TexAgs Live - Brian Hadad + Roman Harper + Rusty Mansell : 07.23.26

Summary

---

TexAgs Live - Brian Hadad + Roman Harper + Rusty Mansell : 07.23.26

Date: July 23, 2026
Podcast: Zone 1150 - TexAgs Live
Host: David Nuño with Billy Liucci, Olin Buchanan, and guests

---

Episode Overview

This episode of TexAgs Live, streamed from SEC Media Days, dives deep into SEC football outlooks, Texas A&M's national perception, the impact of models and projections, and insightful guest conversations with Brian Hadad (Mississippi State), Roman Harper (SEC Network, ex-Alabama), and Rusty Mansell (Dogs HQ/Georgia). The crew covers hot topics like program "fit," the challenge of roster turnover, schedule analysis, and what it will take for teams like Texas A&M and Mississippi State to exceed expectations in the new-look SEC.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bud Elliott's SEC Standings "Rage-Bait" & Perceptions of A&M

• Discussion: The show starts with Bud Elliott's tweet predicting Texas A&M to finish 8th in the SEC at 5–4. Hosts and Billy Liucci debate these projections, highlighting the change in schedule difficulty and skepticism around predictive models.
• Billy Liucci on Bud Elliott's methods:
  "What he's doing right now is sitting somewhere and just rage-baiting the SEC…For a lot of people it works and I'm fine with it. I can disagree with it…but I see what's happening." (02:13)
• On conference records’ realism:
  "If you want to pick A&M to go 5 and 4 in the SEC, I'm not going to fight you over it… It's not an insult to predict that." (03:29)
• Critique of predictive models:
  "Your model is based on last year. That is the one variable that no one here, especially this year, can predict—nobody." (04:13)

2. The “Fit” Debate for Head Coaches

• Host’s insight on "Fit" vs. Winning:
  "Fit buys you time, though. But it doesn't matter as long as you win... A natural fit can create goodwill with donors, former players, recruits, and fans. But fit cannot save consistent underachieving." (08:02)
• On Mike Elko at A&M:
  "Mike Elko feels like a great fit for Texas A&M. He's a Jersey guy, not a traditional Texan, but blue collar, defensive-minded. A fit for what Texas A&M is." (08:24)
• Broader theme:
  Winning over cultural awkwardness and overcoming high expectations—Kalen DeBoer at Alabama and Lane Kiffin at LSU are case studies of how success can override debate about “fit.”

3. Mississippi State Outlook (with Brian Hadad)

• On the challenge of Mississippi State as an opponent:
  "It feels like A&M is supposed to beat Mississippi State, but Mississippi State has always been a very hard win for A&M and other programs." (15:17)
• Brian Hadad's view:
  "I don't think in the SEC, you just look at a game and go, 'We'll win.' But Mississippi State is a team that, yes, people are going to say that about. But you look deeper, they've got good players, a potential superstar at quarterback, and defensively bringing back Arnett..." (15:58)
• On rebuilding after tragedy:
  "Something happened at Mississippi State that had never happened in college football. When your head coach dies... But in the transfer portal era, you can rebuild your program. They should have been able to do that by now." (15:52)
• Expectations for 2026:
  "If Kamari Taylor is a star, the O-line is good, and defense rebounds, this can be a top-25 team... Best case 8–4 or 9–3; a good season is 7–5." (19:47, 20:07)

4. Texas A&M Analysis with Roman Harper

• On Mike Elko:
  "Big fan of Mike Elko. The dude can coach—flat out coach and get it done…addition by subtraction [with portal departures], those guys left and they got better because it’s all about the minor details." (23:40)
• Defensive philosophy:
  "When you’re playing for a Mike Elko defense...he’s going to have you lined up, right? He’s going to be very creative on third downs...they simulate pressure so well—it confuses offensive linemen." (24:00)
• QB Marcel Reed:
  "Marcel Reed’s got to continue to take that step… the ball is worth millions—it controls the emotions and job security of everybody in the building." (25:04)
• On secondary improvement:
  "I want to see them create more turnovers, get their hands on the ball more...that perception has to change, and the only way to do it is to make plays on the ball." (26:53)
• Notable moment: Harper’s son plays with Marcel Reed on his video game, showing the player’s influence on younger fans.

5. Georgia Bulldogs State of the Program (with Rusty Mansell)

• National perception and standards:
  "It is…'yeah, but.' Georgia has won so much, but recent hiccups create more doubt than warranted—still, the standard is relentless." (32:28)
• Carson Beck & QB play:
  "It's the consistency question, but as a first-year starter facing expectations, he had a great year." (33:07)
• On Texas as a threat:
  "The Will Muschamp hire by Texas is a big step. He thinks Texas needed more toughness to compete in the SEC, and Muschamp brings that attitude." (33:47)
• On the SEC gauntlet:
  "An SEC schedule is still tough… you don’t understand it until you sit in schedule and go through it. Where are you at in December after going through that?" (35:26)
• Texas A&M's SEC scheduling oddity:
  "It’s ridiculous. Georgia's been to Alabama three times and not once to College Station." (35:30)
• Comparing coaches—on Elko:
  "He was the right fit there…Texas A&M is just as good as anybody in the country. All the resources…no difference in Texas A&M, Texas, and Georgia when you look at the physical team." (37:22)
• On sustained success outside Georgia:
  "It's hard. Every week—no weeks off. Everybody’s got money. Everybody’s got great players. Until you win a national championship again, you can’t really walk in and beat your chest again." (41:24)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Billy Liucci on SEC churn:
  "Two overtimes kept Texas from being a 4–4 team. That’s how thin the margins are in this league." (03:18)

• On defensive perception, Roman Harper:
  "If I can protect, I can take advantage. So as long as I block [A&M’s front], I'm not worried about the secondary. That perception has to change." (27:20)

• Rusty Mansell on College Station:
  "Georgia fans are super excited…College Station is a great environment, one of the best in the country. Let's go out there and play." (35:44)

• Brian Heydad on roster tragedy:
  "When your head coach dies... But in the transfer portal era, you can rebuild your program. They should have been able to do that by now." (15:52)

• Roman Harper’s advice for A&M’s defense:
  "You gotta make people feel threatened that you can’t throw it over here. That starts by knocking the ball down and challenging these guys." (27:39)

---

Important Timestamps

• 00:00-04:13 – Dissecting Bud Elliott’s SEC projections, national narratives, and limitations of data models
• 04:15-08:00 – The “coach fit” debate: lasting impact or media myth?
• 11:41-21:35 – Mississippi State talk with Brian Hadad: expectations, recovery from tragedy, coach analysis
• 22:45-29:53 – Roman Harper on A&M, Mike Elko, QB situation, defense, and expectations
• 32:14-42:14 – Georgia focus with Rusty Mansell: national view, QB situation, scheduling inconsistencies, and the path to 11-win years in SEC

---

Segment Highlights

Bud Elliott’s Rage-Bait & Predictive Models

• Hosts suggest media narratives are as much about stirring discussion as data accuracy, and that last year’s stats rarely tell the present’s story.

Head Coach “Fit” as Media Crutch

• While “fit” helps buy a coach goodwill (winning over skepticism), it’s ultimately results that decide tenure. Mike Elko’s blue-collar image is a fit, but only winning brings stability.

Deep Dives with Guests

• Brian Heydad provides candor about how Mississippi State is both overlooked and dangerous, and how staff transitions can rejuvenate units.
• Roman Harper breaks down schematic improvements under Mike Elko, the need for playmaking in the secondary, and how A&M must take psychological steps vs. Texas.
• Rusty Mansell offers a perspective on Georgia’s high bar, the strange history of SEC scheduling, and how A&M has every tangible marker of a title contender.

---

Takeaways for New Listeners

• The SEC remains the “meat grinder” of college football, where depth, adaptability, and coaching mean as much as talent.
• Texas A&M is viewed as a potential SEC power, but national respect won’t “fit” until results arrive, especially vs. big rivals.
• Mississippi State and other “trap game” teams underscore how no week in the SEC is “safe” victory.
• Offseason narratives (“fit," “culture," “rivalry importance") are always swirling, but performances on the field instantly quiet or amplify them.
• Georgia, while atop the league, still navigates immense pressure and razor-thin margins—the SEC's defining feature in 2026.

---

For more in-depth discussion and Texas A&M insider info, visit texags.com.

Transcript

[Host]

We're back here on Tech Sags Live. We are presented by David Gardner's Jewelers. We are in the Rollo Insurance studio. And this SEC Media day's presentation is brought to you by Paragon Financial Advisors. I'm going to read something that I hope Billy listens to from Bud Elliot. Okay, You've already read it. All right. I'm just going to read it because I just want to get people's thoughts. All right. He has his original tweet since everyone else is doing it. My first stab at the projected SEC standings. Yes, it adds up to 7. 72 and 72. Texas A&M finishing eighth in the conference at 5 and 4. Jay Pops, friend of the show says, man, he. He gets on the YouTube page. He chats, man, I just don't get this bullcrap. This guy loves to give Mike Elk on A and M. But anywho, we'll revisit this when the season ends, which then. Bud Elliott, I don't know if he's ever done the show. Has Bud Elliot done the show? Once. One time size. I like Mike Elko. I think he'll do huge things there. A and M's average conference opponent last year had an SP plus rating of 9.

[Billy Lucci]

SP plus.

[Host]

Look out this year it's 14.5. That's a 60% jump in conference opponent difficulty. The A&M 2025 conference schedule was a joke. My model knows it's 2026.

[Billy Lucci]

So he's a model.

[Host]

Guy is glamour.

[Billy Lucci]

Listen, ma'. Am.

[Host]

Model Mayhem.

[Billy Lucci]

I think there's a reason that I'm. That I don't typically there's a. I think the last time period I dealt with Bud Elliott was when Jimbo was coming here and I was kept consistently being told that it wasn't going to happen or he was kind of back and forth with it when the whole time I knew it was. He does a great job with their podcast. I'm. I don't really listen to it as a time thing. Not. I think it's quality when I see stuff. But I think what he's. What he's doing right now is sitting somewhere and just rage baiting the sec.

[Host]

Yeah. Recently he's been doing a lot of that.

[Billy Lucci]

Much like Danny Canal, you know, it. It just. For a lot of people it works and I'm fine with it. I can disagree with it. I can tune it. It doesn't anger me, but I see what's. What's happening. So that's. I don't. But I don't Think him picking A&M5. And I've seen plenty of rage bait from him towards the SEC this week. And some of it, I think is really, really, like, off base with this SEC hate, especially for a guy that generally, you know, cut his teeth covering the acc. But that wasn't an example of that. Like, I. If you want to pick A and m to go 5 and 4 in the SEC, I'm not going to fight you over it. I mean, I, I don't think. I think if you're going to pick LSU to go 5 and 4 in the SEC, if you're going to pick almost anyone, and I'm telling you, I don't think like Tech. I know, I don't know Georgia's schedule. I know it's a little easier than most. If Texas went 5 and 4, how shocking would it be when they were that close to losing four SEC games a year ago?

[Host]

Right.

[Billy Lucci]

They were two overtimes against two of the worst teams in the league from being four and four in the conference. Right. Two overtime.

[Host]

Yep.

[Billy Lucci]

Kentucky and Mississippi State. Think about that. For them to even do that this year would not be shocking. Oh, what would they do? Well, they lost on the road at A and M. They lost on the road at Tennessee, they lost on the road at lsu and they lost to ou. That didn't even count. Ole Miss, like, doesn't even count. Stubbing your toe against a Florida or on the road at Missouri, you know, like what they almost did last year. So five and for A M, it's not an insult to predict that.

[Host]

But Billy, my part, my, my. The five and four, I might have them going five and four in the sec. I don't know.

[Billy Lucci]

I'm not going to. But, but six and three, it's all certainly, I mean, that's.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Billy Lucci]

Look at the schedule. And to get to seven wins in the conference will be. That's a playoff.

[Host]

My problem is this model. And here's why I don't care about. No, no, but let me, let me tell you my thoughts. What would the model have said last year heading into the season? Your model is based on last year.

[Billy Lucci]

Yeah. What would it have said about Lagway in Florida?

[Host]

Correct.

[Billy Lucci]

What would it have said about LSU last year? LSU and Nussmot and Sellers in South Carolina? I think that is the one variable that no one here, you know, coaches, media, national, local, beat, nobody can predict. Or, you know, especially this year. Especially this year. By the way, I was sitting there for Lane Kiffin. What a filibuster. It amazes Me, though, how many people are going to buy into that and think that he's changed? And, you know, he's off social media, man. He's. You guys said the same crap when he was in Oxford and he started taking yoga. Yeah, I read all the stuff. I saw the fluff pieces. He's changed. He's centered in Oxford. He's got no reason to leave. His family's there. He said all that. And he left. And he left the way he did. He hasn't grown up. He hasn't changed. He's a damn good coach. And just. Just say that. Just say that. And. And it's going to be fascinating to watch because he does have a lot of talent, but I think people are also overstating that talent. It's not like he's got overwhelming talent. Georgia, the. Texas, the A and M, the. Oh, you, the Ole Miss. You know, it's not like he's trotting out Nick Saban Prime, Alabama, right out there. I mean, he's. He's got enough to beat everyone on the schedule. But you're not going to do that 12 times, you know, because several of those 12 games are going to be against teams that have as much talent as you do.

[Host]

Before I let you go, we're going to get Roman on here in a little while. He's mentioned you on SEC this morning, and he said something that you had asked him, do you wish he had more athleticism? And he was bringing it up to those guys. What was that?

[Billy Lucci]

Roman said? I asked him that.

[Host]

I thought he said that. Yeah, Yeah.

[Billy Lucci]

I didn't ask him that.

[Host]

Something about athleticism or something.

[Billy Lucci]

That joke. It's that joke everybody does. Do you wish you were more athletic? And you trick people, kind of go, what were you talking about? It's like me asking you, do you wish you were better at rolling around the mats with people?

[Host]

Yes, I do wish I was better.

[Billy Lucci]

Okay. But it's.

[Host]

It's.

[Billy Lucci]

It's a social. It's a trend or whatever, but I didn't ask him.

[Host]

Oh, he mentioned you this morning. Yeah, he did. To y' all or on no SEC this morning.

[Billy Lucci]

That's funny because I didn't even say that to him, but whatever. I'm not that funny.

[Host]

No. Okay. Well, I know you got to catch a flight, so.

[Billy Lucci]

Yeah, we're heading out. There's your boy.

[Host]

John Daly is my boy. They would get along great.

[Billy Lucci]

Do you?

[Host]

Yeah.

[Billy Lucci]

Because. Because you and him do so many of the same things.

[Host]

Now that you mention it like that, there's probably nothing that we do the same.

[Billy Lucci]

He's awesome. He's what a. What a great sports character right there. Yeah. Anyway, we got Texas kickoff Saturday. If you need me, you can give me a call. I'm available over the phone the rest of the show.

[Host]

All right, buddy.

[Billy Lucci]

Something crazy pops off in here.

[Host]

I'm glad you're finally listening to me and getting to your flight on time. Still not technically you are. You're leaving early.

[Billy Lucci]

Thanks.

[Host]

Way to go.

[Billy Lucci]

I'm leaving this show early. I gotta be out of here now.

[Host]

All right. Get out of here. That's Billy Lucci, the executive editor, the co owner of Tech sags and I wanted to. Because we got a couple minutes here to BS before we have Brian. Hey, Dead. I wanted to talk about does fit matter? Yesterday Moscona was on, you know, he was talking about Brian Kelly. And then we've had some other guys talking about Brian Kelly didn't fit. And you know, did Jimbo fit? And I. And now it's Kaylin DeBoer that's the big top. Does Kaylin the four defore DeBoer fit? A cultural fit with Alabama And I look, I think for me, if a coach wins somewhere, fit doesn't matter. Fit buys you time, though. But it doesn't matter as long as you win, you don't have to fit. You can fit if a little bit, but fit buys you time. Winning cures everything. A natural fit can, I believe, create goodwill with your people. Right? Mike Elko feels like a great fit for Texas A and M. He's a Jersey guy. He's not like your traditional Texan, if you will, right? But blue collar, lift up your sleeve. Defensive minded. A fit for what Texas A and M is. A natural fit will create goodwill with donors, former players, recruits and fans. And that helps support a coach surviving maybe a little bit of turbulence. But fit cannot save consistent underachieving. It cannot. Like Brian Kelly underachieved at LSU his first year. He probably overachieved getting to the SEC championship game, but overall he underachieved. But when he somewhat overachieved that first year or achieved what he was supposed to, the fake accent did not matter, right? The dancing on the stage, grinding with his recruits did not matter. The moment it doesn't work, then the fit that everybody else talks about is apparent. Calen DeBoer will be embraced. As long as he wins, right? They say that he's not a cultural fit. I don't know him well enough. He's not Nick Saban. Steve Sarkeesian to me, he. I didn't know. I knew a lot about him before he got to Texas, but he seems to fit. But if he doesn't win, he doesn't fit. Lane Kiffin, to me seems like a perfect fit for what LSU is naturally suited for that personality. He's brash, cocky, also a little bit socially awkward at time. So fit goes a long way. Can you recruit? Because you might be, you know, you might be a Hollywood kind of guy and you come to a small town, but you get all the recruits in the world and you start winning. Like Lane Kiffin. I don't know if anybody thought that was gonna be a good fit for Ole Miss. He won. It was a good fit. Fit is often a code word for personality. So can winning overcome cultural awkwardness? Yes, absolutely it can. So does Kalyn DeBoer need to change himself? No, he just needs to win. At the end of the day, if Kalyn DeBoer wins at Alabama, he. Is Lane Kiffin a better coach than Brian Kelly? Yes, I'd say yes. Would we have said the same thing four years ago? I don't know. Because four years ago Lane hadn't done it at the highest level and had consecutive 10 win seasons and quarterbacks that should have won the Heisman and Brian Kelly was the Notre Dame head coach. You would have probably not said that again, though. Lane one, Brian Kelly did not. So sometimes though, being too comfortable as a fit does reduces your urgency. So there are many ways of landing. So to me, just to close this out, fit affects doubt. Right, Fit. But it's winning that determines whether the doubt matters. All right, so what we'll do here moving forward, in a few minutes, us, we're going to be joined by Brian Heydad. Brian is a. He covers all, excuse me, Mississippi State chit chat about. We don't get Mississippi State this year, which is weird. It is weird because we've covered them so much. But I also think when it comes to Mississippi State, like, I don't know if I want to face them. They're one of those teams you're supposed to beat.

[Billy Lucci]

But they're good.

[Host]

But they can be.

[Brian Heydad]

Yeah, going into last year I had that thought.

[Host]

I was like, they should handle business. But it could get interesting and it's always interesting with Mississippi State. So anyway, later we'll have Neil McCready

[Brian Heydad]

later on in the program today.

[Host]

Ole Miss insider. Yeah, look at that. Your boy. I like him. Yeah, I like him. I think he does a great show. He knows Ole Miss very well and he's not an Ole Miss Homer like he's. In fact, I think he's from Arkansas. Think so? Anyway, the association of Former Students wants to know, do you have any great Aggie stories that you would like to share with the Aggie Network? Did you travel somewhere and take an amazing picture with your Aggie ring? By the way, I can't wear my Aggie ring because I'm wearing this dumb thing in my. If I'll take it off, I still can't fit it on here. Anyway, did you get back to the association? Hey, dump that. By the way, did you get back to the association of the former Students? You want to share what inspires to what to do? Were you impacted firsthand by the power of the Aggie Network? The association is always on the hunt for good bull stories. The feature on Facebook, on Instagram, LinkedIn and X or YouTube. And they help you by sending your fixtures in. If you have a story to share, please email socialgginetwork.com that is socialgynetwork.com for a chance to be featured. It is the association of former Students. Give it to me. Give it to me. The Louis Polina show. It's awesome. Not the sharpest tool in the but he is the loudest listen in weekdays. Love it. At two in the zone back here on Tech Sags live on SEC media days Digital row, brought to you by our good friends at Paragon Financial Advisors, our dear friend Brian Heydad, sports talk, Ms. 3 to 6. And I don't know if you added this to your Twitter account recently. Your X account, the state's preeminent podcaster from Ben Portnoy, who now is with the Wall Street Journal or something.

[Brian Heydad]

Sports Business Journal. Yeah, Sports Business Journal. Yeah. He wrote an article about. First off, Ben Portnoy is my handsome young son. He worked in Starville for a while, kind of, you know. Yeah, all the young guys in Starville I kind of care for.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Brian Heydad]

Like they can't get back home for Thanksgiving, so they come to my house.

[Host]

Oh, great. Yeah.

[Brian Heydad]

And he. He wrote an article about Radio Row and the evolution of it, and he referred to me as that. And I really thank him for it because I thought it was hilarious.

[Host]

So. All right, talk to me about the podium today. Were you able to take any in of Lane or did you read about Lane?

[Brian Heydad]

Let me tell you something. I've. I've cut as much Lane Kiffin out of my life as I've.

[Host]

Good for you.

[Brian Heydad]

I had five years of him at Ole Miss and then having to deal with that he cut all social media out. I'm cutting out him entirely. I'll deal with him when State plays lsu. Beyond that, it's just noise. It's just background noise.

[Host]

Well, let me ask you, though, do you think he's a really good coach?

[Brian Heydad]

He's an outstanding coach. You can make a strong case that he's the best coach in college football that has not won a national title. And I think that time will probably come for him at lsu. And I'll be honest with you, if you had stayed at Ole Miss, I don't. I could play the debate on did they do better with him without him last week, but he would have a chance. But that chance last year with the team that he had, and he's left them a team that's outstanding. They have superstar players. So he's a really, really good football coach.

[Host]

In statement, Brian, I mean this with all due respect. I really do. But I'm glad. I always look forward to the Mississippi State game, but I. But I don't. Right. And what I mean by that is there's nothing to gain for A and M. And I'm not saying that A M's arrived. Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. But, like, it feels like A and M is supposed to beat Mississippi State. Yeah, I can hear that, too.

[Brian Heydad]

Yeah.

[Host]

That A and M supposed to beat Mississippi State. But Mississippi State has always been a very hard win for A and M and other programs. And I just think Jeff Levy's doing it right. So I'm glad that A and M doesn't have to play Mississippi State because that's the game you're supposed to win, that you might not win.

[Brian Heydad]

And, you know, think about it. With the way the schedule works, it would have been in Starkville this year if they had played, you know, game last year in College Station. State is a program. Program that is figuring things out. You know, I hate going back to it. I hate making excuses, but something happened at Mississippi State that had never happened in college football. When your head coach dies.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Brian Heydad]

And again, four years after the fact now, it shouldn't still be a reason you're struggling.

[Billy Lucci]

Right.

[Brian Heydad]

You in the transfer pole era, you can rebuild your program. They should have been able to do that by now. But I think a lot of people right now look at Mississippi State and they say what you said, that's a game we should win. I don't think in the sec, you just look at a game go, we'll win. I don't think you say anything's just a sure fire W. But Mississippi State is a team that yes, people are going to say that about. But then if you look deeper at Mississippi State and you see that they, you know, defensively bringing Zach Arnett back, experienced guy. He's got a all American cornerback that shuts down half of the field for him. He's got good players. And then on the offensive side of the ball, Jeff, let me know how to coach offense. He's got some good skill position guys and he has a potential superstar at the quarterback position. And this is a guy that has all the physical tools you want. If he can just figure it out in terms of being a quarterback, he does. The sky is the literal limit for him.

[Host]

I want to go to a little bit to your coaching staff because there's an Aggie connection. We'll get to here in a minute. But first, Zach Arnett coming back and it's weird because he had so much respect his previous time there before he became the head coach. Right?

[Brian Heydad]

Yeah.

[Host]

And then he lost it all. So has it been awkward?

[Brian Heydad]

It hasn't really. First off, you know, Levy is one of those like the Sabin Kiffin, we don't talk to assistants. We'll go, we'll get them one time.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Brian Heydad]

Before the season. That's it. So I've seen Arnett around a couple of times. I haven't had a chance to speak with him. I don't think it's super awkward because Mississippi State fans watched how bad they were defensively the last two years and they know Zach Arnett can fix that. This is the guy who's done it before at Mississippi State. He was on Ole Mrs. Staff when they had the best defense in college football two seasons ago. He is a good hard nose defensive coach for a team that has been missing good hard nose defense. He brings back Matt Brock with him. Back with him. That's another guy that you know, you, you trust, you know what you're getting with him. I think Mississippi State fans, they love Zach Garnett. They wanted it to work for him so badly when, when Mike, because he stepped into the void, he's like, I'll take this program. It didn't work out. He wasn't ready for that job. But I think Mississippi State fans, by and large they have welcomed Zach Arnett back to Starkville.

[Host]

Ty Warren.

[Brian Heydad]

Yeah.

[Host]

D line coach. We love Ty. He's been on the show several times. What, what he brought to that defensive line, some of the youth.

[Brian Heydad]

Yeah. For that you had David Turner, who's one of the Most experienced, well known defensive line coaches, but a guy that, you know, was very open about. I'm not really into the new way to recruit players. Yeah, I don't think Ty Warren has jumped in with that. I'll be interested to see what he, what he does because he's got some, some good pieces there, including another former Aggie, Dalen Evans.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Brian Heydad]

Who I think is going to play a big role for Mississippi State this year. Brings back some of his experienced guys and Calvin Dinkins and Trevion Williams. And if Will Whitson is going to be healthy this year, if you watch, he only played six quarters last year. That's the six best quarters of defensive line play for Mississippi State. Probably since Jeff Levy, Jeff Simmons and Montez Sweat left. He was really, really good. Then he tears his ACL if he's good. He's a difference maker for Mississippi State. So Ty Warren has got some talented pieces to work with.

[Host]

Camario Taylor, we talked a little bit about him earlier, but just he's got all the skills right. All the tool. Is he a name that if he were at a different school, we'd be talking about differently?

[Brian Heydad]

Yeah, yeah. If he was the. Even with the small amount of experience he has, if he had done what he did for Mississippi State at the end of the season for Texas A and M, he would be a huge, huge story here. And he's still a big, big story. I've talked to a bunch of people.

[Host]

Everybody knows this game.

[Brian Heydad]

Yeah, yeah. Nick Saban was even talking about him just yesterday. Yeah. But when you're the quarterback of a team that went five and eight last year, which is a really weird record to say out loud, that's, that's just the way that goes. That's the way that it works. So, yes, he is a guy that people know right now. There's a chance that by the end of the season, everybody in the country knows who Camaro Taylor is.

[Host]

Brian, what would be considered a good, good year for Mississippi State and what would be a great year outside of making a play? Obviously that'd be great.

[Brian Heydad]

But yeah, the, the, the, the scenario for State where everything goes right and there are three things that have to go right. Kamari Taylor is not just good, he's not just great. He's a star. The offensive line, which was the worst in college football last year, it doesn't even have to be great. It is good, man. I'll take average from what they had last year. Defensively, I feel like they're going to be better with Arnett and the talent they have there. If those three things happen, this can be a team that finishes as a top 25 team. If they could be 8 and 4, they could be maybe get to 9 and 3. There's a lot of upsets in 9 and 3, but that's your best case scenario. A good season would just be 7 and 5. Now that schedule is super tough. It's going to be hard to win seven games. It could be a situation where you're saying, well, they went 6 and 6, but they were a lot better than last year. I don't know though, when you're, when you're. Jeff led me and you went 2 and 10 and then 5 and 8. If you're 6 and and 6, how much are your fans still bought into you? Sure, they need to take a step forward this year. If they could find a way to win seven, I think everybody's fine. You move forward into next year with Mario Taylor, a second year as a starter and you build around him.

[Host]

Let's say they win eight. Just for kicks and giggles, can they keep Jeff Levy?

[Brian Heydad]

Oh, yeah, I think so. I think, you know, he's got a lot of salary room to grow. He's only making like what, four and a half, 4.6 right now because he came in as a first time head coach. They could easily put 3,4 million on top of that right now. I've always said this. When Leach passed away, he was probably going to go up to about 7 million a year if he had stayed. But because, because he didn't. You know, State, State money was a problem for State. When Jeff Levy got here, State's nil was in a terrible spot. Their funding was not in a great spot. I give Zach Selman a ton of credit for the job. He's done raising money. It seems like every other week we're seeing a new seven figure gift to Mississippi State athletics. If, if teams came calling, if Jeff lobby wanted to stay, he would stay. Yeah, I stay. I wouldn't be worried about anybody poaching you.

[Host]

Brian. Great job, buddy. Thanks for. You know, the funny part was Brian had to remind me Mississippi State was talking today because yesterday was such a whirlwind. I'm trying to remember who's supposed to go.

[Brian Heydad]

It's also weird that A and M not on the schedule for State or Ole Miss.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Brian Heydad]

This is the first time that O and M hasn't been on the schedule for State since they've been on the conference.

[Host]

That's right.

[Brian Heydad]

So see you next year.

[Host]

Yes, sir. Get you on the show again. Thank you very much. We'll hit a break. We'll come back. Roman Harper, on the other side, my longtime friend, captures people's stories. He captures your memories with heritage films. You can check it [e-mail]. he makes high quality documentaries. We're talking HBO, Netflix, AE style. For your friend, your mother, your grandmother, whoever it may be. He tells people stories and he's amazing at it. Do you want your kids and your grandkids knowing about your life, your drive? Let the chance tell that story and you're going to love it. Documentaries don't have to be about famous people. It's about just normal people. About your normal business, your family business, whatever it may be. Do it for birthdays, Father's Day anniversaries. Just let Chance and his team capture that moment. Trust me, you will regret it if you don't do it. Check it [e-mail]. that is YourHeritageFilm.com it is Heritage Films. Listen to the Zone on the Zone app. Thanks to Loyalty Plumbing, the pros at

[Roman Harper]

Loyalty Plumbing are ready to serve you

[Host]

247 for big emergencies or small. Let's jump right into it. Roman Harper joining us here on Tech Sacks Live. What's up, son?

[Roman Harper]

What's up?

[Billy Lucci]

How are you?

[Host]

I'm good. Sorry, I went. I went 1995 on you. How you been?

[Billy Lucci]

I know.

[Roman Harper]

I mean, 1995 wasn't bad for me. It was good.

[Host]

How old were you in 1995? 13. 13, okay.

[Roman Harper]

Yeah. How old were you?

[Host]

I was graduating high school.

[Roman Harper]

Oh, nice. So you. You had a better time than I did. Yeah, but you were like, in the prime, like, MTV spring break.

[Host]

Yes.

[Roman Harper]

Days. Yeah, Like, I was, like, watching that. Like, dude, I totally wish I could be there.

[Host]

Yeah, I went to one of those. Not mtv, but I did go to some fun.

[Roman Harper]

Yeah.

[Host]

Spring breaks. But I won't get into that on the air.

[Roman Harper]

No, no, it's fine. It's fine. Well, in. In Texas. Are you from Texas?

[Host]

Yeah.

[Roman Harper]

So you go down to San Padre and all that?

[Host]

We went to Florida.

[Roman Harper]

Oh, you went to Florida.

[Rusty Mansell]

Even better.

[Host]

Yeah, we went to Florida and Cancun. Yeah. Yeah.

[Roman Harper]

Okay. Okay. I went to Florida, too.

[Host]

Hey, so let's talk about Mike Elko and the program he's building. What do you think?

[Roman Harper]

Big fan of Mike Elko. I like, the dude can coach.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Roman Harper]

Like flat out coach and get it done. So I trust whatever he's building defensively that they're going to be just A couple years ago, everybody's like, oh, they lost all these guys in the portal and all those top tier guys from the. The number one class that everybody thought was the golden age of Texas A and M. It was addition by subtraction. Yep, those guys left and they got better because it's all about the minor details. When you're playing for Mike Elko defense, he's going to have you lined up, right? He's going to be very creative on third downs. So getting to third downs, winning on first and second down, you're going to have a lot of success. And the way they create, simulate pressure so good by who they send the looks that they give, it confuses offensive linemen. They get one on ones and that what they want, right? Like they want their best pass rusher on one of your guys trying to block them and their guy wins. So they create these things as well. It's not just by accident that that happens. And so Mike and those guys do a great job. It's really, really fun to watch. And it was break down their film, but ultimately it's also going to be complimenting football. So how does the offense handle it as well? They got a lot of wide receiver talent. It's a lot of speed, different sizes. Isaiah Horton coming over from Alabama should help them out. And Marcel Reed's got to continue to take that step if he continues to understand that, you know, the ball is worth millions, right? It is. It controls the emotions, the job security of everybody in this building. You got to understand that. So when, when you take care of it, we're all good. And if you don't take care of it, somebody's going home, you know, and so you got to understand that. I think Marcel Reed is a, a great quarterback. I'm a big fan of his. He's my son's favorite player.

[Host]

Oh, yeah.

[Roman Harper]

Oh, my God. My son plays with him on the video game. He loves Marcel Reed. So shout out Marcel Reed, wherever he is right now. I like that suit he's got on, but. And I think he will do that and, but ultimately he's not the reason why they. You know, everybody's going to blame him for that Miami loss because of interception. I think the coach needs to remind him, hey, look, you can throw the ball at the back end zone too. We got, we got time for another play. You don't have to force this one. And then defensively, you guys can't let Stewart go for 70, 80 yards. Just pound the rock on you.

[Host]

Exactly right.

[Roman Harper]

When you're a The defensive team. That's what I mean. You got to play complimentary football when the offense needs it. That was a defensive struggle. And nobody can make a kick on that end zone.

[Host]

Right.

[Roman Harper]

Like the win. Nobody understands that unless you were there. I was in the stadium that day. That win was crazy on one end. You just couldn't kick the ball. And so it affected both kickers, both teams. And you had to play the game differently because of the way the wind and what everything was that morning. And it knew. Miami knew that they were going to try and pound the rock and take advantage of Texas A and M, who is not as big as they were up front.

[Host]

Roman, one of the things that I've learned about Coachelko, he doesn't say something unless he really believes it. And he believes in this secondary. He really feels good about that. I think he says the best secondary he's had at A and M, including his DC days. So have you seen anything about. I mean, Ricky Gibson played at a high level at Tennessee. Des Ricks has come up the system, played at Alabama for a little bit. What do you think about this secondary?

[Roman Harper]

You know, I want to see them create more turnovers, get their hands on the ball more. You know, I think they play a lot of quarters, they do a lot of trap coverage, they do a lot of. They mix up things. It's an NFL friendly system because of all the different looks and things that they do. They do a lot more press. They don't really play off all the time, but these guys got to make plays. I thought last year they were good, but everybody talked about how good they were. But it's really because of how good the pressure was up for them.

[Host]

Sure.

[Roman Harper]

So if I don't have to cover that long, I'm good. And you always allow. You know what? I look at Texas A and I'm always thinking, well, if I can protect, then I can take advantage. And so as long as I block them, I'm not worried about the secondary. That perception has to change. And the only way to do it is you got to make plays on the ball.

[Billy Lucci]

Yeah.

[Roman Harper]

You got to get the ball out, you got to get your hands on it. You got to get interceptions, you got to get PBUs. You gotta. You gotta make people feel threatened that you can't throw it over here. And that starts by knocking the ball down and challenging these guys. And so I want to see that part of it and I can't speak it because the perception is still reality for me.

[Host]

Sure. Isaiah Horton, what does he do for that offense that they didn't have before.

[Roman Harper]

I think he gives them another big wide receiver presence. You know, Mario Craver is not that big. Fast as I'll get out, but just size wise, I need more. And so Bethel Roman, I. I always forget his first name. And Ashton Bethel Roman. And because I always just remember Roman. Yeah, that's like, easy for me. But yeah, he's another good player. That should get more touches this year. And so without Casey Concepcion. So I want to see what this wide receiver group is going to be, especially because the OC is a former wide receiver coach. So nobody wants to. To get the wide receiver ball more than wide receiver coach.

[Host]

Absolutely.

[Roman Harper]

So it's like I want to see how all this works out. And can you guys stay healthy at running back? That's been a big problem for you guys. It's just the health of the running back when healthy. You guys have been really good, but they have not been able to stay healthy at a consistent basis. So, you know, you got to get a little bit lucky and you got to win and can you beat your rival?

[Host]

Yeah, that, that is. To me, it's not the most important thing, but it's up there.

[Roman Harper]

You know, it comes to a point where Texas A and M's won a little bit so much, where Elko's kind of reset the benchmark, where, you know, it's miss. It's Ohio State where nobody cares. You. You go 100 if you don't be missing. You know, we'd love to go to the playoffs and all that. We checked a lot of boxes last year, but we want to be Texas.

[Host]

Yeah. Like, gotta beat Texas and win in the playoffs.

[Roman Harper]

That's it. And you know, last year was a great opportunity because at home the crowd was there. Crowd was ready. Dj. Shout out to the dj. I like him. I forget his name at the stadium.

[Host]

He does great.

[Roman Harper]

He does his thing. So shout out to him as well. It's a great environment. So. But yeah, you got to win those games and then when you win them, like, okay, box checked and you start to have a little bit more belief in yourself, bro.

[Host]

Appreciate you, man. Thank you so much.

[Roman Harper]

Appreciate it.

[Host]

Always great to talk to you. Yeah. Roman Harper here on Tech SAGS Live. We'll hit a break. We'll will come back, probably play an interview. I've reported here on the program, so we'll do that on the other side and we'll get to your phone calls and your text messages on text AGS Live. Right now we're talking about Caldwell country Chevrolet Highway 21 and Caldwell online. Caldwell country chevrolet.com when you're looking for a new vehicle, that's the place to go. I had a vehicle situation with another dealership in town and let's just say I ain't going to say who they are because I don't know, I don't want to. But they, they just, they didn't do what I thought they were going to do. And one thing I can tell you about Coldwell Country Chevrolet, they always do what they promise they do. Like, even if they have to take care of it themselves. You know, sometimes places ship their, their warranty stuff to other places. I tell you, the folks at Caldwell Country Chevrolet have always done me right. And they'll do you right there as well. And when you're looking for a new vehicle, it's the place to go, right? They're going to help you out with the trade in value and you're going to really love the vehicle that you get. At Caldwell Country Chevrolet. It's about a 15 minute drive the edge of Bryant to the beginnings of Caldwell, a short conversation away. But you'll see the difference when you step on the lot and do business with the good people at Caldwell country Chevrolet Highway 21 in Caldwell online. Caldwell country chevrolet.com blending Southern culture with college football, music, sport commentary and more. It's Marty and McGee. Marty and McGee. Saturday mornings from 6 to 9 in the zone. 11:50am and 93.7 FM. Tex live. I'm going to read this real quick from the YouTube page. Bruce Wayne, 21. Should we do a Texax field trip to my ranch and bring the crew fishing or reserve that for Nuno and his fam? Let's do both. Nick can do like a shooting demonstration. You like to go pow, pow like you're a big shooter?

[Brian Heydad]

Yeah, yeah, shooting's fun.

[Host]

There's only one big shooter in our office. But you like to shoot.

[Roman Harper]

Yeah, I do.

[Host]

Yeah, you're a shooter. Anyway, let's find out about Georgia football, shall we? Rusty Mansell covers Georgia. He joined me for a conversation on the Georgia Bulldogs. All right, welcome back. We'll talk a little Georgia football here on our SEC Media days coverage brought to you by Paragon Financial Advisors. Our guest is Rusty Mansell, the owner and publisher of Dogs HQ. And of course, they're part of the On3 network.

[Rusty Mansell]

Yeah, part On3. Yep.

[Host]

So I, I feel like Georgia is a team that people always say is one or two, but they're still down on Georgia.

[Rusty Mansell]

There's always a but.

[Host]

Yeah, there is a boat. Why do you think that? Is it because the current state of college football.

[Rusty Mansell]

I think it is. And you, you know, you're only your history, like your recent history.

[Host]

Right.

[Rusty Mansell]

So you look at 21 and 22 and then you look at 23. I think they won like 30 some games in a row, almost 28 games in a row. Then you lose at Alabama, the SEC championship and you don't get the playoffs in 23 when probably one of the best two or three teams that didn't make it, then you have that, you know, you lose down in Notre Dame and Sugar bowl and, and then you lose to Ole Miss last year, the Sugar Bowl. So it's kind of that recent history. It's almost like, yeah, they've won back to back SEC championships, but there's that. But, but yeah, well.

[Host]

And I feel like Gunner falls into that. But as well. Like everybody knows he's really good, but very rarely do we hear him talked about in that upper echelon of SEC quarterbacks.

[Billy Lucci]

Yeah.

[Rusty Mansell]

Yeah, you do. I, I've about talked, talked about this whole week. The Ole Miss game last year. They put 43 on Ole Miss and then the Texas, Texas game at Athens. Two of the best performances I've ever seen. They had six touchdowns against Texas. Then you go into some of those games where he didn't, you know, you have moments like what's going on there. I think it's the consistency. But overall, as a first year starter facing the expectations he did, I thought

[Brian Heydad]

he had a great year.

[Host]

When you talk about Texas and Georgia's, you know, domination of them and three in a row, yeah, that domination is maybe a little bit much, but I think yes. 3, 0. Do you guys worry about them from a, from a foe, from a foe standpoint, are they somebody that's got your attention?

[Rusty Mansell]

I think that Will Muschamp Higher is one that I would, you know, if I'm a Texas fan, I'd be very excited about.

[Host]

Okay.

[Rusty Mansell]

Because I've been very upfront. I was last year some Texas fans gave me. I said, I don't know if Texas wants to fight anybody. Like, they look good. They have the, I mean they're the shiny car. They're put together, they're abbed up and they walk on the beach. They actually want to get in a fight. And when they come to Georgia and when they play Georgia, I know, I know Georgia will fight you. I think that toughness factor, I think Sark understood it. I think for whatever reason he wouldn't got Will Much champ. A guy that knows Georgia, he's been in Alabama, lsu, knows all the been around Nick Saban. I think he thought we need to, we need to be better on that side of the ball. And he went and got. Who thinks one of the best defensive minds, obviously Coach Boom. And people understand him. But this guy's a hell of a football coach and I think he's. I think Sartre reached out. This is what I think we need to get to that next level.

[Host]

So it's hard to say this, but it's an SEC schedule, so we know an SEC schedule is never easy, especially when you add a ninth game.

[Rusty Mansell]

Yeah.

[Host]

But considering what it's been the last couple years.

[Rusty Mansell]

Yeah.

[Host]

How do we look at this schedule?

[Rusty Mansell]

Well, you know, you drop Texas, drop Tennessee, which is always a hell of a rivalry. You know, you pick up South Carolina, which is going to be good. You go there, but you pick up Arkansas, who's under a first year coach. So an SEC schedule is still tough. But you look at on the outside looking in, that's a pretty good trade off I would think, based off what you've had. But at the end of the day, man, you still got a goal and everybody's going through a gallon and it's just so tough. I know people around the country are tired of hearing that, but I promise you, you don't understand it until you sit in schedule and go through it. Texas A and M fans know, Texas fans, Georgia fans, everybody understands. Where are you at in December after going through that? And oh, by the way, we're at another game.

[Host]

So how ridiculous is it that A and M has been in the conference since 2012?

[Rusty Mansell]

I mean, what the hell, man?

[Host]

And you, you all have played or. Georgia has played Texas three times.

[Rusty Mansell]

We will have been to Alabama three times and have not. Georgia has gone to Tuscaloosa for the third time without going to Texas Stadium. College Station.

[Host]

It's ridiculous.

[Rusty Mansell]

That's nuts, man. Yeah, Georgia fans are super excited. That's the next game. I don't know. Obviously Texas not going to give them a best the next game. That Georgia fans are like, we can't wait to go out there and see this place. College Station is a great environment, one of the best in the country. Let's go out there and play. I'm sure Kirby probably would want it. Like let's sign up for it.

[Host]

Sure.

[Rusty Mansell]

But he would want his kids to experience that. It's a great environment. It's just crazy, man.

[Host]

I was so happy to hear Kirby talk about that SEC Championship game and the grind that is the sec. Now you're adding the ninth game. Let's just talk a little bit about that, too, because it's going to be uncharted waters for everybody. And Georgia's a team that is probably more prepared for it than anybody else, because they've been doing it.

[Rusty Mansell]

Yeah, well. And listen, I didn't get a chance to ask him, but I would like to ask him because, you know, they went through the buy. It didn't work against Notre Dame, whatever didn't work last year, they did some things different, did some simulated scrimmage games, all that try to do it. That didn't work. If you're facing that buy again, what are you going to do? What's different? What have you learned this time? So that SEC game. Listen, I know what everybody says publicly. Nobody wants any part of that. Nobody wants any part of that. I mean, can you imagine Texas A and I'm going through the gauntlet, and then Texan Am going, you know what? Damn, we're going to play Georgia and Atlanta next week. And then if we win that game, we're all for 30 days, and God knows what's going to happen. You know, I mean, it's just. It's just crazy, man, the way that that's set up for everybody.

[Host]

I'm curious what you guys think about Coachelko and what he's been able to do in the. In the short time. Not that he's similar to Kirby, but there are some. Some similarities.

[Rusty Mansell]

Yeah. Well, listen, I'm gonna take the credit because I'm wrong. I don't want to put. I was the guy still on this table last year on another podcast and said, texan's making the playoffs.

[Brian Heydad]

Yeah.

[Rusty Mansell]

And I remember all the Texas fans coming at me on social media. I said, we'll revisit this. I just really felt like this guy's a great football coach. I think he was the right fit there. I think Texas A and M is just as good as anybody in the country. They got all the resources. It looked like a national championship team when they got off the bus. There's no different. When you physically look at Texas A and they know difference in Texas and Georgia, Ohio State, they look like what you're supposed to look like. I just think Elko was a great fit. And I've talked to some guys that's been at Texas A and M before, coaching wise, and they're like, dude, that it's a ticking time bomb there. And, you know, who knows, that thing might be about to go off.

[Host]

You think this year they can still be in that conversation?

[Rusty Mansell]

I think it comes down to Marcel Reed. You know, I mean, you got to have. And there's a lot of schools in the same boat. But here's the thing. It's different in this landscape than it was say five years ago. You got to have a quarterback that can get you three wins in January. And nobody's like, that's not something new. Marcel Reed might could have won that big game in January 1st. Gunner Stockton might have won that big game January 1st. But can you win January 1st, 8th and 22nd?

[Host]

Right.

[Rusty Mansell]

You got to go through a goal of three. So we'll find out. But I do think I'm pretty confident Texan will have those pieces around him. But there's several teams with that obviously quarterback position. But I think it's Marcel re coming back as experienced guy. How far can he take you?

[Host]

Let me ask a question. Is it fair the way people come after Caleb de Bor and what he's done at Alabama based on what Nick Saban did and look, last year I know wasn't good enough. I recognize that they did want a playoff game.

[Rusty Mansell]

Y.

[Host]

They did go to the other SEC championship game. It wasn't a great finish. We know. But is it fair? And if the roles were reversed, would people be talking about Kirby the same way?

[Rusty Mansell]

I don't think it's the. Is a question of like, fair. When you go to Alabama, there's only one goal.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Rusty Mansell]

And then you follow the greatest coach maybe ever in history of the game and Nick Saban. Nobody said, hey, appreciate you being here. Let's take two losses next year and rebuild. There wasn't any of that. So you know, when you take that job and I know some people that were probably involved in that and I'm not sure that there were a whole lot of people in line to go. I want that. I want that smoke. It's different. It is a. It is a fan base that you're supposed to win the national championship every year. There's not. We're not. We're not a third round playoff team. We're trying to win national championship. So fair. That's just the way it is at Bama.

[Host]

Rusty. I'm one that still thinks that Kirby's the best Kirby coach in America. Okay. I understand Kirk Signetti. He won a national championship in Indiana. He's got to be in the mix.

[Rusty Mansell]

Hell of a job.

[Host]

How close is Signetti to you, to Kirby, or has he surpassed him?

[Rusty Mansell]

This is a huge Year because I'll say this, Indiana made a man out of me. I kept saying there ain't no way 10 years from now I might be sitting around going there's no way Indiana did that. Hell of a run. I will say this, I think that Kirk Signetti is a unbelievable coach. I think everything went right for them. I think he hit lightning in the bottle. He had a quarterback, they had those James Madison transfer, those guys were damn good. They hit on some transfers. I want to see you do it again. And I'm not saying win a national championship again. I want to see you 11 and two. Yeah, if you show me you're 11 and two, you're who everybody thinks you are. But if you go back and you're eight and four. Hold up now. Were you kind of a one hit wonder? Were you a one hit wonder with a, a first round draft pick number over a quarterback super Georgia did everything they could have get Fernando Mendoza. I mean they were that close. When they're sitting in Kirby Smarts living room and this Zach Branch and Fernando Mendoza and they're both like we're about to roll here. That, that's, that guy was the real deal. And credit Indiana. They got him and they want to national championship with it. I do think Kirk Sinetti is a. Hello football coach. This is the year. Listen, when Kirby Smart started at Georgia went 8 and 5. I'm telling you, I heard it, I heard all of it. Like hey that guy, all he can do is recruit. He goes to the national championship the second year and then they're like well he almost won it. He blew it. He didn't get it. He didn't get there in 19, he didn't get there in 20. He gets back in 21 and 22 and kind of cemented. Okay. That's who he, Kirby Smart is. Signetti for me is, I'm very interested here. Don't have to win the national championship. But are you that guy that's 11 and 2. Are we 8 and 4 going. Wait a minute, are we back to Indiana? You know what I mean?

[Host]

Last thing for you. How realistic is it for programs outside of Georgia to be 11 and 2 consecutively in this kind of climate where we're getting the nine game schedule and also one through 15, sometimes one through 16 can beat you in the SEC.

[Roman Harper]

Dude.

[Rusty Mansell]

Every week, right? You know, I mean and I, I tell people and you just don't know until you've been there. You know what I mean? I, I, I, my SEC Homer. Hell yes. Yeah, I am too I promise you, I've seen Miami play Florida State. I've been to North Carolina. I've seen all these places. Go to Starkville on a Saturday night with them damn cowbells ringing and you still got your hands full.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Rusty Mansell]

Now you go to Vanderbilt and get your butt beat. You know, I mean, like it's no, no, no weeks off. Everybody's got money. Everybody's got great players. Until they win national championship again, they don't have really. They can't really walk in and beat their chest again. But I promise you right now, I don't care who it is.

[Host]

All righty. That's the interview with Rusty Manso, who covers Georgia. So for more of that, go to texegs.com and become a premium subscriber and go to PKO Saturday, it's Texags Live. We'll be back with something at 10 o'. Clock. I don't know what that is, but it'll be good. When you're a maintenance engineer in a beverage manufacturing plant, you keep production lines moving and quality on track because there is no room for slowdowns. With Grainger's vast selection of high quality motors, sensors, belts and hard to find parts, you can get what you need fast and all in one place. So nothing gets in the way of getting the job done. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickranger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.