterback efficiency in determining playoff contenders.

Notable Quote: Todd concludes with enthusiasm for the upcoming games, stating, “...this is going to be a great game. Two teams no one's talking about for the College Football Playoff picture” ([48:10]).

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Key Takeaways:

• Defensive Dominance: Teams with strong, aggressive defenses like Texas and SMU are positioned as playoff favorites.
• Offensive Efficiency: Notre Dame’s balanced attack and Iowa State’s offensive challenges highlight the significance of a well-rounded offense.
• Player Development: Emerging stars and potential NFL talents are crucial in determining a team’s success in the championships.
• Strategic Matchups: The interplay between offensive lines and defensive fronts remains a pivotal factor in game outcomes.

Notable Quotes:

• David Pollack on Notre Dame’s potential: “...I just watch them and I'm like, why not Notre Dame?” ([05:31])
• Steve Levy on Texas’ defense: “They don’t throw a lot of four man rushes, zone coverage, eyes up front. They make you earn everything” ([21:16])
• Todd McShay on Carson Beck: “I trust Beck more now, and I'm surprised I'm saying that compared, you know, going into that game” ([24:55])

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Conclusion

This episode of The McShay Show offers a comprehensive preview of the college football conference championships, providing expert analysis on team strategies, player performances, and potential playoff implications. Listeners gain valuable insights into the intricacies of each matchup, the evolving dynamics of top teams, and the emerging talents poised to make their mark in the NFL Draft.

Transcript

[Todd McShay]

It's the McShay show, presented by FanDuel. It's time for the first 12 team playoff and you can bet on all of the action with FanDuel. Just think about all the opportunities we're going to have to bet on the college Football Playoff. We're talking about different conferences, home games for certain teams, the three or four week run that you're going to have to play. There's so much to earn if you're betting with FanDuel this College Football Playoff season. Why we love FanDuel. There's so many markets like spreads over unders, national championship futures, and so much more. This app is safe, secure and easy to use. When you win, you'll get paid instantly. Visit FanDuel.com McShay to download America's number one sportsbook. The Ringer is committed to responsible gambling. Visit rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and help lines available and listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Must be 21 and older and present in select states. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com get ready for it, folks. Clemson is about to create chaos.

[David Pollock]

Our guy Kevin Jennings might have something to say about that.

[Steve Levy]

Man.

[Todd McShay]

Okay, what's, what's the tape telling us heading into the championship weekend? What are the scouts looking for? Those matchups that they want to see as we get ready for some of these big games? Plus, that's my guy. And a whole lot more today with our good friend David Pollock, who joins us on a special edition of the McShay Show. It's conference championship week in college football week. 14 in the NFL. And how many days until the NFL draft?

[David Pollock]

140.

[Todd McShay]

Man. O meant you good.

[David Pollock]

I'm good, man.

[Todd McShay]

Give me that sweet beat. There he is. As promised. What's going on, Pollock?

[Steve Levy]

Big homie. Good man. Into the season, man. Championship weekend. We got some. A little bit of drama. Like this is, you know, you know what I find fascinating, by the way, as we start and I already take over the show, I find it very fascinating, Todd, Steve, that literally everybody wanted playoff expansion for all these years. And they were like, I'm so sick of Georgia. I'm so sick of Clemson. I'm so sick of Ohio State. I'm so sick of Alabama. And guess what? All of them would be out of the playoffs if we had a 14 playoff. Congratulations. Here we go.

[Todd McShay]

And we might be one win away. Although if Clemson gets in, Alabama might get knocked out. But we can, you know, we can get to that. But we might be one win away from this 12 team expansion getting everybody but all the favorite four back in, if you will. How you been doing, man? You ready for this? I mean we got a lot to cover today, obviously, the championship games. I wanted to get your take on a couple things. We're going to knock out a. That's my guy mensch with Pollock. He's got one for us too. But I want, I wanted to start here. I saw, I call it Twitter X now. I'm, I'm done trying to be one or the other. It's just Twitter X. I saw a Twitter X post of yours about Notre Dame. Basically saying like you're a believer and correct me if I'm wrong, you're a believer. You truly like you're buying into to what Notre Dame selling and that you could legitimately see them making a run at the national championship. Am I wrong in that assessment?

[Steve Levy]

No, you're right. And I know that, that, that kind of. After all the years, Todd, that we've done this, it's kind of hard to get it out because they've let us down so many times in big moments. But man, with, with the teams that are extremely flawed this year, which we've gone down the list of those throughout the year, I think no knows exactly who they are. I think who they are will travel. I think who they are will be consistent. They got three guys that ever average over six yards of carry. I think that's going to be. I think that will serve them well in the playoffs. I think the passing game, listen, it ain't. This ain't an air at 8 attack by any stretch, but they're going to attack the middle of the field. Easy throws, they put you in conflict. They got a running quarterback that can, they can do and their defense is really good. I think their defense is physical. I think they're fast. I think they play their tails off. You know, I worry about the kicking game because I think they're like 6 for 12 in field goals. That ain't good. That part definitely scares me. But, but I just, I just watch them and I'm like, why not Notre Dame? The only team that's been dominant this year is Oregon. Oregon's been the only one that like you can look at consistently has been dominant. And I think people go, well, yeah, they only beat Ohio State by one and the other ranked team they played was Illinois. Yeah, but they won seven games by, by 21 plus and you can watch them. They got a quarterback that's pretty. You're probably evaluating for the NFL. He's, he's 66. He's played in the, in this, in this, in the college football for that long. I mean, my gosh, like, you know, he's making his 62nd start. So like the experience is there, the speed is there. So I like Oregon as the most dominant team. But besides that, man, who you banking on? Like, who you saying that like they're going to run this, get hot and win it? And Notre Dame I think has as good of chances any of those other teams outside of Oregon.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, yeah, go ahead. Bench.

[David Pollock]

I just, you know, I like teams that can run the ball and stop the run this time of year. And you could say, oh, all these games are inside. That's great. It's the end of the year, man, people are worn out. And if you can get guys if you have a running attack like that and you can stop the run, I think it puts you in a great position for a playoff. On.

[Todd McShay]

It's interesting cause I've studied their offense more this week. Cause I'm trying to. I feel like for some reason it's Notre Dame, like they've got their own network deal. I just feel like because they haven't played a lot of like big games means it's not like the prime time Saturday night ABC that I haven't seen them as consistently. So I went and studied some tape. There's some things that I love there. I mean truly like that offensive line, you know, 54, you know, his feet, seal blocks, moving pass protection, the left tackle, the left guard next to him, second level blocks. The way they move together. Their center, number 70, the combo blocks. Like it's a beautiful thing watching their offensive line. Truly like the way they work. And like you said, they know who they are. I love to me, Jeremiah Love. I love love.

[Steve Levy]

You know, used to say that where's the love? Let's go.

[Todd McShay]

And he's different than, than, you know, he's, he's not Jadarium prices. He's not four. But he's all right, you know, like he's, he's a good back. Riley Leonard. Here's the difference with Riley Leonardo. I think to your point, he actually knows exactly who he is now and knows exactly what this team is. And even like there was a play 18, for whatever it's worth, there was a play against USC. He's rolling to the right. He's got a receiver. I think it was the tight end. It was a scrambled scramble. Rules receivers are kind of now Trying to break free at the end. He's rolling to his right, he's got a chance to take a vertical shot. Receivers open. He should have taken the chance, right? But he turns it down just to go pick up a few yards. And it kind of spoke to. While it's frustrating, I'm like just take, take the shot downfield. It speaks to. It's more important that we get this the, the safe secure guaranteed yards here pick up and we'll run the ball next down and keep things moving than it is to take a shot and maybe something bad happens. So.

[Steve Levy]

There's so many things by the way I love about that that people just don't understand at home. Like if you want to know if people watch tape like Todd, it's. It's when they get excited about offensive linemen and they start going 54 and they talk about seal blocks and they talk about quarterbacks taking vertical shots like and here's the thing with Riley Leonard, he ain't great at that.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, he ain't.

[Steve Levy]

But you know what? 88's a big fricking target. 9's a big frickin target. I think they can use that and I think they can stay in every game. I think they can be physical. But, but, but you're right, I don't. There's not a lot of flash and sizzle. Like there's not a ton of explosive plays. But they're going to make you defend. They're not going to make a ton of mistakes. He's not going to make a ton of mistakes. And that quarterback element of the run and he ain't scared like he is going to lower his shoulder. He takes more hard shots than anybody to get extra yards. So I'm with you. I'm with you on the Irish and I just love the tape mentions on play 18, you know, rolling to his right, he threw it behind his back and made a nice catch.

[David Pollock]

I, I love the safety, Xavier Watts, that safety for Notre Dame is really good, man. He's got five picks this year. Big, you know, good size, runs well, plays the ball well. I mean he's, he's a good player, man.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, their secondary against Louisville and USC was, was not as good as maybe the, you know, the pub has been this year. But defensively I like them. I think they're sound, I think they're physical. They're going to be interesting to watch because I don't think we know exactly they know who they are. I don't know ex that we know exactly who they are in terms of being able to match up with some teams that have some more perimeter talent. But it'll be. It'll be fun to see.

[David Pollock]

Would you rather. Would you rather have Will Howard or Riley Leonard as your quarterback right now?

[Todd McShay]

Ooh, good question.

[David Pollock]

I'm just gonna throw, stir the pot a little bit, see what you guys say. I'll tell you right now, I'd rather Leonard. I think he's gotten better. I don't know if I would have said that at the beginning of the year. I think Leonard's got better as a passer.

[Steve Levy]

I'd rather have. I'd rather have Leonard's offensive line. That's for dang sure. Yeah, okay, but Ohio State's weapons are freaky, but the. Both big, strong can run the football to be effective, and both aren't. I don't think either one are elite passers, so. But who's the quarterback? Who's. Who's the quarterback right now in this playoff that you're going. I'm riding that horse. Or who's the one that you think that can get hot because you go down the list and you're like, yeah.

[Todd McShay]

It'S a good question.

[Steve Levy]

I mean, I don't know.

[David Pollock]

Milro scares me. Milroe scares me because.

[Todd McShay]

But Milrose. But. But Milro might also be the one that I don't want to face.

[David Pollock]

Right? Too. If he gets in. Yeah, yeah, he's the one. He's the one that. If I'm a defense quarter, I'm like, oh, it's gonna keep me up all week, man.

[Todd McShay]

Yours makes me nervous right now. Carson. Carson Beck might be. He might be the one I. I like the most. And I. And if you told me that five, six games in the season, I would be like, I'm out.

[Steve Levy]

My favorite Carson Beck stat is the first three games, he goes seven touchdowns, zero interceptions. The next six, he goes 10 touchdowns, 12 interceptions. And then the next three, he goes 11 touchdowns, zero interceptions.

[Todd McShay]

Right.

[Steve Levy]

Like, it's nuts. And here's one thing, too, that to consider about Carson. And I've talked about this before. As a sophomore, I got. I broke the sack record at Georgia, and I naturally thought, like, my junior year, I'm smashing that puppy, right? Like, improvement. Like, we climbed the mountain and Jonathan Sullivan got drafted and went to the NFL as a three technique. I didn't realize how many sacks I got because that dude was pushed in the pocket and I got to clean up a bunch. And I think Carson Becks learned he had these big goals and these big Aspirations and big dreams of being the number one pick. Winning a Heisman, those are his. And winning a Natty. And then you realize, bowers ain't here, McConkey ain't here. That's. That's 150 plus catches in the NFL and 10 plus touchdowns. And now you're like, oh, crap. And now it's like, okay, the only one I got left, really. Let's just go win. Let's just go win a Natty and let's get refocused. And. And I think you can tell he's playing with less pressure, less weight and. But he's also realized, like, man, it's not as easy as I thought it was going to be. It's not just plug and play. I had some superstars and that's. That's a tough lesson to learn as a player.

[Todd McShay]

Man, I saw, I saw rankings the other day, I think it was yesterday, actually, of leading receivers in the NFL, and I believe it was. It was Bowers and Ladd, 1 and 2 in the NFL as rookie, and 1 is playing for the Raiders for good. You know what I mean? Like, all right, perfect. Perfect way to transition. It's not the most important game in terms of the, you know, what. What could happen with the College Football Playoff and the committee and the 12 that are in, but it's the best game by far. Texas, Georgia, SEC championship. I'm gonna. I've been thinking about this, and I don't know why, it's not really my, my lane, but you would know better than anyone. I wanted to ask you this question. All the winning he's done, the national championships, the conference championships. Is this Kirby Smart's best coaching job this year?

[Steve Levy]

Probably. I think it's the most frustrating.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah.

[Steve Levy]

And, you know, talking to him to start the season, I remember they were undefeated and they were number one. And he was talking about, like, this is a different world. Like, with all these kids, man, it's just. It's not the same as it used to be. And you've got to. You've got to play different roles now, and there's got to be different talks with business, and this is a business now, and there's so much that goes in, into it. I think that makes it difficult. I think the other coaching jobs were obviously a lot easier because the talent across the board. But, you know, I think Kirby's done good. I think, you know, I'm. I'm left leaving. I'm left a little bit to be desired defensively because they got three top 15 picks. Right. Like at least three top 20 picks. 25 picks. That's pretty dang good. And you figure, I'm Kirby, I'll dominate. And that has not been the case. The Texas game aside, this defense hasn't looked dominant at times, and most of the time, I would argue they haven't looked like, I think, the skill sets that they have. I'm going to be interested to see how they evolve and continue to change because, like, I watched that Georgia Tech game and obviously Buster Faulkner knows the ins and outs of Georgia being there for three years and the checks and all that stuff. So you knew it was going to be a challenge. But Buster called that game from a position of, you don't scare me. Yeah, and you don't scare me with three top 15, top 25, three first round defensive players. That's a strange thing to say. And so it's been kind of a little bit of an enigma and too much up and down of a ride. And that's what we haven't seen from. From Georgia. We've seen consistency, and you can count on this. And so I think. I think it's driven Kirby a little bit nuts. But here at the end of the season, you still got a chance for all of your goals to come true. But I just think it's been way too much of this, this season. And Kirby, I know it's driving him crazy.

[Todd McShay]

Maybe, maybe I only say that because I feel like he's had to micromanage and really, like, grind to get the results more than he's had to grind to get the results in previous years. Go back to the first matchup, right? Texas versus Georgia. I thought the biggest difference in the game, Georgia's. I don't want to call it pressure packages as much as it was the pressure that they were able to apply. And I remember watching that game and thinking, boy, they dialed it up tonight. You know, they got after you. And then I studied it on tape. They didn't. Right. And then, like, I saw a stat, it was like 32% blitz versus like 50% in every other game. But you could just see on tape it was more about what was happening behind the pressure than it was like how many guys were coming. It wasn't five plus. It was a lot of four man rushes in that game. But they were showing different things. And yours, I mean, yours is a dog who's been in a lot of street fights, man. And for him to be that confused and where Sark had to be like, all right, come over, come over here, Buds Pull up a seat. We got, you know, you had totally seeing ghosts. What do you expect with that kind of as the backdrop? What do you expect to change? Does Texas, obviously, Kelvin Banks, the left tackle questionable, but Trevor Goodsby did a great job. After first couple, you know, struggling snaps. What do you expect on that side of the ball?

[Steve Levy]

Well, they didn't pressure as much, but the thing they did do, and y'all. And y'all know this, but it's hard to. It's really hard to disguise with Sark because there's so much pre shifts or pre snap shifts in motion. So you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar and it's like, bang, I'm screwed. I thought they did an unbelievable job of knowing exactly what they wanted to show. Holding their water on a corner blitz, right? Like being very good and disciplined and then hitting yours in the back and causing a fumble. So I think the defense, you know, that that was their best game by far. I also say this when I watch Texas. When I watch Texas. Bond isn't healthy. I don't know. I don't think he's healthy. He doesn't look like that kid that could roll like, you saw that kid. You've seen Bond for a couple of years and you're like, I'm scared. Like right now I hate you. Because you can really, really run. I don't. Dude, the weapons for Texas, they aren't as imposing. They don't. They don't scare me the deep route as much as they used to. So that helps with Texas. What I see with Texas is they're a run team now, and in order for ears to be as best as he possibly can be, they've got to run the football and play action because they're not going to take shots consistently and just air it out and beat the crap out of you like they could, you know, last year in spurts. So I think George is going to have to do some of the same. I think George is going to have to be aggressive, too. And you know what I liked about the Tech game? Wasn't much. You know, you get an OT and you see more pressure. You'd see the three, you saw the eight man drop, but you saw more pressure and more bringing the heat. Like, I think you got to be willing to take some chances and be okay with that. So I think the pressure will be a little bit higher for Georgia, but I would love to see if I'm a Georgia fan, I'd love to see the return of 11 dominating. I'd love to see the return of 13 dominating. Like, those guys should dominate football games. They should not blend in. They should not. Just you look at the stats sheet and you're like, okay. Like, those guys should win their individual matchups almost every single time, and they should be got. Here's the thing. You don't need 11 playmakers. You know what you need on defense? You need eight really good players that do their job. And you need three ballers that, you know what? It's okay to screw up and not be in the perfect spot and go make that freaking play. And that's what I want to see more of. Instead of being so conservative and gap sound and I'm going to 2 Gap and I'm going to be here. I know exactly where you're at. Like, let's make some plays. Like, let's get in the backfield and do a swim move real quick. Heck of an idea to get back there, get some penetration, make something happen instead of being so conservative, so robotic that you see Georgia's defense, they. They get that way sometimes.

[David Pollock]

I'll tell you this, after watching that tape, I was super frustrated with the way yours moved in the pocket that night. I mean, there was space to step into at times, and he didn't do it. And he's got to hold on to ball. They got. Yeah, he did. They got a hold. He's got to hold on to the ball. If Arch gets in the game, they got to hold on to the ball. But listen, the reality is the offensive line has to play better. I mean, they just were getting beat. And you could scheme up all you want, and if it's pressures and you could talk about how we need to pick this up and that, but if you. If Banks plays and he. I mean, Williams just had a great day against Banks that day. I mean, if you're. If you're. Williams, you're like, what's my best tape? I'm saying Texas in that first game, we'll see what happens. The second one, he was all over him, man. And Cameron Williams on the other side of the other tackle, he was having a tough time, too, man. Those tackles were getting beat, which is surprising to me. And I think they've played a lot better since then. And the reality is they're going to have to play a lot better than they did in that game, because you can talk about the backs were bad and pass protection, you could talk about yours not seeing things, not stepping into space. But at the end of the day, you got to play better, man. That's it. You got to step up. If you guys are the studs that I think that they can be and are at times, they've just got to play better.

[Steve Levy]

I love you guys. Y'all are such nerds. And you watch so much. It makes it fun to have these conversations because, like, it's, it's just like on the other side, like Texas and their defense. Keep in mind what their offense did in that game.

[David Pollock]

Yes.

[Steve Levy]

And they kept them in the football game.

[Todd McShay]

Yes.

[Steve Levy]

Like, and you watch Texas defense and they're. They're obviously number one in the nation, giving up 144 yards a game or something stupid like that through the air. What I like about their past defense is everybody plays with great eyes. They don't do a lot. They don't bring a ton of pressure. They don't have to like, but they're going to read eyes. You see four in the back end reading eyes and coming off routes and making plays. And I think Texas just like the A and M game, I think people look at like, dang, that was a low score. Texas destroyed that football game. They had a couple turnovers inside the 15 yard line, one went back to the house and otherwise that game is, is way worse. I think Texas is in a spot, man, where they might have the best defense, period. They don't have to be.

[David Pollock]

They hunt the ball.

[Steve Levy]

Yes, they hunt. They're good at every level. They're athletic. They can, they can rush the passer individually.

[Todd McShay]

Excellent tackling.

[Steve Levy]

Oh, they tackle in space so well. Like they're just, you know, I think we pay so much attention to Texas offense and Sarkin we have for years. But I think this is a defensive driven team. The reason they can win it is because their defense is elite, really elite and good at what they do. Not overly complex. I don't watch it in my brain start to go, oh, crap. I don't know what they're doing. I know what they're doing. They're just better than you at it. And they do it as a team, which, which is really good. So I think the Texas defense, this might be the best unit on the field.

[David Pollock]

Yeah, Beck had three picks in that game. I think people don't realize CARSON Beck threw three picks in that game and they had six scoring drives. Four of them started inside of Texas's 35 on the plus 35. And you look at a beat down. Wow. I mean it's, that's, that's why that defense gave up 30 points that night because they were constantly putting in tough Situations.

[Todd McShay]

Well, I think that's why I think Texas is favored, right, two and a half point favored in this. I know you didn't see that. I know you're big on the fanduel and making a lot of plays, Pollock. But the thing for Texas. And we can, we can move on the thing, the thing with Texas is, like you said, it's not overly complex and it's not. They don't throw a lot of four man rushes, zone coverage, eyes up front. They make you earn everything. And so Carson Beck, I think in this game is gonna have to be patient, be really smart, be efficient with the football. And I think since, since they played. I mean, I know since they've played, he's shown a lot more. You we talked about this early in the season. I think it was the very first show we did here. You said, I don't know, that he trusts his tight ends. Right. And I've seen that relationship and that, you know, that trust level increase significantly even, you know, in the last like two, three games. You know, those guys are getting more involved in the middle of the field. That's going to be critical. I think just being efficient, being smart, taking what Texas gives you. And they're. But they're going to have to drive the football field. Yep.

[David Pollock]

Yeah. Georgia drops concern. Me too, by the way.

[Steve Levy]

They should.

[David Pollock]

Drops have been an issue all year and if this gets into a tight game, man, I mean every, it seems like every game you throw on, there's a drop at a key point in the game and it's, you know, as.

[Steve Levy]

Much as you could tell. You can tell they're playing all kinds of people. And yeah, overtime. You watch against Tech, you've got different receivers every time. But. But it's trust. Yeah, I don't think they have that now. Colby Young will be back for the playoffs, which I think y'all, y'all have seen him enough. Like that will be a game changing. That dude is every bit of six four, big huge target, jump ball machine that could make things easier on him. But you're right, like Tennessee game, you're like receivers made plays, check, bam. They play great. Like you turn on the Texas game. Drops, drops, drops. They don't play great. The offense sputters. So it ain't just Carson Beck because the running game for Georgia has been non existent this season as well. And they better find some sort of that. And I do think they've incorporated Carson Beck's legs a little bit more. And they have to because if you're going to get in the shotgun and you're going to do this and stick it in the belly of the running back and you ain't going to pull it. The backside is going to chase so fast. It's ridiculous. And nobody's going to be out there. It just makes the. It makes the running game very easy to play. And so be curious to see if Georgia can get that going as well.

[Todd McShay]

Sark versus Smart. Round two. I like that, to me, is the.

[Steve Levy]

First one to 20.

[Todd McShay]

Shark versus Smart. Beck versus Ewers. I trust Beckmore now, and I'm surprised I'm saying that compared, you know, going going into that game. But it played out Texas versus Georgia, though. I think I just trust Texas more. We'll see how it plays out. All right. Big Ten, Penn State, Oregon. First thing that jumps out to me, Penn State's offensive line been average, perfect. Lost three starters to the NFL last year. Oregon's defensive front has been outstanding. Derek Harmon, 47.

[Steve Levy]

I want to ask you a question.

[Todd McShay]

Yes.

[Steve Levy]

Hold on. They lost three guys to the NFL. Did you think their offensive line was really good last year?

[Todd McShay]

No, no.

[Steve Levy]

Like, sorry I had to stop you there because.

[Todd McShay]

No, no, you're right.

[Steve Levy]

It. I'm having this conversation with you every year. Like, why, why, why can't Penn State be physical and great on that side of the football? Like, we talk about Allen and Sigil. We've been talking about them for forever, and they're really good. And you watch them. They've got moments that are really good, but there's never any space.

[Todd McShay]

And they don't line up and scare you.

[Steve Levy]

Like, you know, and I think that's the. It's more like the hide the hat game, right? Like, it's more like, where's Ty Warren? There's a guy that scares me. Receivers for Penn State don't scare me. Like, I just. I had to stop you just because, like, that. That's my frustration with Penn State every time it gets in a big game. Can I run the dag on football? Like, can I make this easy? Like, I can talk to you about Aller. And he's gotten better. His poise is so much better this year. He's willing to scramble. He's a big, strong sucker that will break tackles, make plays. They don't win on the outside. 44 is. Where is Waldo? He's played quarterback, running back, receiver, tight end. The dude. The dude's center and the dude's punted. So, yeah, yeah, he's an absolute freak show. 44 is the game for them. And stopping them is everything to do with this offense. I just, I get so frustrated with Penn State and Colton Eck, he's done a better job this year of manufacturing it and, and shifts and motions and trick plays and stuff. But like in a big game, Penn State, like, show me that you will line up and you will out physical, out muscle, out tough. Someone that I would love to see that from Penn State.

[Todd McShay]

This game's fascinating to me though, because I think, I think they're going to get beat up front offensively. I think it's going to be a low scoring game. Dylan Gabriel has been sensational this year with the exception of Wisconsin, but he made a couple plays when they needed it and he was, he was. Josh Connerly, the offensive tackle, is my, that's my guy in this year's draft. I think he's a stud. But the rest of the offensive line versus this Penn State defense, Abdul Carter, the blitzing, the pressures, and I think Penn State has a chance to be. They're not Wisconsin, but Wisconsin gave him the toughest. And part of it was on the road, night game, cold weather, all that stuff. But, but Wisconsin kind of made them look human. Oregon, the offense look human. I think Penn State can do some of those things, but just with a lot more talent. Where do you. On the other side of the ball, Gabriel, versus this defense? What jumps out to you?

[Steve Levy]

What jumps out to me is the biggest advantage, the biggest strength of Penn State is that front seven, the twitch, the athletic ability.

[Todd McShay]

That's where they're the biggest.

[Steve Levy]

Correct. The biggest concern for Oregon's offense is not receiver. It's not tight end, it's not quarterback, it's not running back. To me, it's the interior of the offensive line. It's the offensive line, those three dudes. So can Penn State's biggest strength dominate this football game? Can they get in the backfield? Gabriel. Gabriel gets the ball out so quick, man. Like, he just, he's got a quick trigger. He sees it. He gets it out quick, but then he'll get it out quick and take deep shots. So they make you defend the whole field, which is extremely difficult. But I think that matchup, if Penn State can dominate and Penn State's found guys in the trenches on the defensive side that kick the crap out of people consistently. And can they dominate that matchup? And if they can, they can hang with Oregon, but I think Oregon can win that matchup too with their dudes in the trenches on the other side. So you know Gabriel, I trust his 60 second start like, what are we doing? I mean, he's been in this, he's seen it, he's done.

[Todd McShay]

He's got more than Bo Nix now, right?

[Steve Levy]

Yeah. Bo Nicks was 61, so I guess it's just old, old Oregon quarterback. So who's. I guess Alan Bowman next year's transferring to Oregon to start at quarterback. I think he just got an eighth year, but he's the betting odds to be the next guy at Oregon. So. Yeah, I think that's, that's Penn State's only chance. I don't think it's get explosive. Go tick for tack. Mitch, I don't think that's going to happen.

[David Pollock]

No, I'll tell you this, look, they, I think we all agree that, that, that Penn State front's got the edge physically on the Oregon, Oregon offensive line. But I'll tell you this, man, they better be sound. That Oregon offense is so much fun to watch because they, they'll use motion, they'll use formations. They are constantly. Gabriel does a great job of reading alignment and counting numbers. Man, I am surprised at how many times on tape I just see him. Look out. They'll go one by three and you only got two defenders out there. Great. I'm going to swing it out to my wide receiver. Tez Johnson is explosive after the catch. I'll take that all day. They will take their deep shots, but they are very comfortable with the death by a thousand cuts. If you want to take that away.

[Steve Levy]

Penn State wins. If Penn State's wins. Minch and Todd, if they win, are they the number one overall seed? I'll hang up and listen.

[Todd McShay]

I, I, I, I, I'm an S. I've become this season somehow. I'm like the SEC apologist. I'm, you know, everyone hates me. It's, it's SEC over every other conference.

[Steve Levy]

That's another one.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, no, I understand that, but, but I, I would put the, I would put the winner of the SEC championship in that espec. I mean, especially Texas because then they, they avenge that loss. But Penn State's not the best team in the country. Like, what are we talking about? It's just. No, that, that's the frustration for me. What about. What do you think? You asked.

[Steve Levy]

I, I just, I love when you talk with your chest. I just, it excites me when you get excited like that and you say it with your chest and you're like, listen, I know y'all are giving me backlash, but, but screw y'all. Like, Penn State's not the Number one team in the country. I like when you say that.

[David Pollock]

There's some angry people by the.

[Steve Levy]

Oregon has been. Oregon's resume obviously is not. There's not the greatest. They've been the most dominant. They're the most complete. They're the one I trust the most. If they lost to Penn State in the championship game, obviously, you know, you're not going to be a number one seed. I would be okay. I would be okay with Texas avenging their only loss. But I would also say that, you know, Texas A and M is a good win. Besides that, you know, Vanderbilt was the best win too. So when we're doing this, you know, comparison game of, you know, Penn State's best win is Illinois, you know, like when we're doing that kind of stuff, I think we could also say the same thing with Texas, you know. You know what's cool, guys? This was crazy when I was going over the stuff last night. How about every championship game has a newcomer to the conference? Yeah, yeah, that's nuts to me. Like in Oregon, you talk about Oregon having a chance to like come in and just go lay them things on the table. You know what Oregon gets to do? They get to walk into the Big Ten and they get to go, yeah, we beat the crap out of, we beat the crap out of Michigan. They get it. They get a chance to literally beat the crap out of Michigan, beat Ohio State and beat Penn State. The three kings in the Big Ten, the guys that have been running what's next in and just go, hey, just, just so you, I'm here. Okay. Like, we just, y'all all know, like, it starts here and then we'll work to y'all. Like, I didn't know if y'all knew how this was going to go when we came in. And we're, we're a flashy little team with uniforms. But like, I just want y'all to know that we run this thing.

[Todd McShay]

And Texas, Texas can't compete in the sec. The weekend week out grind they're used to. Yep, there we go. The McShay show is brought to you by FanDuel. Keep your college football season going with a win on FanDuel because right now, new customers can kick off the season with 150 bucks in bonus bets. Just place any $5 bet and you'll get 150 bucks in bonus bets if you win. Use your bets on spreads, live bets, overs, unders, and so much more. Just visit FanDuel.com McShay to download America's number one sports book must be 21 or older and present in select states or 18 and older and present in D.C. first online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as non withdrawable bonus bets which expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See [e-mail] Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler or visit rg-help.com Perfect time to transition SMU. Clemson. We thought all along it was going to be Miami SMU in this game. Clemson now smu. I'll say this, I love Kevin Jennings and the development from early. He wasn't even supposed to be the guy and I see it, it's obvious a dynamic athleticism and what he can do, but like to see him develop like throwing the ball down the field more, more just a more complete player. The confidence is growing. I just. And then you think about this matchup against Clemson. You know Lenore Sellers had they killed. I mean really the reason Clemson lost that game is Lenore Sellers and his mobility. And I know there's different types of athletes, but you. That's got to be a big concern for Clemson coming into this game against Jet.

[Steve Levy]

Yeah, one's. One's a Ferrari and one's a Escalade. A totally, totally different. Jennings is way slightly built and quicker and more dynamic. SMU averages 40 points a game. Clemson is not setting the world on fire by any stretch. Offensively, they've really been struggling, especially on the offensive line. It's been a rotating carousel up front and they just haven't found a lot of consistency. Even though Cabe Klubnik has completely changed my mind, like I was wrong. You know, you got to step up and you got to admit when you're wrong. Like that dude, to me I was like, dude, he leaves clean pockets, consistently doesn't throw the ball down the field. I'm like, I. Where what are we doing here? Why are we bragging on this kid? And now like literally 29 touchdowns. He's got a chance to join the greats of Clemson and throw in for 30 touchdown with Taj Boyd and DeSean Watson and Trevor Lawrence. Like that's, that's kind of crazy to think that he's done this well and he's running it. He's doing with his legs in the big time spots too. But, but smu, they're. They're really good. It's kind of nameless, faceless. Like people, people don't pay attention to them because they are new. Not what, not a lot was thought of them. But when you turn on their defensive tape is what I want you to realize is they're physical. They don't give up the run. They got some Indiana vibes to me, by the way. Cause I think Indiana's front is really good. Like, I watched them and I'm like, they're super good. And you, and you watch these guys and you're like, man, you know, good hands, they play hard, they pressure the quarterback. You know, SMU's got dude after dude after dude that you're like, oh, he's. He's getting to the quarterback. He's getting to the quarterback. So they stop the run. They can be active up front. So can Clemson mitigate some of that? Because. Because they definitely have Elijah Roberts and Harrison, Hunt and Smith and Harvey.

[Todd McShay]

They have five guys with 30 plus pressures and four.

[Steve Levy]

Yeah, it's different guys that can, they can beat you and win matchups. And so I think that's a, a pivotal thing for, for, for Clemson up front is if they can handle, you know, all of that pressure, which I know nobody thinks about. And listen, there's a lot of transfers and Miami's got a chance. A lot of Miami kids are playing for the AC championship. They just play on SMU's roster.

[David Pollock]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Todd McShay]

Burshard Smith, the running back being one of them. We'll get to him later. That's going to be. I do like that. Clemson's. It feels like, it feels like they found their, their guy at wide receiver was Antonio Williams, right? Yeah, Antonio, he's been the dude. 35 catches, 400 yards. I looked this up and four touchdowns the last five games. They didn't have that guy early in the year that like, all right, he's the guy. But then you got Wesco, the freshman with the explosiveness. It'll be interesting to see because if they can't protect, it's not going to matter. But if they can find a way to protect, be creative, get the ball in Wesco's hands and Williams hands, they get. They've got a chance in this one.

[Steve Levy]

And that's one thing I'll give Clemson a shoot ton of credit for. They couldn't protect against South Carolina. They knew that. Ball out. Quick game. Ball out. Running game was based on quarterback run, which is good. You know, get that extra guy ball out deep too. They took deep shots, which I think was really, really good. Connected with a bunch of different guys. They've got to be able to do that. So the same game plan they just used versus South Carolina will be The. A very similar game plan. And Antonio Williams, first Clemson wide receiver with 10 touchdowns since who?

[Todd McShay]

That's Higgins.

[Steve Levy]

Bang, bang. That. Yes. First guy they've had. We've talked about.

[Todd McShay]

Think about the run of receivers they had. Like, you know.

[David Pollock]

Right.

[Todd McShay]

Kind of like, silly. Yeah.

[Steve Levy]

Oh. I mean, it was. It was a silly run of guys. So having that guy, I think does make a difference, but I also find it extremely hilarious.

[Todd McShay]

Stats trivia, like, you're just.

[Steve Levy]

I got. I got more.

[Todd McShay]

This is a whole new side of you.

[Steve Levy]

It's a whole new world. But hey, how interesting is this, too? I got another one for you. Like, Clemson's playing in their 10th ACC championship game, and SMU ain't even played 10 ACC games yet. You talk about, like. You talk about, like, pedigree being there. Been there, done that, and then now you got the other side of smu. Like, hey, we're here. We just showed up wet behind the ears. But. But you know what? Let's. Let's give this a go. We'll do this. Let's play for the ACC championship game.

[Todd McShay]

I still think Clemson's going to knock him off.

[Steve Levy]

I do, too. Just because this year in college football deserves it.

[David Pollock]

Right? It's fitting.

[Steve Levy]

28, 27 Clemson. Like, somehow there's no way this is.

[Todd McShay]

Going to end clean. Alabama's, in essence, like, it's got to be chaos, right?

[Steve Levy]

It has to be.

[David Pollock]

I get it. But I. Man, it's hard to go against Jennings.

[Todd McShay]

It's hard. This guy. This guy to your left on the screen has been bang.

[Steve Levy]

He's.

[Todd McShay]

He's been anti Clemson, anti anti Miami. And you know what? He's been right. Remember when we first talked a couple months ago when we just started the show? He called it a soft nine for Clemson. And he's been right. It was. It was a soft nine.

[Steve Levy]

You're taking SMU big then. Are you saying no?

[David Pollock]

No, no, no. I wouldn't be surprised. I think it's close. Listen, SMU's offensive front. We didn't talk about that. That offensive line is going to have some problems. And I know that Clemson has not been good against the run, man. They have not been good against the run. And Jennings is the ultimate equalizer. I mean, the way he creates his arm angles, he is so fun to watch. And I'm like, do not throw that ball. Please do not throw that ball.

[Steve Levy]

I'll say this, though. Big play, Minch. I'll say this, though, my dude needs a few biscuits. A few biscuits, a few burgers. Because if TJ Or Sammy Brown or Carter or one of those guys land on top of him, hey, it's gonna be just like I tell my high school kids. I tell them we're in the Final Four this week. I told them last week. I tell them every week. You put all your body weight. When you land on somebody, we don't tackle. We tackle them so they feel it for four quarters and their body hurts. Like that's a part of football. And yeah, if I'm Clemson, I'm striping that dude and you ding his shoulder up, you make him a little bit less effective and a little apprehensive to run. And the other thing about that, I don't mind.

[Todd McShay]

I don't mind the big hit. It's when. It's when your big ass is sitting on top of me, right? Get off of me.

[Steve Levy]

All of it. All that meat on you, brother.

[David Pollock]

The other thing about that, with his frame, you don't want to give him 20 runs in a game. I mean, I don't think he's going to hold up, and I don't care. Listen, if SMU wins that game. Close. Everyone seems to think they're going to. I mean, loses that game. Close. Everyone seems to think they're in. Well, if he. If they lose Jennings to an injury, it doesn't matter what the score in that game is. If they lose, they're not going in. They've already made that clear last year with the Florida State situation. SMU without Kevin the Show.

[Todd McShay]

That's going to jinx him.

[David Pollock]

Oh, please. No. He's so good.

[Steve Levy]

I want to watch.

[Todd McShay]

Last game. Last game. And we'll. We'll knock this out. Big 12. I'm just curious. To me. Iowa State, Arizona State. Rocco Becked. We both worked with Anthony, you know, Love Anthony. Hard not to love him. He's got his hands in everything. I saw him in a Jets game recently. He's doing play by play, but also, you know, he's. He's always. But he. But Rocco Beck, you can tell he grew up at like a football house. You know, like the toughness, the competitiveness. Kind of scary sometimes. It doesn't throw a lot of picks, but there's a lot of times where you're like, you know, and then. And then this Arizona State defense. I saw 11 interceptions since week seven. I mean, they. They are opportunistic, obviously. Cam Scattaboo on the offensive side for Arizona.

[Steve Levy]

Toby Earhart.

[Todd McShay]

Okay, you got to go white on white. Yeah, I can. I can get behind odds 970 yards after contact too. I mean he's, he will wear you down. And the Iowa State. Yeah, exactly. And then Iowa State run defense has struggled too, but they're without Jordan Tyson, the wide receiver. I saw this number. It's. I think it's the highest percentage of, of offense with two players in the country, Scoo and Jordan Tyson, the wide receiver who's out for this game indefinitely. 62% of the offense was those two guys.

[Steve Levy]

So Tyson's 32%. So he is. And he is Waldo. They put him in the backfield, they throw screens to him, they fake the screens, they. Everything, everything about him is built on the past. Everything about the passing game is built on zero. Like he is the guy. And so that's an enormous loss and I don't know if they can overcome it. I've been, I've been on the Sun Devils all year. I just, I think there was something about Scattaboo that just got me excited. Just the way he runs the football and catches it and makes plays. And then I think you've also seen from the QB spot too, like Levitz. Levitz, you know, he was banged up, missed a game, they lost and. But when he's been in there and I think November, he's been great. Like 13 touchdowns, one interception. He can run, he's athletic and just this offense has really. It looks like a Kenny Dillingham offense. Like he manufactures it. Such, such a good offensive coach. But I just, I think this injury is a big deal and I want to lean the other way because of that. But I also think Arizona State's got some kind of mojo going this year and it's really good and I love the way they finished. But other side, everybody, all these draft experts, Todd McShane Co. All these guys before the season and all these explosive offenses we talk about and all these, all these offenses that are going to be number one in the country. You know, there's one team in the country with 2,000 yard receivers stats. I love it. 1. And everybody had, everybody had Iowa State on that number on their bingo card. Iowa State. Iowa State has two 1,000 yard receivers. Like, that's incredible. Higgins and Noel has been really good. Beck can run. He's got some. Listen, his numbers, Todd, to your credit, his numbers aren't great. Like you look at his numbers. But there's something about that dude, man, that I'm just. I like what he's made of and I know he makes mistakes, but it doesn't bother him. And he'll run through you if he needs to run through you, and if Iowa game, if you got 30 seconds, he'll get you down the field for a field goal. And Texas Tech, you got to get down the field and score. He'll take care of business. And so I think this is going to be a great game. Two teams no one's talking about for the College Football Playoff picture. Like, no one even knows they exist. It's like, oh, wait a minute, let's talk about these teams. Oh, they're not even the top 12. Don't worry about them like that. They're not even here. They're just, they're just, they're kind of here on this little. They're playing a little side game over here.

[David Pollock]

The good news for the Sun Devils, though is that Iowa State is terrible against the run. Defensively they can, I mean, they have a terrible run. Devious. This is going to be the scatter show. But if you're looking forward and Arizona State is able to win that game, I mean, a playoff run is going to be tough without Tyson. I mean, they're just not the same team.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah.

[Steve Levy]

No. Hey, I got. Got one more trivia question for you. Levitt is si 56 yards short of the quarterback record, the all time quarterback record at Arizona State for most yards in a season. Who could he pass?

[Todd McShay]

Oh, the left snake. Snake Plumber.

[David Pollock]

No.

[Todd McShay]

All right, what about the, what about the real tall guy?

[David Pollock]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Steve Levy]

Would you like to go for more? How about the guy that went to lsu?

[Todd McShay]

Oh, Jaden.

[David Pollock]

Jaden, yeah, yeah. Oh, of course.

[Steve Levy]

You guys are killing the trivia.

[Todd McShay]

Good job. I guess, I guess. Yeah, yeah. Two. Two out of three. All right. David Pollock, college football show. You gotta. You've got to download it, subscribe. You can get it wherever you get the podcast, YouTube, killing it on the Twitter X. Every time I go the last two nights, I'm trying to, you know, go through, see what's going on in the world. You get live shows. I appreciate it. And we appreciate your time today before we let you go, bud. We do this thing every week, right? We're always getting ready for the draft, studying guys on tape. We don't like to focus as much on the quarterbacks and the first rounders always, you know, maybe some guys that we study on tape and we call it, that's my guy. Any scout like you plant your flag on certain players, you spend four or five hours studying their tape. And certain guys stand out to you. Mensch. Who's. That's my guy for you. This week.

[David Pollock]

Listen, I got Marshall edge, Mike Green, he leads the country in tackles for loss. He's tied for second in sacks. I watched the Ohio State tape. I want to see. How did he. How does he do against the big boys? He had a sack in that game. He looks good. And listen, I don't want to bury the lead. It's the explosiveness. It's the closing burst. That's what makes him special. But I'll tell you this, man, he's a former high school wrestler, and he's got some violent hands. He can get off blocks. For a guy who's a little leaner, he's about £248. Want to see him fill out that frame a little bit? But if he can get a. But he's got A. He's 6 4, so there's reason to believe he can get a little bit bigger. He just jumps out when I watch him on tape.

[Todd McShay]

Paul kind of sounds like. Sounds like you a little bit.

[Steve Levy]

Those. Those wrestlers, man. I tell you. I'll tell you a quick. A quick wrestling story. We had no fat kid at Shiloh High School, so they talked me into it at 225 as a sophomore to go wrestle 275. After a week, I'm like, mom, dad, this sucks. I'm out, bro. No way.

[David Pollock]

Yeah.

[Steve Levy]

Wrestling is not for me. My mom and my mom and dad were like, once you start something, you got to finish. I'm like, yeah, I don't want to finish. They made me finish. After the state championship match, I threw my bag in the front seat. I said, mom, dad, next time I wrestle on a mat half naked, it won't be with a boy.

[Todd McShay]

That's what you get for making me do it.

[Steve Levy]

Yes, 100%. I will not do it.

[Todd McShay]

We'll save the best. That's my guy for last. I'll go second here. Burchard Smith, just watching this tape, getting ready for the Clemson game, ACC championship. He ain't big. Like, he's not a grinder. He'll break some tackles, contact balance. But the running back from smu, he's undersized, but, man, does he have some scoot to him. I like his vision. He senses the crease, and he just. He goes. And he's kind of one of those smooth, easy speed runners. Really great as a receiver out of the backfield. Rashard Smith, watch him in this game against Clemson. This is going to be really fun to watch in terms of the matchups, how he's utilized, excellent pass catchers. I said, and not just like, you know, outlet throws screens different. Like this dude's running like post corners and stuff and like going up and contesting with with bigger defensive backs. Kind of got some vibes of like Tyrone Tracy, the running back to the Giants drafted who's been very productive this year. I know he probably gets lost with the Giant, but. But I think he was a fifth round pick in this past draft. You know, Tracy's bigger. He was like 209 at the combine. That's not going to be Smith. This running back lights every single team I turn on. There's another running back prospect. But I think he could be one of the steals. Is kind of that like chess piece change of pace. So Rashard Smith is. That's my guy this week and I've been kind of waiting for this ever since I asked him. Paul, who's yours?

[Steve Levy]

Well, I like that for Smith because too like just smooth change of gears like he's a, he's a driver and it just like effortless. Effortless for him. So, so this dude, man, this is going to really surprise y'all because I'm a defensive player and I am a no nonsense guy. I'm an effort guy. I'll give you all the euphemisms that they gave for me. I'm a, you know, I'm a, I'm a high motor guy. First guy in.

[Todd McShay]

He's still relentless. He's still pissed about this. I mean we, I, I wrote a report on him and it was glowing. Athletic, explosive, all that. Doesn't. Doesn't want to read that report that just wants to go off of maybe what some other people said because, you.

[Steve Levy]

Know, I want to see that report that you said athletic I'm going to pull because I want to see that because I did write that.

[Todd McShay]

He's a grinder, hard worker. I remember meeting with him with Mike Godfrey.

[Steve Levy]

Okay, hey, so, so your boy, your boy Kuiper. I'm going to shut up. I promise. Your boy Kuiper. This is a true story too. He talked about my arm length and I was so pissed off and I was so mad. This is how stupid I am. I remember going to combines when I did my arms, I purposely made sure my arms were short because I'm like, I want to stick this directly up everybody's hanky who says my arms are too short. He won't be a great player. Not thinking about like, I'm an idiot. I'm costing myself money. Literally thinking.

[Todd McShay]

And I want to have short is.

[Steve Levy]

About a million dollars in guaranteed yeah, really smart doofus. That's why I play defense. That's where they put the dumb players. All right, so that's my guy. Anyways, I was telling you, like, this is my spirit animal. If I played quarterback, I would be Jackson dart. I just. I love this dude's heart. I love how much he'll get on his teammates. I love how much he cares. I love the Georgia game. He gets hurt, and all of a sudden he's right back in, looks like he won't be able to compete. And he competes his butt off. He runs hard, he lowers his shoulders. He doesn't want to go out of bounds all the time. I feel like he's just that kind of dude, man. I just. I feel like I can bet on him, I can trust him. He made some mistakes in the Florida game, of course, but, yeah, like on a hole. That guy is just. He's got something inside of him, a competitive spirit that I just. I find myself cheering for him. And I don't do that with a lot of quarterbacks. So that's my guy.

[David Pollock]

Stunned it's a quarterback. Stunned, it's a quarterback.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, me too. But I like spirit animal. I like that. I like that a lot. And, hey, listen, Nagy, the executive director of the Senior bowl, said that he talked to 14 NFL teams and every single one of them said that they would love to see Dart at that game, to see. Take him out of that offense, put him in a new offense. Let's see what he can do in a different environment.

[Steve Levy]

So, yeah, you're the big guy that somebody's going to. Well, I appreciate that, brother. Thank you. I still want to see that report. I still want to see that. I want to. I want to highlight quick grips athletic ability.

[Todd McShay]

I gotta find it somewhere where I can edit it, I think, but. But I'll get it to you.

[Steve Levy]

You ain't lying.

[Todd McShay]

I'll get it to you. I appreciate it, man. We're all right, dude. Everyone check out his show. See you, bud. Must be 21 plus and present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 + and present in D.C. gambling problem. Call 1-800-Gambler or visit rg-help.com, call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelplinema.org or call 1-800-327-5050 for 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-8778. Hope NY or text Hope NY in New York.