Hour 1: Nicole Auerbach, NBC Sports

Summary

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The Paul Finebaum Show – Hour 1: Nicole Auerbach, NBC Sports

Date: July 27, 2026
Host: Paul Finebaum (ESPN)
Featured Guest: Nicole Auerbach (NBC Sports)
Main Theme:
A deep dive into the state of the Big Ten as media days begin, with special focus on the conference’s power programs, schedule strengths, coaching changes, and playoff outlook. This episode emphasizes the evolving power dynamics between the Big Ten and SEC, new coaching faces, quarterback battles, and heightened playoff expectations across the major college football landscape.

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Big Ten: Power Programs and Preseason Tiers

[00:50-03:24] Paul Introduces the Big Ten Conversation & Guest Nicole Auerbach

• Paul notes the conclusion of SEC media days and pivots to the upcoming Big Ten media days.
• Discussion of recent headlines, especially Bill Conley’s list of 100 games defining modern college football.
• Raises the key questions: Which Big Ten teams have the easiest/toughest paths, and how will the power dynamics play out in a new-look conference?

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Key Segment: Nicole Auerbach’s Big Ten Breakdown

[03:24-10:59] Nicole Auerbach Analysis

Ohio State vs. Oregon: Who’s Got the Edge?

• Nicole: “I was one of the people that voted for Ohio State to start there, just based on… faith in Matt Patricia continuing to have, you know, an elite defense, even though losing a lot of guys to NFL... Ohio State doesn’t drop off. They know what it takes.” (03:30)
• For Oregon, Nicole’s main question is how the Ducks will fare after losing both coordinators to Power Four head coaching jobs. Continuity exists, but Nicole wants to “see them play a few games before... making a determination.” (04:00)

Indiana’s Rise and Staying Power

• Paul references Indiana’s impressive transfer portal haul under coach Kurt Signetti.
• Nicole: “Default to the assumption that they’re going to be very, very good again… [Indiana] is going to look different, obviously... Signetti’s ability to determine who he wants to add out of the portal… but you’re totally right, they got a lot of elite players.” (04:40-05:55)
• Highlights breakout candidates (e.g., Nick Marsh) and Signetti’s no-mistakes offensive system.

Big Ten Tiers & Key Challengers

• Nicole lays out the pecking order: Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana as the “top three.”
• USC trying to elevate under Lincoln Riley, while Michigan, Penn State, and Washington are the “next tier,” all with something to prove (noting new coaches or internal drama).

Michigan: Optimism Amid Off-field Noise

• Paul notes off-field issues but says “on the field they feel or I sense they’re in pretty good shape.” (06:37)
• Nicole says growth depends on QB Bryce Underwood:
  • “You’re not sure that you saw a ton of growth from week one to the end of the season out of him... he’s a freak athlete... but you just kind of want to see more.” (07:02-07:30)
  • Credits new coach Kyle Whittingham’s staff, with OC Jason Beck, as reasons for potential optimism.
• Key test: early Oklahoma matchup will show if Michigan is fringe playoff or in rebuild mode.

USC: “Playoff or Bust”

• Paul points out USC’s daunting schedule (Oregon, at Penn State, Ohio State at home, at Wisconsin, at Indiana).
• Nicole: “This is a playoff or bust type of season for him [Lincoln Riley]. Obviously, you hire Lincoln Riley and spend all this money to be a national title contender and they haven’t gotten there.” (09:05)
• Notes defense as continual Achilles’ heel, but “Gary Patterson being the defensive coordinator is going to be fascinating. I want to see what that looks like.” (09:22)
• Pressure is high: “It’s not a hot seat... but it’s a hot seat with an asterisk... there’s just going to be a lot of pressure on him. Even though this is a program that is winning a lot of games, it’s just not winning the right games and enough games to, to get to the playoffs to date.” (10:35)

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SEC vs. Big Ten: Changing Guard

[13:03-16:25] Callers & Paul Debate League Supremacy

• Caller John (Louisville) sees Penn State as a surprise CFP entry “by virtue of a soft schedule.” (12:41)
• Paul: “I think they have the easiest schedule I’ve ever seen other than the one they had last year, by the way.” (13:03)
• Discussion of perception shifts, with Paul and Stephen A. Smith both picking Big Ten teams over the SEC for 2026: “I’m leaning toward picking a Big Ten team to win it again.” (15:39)

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SEC Storylines & Quarterback Battles

[16:25-32:21] Fan Q&A & Paul’s Insights

Alabama’s Quarterback Situation

• Caller Noah: wonders if Austin Mack gets the nod at Alabama due to loyalty with Kalen DeBoer.
• Paul: “If it ends up being Austin Mack, it may be the right decision... But if it is that decision, a lot of people are going to wonder what’s going on here.” (17:45)

Texas: “Playoff Or Else” For Sark

• Caller Darrell (Florida): asks what happens if Texas goes 9-3 and misses the playoff.
• Paul: “I think it would be a disaster... You can’t go nine and three two straight years when you’ve got the best roster Texas has had at least since Vince Young was there... it will be inexcusable.” (22:11)

Kentucky’s Program Trajectory

• Paul is respectful but realistic: “if Alabama doesn’t beat Kentucky, they’ve got bigger problems right now than Kentucky does.” (23:19)
• Both Paul and the caller agree it’s not catastrophic for Kentucky to be competitive; it would be “catastrophic for Alabama if he loses it 100%.” (24:18)

Missouri’s Potential

• Caller Grayson worries about O-line injuries and QB protection.
• Paul: “Outside of one year, I don’t see much evidence that they can [compete with the SEC’s elite].” (24:50)

Lane Kiffin’s Leash at LSU

• Caller Michael asks how long Kiffin gets without a natty.
• Paul: “I think he’ll have some time... after four years, if they’re not in the playoffs, playing for national championships, there’ll be somebody else there.” (29:56)
• Paul is bullish on LSU, predicting 9-3 or 10-2 and a playoff berth.

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• On Ohio State’s Stability: “Ohio State doesn’t drop off. They know what it takes.” – Nicole Auerbach (03:38)
• On Playoff or Bust at USC: “If not now, when... there’s just going to be a lot of pressure on him [Riley].” – Nicole (10:35)
• On Texas Expectations: “It would be a disaster. That team needs to go far... It will be inexcusable.” – Paul Finebaum (22:11)
• On SEC vs. Big Ten: “I’m only responsible for my predictions… But I’m not [picking the SEC] this year because I learned a lot last year in watching the SEC week to week.” – Paul Finebaum (16:25)

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Entertaining Listener Participation & Light Moments

[26:03-27:49] Clemson Fanbase Joke

• Caller Jay in South Carolina explains his tradition of posting a photo of Dabo Swinney (dubbed “Dumbo Sweeney”) in his backyard men’s urinal for football parties. This year’s slogan, courtesy of Paul: “Stuck on stupid.” (26:03-27:49)
• Paul laughs off controversy: “Clemson nation is in meltdown because they have nothing to really rally around. They become an average program. They’re living in the past and I think you know all the rest.” (28:10)

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Other Noteworthy Discussions

Georgia Football Nostalgia & Herschel Walker

• Caller reminisces about the 1980 Georgia-Tennessee game, Herschel Walker’s debut, and how freshmen use changed college football. (36:20-38:03)

Shout-out to Rising Golf Star Jackson Koivun

• D.J. in Birmingham praises Koivun’s win over Scottie Scheffler at the 3M Classic, with Paul reflecting on the new wave of fearless young golfers. (32:48-35:46)

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Episode Flow & Tone

• Tone: Candid, good-natured, football-obsessed, with witty banter between host and engaged callers.
• Flow: Fast-paced and wide-ranging, bouncing between insightful analysis (via Nicole Auerbach), hot takes, inside jokes, and passionate listener debates.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ohio State/Oregon Comparison – 03:24-04:19
• Indiana’s Outlook – 04:19-06:37
• Michigan, Bryce Underwood – 06:37-08:21
• USC Focus, Lincoln Riley Hot Seat – 08:21-10:59
• Big Ten vs. SEC Power Debate – 13:03-16:25
• Alabama QB Battle – 16:57-17:45
• Texas Playoff Pressure – 21:51-22:42
• Clemson Fanbase Anecdotes – 26:03-28:10
• Georgia/Herschel Walker History – 36:20-38:03

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Summary Takeaways

• The Big Ten enters the 2026 season with as much or more national title momentum than the SEC, with Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, and USC all viewed as legitimate contenders.
• Coaching changes, QB battles, and schedule quirks will define which teams climb or fall.
• Even perennial blue bloods (e.g., Alabama, Texas, Michigan) face higher scrutiny and pressure in today’s playoff-obsessed climate.
• Listener calls amplify the show’s unique mix of analysis, strong opinions, humor, and college football community energy.

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Useful for those who missed the episode:
This hour offers a comprehensive state-of-the-union on the Big Ten and its intersection with SEC storylines and playoff dynamics, seasoned with Paul Finebaum’s trademark wit and the passionate voices of his nationwide fan base.

Transcript

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[Paul Feinbaum Show Intro/Promo]

Pride, passion and pageantry of college football lives here. This is the Paul Feinbaum show, our 1 podcast.

[Caller]

This might be college football.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Ivan, welcome back. Media days are over. Well, that is, unless you're the Big Ten. We'll talk more about that as they get started here tomorrow. Welcome to the program. A lot to deal with since we left you. And how about this headline to chew on 157 years of college football? These 100 games define the modern sport. No, Alabama, Florida State from last year is not in that group. Bill Conley puts us Carlisle, Harvard. There's a special meaning behind that. And if you have to ask me to explain, I will later. Anytime Notre Dame and Army meet, it is epic. Especially that 46 game, the 45 game, Army, Navy, let's get a little more modern. How about that 1980 game? Do you know, do you know why that was so special? Herschel Debut in new and stadium, Nebraska and Florida. That was a major beat down for Steve Spurrier. He won it for next year. Florida State. And I don't know what the significance of usc, Fresno State is. Oh, okay. Reggie Bush obviously had a good game, but that is not one of the games I would have marked. But then again, I'm not Bill Connolly. I'm just a talk show host. So what's the deal? Antonio Morales dug into some of the big ones, including Alabama. We'll talk to him about all of those when he joins us a little bit later on. So who's got the easiest and toughest schedule? And if you say, what's the big deal? Everybody's got a tough schedule, that is not true. Three of the top five schools in America come from the Big Ten. Penn State doesn't play any of them. That is what I call an easy schedule. They also play a couple of high school teams in their preseason. Speaking of the Big Ten, Ohio State is the preseason favorite in a number of polls. A lot of people like Oregon, too, some Indiana. There's some other schools up there. Nicole Auerbach covers it all and we are delighted to say hello to her as Big Ten media days is ready to unfold. Nicole, thanks so much. Let's talk about the Big Ten for a second. We'll work our way back to Tampa later. But how do you differentiate, other than probably enormous talent, the difference between Ohio State and Oregon, because both are loaded.

[Nicole Auerbach]

Yeah, it's a great question. I was one of the people that voted for Ohio State to start there, just based on, you know, returning Julian saying still have Jeremiah Smith, like the best individual offensive player in the country. Faith in Matt Patricia continuing to have, you know, an elite defense, even though losing a lot of guys to NFL, but really just like that, Ohio State doesn't drop off. They know what it takes. And then with Oregon, for me, I think they may end up being the better team, but I just want to see what they look like with two new coordinators, because those are big losses. And obviously they both went on to power for head coaching positions and then they promoted from within. So you've got to expect some continuity there. But that's really the only question I have. And so I just kind of want to see them play a few games before, you know, kind of making a determination on them. Ohio State, I feel better about what I think they're going to be.

[Paul Feinbaum]

And Nicole, don't want to forget Indiana. Kurt Signetti won't let us. But, I mean, they've got, you know, new core. I mean, they got. They're littered with top 10 transfers. How do you assess where they are versus almost an impossible task of succeeding what they accomplished last year?

[Nicole Auerbach]

Yeah, I think we should default to the assumption that they're going to be very, very good again, that they're going to factor into the race. I mean, I think, you know, right now those top three teams, you know, are kind of in a class of their own. There's definitely some teams nationally that we can talk about with that as we're getting closer to, like the preseason AP poll and kind of like those big polls. But for from the Big Ten standpoint, like, it's those three teams, and then, you know, you've got USC trying to get into that top category, trying to make the playoff for the first time under Lincoln Riley and then Michigan, Penn State, new coaches. Washington should be really good with Damond Williams, assuming that he repaired all of his relationships with everyone after what happened in the spring. So that's kind of that second tier in the Big Ten. But yeah, I mean, Indiana is going to look different, obviously, you know, you know, they've spent a lot of money to retain their coordinators and a lot of important pieces on the staff standpoint. And Signetti's ability to determine who he wants to add out of the portal and like the way that he, you know, the different specific things that he is looking for in players and understanding that they can fit into the system. But you're totally right, I mean they got a lot of elite players. You know, they've got edge rushers, they got linemen and then they get Josh Hoover who you know is a good quarterback. He's going to look different. I was there in the spring for practice. He is much smaller than Fernando Mendoza but you know his big knock was the turning over the ball. You know Signetti offenses, they don't beat themselves, they don't have pre stat penalties, they don't turn the ball over. So that gets cleaned up for him. I mean he should have a really nice year. And then Nick Marsh should really be a breakout receiver in this offense to go alongside Charlie Becker and guys that we knew from last year. But you know he was a hidden gem at Michigan State but obviously they didn't win a lot of games these last couple years. So I think he's going to have a big year. But yeah, in some more, I mean you can make a case for Ohio State, Oregon or Indiana and you could say, hey, Indiana is a defending national champs. We have no reason to to bet against Kurt Signetti. We're not going to, you can make any of those cases. I just want the Buckeyes to start

[Paul Feinbaum]

the year talking to Nicole Erbeck. Nicole, Michigan's been making a lot of news off the field with ads and administrative issues on the field they feel or I sense they're in pretty good shape. They have Oklahoma early in the season at home. They have not handled these non conference games very well under Sharon Moore, but they may have one of the top quarterbacks in America and Bryce Underwood. What do you see coming from them?

[Nicole Auerbach]

Well, the big question is going to be, you know, how much Bryce Underwood can improve. I think anyone who watched Michigan a lot last year would tell you that, you know, you're not sure that you saw a ton of growth from week one to the end of the season out of him. And you know, when they played Oklahoma last year, it just looked like they were scared to really call the offense and trust him to make plays. And obviously it was very early into a true freshman year. But you know, he's a freak athlete. He's got, you know, all the arm, talent and skill in the world. He can run the ball well and be an athlete on the, on the ground as well. So you just kind of want to see more of that. For Bryce Underwood, I feel good about, you know, the pieces that Kyle Whittingham brought with him to help and go around Bryce Underwood, including his offensive coordinator, Jason Beck. I think it's going to be really interesting and you should see that development, should see that growth. But they're a little bit of an unknown. And as you mentioned, I mean, it is a challenging schedule pretty much right out of the gate. So I think that Oklahoma game will be a good gauge of like whether or not we're talking about like a fringe playoff team this year in year one for Whittingham or, you know, if it's a little bit a step below that in terms of a rebuild. But the key point here is just like stability, adults in the room and ideally like no more off the field scandals. Like that would be great for Michigan to just kind of reset and let's actually just talk about football and football development.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Nicole, I know that there's a lot more optimism this year than there have been for USC under Lincoln. Riley feels like he's continued to, you know, waffle out there in the wilderness. But let me ask you about what he has, especially with what looks like a pretty challenging schedule. And in the Big Ten you can get the luck of the draw or you can really strike out. He's got Oregon, he's at Penn State, Ohio State, at home at Wisconsin. There are some schools that he, I was about to say there's some schools he misses on, but that is not true. He's also at Indiana.

[Caller Noah]

Yes.

[Nicole Auerbach]

I mean, so yes, he's got the big three.

[Caller]

Those.

[Nicole Auerbach]

That's the ballgame, right? That's what we're going to be deciding to season, defining their season based on, you know, obviously as you mentioned, all those other teams, there's no Notre Dame on the schedule this year. That is a team that, you know, is probably going to be in preseason top 5, if not top 3 as we enter the year. So at least you're, you're avoiding them. But I do think, you know, this is a, it's a playoff or bust type of season for him. I mean, obviously you hire Lincoln Riley and spend all this money to be a national title contender and they haven't gotten there. And they've been, they've been really close, you know, with that Caleb Williams team in the four team era. And the question has always been defense. Now they poured so much money and resources into the defensive staff inside of the ball these last couple of years. Gary Patterson being the defensive coordinator is going to be fascinating. Like, I'm really interested in that. I want to see what that looks like and see where we see that impact from him. You know, he's been kind of floating around the last couple of years since, since leaving tcu, you know, and they've obviously poured a lot of money into their roster. They've retained a lot. They've got a ton of talent coming back, especially on the offensive side. I mean, so, so there's really, you're going to get to the point where there's like, there's, if not now, when, if school is doing and putting all of the resources that it possibly could be behind Lincoln Riley, you know, then it's going to be up to him and him and his staff and his decisions in games, you know, to make those decisions because, you know, they've just had so many heartbreakers or they've had leads in the floor, fourth quarter and, and then, then they've blown these games in the last couple of years. So it's really about taking that step forward. It's like he's, it's not a hot seat because, you know, he's still got this massive buyout, but like, it's a hot seat with an asterisk where it's just like, you got it. You got to take that step. And there's just going to be a lot of pressure on him. Even though this is a program that is winning a lot of games, it's just not winning the right games and enough games to, to get to the playoffs to date.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Nicole Arabach with a report on the Big Ten media day starting Tuesday in Chicago. Nicole, always great. Thank you very, very much. We hit the break here, and we have a long way to go on a Monday. On Antonio Morales joining us, how about Bill Conley and Chris Lowe? Some of the top reporters in the space and the top callers anywhere are next.

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[Paul Feinbaum Show Intro/Promo]

You're listening to the Paul Finebaum Show Podcast.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Goodbye. Great to have the all, all of you with us as we head to the call. If you want to give us a ring, I know we Were pretty, pretty light on calls last week. Only Friday. We will make up for that this week and you can call us now and if in case you forgotten the number, let me check myself. It's 855-242-7285 and John starts it all off from Louisville. Hey, John.

[Caller]

Hey, good afternoon, Paul, and great opening interview with Nicole. Your questions were spot on, I noticed. By the way, Paul, I see a fourth Big Ten team making a cfp, but not the strong teams of USC and Michigan because they have to play the Big three. I see Penn State by virtue of a soft schedule. What's your thoughts?

[Paul Feinbaum]

I'd like to see them first, but I think they have the easiest schedule I've ever seen other than the one they had last year, by the way.

[Caller]

Yeah, and no James Franklin, so that's a positive. Hey, by the way, Paul, I continued my summer concert tour with Saturday's Morgan Wallen concert in the big house. Really well done show. By the way, if you ever.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Who did he walk out with?

[Caller]

The former Michigan defensive end Aiden Hutchinson.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Okay. He's not bad. Pretty big player.

[Caller]

Yeah, he's pretty tall too. Not as, not as full as the Zach Bryan concert last year, which had 112,000, but really excellent show. Well worth looking, watching. And the. The tailgating made it seem like it was a football fall game. I mean, you could get high just walking around without smoking anything. So, Paul, before my sports question, let me just ask you, has you and your team finalized this year's caller Ring of Honor honorees?

[Paul Feinbaum]

I think we're. I'm trying to double check. I know we've added one person to the Ring of Honor. Is that correct, Jamari? Yeah, we've added one and we have three more to go.

[Caller]

Did Daryl make the cut?

[Paul Feinbaum]

So who's. I'm trying to remember who. We'll see. Okay. Ray from Irondale is the one that's already been sent in and there's still three spots available.

[Caller]

Oh, good. So his inspiring acceptance speech may not be too soon, too much. We'll see.

[Paul Feinbaum]

So here it is. Chris. Chris from Mountain Brook. Elmo, Andre Squirrel. This is a pretty good field right here. Jerome, Chris and Gulf Shores. Those are two of the best Chris's of all time on this show. And Darrell from Columbus.

[Caller]

Afterthought, huh? So, Paul, last week you and Stephen A threw shade on the sec and. Well, actually Stephen A went nuclear. But you had some comments that I think you said, you know, you like Michigan. Excuse me? You like Oregon, Ohio State, Notre Dame better. The SEC has Some good teams. But you are not into them this year, are you? Are you sticking to that?

Yeah.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I mean, I was asked the usual, you know, right. Right now, again, we're July 27th, which. Which league has the best conference. And I answered like Stephen A. Did, like, really like most people. Now, it just so happened that Sabin came along and gave a different answer. We all know how the commissioner nuanced what he had to say. I don't think it's really in dispute and I haven't made a final decision yet. Not that anybody's really waiting for that, but I'm leaning toward picking a Big Ten team to win it again. John.

[Caller]

Yeah, I mean, you went with Oregon, Ohio State, Notre Dame. I kind of like those choices at this point. And I agree. I think you should be out on the FCC at this point.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah. I know everybody. Thanks, Sean. I know everybody thinks we just. And a lot of. By the way, a lot of people do. I'm not speaking out of school. I'm only responsible for my predictions. But there are people who just carry the party line. I know I'm accused of that, which is perfectly fine. I normally do. But I'm not this year because I learned a lot last year in watching the SEC week to week. Let's check in with Noah, who is in Birmingham. Hello, Noah.

[Caller Noah]

Yes, sir. Paul, how you doing today?

[Paul Feinbaum]

We are doing great.

[Caller Noah]

Yes, sir. Hey, I just had a quick question on your opinion on the Alabama football quarterback situation. So I know, you know, you got Keelan being a top prospect, and it looks like Alabama's really been in a lot of their nil money on keeping players that are already in the program instead of going out and getting more. But I just kind of want to see your opinion on, you know, where Calyn DeBoer his situation would be from having Austin Mack transfer with him. I mean, there's a lot of loyalty there. And I would feel, I know I'm not a college football coach. I think I'd feel a little bit of a responsibility to give the guy a shot for trusting me and my program for so long. But then on the other hand, I

[Paul Feinbaum]

mean, that is true. But don't forget, Keon Russell also came on board and stayed on board with Kaylan DeBoer, too. So it is a difficult decision. And I think if it ends up being Austin Mack, it may be the right decision. But. But if it is that decision, a lot of people are going to wonder what's going on here. But it's. It's one of the bigger decisions that Kayla and DeBoer will have had to have made at Alabama.

[Caller Swamp Dog]

Right.

[Caller Noah]

Yeah. Well, anyway, I'm interested to see how it turns out. So we'll see.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Thank you very, very much. Appreciate it.

[Caller Jay]

Thank you.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Let's continue with Dan in North Carolina. Hello, Dan.

[Caller Jay]

Hi, Paul.

[Caller Dan]

Glad to have you back. I'd like to address the. Your recent SEC in Tampa. You know, my take out of the whole thing, Paul, and I watched every single day of it, is that the attitude seemed very, very unsettling. There didn't seem a whole lot of positivity on anybody's part as it relates to how they really feel about the upcoming season. Now, I watched you closely, and I think a couple of comments that were made by various guests that you had, I think, even shocked you. Alabama, as an example, being ranked very, very lowly in the rankings of the sec. The whole scenario didn't seem to me to be able to push a SEC agenda, even though all of these teams were obviously from the sec. How did you feel about the way the week went, Paul?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, first of all, Dan, I don't want to act like I'm naive here, but you go to SEC media days and you're broadcasting on the SEC network. It is not a surprise that you're going to get an SEC agenda.

[Caller Dan]

Yeah, I can appreciate that. And I can. I also appreciate it very much, your interchange with Stephen A. This past week when you were talking about Jordan, the way things were falling. You know, I certainly understand that position. I understand that. But, you know, I'm really looking forward to this season and I'm looking forward to having Alabama play real well. And I hope I'm not going to be disappointed. But I know they need a quarterback and nobody seems to be talking about that, at least to my feelings. What's up with that quarterback?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, I mean, I don't think we know. And, you know, I heard what Deborah said like everybody else, and I don't know what he said because he didn't say anything. That is going to be a critical decision. He doesn't have to decide week one. I don't even think the second week is all that big a deal. I know we'll. We'll hype that game, but Alabama will go up there and win that game against Kentucky. Doesn't mean that. I don't think they have a good program up there. They do. It's a better program than it used to be. But they're playing Alabama, and if Alabama can't beat Kentucky, then that really, I'll be happy to be wrong about that. But by the end, by the end of that, by the end of that game, if Alabama has lost, so Alabama will have bigger problems to deal with. Thanks for the call. Appreciate it. Heading to a break. We're 30 minutes in. A lot of guests will be dropping by in your phone calls as well.

[Paul Feinbaum Show Intro/Promo]

You're listening to the Paul Feinbaum show

[Paul Feinbaum]

podcast and welcome back. Darrell is up next in Florida. Hey, Darrell. Good afternoon.

[Caller Darrell]

Hey, Paul. How you doing?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, thank you.

[Caller Darrell]

So I just wanted to ask a little bit about Coach Sarkeesian and, you know, the expectations going around in Austin. What do you think would happen if they went 9 and 3 this year and missed the playoffs again?

[Paul Feinbaum]

I think it would be a disaster. That team needs to go far. You can't. You can't go nine and three. You can't go nine and three two straight years when you've got the best roster Texas has had at least since then. Vince Young was there, and it's just. It will be inexcusable.

[Caller Darrell]

Yeah. Do you think that he will be, quote, unquote, pushed out by the, you know, the board and all that, or, you know, it'll be.

[Caller DJ]

Talk about firing.

[Paul Feinbaum]

That's always hard to say, Darrell, because most coaches do not get fired. With two playoff semifinal appearances followed by nine and three, I don't think anything would happen, but I think the pressure and his life would become pretty, pretty miserable. Thank you very much for the call. Cole is up next in Kentucky. You're on the air, Paul.

[Caller]

You don't have much confidence my Wildcats, do you?

[Paul Feinbaum]

I think the Kentucky program is in great shape, but they're not in great shape enough by the second week of the season to beat Alabama.

[Caller]

You know, I thought that was a very polite way that you offered your non. Confidence in Kentucky, and thank you for that. And I actually agree with you, you know, but Kentucky's on the way up and it would be a fantastic win if they were able to do that. But I completely agree with you that if Alabama doesn't beat Kentucky, they've got bigger problems right now than Kentucky does.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah. No, I mean, if Alabama loses that game, we're talking a complete meltdown. I mean, it's. I am telling you, it's a very. It's a very big game. I think it's an opportunity for Will Stein to put his program for the first time on a national level, but I just don't think. Again, I don't know. I mean, we don't know. We don't exactly know what his team's going to look like. I know, I know one thing. They'll be better than last year.

[Caller]

It will not be catastrophic if Kentucky is competitive that game and still loses. It will be catastrophic for Alabama if

[Paul Feinbaum]

he loses it 100%. Hey, thank you so much. Really appreciate your call. Let's check in with Grayson in Missouri. You are on the air. Hello, Grayson, how's it going?

[Caller Grayson]

Paul, how are you?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Fantastic, thank you.

[Caller Grayson]

I just had a quick couple of questions about Missouri Tiger football. Can Missouri realistically compete with the SEC's elite programs like Georgia, Texas and Alabama over the next few years?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, I mean, I could give you a lot of hyperbole, but all you have to do is look at the last three or four years and outside of one year, I don't see much evidence that they can.

[Caller Grayson]

Yeah, I think I watch a lot of Chase Daniel film and I just think our quarterback this year, he's left handed so you know he's going to be rolling out a lot. We love the rpo. Not trying to give away any of our plays or anything. Of course, I don't work for the team, but I'm just really scared about our. I think it's our left guard. He transferred in from Florida State and he got. He's out for the season, I'm pretty sure. And I'm just worried about Austin Simmons protection this year because last year Bo Prabila had that gnarly injury against Vanderbilt and I'm just worried about his safety.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I think that's a Grayson. And by the way, spending a lot of time with Chase last week. I would keep watching his films. Nobody knows that program better than Chase Daniels. Thank you so much for the call. Really do appreciate it. Continue with more phone calls and let's check in with Jay in South Carolina.

[Caller Jay]

Well, happy Monday. Paul from Clemson Heaven up here. I want to thank you for giving me this year's forehead tattoo for Dumbo Sweeney and I'll explain. We have football parties up here on Saturday afternoons. Paul and I have all kind of fan bases that come around here and I have a men's urine because you know, when, when people are, you know, having a good time and cooking and drinking cold beer and whatever, go to the bathroom. So I have a men's urinal out back and I got a picture of Dumbo Sweeney up there on top of it. And every year I have a slogan that I since I've been here, I've been here three years. My first year slogan was the 34 to three year. That was the housewarming you know that, that party with Clemson and George, Remember they played on Labor Day weekend like noon two years ago. You remember that, right?

[Paul Feinbaum]

I sure do.

[Caller Jay]

Oh yeah. So that year I put 343 on the forehead the next year, remember he said Clemson was going to be the first team to go 160 in a season. That was cade club. Remember they were predicted to bought like three or four overall. That was last year. I put that one on his forehead that year. And you'd give me one the other day, would you get up interview to stuck on stupid. That's going to be what's going to be on his forehead this year, Paul. Me and my, my fishing buddy Jones was wondering what we were going to ride up there but you gave it to me. And I can't tell you how much I appreciate that Paul, because you have certainly stirred up the Clemson fan base. I can't tell you how ornery they are right now, but I appreciate it because it and it makes my summer and Labor Day weekend coming up here in the next month or so and football season kicking off great. So thank you Paul. Have a good Monday and see you next time. How's that?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Thank you, Jay. Yeah, I was, I did. I'm sure some of you who follow us closely are seeing me do a lot of interviews. Some of you are probably wondering how did you have time for all this? Every year during SEC media days, ESPN has some of the talent spend an hour to an hour and a half on radio row. So you go up and down and you do these interviews. And someone I'm trying to remember, I think it was Brooks, Brooks Austin, the film guy asked me who the most annoying fan base is, which by the way, they're probably 15 or 20 answers. I landed on Clemson and naturally the Clemson fanatics who were thin skinned, insecure and ready to pounce on a slight at the drop of a hat immediately went crazy aggregating my comments as if I just woke up, rolled out of bed and called a news conference to attack Clemson. It was a throwaway. It was a throwaway line. Didn't really mean anything by it. I was asked a question by Brooks. So Clemson nation is in meltdown because they have nothing to really rally around. They become an average program. They're living in the past and I think you know all the rest. We'll take a short break. We are coming back with more of your phone calls right after this.

[Paul Feinbaum Show Intro/Promo]

You're listening to the Paul Feinbaum show podcast.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Welcome back. Michael in Denver is up next.

[Caller Michael]

First time caller. Paul, love your Program, I just got a couple of questions. Yes, sir. How long you think Lane Kiffin, if he doesn't get a national championship done in about three years, you think the Tigers will try to get rid of him? I know they vested a lot of money in them.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, Michael, I don't think it will be immediate. I think he'll have some time. What is time? Three to four years. But I can assure you, after four years, if they're not in the playoffs, playing for national championships, there'll be somebody else there.

[Caller Michael]

And one more. What do you think they'll do this year? Where's the record? Right. Record.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I am crazy naive, of course, but I like. I like LSU to make the playoffs. I think they're somewhere between 9 and 3 and 10 and 2. I think they'll get in. Thank you for the call. Appreciate it very much. Let me check in with David in Michigan. Hello, David.

[Caller Darrell]

Hey, Paul, how you doing?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Great, thank you.

[Caller Darrell]

Hey, I'm a big Trinidad fan. I called you about a year ago and asked you what you thought of Trinidad, and he talked about him. They liked him down there at Ole Miss, but they weren't ready to start him. And then he had a great year. And I was down there, I saw four of the games and I was really impressed with him. And I went to practice one day, and Paul, he didn't miss a pass. He's a real deal. So we're hoping that he can return to beat those other teams this year, make the playoffs. What do you think of that?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, David, I think he's an amazing quarterback. I think a lot of my colleagues think he's the best quarterback in the country. I think it's really a matter of how that team comes together. We know what they were capable of. A year ago, they had a lot of momentum, a lot of combustion of energy. Two new coordinators, I think. One new. One new offensive coordinator, I should say. I think there's a. There's a level of confidence because the system won't change, really, at all. But I also wonder. You're losing enormous brain power from the booth. I mean, you've got Charlie Weiss, you've got Lane Kiffin. Is Trinidad really beyond all that? I mean, in the Georgia game, it didn't matter. He was on his own. And how much of that are we going to see this year? And how much can he get away with?

[Caller Darrell]

Right. You know, when I. When he came down to Ole Miss, he. Charlie and Lynn Lane, excuse me, interviewed him about what defenses were, how he can read defenses. He was One of the best person they ever, they ever talked to reading defenses.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, you're right. David. Hey, thank you for the call. Let me check in with D.J. in Birmingham. Hello, D.J.

[Caller DJ]

hey, Paul, thanks for taking my call. Listen, I just, I'm like 90, probably 99% of your callers I listen and you know, if I'm in a car, tune into you or if I'm at home, I watch on tv. But I wanted to watch today from the start and see if you would bury the lead. And you did. You know, you're taught, you were talking Big Ten football and it's not even started yet. Yet. We had, we had a live bit of sports over the weekend where an SEC guy did what many would consider to be nearly the impossible over the past two or three years. And that's hold off the world's number one golf, number one golfer on Sunday at the 3M Classic. And I just wanted to put up a shout out there to Jackson Koivan for a phenomenal tournament. I didn't watch all of it. I watched some on Saturday. I watched him coming up on 17 and 18 on Sunday. But the kid is phenomenal. I've, I've kind of followed his career a little bit and he's got nerves of steel. He can putt like nobody else. And if he keeps going like he's going, I, I, I see a 20 or 30 year domination as he's written on his golf, golf on his golf club. So in any case, I wish you hadn't buried the lead because that, well, D.J.

[Paul Feinbaum]

i'm glad you brought it up because I watched, I watched a lot of that yesterday because I was interested and I have some friends who know him and, and when, I mean the fact that he never blinked the entire round with Scotty scheffler shooting what, 63 or

[Caller DJ]

4, and the crowd, the crowd saying, Scotty's coming, Scotty's coming.

[Paul Feinbaum]

No, I mean, I don't know how he did it except that. DJ with each generation golfers just become, they have blinders on, they shoot for the pins, it doesn't matter where it is and they, they do not allow anything to, I mean it's the third tournament and 24 pro for 24 days. Yeah, he won the, he won the NCAA about, about eight weeks ago. So. Yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe less than, really

[Caller DJ]

less than that second national championship.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah. So I'm glad you brought it up. I, I intended to mention it it before too long, but you're right, it was, you know, some would say, well, it's a week after the British Open. Well, it may have been the week after the British Open, but Scotty Scheffler didn't have to play in there. But he did and he contended and would have won. But. So it was a significant achievement. I'm glad you brought it up.

[Caller DJ]

No, Shepler understand Sheffler's a great guy, one of the best champions that the PGA Tour has ever had, in my opinion.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Absolutely.

[Caller DJ]

Corbin just looked him down the. Down the barrel.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, no, you had. You. Thank you for the call. Scheffler, of course, went to Texas, but, yeah, this is. If you don't follow golf, you probably don't understand. But. But the idea of making the cut this soon in your career. I think he finished in the top 10 or 12 in the US Open. But, yeah, when. I mean, it's back in the old days. I mean, if you're on the leaderboard. And here comes Tiger woods, most statistically, statistics show that you almost always choked. Swamp Dog is next. Hey, swamp dog.

[Caller Swamp Dog]

Hello, Mr. Paul. Thank you taking my call today, man. Hey, I'm looking forward to that segment you got coming up about. I, I don't know what you call it, but I know something I saw in there that I want to comment on, and it's about 1980, Georgia 16, Tennessee 15. That year when that happened. That year, the, you know, Herschel was the freshman that year. He didn't even start the game back in those days. Nobody started the game as a freshman. I know Vince Dooley never started a freshman. He never started a freshman. But he got desperate in that game. He put Herschel in finally at the end of it, and we all know what he did. You know, you think about Larry Muscle, my God, he's running over two people, you know, and look at those big thighs he's driving. You know, all that stuff, you know, everybody knows it now. We know the history. What happened after that.

[Caller Michael]

Wait.

[Caller Swamp Dog]

They went on to win the national championship, but in those days, they never played freshmen. They didn't play freshmen back then, and I know Vince did for sure. And I don't know, it kind of changed the game a little bit, you know, in my opinion. And we all know what a legend Herschel has become after that. But the, you know, I, I don't, I don't know the name of the segment that you got coming up, but I'm looking forward to hearing it because that one's the one that sticks in my mind. Of course, I like Georgia Fan, so it would. But

[Caller Jay]

what.

[Caller Swamp Dog]

What is that? Called. What, what was that segment that you got coming up? I want to.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah. Well, it's, it's, it's at 5 o' clock and it's the hundred games that define the modern sport. Great to hear from you. We'll, we'll shift gears away from that for now. Antonio Morales on some of the high profile quarterback battles.

[Paul Feinbaum Show Intro/Promo]

Thank you for listening to the Best of the Paul Feinbaum show podcast. Watch the Paul Feinbaum show weekdays from 3 to 7 Eastern on the SEC Network. Plus you can listen and watch on the ESPN app.