Tennessee NIL Drama, NFL Draft Talk with Todd McShay, Ohio State Preview & Masters Memories

Summary

Podcast Title: The Triple Option
Hosts: Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, Rob Stone
Episode: Tennessee NIL Drama, NFL Draft Talk with Todd McShay, Ohio State Preview & Masters Memories
Release Date: April 16, 2025

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In this compelling episode of "The Triple Option", hosts Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, and Rob Stone navigate through a whirlwind of topics that are reshaping the landscape of football. From the intricate drama surrounding Tennessee’s quarterback Nico Iamaleva’s NIL negotiations to an insightful discussion on the NFL Draft with special guest Todd McShay, and a thorough preview of Ohio State’s upcoming season, this episode offers listeners an all-encompassing look into the current state of the sport.

1. Tennessee NIL Drama (00:20 – 15:01)

The episode kicks off with a blend of humor and tension as the hosts delve into the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) controversy involving Tennessee’s starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleva. Nico’s attempt to renegotiate his NIL deal has led to unexpected consequences, including his absence from practice, stirring debates about player autonomy and team dynamics.

Urban Meyer articulates the gravity of the situation:

"We have to quit calling it NIL. It's not. It's pay for play. It's exactly what they’re doing. It's NFL. It's professional sports right now."
(Timestamp: 10:21)

Mark Ingram II chimed in on the timing and impact of Nico's actions:

"I think Nico should have played it out, but also, Mark, and you've been there. You want what your value is."
(Timestamp: 10:10)

The discussion highlights the shift in power dynamics within college football, where players are increasingly leveraging their value for better financial compensation. Rob Stone emphasizes the normalization of such holdouts:

"This is the norm now, Coach. I think in the 2023 recruiting class, seven of the eight quarterbacks have transferred."
(Timestamp: 08:48)

The hosts examine the potential fallout for Tennessee, questioning how Nico’s departure or continued holdout could affect the team’s performance and the broader implications for college football policies and player contracts.

2. NFL Draft Talk with Todd McShay (25:27 – 42:55)

Bringing in NFL Draft guru Todd McShay, the conversation shifts to the intricacies of the upcoming NFL Draft. Todd provides a comprehensive analysis of the draft class, identifying trends and predicting how teams might approach their selections.

Todd McShay breaks down the focus on premium positions:

"In the first two rounds last year, 91% of the picks were on the premium positions [...] So this year, in the third round and beyond, expect more tight ends, running backs, and interior offensive linemen."
(Timestamp: 26:04)

He elaborates on how NIL and the transfer portal have influenced draft depth:

"With the transfer portal opens today, they are going to go start swinging but make your stand and that's fine, that's great."
(Timestamp: 13:07)

Urban Meyer reflects on the evolving draft strategies:

"With the phenomena of NIL, you have more mature guys that are ready to play right away."
(Timestamp: 28:30)

The segment underscores a paradigm shift where teams must balance traditional scouting with the new realities of player mobility and financial negotiations. Todd’s insights reveal a draft class that is not only deep but also more strategically complex than ever before.

3. Ohio State Preview (45:35 – 50:25)

Turning attention to Ohio State Buckeyes, the hosts provide a detailed preview of their chances in the upcoming season. With a roster undergoing significant changes—15 players projected to enter the NFL Draft, new coordinators, and key position adjustments—the discussion is rich with anticipation and analysis.

Rob Stone references Vegas odds to frame the expectations:

"Bet MGM has set their regular season win total at ten and a half, with the overset at plus 100 and the under at minus 125."
(Timestamp: 46:52)

Urban Meyer cautiously aligns with the ten-win prediction:

"I got him at 10. I think they're going to win ten games."
(Timestamp: 46:52)

Mark Ingram II breaks down the Buckeyes’ challenging schedule:

"The two toughest tests on paper are home versus Texas and Penn State."
(Timestamp: 47:02)

The trio discusses the strategic adjustments Ohio State must make, including integrating new offensive and defensive schemes under coordinators Brian Hartline and Matt Patricia. They ponder whether the team can maintain its elite performance despite significant departures and emphasize the importance of veteran leadership and robust recruitment.

4. Masters Memories (17:29 – 23:14)

Adding a personal touch, Urban Meyer shares a nostalgic anecdote about winning the national championship and receiving an invitation to the Augusta National Golf Club from Fred Ridley. This story transitions into a lively discussion about golf, showcasing the hosts’ camaraderie and diverse interests beyond football.

Urban Meyer recounts the memorable phone call:

"President Obama calls me to congratulate the team, and then Fred Ridley invites me to Augusta National. That’s the promised land in my world."
(Timestamp: 17:30)

The conversation shifts to golf dynamics, with Rob Stone and Mark Ingram II humorously debating their golfing skills and experiences, highlighting the importance of focus and resilience—a metaphor applicable both on the golf course and the football field.

Notable Quotes:

• Urban Meyer:

  "We have to quit calling it NIL. It's not. It's pay for play. It's exactly what they’re doing. It's NFL. It's professional sports right now."
  (00:20 – 10:21)

• Mark Ingram II:

  "I think Nico should have played it out, but also, Mark, and you've been there. You want what your value is."
  (10:10)

• Rob Stone:

  "This is the norm now, Coach. I think in the 2023 recruiting class, seven of the eight quarterbacks have transferred."
  (08:48)

• Todd McShay:

  "In the first two rounds last year, 91% of the picks were on the premium positions [...] So this year, in the third round and beyond, expect more tight ends, running backs, and interior offensive linemen."
  (26:04)

• Urban Meyer:

  "I got him at 10. I think they're going to win ten games."
  (46:52)

Conclusion:

This episode of "The Triple Option" masterfully blends on-the-field analysis with behind-the-scenes insights, offering listeners a holistic view of contemporary football issues. From the empowerment and struggles of student-athletes navigating NIL deals to the strategic foresight required in NFL Draft preparation, and the enduring legacy of powerhouse programs like Ohio State, Meyer, Ingram, and Stone provide a multifaceted exploration of the sport’s current and future states. Personal stories, like Meyer’s golf anecdotes, add depth and relatability, making the episode both informative and engaging for fans seeking a comprehensive understanding of the game they love.

Transcript

[Rob Stone]

We all thought Ohio State was just going to molly spank that thing against the Wolverines last year and they did it.

[Urban Meyer]

Molly spank? Yeah.

[Mark Ingram]

What's a Molly Spank?

[Rob Stone]

Oh, Mr. Miyagi. Just wax on, wax off. Just wax it, light it.

[Urban Meyer]

Light it.

[Mark Ingram]

Little more energy, Coach, with the light it, light it. Stick your chest into it. Right, Mark? Stick your chest out there, Coach.

[Urban Meyer]

Light it, light it.

[Mark Ingram]

There we go. Get that chest out with the light. Welcome to the triple option presented by Wendy's. Clock in for sweet treat time with Wendy's classic Frosty. Get one now. So glad you're back here with us on the triple option. Rob Stone, Mark Ingram, the second Urban Meyer here with you, our thoughts on the whole Tennessee Nico Iamaleva breakup. We continue to prep for the NFL draft this week. Also, what can we expect from the defending national champs Ohio State, regular season win wise? That'll be a good little conversation later on on the triple option. Remember, rate subscribe on Apple podcast, Spotify, wherever it is, you find your podcast as well as across social media at 3x option show. Before we get into the nitty gritty of this whole Tennessee holdout, Coach, is that a. Am I looking at a ball pit in your background? What is going on? Are you like working like a jungle land over a miniature golf course somewhere back?

[Urban Meyer]

We got a little spring break down here. So we got three kids under three, three grandkids under three. They arrived yesterday. And I mean, the handprints all over windows and just stuff everywhere and. But it's awesome. You know, we had a. Mark, we had to have a family meeting and say we had. We have three kids under three. Three grandkids under three. And we said, you know, whatever you guys are doing to have children, stop. You know, it was kind of awkward with your kids, but stop it.

[Todd McShay]

No more.

[Urban Meyer]

We have six grandkids. And let's take a time out for a couple years and give Mimi and Buddy a chance to take a breath here.

[Mark Ingram]

How many naps have you taken today already, Coach?

[Rob Stone]

He said whatever y'all doing to have kids, stop.

[Urban Meyer]

Awkward with your kid. You're not there yet, Mark. But chat.

[Rob Stone]

Hell no.

[Mark Ingram]

No, no. Mark, I hope you and I are a long ways away from that. If not, we need to do some serious. Some education.

[Urban Meyer]

God's gift, though, boys. It's true. It is absolutely true.

[Rob Stone]

God's gift right now is my actual kids. I could wait on the grandkids.

[Mark Ingram]

I have a. I got 10.

[Rob Stone]

I'm 10 and under. So we got a long time. We got A long time.

[Mark Ingram]

But, but coach, you can't put that, that little ball selection in storage. And we'll use that in like a couple decades. Hopefully we'll borrow.

[Urban Meyer]

You just gotta, you gotta hose them off, I guess, because there's a lot of stuff goes on in there, especially when they're little Mark. So.

[Mark Ingram]

It'S like never go in the power. Never go in the kiddie pool. Right? Just stay out of the kiddie pool. Let, let, let, let the kids do their business in there. All right, so can we talk college football? Right?

[Urban Meyer]

Wow. Wow.

[Mark Ingram]

Oh, man. So the NFL draft is next. I know we're going to get to Nico in a second. We're going to continue to get you ready with the second half of our interview with the draft savant, Todd McShay. That's coming up a little bit later in the episode. Also we, we're going to throw out an invite to you. We welcome any and all to join us in Green Bay April 24th and 25th for the draft House Experience presented by Nissan. We're going to be located just outside Lambeau Field. And we're joining forces, guys, with our good friends the throwbacks, Matt and Jerry. We're gonna have a live show each day, the 24th and 25th. There's going to be live music, free food, drinks, meet and greets. Coach, I know you love a good meet and greet. Plenty more to come as well. For more information, we encourage you visit Drafthouse Experience. It's all one word. Drafthouse experience.com and that's coming your way. April 24th, 25th, outside Lambeau. We' forward to that one and seeing our guys from the throwbacks. But let's start the show with a good old fashioned holdout, right? Like if there was any debate if the NFL has leaked into college football. We had it the last couple days. Tennessee starting quarterback Nico Iamala. Let's just call him Nico. I. Right. Because we're all going to say his last name differently.

[Rob Stone]

He said how to say it.

[Mark Ingram]

I know. And I, it's still.

[Urban Meyer]

I'm good.

[Todd McShay]

You're good.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah. Just respectful. Yeah, of course.

[Mark Ingram]

Mark's pretty good at that one. All right. So he was trying guys essentially to renegotiate a substantial nil deal. And it came to a head when he surprisingly sat out practice on Friday. His current deal was paying him in that like 2.2, 2.5 million dollar window. His team, his team wanted to increase that guy. So right around 4 million. That's a million more than say what a Carson Beck A prov quarterback has done what Bryce Underwood, an unproven quarterback is getting at Michigan. So we had an old fashioned holdout and Coach Hypo at Tennessee, to his credit, at least a lot of quarters said I'm not going to play that game. We are moving on. Coach, how does this change team dynamics? How does this change college football?

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah, I want to hit that. You know, Coach Hypo making a stand and it's great, you know, that's his, that's his prerogative. He's the head coach. But I've coached against Tennessee now. I can imagine week four, week five, if they're struggling with it right now, they don't have. They have a quarterback, one quarterback, a red shirt freshman through nine, nine balls last year, that's it. Because the backup was a senior. They are not a zero right now. Two young quarterbacks, a freshman, a redshirt freshman. And obviously the transfer port opens up today, I believe, right. For a 10 day window.

[Mark Ingram]

10 day spring quarter window opens today.

[Urban Meyer]

They're going to go start swinging but make your stand and that's fine, that's great. Very talented player. Did not have a great year. That's the thing. You got to push back on a little bit. When I saw that he only had one 300 yard game, eight games under 200 and a playoff, 104 passing yards. You know, we watched him a lot. I watched because I really enjoy, I think he's super talented. But he did not have a great year. Had a good year and they won games.

[Rob Stone]

So he had a great year. The first five games against people who were unranked.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah, that's when I got all jacked up watching him. Showed him on Big Noon. But here's the reality is Tennessee is screwed. I mean they are, they're in a, they got a problem. You lose a potential high draft pick, you, you have the backup quarterback left last year and now you have a redshirt freshman after nine passes and a freshman, you have zero experience. And the portal opens as we speak. They are going to have to go get one. And here's the thing that there's a couple key elements here. Everybody's saying, hey, nice job. Tennessee making a stand. I got a little comment on that. Tennessee plays Florida usually every year in October. Can you imagine FDA games going the other way? And Josh Hypo grabbed. Coach Hypo grabs a microphone and stands on the 50 yard line in Neyland Stadium and says, hey, it's okay. I made a stand way back when. So I don't know what the answer is. There are some interesting answers out there. But this, it happened. I, and, and think about this, Mark. He too, for 200 yards in eight games or less. 200 yards. He had 1, 300 yard game, and he threw for 100 yard, 4 yards against Ohio State in the playoffs. So he had a good year. First, first year starting quarterback. But I, I, as a guy that's been involved almost 40 years in this game, I can't believe this happened.

[Rob Stone]

It's crazy. I mean, you, you talk about. You said it, coach, like, the man's already making 2.2 to 2.5 million. Then you go out there and just because, you know, you see Carson Beck's numbers, you see Bryce Underwood's numbers, you want to go and get more money, right? But you need to handle what you can handle, and that's improving. Going to spring ball, like, what is the ultimate goal here? The ultimate goal here is to be a professional NFL quarterback, right? Like, take the proper steps to control what you can control. And I guarantee you, if you ball and take Tennessee to the playoffs, you will get 4 or 5 million the next year. I mean, not just to the playoffs, but deep into the playoffs. Make a run for, you know, the national championship.

[Urban Meyer]

How about this? It's been reported that they're waiting. They're not. He's not going to. There's a chance he gets $1 million. People are kind of holding on that number. And I called someone in the business to ask and say, is that true? They're hearing the same thing. They don't think he's a $4 million quarterback. They're going to wait to see if it comes down. If it comes down, then some people might go take a swing at him and he might handle him. Now, cluster place for less money.

[Rob Stone]

This is the norm now, Coach, I think in the 2023 recruiting class, seven of the eight quarterbacks have transferred. Arch Manning being the only one that hasn't transferred. Like, this is the norm here. This is the new norm in college football. You don't get the money you want, even if you're the starter. You leave like you are starting at a program like the University of Tennessee. You just took them to the playoff. Come back, get better, have camaraderie with your teammates, and you'll, you will reap what you sow. I promise you will.

[Mark Ingram]

I think what's.

[Rob Stone]

Everyone wants instant gratification.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah. I think what's being lost, though, maybe is the timing of this. Like, this should have been sorted out after the Season. Right. I think speaking for Tennessee, I think they clearly felt that Nico was coming back. Like, he had gotten his money, we had a number for him, things were great. And then obviously these negotiations started happening. So to me, that makes it a little wild. Wild West. Like, when do you know this player is locked and loaded on your roster? Right. Like, when can we know that you're going to stay with us? I don't. I think there's this great unknown now for these universities. And you're right, Coach. Like, my initial reaction was, congratulations, Coach Hypo. Way to make a stand. You know, the team is more important than. Than one player. And I couldn't agree with that more. And I hate shady negotiations. I don't like greed out there. And I feel like Nico should have played it out. But also Mark, and you've been there. You want what your value is.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah.

[Mark Ingram]

And if he thought his value was more somewhere else, then. Then, okay, go try to get it. But he should have tried to have gotten it after the season, a season that he led his team to the college football playoffs.

[Urban Meyer]

A couple thoughts. One of the things, we got to quit calling it nil. It's not. It's pay for play. It's a salary. It's exactly what they're doing. The. It's NFL. It's professional sports right now.

[Rob Stone]

It's worse than NFL, Coach. It's worse than NFL, because in the.

[Mark Ingram]

NFL, there's no salary cap. There's nothing to work against.

[Rob Stone]

Well, there's no worse because the NFL, you have to honor your contract. You can't just say, oh, I'm making 4 million I bald last year. No, I need 12 million this year.

[Mark Ingram]

No, that's why you hold out and think about this.

[Urban Meyer]

There's a rule out there that says that it cannot be tied to measurables. Your stats. Winning, losing. What is it tied to? I. I'm measurable by. This is tied to measure. And I played and I didn't see.

[Todd McShay]

Read more money.

[Urban Meyer]

And I read someone treat them like coaches. And if you really want to tie it in, I don't think you're allowed to do it now, but allow buyouts. So if someone wants to go get Nico, they got to go pay Tennessee 5 million.

[Rob Stone]

They buy it out. Yes.

[Urban Meyer]

And they buy it out.

[Mark Ingram]

Or if they don't want you anymore, buy you out and. And let you hit the road. Right.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah, sure.

[Rob Stone]

Yes.

[Urban Meyer]

Wow. This is. I. This is. Again.

[Rob Stone]

It should be like that, though. You have a contract you have to honor.

[Mark Ingram]

That's why you got GMs coming into college football now, right? Because that's, that's what's happening. That's what North Carolina is set up for. Right. We bring in a GM because this is what college football is. It's the NFL.

[Rob Stone]

It's worse than the NFL actually. Like right now, the college players have more power than an NFL player does.

[Mark Ingram]

That'll change.

[Rob Stone]

Yes. You hold out in the NFL, you get fined per day. Per day.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah, but how many of those dudes actually end up paying that fine? Like it gets reworked in the contract. It's kind of hidden and buried.

[Rob Stone]

But that, that, that fee, it has to be discussed because you are getting fined per day.

[Urban Meyer]

Thursday, Nico's with the coaches. I. Someone said he had dinner at the coach's house. He's, he has good relationship with Nico. All right. With Coach Hypo and their quarterback coach. On Friday, they show up for practice and they don't have their starting quarterback. No phone call, would not return to calls. And within 24 hours, Coach Hypo stands in front of the media and says, we moved on.

[Mark Ingram]

Wow.

[Rob Stone]

Wow.

[Urban Meyer]

How did Vegas react to that, I wonder.

[Mark Ingram]

No notification, no nothing. Just here it is. Learn about it in real life.

[Rob Stone]

This is crazy. Like, this is crazy. You're number one.

[Mark Ingram]

You're QB one at a legit SEC school. A team that made it to the playoffs last season.

[Rob Stone]

Mark, this is wild. It really is. Right, right at the start of spring ball too.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah.

[Rob Stone]

You know what I mean? Well, no, spring ball is like Alabama's having a spring game I think this weekend. So it's like towards the end of the spring.

[Urban Meyer]

So where does Nico go? What, what happens?

[Mark Ingram]

Right. The 10 day spring portal window opens today. 10 days. There's programs out there that need quarterbacks.

[Urban Meyer]

So I also, I also heard this, Mark, from a pretty good source in the business. He thinks it's. There was already a deal being negotiated, which again, I think that was. Tennessee got in trouble for that, I believe where there was some tampering going on. Then the NCAA just threw the hands up and said, don't worry about it. There's no, there's no rules anymore. So my understanding that there is negotiations, which probably makes sense. How do you walk away from. First of all, really good team, could be potentially great team, playoff team. Starting quarterback, Tennessee. They're counting on you. Great stadium, SEC football. And I'm going to walk away.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah.

[Urban Meyer]

And there's a rule that can go play in the sec. He can't go play in sec.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah, you can't play in sec. So Ohio State's gonna try to get him or. Or USC or something.

[Mark Ingram]

Or North Carolina. Right. Somebody who needs a new.

[Rob Stone]

So he can't. Yeah. So that is the rule. He can't go to the SEC without sitting out a year.

[Mark Ingram]

Correct.

[Rob Stone]

So he's obviously gonna go to Big Ten, Big 12 ACC.

[Mark Ingram]

Big 12 ACC.

[Urban Meyer]

What if he wakes up? He wakes up one with a salary for $1 million in a place that has no chance in the playoffs.

[Mark Ingram]

Yep. Be careful what you wish for. Right, Coach? Be careful what you wish for out there.

[Urban Meyer]

That's when you look at everybody one day when he's older and say, why'd we do that?

[Rob Stone]

It's the people around you, Coach, I highly doubt.

[Mark Ingram]

There you go, Mark.

[Rob Stone]

Is Nico being like, I hate Tennessee. I don't want to come back to Tennessee. Like, I bet the players 2 1/2 million dollars. It's the people in your circle putting stuff in your ear. You deserve this. You're that they're getting this. We should did that. So I want you not to go to practice. Now. I don't know the logistics, I don't know the insider scoop, but I do know it has to be people in his ear. Right. It has to be people close to him.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah.

[Urban Meyer]

There's no chance he made that decision. No chance. He's not equipped to make that decision.

[Rob Stone]

That third uncle there, he is sad.

[Mark Ingram]

Sad on this one. Yeah. Or somebody even closer. You know what's interesting to me, guys, is that I think this is another sign of a trend that we're seeing again. The NFL and college football kind of coming together. We're seeing. And Mark, you hit on that stat. Of the eight top quarterbacks in the 23 class, seven have already transferred. And Arch being the only one who stuck it out. And God bless Arch. I mean, what a. What a brave decision on his part. But you're seeing this fluidity at the college football quarterback position. You're also seeing it at the NFL. I'm seeing more and more NFL teams. I think you're also seeing more and more college football teams. Just look at Ohio State, Will Howard last year that are more content to get a seasoned quarterback in the portal. Right. Take your two years of seasoning, of growth, put up some good numbers at a quote unquote, lesser place. Let somebody else do the dirty work for you. Let them build you, grow you, mature you, and then let me take you from there. And you're seeing that at the NFL. You know, look, what like a Sam Darnold, a Baker Mayfield. There's instances across college football. And that's almost like what the Mac is becoming, right? It's becoming like aaa, right? Hey, do well at these lesser conferences and all the big boys are going to look down from the stands and look at the tape and go, thanks for your dirty work. You know, thanks, Bowling Green, for coming.

[Urban Meyer]

And I was wrong, Mark, because I said there's no way that you can win a championship with a one and done quarterback. I just, I love that. I think that position is so invaluable, the leadership to be with your team. Will Howard comes in, that does a hell of a job, wins the national championship, moves on one and done. So I agree this is going to be kind of the template. The template is we just watched it and guess what?

[Mark Ingram]

There's more to this story. I guarantee you, though, of course there'll be more because we got to find out where Nico ends up playing. And we'll talk about that on the next.

[Rob Stone]

How much money does he make at his.

[Mark Ingram]

How much he makes, where he goes, how long. How long that deal is for? And you guys talked about Ohio State, remember? We're going to talk about Ohio State and how many regular season wins we project them to get in the regular season. But now it is time for treat of the week, presented by Wendy's. Clock in for sweet treat time with Wendy's classic Frosty. Get one now, coach, I know you got the grandkids running around, throw them in the minivan. I know you got a minivan there. And take them to Wendy's. Go get themselves a sweet treat. But we're going to talk about sweet trans time. Treat time. We're talking transpired at Augusta over the weekend.

[Todd McShay]

Sweet treat time.

[Rob Stone]

Sweet treat time. Sweet treat time.

[Urban Meyer]

All right, quick story. I'm the head coach at Florida. We win the national championship and it's Tim Tebow against Sam Bradford, 2008. We went in, we walk in the locker room by everybody singing, dancing, and Sid comes over to us and said, hey, President Obama's going to call you in five minutes on your phone, congratulate everybody, invite you to the White House. I was like, wow, okay, great. So I turned on the music. President Obama calls. I said, Mr. President, he said, coach Myron and gators, congratulations. And everybody's cheering and put him on speakerphone. And he said, I'd like to invite you to the White House. What a great year. Great season, a great game. And I said, Mr. President, we're so honored. We'll be there and boom. And kind of hang up and I go back to my locker and I sit down. I'm like, damn, we just won this thing. And I look at. My phone's buzzing. It's Fred Ridley. Fred really is a chairman of Augusta National. Back then he was Rules Committee chairman. He's a Florida graduate, two time All American. And he says, coach, we did it, we did it, we did it. I got great news. You're coming as my guest to Augusta National. We're going to stay in a Butler cabin. I almost pass out, Mark. I mean, that's, that's, that's, that's the promised land in my world.

[Rob Stone]

What'd you shoot at Augusta, is the question.

[Urban Meyer]

We'll get to that in a minute. So, so how many walks Right. Right then are. I mean, I'm jumping around like, my gosh, I'm really going to do this. Then our Sid brings us back. It brings me back in. And we got to go to the media now. There's about 500 media members in there. I'll sit down. And we're sitting at the table and one guy to my right says, coach, tell us about the amazing phone call you just got in the locker room. I said, boys, Fred really just called me and I'm headed to Augusta National. And they looked at me and said, wait a minute, isn't President Obama President Obama call you? And I was like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, he did. But we're going to Augusta National. Little priorities there.

[Rob Stone]

Augusta, that's mandatory. Augusta and the White House. That's two checklists. That's two box. Box list items. Right, right there. Man, I haven't been. I, I went to the White House, Obama, but I haven't been to Augusta. So I need that, I need that connection. Coach, please.

[Mark Ingram]

Coaches got connections. Yeah. My big takeaway mark was that you and I are headed to Augusta whenever we want to. Courtesy of coach.

[Rob Stone]

That's what I'm saying.

[Mark Ingram]

That's all I heard.

[Rob Stone]

What you shoot out Augusta, man, let me know. I know you're a sandbagger. Let me know what you shot out of Augusta.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah, we, we got times. I played with Lou Holtz, played with Alex Taylor, played with, obviously Fred Ridley one time. So it's really not that hard a course, especially from the member TE's. I mean, it's rugged, the greens are rugged, but it's wide open. There's no rough mark. So my best round, I believe, was an 82 or 83, but then I also had several of them up in the 90s.

[Rob Stone]

Okay.

[Urban Meyer]

Because the putts were the putts. Were rolling, man. But if you have a good caddy says hit it here at 20%, you look at yourself, say, why would the hell would I hit it there? That's because of caddy knows that's where he hit it. But, but how about Rory McElroy, man? Rory, how about that beast, man? Grand Slam, very rare. And his emotion, man, I thought that was awesome.

[Rob Stone]

Well, I mean, you could see it, man, the career Grand Slam. We saw what happened last year. I forget what tournament that was where he missed a little three foot slider to win and then lost it in the playoff. But just look at the ebbs and flows of this game of golf, man.

[Urban Meyer]

Like, oh, yeah, he lost it and won it. Lost it, lost it and won it.

[Rob Stone]

Round one, double bogey on seven, on what, 15 and 17. Like, he could have been the leader by two, two, three shots. And then even to start the day on Sunday, first hole, double bogey, you go up by two shots, and now you're even after one hole. But then, you know, he gets the lead back, fights through, misses the same short putt again.

[Urban Meyer]

Wow.

[Rob Stone]

To go into a playoff. But then obviously with Justin Rose. But he wins in the first playoff. He won the first hole, so. But just a, a gritty performance by him. Just mentally tough. Congratulations.

[Urban Meyer]

Maybe my favorite sporting event. I love the master, bro.

[Rob Stone]

Golf is just a different beast dog. Like, you have to chase that ball around, and no matter what happens, you have to good shot or bad shot, you got to put it behind you and focus on the next shot. Because your job is to get the ball in the hole and as less times as you can. And me, I'd be chasing that thing all over. I take the scenic route when I'm on the course, coach.

[Mark Ingram]

See it all, baby. See it all.

[Rob Stone]

I see it all. I'd be seeing the whole entire course when I'm out there.

[Mark Ingram]

Sometimes, sometimes you see a few other holes that you didn't think you're gonna be seen again.

[Rob Stone]

I'm so number five, fairway eight to green, number seven, though. You know what I mean?

[Urban Meyer]

Sure.

[Mark Ingram]

As a sports TV nerd, you know, the sports Emmy category is already closed. It's done. You know, the Masters 2025 live sporting event. Done. Just hand them the hardware right now. I mean, they were just gifted things from. From the gods, right? I mean, the pageantry, the beauty, the camera work, the reaction. That Steadicam just following Rory after he won it, you know, finding his daughter, finding his wife, finding his friends, finding all these people and how he's overcome by emotion. It was awesome. You know, it was awesome to just sit, feel it, right? I didn't. I don't want to hear other voices. And that's one of the things they really nailed, was not over talking this situation and letting us a fan sit there and take it in and digest it.

[Rob Stone]

Layout. Layout.

[Mark Ingram]

Layout, baby. Out, man. Let's see.

[Urban Meyer]

As good as you think playing Augusta is, it's even better.

[Rob Stone]

I need to get over there. You gonna invite me or what, man? I'm just a little guy, man.

[Urban Meyer]

I'm not the one to invite, you know, people.

[Mark Ingram]

You know, people.

[Urban Meyer]

People. There's peoples out there.

[Mark Ingram]

There's peoples out there, as always, so.

[Urban Meyer]

Well, Mark's got peoples.

[Mark Ingram]

He's got tons of peoples.

[Rob Stone]

I'm just a guy, man.

[Mark Ingram]

Tons of humans.

[Rob Stone]

They don't want me out there butchering their course.

[Mark Ingram]

That's all right. You just spread a little seed on it. You'll be fine. Just stamp it down. I'll. I'll pick up your divots for you guys. We're going to be in Green Bay next week. Yep. The draft one week away. We're going to break down the dark horses of this draft. And we've got a fun Nick Saban story with the ringers. Todd McShay coming up next on the triple opt by Wendy's treat time is now in session at Wendy's with the iconic Frosty in chocolate and vanilla. Wendy's delicious Frosty is everyone's fave sweet treat.

[Urban Meyer]

Clock in for sweet treat time with Wendy's classic Frosty. When you want iconic treat, gotta be.

[Rob Stone]

Wendy's with the classic Wendy's Frosty coming in both chocolate and vanilla. There's no wrong time to head to the drive thru. So grab a spoon and enjoy everyone's fave creamy treat today.

[Mark Ingram]

When it's time for sweet treat time, you have to go with the classic Wendy's Frosty in chocolate and vanilla. Enjoy frosty time with a rich, creamy Wendy's Frosty when it's time for frosty time, gotta be Wendy's. All right, the NFL draft is almost here. Will Miami's Cam Ward be the savior for the Titans at number one? Will the Browns go with Shador Sanders or grab a generational talent like his teammate Travis Hunter? Or maybe find Miles Garrett that partner in Abdul Carter. These franchises, they need. They need their top picks to improve their roster and ultimately build a winning team. And if you're hiring, you need the most qualified people to build a successful business.

[Rob Stone]

So where can you find these blue chip candidates ZipRecruiter. In fact, ZipRecruiter delivers top talent across all industries and roles. And right now you can try it for [e-mail] option see a candidate who's a can't miss prospect, like a Heisman Trophy winning running back from Alabama. You could personally invite them to apply. Just like the teams in the draft, ZipRecruiter uses tools and technology to evaluate candidates and determine the top choices for your positions.

[Mark Ingram]

So find top picks for all your roles at ZipRecruiter. Four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. Just go to ZipRecruiter.com/option op t I o n right now to try ZipRecruiter for free again. That is ZipRecruiter.com/ option ZipRecruiter. The smartest way to hire. You and I were talking earlier this week, Todd, about recent trends in the NFL draft and you came up with an interesting one. Premium picks on premium positions. Can you elaborate?

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, you actually, you cut into my day yesterday.

[Mark Ingram]

Sorry about that.

[Todd McShay]

It's okay. I was, I was studying like third, fourth round safety. So it was a nice little break because it got me thinking. This year's class is going to be interesting, right? Because we've got two tight ends in Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland who are going to go in the first. We've got two running backs, maybe three that go in the first. We just mentioned their names. We've got a couple guys who are guards potentially. You know, Tyler Booker from Alabama, Gray Zabel from North Dakota State. We've got non premium position players that are kind of throughout every mock draft, if you will. But you go back like just the history of the NFL draft and you go back to last year especially. I want you to listen this. I went and did this first round last year, 32 picks. Only three were on what I would call non premium position players. The tight ends, the running backs, centers, guards, linebackers, safeties. Only three of those guys. So 91% of the picks in the first round were on quarterback, offensive tackle, wide receiver, which has become a premium position because of how the league has trended. Defensive line, the pass rushers, and then cornerbacks that can cover those receivers. First two rounds last year, 64 picks combined, only 11 on those non premium positions. 53 were on the premium positions. So the first two rounds, 17%. Only 17% were on the non premium positions. Now in the third round, it all changes. That's what's like, all right, I'm going to go out, I'm going to get my, my running backs, my tight ends, my interior offensive line, my linebackers, my safeties. 37 picks in round three were on those guys compared to only 17 on the premium positions because those guys got swept up early. So how does that play into this year I think is going to be fascinating when when you've got two legit first round tight ends, two or three legit first round running backs, a couple guards that I mentioned, a linebacker in Jihad Campbell From Alabama. Alabama. 2 Safeties in Malachi Starks and Nick Emanwari. So I'll be interested to see like do they just go late and do they get pushed back or do maybe a cup, two or three of those guys that we're talking about get pushed out of the first round because teams are obsessed with those premium positions.

[Urban Meyer]

I want to move to something that the transformation of the NFL draft by the phenomena nil. You know where, where the mid round player. Now this is and I, I. As negative as there is, there's a lot of positive. There's never been more college graduates playing college football than right now.

[Todd McShay]

Agreed.

[Urban Meyer]

So that's a more mature guy that will maybe step in the NFL. But you are now potentially making more money by staying in college as a result. I've heard this from several people in the NFL. The middle rounds are a little thinner than they used to be. Is that a true statement when I say thinner because people are going back to college?

[Todd McShay]

I don't think this year, I think last year I think we're starting to see because you got to remember we still have that weird Covid year. I can't tell you how many guys I've written up doing these reports. Got like 400 reports. It feels like every second or third guy it's a fifth year player and normally it was fifth year player and like red shirted, maybe played a few snaps 1st year, 2nd year was a reserve 3rd year started half the games. 4th and 5th year starter, 4th and 5th years. He was a starter. Now I'm writing up guys who are like six year player, four year starter, you know, sometimes like five year player, five year starter. So it's like this combination of the COVID year still on the very back end nil and transfer portal. I know, I know the one group of human beings out there that is just like they're sick about it because their workload has like doubled and tripled. It's the NFL scouts. I talked to a Good friend who's a scout in the, in the Southeast. He said on, like, typically I go to Ole Miss, it's like, you know, 12, 13 players in the preseason that I've got to write up. He's like, Todd, this year I had to write up 30, 30. Now that doesn't mean they're all coming out. That doesn't mean they're all going to be drafted. But he's got to be prepared and do the backgrounds and know all the medical and all those sorts of things. So that's where I think this year might be a little bit deeper. But you're also seeing a bunch of guys go back to school and so maybe the top of the first round isn't, isn't as good as it normally would be. But I, I love it. I love it for the quarterbacks especially. I mean, look at like Jaden Daniels and the two stops and the 56 starts he had. You just look at the last couple of years and, and all of the, like Bo Nix, Bo Nix was like a 5th round pick. Jaden Daniels was a 5th round prospect going into his final year getting that extra year. And it goes back like all the way back to Parcells and his rules of 23 starts and all that. Like, we've always known that experience helps, but we've never had the data like we've had from the last few years to say, look like Mark Sanchez, 13 starts, Mitch Trubisky, 13 starts, Anthony Richardson, 13 starts. Like, you're just not ready. You haven't seen enough. And so for the quarterbacks especially, I love it. But I think in general the league is getting players who are ready to play right away. And just look at the rookie impacts we see in the last couple of years.

[Rob Stone]

Todd, just a little fun question here, man. I know you do a lot of these mock drafts. We're in the March Madness time. People love, do their little brackets and see how close they can get to the actual results of the Final four in the championship. What year was your mock draft? Almost as close as it could possibly be to like the actual draft. Like, do you, do you have, do you follow that? Like, how close it lands? Like, and what has been your best year? How close was it?

[Todd McShay]

It was like the third or fourth year and I'm, I, I can't, I've got to go look this up now. It's gonna kill me. It was like the third or fourth year, so it was like 2003, 2004. I got the first 12 picks, right.

[Rob Stone]

Wow.

[Todd McShay]

And I haven't come close to doing that since. Right. I mean, one trade and it just kind of messes the whole thing up.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

I really, it's fun to do. And I'd be lying to you if I wasn't sitting there looking at my mock. And then. And for the past 17 years, having Kuiper sit right next to me is we're on draft night almost as like this little side project. Like. Check. Yes, check. You know. Yeah, but, but yeah, fans love it. I understand it. NFL GMs love to do them too.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

That's the funny part that no one really talks about because it helps them prepare and all the scenarios for, for draft night. But, but, but it's, it's gotten where it's, it's maddening. Like one guy, you're off by one guy. And this year is going to be impossible.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

Outside of the. And we don't even know number two. And we barely, I mean, we just found. I feel like in the last week or so found out one. But, but I can tell you this. When Duke lost my bracket. Busted. If that helps you at all.

[Rob Stone]

Right.

[Urban Meyer]

Hey, I'm gonna brag on, I'm gonna, I'm actually asking this question too, but I'm a brag on. Todd. Todd, I think is better than most that I've dealt with NFL. I mean, as far as the homework that he does, the how correct he is. Have you thought about that as something been. I know we discussed this. Has something come across your table that you said, damn, I might go do this in the NFL?

[Todd McShay]

I, I had.

[Urban Meyer]

Here we go answer it.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, I, I, I, I, I've had some, some conversations. I've had some conversations. I, you know, most, the most recent, I don't think it's a secret. Joe Douglas, I played college football with at Richmond and we had some conversations.

[Rob Stone]

But you see that spider behind him.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But ultimately ESPN came back and locked me in and that was the right thing for, you know, my family and for that time in my career. I honestly love what I'm doing. And here's the hard part. I talk to NFL scouts and I talk to people in the league and they're like, don't you dare ever. Like, because I, because there's a lot of days where I would kill to just do what you're doing. But I told you, I'll never forget we had this conversation the first time you and I talked when you were taking that year off Urban and, and I, and you were just kind of asking like, what's it like, what? And I was like, listen, you're gonna, you're gonna love it for a little bit because it's, you can finally take a deep breath, you can sit back, you know, it's, you can have fun, you build relationships and I think you've enjoyed all of that. But I also remember saying to you and, and I've, I've said this to many people. The hardest part is the competitive gene. I've never been able to scratch that itch. And it's like beating Kuiper in a top 100 list and ranking or mock draft doesn't do it. So if I ever were to, to go take that step and take an offer, it would be because I've just always been dying to go compete and do that.

[Mark Ingram]

Back in the day, guys, I used to do a lot of Mac games and kind of lower tier conferences and Todd was like my go to weekly. I would send him a, like, hey, I've got Akron in western Michigan. I'm like, any dudes out there draftable? And I don't care what round we're talking, I could care less because you're, he's creating content and a hit for me. So I'm always curious. We get so caught up in the first round and who's going here and there. I want a sleeper. I want, I want a couple dudes that maybe aren't getting enough attention, aren't getting enough love that might sneak into round one, but are going to be an amazing round two, round three fit. Who are some of those guys?

[Todd McShay]

I mean, no one wants to talk about a guard from North Dakota State, but I mean I do.

[Mark Ingram]

I love guards from North Dakota State.

[Todd McShay]

Gray Zable, like we've seen like Cody Mock and like a bunch of guys go through and have great week at the Senior bowl, prove they can do it at this level. He's going to come off the board in round one now, but he, he's that one player that, that everyone's gonna kind of la. Just laugh at some of the tape and his dominance. Maxwell Hairston, he's going to be a first round cornerback and I don't think, you know, everyone's talked about the same guys. Will Johnson from, from, from Michigan and Jedi Baron from Texas. Maxwell Hairston might be the second best athlete, most exposed explosive traits outside of Travis Hunter in this draft and he had the shoulder injury apparently like he got infected from a needle this past year. Wasn't the same guy in terms of like tackling and all that, but he ran the fastest 40 time, for whatever that's worth. And it's worth something at the cornerback position of any player at the combine. He jumps through the roof. He's sticky in coverage, man and zone. I think Maxwell Hairston is going to be an absolute find for an NFL team, and I just don't feel like he's. He's getting an awful lot of love. There are some other, like Elijah Arroyo is just getting completely overlooked. The Miami tight end in this class, because you've got, you know, you've got this unbelievable talent and Tyler Warren, and you've got another great receiver in that, like Kelsey Line of Colson Loveland from Michigan. But. But Arroyo, he had the injuries in college, and he didn't even have great production. They spread the ball out to a lot of different places at Miami this year, but he's different, man. Like, he's. And he blocked. He's got some, like, dog in him. I just. I think Arroyo, in the second round is going to be a player where we look every year, we look back, like, how did that guy get the second. He has everything. You look 6, 6, 5, 251 pounds, runs fast, explosive traits, was awesome at the senior boat. How did he get to the second round? I think Arroyo is going to be one of those guys that we. We look back and talk about where.

[Urban Meyer]

You have in early.

[Todd McShay]

Early.

[Urban Meyer]

Oh, stop. I'm gonna.

[Todd McShay]

Running back. That's when running backs mattered.

[Rob Stone]

Y. So you were surprised. You were surprised when I made it 28?

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, I actually was. I remember.

[Rob Stone]

Me too.

[Todd McShay]

I remember that. I remember that I thought I had somewhere like the top, like 15, somewhere I could go back and look.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah, I appreciate it, man. Because that's what I said. I said McShay told me I was between 10 and 20, so I knew I couldn't go past.

[Todd McShay]

Well, that's, that's, you know, that's one of the problems with this job. Coach has called me a couple in the. In the past. Called me a couple times. Nick Saban. That was always my, like, I forget Nick's secretary's name.

[Rob Stone]

Linda.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah, maybe.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah.

[Todd McShay]

Ms. Linda. Yes, Ms. Linda. I would. Every once in a while, they're like five or six times in, like, I don't know, decade that he was there. I'd get that call from Ms. Linda's phone, and I'd be like, oh, boy. Setting up a call for. For Nick to call and. And get after me. You're too high on this guy. And he was right once or twice. I was right once or twice.

[Mark Ingram]

But was he talking about his guys or other guys?

[Todd McShay]

His guys, yes.

[Rob Stone]

His guys wanted to leave and he.

[Todd McShay]

When they were making decisions, they saw a mock Dr. My name on top of it, and he was pissed off. And he, he's not the only coach. I've had plenty, so I don't like that aspect of it. But. But I do my best to try to be as accurate as I can.

[Rob Stone]

I'm going to ask you one thing.

[Todd McShay]

Yeah.

[Rob Stone]

Did you have Kareem Jackson going number 20?

[Todd McShay]

No.

[Rob Stone]

Nobody did.

[Todd McShay]

No.

[Rob Stone]

Hey, Kareem wanted to leave. Coach Saban wanted him to come back. Kareem, like, I'm leaving. Kareem went number 20. Had. I think he just finished his 15th year, too, so kudos to him. But I just wanted to ask you about that.

[Todd McShay]

No, I did not. I did not.

[Mark Ingram]

Hey, Todd, from your unique perspective, what do you think NFL scouts, NFL GMs, NFL head coaches are getting wrong or spending too much time and getting wrapped around the axel on when they really need to be focusing on elements A, B and C?

[Todd McShay]

That's a good question. I think the league's come a long way. I, I think it used to be. I don't think it used to be a lot of, like, crusty, you know, not understanding the player evaluators who, you know, it's, it's our way or it's, it's, it's no way. That kind of thing. I've seen a total transformation in, in the, in executives, in, in scouts, people. Like, it's, you know, the guys that are starting to rise up. I think that there's been an understanding of, like, there's, there's no one way, like, and you don't have to be exactly this as a human being. It's okay to get paid money and, and also adjusting. We don't love it, but, but we understand it is what it is. You know, with the, with some of the entitlement. And it's true. And, like, I'm not promoting it, but with, with money and this prestige and I mean, they're professional athletes in college now, but you can either adjust to the times or you can fight them. And, like, you're going to be down to a list of 30 guys in each draft class that you want to draft. But I also think the other thing too is, and it's the hard. I remember Marty Schottenheimer told me this one of my first drafts. He was working at espn. He's like, the hardest thing to ever predict, I always have found, is when you give a human being, more money, more free time and more fame. How's he going to react to that? And I, and I've like talking to scouts early in my career. It was like 70, 80% was tape and who's the football player is and all that. And it was like 20, 30%. Who is he as a human being who is like does he love ball or does he love what ball brings him? I know there's a cliche, but does he truly love, love this and Mark, like, you know, this thing's a grind.

[Rob Stone]

Yes.

[Todd McShay]

You gotta, you gotta love it and you can kind of, you can really, really like it and like to work most the time. But there are, there are dudes that really, absolutely love it. And you see if you go study it over time, those are the guys that kind of rise to the top or just get the most out of what they have.

[Rob Stone]

He's right.

[Todd McShay]

So. Yeah, right.

[Rob Stone]

Spot on, Spot on.

[Mark Ingram]

He is the legend Todd McShay from the McShay show on the ringer Network. Todd, man, I know it's like it's tax season for you, right? This is your busy season. You're, you're in accountant mode right now. So we appreciate you taking the time to join us on the triple option. Thanks, man. Love the intelligence. Always love seeing you.

[Rob Stone]

We appreciate your time, brother.

[Todd McShay]

Anytime you want. I couldn't think of a we should do it again.

[Rob Stone]

Be careful with your ass phone now. Exactly the show.

[Mark Ingram]

Now always change that phone number immediately. Enjoy all your favorite sports like Never before at BetMGM each Wednesday throughout the season, pick the skater you think will light the lamp first in the game. Listen, if it's not your player but he scores the second goal the game, you get your stake back. And with bet MGM at your fingertips, every play and every game matter more than ever. Place your moneyline prop and parlay bets with the sportsbook born in Vegas today. See betmgm.com for terms 21/only US promotional offers not available in Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER, call 877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY in New York, call 1-800-Next Step in Arizona, 1-800- through 275050 in Massachusetts, 1-800-Bets off in Iowa. Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non withdrawable bonus bets that expire in seven days. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Welcome back to the triple option presented by Wendy's Mark Urban. Rob, back here with you. The triple option crystal ball is brought to you by BetMGM. Each Wednesday throughout the NHL season, pick the skater you think will light the lamp first in the game. If it's not your player, though, but he does score the second goal of the game, you get your stake back. You only get that here with the sportsbook. Born in Vegas. All right, BetMGM right now has us looking at the Ohio State, the defending national champs and what they're going to do this upcoming season. They just completed their spring game over the weekend. Right now they have it at. Here it comes, Mark. It's the half. Ten and a half regular season win total. That bet MGM has set for them for 20, 25. The overset at plus 100. The under at minus 125. So ten and a half regular season wins for the Buckeyes. We'll delve into the schedule in just a moment, but things to keep in mind, probably going to have 15 players from that national championship team getting drafted next week in the NFL draft. You got a new OC in Brian Hartline. Matt Patricia comes in as your new dc. You've got a new quarterback coming in. You've got a new running back. You've got all kinds of holes to fill, and I know got no pass rushers. Yeah, Ohio State is a, you know, like, let's just. Let's just reload, right? It's Stormtroopers. One goes down, another one's in your face. But, man, coach, this feels like a big number. This feels like a lot of holes that Ryan Day has to fill this off season.

[Urban Meyer]

It does. And again, Vegas is right on the mark here. I mean, that's ten and a half. And I think they'll win ten games. And remember, the standard has been set by the Wolverines leadership. Old team, a team full of seniors. Penn State's trying to do that this year with the back, you know, tailbacks coming back and Aller coming back. So I got him at 10 wins. I think they're, you know, they've recruited at a whole different level than anyone else in college football, I think, in the last 15, 20 years. Well, I thought we always recruited good, man. I see these rosters, my gosh. And what they've done, and I, you know, they had a good spring game that they love. The quarterback saying that. The Alabama transfer. We have two new coordinators, Matt Patricia, which. That's going to be the biggest change because I think Brian Hartline is just going to keep going along with the Chip Kelly Ohio State Ryan Day offense. So I got him at 10. I look at their schedule, and I'm Going to hand it off to Mark here in a second. But at Wolverines, at Wisconsin, you know, I don't think Those are top 10 teams this year. You know, I don't know if the Wolverines will be a top 10 team. They still got some rebuilding to do. Wisconsin, we saw them up close. And the personal. That was a top. Top five, top ten team at one point. I think they're going to get back at that point with Coach Fickle. But the Wisconsin team we saw last year, that's not that awful trip that it used to be to go to Madison.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah. The two. The two toughest tests on paper at.

[Rob Stone]

Least, are home, Texas, Penn State.

[Mark Ingram]

Texas, Penn State. And that's no disrespect to the Illinois, Wisconsin's and Michigan's, obviously.

[Urban Meyer]

Facts at Illinois, That's a tough one.

[Mark Ingram]

It is. All right, so it opens up August 30th at home versus Texas. Mark, what have we been saying? Like, we haven't been calling it a push. It's just sort of like we're going to put a whole question mark, question mark. We got one question mark. Next week, Grambling State win. Next verse Ohio, the Bobcats win at Washington.

[Urban Meyer]

It's a long way to go.

[Mark Ingram]

It is a long way.

[Rob Stone]

I got it as a win, though. I'm taking it as a win.

[Mark Ingram]

We're at three. Home to Minnesota, Minnesota dub four at.

[Rob Stone]

Illinois, win at Wisconsin, win. Six versus Penn State, question mark.

[Mark Ingram]

Okay, two question mark.

[Rob Stone]

Win versus ucla, win versus Rutgers, win nine.

[Urban Meyer]

Here we go.

[Rob Stone]

At Michigan, question mark, question mark.

[Mark Ingram]

So that's nine wins and three questions, question marks.

[Rob Stone]

I don't know.

[Mark Ingram]

Ten and a half is the number from Ben.

[Rob Stone]

I don't have them going over ten and a half. I have them at ten wins. I don't have them going. They want. They went 10 and 2 last year, made the playoff and won the national championship. 10 and 2 is more than enough to make the playoff and get yourself in the dance. Go win that championship.

[Urban Meyer]

Sure.

[Rob Stone]

I feel like between Texas, Penn State, which hasn't been able to do the job against Ohio State.

[Mark Ingram]

Right.

[Rob Stone]

But they got the guys coming back. We'll see. We'll see. It's to be said. And we all thought Ohio State was just going, molly spank, that thing against the Wolverines last year, and they did it.

[Urban Meyer]

Molly spank.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah. What's a molly spank? I have no idea what that is.

[Rob Stone]

I miss Miyagi. Just wax on, wax off, just wax it. You know, we thought they was just gonna polish that ass. You know what I mean, but they did it. So I got three question marks and I got him winning 10 games. I got him going 10 and two, going back to the playoff again. So 10 and two. I'm taking the under on the two and a half. That hook.

[Mark Ingram]

Coach, you're about there.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah, I've been, I'm a 10 one season. I again, I think that's, that's actually a hell of a season with a new team. And you know what the new team is by the end of the year? Mark, it's not a new team anymore, it's an old team. So it'll be a veteran team by the time they get to Ann Arbor.

[Mark Ingram]

Coach, does this year's team need to be better than last year's team to get back to the national title game? Can they be the same? Can they be less?

[Urban Meyer]

Every coach's dream is to have a grown ass man in that locker room, you know, that take care of the business that. Remember after that loss to the Wolverines last year, there was a team meeting and the senior leadership stood up and said, we didn't enough of that shit. We're coming back and we're going to who are going to get it done. And that's exactly what they did, you know, give credit to the coaches. But that doesn't happen with a young team. There's no chance that happens with a young team. And they did it.

[Mark Ingram]

Would you characterize this as a young team coach, inexperienced?

[Urban Meyer]

Absolutely.

[Rob Stone]

They have great coaching, great culture. They have talent that they've been recruiting. They're one of those teams, Rob, that you say like, yeah, we're accustomed to 15 guys going to get drafted to NFL. We're accustomed to that. So we got guys in waiting who are ready to step up to the plate and are ready to step up to the challenge. And I feel like Ohio State is one of those programs just like, you know, Alabama has been just like Texas and you know, these big programs who are accustomed to guys going to the league, Georgia, etc. I think Ohio State's one of those teams. We're just going to reboot, rebuild and fire away again.

[Urban Meyer]

You know, it's been a long time since the Buckeyes lost anything more than two games. A long time.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah.

[Urban Meyer]

2011 was the last time that that.

[Mark Ingram]

Fan base expects double digits every year. They usually get it. Julian saying again, he seems to be the quarterback. We know Coach Day is going to wait until deep into summer camp and why wouldn't he to, you're welcome, Ohio State.

[Rob Stone]

You're welcome.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah, Right. Former Alabama guy. Five star recruit.

[Rob Stone]

Welcome.

[Mark Ingram]

Second year, six foot. They listed him at six foot one, but it's more like six foot. So there, there's some, some concerns about his height in the spring game. 17 to 24, 175 yards.

[Rob Stone]

Are people really still concerned about a six foot quarterback? Like apparently they are like what are we doing?

[Mark Ingram]

Like we gotta throw over those 6 foot 5, 6 foot 7 monsters.

[Rob Stone]

Fine. Just put him in the shotgun like he's fine. I play with Drew Brees like Russell Wilson. Like we are fine. Justin Fields was what?

[Mark Ingram]

Well, all the last, the last Buckeye QBs are all like in that 6, 5 down to like 6 2, 63 window. Haskins and Stroud and all those guys. So they have a little more length than saying coach. What have you heard about saying in Columbus?

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah, they say his anticipation, his very live arm from different arm slots, you know where he gets the ball out. He's, he's real dynamic and adaptable at that position. And I've been hearing about him. I actually stood next to him and he's not only 6 foot, but he's a little slight. But I'm sure, you know, another year, another year weight program and getting bigger and. Because you know you're going to get hit. But they, I watch, I mean the ball comes out of his hands real nice and they, they think very high level and you know what they're doing, they're going to keep the other guys around. But everything I'm hearing, it's saying is a quarterback.

[Mark Ingram]

Hey, who's ready for Green Bay, right? Road trip. Road trip. The triple option. Hitting the road. Live shows from Green Bay next week on Thursday and Friday from right outside Lambeau Field. Looking forward to that. Looking forward to seeing you guys face to face, man. Face to face. It's been a while.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah, it has been a while. I'm looking forward to seeing you too in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

[Mark Ingram]

Follow subscribe rate us on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever it is you find your podcast as well as across social media. We are at 3x option show. Thanks as always to our wonderful sponsors Wendy's, BetMGM and ZipRecruiter. We will see you in Green Bay next week for live shows outside of Lambeau.