Hour 4: Callers

Summary

The Paul Finebaum Show – Hour 4: Callers (July 28, 2026)

Episode Overview The final hour of "The Paul Finebaum Show" is devoted to engaging calls from passionate SEC and college football fans, spurring spirited debates and lighthearted banter about quarterback battles, running game optimism, coach legacies, SEC superiority, and the persistent presence of Clemson and Dabo Sweeney in SEC conversations.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Sam Levitt and SEC QB Rankings

• Caller Rick humorously corrects an earlier mix-up between Phil Robertson and Phil Jackson, then dives into college football: he asks where a healthy Sam Levitt (LSU) would rank among SEC quarterbacks.
• Paul: "100% healthy. I mean, I would put him up there with Trinidad Chambliss and Arch Manning." (01:55)
• Both Rick and Paul see Levitt as a top-3 SEC quarterback if healthy, signaling high expectations for LSU.

Dabo Sweeney Fatigue and SEC Banter

• Rick mocks the idea of seeing Dabo Sweeney’s picture every morning, calling it a "horror show" (02:28).
• Paul: “Dabo is so played out. And my biggest beef... isn't that he's a barely average coach anymore… Greatness does not equate telling everybody that you were once great.” (02:39)
• The pair agree that Dabo’s past glories are no longer relevant—a frequent theme as callers refer to both Dabo and Clemson.

Alabama’s Running Game and Quarterback Situation

• Caller Cody is optimistic about Alabama's run game with veterans like Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, and newcomer Crowell, emphasizing the potential for veteran leadership and rejuvenating the Tides’ rushing attack (03:28).
• Paul agrees that experienced backs are important and points to the quarterback as a key variable (05:52).
• Caller Vaughn switches to discuss Bama’s QB prospects, arguing that the post-Saban era requires a true playmaker at quarterback. He advocates for Keelan Russell to start, moving beyond the “game manager” model (05:04).
• Paul: “If Keon Russell, he’s the quarterback, the run game just became a lot easier… He’s such a great threat on the field, he’s going to open everything else up and take the pressure off.” (05:52)

Five-for-Five Eligibility Rule & Mississippi State Expectations

• Caller Jerry asks about the “five for five” (five years to play five seasons) rule.
• Paul confirms it has passed and will apply to all NCAA sports (06:52).
• Jerry wonders about MSU’s new coach, Jeff Lebby—how many wins would secure his job?
• Paul: “I see the possibility of six wins... I think anywhere around six wins and Jeff Lebby will continue getting encouragement and there will be optimism...” (07:30)

Missouri Pride and SEC-Tradition

• Caller Blake shares a personal story about his family watermelon farm and his father’s influence on his Mizzou fandom (09:13). Blake expresses gratitude for the SEC’s overall sports excellence: “The SEC, top to bottom in every major sport, is the best league in Division 1. It’s not even a competition.” (10:46)

Transfer Rules and NIL

• Caller Mary Jo brings up NIL and transfers, suggesting athletes should only transfer once in four years: “Let’s wake up. This whole system really needs to be fixed… One transfer, Paul.” (14:12)
• Paul: “Covid really disrupted all this… The liberalization of college football really created a lot of the mess that we’re [in]. It needed to loosen up ... now it’s too far to the other side. I think it’s coming back, though.” (14:27)

Clemson-SEC Rivalry & Dabo Debate

• Caller Mark (Florida alum, daughter at South Carolina) questions why Clemson fans feature so prominently on an SEC show. He goes deep into the history of Clemson and South Carolina leaving the ACC, Dabo’s lack of success with portal QBs, and the ongoing rivalry (15:18).
• Paul: “Chris just can’t get over himself. I mean, he’s very much like Dabo Sweeney. He’s living in a finite period of time between 2015 and 2021, when Clemson was relevant. They’re not anymore, and they just can’t get past it.” (17:26)
  He repeats his previous quip: “Dabo Sweeney was stuck on stupid. That pretty much applies to all of his fans as well.” (17:26)

SEC Strength of Schedule & CFP Committee Bias

• Caller Brad brings up Phil Steele’s strength of schedule analysis—14 out of the top 25 toughest schedules are SEC teams. He contrasts this with Notre Dame’s schedule at 66, calls out the CFP committee’s bias for 11-1 records over 10-2 teams with harder schedules.
• Paul: “They’ll put in the, they’ll put in the 11-1 team because that’s what they’ve done in the past… They haven’t convinced me yet.” (22:13)
• Brad shares a humorous moment about Paul’s close encounter with an alligator on-stage in Gainesville: “That gator, I mean, we came nose to nose... what I found out later... Gators don't snap. They charge you and put their hands around your neck… If that gator had made one move… I don’t know if I’d been dead, because I do think Tebow was strong enough to pull it off of me.” (23:04)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Paul Feinbaum:

  • On Dabo: “My biggest beef with Dabo isn’t... he’s a barely average coach anymore. It’s the posity of having to remind everyone what he used to do.” (02:39)
  • On SEC scheduling: “14 of [Phil Steele’s top 25] are SEC teams.” (21:26)
  • On the CFP committee: “They’ll put in the 11-1 team because that’s what they’ve done in the past...” (22:13)

• Caller Chris (South Carolina):

  • “I ain’t gonna apologize... I talk about college football, you just don’t hear me... this man’s been doing the same way since day one. He stood on his principle... You just can’t have a chat book anybody. Can’t do it.” (26:31)
  • On Paul and SEC bias: “Y’all are stuck in the past. Definitely you, because you always want to say... the SEC so tough to play... But we’re gonna put facts on it and facts only...” (27:48)

• Caller AJ:

  • “All that Clemson helium up in his big ass head... it all has to come out before the season starts because he knows he will not have another breath to take.” (29:10, on Chris)
  • On "black hat" callers: “The regulator hasn’t found one yet. All you got to do is not be able to finish a sentence in a three-minute phone call. And you got to be an Alabama fan too.” (30:35)

• Caller Dylan:

  • “I mean, just... you come on here... I’m stuttering like hell right now because I’m so pissed off, but I’m always pissed off. That’s just the way it is.” (34:27)

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Other Topics and Callbacks

• Missouri callers and Watermelon farming provide a human touch and sense of community (09:13)
• NIL & transfer policy seen as needing reform (14:12)
• Clemson in the SEC?: Resurfacing the conference realignment what-if (19:15)
• Ole Miss Over/Under: Paul thinks 7.5 wins is too low. “9 and 3 looks a lot more realistic than 7 and 5.” (31:49)
• Show culture: Longtime running banter on “black hats,” “regulators,” and fan allegiances, especially among Alabama and Clemson partisans, culminating in playful caller rivalries (30:35, 34:27)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Sam Levitt/LSU QB Rankings: 01:26 – 02:01
• Dabo Sweeney critique: 02:39 – 03:04
• Alabama run game optimism: 03:28 – 05:04
• Bama QB discussion: 05:04 – 05:52
• Mississippi State & Five-for-Five Rule: 06:32 – 08:36
• SEC vs. ACC history/Clemson: 15:18 – 19:15
• Strength of Schedule, CFP Logic: 21:23 – 22:30
• Alligator stage story: 23:04 – 24:08
• Caller Chris (South Carolina) brings fire: 26:31 – 29:06
• Caller AJ’s roast of Chris and black hats: 29:10 – 31:22
• Ole Miss win projections: 31:28 – 32:41
• Caller rivalry, black hat banter: 33:24 – 34:48

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Tone and Language

The show is marked by humor, playful rivalry, and deep college football knowledge. Callers and Paul alike blend sharp analysis with colorful language, regional pride, and inside jokes, creating a convivial yet sometimes spicy SEC fan community atmosphere.

Transcript

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[Paul Feinbaum]

the pride, passion and pageantry of college football lives here. This is the Paul Feinbaum show, our four podcasts.

[Caller Chris]

This might be college football

[Paul Feinbaum]

back final hour of our program on a Tuesday. And we'd love to hear from you at 855-242-7285. And Rick is up next from Houston. Hello, R. Hey, Paul.

[Caller Rick]

Welcome back.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Good to have you back.

[Caller Rick]

But you know, Paul, a couple of things. First off, I have to, I have to imagine that Phil Robertson was not a good fit with the Lakers because I can't imagine that there were many duck hunters on the, on the team, if you know what I mean.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, I was, I just kind of, I kind of rolled with that one.

[Caller Rick]

You did. I'm just, I'm just poking fun. I know she meant Phil Jackson, but still had to bring it up. But Paul, you know, want to talk about Sam Levitt and LSU and if he's healthy. Oh, got a question for you. If Levitt is healthy, where would he, where would be he be in your SEC quarterback rankings if he's completely healthy,

[Paul Feinbaum]

100% healthy. I mean, I would put him up there with Trinidad Chambliss and Arch Manning.

[Caller Rick]

Yeah, I think he'd be a top three quarterback for sure. Man, I can't wait, I can't wait until the season starts. And I heard the princess little blurb about Dabo coming down and punching Lane Kiffin in the mouth, but we all know that's not going to happen. And the other thing, Paul, is, I can't imagine getting up every morning and going to, going into the restroom or the bathroom and having to look at a picture of Dabo Sweeney like the guy was talking about the other day. That would be more like a horror show to me.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, listen, I mean, Dabo is so played out. And my biggest beef with Dabo isn't the fact that he's a, he's a barely average coach anymore. It's just a, it's, it's the posity of having to remind everyone what he used to do. Nobody. Greatness does not equate telling everybody that you were Once. Great.

[Caller Rick]

Absolutely.

[Caller AJ]

All right, Paul.

[Caller Rick]

Well, like I said, man, great to have you back. Have a great rest of the show, brother.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Thank you, Rick. Take care. Be well. Let's check in with Cody in Shelby, North Carolina. Hello, Shelby. Hello, Cody. Excuse me.

[Caller Cody]

How's it going?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Doing great, thank you.

[Caller Cody]

Yes, sir. I know Bama's run game was a big problem last year and I'm sure they've had time to work out a plan to get more production there. And I haven't lost faith in Grub's offense, but I'm assuming that guys like Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley and Beer maybe, you know, they're. They're three backs, they've got experience, they're physically talented. They should be able to carry the load for the Tide. They also recruited Crowell. I mean, he was the number one ranked running back in his class, so hopefully he'll get some opportunities to play this year. And I'm sure he's going to have some nerves. But do you think that the guys like Hill and Riley Deer, these guys that's got experience, they could help him along, maybe help him grow and maybe Bama's run game could flourish again? Or do you think those guys will be feeling pressure maybe to perform up to the standard, maybe knowing that they've got to be better this year because Growl, he's talented, you know, But I think it begins and ends with how Hill, Riley, these guys with experience perform. And I just want to say to Handsome Joe and Lansing, Roll Tide, boys, it's a new season and we're still breathing.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Thank you, Cody. Thank you. Vaughn is up next. Hey, Vaughn. Good afternoon to you.

[Caller Brad]

Hi, Phil.

[Caller Vaughn]

I know you're busy, so I'll make this quick. I just want to talk about the Alabama run or not the run game, the quarterback situation. I think we're past the Saban era where we could have a pretty average quarterback and him just be a distributor to the rest of the team. And our defense dominate and our defense definitely still dominates. But I think it's important that we have a dynamic guy back there because we saw last year how Tyson opened the year with him being creative and making big throws and big moments and we were successful, but then kind of figured him out and he wasn't able to move past it, which I think is an issue. And that's why I think Keelan Russell should start this year. And I just wanted to hear your thoughts on competition there.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, I mean, the guy that just called a minute ago, Cody, talking about the run game, if Keon Russell, he's the quarterback. The run game just became a lot easier for reasons which we don't need to detail. But he's. He's such a great threat on the, on the field. He's going to open everything else up and we'll take the pressure off. He'll take the pressure off what was a pretty anemic offensive line last year. Hey, thanks for the call. Appreciate it very, very much. Let me check in with Jerry, who is in Mississippi. Hello, Jerry.

[Caller Jerry]

Hey, Paul, how you doing? I'm glad you took my call. I've got two questions ask you, Paul. One of the first one is this five for five, you know, five years to play, five years, Is that going to be passed or is it. Has it been passed or what do you think about that?

[Paul Feinbaum]

I believe that was passed, yes.

[Caller Jerry]

Well, I just wondered if it was, would that include all sports like football,

[Caller Brad]

baseball, basketball,

[Caller Jerry]

do you think?

[Paul Feinbaum]

There's no, there's no differentiating when we. Once you have a rule, it doesn't matter.

[Caller Jerry]

Okay.

[Caller Vaughn]

Okay.

[Caller Rick]

All right.

[Caller Jerry]

Let me ask you another question. Mississippi State, how many games the state have to win for the coach to keep the job? Five, six or seven?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, I don't think there's a specific number. I think there's optimism with Jeff Levy. One thing I know about Mississippi State, they're not eager to keep making coaching changes. They've made an. Unfortunately, after Coach Leach, they've had to go through a couple of different changes. You look at that schedule, if they can get a win at Minnesota, and I think they can, they've got a chance to get off to a pretty good start. I like their chances of having a winning season, especially maybe grabbing a couple of wins late. I'm talking about Vanderbilt, Auburn and Texas tech. Those are three home games that are very winnable. I see 1, 2, 3, 4. I mean, I see the possibility of six wins. It's a little bit dicey, but I think anywhere around six wins and Jeff Lebby will continue getting encouragement and there will be optimism about his future. Thank you for the call. Appreciate it. And Blake is up next in Missouri. Hello, Blake.

[Caller Blake]

Hey, Paul, how you doing? Good to see you back.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Thank you.

[Caller Blake]

Been a while since I've called in. I don't know if you remember me or not. You said you stop in Sykeston on your way to Cardinal games. And you as a kid from. From Memphis.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yes, sir, I sure did. There was. Okay, let me see if I remember correctly from being a kid. There was. Went through Arkansas, went across the bridge, there was Cape Girardo. And Sykeston, I think. Was that the right order?

[Caller Mark]

That's right.

[Caller Blake]

Yeah. We're right in between St. Louis and Memphis. Right on 55. I farm with my dad.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Okay.

[Caller Blake]

We farm. We're the seventh largest watermelon farm in the state of Missouri, and we also farm soybeans, but we ship watermelon. We ship watermelons all over the United States. And we're in our season right now, shipping watermelons out all across the country.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, that is. I mean, I was in a store the other day and I saw a lot of watermelons. I'm assuming this is watermelon season.

[Caller Blake]

It is, yeah. We're right in the heart of watermelon season. But reason I called in today, I heard. I heard the fella with the health problems and with himself and his family, and I wanted to call in. My dad is just recently had a stroke, and he's the one that kind of got me into college sports. And I attended the University of Missouri. Am a big time Mizzou fan. And me and him used to go to a lot of games when I was a kid and football and basketball. And I'm currently a season ticket holder at Mizzou. And thanks to my dad. And I don't know that he'll be able to attend games with me anymore, but it sure has been an honor to be in the sec. We like it much better than we did in the Big 12. And the SEC, top to bottom in every major sport, is the best league in Division 1. It's not even a competition.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, hey, Blake, thank you for the call. All the best to your dad. I hope he could bounce back. Great to hear from you and I'll thank you next time I'm in Sykes. Then we'll take a short break. We're up against the break. If you want to give us a call, we can work you in here at 855-242-7285, 45 remaining on a Tuesday afternoon.

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[Paul Feinbaum]

You know, when you're locked in, focused and fearless.

[Caller Mary Jo]

Welcome to the wnba.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Your vision narrows.

[Caller Mary Jo]

You can't look away.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You every assist, every stop, every logo, three from beyond the logo, every did, you'd see that moment.

[Commercial Announcer]

What records are going to be broken this season?

[Paul Feinbaum]

All of it. Right here.

[Caller AJ]

Lock in.

[Commercial Announcer]

It's the WNBA on ESPN all season long.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You're listening to the Paul Feinbaum show podcast back.

Great to hear from all of you. And Mary Jo is up next in Missouri. Hello, Mary Jo.

[Caller Mary Jo]

Hi, Paul. How are you?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Oh, great.

[Caller Mary Jo]

Good to be back on. And I want to wish you a happy birthday and thank you. When I turn 70, I'm 75 now. I celebrate my birthday for almost one month.

[Caller Vaughn]

Really?

[Caller Mary Jo]

I sure do. Also, Paul, I was in Como this summer. I stopped by to visit Coach Looper, remember? And I know you. You're a friend of his. And I got to meet Ahmad Hardy. I'd never met him. I met his wife and baby boy. And I tell you, Paul, that hit us all so hard this summer. And you know, it comes under the category you never know what's going to happen. And he is such a fine man and we all believe in him. And I know he'll be back. And I'm excited about Mizzou football. But Paul, I want to go on the record. I am. I think when you take a scholarship at a school and take money with nil, you're a freshman. You should only get to transfer once in four years. And I mean, let's wake up. This whole system really needs to be fixed. I don't have all the answers. I have some answers. One transfer, Paul.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, Mary Jo, I agree with you. Covid really disrupted all this. Everybody went crazy after Covid. The liberalization of college football really created a lot of the mess that were. It needed to loosen up. It was too draconian. Now it's too far to the other side. I think it's coming back, though.

[Caller Mary Jo]

Yeah. Well, Paul, I think you know how much I like you. I like you a lot. And I'll end by saying M I

[Caller Rick]

Z.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Mary Jo, Miz, you have made me Feel great today. Thanks for calling and I appreciate you mentioning Curtis Looper. He's a, He's a great person. Thank you very much. Let me continue with more phone calls. And Mark is up next in Florida. Hello, Mark.

[Caller Mark]

Hey, Paul, how you doing? Love your show. First time calling in. Just want to let you know I'm a Florida graduation, but my daughter is second year at South Carolina on athletic scholarship. And so I've been learning about the whole South Carolina Clemson rivalry and Billiston show. And he got this guy Clemson, he got this guy Chris calling in from Clemson and I'm just like, first of all, the show is on the SEC network and we're all SEC schools, so why is a Clemson fan calling into the SEC network? And then the other thing is just like my understanding is that Clemson had the chance with South Carolina and Maryland to leave the ACC, 70, 71, somewhere in that time frame. And that was mostly based upon basketball. You know, it's like, I think it was something about SAT standards or something like that. But, but, but Marilyn Clemson had the opportunity to leave the ACC and South Carolina was the only one that left the ACC and went independent for such a long time. And you know what I'll give Clemson or do. It's like you had two generation quarterbacks in Watson and obviously Lawrence. But Dabo now is in a completely new world to where it's like he doesn't lean on the portal. This is the first year that he was actually taking portal people to coming in, but he hasn't done anything with a portal quarterback. So quarterback situation. Clemson is okay, hit or miss, whatever, blah, blah. But my thing is just like, why is Chris getting so much credit to where I just heard this gentleman. I, man, I guess giving Chris your black hat. And I, I don't know, Paul, like, I mean, can you, can you answer

[Caller Chris]

some of this for me?

[Caller Mark]

It's like, why is Clemson getting so much love on the SEC network?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, Mark, let me, let me answer that. Because ultimately I'm responsible for that. I'm a big believer that if you're a football fan, you have a spot here. And most people don't abuse it. Chris just can't get over himself. I mean, he's, he's very much like Dabo Sweeney. He's living in a finite period of time between 2015 and 2021, when Clemson was relevant. They're not anymore, and they just can't get past it. And last year I bought into the revival clubnick all these great defense. I mean, I had a friend who was connected to the program and he said the defense is going to be the best in the country. And I believed it. They were terrible. Nothing about that program is really worth promoting. And Chris is just a delusional fan who is loyal. He calls in every day. He doesn't really say anything new, but that's fine. I used this line about a week ago. I said Dabo Sweeney was stuck on stupid. That pretty much applies to all of his fans as well.

[Caller Mark]

Well, you know what, I appreciate it. It's just, it's just like I, I like listening to talk with SEC and consensus on the SEC and they want to be in the sec and the fact that you had the opportunity way back in the 70s to leave and for what my daughter's telling me, it's just like, you know, like South Carolina was like went for so many years being an independent and they're now in the sec. But now Clemson is just like, okay, I want to be in the SEC now. So. Okay, okay, it is what it is. But, but thank you, Paul. I appreciate the talk.

[Paul Feinbaum]

And Mark, thank you. And by the way, what you're doing for the SEC network, Clemson probably. Thank you. Appreciate it. Clemson probably could have made it in even as recently as 90. The SC maybe, maybe not. But the SEC was expanding and they were really hot on Florida State. If they had to take Clemson, they probably would have. But Florida State, Florida State in particular wanted nothing to do with it. And by the way, that's not supposition. Bobby Bowden on this very program admitted that. He said, why did we need to get in the SEC when we could win the ACC every single year? And they did. Clemson used to do the same thing and they, and now the league has moved on. It's Miami's league, it's SMU's league. There are other programs that really matter a whole lot. Brad is up Next in Macon, Ga. Hey, Brad.

[Caller Brad]

Hey, Mr. Paul. Thanks for taking my call. And you know, this, this time of the year you get some of these coaches at their me today saying some wacky stuff. And do you recall last year, out of all people, Rhett Lashley sits there and, and says the SEC is top heavy when in the last 20 years we've had six different teams win national championships and some of those teams multiple national championships. You remember that?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Vaguely. I sure do.

[Caller Brad]

And you got Billema now. And he thought he was going to leave Wisconsin and bring that ground and pound stuff down here until he figured out that defensive lineman down in the south and linebackers could actually Run. They could actually run and he couldn't do anything with it. So he got discarded and sent back to Illinois where he's never done anything else. But you know Phil Steele, Correct. Really highly respected.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, I know who he is.

[Caller Brad]

Yeah, Phil still came out with his strength of schedule. I mean, the top 25, Paul, 14 of them are SEC teams. So we're still playing the toughest schedules down here, especially without nine game conference add on. And you're talking about Notre dame hit at 66. And it must be nice to make a sweetheart deal where you can play a schedule like that and walk, pretty much walk in. But in your opinion, Paul, if you got an 11 and one team that goes, and you got a 10 and two team and it comes down between those two and the 10 and two team has played a tougher schedule. In your opinion, this college football committee, who do you really think they're going to put in?

[Paul Feinbaum]

You know, Brad, I'll give you, I'll give you the answer that you and I both know is true. They'll put in the, they'll put in the 111 team because that's what they've done in the past for all of their blather about recognizing the schedule. They haven't convinced me yet.

[Caller Brad]

They haven't done it yet. And they supposedly put a metric in for this. But hey, I heard Chris from Mountain Brooks call and I was going to tell you this, Paul, one of the funniest things I've ever seen you do and it was you and four other people on stage. It's been a few years, but you remember when I guess you were down in Florida and y' all had this like four foot alligator sitting on this table and you kind of. Somebody leaned into it and I was thinking the whole time, man, if that thing gets off the table and gets loose, you're going to see four or five men screaming and hollering and getting up on chairs and stuff. You remember that?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Well, yeah. What happened was we were in Gainesville and this guy put down a baby gator. And I, I thought I knew what, I thought I knew what I was doing. So I mean, I got down, put my head down and I thought the gator was going to snap at me. And I mean I was already. I mean, I'm not the most Dexterian, but I was going to move back quickly what I found out later. And that gator, I mean, we came nose to nose. As you've seen it. I mean, Tito's laughing, everybody's laughing. What I found out later from the, from the alligators operator, he got very. Gators don't snap. They charge you and put their hands around your neck. And if that, if I, if that gator had made one move, I mean, I don't know if I'd been dead, because I do think Tebow was strong enough to pull it off of me. I certainly wouldn't be good. I'm not sure I would. I would have been talking on this show for a long time.

[Caller Brad]

It may have put you out of commission for a while. Paul lets you go. But there's one thing I want to say. You're a big man for always hitting the reset button and going forward. But certain things in life, there's no reset button to hit because once you hear it, it's in there. And I'll let that marinate with some of these new. I won't call them new. Let's just say old habits. That's calling in the show. Thanks, Paul. Regulators out.

[Caller Vaughn]

Thank you.

[Caller Cody]

Thank you, Brad.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Always appreciate it. We still have 30 minutes to go. It's been a really fun show late July. You never know what you're going to get. But a lot happening with Big Ten media days and a lot of chatter coming from there. We will take a short break.

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[Paul Feinbaum]

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[Q]

In a sunny Californian suburb, one family's home is unusually quiet.

[Paul Feinbaum]

When detectives walked into that house, they said that it was like time, time just stood still.

[Q]

It's 2010 and the McStay family is nowhere to be found inside the home. No clear answer where the family could have gone.

[Caller Mary Jo]

Husband, wife and two children, all gone. Like, poof, disappeared.

[Q]

The search for the McStays quickly captures the nation. But for years, the search for answers only brings more questions.

[Commercial Announcer]

Who's ever heard of an entire family going missing?

[Caller Brad]

A family of four doesn't just drop

[Paul Feinbaum]

off the face of the earth with no contact.

[Q]

Is this a family on the run? Or is the truth far more sinister? From ABC Audio in 2020, this is what happened to the mixed days coming August 11th. Wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to 2020 True Crime plus on Apple Podcasts for ad free episodes, early access to new episodes and so much more.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You're listening to the Paul Feinbaum show

podcast final 30 minutes. And he was mentioned earlier and he has arrived. Chris is up next from South Carolina.

[Caller Chris]

I know, Paul, you needed a cigarette break. Much as you said my name, much of you said double sweet. You must have needed to check your Amazon card or something or finish that last chapter in your book because I know your back being hurt. I've been sitting here watching you all day carry these calls. But you had one thing right. You said, this show is a call driven show, Paul. And all they've been talking about is cribs of South Carolina. So they want cribs from South Carolina. I'm not gonna sit here and apologize for being a fanatic. I'm not gonna sit here and apologize for standing by my guy. I'm not gonna sit here and apologize for not blowing as the wind. Because you got some of these fans on your show, they like them one week, that half the time they want to fire. By the third quarter, they want to give them a lifetime contract. And by the end of the game, especially if they play these Tigers, they gonna try to fire them again. So, Paul, I ain't gonna apologize for that. I talk about college football, you just don't hear me. Sometimes I don't know what you be talking about, but the same thing I'll be saying. Just like I've been talking about your boy down there in Texas. See, just think about why I think of the dabo so much, Paul. Because this man's been doing the same way, the same way since day one. He stood on his principle. It don't matter what you got, you gotta have something else. It's special to win a championship, Paul, because look at it. You just can't have a chat book anybody. Can't do it. Look at Steve Sarkeesh. Look at him. He got everything he needs down at Paul and he probably going 84. That's the problem. And then you got Lane Kim and spend billions of dollars ain't gonna do the same thing. You damn right I'm gonna talk about my coach when he don't brought me two of them, Paul, when they chasing them and they ain't gonna get him. See, the problem is. But Brett Velma said what that coach said for Illinois, he was partially right. Y' all are stuck in the past. Definitely you, because you always want to say, oh yeah, the SEC so tough to play. They got so many teams in the top 25. You know why they Got so many because people like you put them in the top 25 first of the year and when they play each other, they don't take them out and then they just average like everybody else. Conference. Yeah, there's some great teams in that conference. I got mad respect for the sec, but we're gonna put facts on it and facts only this they just like everybody else, you got a bunch of average teams with a couple great teams at the top. And the last 25 years, 18 of them hasn't been there. You have a nice day, Paul.

[Paul Feinbaum]

AJ Is up next. Good afternoon.

[Caller AJ]

You know, Paul, this is why I love this show right here. Because you got folks like that, that call in there talking about, you know, you know why Chris gets so high pitched. Mr. Fine Bomb is simple fact that all that Clemson helium up in his big ass head over there, it all has to come out before the season starts because he knows he will not have another breath to take. You know why he sit down at the beach right now, Clemson. Chris had to take an ice bath. They wouldn't even qualify him to get a Hawaiian tropic tan. He didn't get no sunscreen or nothing. He took an ice bath because he took that ice bath so he could get into the realization where the Clemson program is going to be. Another year, Paul. One more year of dabo losing, One more year of mediocrity. One more year of being the lower half of the acc. Chris from South Carolina. Now let's address these black hats for just a minute, Mr. Fine Bomb, because I'm going to tell you something. You know what you got to, you know what the difference in between a black hat and a regulator is? The black hats has got two great collars. The regulators hadn't found one yet. But also I would dig on this one more time. You know how to become a black hat candidate is you blood pressure's got to be 900 over 64. And then on top of that, all you got to do is not be able to finish a sentence in three minute phone call. And you got to be an Alabama fan too. So that condenses it down. You know, I'm take a black hat. Like Chris was over there jokingly or. Well, hopefully he was joking from Mountainburg. I was over there talking about how the black hats compared them to having a membership to Augusta Country Club. Give me a break, Chris. That's the, that's the brainwashing that you get. It's a cheap piece of attire that they give away down there to Goodwill just like they Give away Alabama football shirts everywhere else. And also this. Paul, one more thing. One more thing, Paul. I wouldn't take a black hat no more than I would take a Uber moped drive around Biloxi, Mississippi with old school Wardam Eagle.

[Paul Feinbaum]

Baker is up next in Mississippi. Hello, Baker.

[Caller Brad]

Hey, Paul. How's it going?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Very well.

[Caller Brad]

I was calling to ask because I know Ole Miss, they have Ole Miss at seven and a half wins and

[Paul Feinbaum]

I was going to ask you why

[Caller AJ]

it's at seven and a half.

[Caller Brad]

I know they're the best running back and quarterback in the country.

[Caller Blake]

I was wondering if it's more for the, the coaching change or the schedule.

[Paul Feinbaum]

You know, I don't want to argue with Vegas, but that is truly absurd. If you had said nine and a half, I would have said that's a tough number to pick because I think Ole Miss has a chance to be 10 and 2. I mean, I look at that schedule and I see. Yeah, I mean, I think, I think the issue here is can, can, can Florida beat them today? I don't think so, but September 26th is a long way off. But at Texas, at Oklahoma and Georgia, I mean, those look like losses to me. The. Yeah, the rest of the schedule is a little bit hard to predict. I mean, I think Louisville is a good team. LSU could be good, Florida might be. But to me, 9 and 3 looks a lot more realistic than 7 and 5. What do you, but what do you

[Caller Brad]

think about their defense this year? Do you think they're going to be behind Texas?

[Paul Feinbaum]

Yeah, I mean, I think it would be good. You know, can, can they be at the same level? There's just a lot of mystery about Ole Miss. I think the Ole Miss game, the Ole Miss game against Louisville is going to reveal a lot. And I say that because no one is going to think that game can go the other way. But I've seen Jeff Brahms team. I mean, he's, he's got a good program there. That's a, that's a little tricky if you ask me. Thank you very, very much for the call. Great to hear from you. Dylan is up next in Jasper. Hello, Dylan.

[Caller AJ]

Good afternoon, Paul. Thank you for taking my call. You know, I want to give, give a good compliment to my black cat brother Squirrel and Mr. Chris from Mountain Brook. Now, they hit the nail on the head. I mean, it is kind of like getting into masters and everything. You know, these are, you know, black cats are earned and all that. But you know, there's one good thing about it, Paul. The regurgitators is mounted up and AJ's riled up. Everything is going good. And I'm gonna tell you something, aj, You. You skinny jean wearing that gum SAP sucker, you. Let me tell you this right here. I. I'm speechless. I've never seen anybody so jealous. I mean. I mean, if he. If. I'm telling you right now, if they offered you a black cat, you would have been like, yes, that. That have been. That would have been your. That would have been it right there, aj.

[Caller Jerry]

But I'm gonna tell you something, you

[Caller AJ]

Backstreet Boy reject, you. I mean, just. Just you come on here. I mean. I mean, I'm stuttering like hell right now because I'm so pissed off, but I'm always pissed off. That's just the way it is. But anyway, Paul, let me get off of here. I'll holler at you later,

[Paul Feinbaum]

Dylan. Thank you. We'll take a short break. A few minutes remaining if you would like to join the party. We'll be right back.

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 Apple.