The Triple Option - Episode Summary

Episode: Urban Meyer Golfs with Nick Saban and The President to talk College Athletics
Date: February 18, 2026
Hosts: Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, Rob Stone
Special Guest: Todd McShay (Draft Expert)
Main Theme: A candid, insider look into the state and future of college football and athletics, including playoff expansion, NIL, the transfer portal, and a unique golf round with major sports and political figures.

Episode Overview

This episode kicks off with Urban Meyer recounting a recent, extraordinary golf game with Nick Saban, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and President Donald J. Trump, where the focus was on the positives and pressing issues facing college athletics today. The hosts then launch into a robust discussion of the current landscape of college football—highlighting both its unprecedented quality and the challenges posed by playoff structure, NIL regulations, the transfer portal, and potential seismic changes to the game’s postseason. Draft expert Todd McShay later joins to give his insights into the upcoming NFL quarterback class and evaluation philosophies. The episode concludes with the hosts breaking down Lane Kiffin’s first season expectations at LSU.

1. Urban’s Unlikely Golf Round: Sports and Policy Collide

[01:35–04:35]

• Urban Meyer describes a “surreal” golfing day with Nick Saban, Governor DeSantis, and President Trump.
  • "Unbelievable, Mark, that I got invited to play golf with Coach Nick Saban and Governor Ron DeSantis and Donald J. Trump, our president. And what brought this on is just conversation about the positives and negatives of—not just college football—college sports." (Urban Meyer, 01:35)
  • President Trump, nearly 80, impressed Meyer with his golf swing; Saban’s still got it, too.
  • Emphasis was on bipartisan, deep conversation—less about politics, more about solutions for college sports.
• Humor and pace: The group played “speed golf”—a pros vs. civilians five-some, with everyone eager to keep the tempo brisk.
  • "It was more just hit when ready. Because it's speed golf, man." (Urban Meyer, 02:47)

2. The State of College Football: Positives & Parity

[04:35–08:49]

• College football is thriving:
  • Unprecedented viewership, increased national interest, and the expanded playoff have driven popularity to new heights.
  • "I keep reiterating to people...it's never been better. College football. The viewership ... is up, national interest. The playoff has been a huge hit. There's parity in the sport." (Urban Meyer, 04:35)
• Parity is at an all-time high:
  • "There was a time when the SEC just beat the hell out of everybody... And now there’s parity. You have Indiana won the national title, Illinois beating SEC school... it is the most parity in my lifetime in college football." (Urban Meyer, 06:29)
• Teams are better coached across the board, and even mid/lower-tier programs can compete with the elite.

3. Lingering Concerns: Scheduling, Transfer Portal & NIL

A. Scheduling and Calendar Issues
[08:49–12:54]

• The expanded playoffs have stretched the season deep into January, clashing with the start of spring classes and NFL playoffs.
  • "The season ends next year on January 25th. Classes start usually on the first week of January... you play the championship weekend and the playoff starts next weekend... I think everybody wants that. I don't think that's a hard fix." (Urban Meyer, 08:21)
• Players want momentum and less downtime:
  • "I want to keep playing [after a win]... I don't want to wait 14 days between my quarterfinal and my semifinal." (Mark Ingram II, 10:10)
• NFL conflict: Networks and committees are wary of conflicting with NFL time slots, but the hosts argue for a collaborative "Football Fest" rather than avoiding overlap.
  • "Your greatest partner is college football... why is the NFL and College Football playoff committee not coming together?" (Rob Stone, 11:11)

B. Transfer Portal Rules & Timing
[12:54–14:53]

• Move to a single transfer window praised.
• Support for "one-time transfer" eligibility: You transfer once, you’re eligible. Transfer again and you sit a year, with a waiver for graduates.
  • "You get a one time ... you can transfer one time and then it's over. You have to sit for a year if you transfer again." (Urban Meyer, 13:05)
• Critique: Transfer portal window timing currently conflicts with postseason; it should open after the conclusion of the season.
  • "The timing of the portal should be...after the conclusion of the season. So coaches who are moving on can finish what they started." (Mark Ingram II, 14:00)

C. NIL & Collectives—Revenue Sharing and Enforcement Challenges
[14:53–19:02]

• NIL in “purest form” is a positive but current collectives have become “pay for play”—"it’s cheating."
  • "I used to be on a board of one and I said I'm good. I don't want to be part of this where they just start slamming piles of money... it's pay for play. It's cheating." (Urban Meyer, 17:01)
• Enforcement is weak; NCAA is powerless versus litigation and lacks subpoena power.
  • "Every time they've set a penalty, they've tried to enforce something—they litigate, they go to court, and they lose." (Urban Meyer, 18:57)
• Should the federal government get involved?
  • Urban is skeptical, but acknowledges bipartisan interest in safeguarding college athletics’ future.
  • "Federal government...can't get out of its own way... But I think there's, like, there's a lot of people in this country, bipartisan, that want to see some answers to one of the greatest pastimes in the history of our country." (Urban Meyer, 19:02)

4. Playoff Expansion and the Fate of Conference Championships

[20:21–24:32]

• The Big Ten is pushing for a 24-team playoff and eliminating conference championships, which hosts mostly oppose.
  • "24 seems like a lot. Usually I don't think 17, 18, 19, 21, 23...really have a true shot to win the whole thing." (Mark Ingram II, 21:04)
  • Mark prefers 16, Urban wants conference championships to remain important.
• Urban outlines a “play-in” weekend concept post-rivalry games: Conference games matter; win your conference, earn your playoff spot.
  • "Conference games should matter... to win your conference, win the championship, you get a big ass ring and then you go playoff." (Urban Meyer, 23:29)
• All hosts agree: Real, on-field competition is more satisfying than committee selection.

Notable Moment:

• “That makes all those games in the season so much more important.” (Urban Meyer, 23:45)

5. NFL Draft Talk with Todd McShay—QB Class Preview

[27:57–46:16]

• Todd McShay joins for deep insight into top quarterback prospects and the challenges of scouting.
• On Fernando Mendoza (top QB prospect):
  • "He's big, he's mobile, he's got a live arm... but he needs to be corralled. There's a lot of turnover worthy plays... but I feel really good. I trust him." (Todd McShay, 28:57)
• On Carson Beck:
  • Urban and Todd discuss trust and how a QB can restore program and teammate belief through performance.
  • "I lost trust in Carson Beck after the 2024 season ... but then I started hearing reports he's a different cat." (Todd McShay, 33:47)
• On Diego Pavia’s measurables (“listed 5’9 7/8” at the Senior Bowl”):
  • Height matters for NFL QBs; exceptional play is required to overcome it. Pavia is gritty but may struggle to find a role in the NFL.
• Scouting Philosophy:
  • McShay is embarking on a “top 50 football players regardless of measurables” approach, arguing that tape trumps pro day numbers.
  • "Who are the best 50 football players? I'm going to go back and look every year from now on, were those 50 guys better than the 50 guys I had ranked after all that other noise got involved?" (Todd McShay, 41:13)
• Urban:
  • "Football instincts don’t go away; toughness and all the things that got you [in the NFL]—that’s what matters."
• Biggest challenge for draftees: Handling money, fame, and free time.
  • "The biggest thing is how do they handle cash ish. How do they handle money?" (Urban Meyer, 43:53)
  • "There are three things that you just can't account for. More money, more fame, more free time than they've ever had before." (Todd McShay, 44:12)

6. Two-Minute Drill: LSU/Lane Kiffin Win Total Predictions

[47:01–53:04]

• Lane Kiffin's first year at LSU—a major storyline.
  • Over/under set at 9.5 wins. Major roster turnover: 40 in, 40 out. Sam Levitt at QB.
• The hosts go through the schedule and debate likely wins and losses against major SEC rivals.
  • Mark: “...LSU and Lane Kiffin gonna be a problem. They're giving them $30 million to add to the roster... I hate to say it, but I'm going over [the win total].” (51:11)
  • Urban: "I thought there was a cap on this stuff." Mark: “There is no cap coach.”
  • Lively back-and-forth, with the guys hotly debating whether LSU cracks double-digit wins.
  • “Good luck with that, Lane.” Rob & Mark, on the gauntlet that awaits Kiffin in Baton Rouge.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On playing with President Trump & Saban:
  “President Trump said he’s in the fairway...all but one, really. And he played from the blue. Close to 80 years old and really hit the ball well...” (Urban Meyer, 02:23)
• On the current health of college football:
  “If college football is stock, I’m buying it.” (Mark Ingram II, 07:49)
• On the transfer portal:
  “I just feel like the transfer portal…the timing, the calendar…now the transfer portal needs to mirror up so players and coaches can finish and conclude a season before making decisions about the next season.” (Mark Ingram II, 14:00)
• On NIL enforcement:
  “Every time [the NCAA’s] set a penalty…they litigate, they go to court and they lose. There is some empathy; they don’t have subpoena power. They’re a powerless organization right now.” (Urban Meyer, 18:57)
• On conference championships:
  “You hang a banner in your facility, that’s there forever. Everyone doesn’t get to hang that SEC championship.” (Mark Ingram II, 23:40)

Key Timestamps

• 01:35 — Urban’s golf day with Saban, DeSantis, Trump
• 04:35 — Positives and unprecedented parity in college football
• 08:21 — Scheduling & playoff calendar flaws
• 12:54 — Transfer portal reforms
• 14:53 — NIL, collectives, and enforcement
• 20:21 — Playoff expansion: 24 teams?
• 27:57 — Todd McShay on draft class, Mendoza, Beck, Pavia
• 47:01 — LSU/Lane Kiffin over/under win total & schedule debate

Tone & Style

The hosts strike a balance between candid, inside-baseball analysis and lighthearted banter, with Urban’s gravitas and experience blending with Mark’s player’s perspective and Rob’s seasoned sports media insight. Todd McShay’s draft insights add a detailed, analytical touch.

For Listeners: Why It Matters

This episode delivers an unfiltered lens into how top coaches, politicians, and decision-makers are grappling with the new realities—and growing pains—of NIL, the transfer portal, and expanded playoffs. The hosts’ chemistry and authenticity provide rare insider information and strong opinions on both the fun and the serious sides of college athletics, making this one not to miss for any college football fan trying to keep up with the sport’s dizzying evolution.