Episode Summary: "Bartstool’s Dave Portnoy joins, Lane to LSU, Disband the CFP Committee, and Championship Picks"

Podcast: The Triple Option
Hosts: Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, Rob Stone
Guest: Dave Portnoy (Barstool Sports)
Original Air Date: December 3, 2025

Overview

A pivotal episode that captures a new era in college football, dissecting playoff implications under the expanded format, high-profile coaching moves—including Lane Kiffin’s shocking jump to LSU—critique of the College Football Playoff (CFP) committee, and the game's ongoing transformation toward professionalism and the NFL model. Guest Dave Portnoy brings a fan’s electricity to hot-button issues such as Name, Image, Likeness (NIL), conference realignment, coaching contracts, and the brutal reality of Michigan’s letdown against Ohio State.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. CFP Playoff Rankings & Format Critique (00:10–06:15)

• Latest Rankings: Big Ten dominance with Ohio State and Indiana topping the list, major shakeups in spots 10–6, with Notre Dame, Bama, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, and Oregon moving positions.
• SEC Runner-Up Debate: Mark Ingram stresses that the committee must respect the SEC runner-up for playoff inclusion, especially Alabama, if they finish strong. But if Bama gets "beat on" by Georgia, that might prompt reevaluation.
• Committee Frustration: Urban Meyer rails against the CFP committee’s subjectivity and calls for its disbanding:
  • “The committee’s got to go away. ... We can’t agree on everything. ... You cannot penalize Texas for losing at Ohio State. ... You cannot do that.” (06:15, Urban Meyer)
• Scheduling Incentives: Indiana’s “chess, not checkers” approach—scheduling weaker non-conference games for playoff ease—sparks fears of increasingly diluted schedules.

2. Championship Paths & Playoff Scenarios (06:32–12:12)

• Play-in Structure Advocacy: Mark Ingram wants a more objective, NFL-style divisional structure—win your division, get an auto-bid, remaining slots go to teams with best records to eliminate bias.
• Implications for Teams: Miami, Texas, Notre Dame, and Duke’s odds discussed in relation to opponent rankings, head-to-heads, and conference championship outcomes.
• Bracket Preview:
  • Sun Belt champion James Madison could face Oregon.
  • All-SEC first-round Bama-Oklahoma.
  • Notre Dame needs Texas Tech to win for a clear playoff path.
  • Big 12 could land two teams in the playoff if BYU wins.

3. Lane Kiffin’s Move to LSU & Repercussions (12:12–21:09)

• Immediate Fallout: Kiffin leaves just after an Egg Bowl win, Ole Miss elevates Pete Golding to HC; Charlie Weis Jr. will handle play-calling in the playoffs.
• Host Perspectives:
  • Urban Meyer: Initially concerned for players, but acknowledges in modern CFB, rosters flip so rapidly that the HC's playoff presence may be less critical.
  • Mark Ingram: Disagrees with barring Kiffin, since players already have relationships with him and can transfer regardless.
  • Rob Stone: Sees the move as a betrayal, likens it to “major league villainy,” and questions the wisdom of the mid-postseason jump.
• Money & NIL: Discussion on the ever-growing NIL/booster budgets:
  • “Apparently not because Texas Tech went 28 [million]. Texas is over 30 Ms ... money makes it go.” (18:26, Mark Ingram)
• LSU as "Sleeping Giant": Mark dubs LSU’s hire of Kiffin a “power move,” predicting LSU will “be a damn problem” with Kiffin’s resources.

4. Is Lane Kiffin College Football’s Greatest Villain? (18:50–20:54)

• The panel half-jokingly crowns Kiffin the sport’s ultimate antagonist for his head-coaching carousel (USC → Tennessee → Ole Miss → LSU), with Ingram noting, “Lane gonna Lane. ... I like Lane.”
• Stone: “I don't like how this weekend played. ... It’s still the wild, wild west.”

5. Transition Toward the NFL Model (21:09–23:32)

• All hosts agree college football is inexorably moving toward a professional/NFL structure with real money, contracts, free agency-like transfer rules, and, soon, an objective playoff model.
• “Committee out. Everybody out. ... Let’s start modeling after the best professional sports league in the world.” (21:23, Mark Ingram)

6. Dave Portnoy Interview (26:58–49:53)

CFP, NIL, and Michigan’s Future

• NIL Wild West: Portnoy recounts his $3M NIL pledge tale (“We’ll never not have a quarterback”) and says of player movement: “Anyone can do anything ... there’s no rules.” (30:29)
• Coaching Movement & Contracts: Surprised there’s not more legal fallout over coaches bailing and NIL deals—“Do contracts become void? ... anyone can do anything.” (30:29)
• Michigan’s Reality Check: Portnoy takes his lumps after OSU thumps Michigan:
  • “We just got to get a lot better right now. ... We have no business beating Ohio State or any of these good teams.” (35:46, Portnoy)
• Best/Worst Betting Moments: Portnoy wagers $50K/game, describes a streak that netted him $8M over four months (46:05–47:27), but also relives some tough losses, like a million-dollar bet on the Bills.

On Playoff Neutrality and Big Ten Loyalty

• Portnoy will begrudgingly support Big Ten teams (Oregon, Indiana, OSU) in the playoff, noting, “Of course. Big Ten. I root for this conference of ours.” (38:06)
• Fears of “worst non-conference schedules in history” if the subjective committee-style persists: “Give us Old Dominion ... as long as there’s subjectivity.” (39:13, Meyer & Portnoy)

Rapid Fire: The Future of CFB

• Portnoy’s Fixes as “Lord of College Football”:
  • Lock transfer portal/coaches until season’s end.
  • Salary cap with set-length contracts for players.
  • More structure, less circus—“Get the circus part of it out. ... You can’t move till things ... everyone moves at once.” (44:09, Portnoy)

Most Memorable Quotes

• “As long as we have the subjectivity, as long as we have the subjectivity. For sure.” (39:30, Portnoy)
• “That’s the solution, right? Committee out. ... This is a professional game.” (21:23, Ingram)

7. Championship Weekend Picks & Analysis (52:45–66:20)

Top Three Games to Watch (53:26–59:13)

Mark Ingram’s Picks:

1. Big Ten Title: Ohio State vs. Indiana — “The two Heisman favorites ... Can Indiana get over the hump?”
2. Big 12 Title: BYU vs. Texas Tech — “If BYU wins, they get in. If they lose, could open door for Notre Dame or Miami.”
3. SEC Title: Georgia vs. Bama — “They're our little brother. 10–1 ... the last 11 times.” (56:01, Ingram)

Urban Meyer’s Picks:

1. Mountain West: UNLV at Boise — Showcasing UNLV’s offensive transformation.
2. Big Ten: Ohio State vs. Indiana
3. Big 12: BYU vs. Texas Tech — “Texas Tech has a chance to be the national champion of college football.”

Rob Stone’s Chaos Bracket:

1. ACC: Virginia vs. Duke — "If Duke wins, ACC could get shut out."
2. American: North Texas vs. Tulane — Both HCs have accepted new jobs but will coach title game.
3. Big Ten: Undefeated 1 v 2, a Heisman at stake.

Detailed Game Analysis

• Big 12: “Hard to beat a team twice in a season. ... The heavy lifting is done by their defense. … Red Raiders, but don’t see them covering.” (61:59–62:25, Stone)
• SEC: “Whenever we play Georgia, just like Space Jam … That’s what we do when we play Georgia. But … Ty Simpson, our passing game hasn’t looked like it did early in the season … Kirby Smart … best coach in college football.” (63:33–64:13, Ingram)
• Big Ten: Meyer predicts Ohio State covers versus Indiana; lauds Ryan Day for overcoming Michigan curse (“Now they can enjoy a dinner in Columbus…”). Indiana’s QBs need to play the game of their lives for a shot.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Urban Meyer on CFB committee:
  “The committee’s got to go away. ... You cannot penalize Texas for losing at Ohio State.” (06:15)
• Mark Ingram after Alabama banter:
  “I got too much Bama in me.” (09:26)
• Mark Ingram on Kiffin’s impact:
  “LSU let their nuts hang and they pulled a power move … Lane to LSU is a problem for everyone, not just SEC, but in the college football world.” (17:47)
• Portnoy on NIL:
  “Anyone can do anything … there’s no rules.” (30:29)
• Portnoy on the current state:
  “Get the circus part of it out … You can’t move till [the season’s over].” (44:09)
• Rob Stone on Kiffin legacy:
  “Lane feels much more like a betrayal rather than moving up and doing what’s best.” (15:12)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• CFP Playoff Rankings Breakdown: 00:10–06:15
• Committee Critique / Subjectivity: 05:12–06:15, 39:08–40:42
• Lane Kiffin to LSU Fallout: 12:12–21:09
• Is Kiffin the Ultimate Villain?: 18:50–20:54
• NIL/Portnoy Interview Starts: 26:58
  • Portnoy’s NIL insights: 28:10–30:29
  • Michigan reflection: 30:58–35:46
  • Betting stories: 46:05–47:35
• Championship Weekend Game Rankings: 52:45–59:13
• Deep Dives: Big 12/SEC/Big Ten analysis: 59:13–70:16

Episode Flow, Tone & Final Thoughts

The episode is rapid-fire, good-humored, brutally honest, and full of inside jokes and candid player/coach perspectives. The hosts move seamlessly from deep structural critique of college football’s future to trash talk and analysis, with Portnoy injecting irreverence and fan sensibility. The episode is invaluable for listeners looking to deeply understand the evolving landscape—including the real-world stakes of postseason, the irrepressible power of NIL, and the emotional rollercoaster that defines both the fans and the game’s new era.