The Triple Option - Episode Summary

Episode: Notre Dame-USC Paused, Texas Tech's Joey McGuire Joins, CFP Roster Construction, & Quarterfinal Picks
Date: December 29, 2025
Hosts: Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, Rob Stone
Guest: Joey McGuire (Texas Tech Head Coach)

Overview

This episode dives into the rapidly changing landscape of college football—from the expanded playoff and shifting roster construction, to NIL impacts, conference realignment, and the effect of money in the sport. The hosts break down the latest with roster strategies, discuss the pausing of the classic Notre Dame-USC rivalry, preview the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, and feature a thoughtful, candid interview with Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire on building a modern college program.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. College Football Playoff Roster Construction & Parity (02:54 – 09:40)

• Composite Talent Rankings:
  The crew opens by discussing 247 Sports’ team composite ratings, showing traditional powerhouses (Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon) at the top, but noting the emergence of programs like Texas Tech and Indiana—thanks to the transfer portal and NIL.

• The New Era of Roster Building:

  • Urban: "It used to be about recruiting the five-stars, now it’s about finding and developing the right portal dudes."
  • Mark: "I thought the whole NIL and portal would mean the rich get richer. That’s not the case. There’s never been more parity in the game." (03:02)
  • Parity is up, but money still flows to programs that can rally donors ("If you can find a billionaire, you better go get that billionaire"). (04:11)

• Transactional Relationships & Program Investment:

  • Rob: "It used to be about becoming the best football player and person, now it's about the bottom line." (05:15)
  • Urban: "Now this is so transactional... every single player coming in is a one-and-done." (06:24)
  • Mark: "Adapt or fall behind. There’s agents, money managers, third uncles everywhere now." (07:03)

• Transfers vs. High School Recruits:

  • Indiana: 65% of starts from transfers, 35% from recruits (Urban, 07:58).
    Coaches must blend both; transfer portal is here to stay but will "softly change" as programs stabilize.

• Coaching Amidst Money & Urgency:

  • Mark: "Buying players is one thing, but you still have to develop them—sometimes with only a two-month window." (09:40)
  • The shift: now coaches can work hands-on with players all summer, accelerating development.

2. Joey McGuire Interview: Building Texas Tech’s Culture, Roster, and Edge (15:16 – 35:29)

Keeping the Competitive Edge During Long Breaks (16:20 – 18:33)

• Texas Tech had a 25-day layoff before the Orange Bowl:
  • McGuire: "I told the team, y’all gotta make me right. We had to get banged up guys healthy, but practices had to stay intense—shock the system with surprise 'ones vs. ones' periods to simulate game pressure." (17:43)

Offensive Evolution (18:33 – 19:27)

• Growth at running back: "Two true sophomores stepped up big. They’re mismatches catching out of the backfield—people miss how impactful both Cam Dickey and Jacoby Williams have been." (18:33)

Balancing Football and Family (20:18 – 21:50)

• On giving players and staff some holiday time:
  • "This is the first time I’ve spent Christmas with my family since 2016. When our DT realized he could be home for Christmas if we won, he said, ‘Coach, you shouldn’t have said that—the other team is in trouble now!’" (20:18)

Perception vs. Reality at Texas Tech (22:06 – 23:14)

• Responding to "oil money bought this success":
  • "This team broke every GPA record in Tech’s football history with a 3.23. 33 of our players are graduates. Winning isn’t just about money—these guys came here to get better as people too." (22:06)

Roster Makeup: Recruiting & Portal (23:14 – 24:29)

• "We signed 21 high school players (highest-rated class ever), 18 coming in mid-year. Ideally, you keep it 50/50 recruits to transfers—but you adapt. The backbone is still high school development, but you supplement with the portal when needed." (23:27)

Bowl Preparation, Culture, and Locker Room Leadership (24:29 – 35:29)

• Orange Bowl is ‘a business trip’—they’ll enjoy a nice stay but are mainly focused on winning.
• Defensive attitude: "Stop the run, earn the right to rush the passer... our motto is 'Take 3' (turnovers). I send every defensive kid a daily text: take three, win the game." (27:25)
• Building a Pro-Style Physical Team:
  • Emphasized strength, nutrition, and full-time recovery staff. "Big people beat up little people." (29:35 – 31:46)
• Motivation as underdogs:
  • McGuire relishes being doubted, shares how he uses media disrespect to fire up the locker room: "Yesterday I showed the team a poll that had us pegged as playoff ‘frauds’. We’re still beating the bear." (32:56)
  • "I've never had a team like this; it's player-led. One text to my leaders and it gets fixed." (31:59)
• Personal touch: McGuire’s "Take 3" license plate is on his black Corvette—a lifelong dream fulfilled by his wife for his 50th.

Memorable Quotes

• "We have a player-led team... I've never had a team like this. One text to our leaders and it gets fixed." – McGuire (31:59)
• "Keep doubting us, and we're just going to keep proving people wrong." – McGuire (35:10)
• "Big people beat up little people... once you hit your body weight after camp, you must stay there to stay healthy." – McGuire (29:35 – 31:46)

3. Notre Dame-USC Rivalry Paused & Scheduling Woes (39:36 – 44:32)

• Historic Rivalry on Hold:
  The Notre Dame vs. USC series will pause until at least 2028, mainly due to scheduling conflicts and changes in conference priorities.

• Why These Games Are Dying:

  • Rob: "Now you get punished for scheduling tough, top-15 games. The committee doesn't respect close losses against good opponents." (41:59)
  • Mark: "We’re headed for the worst non-conference schedules ever. The to-do list for college football is to fix scheduling, before every team stacks cupcakes." (41:07 – 41:59)

• Homefield and Timing Disputes:

  • Urban: "USC wants ND earlier, Notre Dame wants USC late for bad-weather home-field. Tough to please both." (43:07 – 43:32)

• The Hosts’ Take:
  All agree—these changes fundamentally hurt college football and the fans, but are foreseeable consequences of the playoff and scheduling incentives.

4. CFP Quarterfinal Previews & Picks (44:34 – 53:58)

Ole Miss vs. Georgia (Sugar Bowl) [45:15 – 48:55]

• Analysis:
  • Rematch; last game a shootout (43-35 UGA).
  • Mark: Georgia is better now, expects them to cover -7.5, citing defense, physicality, and experience.
  • Urban and Rob praise how new Ole Miss coach Pete Golding got player input, made cultural tweaks ("Not everyone liked Lane Kiffin’s basketball hoop, nor the same cleats for all").

Texas Tech vs. Oregon (Orange Bowl) [49:52 – 53:58]

• Analysis:

  • This is a "real test" for Texas Tech—first time facing an equal (or better) roster all season.
  • Mark expects a close, physical "old-school war" but leans Oregon ("I’m taking Oregon with a walk-off right at the end." (51:44))
  • Rob gives his heart to Texas Tech but, "If you can’t stop Oregon’s run game, you can’t win." (51:59))
  • Both note Oregon’s coaching staff distraction (coordinators departing for other jobs), which could impact performance.

• Notable Stat: "Ducks are 25-2 over the last two years; Texas Tech is having its best season ever—never finished in the Top 10 before." – Urban (52:56)

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• "There's never been more parity in the game." – Mark Ingram (03:02)
• "Right now, unless you get your bottom line up, I'm going to go over there." – Rob Stone (05:15)
• "It’s so transactional... every single player coming in is a one-and-done." – Urban Meyer (06:24)
• "This team set the all-time GPA record. Thirty-three graduates will play in this playoff game." – Joey McGuire (22:06)
• "One text to our leaders and it gets fixed." – Joey McGuire (31:59)
• "We just want people to keep doubting us." – Joey McGuire (35:09)
• "We're headed for the worst non-conference schedules in the history of our sport." – Mark Ingram (41:07)
• "These are the games we love... It sucks because these are the games we love in college football." – Rob Stone (43:55)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Roster Construction & Parity: 02:54 – 09:40
• Transfer Portal Impact & Indiana’s Model: 07:58 – 09:40
• Joey McGuire Interview Begins: 15:16
  • Keeping Edge in Layoff: 16:20 – 18:33
  • Offensive Growth: 18:33 – 19:27
  • Balancing Family/Football: 20:18 – 21:50
  • Rebutting the ‘Oil Money’ Narrative: 22:06 – 23:14
  • Roster Construction Philosophy: 23:14 – 24:29
  • Culture & Motivation: 31:59 – 35:09
• Notre Dame-USC Rivalry Discussion: 39:36 – 44:32
• Quarterfinal Previews: 44:34 – 53:58

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode balances sharp analysis with relaxed, honest conversation. The hosts aren’t afraid to critique the flaws in today’s system, but they also celebrate the game’s adaptability and showcase how creative, motivated leaders (like Joey McGuire) are thriving. Player and coach perspectives fuse with industry-insider detail, all seasoned with humor and deep affection for college football’s past, present, and future.

For More

Follow @3XOptionShow on all social platforms for bonus content. New episodes drop weekly, exploring every angle of modern college football.