College Football Quarterfinals, Transfer Portal Opens, Coaching Carousel, & Semifinals Preview

Summary

The Triple Option Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: College Football Quarterfinals, Transfer Portal Opens, Coaching Carousel, & Semifinals Preview
Release Date: January 5, 2026
Hosts: Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, Rob Stone

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Episode Overview

This jam-packed episode, kicking off 2026, dives into a historic year for college football: dissecting the expanded playoffs, transfer portal madness, seismic coaching moves, and previewing semifinals. Urban Meyer (legendary college coach), Mark Ingram II (Heisman winner & NFL vet), and Rob Stone (veteran broadcaster) combine perspectives to analyze leadership, execution, and the rapidly changing landscape—always with candid takes, coaching insights, and playful banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Quarterfinal Recap & Analysis

Ohio State vs. Miami (00:23–09:31)

• Miami’s Statement Victory

  • Urban Meyer emphasizes Miami's physical control at the line of scrimmage as the defining factor, praising Mario Cristobal’s coaching:

    "If you can control the line of scrimmage and play great defense, I don't care who you play, you can win." (02:56 – Urban Meyer)

  • Discussed key plays—pick-six for Miami, clutch end-of-game drive running over 5 minutes, and confident game management.
  • Mark Ingram lauds Miami’s tough defense, efficient O-line, and Carson Beck’s unflashy but mistake-free quarterbacking:

    “He’s just making good decisions… not doing anything extraordinary. But he’s not messing it up either.” (03:58 – Mark Ingram)

  • Locker room and culture: Miami swagger is back, as echoed by the hosts.

• Ohio State’s Woes

  • Rob highlights coaching shuffle with Ryan Day retaking play-calling; hosts debate if this was a factor.
  • Main concern: Buckeyes’ O-line, which had allowed just 6 sacks all season, collapsed under Miami’s NFL-caliber front—10 sacks in two games.

• Takeaway:

  • Miami's approach—controlling tempo, mistake-free, leaning on defense—managed the playoffs perfectly.
  • "Signature drive," a 10-play, 70-yard march by Miami, gets highlighted as a championship moment.

Oregon vs. Texas Tech (11:47–15:53)

• Oregon’s Defensive Masterclass
  • Mark: “You have four turnovers in a matchup against a team with the stars like Oregon has… it is hard to overcome that. And zero points, I would say impossible to overcome that.” (14:48 – Mark Ingram)
  • Texas Tech’s incredible season still celebrated, but their offense couldn't get going versus Oregon’s suffocating defense.
  • Urban shouts out Tosh Lupoi (Oregon DC and now Cal HC) as a difference-maker.

Indiana vs. Alabama (15:53–22:23)

• Indiana Dominates
  • Hosts marvel at Indiana’s transformation, praising their physicality, discipline, and especially their perimeter blocking and offensive line play.

    “The perimeter blocking by Indiana is as good as I’ve ever seen.” (16:30 – Urban Meyer)

  • O-line recognized as MVP—a rare and symbolic moment (offensive line awarded MVP on the podium).
  • Ingram: “A team that wasn’t.” (19:31 – Mark Ingram) assesses Bama’s lack of unity and consistent physicality. Calls out specific failed plays and play-calling.

Ole Miss vs. Georgia (Sugar Bowl) (23:13–26:24)

• Ole Miss’ Gritty Advance
  • Drama behind the scenes: Pete Golding, interim coach, leads Ole Miss through chaos following Lane Kiffin’s departure.
  • Walk-off field goal, string of offensive stars: “They feel disrespected and it feels somewhat like maybe Ole Miss is destined.” (25:34 – Mark Ingram)
  • Urban notes maturity and resilience in the locker room:

    “That head coach… is all in it for the players and the resilience.” (26:23 – Urban Meyer)

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2. Expanded Playoffs—Scheduling & Home Field Debate

(27:24–34:45)

• Bye Week Backfires:

  • 1-seeds are 1–7 after a bye through two years; Indiana is the lone winner. All agree the layoff is too long, calling for tightening the playoff calendar.

• Should Quarterfinals Be On Campus?

  • Mark and Urban debate tradition (neutral-site, historic bowls) vs. electric campus atmospheres and economic realities for fans.
    • Mark: “You think Oregon–Texas Tech, if that would have been in Lubbock, how electric... would have been insane.” (30:17 – Mark Ingram)
    • Urban, with a coach’s view, worries about losing big bowl games and weather inconsistencies.

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3. Deuce Deuce Dog of the Week

(34:18–37:45)

• Fun and animated as always, Mark Ingram nominates… kicker Lucas Carnero (Ole Miss) as his “Dog of the Week”:

  “Kickers are people too. Coach Lucas Carnero... 55 yard field goal, broke it with 56, then 47 with 50 seconds left—right down the center of the field, right like coach on 18 at Pebble Beach.” (36:06 – Mark Ingram)

• Urban wanted Miami’s D-line, but Mark stands by Carnero’s nerves and performance in the clutch.

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4. Transfer Portal Mayhem

(37:45–48:06)

• Rapid-fire transfer window (+ NIL):
  • Urban describes locker rooms flooded with agents – “lots of them aren’t really agents… uncles and people who shouldn’t be making decisions.”
  • Mark shares real NIL negotiation stories (500k+ base offers), how the transfer market now works much like NFL free agency with “day one visits” and incentive packages.
  • Student-athletes are even ‘visiting’ the school they already attend, guaranteeing face-time with staff amid coaching changes.
• Portal impacts:
  • All four starting QBs in the semis are transfer players.
  • High school recruits squeezed out:

    “It is hurting the high school senior… you’re not getting as many young freshmen on scholarship because they want to take a guy who played Division One football at a different school.” (44:55 – Mark Ingram)

  • Some players left without teams, as more than 4,000 are in the portal but not enough spots exist. Programs must blend “old school” program-building with portal talent acquisition.

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5. Coaching Carousel—Best Hires Ranked

(48:12–59:10)

• Kyle Whittingham to Michigan:

  • Urban: “This is the guy to do it... He’s the great mix of tough, and he’s a player’s coach.”
  • Noted as possibly the most consequential of the cycle due to Michigan’s turbulence and Whittingham’s steady hand.

• Mark Ingram’s Top Three Hires (53:18)

  • Lane Kiffin to LSU – “That stands out to me.”
  • James Franklin to Virginia Tech – Revitalizing a sleeping giant.
  • Kyle Whittingham to Michigan.

• Urban’s Top Three Hires (55:43)

  • Kyle Whittingham (Michigan) – Culture and stability.
  • John Sumrall (Florida) – Expected to make an instant impact.
  • Tosh Lupoi (Cal) – “All he does is recruit, recruit…”

• Honorable Mentions: Pete Golding (Ole Miss), Brian Hartline (USF), Colin Klein (Kansas State).

• Notable: So many “big dog” jobs changed hands—landscape-shifting cycle.

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6. Semifinals Preview & Picks

(60:12–67:46)

• Miami (#10) vs. Ole Miss (#6), Fiesta Bowl

  • Miami favored by 2.5; over/under 51.5.
  • Mark picks Miami for toughness:

    “They are built with a tough defense... and then offensively, they’re big, they’re tough… Carson Beck has been playing manageable football. Defense wins championships. I’m going with Miami.” (61:15 – Mark Ingram)

• Indiana (#1) vs. Oregon (#5), Peach Bowl

  • Indiana favored by 3.5; over/under 46.5.
  • Urban calls for a walk-off win for Indiana, thanks to their dominant O-line:

    “The name is Bob Bosted and he’s the offensive line coach at Indiana... I’m saying a walk off, Indiana. It’s going to be a great ball game.” (64:16 – Urban Meyer)

  • Both recognized Indiana’s story—ascending from historic futility to possible back-to-back title games.

• Bracket Notes:

  • If Miami wins, the title game is at Hard Rock Stadium—national championship at home.

• Closing Thoughts:

  • All four semifinalists have unique, charged narratives—Miami’s old school swagger, Ole Miss’s chaos-turned-destiny, Indiana’s Cinderella run, Oregon’s star potential (with the “Phil Knight” factor).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Kickers are people too. Coach Lucas Carnero, let’s go… you can’t simulate this kind of pressure. Right down the center… like Coach on 18 at Pebble Beach.” – Mark Ingram (36:06)
• “If you can control the line of scrimmage and play great defense, I don’t care who you play, you can win.” – Urban Meyer (02:56)
• “A team that wasn’t. The team that wasn’t really a team that wasn’t.” – Mark Ingram (19:31) on Alabama
• “When the perimeter blocking by Indiana is as good as I’ve ever seen... that’s why they’re always in second and manageable.” – Urban Meyer (16:30)
• “The jobs that have been open—this is a real list. These are big dog schools.” – Rob Stone (57:16)

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Segment Timestamps (MM:SS)

• [00:23] Ohio State vs. Miami breakdown
• [11:47] Oregon stifles Texas Tech
• [15:53] Indiana stuns Alabama; O-line gets MVP
• [23:13] Ole Miss upsets Georgia; Carnero’s clutch kicks
• [27:24] Playoff scheduling, campus-site debate
• [34:18] Dog of the Week Award
• [37:45] Transfer Portal open, NIL chaos
• [48:12] Coaching carousel: best hires
• [60:12] Semifinals preview & picks

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Tone & Style

• Insightful, energetic, and conversational; the hosts’ camaraderie and deep expertise shine through. They blend X’s & O’s analysis with big-picture perspective, always unfiltered and sometimes playful (especially around Mark’s appreciation for kickers and Urban’s O-line love).

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Summary in a Nutshell

The college football landscape has never been more unpredictable. Miami is resurgent. Indiana is rewriting history. The portal and NIL are changing the recruiting game, even as the age-old truths—toughness, line-of-scrimmage play—still decide championships. Coaching moves will shape the next decade, and fans, for now, get to watch a semifinal round with four dangerous teams and endless storylines.

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Next Up: Stay tuned for the post-semifinal breakdown and national championship preview.

Transcript

[Mark Ingram]

Kickers are people too.

[Urban Meyer]

Oh, no.

[Mark Ingram]

Lucas Carnero set the Sugar bowl record 55 yard field goal, then broke it minutes later with a 56 yard field goal. Oh, and don't be finished yet because 50 seconds left in the game from 47 yards right down the middle. Like coach on 18 at Pebble Beach.

[Urban Meyer]

Nuked her.

[Mark Ingram]

Kickers are people too. Coach, no.

[Rob Stone]

Light it. The Triple option is brought to you by Wendy's. Wake up with Wendy's two for $3 breakfast. Welcome to the first edition of the Triple option here in 2026. We are presented by Wendy's. We are the hall of Famer Urban Meyer. The soon to be hall of Famer Mark Ingram. Deuce Deuce. I'm Rob Stone. Happy New Year, everybody. Hope you enjoyed the college football playoffs. We're going to dive into it. Just a moment. As always, we encourage you to rate, subscribe, like, share, do whatever it is. We are begging out these podcasts throughout the year. We're not just doing it right now during the college football season and during the playoffs. We are here with you throughout. And please leave those questions and those comments. We'd love to answer them and carry on the dialogue with you, our listeners and our viewers throughout the course of the season. Can we get right into it, guys? It is time for the playoff edition of any given Saturday. And let's start with the first quarterfinal game any in Texas between the two seed Ohio State Buckeyes and the University of Miami. Coach, you said what was it if The Buckeyes score 14 points? Done deal. Right. A certain thing happened that kind of threw off that math, right?

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah, yeah, I saw, I saw some people are showing me on social media, some people getting after me a little bit. So I still feel that way. You know, Miami, I'm a huge fan of Mario Crystal Ball. I love tough, physical outfits. That defense is legit, legit. But I still know, I think if you, you know, take away the pick six, obviously, which we can talk about that, you know, the quarterback's going to take all the blame on that. That wasn't his fault. I'm talking about Julian Sainz and the pick six. The Miami player just made a great trigger on that and no one blocked him and he ran it back for a touchdown. So you know that. And then the final drive, which is one of the best drives I've seen all year as far as being physical, Mark, that was old school Miami. Miami controlled the line of scrimmage, the backs ran hard, take care, took care of the ball and then Ohio State strategically probably did the right thing. They let him score on the end of the game. But again, that's, you know, if Ohio State doesn't turn that ball over, scores two touchdowns and plays a little better defense. But to give credit Miami, I mean that they're, we all agree Miami's a problem, as Mark says. Yeah, that defensive front and then what you saw in the second half and certainly the fourth quarter, the Miami offensive line, you know, their coach, Crystal Ball is one of the most respected offensive line coaches. We kind of grew up in the world together where, you know, about the same age and he, he was one of the most respected offensive line coaches for years and years and years. He's a tough ass guy and boy, they, they controlled the line of scrimmage and that was a great win for him. But again, when you can control the line of scrimmage and play great defense, I don't care who you play, you can win.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah, man. What you're seeing right now in these last playoffs is, man, football is still football. Like you got to be a tough physical unit on defense that gets after the quarterback, that stops the run. Then on offense you have some tough linemen, people who do their assignments, who, people who get a hat on a hat, move people off the ball and block. That is the recipe to win. That's what Miami did. They play tough on defense. They have a tough offensive line. Mark Fletcher Jr. Ran hard. They even got Deuce. Deuce. He's running well. Then you get the ball to Malachi, Tony, then Carson Beck. What is he doing? He is just making good decisions. He's just moving the chains and taking.

[Urban Meyer]

Care of the ball.

[Mark Ingram]

Yes. He's not turning the football over. He's moving the chains on third and medium. He's using his legs when he has to. He's not making, he's not doing anything extraordinary. But he's not messing it up either. He's taking care of the football, making good decisions, letting his defense do what they do and letting his playmakers do what they do. And Miami, Miami, I think they got a, they got a shot with how.

[Rob Stone]

That for sure, they've got that Miami swagger back. Right. They feel like they popping their stuff.

[Mark Ingram]

In the locker room.

[Rob Stone]

Right. Jimmy Johnson was on the field post game as well, trying to do an interview.

[Mark Ingram]

I told you.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah. Belt to ass for, for sure. 12 sacks in their last two games. Right. That Miami front line looked like war. Like, you know, Warren Sapp was running around.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah, that's all NFL players, man. When you watch them Play. Those are.

[Mark Ingram]

That's Miami ends.

[Rob Stone]

They. They kept Ohio State off schedule all game. You know, Ohio State was constantly in second and third longs. Nothing was manageable for them. The pace of the game was. I found that interesting, coach. And again, the big news for Ohio State was Ryan Day called the place, right? He used to be an offensive coordinator, used to call the plays. Brian Hartline taking over at the University of South Florida. I think Coach Day felt there's a little too much on his plate leading into this game. So Day took over the play calling abilities. I wrote a little note to myself midway through the second quarter. I was like, can heartline call the plays in the second half? And this is not a knock on Day. I'm just saying maybe they would have been more comfortable with what had gotten them there rather than whatever that change was or wasn't behind the doors. Were you all right with. With Day calling the plays in that game?

[Urban Meyer]

I'm one of those guys that believe that the play caller is a little bit. I say this because it's a very serious position, but when I was a head coach who called the plays, you know, the head coach is going to be involved in every play. There's never a play that, when you're an offensive coach that does the quarter. The head coach will not say, for example, Ryan Day is my coordinator, Dan Mullen back in the day, whatever. I'd say, okay, Danny, take a shot here. Or I'd hear something come with that say, no, no, no, no, run the ball, run the ball. So. So, yeah, you know, who's calling plays at that point. I think it's important, but I think at times it's a little bit overrated as well. Here's the issue. You got your ass kicked at the line of scrimmage last two games, Indiana had five sacks on them. And I'm not sure how many sacks could have been 10 could have been.

[Rob Stone]

Coach. They had allowed six sacks the entire regular season leading into the Big Ten championship game. And then those last two games, that offensive line was exposed. Five sacks allowed versus Indiana, five sacks allowed versus Miami.

[Urban Meyer]

And one of the concerns we all shared on Big Noon as well is Ohio State really remember Julian Sain at one point through 25 passes in the fourth quarter, they were playing teams. They were so much better then. The game was over by the time you got to the fourth quarter. The offensive line obviously was not challenged until they got to Indiana. And then obviously Miami is one of the best defensive fronts in college football.

[Mark Ingram]

Yes.

[Urban Meyer]

Fricking Alabama. So Both those defensive fronts controlled the line.

[Rob Stone]

Hey, can Miami win at all?

[Urban Meyer]

Of course.

[Mark Ingram]

With how they play defense?

[Urban Meyer]

Of course they can.

[Mark Ingram]

And how Carson Beck is playing right.

[Rob Stone]

Now, his stock just went up, right, Coach, we were talking about how that game was going to be viewed through an NFL lens.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah, he did, but. But he's doing what he's coached to do. And that's where you got to give the Miami staff credit. I think he threw for what, 98 yards or 120.

[Mark Ingram]

It wasn't a lot.

[Rob Stone]

It wasn't a big popping number.

[Urban Meyer]

No, no, no. But the bottom line is when Miami's offense jogged off the field, they still had the ball or else they punted. You know, it was not a turnover. It was a field position game. I thought Mario Crystal ball managed that game perfectly in the last drive. If I'm the head coach at Miami, that's to me, the signature. You took the number one ranked team in a country and for at least five minutes. You know, I'd love to know the exact time of that drive.

[Mark Ingram]

Five minutes and 10 seconds, I believe. I'll tell you right now. A 10 play, scoring plays. It was 10 plays, 70 yards, five minutes off the clock.

[Urban Meyer]

To me, that's. That's if I'm the Miami. I'm sure he is because that's who he is. That's your signature. Signature Beck.

[Mark Ingram]

19 for 26, 138 yards, one touchdown.

[Urban Meyer]

Perfect.

[Mark Ingram]

Perfect. And what I love about what Mario Cristobal did in his coaching staff, one of your guys, one of your alpha dogs, Mark Fletcher Jr. Big fumble, they recover, Ohio State recovers it, what do they do? They go back to him immediately on the next drive. And your boy ended up having a.

[Urban Meyer]

Huge game for you.

[Mark Ingram]

19 carries, 90 yards, almost 5 yards of carry, another 25 yards receiving and a touchdown. So I love when a coach, you know, when your player, obviously that's one of your guys, he makes mistakes. He fumbles the ball. He did it early in the game. Next series, next position, coach goes right back to him, get. Gets him down the field, has a reception to a receiving Touchdown. Mark Fletcher, Jr. Malachi, Tony, this offensive line, this defensive unit, how they're playing. Miami has a real shot to win the national championship.

[Urban Meyer]

So let's. Let me ask you this Mark or. Or make this point is here's Miami. You talk about game management. They won the first two playoff games against two really good teams, talented teams, A and M and Ohio State. The Miami offense scored three touchdowns and two field goals and they're two and all that tells me what that tells you. They're taking care of the football. You're playing excellent special teams, but you're dominating on defense. And I want to again talk about game management. That would have been a terrible mistake by Mario Cristobal and the staff if they would have done something other than what they did. Yep, really, really good job.

[Mark Ingram]

When you given up three points versus A and M and 14 points against the Ohio State University, you play the field position, you manage the game. You, you let your defense do what they do. You don't throw in interceptions. You, you do have the fumble, but you let you. You have faith in your guy. He comes back and has a receiving touchdown, the same drive. So Miami is playing, they're picking when they need to peak, which is right now in the College Football playoff. They're playing their best football right now.

[Rob Stone]

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[Urban Meyer]

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[Mark Ingram]

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[Rob Stone]

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[Mark Ingram]

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[Rob Stone]

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[Urban Meyer]

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[Mark Ingram]

Yeah, I mean Oregon played a great game. We, we talk about, you know, being able to dominate at the line of scrimmage and be in a physical unit defensively. That's what you saw in this matchup. This offensive line that Oregon, they played well. Dante Moore, he played well. Then the defense, they gave a problem to this Texas Tech offense all day long. Baron Morton was under arrest. He had two interceptions. They also caused two fumbles, one to Baron Morton, one to Cameron Dickey. You have four turnovers in a matchup against a team with the stars like Oregon has. They Just played winning football. They, they, they moved the change. They ran the football. Dante Moore, the way he played in that game, he, he might be the number one pick in the NFL draft next year. He keeps playing like this, he's going to leave and he's going to be a top pick in the NFL draft. So shout out to Texas Tech and what they did all season long. I was high on Texas Tech, their ability, how they were built. But when you have four turnovers against a team like Oregon, it is hard to overcome that. And zero points, you talk about, I.

[Rob Stone]

Would say impossible to overcome that. Not hard. Impossible.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah, let's talk about zero points. Coach. The goose egg that Oregon defense came to play, I thought they, I was concerned with Oregon defense. They gave up almost 400 yards to JMU. But no, they came, they showed up when it mattered the most. Goose egg, Texas Tech, four turnovers and Oregon is a problem as well.

[Urban Meyer]

So make a point, though, and, and make sure everybody understands that the transfer portal is open. And so you have Tosh Lupo, the head coach of Cal, is still calling defenses for Oregon. The head coach of Kentucky, a guy named Will Stan Stein, is still calling plays for Oregon on offense. So tell me about the ability.

[Rob Stone]

Offensive coordinator at Ole Miss is still calling plays for Ole Miss while head coach. Yeah, we'll, we'll talk about that in, in our second segment.

[Urban Meyer]

But Oregon just give credit to that defense. And Tosh Lapoy has been a friend for many years. I think he's one of the best in the beginning business. And those guys played their ass off. We have so much respect for Texas Tech. But that was. I watched that game very closely. That was. Or defense just beat the mess out of them.

[Rob Stone]

So then we went to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. If Miami wasn't the most impressive team over the weekend, I think then it had to be Indiana. Maybe Indiana was. They were just. I think we're running out of ways and words to describe what Indiana has done under Kurt Signetti. Right. It's. At some point it has to stop amazing us. At some point we have to overlook the historical fact that it says Indiana or Hoosiers on their jersey and just say, that is a goddamn good team. They are number one for a reason and they are in line for a national title. What impressed you coach, most about Indiana against Bama?

[Urban Meyer]

I've been saying it for two years as well, Coach. So they, as I've seen in my lifetime, and here's again, I've said this several times. I think it's really important to reemphasize when you watch a team and I would always come in on Sunday and I get ready to watch a team or get ready to play, some things stand out. I don't watch necessarily the hey, that's a great touchdown pass when I watch or I want to see how well coached they are, how tough they are. The perimeter blocking by Indiana is as good as I've ever seen. All those little mini screens that Mendoza flips out there, those are all plus yard you're in. Why is Indiana always in second and manageable and third in manageable.

[Mark Ingram]

Why run the ball?

[Urban Meyer]

They run the ball but also the perimeter blocking out there. Mark, you never see like what happened, you know where the pick six where a guy does a misses a block or something happens. So the perimeter blocking. How about when the running back steps up and hits the linebacker? The safety coming from a 10 yard running start in the Indiana running back hits him right in the jaw and Mendoza completes a pass the route. There's no wasted movement when the receivers run the routes. Those aren't all five star route receivers. Those are first rounders. Those are guys that are really, really good players that play great. And then finally the offense line. Bob Bostad's the coach. Bo Stats the offensive line coach. I don't know who won the assistant coach of the year award, but I can't imagine one better than him. I mean that offensive line they gave the. I don't know if you saw the end of the game was really cool.

[Rob Stone]

To the offensive line.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah, yeah, they gave him the mvp.

[Mark Ingram]

That's just trolling Alabama actually.

[Urban Meyer]

And he was a Notre Dame transfer if I remember right.

[Mark Ingram]

It is, but not ever in history. I don't think in a podium ceremony has the offensive line got a MVP award.

[Rob Stone]

That's just the biggest center coug in the center. Got it. But basically on behalf of the entire.

[Urban Meyer]

Offensive line, I text the president of CEO, president of Fox, Eric Shanks, IU guy. And I said what planet are we living on right now when when Indiana is taking taking what they want from Alabama.

[Rob Stone]

Hey, what did Shank say?

[Urban Meyer]

He says it's one of the. He said Hoosiers. By the way, so proud of his.

[Rob Stone]

School man in Indiana invasion here in Southern Cal, right? Like I, I was walking in, in my town just south of LAX the day before the game and it was just Hoosier sweatshirts and T shirts all over the place. And, and that was cool because you know the Rose bowl still means something to the Big Ten, right? And clearly means something to the Indiana alumni and fan base and the fact that they got to not only just be a number one seed and in the playoffs to play in the Rose Bowl, a sacred ground that they really haven't spent much time in. That. That warned me as like an old school guy who remembers what the Rose bowl used to be on New Year's day and the PAC 12 versus the Big 10 and. And how amazing that was. On the flip side, Alabama. So, Mark, how are we going to describe this Alabama team in the final chapter of what this season was for the Tide?

[Mark Ingram]

The team that wasn't.

[Urban Meyer]

A team.

[Mark Ingram]

That wasn't really a team that wasn't.

[Rob Stone]

Maybe that's just it.

[Mark Ingram]

Like, Stone, when you just physically get dominated at the line of scrimmage like they did in the SEC Championship game, like you did early in the first quarter and a half at Oklahoma, like you did this entire game versus Indiana, it's like. It's like letting somebody lie to you over and over again and you just forgive them because they have a script day on their helmet. Like, no. Like they've showed us who they have been over the course of the season. You know what I mean? And it was a good year. It was a good year for coach DeBoer. It was a good year for these players. Unfortunately, some of the moments, the blowout losses, it kind of stains you and tarnishes it. You know what I mean? But in the second season, I think there's a lot to look up to. We made it to the SEC championship game. We won a playoff game last year. We didn't make it to the playoffs. Last year. We didn't make it to the SEC championship game. So this year we make it to the SEC championship game as the 1 seed, we win a playoff game. Coach DeBoer is a good coach. We have a lot of talent. I think it's just time to go back to the drawing board and figure out how we take the next step. Because we physically got dominated at the line of scrimmage offensively and defensively. I felt like the defense came out. They got two sacks on. On Mendoza. I'm like, okay, the defense is alive today. Then we come back on offense. We go for it. On 4th and 1 out of the Wildcat, we give a jet sweep to our receiver. I'm like, just punch.

[Rob Stone]

Oh, you hated that one on the text chain, bro.

[Mark Ingram]

I hated it, bro. I hated it. I'm like, if I just would have been happier if they let Daniel Hill run downhill and try to get a yard as opposed to doing his rinky dink jet sweep out of the Wildcat. So then now they get the ball. It's 10 0. Okay? Now we're driving and we get the first down and damn Indiana lays the lumber on our quarterback and he coughs the ball up and also like hurts himself for the game. So now we're down 17 nil, you know, so it's just like a momentum thing, man. And we just physically got dominated, man. And it's just not used to us seeing Alabama get dominated in this fashion where you can't do nothing about it.

[Urban Meyer]

They better focus on that line of scrimmage. You say Alabama, you better say line of scrimmage. You better say Ohio State.

[Mark Ingram]

You don't have a chance, coach. Yeah, you don't have a chance. If you cannot run the ball 1.4 yards per rush, you can't, you, you can't do anything. If you can't stop the run, you can't run the ball. You don't stand a chance. So that needs to be the first thing getting addressed is the mentality or the type of player that is playing those positions because it has to change or we're going to see more of the same.

[Urban Meyer]

Just think Indiana on the road beats Oregon on the road. A two minute drill beats Penn State. They go beat Ohio State, the Big Ten championship and then they go put it all over Alabama in the, in the second round of playoffs. Put it all unbelievable. Oh my, what's happening?

[Rob Stone]

The second, losing his program in college football. Took it to the third winningest team in the sport.

[Mark Ingram]

Signetti, man.

[Urban Meyer]

And then you got, you got before.

[Mark Ingram]

They raced that, that losing his program stuff because it's hard drilled in my.

[Rob Stone]

Brain on the football field.

[Mark Ingram]

25 is 25 2. And his, you, his, his team, they play hard, they play physical, they are assignment sound. They don't mess up. And dog, they are a problem too.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah, the Final Four is, is, is a problem. Let's go to the fourth of the four Final Four teams. Give it up for Pete Golding, who is now 20 unbeaten as head coach at Ole Miss. He's pulling like a little Steve Fisher act. Do you guys know who Steve Fisher is? Am I going too deep? It's my college basketball reference. If you go back to the old Michigan, I think it was 89. Bill Frieder was the head coach and he announced during the season, after the season, I'm out. I'm going to go coach Arizona State. Who was the AD at Michigan then? Coach Bo Schembechler said I'm not putting up with that. You're out. Go find your real estate agent in, in Arizona right now. And they put in Steve Fisher. They go into the NCAA tournament with an interim head coach, number three seed, and they win it all. And Ole Miss is kind of doing the same thing right now. The win on campus against Tulane. They go down to New Orleans, kind of a home field advantage for them in the Sugar Bowl. As Kirby Smart was saying after the game, and it was an amazing game. What a way to, to, you know, end this quarterfinal showdown. And Ole Miss with an essential walk off field goal to win it and move on again. We say how tough it is to beat somebody twice in a season, Mark. But this Ole Miss and Trinidad Chambliss and whatever they got going on right now, this, like, disrespected program, our coach leaves us while we're trying to fight for this national title, man, they are a problem as well.

[Mark Ingram]

Wait, the way they play offense, man. Trinidad Chambliss, you said about him already. Kawan Lacey, Harrison, Wallace. I mean, I, I, I think their defense has to wake up because the other three teams in the playoff do play defense. So I think their defense has to wake up. But offensively, this team is dangerous. We talked about who are the best offenses in college football and I said Ole Miss, like, was one of them. And they've shown it. 39 points, 362 yards. That's a little preview of, you know, the RR. But yeah, Kawan Lacy, two touchdowns over 100 scrimmage yards, two receivers over 100. Scrim. Two, two, two receivers over 100 receiving yards. This, this, this team is playing with a chip on their shoulder. They feel disrespected and it feels somewhat like maybe Ole Miss is destined.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah, yeah, I agree. There's some of that vibe out there.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah, it feels like Ole Miss might be destined, but that defense will have to wake up because they're going against Miami. They're going against Miami. So really their offense needs to stay doing what they're doing because they're going against a defense that we thought Kirby Smart's defense was going to present that challenge for them. They didn't. I think Miami's and their pass rushes, we talked about Ruben Bain, we talked about Kim Esseldor, we talk about this team, how they play. They got a big challenge coming up on them against the Hurricanes.

[Rob Stone]

What did Chambliss and company prove to you, coach, in that Sugar bowl win?

[Urban Meyer]

Well, I think the locker room is, you know, when your head coach first Time in history. I know playoffs only been around, you know, a few years, but I think more than just Chambliss and this team, first of all, that coach, the locker room must be a mature group.

[Mark Ingram]

Yes.

[Urban Meyer]

You talk about adversity, punches you right in the face. Your coach leaves and then your staff, there's a, you know, you need to leave now. And then all of a sudden they come back and coach the team. And then the resilience. That head coach, I don't know him, Pete Golding, but I just like the way he talks. You can tell he's all in it for the players and the resilience. Can they. Yeah. Any one of these four teams can win this championship. That's the beautiful thing about this playoff. There are four teams. You know, you mentioned Miami. Can they win it? You're damn right. Can they? They can win. You play a defense like that, you take care of the ball, you can beat anybody you want on any given day. And these four teams right now, you, you probably would say Indiana. Oh, man. Oregon.

[Rob Stone]

I know, right?

[Urban Meyer]

I mean, I, I don't know. That'd be hard to say. I'm curious to see what the Vegas the numbers are when they come out.

[Rob Stone]

They have Indiana. They have Indiana as the favorite right now. And that's fair.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah. How they do. How they just romped Alabama.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah.

[Rob Stone]

So I just want to get on one more topic before we, we end this. A block here of the first edition of the triple option of the year presented by Wendy's. So this is the second year of the expanded playoffs and we talk about the advantage of the bye week and it's really becoming a disadvantage through the course of the two years. The team by week, that's the only one, that's the only exception, Mark. Through two years, one in seven teams off having the bye week in the playoffs are one in seven. Indiana, the only team to get that win. The Buckeyes had a 24 day layoff. So does that need to be fixed? Yes, number one. Yes, it feels, it feels a week too long, if not two weeks too long. Is that fair?

[Mark Ingram]

I think after championship weekend you give the one seeds the week. But every weekend after championship weekend it should be playoffs. Yes, it should be playoffs. So that weekend after championship weekend, that next weekend should be.

[Rob Stone]

Keep it going. Sorry. Army Navy. Right. And again Army Navy weekend is sitting there. Sorry. They can still have that game. That can be part of the, that first round. Coach, do you agree with Mark?

[Urban Meyer]

I do. As much as I hate to see that's America's day for Army Navy game.

[Mark Ingram]

Should we move?

[Urban Meyer]

You got to keep going. You got to keep going. You got a season's over, congratulations. Go the one seeds don't play that way. It's a two week period instead of 25 days.

[Mark Ingram]

Okay.

[Urban Meyer]

Is there an issue? Yes, there is.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah. But we're solving problems here. We're solving problems. All right, so we're going to speed up the schedule. Number two, and Dan Lanning brought this up. He said this game that they played against Texas Tech in the Orange bowl should have been in Lubbock, right? Should have been in Lubbock. His point also would have been like their game last year against Ohio State should have been in Eugene, Oregon, a game that they lost. The point being the first round and the quarterfinals. I think there's some momentum that those games should be on campus. Look, this is asking a lot of teams, alumni, fans, boosters, student body to pick up and keep bouncing places across the country week in and week out. And if you're a storied program like a Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, right. I think if you're a veteran fan of those teams, you're like, all right, let's. Let's save, let's save the cash on the trip to Dallas and let's put it towards a semifinal for sure. It's real. Coach, there are real economic issues to this.

[Mark Ingram]

You want me to go from Alabama to Pasadena? You know what I mean?

[Rob Stone]

Now listen, if you're Indiana, you're in it. You're in it to win.

[Urban Meyer]

Where are we playing?

[Rob Stone]

Go on, you got it. Let's go.

[Mark Ingram]

We've been saving for 40 years.

[Rob Stone]

Is there a direct Indianapolis to Guam?

[Mark Ingram]

No.

[Rob Stone]

Three stops on Southwest. Let's go. We're figuring it out. But if you're some of these big boys, man, that is a challenge. And that's a challenge on the pocketbook. So I feel that the first two rounds, that includes the quarterfinals, should be played on campus. Yes or no?

[Urban Meyer]

I agree.

[Mark Ingram]

I agree, Stone. And I was at the Orange bowl with my son. You, you think Oregon, Texas Tech, if that would have been in Lubbock, how electric that atmosphere would have been, would have been insane. And now we have upper bowl seats that aren't even occupied, you know, because it's in Miami. And you know, like you said, this economic time that we're in, people traveling, trying to maybe save for the next round, whatever it may be, Oregon did show up. Oregon had a little crowd noise going on, you know what I mean? When it was third down for Texas Tech, but it was just unfortunate. It was a good crowd, it was a good scene. It was a good atmosphere at the Orange Bowl. I was grateful to be able to go there and witness that with my son. But I could only imagine what that would have game would have been like for Texas Tech if it had been in Lubbock. I can't help but to imagine that.

[Urban Meyer]

I'm a little torn on it. Number one, I think you talk about blue blood programs. There's also blue blood bowl games that are very, very powerful. The granddaddy involves a very powerful entity in college sports. You know, you're going to tell me that the next year they're not. There's no Rose Bowl. That's what we're saying. Or Fiesta Rose, Orange, Sugar, Cotton, Peach.

[Rob Stone]

So it's the big six, right? The big.

[Urban Meyer]

So you're telling me three of those go away?

[Rob Stone]

Yeah.

[Urban Meyer]

Every year.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah.

[Urban Meyer]

I don't see that happening.

[Rob Stone]

Well, the agreement is coming up, so.

[Urban Meyer]

They'Re handling forced on that. I think by the time you get to December and January, I don't think weather should play. So I'm pushing back on a little bit. You know, you got Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, the Wolverines and you know Miami's going to get on a plane in middle of December or early January and go up to play in Columbus, Ohio.

[Mark Ingram]

They have to do it for round one.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah, that's another week. Right, but so coach, how about this? Would Ohio State have preferred to. Listen, let's put you back. We're giving you the headset at Ohio State and you're the coach of this team. Would you have preferred to have been playing Miami in Columbus on New Year's Eve or would you have preferred to be indoors in Texas against the Canes?

[Urban Meyer]

Those are tough questions, man. I, I. The better players I have had, you know, when I was an underdog, I want that thing in a foot of snow. You know, I want to. When I started getting these, you know, Zeke Elliott's and Michael Thomases and these great, great players, I wanted indoors. I want the best of the best. I don't want to be worried about is there going to. What's the weather going to be. I want to just go play this game.

[Mark Ingram]

I do agree with that though.

[Urban Meyer]

When I have great players, I want to go play and let my players play and not be confined.

[Mark Ingram]

I do retract my statement now.

[Rob Stone]

You can't.

[Mark Ingram]

You do retract my statement because I didn't think about having to go to Michigan or Ohio State or Oregon. I Thought about going to Texas Tech or maybe like Miami. Like, I thought about good weather, places I didn't think about having to go play in. And 17 degrees. I retract my statement.

[Rob Stone]

I'm. I'm gonna. I'm quit retracting on me. I bring up good ideas, and you're. There's a second show in a row that you've been on my side for, like, a little window. And then coach says something, you go, h. I'm going.

[Mark Ingram]

Makes a lot of sense. That makes a lot of sense. Hey, Stone, when I let great players.

[Urban Meyer]

Be great players, that's my point.

[Mark Ingram]

Yes, agree. Let's go play in Jerry's world. Let's play where we can climate control this thing. You see Buffalo right now? They're asking people to shovel the snow. Yeah.

[Rob Stone]

That's the beauty of it.

[Mark Ingram]

That's the drama.

[Rob Stone]

That's the theater. That's the.

[Mark Ingram]

That is not football weather. Football weather is climate controlled inside with.

[Rob Stone]

If there's precipitation in the air and snow on the ground, it's not football weather.

[Urban Meyer]

It is not.

[Rob Stone]

You have gotten soft in South Florida.

[Mark Ingram]

I played. Hey, listen, I played in a dome in New Orleans for 10 years. The first thing that I looked at when they released the schedule was where were we playing in November and December? That's it. I wasn't looking at home games. What, Sunday night, Monday night, I was looking at who are we playing in December and January and where.

[Rob Stone]

Oh, you've changed, brother. You've changed. I love it. Great conversation about the quarterfinals coming up next. We get the Deuce Deuce dog of the week. You got some good options. And we're gonna talk.

[Mark Ingram]

Oh, and it changed a little bit. Coach persuaded me again.

[Rob Stone]

He's three for three. And we're gonna talk. The transfer portal, which is open right now, only one session, and we're going to open up the triple option transfer portal house to you. Welcome back to the first edition of the triple option presented by Wendy's here in the new year. Rob Mark and coach Urban Meyer, back here with you. Time now for the Deuce Deuce. Dog of the week. It is the College Football Playoff quarterfinal edition. There were some epic performances. Who, though, was the biggest dog?

[Urban Meyer]

I can't wait to hear that. Usually I just kind of. I'm okay with it. I cannot wait to hear this one.

[Rob Stone]

Wait, why is that?

[Urban Meyer]

Because there is some. There is some serious performance. There are some incredible performances.

[Mark Ingram]

You don't. You don't want to give me your. I thought this was your favorite segment, Coach.

[Urban Meyer]

It's all good, coach. Epic.

[Rob Stone]

Give me some dogs. Give me some dogs that Mark should be considering. Let's just make sure we're not Big Dog.

[Urban Meyer]

Big dog is the Miami front. Okay, done.

[Rob Stone]

Oh, that's it. That's the only dog.

[Urban Meyer]

And then I, you know, the rod receiver corps at Indiana. So I, I just can't wait to hear it. But okay, it's got to be Miami.

[Mark Ingram]

Hey, hey, hey.

[Urban Meyer]

It's gotta be.

[Mark Ingram]

Hey, when I go, hey, I went through it, I'm like, should it be the defense of Miami front that had five sacks and, and, and led them to a dang semifinal and beat the state? I'm like, should it be Indiana who just rag dolled my university? I'm like, should it be Trinidad Chambers who threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns?

[Urban Meyer]

Right?

[Mark Ingram]

But I'm like, but kickers are people too. Oh, no, kickers are people too. Coach Lucas Carnero, let's go set the Sugar bowl record 55 yard field goal, then broke it minutes later with a 56 yard field goal. Oh, and don't be finished yet because 50 seconds left in the game for 47 yards. You can't simulate this kind of pressure. He freaking right down the center of the field, right? Like coach on 18 at Pebble Beach. Right down the middle 47 field goal nuked it. Lucas Carnero for the dog of the week, putting Ole Miss on his back.

[Urban Meyer]

You just bypassed a bunch of big, big veined up cats on that D line at Miami though, man.

[Mark Ingram]

And they're pissed at me because I just blessed the kicker because I was impressed with his performance. Because he ain't even sway, coach. Every time he lined up, it went straight down the middle of the post. Just like you on 18 at Pebble Beach.

[Urban Meyer]

With room to spare. With room to spare.

[Mark Ingram]

Yes, Yes.

[Rob Stone]

I, I feel sick for Canaro right now. That campus and school is not in session. That that young man can't get back to Oxford. Don't worry, he does proper flowers.

[Mark Ingram]

Listen, because when he does get to Oxford. Oh, it's up.

[Rob Stone]

I hope so.

[Mark Ingram]

For no drinks and no meals.

[Rob Stone]

So bad people got short term memories. Man, if things go south in Arizona, I don't know.

[Mark Ingram]

Not down there. Not down there. They ain't been there.

[Rob Stone]

They ain't done this hottie toddy baby.

[Mark Ingram]

And Lucas Caro is the man on campus.

[Rob Stone]

I'm telling you that that was your fresh take of the week. Presented by Wendy's Joint team tendies and enjoy a lineup like never before. Crispy, juicy tendies now at Wendy's, you know what's opened, right? We be. We. We're recording this January 2nd, which is the first day of the only transfer portal window that is open this year. It runs January 2nd through the 16th. The players who are still in action in the championship game, the players get an additional five day period following the final postseason game, which certainly creates some wrinkles of its own. So coach, right now, here we are. This is where we're recording this. This is the opening day of the transfer portal. What is going on at a, at a typical university in the football offices, like literally right now?

[Urban Meyer]

You know, I don't know. That's why I got up this morning and I called, I called three people. Three. That two of them used to work for me. And I just wanted to know. I said, so tell me what happens. Because in my life, my career, I never had to transfer a portal. But I. It's like the. Probably the most googled word on the, on the Internet right now. And here's what happens. All three agreed. So today a lot of players, there's certain schools that have rules that agents aren't to be walking around your facility. Agents are all over the place. And the thing that is amazing to me, all over the place, is that a lot of them aren't really agents, Mark. Yeah, you know, the NFL, you got to be certified.

[Mark Ingram]

You're certified.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah. You got to be, you know, they're, they're real agents. You know, a lot of these guys are uncles and, and peoples that. People that shouldn't be making decisions who aren't certified agents. Right. So give you example, that the head coach is going to start meeting probably now or has already started meeting, and he'll meet with someone. Compared it to what I used to do at the end of spring practice. I met with every player on the team and that took a whole week, Mark, because I wanted to sit and visit with every player and he'll be there all day.

[Rob Stone]

And coach river, six teams played yesterday.

[Urban Meyer]

And imagine getting your face kicked in or losing a game and sitting there, have to meet with agents and players about am I getting the ball enough? What are you paying me? I need more. That'd be really hard for myself or many people to deal with it. You know how you deal with that? So like anything, I guess there's some real positives, Mark. You get some really quality people with quality people and players that should be compensated. And then you got the other end of the spectrum, which is nonsense, absolute nonsense, where they're just throwing numbers at you that aren't true and, and making demands that you know, so. And there's a lot in between. So there's the great situations, really quality players, really quality people representing them. And you have your, you, I guess you have your negotiations and then you got in the middle a lot of stuff and then at the bottom you have just nonsense that you're dealing, you're dealing with a lot of non truths and, you know, numbers being thrown and demands being made, which is, you know, really hard. Especially can you imagine being one of those final teams dealing with this? And you are, you are. You know, I saw right after Ohio State lost the game, I think two or three players came out, said I'm leaving you like what? Yeah, but it's all you have to adapt. Adapt and move on.

[Rob Stone]

Adapt your time.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah, you talk about the portal coast. I had one of my good friends who I play with, his name's Chris Rogers, who is a certified NFL agent and he's on the line doing nil. I heard my first nil deal gig not closed, but kind of agreed upon. He. We're sitting here watching a game. He has One of these GMs from, I'm not gonna say any names, but GMs from a certain school call. He's like, yeah, I got my guy. He was like, man, the low end, I'm hearing 480 to high end. I'm hearing like 750. He's like, man, I'm not a high end guy. The GM said this, I'm not a high end guy. Chris was like, man, let's agree on 500 and then send enough package and we can get this job. He said, yeah, yeah, let's agree on that. So he calls his people, he's like, Yo, I got the 500 base. Got an incentive package. He's gonna, he's gonna be a day two guy on a visit. Like, you know, Cause they got the first day visits, the day two visits, the day three visits when the portal opens.

[Urban Meyer]

So.

[Mark Ingram]

So some guys are on campus right now day one other guys will be, it'll be a new batch of guys on campus tomorrow. Day two, it'll be a new are.

[Rob Stone]

Day one guys are like day one guys, like on the top of the list. I think everyone like kind of like the NFL draft if you're a day one guy, a day two, day three guy.

[Mark Ingram]

I don't know exactly.

[Rob Stone]

I don't know either.

[Mark Ingram]

I'm assuming if I'm a guy in the portal, I'm going to the person who's giving me the best deal on the first day.

[Rob Stone]

I know I want to be a day one guy because I want to be there before that money dries up.

[Mark Ingram]

Right? Right.

[Urban Meyer]

Now, are they visiting, Mark?

[Mark Ingram]

Yes, they're visiting. So you said you talked to their guys that are on campus. They're visiting the school and negotiate and do whatever, and it might get done today, and if it doesn't, they're going to their day to visit tomorrow. And then. Yeah. So, like, I'm learning, too. But I had him here, and I was kind of asking, and this is the information that I got. I'm like, this is kind of crazy.

[Rob Stone]

There's a story out there. This Oklahoma State offensive lineman, he narrowed his list of schools that he's going to visit, and one of them was Oklahoma State. Right? And I'm reading that, and I'm cracking up, and I'm like, wait, bro, you're already there? And you're scheduling a visit there? And then I'm like, you know what? I'm actually really good with it because that is guaranteeing him time and again. It's a new coaching staff at Oklahoma State, right? To say, okay, tell me about this Oklahoma State program that I've been at for the last, whatever, days or years or months. But that's the brave new world we live in, right? That you have to schedule visits to the school you're already at.

[Mark Ingram]

Yep, yep.

[Rob Stone]

Hit pause and think about that for a second, man.

[Urban Meyer]

Hit pause all over the place, man.

[Mark Ingram]

Just like you.

[Rob Stone]

You don't have time to hit pause because the portal's open and you got to fly. You got.

[Mark Ingram]

Just like these guys announcing they're going back to the school they're already at.

[Rob Stone]

We were seeing that usc.

[Mark Ingram]

Trojans.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah, USC had a couple of those, right? Recommitted. I'm like, recommitted.

[Urban Meyer]

Okay, so all four quarterbacks are transfer guys, right? Playing for the national title. Trinity Champlain.

[Mark Ingram]

Trinity Chambers was D2 last year.

[Rob Stone]

And he may be somewhere else next season, too, by the way.

[Mark Ingram]

He might be lsu. Huh? He might be with the Lane Train.

[Rob Stone]

Yep.

[Urban Meyer]

And Mendoza from Cal. Carson back from Georgia and more went from New cla, if I remember. Right, Right.

[Rob Stone]

Yes. Dante. He sat last year at Oregon, though, so he was. Yeah, you're right, Coach. And. And guess what? There's a lot of smart head coaches and GMs across. Across the nation are saying, wait a second. That, that, that. And that. That's what we need to do, right? Rather than. Rather than recruit your kid and have him sit for A couple years and play. It's. We got to go in the portal. And you're our new quarterback. No, you're our new quarterback.

[Mark Ingram]

And I'm off for the portal. I like that kids can make money off their likeness. But listen, one thing that people aren't talking about, that it is hurting. Coach is the high school senior. Yes, sure, you're not getting as many young freshmen on scholarship because they want to take a guy who had played division one football at a different school.

[Rob Stone]

You want experience. Experience wins national titles.

[Mark Ingram]

But for me, having a son who is a young athlete, I'm like, this is hurting. You know, probably. I wonder what that impact is. What. What the number of true freshmen coming in had been prior to transfer portal and what the number of true freshmen.

[Urban Meyer]

I've asked that question. I'm the. No one's given me that answer. I've asked that question.

[Mark Ingram]

It's definitely less 100% because I've talked.

[Urban Meyer]

To high school coaches and they say that traffic is minimal. And I've talked to a lot of coaches, whether it be Bowling Green, unlv, and they save a bunch of scholarships that normally would go to that high school player, and they're saving it purely for transfer portal. That's it. And so that would, you know, just multiply by that by however many schools and that's. That's how many fewer high school athletes are getting scholarships. So I agree with you, Mark.

[Mark Ingram]

So what is happening to the high school athlete now? They're just going to a juco. They're going to a D2.

[Urban Meyer]

They're going to.

[Mark Ingram]

Then they go into the portal after their freshman sophomore year, like, or.

[Rob Stone]

Or, Mark, they know they're going to university for a year or maybe two, and then they're bouncing, right? And then they're going to play the game of hey, I'm now a junior or whatever. I've got experience.

[Urban Meyer]

I think Mark's question is this. So if it's. I'm going to throw a number out. There's 10,000 high school players assigned scholarships on signing date. Is it. I'm asking it. Is it 7,000 now or less? What happens to those 3,000 athletes? That. Because I know for a fact that a lot of these schools are saving at least 10 to half of their roster or not signing spots available to transfer portal people.

[Mark Ingram]

So we talked about that effect, but also the effect that coach always brings up. We hear about the good transport portal stories. There's almost 4,000 players in the portal. There is not a home for everybody.

[Urban Meyer]

Right?

[Rob Stone]

Correct.

[Mark Ingram]

So there's gonna be some people not playing football who are in the portal right now. Like, some people have to stay where they're at and work through whatever the issue is, right? Cause, like, there's not a home for 4,000 people in college football, right, coach, there's almost 4,000 people in the portal, huh, Stone?

[Rob Stone]

To me, that's an opportunity, right? That's an opportunity for certain programs to lean in. The high school kid, come. Come to my campus, right? Stay with me, build with me for a while. But you have to have those right kids, because too many of them are just enticed by the dollar bills, Understandably so. Enticed about other opportunities at bigger, sexier places. But there. There's opportunities out there for a couple programs to say, let's build. Let's build from. With. Let's do it the old school way. Because the old school way worked and then just supplement. Supplement. But also look at. Look what's going on at Clemson, right? And Dabo not going into the portal and where Clemson was and where Clemson is right now and where they've been trending. I think it's a nice little blend, but you're right. The. The. The. The high school kid is getting d.

[Mark Ingram]

It's just a deep dive. We could talk about this for an hour and a half and. And not have. And still have questions. You know what I mean?

[Rob Stone]

Right, Right. And I'm not sure how many more answers we'll have, but we do know what's coming up next on the triple option. We're talking Hoosiers, Ducks, Rebels, Canes, College football playoff semifinals. We make our picks. Plus, what have been the best coaching hires in this offseason. What a list will go through. The best coaching hires coming up next on the triple option presented by Wendy's. Light it. Welcome back to the triple option presented by Wendy's. Rob Stone, Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II here with you. Time now for three and out. And the coaching carousel has come to a stop, we think. I feel like we've said that a couple weeks ago, but with Kyle Whittingham now filling that void at Michigan, we're going to rank the best three head coaching hires during the cycle. But first, coach, I want to talk to you about your former assistant Kyle Whittingham leaving Utah and moving on to Michigan. I know you've had a lot of conversations with him prior and after. What was your big takeaway about Kyle joining the school that is your rival?

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah. I made the comment that Kyle Winningham was the best coach in college football when they beat USC a couple of years back. And I, I still think he certainly is or one of them. I know him very well. He coached for me for two years. We've stayed close. He's the great match or mix of tough, yet he's a player's coach. You know, he's, he's excellent. His football acumen is as good as ever been around and he believes in all the right things. And you know, the Wolverines will be being back to a line of scrimmage team because that's everything he is. So, so I, he gave me a call, I want to say a week before he took the job and you know, we talk once in a while and he said, what do I think? And I had to take a breath for a second. I was like, you're talking about Ann Arbor, right? And he said, yeah. I said, Kyle, you just stepped down. But then I started putting two and two together and everyone knows the respect I have. I didn't say like, but respect I have for that school up north. And I said, Kyle, this is a no brainer if you know, he made a comment to me, he wants a chance to go lift that crystal ball and they make a big push for him. They're, you know, there's quality players up there. Obviously he's got to keep some of them. But I just think it's a great match for what's going on right now up there. Right now they need someone to steady that boat because that boat's, you know, there's a. Times that boat was. Had holes in it, Mark. Yeah. And it's been that way for several years, you know. And I get really upset with the guys at Fox and sometimes when they say, well, everybody's doing it. No, everybody's not doing that stuff. No, that's not happening. And so there needs to be a cleansing. There needs to be and this is the guy to do it. I know he'll, I know who he's hiring. He's already told me he's going to hire a hell of a staff and he's going to give everything he can for five years and try to get that program right and go lift the lift. The ultimate prize. So I think it's a great hire. It's a. Kyle, what do you have? 66 years old, but he looks like he's 50 and acts like he's 50. So yeah, he's, he's all good.

[Rob Stone]

We talk about fit all the time, coach. And you know, sometimes like, ah, that doesn't seem Like a good fit or. That makes a lot of sense. That's a good fit. What are the. The characteristics of. Of Kyle and Mishka that make you feel this is a good fit?

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah, it's. Well, blue collar, you know, when you look at the history from both Schembecher, Lloyd Carr and then and some of the great teams they've had, that's what they are. That they're not. They're not a, you know, a lot like Ohio State, in my opinion, and the northern schools. It's all about toughness. Blue collar, it's a fit. Here's where my only concern is. Kyle has been at one spot for 30 years. You know, he played at BYU, he coached it. The only time he was out of the state of Utah was a couple years at Idaho State. And he coached for his coach, for McBride coach for me, and then he became a head coach for a long time. The media scrutiny is nothing compared to what he's getting ready to get hit in the face with now. And especially, you know, back in the day, you know, Kyle brought Utah from, you know, from the Mountain west to the Pac 12 to the Big 12. So it's a little. Became a little bit more pressing. But this one, you know, this is one of the top five jobs out there. And the scrutiny, you know, no one really. I can't remember where the media just jumps all over recruiting and all that. In Ann Arbor now, it's every day, so everything is going to be evaluated, everything's going to be scrutinized, and I think that's going to be. That's going to be a little different for Kyle.

[Rob Stone]

So many coaching moves this offseason, so many big programs, some unexpected openings. Mark, let's rate right now the top three head coaching hires during this off season. Where do you begin?

[Mark Ingram]

The first one that comes to mind is obviously to meet lsu, that program of what they stand for, what the success that they've had, and obviously, you know, firing Brian Kelly and then, you know, with the Lane saga being able to pull him away and get him down there and the resources they're giving him to already, you know, kind of bolster that roster, who is just a hotbed of talent in Louisiana. I think Lane Kiffin, the lsu, I think that stands out to me. Then another one that stands out to me is we all have a lot of ton of respect for James Franklin and how that ended at Penn State, for Virginia Tech to be able to capitalize and get him, I think that was a huge hire for them. They've been looking for a coach since Frank Beamer, you know in the ACC conference that is kind of open. You see Miami, what they've done they the past few years. I think James Franklin is a guy who can elevate Virginia Tech to what they have been, you know in the past. So I think those two guys and then oh man, lastly I, I have to agree with coach man Michigan and, and what the position they were in after all these coaches have been hired. We were all saying who do you hire at this point? You know obviously Utah. You know Kyle winning, him stepping down and then being able to get him to come to Michigan. I think that's just a huge opportunity for them. And what Kyle winning him has been able to do at Utah, how they've been a winning program at Utah now you give him the resources and that, that come with the Go Blue and being a Michigan alumni and being able to head that had that spearhead that attack. I think Kyle Winningham at Michigan, I think that was huge. You know honorable mention you could, you know Pete golden, he's still in the playoff. You know he's 20 as a head coach like you know what I mean? So honorable mention you can go Brian Hartline, you know they lose Gollish to Auburn and then you know now you get a huge recruiter and a great up and coming coach, you know going to usf. So those are my top three and there's a few honorable mentions down there. I mean even like coach said Luke boy over there going to Cal, he's a, he's a Saving disciple. There's four Saving disciples in, in the college football playoffs. So anytime you go to the Saving tree is good Coach.

[Rob Stone]

Your top three moves in the coaching portal.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah, there's so many but I'm gonna, I, I, I'm gonna put who's gonna make the most impact, not just quality coach. Like for example I have Campbell I think's a terrific coach. Is he gonna be much better than James Franklin? I don't know that James Franklin did a pretty damn good job at Penn State. So I don't count that as an impactful. I think it's a great hire. But the impactful ones in this order are number one is Kyle Winningham and not just ws but just the way they're going to go about their business now number two, John Sumrall, the Gator coach. I think he's going to make an immediate impact on that. You're going to see a drastic change in the way that Florida plays the way they look and they play. And then number three, you mentioned a Mark, Tosh Lupoi. I think a Cal. You watch Cal has become a player, a national player. You know, they, they, they've been okay. But you watch this guy. I've known this guy for a long time. He's a maniac nut job. He's going to. All he does is recruit, recruit. His talent acquisition is going to be incredible. He's a tough guy. You can see the way Oregon defense plays. So in order would be Kyle Winningham, John Sumrall at Florida and Tasha lapoa at Ken.

[Mark Ingram]

You're the second person that told me that in the last 12 hours, coach, that Cal is going to be. Yeah, that Cal.

[Urban Meyer]

They're going to be a player.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah, you're the second person that told me that since last night.

[Rob Stone]

It's funny, you know, we look at the list of, of jobs that have been filled. Michigan, Penn State, Iowa State, Cal, Kansas State, Kentucky, Michigan State, ucla, lsu, Ole Miss, Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, usf, Stanford, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech.

[Mark Ingram]

That's crazy.

[Rob Stone]

That is a real list.

[Mark Ingram]

That's crazy, right?

[Rob Stone]

That's not a bunch of dudes that are, are getting an opportunity in the Mac, right, to prove themselves.

[Mark Ingram]

These are big dog schools.

[Rob Stone]

These are big dog jobs, man. And coach, I like your point about, you know, how much better is. Is a Penn State going to be with a Matt Campbell? Marginally, probably, right? Ideally. And enough to get them back into the national title hunt. But there are some hires out there, to your point, Coach, that I think are going to be borderline seismic for those universities. Things that can really move the needle and elevate them and bring them back to national relevance or international relevance, really, for the first time.

[Urban Meyer]

So I think that's why I'm going to hit that John Sumral. Everybody's kind of. Do you remember Florida Gators? That's a top five job.

[Mark Ingram]

Yes.

[Urban Meyer]

That. No one's talking about that anymore, which blows.

[Rob Stone]

You were coaching it. It was a job. I got it.

[Urban Meyer]

They have it all. And now, you know, this coach has got. I really admire this coach. I got to know him a little bit and I just listened to him. And Mark, you would love the guy and I hope you get to spend some time.

[Rob Stone]

Let's get him on the show, coach. Let's get him on the show. We will, right away. Right away. So to your point and Mark, I know you're banging out honorable mentions, like that list of openings and the people who were hired, like, they all seem kind of like bangers to Me like really good hire. So it's hard to just narrow it down to three. But what Pete Golding has done in Oxford, the mess that he's handled and how he's gotten his team two consecutive wins in the college football playoffs, making his head coaching debut remarkable, you know, now can he maintain that? Can he keep the kids. How is he going to do in the portal? We'll find out. But so far, like a plus higher and that, that's one that's been proven already. Right. Like he's proven that on the field. Number two, not getting a lot of hype. Colin Klein going back to his school, Kansas State. There, Kansas State was, was a team to be dealt with.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah.

[Rob Stone]

When Bill Snyder and company were going and Colin Klein was there as a quarterback, had great success at Texas A and M. I love it when, when good guys go back to their place and they want to do well for their program. Not that you wouldn't want to do well for any program that you're a head coach at, but, you know, there's something different when it's, when it's your school, when it's your blood, when it's your DNA. I think Colin Klein going back to Kansas State is a huge get for the Wildcats. And Brian Hartline leaving Ohio State as the offensive coordinator and going to the University of South Florida. You know, Mark, you mentioned what that LSU job is for Lane Kiffin. Talent rich environment. You both know how good that Tampa, St. Pete, Bradenton, Orlando area is with talent. And then you can go into South Florida like there are players to be had. And Brian Hartline has proven through the years at Ohio State that he is an elite recruiter and an absolute elite wide receiver coach and an offensive coordinator. Watch out for usf.

[Mark Ingram]

Yep.

[Rob Stone]

Tell me that right now. Watch out for usf. And, and there's, there's guys that, that we didn't hit that, you know, deserve Fitzy at Michigan State. I think Patrick Sherrell is going to be great in East Lansing. Yeah, I'm cheering like hell for Fitz. Cheering like hell for him and his family. I, I think Goish is going to be pretty darn good for your barters, Mark.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah. Yeah, I like Gulish a lot, man. I just hate where he's at.

[Rob Stone]

I understand, I understand. It's time now for two Minute drill brought to you by our great partner at FanDuel. Visit FanDuel.com triple option to download the app and take advantage of a 50% profit boost today. All right, so the College Football Playoff semifinals are upon us. Mark, we begin with you, number 10, Miami. Yes, 10 seed Miami. A little Cinderella run taking on number six Ole Miss in Arizona at the Fiesta Bowl. The canes favored by two and a half, heavy over under 51 and a half. How do you see it?

[Mark Ingram]

Listen, Stone, this is the old school battle. You talking about a powerhouse offense versus a powerhouse defense. Ruben Bang Jr, Akeem Messador leading that defensive line. They gonna be coming after Trinidad, Chambliss, Kawan, Lacey and the gang. And listen here, man, I just have this feeling about Miami. Man, I just have this feeling about Miami because they are built how I respect football to be played. They are built with a tough defense that plays hard, that plays physical, that goes and gets your tout, that goes and gets the quarterback. They, they, that not only do they rush the passer, they're stout and run too. So they. And then offensively, the offensive line, they're big, they're tough, they run block, they pass protect. Mark Fletcher, Jr. Malachi Toney. Carson Beck has been playing manageable football. Not making mistakes, putting the ball where it needs to go, converting on third downs. You add his big game experience with that defense. Now Ole Miss, we know what they are. They just threw for 362 yards. Kwon Lacey, one of the best running backs in the country. But this defense, they've been giving up a lot of points all year long. So I think that is the difference in this game is yes, Ole Miss, they could play great on offense, but defensively I feel like that's where they're Achilles heel and that's where Carson Beck and this offense will be able to capitalize and take advantage. And I think that'll essentially be the difference in this game is that Miami has a championship caliber defense. Ole Miss does not have a championship collarboard defense, but they do have a championship collarborn offense. But defense wins championships. I'm going with Miami in this one. I'm going with the Hurricanes.

[Rob Stone]

By the way, Miami gets a win. They're playing for the national title on their home field.

[Mark Ingram]

I gotta go with them, bro. The way they play football, man, the way they're playing right now. I didn't believe in Miami at all throughout the year. I didn't believe in Miami at all throughout the year. But how they are playing right now is how I like the game of football to be played.

[Urban Meyer]

But how about your dog of the week man, your kicker. If you cross the 50 yard line, you get three points.

[Mark Ingram]

Hey, coach, what do you feel about the dog of the week though? Do you think it was justified. Or you feel like I should have had them veined up. Cash Ruben Bane, but that's right. Come on, man. The kicker nutted it down the middle of the freaking fairway. Like Coach Meyer on 18 at Pebble.

[Rob Stone]

All right, so Mark likes. Mark likes Miami. Coach, we go to.

[Mark Ingram]

You just don't like my kicker. You just don't like my dog of.

[Rob Stone]

The week this week.

[Urban Meyer]

All right, here we go, Oregon. Here we go, coach.

[Rob Stone]

Number five. Number one, Indiana.

[Mark Ingram]

You don't like my dog of the.

[Rob Stone]

Week though, coach favored by three and a half over under 40. Six and a half in Atlanta climate. Controlled game for you, Mark Ingram. Who do you like, Coach?

[Urban Meyer]

The name is Bob Bosted and he's the offensive line coach at Indiana. He was the offensive line coach of Wisconsin back when we coached against him. I don't know him personally. I think I met him a few times. I just have always admired his reputation around the Big Ten is phenomenal. When you watch that team last night, you know the guy won the player of the week, the offensive lineman. And so I'm going to say, man, this is tough. It's three and a half. I'm saying a walk off. I think this will be one of the great games of the year. Two extremely well coached teams. Damn, Mark.

[Rob Stone]

Second meeting, right? Indiana took it to Oregon in Eugene earlier this season. So tough to beat a team twice in a season. We, we've seen that. We saw that in the quarterfinals.

[Urban Meyer]

And both these teams are playing their best football right now. So this will be a hell of a game. I'm going to say walk off, Indiana. It's going to be a great ball game. And I hate to say this because I wasn't. I just. They don't have a canary. Two years about Indiana and that staff.

[Mark Ingram]

They don't have a Canaro. Coach.

[Urban Meyer]

I think the dog of the week will be offense linemer from Indiana again.

[Mark Ingram]

Oh my gosh. That's the biggest troll ever.

[Urban Meyer]

So I'm going to pick Indiana's walk off. No disrespect to Oregon's. I love Oregon right now. Regardless, it's going to be a great ball game.

[Mark Ingram]

This final four is going to be electric. Man, I can't wait to watch it. Like even Miami, Ole Miss, like, I'm thinking that's going to be a walk off with your boy, you know, Canaro advantage, Canero for the walk off, you know what I mean?

[Rob Stone]

And all four programs have kind of an interesting current running through them right now, right? Miami kind of going back to the old school hurricane days, right? They definitely have that swagger. The chance to play the national title at home. Ole Miss, everything they've been through on the coaching front, right? And this team of destiny out there. Indiana, has become the college football story for the second straight year. You know, can they literally go from one of the worst college football programs in history to the best and then Oregon and coach, you know. You know what? One thing they're not talking about enough about Oregon. And I understand why they're not. There is one individual whose name is Oregon. Phil Knight.

[Mark Ingram]

Bro, you just said something that messed me up. Miami get to play a home game for the Natty.

[Rob Stone]

Yep.

[Mark Ingram]

You know, I'm down here in South Florida. These hurricanes are out wearing their colors like I've never seen before. War. They are outside and they are ready.

[Rob Stone]

Well, they're doing it. They're doing it in Indiana as well. No matter what the temperature is in Indiana right now, they're wearing.

[Mark Ingram]

Climate control.

[Urban Meyer]

You play defense like that like they did?

[Rob Stone]

Yes, agreed, man.

[Urban Meyer]

Just take care of the ball and offense, man.

[Rob Stone]

I agree.

[Urban Meyer]

They scored three touchdowns again in the last two games. Miami. That's it.

[Mark Ingram]

They've given up the.

[Rob Stone]

The beauty.

[Mark Ingram]

17 points.

[Rob Stone]

The beauty is we can just pop up our feet on Thursday and Friday and watch.

[Mark Ingram]

Listen, man.

[Rob Stone]

Semifinals.

[Mark Ingram]

At this point, don't listen to me in any of my picks because I'm getting my stuff just punished. I was getting hit in my mouth.

[Rob Stone]

We're giving it to you. We're giving it to you any way we want right now. Mark.

[Mark Ingram]

Don't listen. Hey, don't listen to me. And none of my picks. I like Texas Tech. They didn't even score a point. I love Alabama. They scored three points.

[Rob Stone]

Enjoy the national semifinals. The triple option will be back after the games to break it all down and get you ready for the national title game. As always, please follow, subscribe, rate us on YouTube, podcast, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast, as well as across social media. We are at 3X Options Show. Again, thanks to our wonderful sponsors, Wendy's and FanDuel. Enjoy the semifinals. We'll see you again next week.

[Mark Ingram]

Coach. I like that beard on you. I ain't gonna lie. That thing looking good. You look good.

[Rob Stone]

We wait until the end of the show to talk about the beard.

[Urban Meyer]

Keep that for another week.

[Mark Ingram]

Hey, coach, when's the next tee time?

[Urban Meyer]

Tomorrow.

[Mark Ingram]

Yes, sir. Down the middle, Canaro. Down the middle. Like urban on HK.

[Rob Stone]

Light.

[Mark Ingram]

It's.