Hour 2: John Nabors, Locked on Razorbacks

Summary

The Paul Finebaum Show (Hour 2) – August 5, 2026

Host: Paul Finebaum
Guests/Callers: Various SEC fans
Main Theme: College football discourse with a focus on SEC storylines, culture, coaching changes, historical moments, and the ever-animated listener calls.

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Overview

In this second hour of The Paul Finebaum Show, Paul takes a series of lively calls from devoted listeners, fielding questions about college football history, coach perceptions, SEC scheduling criticisms, the effect of wealth and politics in football, and the unique pressures facing blue-blood programs. Throughout, Paul maintains his signature blend of wit and candor, offering insight into both hot topics for the 2026 season and the perennial quirks that make college football culture unique.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Heisman History & College Football Legends

[01:44 – 03:20]

• Caller James (Nashville) recounts a story about Johnny Majors’ belief that Jim Brown should have won the Heisman Trophy over Paul Hornung.
• Paul Finebaum reflects on this, noting:
  “The idea that Jim Brown never won the Heisman is actually a little more outrageous than even Johnny May.” (02:39)
• Paul provides historical context, discussing Hornung’s two-win Notre Dame team and the overlooked greatness of Jim Brown, both as a football and lacrosse player.

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2. Dan Mullen, SEC Coaching Carousel, and Alabama

[03:28 – 05:00]

• Caller John (Louisville) praises former Florida and Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen as “underrated,” speculates he could land at South Carolina or return to Mississippi State.
• Paul shares insider speculation:
  “There was some talk about Mullen going to North Carolina before Bill Belichick…If they fire Belichick...I wouldn’t be surprised if they go back to Mullen one more time.” (03:54)
• They chat about Kalyn DeBoer’s prospects at Alabama: “I think Kalyn DeBoer is an outstanding football coach…Not sure he can win one at Alabama.” (04:27)

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3. SEC Rivalries, Caller Antics, and the “Ring of Honor”

[05:00 – 06:00]

• Discussion of regular caller Darrell’s occasionally antagonistic tone:
  “Darrell’s just an angry person. One time when he wasn’t so angry, he was an amazing caller. Now he just gets so hung up...He’s so myopic in his calls.” (05:13)
• Debate about the caller ring of honor – playful banter about who "makes the cut."

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4. Scheduling Criticisms, Indiana Football & the Importance of Strong Matchups

[06:00 – 07:29]

• Critique of Indiana’s non-conference schedule:
  “I mean, North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky—absurd…play one of the North Dakota schools—play somebody that at least gives you an interesting game.” (06:46)
• Acknowledgment the schedule improves dramatically by October with at Nebraska, home vs. Ohio State, at Michigan, and USC at home—a “brutal stretch.” (06:45-07:22)

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5. The Wealth & Donor Power in LSU Football

[07:32 – 08:59]

• Ken (Slidell, LA) highlights Louisiana’s per-capita wealth:
  “There's more takeoffs and landings from Fort Fouchon than all three New York airports...per capita, [millionaires] equal with Texas.” (08:12, 08:35)
• Paul notes that LSU’s boosters are key contributors:
  “Obviously there is, because they're putting serious money into the LSU football program.” (08:45)

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6. Caller Showmanship: Face-offs, Friendships, and SEC Fan Culture

[08:59 – 11:12]

• "Old School" from Biloxi wants to meet a fellow caller face-to-face in Baton Rouge, half-joking about a boxing match: “I wanna look at him…I don’t see any damn better place to do it. Right there in Baton Rouge.” (10:11)
• Paul keeps the tone light, inviting friendly rivalry and conversation, emblematic of the show’s community.

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7. The Hot Seat in the Expanded Playoff Era

[13:12 – 14:25]

• Larry (Austin) points out that with a 12-team playoff, two years without a playoff berth at elite programs raises the heat considerably: “I gotta think if you go two years, two consecutive years and you don't sniff the playoffs, you're not gonna lose your job. And I gotta believe you're gonna start to feel some heat...” (13:16)
• Paul agrees, noting:
  “Every time we expand it, there's a repositioning and a reset.” (14:10)

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8. Lance Armstrong, Charity Events, and Respectful Interviews

[14:25 – 17:09]

• Michael (Alabama) tells a story about handling Lance Armstrong’s bike during a cycling event; asks Paul if he’s met Armstrong.
• Paul responds: “I met him in late April when we were doing our show from the Regions Tournament. He was a special guest...there's a lot of layers to Lance Armstrong, but I found him to be very charming, very open...Giving your time to charity...wasn’t the time to litigate [the scandals].” (16:21-16:59)
• Jeff (Ohio) calls, complimenting Paul’s tact: “You just showed a lot of class by not going there with Lance...That’s just the kind of guy you are.” (17:11)

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9. Parallels Between Michigan & LSU, New Coaches, and Playoff Odds

[17:09 – 22:49]

• Discussion of the difficulties for Michigan and LSU with their challenging schedules and new coaches.
• Paul assesses Michigan’s 2026 fortunes: “I think the Wolverines are literally on the cut line...Oklahoma game is a must win...Maybe getting in with a 9-3 record…but that’s the only way.” (19:19-20:23)
• Conversation also touches on the difference in atmospheres:
  “I believe [LSU’s] night venue is the best venue on Saturday nights from September right through November.” (Jeff, 18:06)
• Light music tangent about Paul McCartney’s “Wings” book, revealing the personal side of caller-listener relationships (21:35).

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10. NFL Draft & SEC Players – Injuries and New Opportunities

[25:02 – 25:58]

• Jay (ATL) laments Falcons player Jalen Walker's ACL injury, heralds Harold Perkins Jr. from LSU: “I think now he's going to get a time to shine...He can rush the passer.” (25:29-25:34)
• Paul expresses confidence:
  “I've been waiting for a long time for him to return to that flash of brilliance we once saw him have...” (25:34)

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11. Politics and College Football – Historical Impact

[26:06 – 29:24]

• Bob (Texas, LSU Alum) asks if the show has ever done a segment on how “politics has influenced NCAA football.”
• Paul distinguishes direct “politics” from broader cultural attitudes, using 1966 Alabama as example: “The reason why Alabama didn't win the national championship in 1966 had more to do with an attitude from around the country toward Alabama for having a segregated team. Now you can say that's political...” (27:28)
• Both agree a deeper look at the intersection of politics and football would be instructive.

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12. Florida Talent Drain & The Importance of Recruiting

[29:38 – 32:40]

• Johnny (Orlando, Vietnam vet) highlights Georgia’s success recruiting Florida kids: “If we could keep Kirby Smart out of Florida, we would have a pretty good team...they had 11 starters from the state of Florida.” (29:44)
• Advocates for rewarding recruiters, not just coaches, in big programs.
• Paul thanks Johnny for service and suggests Florida remains a vital recruiting ground.

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13. Pressures of the 2026 Alabama Football Schedule

[33:09 – 37:20]

• Gunny (caller) references Saban's recent comments and the brutal stretch in Alabama’s schedule (“the sandwich you don’t want” per Marine Corps terminology): “Between six and nine is the sandwich…Georgia, Tennessee, A&M, LSU…they might upset Georgia, which I doubt...they could lose all four of those games.” (36:26)
• Paul underscores the difficulty: “That stretch of Georgia, Tennessee, A&M, and LSU...LSU could be in the thick of the CFP race or they could be done.” (37:20)

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14. Kalyn DeBoer’s Public Persona: Flat Affect and Fan Reactions

[38:08 – 42:31]

• Adrian (caller) theorizes DeBoer’s “flat” demeanor is “rage bait” for Alabama fans: “I swear in front of the media, I think the flatness is almost rage made for us because...we want somebody who sounds like they're more excited to be doing what they're doing…” (38:22)
• Paul analyzes further: “You can read too much into his demeanor—it doesn’t change the game, but it can change the perception of who he is...he knows the only way to [appeal to Alabama fans] is to win, so he just avoids it.” (38:55, 40:21)
• The segment dives deep on how coach personas—not just results—affect fan and (especially) recruiting perceptions.

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Memorable Quotes

• “The idea that Jim Brown never won the Heisman is actually a little more outrageous than even Johnny May.” — Paul Finebaum (02:39)
• “I think Kalyn DeBoer is an outstanding football coach...Not sure he can win one at Alabama.” — Paul Finebaum (04:27)
• “I wanna look at him...I don’t see any damn better place to do it. Right there in Baton Rouge.” — “Old School” (10:11)
• “Every time we expand it, there’s a repositioning and a reset.” — Paul Finebaum on playoff expansion (14:10)
• “There's a lot of layers to Lance Armstrong, but I found him to be very charming, very open...Giving your time to charity...wasn’t the time to litigate [the scandals].” — Paul Finebaum (16:21)
• “You can, you can read too much into his demeanor. It doesn't change the outcome of a game, but it can change the perception of who he is.” — Paul Finebaum on DeBoer (38:55)
• “He knows he does not have the skill set to appeal to the Alabama fan. He knows the only way to do that is to win, so he just avoids it.” — Paul Finebaum (40:21)

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Notable Timestamps

• [01:44] – Heisman Trophy/Johnny Majors/Jim Brown story
• [03:28] – Dan Mullen’s coaching future, speculation on North Carolina/Belichick
• [06:00] – Indiana football's scheduling controversy
• [08:00] – Louisiana’s oil wealth and LSU football donations
• [13:12] – Playoff expansion and job pressure at top SEC programs
• [16:04] – Lance Armstrong, meeting at the Regions Tournament, and charitable events
• [18:24] – Michigan–LSU parallels; Obama’s coaching change
• [25:02] – Atlanta Falcons’ draft/Harold Perkins’ opportunity
• [27:28] – Alabama 1966 and college football politics
• [29:38] – Florida recruiting struggles and Kirby Smart
• [36:26] – Alabama’s 2026 “sandwich” schedule
• [38:08] – Kalyn DeBoer’s demeanor, fan perception, and recruiting
• [41:12] – The role of authenticity in coaching the modern SEC team

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Tone & Language

Paul Finebaum maintains his trademark mix of deep SEC knowledge, wry humor, and willingness to both answer questions directly and let the conversation range into the odd and offbeat. The callers bring regional flavor and deep, sometimes intense, fandom—rivalries and personal stories that capture the culture and color of Southern college football talk radio.

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Summary

This episode is a microcosm of what has made The Paul Finebaum Show an institution: passionate callers, banter about history and current events, critiques of coaches and programs, speculation, humor, and heartfelt moments. With the new playoff system heightening the stakes, perennial discussions about coaching expectations, scheduling, and recruiting are all the more urgent and animated as a new era dawns in college football.

Transcript

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[Paul Feinbaum Show Announcer]

The pride, passion and pageantry of college football lives here. This is the Paul Feinbaum Show. Our two podcast this Might Be College Football.

[Paul Feinbaum]

We're back.

Second hour.

[Caller]

What a good first hour we had. We went down to Baton Rouge with

[Paul Feinbaum]

Gilbo and talked to Dan.

[Caller]

Dan.

[Paul Feinbaum]

We did talk to Dan.

Dan Mullen.

Yeah, I just, I just have such

a hard time wrapping my arms around Dan Mullen being at unlv.

But he was great. I hope you enjoyed that conversation. Let's check in with James in Nashville.

Hey James, Go right ahead.

[Caller]

Hey Paul, I get to watch the show before going to work every day and and I don't have any inspiration during when football season is not around the call but squirrels. Squirrels. Comments about about Robert Neyland brought a story to my mind and you may be familiar with it. I don't know what event it was, but there years later, after Paul Horny won the Heisman Trophy, he came to Neyland and did an event with Johnny Majors. And I don't know what the event was. I don't know what year it was. Maybe you do, but inevitably Paul Horning asked Johnny Majors, who do you think should have won the Heisman Trophy that year? And from what I've been told, Johnny didn't even hesitate. He said Jim Brown from Syracuse is the one who should have won the Heisman Trophy. So I don't know if you can Shed a little light on that story or know anything about it. But if you do, could you elaborate

a little bit about that?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, you know what? I have heard that story and I'm pretty sure I heard. I heard it from, from majors. I don't know. I never knew Horning, but. But the idea that Jim Brown never won the Heisman is actually a little more outrageous than even Johnny May.

Hey, thanks for the call.

So I was wrong about one thing. Hey, great to hear from you. That is

Horning played on a two and eight team. I thought they were one and nine. Actually. Tommy McDonald of Oklahoma, I think came in third.

I don't know the deal on Jim Brown. I always heard Jim Brown was a

better lacrosse player than even a football player.

And he's only probably the best pro football running back of all time. John is up next in Louisville.

[Caller]

Yeah, I met Paul Horning. I'd see him down at the local barbershop. He was a tougher sob. Good afternoon, Paul. And Paul, a great interview with coach Dan Mullen, a very underrated SEC caliber coach and maybe next coach at Southern South Carolina or return to Mississippi State. What do you think?

[Paul Feinbaum]

I tell you the job.

And I'll go ahead and tell you now because I didn't want to say

it with Mullen, but there was some talk about Mullen going to North Carolina before Bill Belichick. And if they fire Belichick, which you and I both know, he will be

gone soon, I wouldn't be surprised if

they go back to Mullen one more time.

[Caller]

Yeah, I like that idea. And may I say you performed a beautiful rendition of Calyn DeBoer's remarks today.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah.

Again, we'll play that later on.

And I'm. I mean, I don't know how many

more times I have to state that.

I think Kalyn DeBoer is an outstanding football coach. And I've said I think he could win a title a lot of places.

I'm not sure he can win one at Alabama.

And I was on with Greenberg today and they played the Nick Saban tape from yesterday. And you know, even listening to Saban say it, I mean, it's pretty clear what he was saying. John, I don't think Nick Saban was, was, was trying to do anything other than lower the expectations for DeBoer.

[Caller]

Absolutely. And by the way, what did you do to Daryl today to make him so angry?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, who was that? Who was that, Daryl?

[Caller]

Darrell.

Yeah. Under Darrell's skin.

Yeah.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Listen, Darrell's just an angry person.

One time when he Wasn't so angry.

He was an amazing caller. Now he just gets so hung up.

He's so myopic in his, in his calls.

I mean, I still like to hear from him, but, you know, I'm not really in a position to debate whether

he should be in the ring of honor or not.

[Caller]

No, he declined it.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I didn't want to be petty and

say, well, you probably weren't going to get in anyway.

But I would say of those on

[Caller]

the board,

[Paul Feinbaum]

and I don't pick it, the backroom guys do. I think he was hardly a favorite to make it from this class.

[Caller]

So. Paul, Indiana football talks a big game but won't play a big name. They don't, you know, they don't operate a hype machine and they don't whine like some in the sec. But boy, Indiana sure as hell knows how to duck and run. Agree.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah.

I mean, I can't imagine why they

couldn't have found something better than what

they have on their schedule this year. Howard, who are the other two? I mean, it's just ridiculous, frankly, when you come off of a national championship.

I mean, play, play the, you know,

play one of the North Dakota schools.

Play somebody that at least gives you an interesting game.

[Caller]

Agreed. Great first segment.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I mean, North Texas. Thanks, North Texas. Howard in Western Kentucky. I mean, that's absurd. Now, their schedule, though, once you, once they get to October 10th, I mean, I think at Nebraska is a little dicey, depending on what time of the day that game is. Ohio State at home, that would be a massive game. That's the same day as Alabama, Tennessee and then at Michigan. I mean, that is a brutal stretch. Southern Cal at home, they should manage that. But Southern Cal is going to be,

I think Southern Cal is at Penn State in Indiana.

I mean, they got, they got really screwed on their schedule. Let's continue with more phone calls now. Thanks for the call, John. Really appreciate it.

And Ken is up next in Louisiana.

Hello, Ken?

[Caller]

Hello.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Hey, good afternoon.

[Caller]

Hi.

This is Ken from Slidell, Louisiana. Yes, sir, you mentioned about lsu, even Louisiana, even though we have a small population, we have a lot of millionaires and billionaires from oil and natural gas. Also the service industries that service the offshore.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Right.

[Caller]

Offshore oil rigs. There's more takeoffs and landings from a place called Fort Fouchon in Louisiana than all three New York airports.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Oh, really? Louisiana.

[Caller]

There's a lot of millionaires. Millionaires and even billionaires in Louisiana people don't know about. Even rice farmers. There's a lot of wealthy people in spots, you know, but it's not. The population is not that big. But we have a lot of millionaires and billionaires from all the natural gas.

Per capita, I think it's equal with Texas.

But because Texas has a larger population, you hear more about it. There's a lot of millionaires and billionaires in Louisiana.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Okay, well, Ken, thanks for that. Yeah, I mean, obviously there is, because they're putting serious money into the LSU football program, or at least that's what we were being told. Old School is up next down in that area of the world in Biloxi.

[Caller]

Paul, what's going on today? Paul? Bob.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Hey there.

[Caller]

Let me tell you, brother. When do you do your best thinking? That's what everybody should be asking themselves right now. You know what? I'm doing my best. I'm heading back to my crib after doing a ride, got the music playing and just thinking, man, does it get

any better than this?

Does it get any better than this? Well, Paul Barbos, last year I missed you by 10 minutes when that country singing was leaving in Baton Rouge is when I arrived. But this year I'm gonna be back over there. I am going to be right there with the crew of Old School. That's two blocks where you are. And I, I. This is what I want. I want Chris from Cal, South Carolina, if you listen and say with all due respect, with all due respect to the gentleman that I am in the night, and I know that you are, I want you face to face behind the five. Bob, stand behind the rail. I want to feel you, brother. I want to look man to man, model to damn motto. Now, that's your invitation. I'm gonna be there whether you there or.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Hey, Old School.

[Caller]

What?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Are you still in training for that boxing match or has that been shelled?

[Caller]

Hell, no, I'm not. No. Hell, no, I'm not training. I'm not in training, but I'm more out of shape than I've ever been. But I tell you what, you gotta have a face off before you have a fight. I want to feel him. I want, I want to stand there. Listen, he's a friend of mine, right? But I still, you know, I don't. There's some things about disrespect I don't like toward an older anybody. That's just me. I don't want any, any ass kid gonna tell me, tell me. At 17 game one years old, I don't put a whole lot of marriage back anyway. But I want, if you know what I mean. Let's go face to face, nose to nose, look in each other's eyes and see who's gonna submit to the alpha. I want, I want him nose to know, man, I wanna, I wanna look at him and I don't see any damn better place to do it. Right there in Baton Rouge. Well, I'm gonna have about a lot of fans because I've been a taco fan for a while.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Okay, well, I'll tell you what, we'll be there and you guys are welcome to have a friendly conversation. Thank you, old school. We're up against the break. Busy, busy show so far. Don't know exactly how to settle that little conversation, but we will try.

[Paul Feinbaum Show Announcer]

When we come back, you're listening to the Paul Feinbaum show podcast

[Commercial Voice]

and we

[Paul Feinbaum]

are back and taking your phone calls. And let's check in with Larry up next in Austin. Hey, Larry. Good afternoon.

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It could be chronic migraine, 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting four hours or more.

[Botox Informant]

Botox Onobotulinum toxin a prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for Those who have 14

[Botox Warning Voice]

or fewer headache days a month.

[Botox Patient]

Prescription Botox is injected by your doctor.

[Botox Warning Voice]

Effects of Botox may spread hours to weeks after injection, causing serious symptoms.

[Botox Informant]

Alert your doctor right away as difficulty

[Botox Patient]

swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a life threatening condition. Patients with these conditions before injection are at highest risk.

[Botox Warning Voice]

Side effects may include allergic reactions, neck

[Botox Patient]

and injection site pain, fatigue and headache. Allergic reactions can include rash, welts, asthma symptoms and dizziness.

[Botox Warning Voice]

Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection.

[Botox Patient]

Tell your doctor your medical history. Muscle or nerve conditions including als, Lou Gehrig's disease, myasthenia gravis or Lambert Eaton syndrome and medications including botulinum toxins as

[Botox Warning Voice]

these may increase the risk of serious side effects.

[Botox Narrator]

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[Caller]

Hey Paul, appreciate you taking my call.

My comments.

Last question is regarding the. How long it takes a coach at a Top Flight program to be on the hot seat. I mean, say the decade where we spent with 14 playoffs. It was kind of unrealistic to expect your team to make the playoffs every year, even every other year, unless your name was Nick Saban. Because once you got that, that second loss, your goose was pretty well cooked. But now we got 12 spots, and I'm just thinking SEC right now. Although you could throw some Big Ten teams in here, say Georgia, Texas, lsu, Alabama, you could probably throw OU in there if you're one of those programs. I gotta think if you go two years, two consecutive years and you don't sniff the playoffs, you're not gonna lose your job. And I gotta believe you're gonna start to feel some heat and Lord help them after we go to 16. So I'd just like to get your. Your thoughts on that and I appreciate what you do.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Thank you very much, Larry. Yeah, I think every time, every time we expand it, there's a repositioning and a reset. Thanks for the call. Really great to hear from you. And Michael in Alabama is up next. Hey, Michael.

[Caller]

Hey, Paul. Thanks for taking my call.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Thank you.

[Caller]

Changing gears a little bit in honor of the Tour going on. I have a fun story that I think you might enjoy hearing. I had a good job in the service industry when I was a student some years ago. And we had this closet space on the other side of the lobby where, you know, if you were. If you had a flight to catch later today or something, you come check your luggage or check some items or whatever, and we would hold it for you. So my colleague. There was a cycling event in town. My colleague hands me this bicycle and asked me to take it to the closet for him. So I'm walking across the lobby and my boss at the time was walking the other way and she stopped me and said, be very careful with that. That bike belongs to Lance Armstrong. So, you know, I'm standing there nervous at that point, but just careful not to. I mean, I did ask a cycling friend sometime later, later on, like, how much he thought that might. That bike might have been worth. It was a lot more money than I had at the time. But anyways, that's as close to the Tour that I've ever gotten or felt. I'm wondering if you've ever done any. Anything regarding the Tour or have done anything with Lance and have a story to tell.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah. Hey, thank you very much, Michael, for the Call. I really, I mean, I know a lot about Lance. I met him in late April when we were doing our show from the Regions Tournament. He was a special guest.

I was told that the only reason he agreed to play golf that day was he wanted to play with Saban.

[Caller]

And.

[Paul Feinbaum]

And he came on and it was a little bit intimidating because, I mean, this guy. There was a lot of layers to Lance Armstrong, but I found him to be very charming, very open. You know, there's a lot of places you don't want to go when you're interviewing Lance Armstrong. Everybody knows how his career ended and the scandal that followed him. And I didn't really think that was the day. Giving your time to charity, raising money for young people was the time to litigate it. It's already been litigated, but it was really a fascinating conversation. It was one of the most iconic athletes ever. Thanks so much for the call, Wolverine. Jeff is up next in Ohio. Hello, Jeff.

[Caller]

Hello, Paul.

And thank you very much for having me on. And I think that you just showed a lot of class by not going there with through plants for such a charity event. It's just the kind of guy you are. And so anyway, Paul, I was calling about a couple of days before you went to New York for your. To receive your lifetime achievement award. Legend had called in and said, oh, congratulations, by the way, Paul. Nobody deserved it more. We're all very happy for you. Anyway, back to the. The comment by Legend. He said that Michigan was the LSU of the Southeast Conference. And I thought that was a very intriguing statement. And I got to thinking about it and I kind of like it. LSU is a team I've respected and really loved to watch most of my life because their night venue, I believe, is the best venue on Saturday nights from September right through November. I'm partial to the afternoon games in Michigan, of course, but we don't play a lot of night games. In fact, we didn't even play a night game until, I believe it was 2011 against Notre Dame.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Oh, yeah, I remember that game. Sorry, I said I remember that game.

[Caller]

Well, yes, it was an incredible comeback. And right here. Have you ever seen that special, Paul? It's like an hour special and it's about a guy who has a heart attack during the, like in the fourth quarter, and the Notre Dame fan saves his life somehow. It's. I saw it on, I think it was one of those ESPN films. But anyway, Paul, back to LSU in Michigan. You know, I really, I thought that his comment was, you know, in the made because of the upcoming season, because we have new coaches, as you know, and we, we have. We want to be contenders, but I think our schedules are just too difficult to really. To be realistically hopeful we can actually make the playoffs. What do you think?

[Paul Feinbaum]

I think, Jeff, I'm pretty fired up about Michigan. I think the Wolverines are literally on

the cut line and it just depends.

Obviously, Oklahoma game is a must win.

And then how do you know how, how.

How do they deal with.

I like Iowa being at home. I think that's a big advantage. Penn State at home, tremendous advantage. Indiana, I. The schedule is, is.

Is.

I was about to say the schedule is pretty good until it's not. I see two losses at the end of the season and Michigan can somehow run the table up until Indiana. I think there's a faint chance of maybe getting in the field with a 93 record, considering they would have lost

to probably three of the top six

or seven teams in the country. But that's the only way. I mean, nine and three, it would

[Caller]

be, it would be.

[Paul Feinbaum]

It would be a really close call.

[Caller]

Well, the two that stand out the most are at Oregon, at Ohio State. But if we could get the Indiana win, Penn State win that, it feels so much like just Oklahoma and Michigan like last year. The winner will probably make the playoffs. The winner may be home. Hey, Paul, got a second for a side note?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah.

By the way, I think they could do it. I think Michigan could go 10 and 2.

[Caller]

Well, I've never had so much anticipation to see assistant coaches earn their pay because they're going to. If they could just develop our quarterback, which to the level we were hoping for last year. Paul, just to be shoe straight with you, he played poorly in all four games that were against good teams, good defenses, and I did not see much difference in the spring game against Michigan's defense. It's the only weakness, believe it or not, with such a talented player, I have to wait and see. But hey, Paul, I thought you might be interested in knowing that, you know. Did you know Paul McCartney had a new book out called Wings?

[Paul Feinbaum]

I have not seen that, no.

[Caller]

It's an excellent book.

I got it as a Christmas present for my daughter. And it's all about Wings, though. And I think you really enjoy it. If you're as big of a Beatle fan as I thought that you were. And, you know, I don't think he ever really plays a hole in his. In himself with the loss of John, just like we all feel it, you really feel it more and you feel a little sad for him, but I feel a little sad for myself too. But what's cool about the about Wings and the way he writes is he talks about how they began like a garage band. They traveled incognito all over England to little towns that had colleges and they would play it spontaneously. They call a student union and the person in charge of entertainment at like Newcastle or any of these universities, they just show up and play in front of 18, 800 people and they just get on the road, get in the van and the roadies would be behind them. But that's how they began. And they went until they went back, went back to the arenas and they

made it that far.

And he talks about band on the Run and that's really kind of how his theme is they actually had to escape a couple of hotels.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Jeff, listen, we're up against the break, but thank you for the suggestion. I will grab that one. Up against, up against the break. Busy, busy show so far. Dan Mullen was with us earlier. Your phone calls are straight ahead.

[Paul Feinbaum Show Announcer]

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[Paul Feinbaum]

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[Caller]

Paul, thanks for taking my call. I hope you're doing well today, brother. Sir, I'm sure you probably heard yesterday about the Jalen Walker with the Atlanta Falcons with the torn acl. And I was telling you back when the NFL draft was coming on and I was telling you about when the Falcon took Harold Perkins Jr got LSU. Well I think when a lot of in a later round and everything and I think now he's going to get a time to get time to shine with the Falcon. Even though he had an injury prone career at lsu.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Do you think that he was going

[Caller]

to get the Falcon should give him a good chance of trying to see what he can do because one thing

[Paul Feinbaum]

he can't do is rush the passer. Yeah, I've been waiting for a long time for him to return to that flash of brilliance that we once saw him have. So I'm confident of that.

[Caller]

Yes sir.

Yeah. Well Paul, well you have a great day. Man. Storming pretty bad right here in the atl, man. My power is off. I'm already in the darts. I'm in the double dart now. So let me try to get myself situated.

Have a great day, Paul.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Jay, we're all thinking here. Thanks for the call. Appreciate it very very much. Bob is up next in Texas. Hello Bob, good afternoon.

[Caller]

Hey, how you doing?

My name is Robert Whisrow. I'm a LSU alum from 1975. Have you ever done a show or segment on how much politics has influenced NCAA football through the years? And you know I can think of many specific examples. I guess the Alabama situation 1966 when they were denied a championship and I think ole miss in 62 and then even politics entering who bowls invite because they didn't want their teams to face a certain other other team which is like 1969 when the Cottonwell didn't want Texas to face LSU because LSU was 9 and 1 and in all probability would have beaten them because they invited seven and three Notre Dame team. They just barely beat them that year. But I was just curious have y' all ever done just a segment to kind of educate everybody on all the different things. Another example I forgot what you brought in Michigan program today is Johnny Majors deal with Paul Harney. But have you ever thought about doing a segment or a show covering that specific. How much politics has influenced NCAA football? You know.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, Bob, I think it's a matter of interpretation and I do think politics plays a role in almost everything in life. But I think in some of the examples that you've given, I'm not sure I would subscribe to the term politics. The reason why Alabama didn't win the national championship in 1966 had more to do with an attitude from around the country toward Alabama for having a segregated team. Now you can say that's political.

[Caller]

Yes, Polity.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, I'll leave that to the history books to determine the definition of certain policies that were foreign to the rest of the country and politics. But I hear what you're saying. There was also a criticism of Alabama back then for its schedule. I think the opening game was against Louisiana Tech. And the only reason I even know all this is I read the book Missing Ring that detailed the entire season. But I mean, there's no question the south as a general rule was scorned by many, many people. And it goes back clearly to the Civil War.

[Caller]

Yeah, they couldn't beat him on the field, so they had to use other ways to scorn them, I guess. Well, thank you so much.

Like I said, I'd like to see

a program of, even if there's no clear cut

determination. I just think it'd be interesting to.

Listening to the pros and cons of 66 and pros and cons of 62, pros and cons of 69. I just, I just think it'd be interesting because.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, no, but.

Well, Bob, thank you very much. I think, I think the south has made up for that since then, though. Hey, thanks for the call. Appreciate it very. It doesn't help if you're on one of those teams, though. Let's check in with Johnny in Orlando. Hello, Johnny, good afternoon.

[Caller]

How you doing?

[Paul Feinbaum]

We're doing great, thank you.

[Caller]

I want to call and ask you a couple questions. I'm a disabled Vietnam veteran and they're shaving us away pretty quick. But Paul, I wanted to ask you about Florida. You know, if we could keep Kirby Smart out of Florida, we would have pretty good team. And the reason I say that, Paul, is I was watching when Georgia was playing down in Miami for the national championship in which they won and the master says they have 11 starters from the state of Florida. Do you remember that game?

[Paul Feinbaum]

I sure do.

[Caller]

And I, I just. In that I, I wanted to say that Paul, and Paul also, I want to ask you a question, I think personally myself, I think in order to have a good, a good football team, you got to have three players at least and their offense, a great wide receiver, a great throwing, running quarterback and a great running back, like a full back back. I think if you can put on the field those players. And Paul, we have all kinds players like that in Florida and I know other states do too. But because of Florida's population, we can put on the field in many, many areas, make programs. Ohio State, Michigan, Texas. We had a top running back in the country here in Orlando and he went to Texas. But you know, the kids have the choice of where they want to go and that's fine. But I, I just, what I'm asking Paul, is we, I think personally, let me say this is we need to pay recruiters on how they do. Pay a coach good money, but pay the recruiters because if you don't recruit well, you're not going to have a great football team. And you can get an average coach, which most of them are best coaches are probably in the Division 2 areas where they actually get with the kids. But that's the way I feel. Paul, what do you think?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Johnny, first of all, thank you very much for calling. It's always good to catch up with you and you be well and thank you for your service. Why don't we take a break here. We'll digest a lot of what has been said and be back right after this.

[Paul Feinbaum Show Announcer]

You're listening to the Paul Feinbaum show podcast.

[Paul Feinbaum]

We are back and Gunny returns to the show.

[Caller]

Yes.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Hello Gunny. Hello Paul.

[Caller]

I just want to call. I've been trying to call you for since yesterday when I heard the statement that Saban made and I'll tell you why he made that statement Right in the middle of Alabama schedule between six and nine is the sandwich and being.

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[Botox Patient]

I get so many headaches every month.

[Botox Narrator]

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[Botox Informant]

Botox. Onobotulinum toxin A prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for Those who have 14

[Botox Warning Voice]

or fewer headache days a month.

[Botox Patient]

Prescription Botox is injected by your doctor.

[Botox Warning Voice]

Effects of Botox may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms.

[Botox Informant]

Alert your doctor right away as difficulty

[Botox Patient]

swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a life threatening condition. Patients with these conditions before injection are at highest risk.

[Botox Warning Voice]

Side effects may include allergic reactions, neck

[Botox Patient]

and injection site pain, fatigue and headache. Allergic reactions can include rash, welts, asthma symptoms and dizziness.

[Botox Warning Voice]

Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection.

[Botox Patient]

Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions including als, Lou Gehrig's disease, Myasthenia gravis or Lambert Eaton syndrome, and medications including botulinum toxins as these

[Botox Warning Voice]

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[Paul Feinbaum]

Hey Gunny, if you could. I always hate to ask somebody to do this because the whole purpose is to watch the show. But if you could turn that TV down for a second while we're talking, I sure will.

[Caller]

Trying to find. How's that? There we go. Anyway, we call this in the Marine Corps, you know, we call this a sandwich. And it's the kind of sandwich you don't want. And I can't say what kind of sandwich it is on the air because I don't want you to cut me off. But it's a sandwich that they give you in the Marine Corps, but you don't want it. But you have to eat it. That's all you can do. Here's the deal. I guarantee you they've been preparing for Georgia the sixth game of the season all season long. They're coming into Georgia and then LSU is number nine. So. But between them is Tennessee and. And I expect that Alabama will lose at least three of those games.

[Paul Feinbaum Show Announcer]

Yeah.

[Paul Feinbaum]

So you think he's just trying to. So you think Saban was aware of that particular type of bologna sandwich, huh?

[Caller]

Yes, and yeah, I'm sure he was. I mean, he sees that deal there. It's a preparation thing. They can prepare for Georgia for six weeks.

Right.

And all fall and all that stuff. But when they don't have but a week to prepare for Tennessee and a week to prepare for A and M and then a week to prepare for lsu. So they might come in and they might upset Georgia, which I doubt that they'll do that. But they could lose all four of those games.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Oh, yeah, no, no, listen, that stretch of Georgia, Tennessee, A and M&LSU. Now a lot depends on One thing and you know, Tennessee plays Tennessee, Tennessee plays Texas beforehand, and Georgia plays Oklahoma. And A and M has a tough schedule. But I'm really curious about LSU because LSU could be in the thick of the CFP race or they could be done. And if they are done, I think Alabama could steal that game. But if LSU is still playing for a playoff berth on November 7th, then I would favor your right. I think LSU is. Gunny, it's always great to hear from you. What a pleasure. You be well. Thank you for your service as well. And Adrian is up next. Good afternoon.

[Caller]

How are we doing? I've got a theory now that, you know, DeBoer is a smart guy. I honestly think his affect is so flat that it's like rage bait for Alabama fans.

[Paul Feinbaum]

So you're talking about the way he

[Caller]

talks, just the way his whole affect, he's just so flat all the time. And it's so in distinction to what Alabama fans are used to. They're used to a charismatic coach that's loud, that's obnoxious, that's, you know, emotional. And it's almost like, I mean, because he's clearly a players coach, the players love him. I bet he's very much more natural around them. But I swear in front of the media, I think the flatness is almost rage made for us because we want somebody who sounds like they're more excited to be doing what they're doing than he ever seems to be.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah.

I mean, listen, I know and I'm guilty of this. You can, you can read too much into his demeanor. It doesn't change the outcome of a game, but it can change the perception of who he is. And there is a trickle down effect to that. That's the concern I have. But he, listen, his only shot is on the field because he's never going to win a press conference.

[Caller]

No. And that's not what I'm paying him for. And for me personally, I kind of enjoy watching it. But it's really just more to a certain extent if you're a CEO managing a program, part of what you have to do is play to your fan base. That's part of your donor base. That's part of me. It's like there's other components to it besides just being really, really smart and really, really good at the coaching part. And it just, you know, whether it's intentional or not, it's. I don't know if he doubles down on. I'm not going to get excited about this because people want me to be more excited about this. But the flatness, I think to a certain extent, even if it's negative attention, it still gets us talking about him and it still makes it still part of the conversation. But it's just a theory and it's probably not true. But it really, it fascinates me just how incredibly monotone he is about everything from explaining what why we don't have a run game to explaining the transfer portal to explaining good things that happen. It just feels like it always comes from the exact same base.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, I also, I also think, Adrian, it comes from knowing what's behind the curtain and he knows what he's inherited. He knows that he does not have the skill set to appeal to the Alabama fan. He knows the only way to do that is to win, so he just avoids it. I think it's more of an avoidance situation and it comes off really questionable. But he also has almost an $80 million security blanket. So does he really care? Probably not.

[Caller]

Probably not. And honestly applaud if anybody just is who they are and says this is who I am and I'm not changing. I have to apply that authenticity. So maybe I'll look at it from that angle.

[Paul Feinbaum]

I'd like to hear him actually say that though, as opposed to this robotic, paint by numbers AI generated speech that he has.

[Caller]

100%. 100%.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Thank you, Adrian. Yeah, again, that's the great part of the season is the press conferences get interpreted less, especially if you win. Everything is about what happens. But right now that is a topic and it's not only a topic here. I think some people get confused that there is that there are other worlds out there. And for every sycophantic Alabama reporter that stands up and stomps his or her feet defending Kwyn DeBoer, there are others around the country who are watching like they're like they were today on ESPN

and going like, why?

Why is that guy that way? Now what you have to hope is some player isn't watching somewhere else, some 16 or 17 year old who's about to make a decision between Georgia, Ohio State and Alabama saying, I don't know if I want to play for that guy. I'd rather play for Ryan Day or Kirby Smart or maybe Steve Sarkeesian who has a little more emotion. We'll take a break. More to come, more of your phone calls.

Straight ahead.

[Caller]

Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today.

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[Paul Feinbaum]

And breathe.

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