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[00:01]
A
The YouTube page has got some new people popping in. Some are friends, some are enemies. That's fine. Aggie Products 12. I don't think I've seen him chat before. And if it's a business shout out to Aggie Products 12. What's y' all schedule prediction? I'm not going to do that. Very bright future we've got Gregory too. Yes, all that is true. I won't give a schedule prediction because I don't know. I think I told you guys earlier I feel like this is more of a 9 and 3ish feel to the team. I hope I'm wrong. I hope they're 120 and win a national championship. I I'm not going to rehash something we've talked about for nine months of my why behind stuff. But I do believe in the head man. I do believe that our quarterback will have a better year than he had last year. And sometimes a better year doesn't mean the stats are all like got turned down. Come down on your turnovers. Better way of saying it. Limit your turnovers and just play efficient football. I think we're going to be just fine. So I asked the question what team are we wrong about right now? And when I say we the collective media, not necessarily you folks at home. David Edmond has his answer. The talking heads are reading, oh you wrong. I'm calling it now. They have at least a 5 loss season. I can see them turning on Venables quickly. I don't know if I completely agree with you with five losses, but I agree with you on them being a team that we are reading. Like look, I recognize it's kind of like I give coach Elko the benefit of the doubt every year because I know he's a defensive minded guy. I think Venables gets that benefit of the doubt because of the defense. But you're asking for their quarterback to turn the ball over less. Just like A and M is asking for Marcel Reed to turn the ball over less. You're asking for them to run the ball efficiently and better. They did not do a great job of that. And I think you're having to raise some guys on defense. Even though I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt because of your coach. So you might be right. They a lot of teams. I'm going to use LSU last year as an example. What happens to you early? Like there's a lot of narratives that I believe are true in college football. What happens to you early can absolutely push you in one direction. What happens to you Late. You win an early season game against Notre Dame, you find yourself undefeated early through some hard but not too hard games. It can push you in a direction the rest of the way. Conversely, you got LSU on the other side. You lose back to back games against teams that by the way both won double digit games. And it sends you in a completely different direction where you fire your coach, you start losing games and yada yada yada, Oklahoma. And they're not the only team in this conversation. What they do early could determine what happens late and it can go those two directions. Pull up their schedule for me Nick, because I think early on obviously you got Texas, what pretty much mid season. But you know what they do at Georgia and at Michigan, like those early games in September. If they lose those two games they then what Dave and Edmund just presented is yeah, they could be a five loss team the second half of the season. Not that hard. But he's exactly right though. What does that do to their mindset the rest of the way? Having to go to Florida, having to host Ole Miss and then having to host A and M back to back weeks. Two teams that were in the playoffs, you basically are playing 1, 1, 2, 3 playoff teams from last year and, and a bunch of probably will make the playoffs this year. Right? So yeah, you're right about that. I already talked about Florida, but that's another one that I think people are reading wrong, that they just expect kind of a down year per se because they have a new coach. I think people are wrong there. I think John Summerall is a really good coach, Jaden Ball, the whole crew. I think they are a team that are going to be. They're not like 9, 10 win good but I think they're going to be significantly better. And if they do well earlier it will help people focus on the quarterback. I think that is absolutely fair when you have a new quarterback. I do it for other teams so that, that. But I'm curious what the culture is going to look like under Summerall. The identity, the discipline, all the things that we love about what Elko was able to do early on. I think you could see something similar there with the Florida Gators. They'll be better in, in situational football and if they are five and one to start, they will not be considered a rebuild anymore. They'll be considered a team that could contend for an SEC title. I don't think they're going to win. I think they're closer to an eight win team than they are a four win team. But I Don't think they're quite yet an eight win team. The public narrative with lsu, everybody is like all in on LSU probably being a playoff team because that's what LSU does. But do they. When have they made the playoffs?
[04:59]
B
Been a while.
[05:00]
A
I'll hang up and listen. Right? It's been a minute. Look, and Billy is the one who has said it louder than I have, but he's exactly right. Of course we would take their history over ours. They've won five national championships in the, you know, is it five, four national championships in the 2000s. Whatever. It is. Like, of course we would change. Of course we would take 2019. Of course a and M has not. But I'm just saying, who's been a more consistent program the last six years? They won a national championship. They went to an SEC championship game. I recognize coming from an Aggie saying that, it's like, wait, wait, you can't say that. I'm saying it. I am saying it. I think Lane Kiffin's great. I do. I think he is great. I think he's got some demons, I think he's got some issues. And if he's in the right situation, and I think Ole Miss was the right situation, things work out great. I think he grew up a little bit after Florida Atlantic and his time with Coach Saban. I take all that to be true. I still think he's Lane Kiffin. I mean, look at what happened at the end of last year. I'm sorry, I can't get down with a guy who leaves during a playoff run. I just can't. It's my dream job.
[06:10]
C
Oh, my God, I'm gonna be so
[06:11]
A
sad if I don't get my dream job. You know what I'm saying? Like, come on, man, like, those kids count on you, but whatever. I understand the calendar sucks, but number one, portal class again. Did they have it? I know they were last year. They're up there. Portal class, but they're a team. That new head coach, new quarterback, new offensive coordinator, a bunch of tortle Portal additions like, and a schedule that's pretty difficult to start. Like in the first month you've got back to back with your old team and Texas A and M. A team that is one three straight, two straight right, two straight A and M's looking for their third straight against them, so. And again, that's not even to say Clemson to start. I'm a big dabo guy. I hope dabo comes in there and takes care of business. I don't know if that's good for A and M, but I just like Dabo. So anyway, anything less than a playoff berth for LSU is a huge disappointment. Anything less because he, he has what he has done as the quarterback whisperer that he is, is he basically has had a less roster and a place that he said it was hard to recruit to. And he had them in the semifinals even though he didn't coach that last game or last couple games. So to me, they are a team that I don't know if we can read if things hit. I do this with A and M a lot. When you have too many things that have to hit, it's hard for them all to hit. The beauty for A and M in this conversation. And like there's other teams that have to hit in a lot of areas too. It's not just A and M. If A and M has this, if A and M has that, they're going to win. There's a lot of teams. Alabama's in that conversation. LSU is in that conversation. But as I mentioned, the early part of their season for LSU matters. The Clemson, the Ole Miss game, the A and M game. Right. So if they go one and two, they can still have a really nice season. No doubt. I mean there's. But are we reading them wrong because of their situation? Auburn, I am not as high as some of the folks that I talked to on them as people were in in Tampa. But what they will tell you is they've had nothing but coaching malpractice for the last six, seven years. Right? They've just had idiots running the show. And if you just fix the idiots running the show. By the way, those idiots unfortunately beat us a couple years ago, which bugs me. But if you have idiots running the show and you almost win a bunch of games, what is it? When you have a competent coach, Alex Goelish has a system. He's got a quarterback he believes in. It'll be interesting how that transitions. You know, Environ Brown fits in the SEC on a weekly basis. I know they beat Florida last year, but what does that look like every week? They feel good about their tempo. They feel good about their quarterback. They feel really good. Why do people hesitate? Well, their schedule as most people. But it's new. So are people reading them wrong? Could Auburn become a dangerous 7 and 5 team? Absolutely, they could. A and M doesn't play them this year, but they could be. As for Alabama, I think there's two things that you're hearing from the media about Alabama. You're hearing Caleb Deboer is losing control of a program and he's not, he's not the right fit post Saban. You hear that? You also hear it's Alabama. They'll figure it out. They got all the talent in the world. And now this is year three for Calum DeBoer. He's got his guys in there. It'll be fine. He's got. Yes, it may take a little while for a new quarterback to figure it out, but they feel great. Okay. The reason people are sometimes a little question they have questionable thoughts on A and M is for the way the season ended. Right. That's the same thing for Alabama. Alabama did make it to the SEC championship game. They did win a playoff game, but they got beat against Georgia big time and they got embarrassed by Indiana. And when you're mighty Alabama, you can't get embarrassed. You shouldn't lose, but you can't get embarrassed. And that's why public opinion and look, whoever followed Saban was going to struggle anyway. You follow a legend, it's hard to live up to that. But it's the way they lost. So people do assume that Alabama will reload and maybe they will, but maybe we're also underrating them too. I'm of the opinion like, yeah, I see what, what people think about Alabama and I kind of, I kind of agree. But I'm also like, guys, they want a freaking playoff game. Like, that's a great season for a lot of programs. Not for Alabama. But my thing about them is not about Calyn DeBoer. It's about a new quarterback. And again, that's always going to. If I'm going to have questions about a brand new offensive line, you can damn bet I'm going to have questions about a new quarterback. Like that's if it's Keelan Russell, if it's Austin Mack, most people think it's gonna be Keelan Russell. He might be Bryce Young day one. He might be. It may take some time. Hopefully, you know, they take some time and it's a transition and especially when A and M goes to Tuscaloosa. But for Alabama, I think September is going to determine a lot because that's when you're going to get a feel for. Are things clicking for them? Are they clicking? So am I overreacting to the quarterback situation at Alabama? I don't know. As for A and M, what are the narratives? Lost 10 draft picks, four new offensive linemen, new offensive coordinator, tough schedule. They probably take a step back. But it seems like the SEC media doesn't Think so. I mean, maybe a step back from being 11 and 2, but not from being a playoff team. I think the conversation might be missing. The bigger picture here is who is returning and what that return means to the overall strength of a team. Who's returning? Mike Elko, Marcel Reed, your quarterbacks returning. It's got to mean something, especially a guy that wasn't the Heisman conversation. Your defensive backs pretty much returning with the addition of Ricky Gibson. No Will Lee, but you get Ricky Gibson, so hopefully we call that a wash. And Julio Humphrey, you know, so you have, if not the deepest wide receiver room in college football, you have one of the deepest ones. Mario Craver. Hello, returning. You know, people love to talk about the offensive line. Not because this is a weakness, but assuming four starters automatically means uncertainty, and it does. But when you've got guys who have come up the system, like Blake Ivey, Tyler Thomas, Lamont Rogers, when you have these guys here along with what we have that came in the portal, I don't think that. I think you knew it was going to be a transition no matter what. When you lose four guys to the NFL, you knew that there was no way to avoid it. But I believe the approach of adding people from the portal with SEC experience and the guys that you went out and recruited and you've been, you know, kind of gearing them up for this moment. Lamont Rogers, like, these are guys that they may be ready, they may not be ready, but they're going to be ready at some point this year. It is the perfect transition. And based on your circumstance, which you cannot change, you can't change that. Four guys went to the NFL on the offensive line. This could. There couldn't be a better game plan based on the situation. The only question is, did they get the right guys? And so far, we have no reason to question Coach Elko. As for Marcel Reid, the national question about him is, you know, can he take a step forward? The guy was really good last year. He threw too many turnovers. Okay. Four at the end, no touchdowns. Okay. Schedule got harder. He needs to be better. That's true. But the overall body of work would say he was a damn good quarterback. And there are at least some now in the national media that I do believe are starting to say, like, you know what? I think we've been a little bit too critical of this guy. But that's called being an SEC quarterback. When you're an SEC quarterback. Arch learned it, Gunner Stockton learned it. Like you're going to. When things are great, you're going to get the love and when things aren't so great, you're going to get all the blame. And that's just life as an SEC quarterback. So which of the teams that I spoke about are we reevaluating on October 1st? Is Florida going to be one of them? We're going to have a lot of data points to point out to say, like, you know what, I think they're kind of good or no, David, you overreacted to Florida. I think I do think Florida is better than people say LSU because I do believe in brands, as you know. I do believe in Lane Kiffin. I understand why they get the hype and their lsu. But again, until I see how healthy Sam Levitt is, am I right? He did not throw one pass during spring practice. Right. I believe I'm right on that. So like that's a lot of and a guy that had his best year and he was really good with an incredible running game. Cam Scatterboo was incredible. Auburn. I don't know enough other than I know that Goelish and Byron Brown, I mean being able to bring a system and a core group of players to your team here and the team that competed against SEC teams and competed against Miami, it may be a smoother transition because you have a good coach. Bama, probably my biggest question mark because I could see them hitting big, I could also see them taking another step back. And then, you know, after you give Calen DeBoer all this money not to go to Michigan, what does that look like? So that's kind of where I am on teams. Maybe on the other side we can hear what, what people are saying about that as well. All right. If you want to be a part of the conversation, you can call us up on the Bupies Catering and Bartending hotline. That number is 979-693-1150. Let's check in with Matthew Coughlin at the Angry Elephant News and Social center before I do my live spot as I tap dance a little bit. Coughlin, what do you got?
[16:02]
D
Well, we had the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships this past weekend and there's a lot of former Aggieland members in that. So Cameron Dixon finished third in the 200 meter. Tamara Chapman earned silver in the heptathlon. James Smith, the second, finished with the new PR in the second place finish in the 400 men's hurdles. Shamir Little finished third in 400 meter women's hurdles. And it was a great weekend overall for them.
[16:30]
A
Yeah, good stuff. Thank you. We'll have some more. We'll have to see what Kaplan can set up on the agenda for the next segment before we are joined by Chris Doring of the SEC Network. And we'll talk about Florida. By the way, that's kind of I did a lot of prep for Doring on Florida, which is why I think I've been a little bit more passionate about them today as I kind of did my research. And I'm starting to think they're going to be better than people think when it comes to financial advice and independence matters. And that's why I'm talking about our good people at Paragon Financial Advisors. They're Aggie owned and operated. They're independent. They're fee only fiduciary firm. That means that their recommendations aren't influenced by commissions, propriety products or sales quote quotas. So whether you're managing family wealth or growing a successful business, their team helps clients make informed financial decisions with comprehensive planning and disciplined investment management. For many business owners, that means that developing strategies not only to grow the business, but also prepare for one of the biggest financial events of their lives, the eventual sale or transition of that business. Visit paragon-adv.com or learn how to get independent advice or by talking to the good people there at Paragon Financial Advisors, Aggie owned independent serving clients nationwide. It is Paragon Financial Advisors. Listen to the Houston Astros on the zone. Thanks to Kelly Burdozer. As a reminder, the final segment of the program is brought to you by double Dave. That is at 10:50 right now. Caller number 12979693 1150. We're going to hook you up with your choice of a dozen pepperoni rolls or a large one topping pizza from Double Dave's. They've been serving Aggieland since 1984 with your favorite pizza and of course those world famous pepperoni rolls. Reliable in house delivery, bringing piping hot goodness straight to your door. Just click on DoubleDays.com and your favors are on their way. So a couple things on the chat I wanted to read. I'm not going to read that one. Not going to read that one. Ag x 80 p e t e have never understood the hype around Matier makes very bad decisions under pressure and was erratic passing even before the injury. I mean you looked at his highlight film before Oklahoma. He seemed pretty legit and I thought he was pretty good last year. I did. I thought he was pretty good last year until he wasn't. And in that like what we say about Marcel and others right I think we're always going to overreact to certain folks, right? Or quarterbacks, I should say. So I think he's better than. How about this right in the middle. He's better than what I think people who are completely against him. And he's certainly not as good as like and I think that's almost fair for everybody. Like you could say that about Arch. When he was having his struggles last year, he was not as bad as people said. I think he's got to get more accurate and he certainly wasn't Joe Montana at the end of the season. He was really good. He was absolutely, really good. What did he complete? 48% of his passes against A and M?
[19:26]
D
Yeah, it was pretty low.
[19:27]
A
But he made game winning plays and to me, sometimes the game winning plays matter so much more than that, what the stats would represent. So he made game winning plays especially against us. Dave, I'm not reading that one, buddy. I'm not talking about Spectrum, but I'll read this one. The real answer only is did we improve at the OC level this year or did it stay the same or will we see a dip? So the offense last year, like play calling was not the problem in the two losses. Now there were several times I saw play calling last year where I was like, why do we call that play? Why do we do that? I don't have the benefit of what they, you know, the, the analytics and what they think would work on a particular defense. I don't have that luxury. So I don't know what they were going with. I'm just going with my gut would say. And it's always different from a press box or from the stands than when you have a bunch of information. But there was times I didn't like that. I don't think the offense was the problem. Now you could say, I know some folks like to say the offense was not as good the last two games of the year. And was that because Colin Kleiner had already made up his mind? I'm just not there like a lot of people are. I'm not personally, but I understand why people say it. So you want to believe that. That's certainly on you. James Ellis. I'm sold on 11 and 1. Hope so. I'm not, but I hope so. Let's see what else. And recently watching all of our games for 25, our OC's performance dropped big time in the last two games. Okay, going back to what we said, by the way, the Are you an optimistic AG or you're a pessimistic, aggressive. The optimistic AGs won 73% or are winning to 27%. I've never met you people like the people I see or like that. I talk to my brother. He's probably on the pessimistic side, like people who write. Well, let me rephrase that. I think it could be both. Like me, like, like you can be like very optimistic until the one bad thing happens and then everything goes on the opposite side. Right? Like once you lose, that's it. It's the worst season ever. Yada yada. Anyway, we go back to the Angry Elephant News and Social Center. Coughlin, give me something good.
[21:50]
D
Well, we've heard a lot of people talk about what will happen in this upcoming season, but we haven't heard much from the virtual world per se. ESPN did the virtual world.
[22:00]
A
What are you talking about?
[22:02]
D
Simulating the season on EA Sports College Football 27. They did 26 simulations of this upcoming season and there is some good and there is some bad. So I'll start with the good. Four times A&M won the SEC and in one of the seasons, Marcel reed put up 4,500 yards and 43 touchdowns, leading Texas A and M to a college football championship victory for the first title since 1993.
[22:33]
A
Can I pause you for a second?
[22:34]
D
Yeah.
[22:35]
A
And I mean this. I'm not mad, I'm not meaning this rudely. I'm asking a genuine question. Yeah, Nick. Participate, listeners, participate. Does anybody care honestly about a simulation on a video game? Like, do you, like, does it make you feel better? Oh, dude, the freaking scouts at EA. Is it EA Madden? Yeah. Yeah, the freaking scouts at EA got us winning 14% of the time. Frickin A, let's go. Like, does anybody actually hear that information and make them more optimistic? I'm just, I'm actually. Because anytime I hear like, okay, facts, fantasy football, I'm out. I know. We play it on the air. That's it. That's the only time I listen to it. Fantasy football and like video game simulation and watching others play video games, that's not for me, okay? I know the kids love watching people. That's why when, you know, Marcel's playing Madden here, people watch, right? Or college football, they watch. But does anybody in their right mind listen to like, bro, ea, Nick, like do, do, like when you hear that, you're like, bro, I'm in. That's it. We're going 12, zero, buddy. EA simulated it, you know, 17% of the time. We won. And Marcel threw for 4,000. Oh, my God, EA nine times. So we were going to be four and eight. Like, does any of that move the needle for you?
[23:51]
B
I will say the one like the, the piece of content like that that I would watch or am interested in, not because I think it has any merit or like, you know, I, I don't think that it's a, it's a good model to base a prediction off of. Right. But like, I know Madden always does their super bowl simulation whenever that matchup's actually finalized. And maybe college football did it last year for, you know, the championship game. I don't know. But that kind of stuff, like when we know the two teams makes it a little bit more interesting because I think it's a little bit more believable. But not for like a full season. Season simulation. And if it took 26 times to get a few outcomes like that, I don't know. But like you said, David, it's just, it's. The kids are into the games, they're into the games. I don't play them anymore. But if it moves the needle for them, then, you know, more power to them.
[24:45]
A
I'm not part of the gaming making game community. Right. I don't know those dudes. If you are a programmer.
[24:53]
B
Yeah, developer.
[24:55]
A
Developer, okay. But I do know this. Coach Elko said it at pko. I'm sorry, I'm going back to quotes from him, but it was true. The people who are doing the evaluations don't know. Okay? They don't know. Like I've gone to lunch with these people. I've done interviews. Like, you are not evaluating every player on the A and M roster. You're just not. You don't know. You haven't been to practice.
[25:19]
B
The only person you know, I believe does that is Matthew Dawson.
[25:23]
A
Dawson, yeah.
[25:24]
B
He might be the only one different.
[25:26]
A
There's one Dawson. Okay, every. Let's say every. Does EA Sport have a bunch of Dawsons? Probably.
[25:34]
D
Right?
[25:34]
A
They probably do actually. Like that's. In fact, he'd probably be dumb in that room. That being said. And he's super smart. So smart here. That's not hard. We're talk show. But I just don't think, like nobody knows how pieces will fit together. You can't. Oh my God. LSU, the greatest recruiting class ever last year. Amazing. Oh, 22A and M. Oh my God, the greatest recruiting class ever. This guy, this voice I'm doing. Getting a lot of run today. Two guests on two consecutive days. It's hard. All right. It's hard. Anyway, when we come back on TexActs Live, somebody who probably has evaluated every player ever to play, Chris Doring, SEC Network, our dear friend. That's coming up next on Texas Live. Home, road or bowl. You can hear Aggie football on the zone. The zone. All right, we're back. Tech SAGS Live presents presented by David Gardner's Gilderollo Insurance Studio. So apparently I'm not the. By the way, Chris Dorian is about to join us. I'm not the only one that thinks certain teams that I talked about winning more games this year. You said you found an article on the same topic.
[26:43]
D
Yeah, CBS Sports did an article about their rebound teams and somehow some way Arkansas has found its way on the list along with South Carolina and Florida.
[26:53]
A
Well, I've been talking about Florida all day and part of it's because I was preparing for this interview with Chris Doring here on Tech SAGS Live. Let's go to the Buppy's Catering and Bartending hotline, our dear friend Chris Doring, SEC Network and of course, Florida. Great. Joining us here on the show. What's up, Chris? Oh, I don't hear him, Nick. Is there something going on? Let's see if we can get him here in a second. I hate when that happens. We need to call him. We will. Let's, let's see what's up. Nick, give me an update of what to expect. All right, we're just going to call him. This is the greatest radio we've ever done. Coughlin, kind of read for a second so I can get Chris's number and have the station call him.
[27:31]
C
Okay.
[27:32]
D
So ESPN did a hundred games that explain college football in 2026. And now this isn't the 100 greatest games of all time. So in 2014, Texas A and M played South Carolina, big beat down by Texas A and M by the way, 52 to 28. So it was talking about the networks. Basically. ESPN aligned SEC network debuted kicking off with that week one conference battle. Sandstorm blaired and then the Aggies romped South Carolina. Another one from Texas A and M that made the list was November 10, 2012 when number 15 Texas A&M took down number 1 Alabama. And what they say about that one is the next huge round of realignment nearly kicked off the Big 12 as discontent with unequal money distribution and Texas presence led Nebraska to leave for the Big Ten, Colorado for the Pac 12 and Texas A&M and Missouri for the SEC. And it also produced immediate magic for the SEC when its first season in the league A and M introduced Johnny Manziel to the world and he led an 11 win charge and a legendary win over Alabama.
[28:40]
A
Good stuff. I didn't hear anything you said. I just needed you to tap dance for a moment. As I prepare to get Chris Doring here on Tech SAGS Live, I do see my good friends at Brian Broadcasting are dialing up his number. Let's hope we get him here on the program here in the next couple seconds. Yep, he's got them on there. Let's go to the Bupies catering and bartending hotline. Chris, I think somebody doesn't want us to do radio, man, because we both kind of got busy last week. When you were available. When I was available. And here we are again, struggling to get each other on the show. What's up, man?
[29:08]
C
Yeah, man. Hey. The biggest disappointment was that I actually put a shirt on for you guys and tried to look presentable. So, I mean, now I would have just kept my shirt off if I'd have known we were doing a phoner.
[29:18]
A
Hey, so I've been talking about Florida today, as I mentioned earlier, because as I was preparing for the interview today, I'm one of those who feels like I don't know how good they're going to be. Okay, I'm not saying they're a playoff team, but I feel like you've got a coach that inspires and you're not going to have boneheaded decisions. Am I wrong for thinking this team is going to be significantly improved from last year to this year?
[29:38]
C
I think you're right. I think Florida has the chance to be the biggest jump from last year's win total to this year's win total. And some of it has to do with what you talked about, the inspiration aspect, the elimination of self inflicted wounds. Some of that I think has to do with the staff around the previous head coach, which, you know, I think there's some due criticism there. You look at what coach Sumrall's been able to build going out and getting Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech, a highly respected young, up and coming coordinator on the offensive side, Brad White, an experienced SEC coordinator for a long time in this league. Assistants that include, you know, former Gators like Phil Troutwine and Bam Hardman, you know, mixing in other guys that have SEC experience. So I, I really like the staff, but let's go back to the man himself. I think John Sumrall is the perfect fit for what Florida needs right now. He brings energy, he brings enthusiasm on the sideline, he brings authenticity. And the biggest thing is he was able to get people to buy in to kind of what his vision is for this program. He's done every single interview, done every single podcast, been at every single event, touching people and getting them excited, providing hope. And the biggest thing is getting the former player, the past players that were on last year's team, to buy in. I mean, you had a potential mass exodus through the transfer portal, but you got Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown to stay at the receiver spot. Maybe the biggest get was keeping Jaden Baugh. A lot of people thought he'd end up at Texas, getting Myles Graham and Jaden woods on the defense back. There's a lot of really good players around, and it's almost an indictment of last year's staff to think about all the quality players you have and only winning four games. I think if they can get the quarterback piece right, this could be a team that could go from four wins to maybe eight wins this season.
[31:25]
A
Talking to Chris Dornan here on Tech SAGS Live. All right, so who's somebody that you came away from at SEC media day saying, you know what? I don't always buy into the hype or the talk, but I feel better about this team after talking to coaches, players, and media.
[31:38]
C
Yeah, I think it was Ole Miss to me. And that started with a little preview down in Oxford. Peter Burns and I have been working on some different projects with Regions bank, and one of them was a sit down with Trinidad Champ that we did in Oxford at his condo right off the square the week before media days. I just felt like outside of LSU and Lane Kiffin, there was no bigger amount of pressure than what was on Ole Miss, Pete Golding, and specifically Trinidad Chambliss. He gets an extra year to come back. You know, can he kind of regain that hot hand that he had at the end of the season as he took them through multiple playoff wins? I think every season in college football is a new one in and of itself and very difficult to try to. To replicate. But after sitting with him and then seeing PG basically own media days on that Wednesday, he was there. I really feel like this is a team that has regained the chemistry and has the right leadership. And, you know, I know their schedule is difficult. I was shocked to see that the analytics only have Ole miss as a 4% chance to get to the SEC championship, but I picked them. I'm taking that 4% chance. I got Georgia and Ole Miss playing in the SEC Championship with the rebs making their first appearance in Atlanta for the championship weekend. Ever.
[32:52]
A
Which coach maybe made the biggest impression on you? Not named John Summerall, because I thought he held court. He was great.
[32:58]
C
Yeah. Not named Sumrall. And I'll throw Pete Golding out, too, because, you know, I've gotten to know him pretty well the last couple years, and I expected him to do really well. He did kind of exceed expectations there. But I thought Kirby. Smart man. Kirby was as laid back and relaxed with us as I've ever seen him out of media days. And maybe that's because it was me and. And Aaron Murray he was doing the interview with and felt comfortable there. But I honestly believe it's a unique position for Georgia and for Kirby specifically. I don't know about how you felt, David, but I didn't think a lot of people really were talking about Georgia and, oddly, Alabama either. It was a lot of other talk about Texas and Oklahoma and A and M and some other teams, but I felt like Georgia was under the radar. And I think he feels really confident about a team that was young, in a lot of positions last year, getting some needed experience, and getting healthy again. I think not enough people are talking about Georgia, and I think it reflected in a relaxed kind of mannerism from Kirby that we hadn't seen before.
[34:01]
A
Chris, I agree with you. I actually did a segment on Georgia and A and M where I felt like. And for A and M, the ultimate sign of respect is they get voted by the SEC media in the top four. Yet it felt like people were not talking about them, which is kind of like where I think Elko wants them to be. Respect but not buzz.
[34:19]
C
Yeah. Yeah. I think there was a time that A and M was talked about every off season leading up to the start of camp with a lot of buzz, and that expectation was maybe a little unfounded. I thought Coach Elko was incredibly relaxed. You know, I had a chance to visit with him when I was in College Station back in April for the Texas and Texas A and M baseball weekend. Really impressed with how he's kind of settled into being the head coach there. Feels very comfortable, and some of the players I talked to kind of mimic that to me. And the way that he's developed a comfort being the CEO. This is a team I think I'm really excited about. Obviously, I was fortunate enough to get out and watch one of the spring practices while I was in town. The lines of scrimmage look like SEC lines of scrimmage. The. The receiver position, I think, is probably as deep and talented and versatile as anyone in the entire conference. So I feel like they've done enough to put the pieces around Marcel Reed to really help him take that next step, including, I think the game planning will be a little bit better this year for the inclusion of his dangerous running ability.
[35:31]
A
Talking to Chris Doring here on Tech Sags Live. So what do you think about Marcel? Where are you, based on what you've seen from him on the field over the last year and a half and also maybe some of the steps he took this spring?
[35:42]
C
Yeah, I like Marcel a lot. I mean, you know, when he's at his best, he's just flowing and not thinking. And I honestly believe that getting his legs going is what helps him be more accurate throwing the football and kind of eliminate the overthinking that takes place sometimes. A great example in my mind of that was the beginning of the third quarter against South Carolina. You know, they're down four touchdowns or whatever it is, and he makes a big scramble, I think on a fourth down that picks up a first down. And then from there on he's just in a rhythm. And I don't think they did a very good job of putting pressure on the defense by, you know, getting him more involved in the quarterback run game against Miami or getting him outside of the pocket. I just, I think he's got a unique skill set that they're going to better game plan for with this year. And I also think that, you know, another year of experience under your belt playing in this conference certainly will help. So I'm a big fan of Marcel Reed and I think again, with the pieces they put at the receiver position and tight end position, I think that the offense is going to have a big year this season.
[36:47]
A
Where are you on Texas? Obviously all the talent in the world. A very difficult schedule this year. Not like the first couple years that I thought that. Well, at least the first year was not as difficult from an SEC standard. Yeah, Texas got all this talent. Do you think they have what it takes to live up to the hype that they've gotten the last few years?
[37:03]
C
Let's talk about the hype, though. The hype to me. And again, where Georgia was not talked about enough, I thought Texas was over talked about this idea that they're, you know, going to be the SEC champion or right back in the SEC championship game again. I just. Until I see them beat Georgia, until I see them match the physicality that the Bulldogs have brought in that matchup the last couple seasons, I'm not ready to pass the torch yet. Now I'm a big fan of arch arches. I thought architecture in that game against Florida did a great job of overcoming some of the issues he was having with being aware of the rush. I thought he stood in there, I thought he delivered some great throws under duress. It looked like he took hits and got himself up and built confidence through that. And then from there on it was the trajectory to kind of what we saw arch become at the end of the year. So I'm high on them. I thought they did a good job with putting pieces around the quarterback there as well. Going out and getting Cam Coleman, you're talking about, you know, one and barely one a between he and Ryan Wingo. Those two number one receivers are going to be tough to defend. Hollywood Smothers, I think was a great addition at the running back spot too. So my biggest question is, can they be more stout, can they be more physical on the offensive line? Because that was an embarrassment last year, the way they played with some inconsistency, particularly in that game against Florida.
[38:22]
A
Chris, before I let you go, the nine games SEC schedule, I don't think any of us really know what that's going to feel like when it comes to wins and losses and what rosters look like at the end of the season. I know other conferences have had nine game schedules, but it's not the gauntlet of the sec and I still believe that to my core. What do you think about it and what do you think we'll learn about it?
[38:42]
C
It's been three decades since I played in this league and at that point in time it was an eight game conference schedule. And I can tell you that I can vividly remember the physical and mental exhaustion that you have by the end of the year. Now you throw in a deeper, more talented league that has 16 teams in it, you put in a nine game conference schedule. I just think there's going to be a lot of cannibalism and maybe even worse, a lot of what we've seen. I think Georgia's been a victim of that the last couple years. They make it through, they get to the SEC championship game, they get into the playoff and then they're beat up, they're fatigued and they get out physical like they did by Notre Dame and the Sugar bowl two years ago. So I just, I worry about what this is going to do to the league as a whole. Is the public, is the fan base, the media, and most importantly the College Football Playoff committee going to adjust to what a win loss record looks like with a nine game conference schedule? Because not all Losses are created equally throughout the country as we know. So I think there's a lot of, a lot of unknown that we're going to have to figure out and see in year one of this expanded conference schedule how everybody adapts to it. And you know, I think if you talk privately to a lot of these coaches, I think they felt like they were duped because the expectation was if they were going to vote for a nine game conference schedule, there was going to be an expansion to 16 teams. Honestly, I think what's best for the SEC is a 24 team playoff. And I know that Commissioner Saint, he's taking a little bit of a stance against that right now. But I honestly believe with the depth of talent in the SEC it benefits our league more so than the Big Ten or anybody else. I think it's just a matter of the finances, particularly the television partnerships before we ultimately see that go to 24 teams.
[40:29]
A
Chris, great stuff, brother man. I appreciate your time. Let's do it again here during the season.
[40:32]
C
Yeah, man, anytime. Love being on with you, bro. Thanks for having me.
[40:35]
A
Thanks, man. The great CD here on Texags Live. We'll hit a break here. We'll come back with a final segment on Texags Live. And yeah, there's more chatter to get into. Not anymore. It's Texas. The money machine is now open. The easiest radio contest on the planet. Enter now enter now at sony1150.com to win $5,000. What are we waiting for? And great weekly prizes too. James Cypress sends In the last two games we scored 20 points. 17 3. I wasn't play calling.
[41:04]
D
Good.
[41:04]
A
Second down was a run up the middle often enough for us to call it from the stand. Alright, now you guys can correct me, did I say the play calling was good? Or I, I think I said and if I didn't tell me what do I hear in the background? You hear that anyway I think I said was I don't think they lost a game because of play calling. Is that what I said? Just maybe I didn't. No, what did I say?
[41:30]
B
I just think you were saying the. The conversation was about Colin Klein and was his mind elsewhere and you said you don't think so?
[41:38]
A
I don't know. I don't know. Maybe it was. I don't think that's why we lost the game I guess is my point or those games. Now obviously something sucked at the end of the year and if we want to blame Colin Klein, we can blame Colin Klein. What I am saying, I think the reason a M lost those games. Wasn't the play calling. Although I probably disagreed with a lot of play calling. Why I think A and M lost those games is that they weren't able to run the ball. Can you look up what the numbers were in both of those games real quick before we go? We got a minute left, so probably not enough time, but see if you can get that real quick. But that's why I think the. The offensive line going against some pretty good defensive lines, and that's an understatement. And the inability to run the ball at a rate that would have gotten that offense going. So, Coughlin, do you have some of those numbers?
[42:26]
D
Yeah. So in the Texas game, this is from our run, our lead running back would have been Ruben Owens for 48 yards. Marcel Reed had 71. In the Miami game, it would have been Marcel Reed with 27, Reuben Owens with 21.
[42:40]
A
So that, to me, is why A M's offense wasn't as good. Now you can say it was the play calling. I don't think that's the reason they lost the game. I also don't think the plays were great towards the end of the stretch. So both things can be true. All right, no more arguing. I'm exhausted. Like this two, two guess thing. Bro, I gotta talk. Nobody told me that about the gig. All right, Sex Zags live. We'll see you Mana. There's nothing like the American Express Platinum card. Find out your welcome offer after you apply, which could be as high as 175,000 points. Learn more and find out your offer at americanexpress.comexplorer-platinum Terms apply.

Summary7 min read

TexAgs Live – Chris Doering Interview & SEC 2026 Football Preview

Date: July 28, 2026
Podcast: Zone 1150 – TexAgs Live
Host: David Nuño (with Billy Liucci, Olin Buchanan, and TexAgs.com crew)
Guest: Chris Doering (SEC Network, Florida football great)
Theme: Deep dive into early SEC narratives, Florida's outlook under new coaching, A&M’s changing fortunes, conference-wide QB situations, and the impact of the new nine-game SEC schedule.

Episode Overview

This episode centers on media narratives versus the reality for SEC football teams ahead of the 2026 college football season. Host David Nuño leads an energetic discussion with his co-hosts before welcoming SEC Network analyst Chris Doering to dissect teams being misread by the media, the unpredictable nature of early-season momentum, and especially the Florida Gators’ new direction under Coach John Summerall. The hour blends talk-radio banter, data-driven argument, and insider observations, all with TexAgs’ trademark blend of passionate fandom and skeptical realism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Are We Sleeping On the Wrong SEC Teams?

Narrative vs. Reality:
David Nuño resists making concrete season predictions, expressing that the Aggie team "feels like a 9-3ish team" but that the range of outcomes is wide.
He questions which teams the collective media is misreading, pointing to Oklahoma as a team the talking heads are overhyping, predicting they could have a 5-loss season if early setbacks occur.
"What happens to you early can absolutely push you in one direction." (A, 03:10)
The Butterfly Effect of the Early Schedule:
Teams like Oklahoma, Florida, and LSU are flagged: if they lose pivotal September games, their season trajectories can unravel quickly.

"You win an early-season game against Notre Dame, you find yourself undefeated early... it can push you in a direction the rest of the way... Conversely, lose back-to-back games... it sends you in a completely different direction..."
(A, 03:30)

2. Deep Dives on SEC Contenders

Florida’s New Direction:
The panel is more bullish than consensus on the Gators, citing John Summerall’s impact on discipline and culture. There's optimism around improved situational football and retention of key players.
"If they are five and one to start, they will not be considered a rebuild anymore." (A, 04:14)
LSU and Ole Miss:
Host uncertainty around LSU, noting expectations are based more on brand than reality.
Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss) is pegged as a talented but erratic coach, with his postseason actions questioned for program stability.
Alabama’s Post-Saban Uncertainty:
Caleb DeBoer’s tenure is dissected, with two dominant media narratives: skepticism about losing control, and faith in Alabama’s talent pipeline to sustain success.
"For Alabama, I think September is going to determine a lot..." (A, 11:49)
A&M’s Roster Turnover and Optimism:
Panelists argue that while 10 draft picks departed and four offensive line starters must be replaced, strong returning skill talent (like QB Marcel Reed) and SEC-experienced transfers mean the depth chart survives.
The skepticism of national media is placed in perspective:
"The conversation might be missing the bigger picture — who is returning and what that return means..." (A, 13:35)

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Media Simulations and Video Game Projections:
Mockery is leveled at EA Sports simulations, questioning their value as predictors, with David joking:

"Does anybody care honestly about a simulation on a video game? ... Does any of that move the needle for you?"
(A, 22:33)
On QB Critique Culture:
The hosts highlight how SEC quarterbacks take outsized blame for team struggles, referencing both A&M’s Reed and Texas’s Matier.

"When things are great, you're going to get the love and when things aren't so great, you're going to get all the blame. That's just life as an SEC quarterback."
(A, 15:53)

Interview with Chris Doering (SEC Network, Florida Great)

[29:08] – [40:35]

Florida’s Step Forward

Staff Upgrades:
Doering emphasizes the wholesale improvement under Summerall and his new staff.

“I think Florida has the chance to be the biggest jump from last year’s win total to this year’s... If they can get the quarterback piece right, this could be a team that could go from four wins to maybe eight wins this season.”
(C, 29:38)
Team Buy-in:
He notes how Summerall’s energy and authenticity stopped a potential "mass exodus" in the transfer portal, keeping key playmakers in Gainesville.

Ole Miss & SEC Media Days Takeaways

Ole Miss Confidence:
Doering feels more optimistic after meeting with Lane Kiffin and Pete Golding, despite analytics only giving Rebels a "4% chance" of making the SEC Championship—he’s picking them to surprise.
Georgia’s Quiet Confidence:
Kirby Smart’s relaxed demeanor is interpreted as a sign of strength:

“I think not enough people are talking about Georgia, and I think it reflected in a relaxed kind of mannerism from Kirby that we hadn’t seen before.”
(C, 32:57)

On Texas A&M’s 2026 Outlook

Mike Elko’s Fit:
Doering sees Elko as settled and in control, with players echoing that comfort.
He’s upbeat on the lines of scrimmage and, especially, depth at receiver:

“The receiver position, I think, is probably as deep and talented and versatile as anyone in the entire conference.”
(C, 34:19)
Marcel Reed’s Ceiling:

“When he’s at his best, he’s just flowing and not thinking… I think the game planning will be a little bit better this year for the inclusion of his dangerous running ability.”
(C, 35:42)

Texas in the SEC

Doering is skeptical of over-hype, needing to see Texas prove it against Georgia and show greater physicality up front.

“Until I see them beat Georgia, until I see them match the physicality… I’m not ready to pass the torch yet.”
(C, 37:03)

The 9-Game SEC Schedule: A ‘Gauntlet’

Fatigue and Cannibalism:

“I just think there’s going to be a lot of cannibalism and maybe even worse… Georgia’s been a victim… beat up, fatigued…”
(C, 38:42)
Expanded Playoff Needed:
Doering advocates for a 24-team playoff, arguing the grind of the new schedule means loss records must be contextualized, or the SEC will be punished for its depth.

Significant Timestamps

Early SEC team narratives, Oklahoma skepticism: [00:01–09:00]
Florida, LSU, Auburn, Alabama, A&M situation breakdown: [09:00–18:00]
Listener Q&A, virtual world (EA Sports) projections: [21:49–24:54]
Chris Doering interview – Florida under Summerall: [29:08–31:24]
Ole Miss, Georgia, and SEC media day takeaways: [31:24–34:19]
A&M roster and QB Marcel Reed: [34:19–36:47]
Texas in the SEC, skepticism: [36:47–38:21]
9-game schedule, playoff implications: [38:21–40:28]

Tone and Language

The episode is marked by a blend of fan enthusiasm, skepticism of media groupthink, and dry humor. David Nuño frequently pushes listeners to look beyond surface narratives and numbers, staying true to the TexAgs style: conversational, unscripted, but deeply informed on football realities.

Notable for its willingness to question both the hype machines—whether talking heads or video-game simulations—and for its honest evaluation of A&M’s strengths and vulnerabilities.

Quick Quotes Reference

A&M’s reality check:
"The national question about [Marcel Reed] is, you know, can he take a step forward? The guy was really good last year... but that's called being an SEC quarterback." – A [15:10]
Simulations and skepticism:
"Does anybody care honestly about a simulation on a video game? Like, do you, like, does it make you feel better?" – A [22:33]
Florida’s ceiling:
"I think John Sumrall is the perfect fit for what Florida needs right now... I think if they can get the quarterback piece right, this could be a team that could go from four wins to maybe eight." – C [29:38]
The new SEC grind:
"There's going to be a lot of cannibalism and maybe worse... not all losses are created equally throughout the country as we know." – C [38:42]

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

The SEC’s powerhouses are all facing major questions—especially at quarterback, offensive line, and in how they respond to early season adversity.
Florida, under new leadership, is quietly positioned for dramatic improvement if new systems and retained talent gel.
SEC media, and by extension, fans, may be overvaluing brand names (LSU, Texas, Alabama) and overlooking how roster turnover and coaching transitions really affect outcomes.
The new nine-game SEC schedule is a looming wild card, quite possibly leading to more "cannibalism" and shifting the playoff-selection narrative nationally.
Chris Doering offers an insider’s optimism on A&M and Florida, and is bullish on Ole Miss as a surprise, while he doubts Texas is as ready for SEC dominance as headlines suggest.

Loading summary

Transcript54 lines

[00:01]
A
The YouTube page has got some new people popping in. Some are friends, some are enemies. That's fine. Aggie Products 12. I don't think I've seen him chat before. And if it's a business shout out to Aggie Products 12. What's y' all schedule prediction? I'm not going to do that. Very bright future we've got Gregory too. Yes, all that is true. I won't give a schedule prediction because I don't know. I think I told you guys earlier I feel like this is more of a 9 and 3ish feel to the team. I hope I'm wrong. I hope they're 120 and win a national championship. I I'm not going to rehash something we've talked about for nine months of my why behind stuff. But I do believe in the head man. I do believe that our quarterback will have a better year than he had last year. And sometimes a better year doesn't mean the stats are all like got turned down. Come down on your turnovers. Better way of saying it. Limit your turnovers and just play efficient football. I think we're going to be just fine. So I asked the question what team are we wrong about right now? And when I say we the collective media, not necessarily you folks at home. David Edmond has his answer. The talking heads are reading, oh you wrong. I'm calling it now. They have at least a 5 loss season. I can see them turning on Venables quickly. I don't know if I completely agree with you with five losses, but I agree with you on them being a team that we are reading. Like look, I recognize it's kind of like I give coach Elko the benefit of the doubt every year because I know he's a defensive minded guy. I think Venables gets that benefit of the doubt because of the defense. But you're asking for their quarterback to turn the ball over less. Just like A and M is asking for Marcel Reed to turn the ball over less. You're asking for them to run the ball efficiently and better. They did not do a great job of that. And I think you're having to raise some guys on defense. Even though I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt because of your coach. So you might be right. They a lot of teams. I'm going to use LSU last year as an example. What happens to you early? Like there's a lot of narratives that I believe are true in college football. What happens to you early can absolutely push you in one direction. What happens to you Late. You win an early season game against Notre Dame, you find yourself undefeated early through some hard but not too hard games. It can push you in a direction the rest of the way. Conversely, you got LSU on the other side. You lose back to back games against teams that by the way both won double digit games. And it sends you in a completely different direction where you fire your coach, you start losing games and yada yada yada, Oklahoma. And they're not the only team in this conversation. What they do early could determine what happens late and it can go those two directions. Pull up their schedule for me Nick, because I think early on obviously you got Texas, what pretty much mid season. But you know what they do at Georgia and at Michigan, like those early games in September. If they lose those two games they then what Dave and Edmund just presented is yeah, they could be a five loss team the second half of the season. Not that hard. But he's exactly right though. What does that do to their mindset the rest of the way? Having to go to Florida, having to host Ole Miss and then having to host A and M back to back weeks. Two teams that were in the playoffs, you basically are playing 1, 1, 2, 3 playoff teams from last year and, and a bunch of probably will make the playoffs this year. Right? So yeah, you're right about that. I already talked about Florida, but that's another one that I think people are reading wrong, that they just expect kind of a down year per se because they have a new coach. I think people are wrong there. I think John Summerall is a really good coach, Jaden Ball, the whole crew. I think they are a team that are going to be. They're not like 9, 10 win good but I think they're going to be significantly better. And if they do well earlier it will help people focus on the quarterback. I think that is absolutely fair when you have a new quarterback. I do it for other teams so that, that. But I'm curious what the culture is going to look like under Summerall. The identity, the discipline, all the things that we love about what Elko was able to do early on. I think you could see something similar there with the Florida Gators. They'll be better in, in situational football and if they are five and one to start, they will not be considered a rebuild anymore. They'll be considered a team that could contend for an SEC title. I don't think they're going to win. I think they're closer to an eight win team than they are a four win team. But I Don't think they're quite yet an eight win team. The public narrative with lsu, everybody is like all in on LSU probably being a playoff team because that's what LSU does. But do they. When have they made the playoffs?
[04:59]
B
Been a while.
[05:00]
A
I'll hang up and listen. Right? It's been a minute. Look, and Billy is the one who has said it louder than I have, but he's exactly right. Of course we would take their history over ours. They've won five national championships in the, you know, is it five, four national championships in the 2000s. Whatever. It is. Like, of course we would change. Of course we would take 2019. Of course a and M has not. But I'm just saying, who's been a more consistent program the last six years? They won a national championship. They went to an SEC championship game. I recognize coming from an Aggie saying that, it's like, wait, wait, you can't say that. I'm saying it. I am saying it. I think Lane Kiffin's great. I do. I think he is great. I think he's got some demons, I think he's got some issues. And if he's in the right situation, and I think Ole Miss was the right situation, things work out great. I think he grew up a little bit after Florida Atlantic and his time with Coach Saban. I take all that to be true. I still think he's Lane Kiffin. I mean, look at what happened at the end of last year. I'm sorry, I can't get down with a guy who leaves during a playoff run. I just can't. It's my dream job.
[06:10]
C
Oh, my God, I'm gonna be so
[06:11]
A
sad if I don't get my dream job. You know what I'm saying? Like, come on, man, like, those kids count on you, but whatever. I understand the calendar sucks, but number one, portal class again. Did they have it? I know they were last year. They're up there. Portal class, but they're a team. That new head coach, new quarterback, new offensive coordinator, a bunch of tortle Portal additions like, and a schedule that's pretty difficult to start. Like in the first month you've got back to back with your old team and Texas A and M. A team that is one three straight, two straight right, two straight A and M's looking for their third straight against them, so. And again, that's not even to say Clemson to start. I'm a big dabo guy. I hope dabo comes in there and takes care of business. I don't know if that's good for A and M, but I just like Dabo. So anyway, anything less than a playoff berth for LSU is a huge disappointment. Anything less because he, he has what he has done as the quarterback whisperer that he is, is he basically has had a less roster and a place that he said it was hard to recruit to. And he had them in the semifinals even though he didn't coach that last game or last couple games. So to me, they are a team that I don't know if we can read if things hit. I do this with A and M a lot. When you have too many things that have to hit, it's hard for them all to hit. The beauty for A and M in this conversation. And like there's other teams that have to hit in a lot of areas too. It's not just A and M. If A and M has this, if A and M has that, they're going to win. There's a lot of teams. Alabama's in that conversation. LSU is in that conversation. But as I mentioned, the early part of their season for LSU matters. The Clemson, the Ole Miss game, the A and M game. Right. So if they go one and two, they can still have a really nice season. No doubt. I mean there's. But are we reading them wrong because of their situation? Auburn, I am not as high as some of the folks that I talked to on them as people were in in Tampa. But what they will tell you is they've had nothing but coaching malpractice for the last six, seven years. Right? They've just had idiots running the show. And if you just fix the idiots running the show. By the way, those idiots unfortunately beat us a couple years ago, which bugs me. But if you have idiots running the show and you almost win a bunch of games, what is it? When you have a competent coach, Alex Goelish has a system. He's got a quarterback he believes in. It'll be interesting how that transitions. You know, Environ Brown fits in the SEC on a weekly basis. I know they beat Florida last year, but what does that look like every week? They feel good about their tempo. They feel good about their quarterback. They feel really good. Why do people hesitate? Well, their schedule as most people. But it's new. So are people reading them wrong? Could Auburn become a dangerous 7 and 5 team? Absolutely, they could. A and M doesn't play them this year, but they could be. As for Alabama, I think there's two things that you're hearing from the media about Alabama. You're hearing Caleb Deboer is losing control of a program and he's not, he's not the right fit post Saban. You hear that? You also hear it's Alabama. They'll figure it out. They got all the talent in the world. And now this is year three for Calum DeBoer. He's got his guys in there. It'll be fine. He's got. Yes, it may take a little while for a new quarterback to figure it out, but they feel great. Okay. The reason people are sometimes a little question they have questionable thoughts on A and M is for the way the season ended. Right. That's the same thing for Alabama. Alabama did make it to the SEC championship game. They did win a playoff game, but they got beat against Georgia big time and they got embarrassed by Indiana. And when you're mighty Alabama, you can't get embarrassed. You shouldn't lose, but you can't get embarrassed. And that's why public opinion and look, whoever followed Saban was going to struggle anyway. You follow a legend, it's hard to live up to that. But it's the way they lost. So people do assume that Alabama will reload and maybe they will, but maybe we're also underrating them too. I'm of the opinion like, yeah, I see what, what people think about Alabama and I kind of, I kind of agree. But I'm also like, guys, they want a freaking playoff game. Like, that's a great season for a lot of programs. Not for Alabama. But my thing about them is not about Calyn DeBoer. It's about a new quarterback. And again, that's always going to. If I'm going to have questions about a brand new offensive line, you can damn bet I'm going to have questions about a new quarterback. Like that's if it's Keelan Russell, if it's Austin Mack, most people think it's gonna be Keelan Russell. He might be Bryce Young day one. He might be. It may take some time. Hopefully, you know, they take some time and it's a transition and especially when A and M goes to Tuscaloosa. But for Alabama, I think September is going to determine a lot because that's when you're going to get a feel for. Are things clicking for them? Are they clicking? So am I overreacting to the quarterback situation at Alabama? I don't know. As for A and M, what are the narratives? Lost 10 draft picks, four new offensive linemen, new offensive coordinator, tough schedule. They probably take a step back. But it seems like the SEC media doesn't Think so. I mean, maybe a step back from being 11 and 2, but not from being a playoff team. I think the conversation might be missing. The bigger picture here is who is returning and what that return means to the overall strength of a team. Who's returning? Mike Elko, Marcel Reed, your quarterbacks returning. It's got to mean something, especially a guy that wasn't the Heisman conversation. Your defensive backs pretty much returning with the addition of Ricky Gibson. No Will Lee, but you get Ricky Gibson, so hopefully we call that a wash. And Julio Humphrey, you know, so you have, if not the deepest wide receiver room in college football, you have one of the deepest ones. Mario Craver. Hello, returning. You know, people love to talk about the offensive line. Not because this is a weakness, but assuming four starters automatically means uncertainty, and it does. But when you've got guys who have come up the system, like Blake Ivey, Tyler Thomas, Lamont Rogers, when you have these guys here along with what we have that came in the portal, I don't think that. I think you knew it was going to be a transition no matter what. When you lose four guys to the NFL, you knew that there was no way to avoid it. But I believe the approach of adding people from the portal with SEC experience and the guys that you went out and recruited and you've been, you know, kind of gearing them up for this moment. Lamont Rogers, like, these are guys that they may be ready, they may not be ready, but they're going to be ready at some point this year. It is the perfect transition. And based on your circumstance, which you cannot change, you can't change that. Four guys went to the NFL on the offensive line. This could. There couldn't be a better game plan based on the situation. The only question is, did they get the right guys? And so far, we have no reason to question Coach Elko. As for Marcel Reid, the national question about him is, you know, can he take a step forward? The guy was really good last year. He threw too many turnovers. Okay. Four at the end, no touchdowns. Okay. Schedule got harder. He needs to be better. That's true. But the overall body of work would say he was a damn good quarterback. And there are at least some now in the national media that I do believe are starting to say, like, you know what? I think we've been a little bit too critical of this guy. But that's called being an SEC quarterback. When you're an SEC quarterback. Arch learned it, Gunner Stockton learned it. Like you're going to. When things are great, you're going to get the love and when things aren't so great, you're going to get all the blame. And that's just life as an SEC quarterback. So which of the teams that I spoke about are we reevaluating on October 1st? Is Florida going to be one of them? We're going to have a lot of data points to point out to say, like, you know what, I think they're kind of good or no, David, you overreacted to Florida. I think I do think Florida is better than people say LSU because I do believe in brands, as you know. I do believe in Lane Kiffin. I understand why they get the hype and their lsu. But again, until I see how healthy Sam Levitt is, am I right? He did not throw one pass during spring practice. Right. I believe I'm right on that. So like that's a lot of and a guy that had his best year and he was really good with an incredible running game. Cam Scatterboo was incredible. Auburn. I don't know enough other than I know that Goelish and Byron Brown, I mean being able to bring a system and a core group of players to your team here and the team that competed against SEC teams and competed against Miami, it may be a smoother transition because you have a good coach. Bama, probably my biggest question mark because I could see them hitting big, I could also see them taking another step back. And then, you know, after you give Calen DeBoer all this money not to go to Michigan, what does that look like? So that's kind of where I am on teams. Maybe on the other side we can hear what, what people are saying about that as well. All right. If you want to be a part of the conversation, you can call us up on the Bupies Catering and Bartending hotline. That number is 979-693-1150. Let's check in with Matthew Coughlin at the Angry Elephant News and Social center before I do my live spot as I tap dance a little bit. Coughlin, what do you got?
[16:02]
D
Well, we had the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships this past weekend and there's a lot of former Aggieland members in that. So Cameron Dixon finished third in the 200 meter. Tamara Chapman earned silver in the heptathlon. James Smith, the second, finished with the new PR in the second place finish in the 400 men's hurdles. Shamir Little finished third in 400 meter women's hurdles. And it was a great weekend overall for them.
[16:30]
A
Yeah, good stuff. Thank you. We'll have some more. We'll have to see what Kaplan can set up on the agenda for the next segment before we are joined by Chris Doring of the SEC Network. And we'll talk about Florida. By the way, that's kind of I did a lot of prep for Doring on Florida, which is why I think I've been a little bit more passionate about them today as I kind of did my research. And I'm starting to think they're going to be better than people think when it comes to financial advice and independence matters. And that's why I'm talking about our good people at Paragon Financial Advisors. They're Aggie owned and operated. They're independent. They're fee only fiduciary firm. That means that their recommendations aren't influenced by commissions, propriety products or sales quote quotas. So whether you're managing family wealth or growing a successful business, their team helps clients make informed financial decisions with comprehensive planning and disciplined investment management. For many business owners, that means that developing strategies not only to grow the business, but also prepare for one of the biggest financial events of their lives, the eventual sale or transition of that business. Visit paragon-adv.com or learn how to get independent advice or by talking to the good people there at Paragon Financial Advisors, Aggie owned independent serving clients nationwide. It is Paragon Financial Advisors. Listen to the Houston Astros on the zone. Thanks to Kelly Burdozer. As a reminder, the final segment of the program is brought to you by double Dave. That is at 10:50 right now. Caller number 12979693 1150. We're going to hook you up with your choice of a dozen pepperoni rolls or a large one topping pizza from Double Dave's. They've been serving Aggieland since 1984 with your favorite pizza and of course those world famous pepperoni rolls. Reliable in house delivery, bringing piping hot goodness straight to your door. Just click on DoubleDays.com and your favors are on their way. So a couple things on the chat I wanted to read. I'm not going to read that one. Not going to read that one. Ag x 80 p e t e have never understood the hype around Matier makes very bad decisions under pressure and was erratic passing even before the injury. I mean you looked at his highlight film before Oklahoma. He seemed pretty legit and I thought he was pretty good last year. I did. I thought he was pretty good last year until he wasn't. And in that like what we say about Marcel and others right I think we're always going to overreact to certain folks, right? Or quarterbacks, I should say. So I think he's better than. How about this right in the middle. He's better than what I think people who are completely against him. And he's certainly not as good as like and I think that's almost fair for everybody. Like you could say that about Arch. When he was having his struggles last year, he was not as bad as people said. I think he's got to get more accurate and he certainly wasn't Joe Montana at the end of the season. He was really good. He was absolutely, really good. What did he complete? 48% of his passes against A and M?
[19:26]
D
Yeah, it was pretty low.
[19:27]
A
But he made game winning plays and to me, sometimes the game winning plays matter so much more than that, what the stats would represent. So he made game winning plays especially against us. Dave, I'm not reading that one, buddy. I'm not talking about Spectrum, but I'll read this one. The real answer only is did we improve at the OC level this year or did it stay the same or will we see a dip? So the offense last year, like play calling was not the problem in the two losses. Now there were several times I saw play calling last year where I was like, why do we call that play? Why do we do that? I don't have the benefit of what they, you know, the, the analytics and what they think would work on a particular defense. I don't have that luxury. So I don't know what they were going with. I'm just going with my gut would say. And it's always different from a press box or from the stands than when you have a bunch of information. But there was times I didn't like that. I don't think the offense was the problem. Now you could say, I know some folks like to say the offense was not as good the last two games of the year. And was that because Colin Kleiner had already made up his mind? I'm just not there like a lot of people are. I'm not personally, but I understand why people say it. So you want to believe that. That's certainly on you. James Ellis. I'm sold on 11 and 1. Hope so. I'm not, but I hope so. Let's see what else. And recently watching all of our games for 25, our OC's performance dropped big time in the last two games. Okay, going back to what we said, by the way, the Are you an optimistic AG or you're a pessimistic, aggressive. The optimistic AGs won 73% or are winning to 27%. I've never met you people like the people I see or like that. I talk to my brother. He's probably on the pessimistic side, like people who write. Well, let me rephrase that. I think it could be both. Like me, like, like you can be like very optimistic until the one bad thing happens and then everything goes on the opposite side. Right? Like once you lose, that's it. It's the worst season ever. Yada yada. Anyway, we go back to the Angry Elephant News and Social Center. Coughlin, give me something good.
[21:50]
D
Well, we've heard a lot of people talk about what will happen in this upcoming season, but we haven't heard much from the virtual world per se. ESPN did the virtual world.
[22:00]
A
What are you talking about?
[22:02]
D
Simulating the season on EA Sports College Football 27. They did 26 simulations of this upcoming season and there is some good and there is some bad. So I'll start with the good. Four times A&M won the SEC and in one of the seasons, Marcel reed put up 4,500 yards and 43 touchdowns, leading Texas A and M to a college football championship victory for the first title since 1993.
[22:33]
A
Can I pause you for a second?
[22:34]
D
Yeah.
[22:35]
A
And I mean this. I'm not mad, I'm not meaning this rudely. I'm asking a genuine question. Yeah, Nick. Participate, listeners, participate. Does anybody care honestly about a simulation on a video game? Like, do you, like, does it make you feel better? Oh, dude, the freaking scouts at EA. Is it EA Madden? Yeah. Yeah, the freaking scouts at EA got us winning 14% of the time. Frickin A, let's go. Like, does anybody actually hear that information and make them more optimistic? I'm just, I'm actually. Because anytime I hear like, okay, facts, fantasy football, I'm out. I know. We play it on the air. That's it. That's the only time I listen to it. Fantasy football and like video game simulation and watching others play video games, that's not for me, okay? I know the kids love watching people. That's why when, you know, Marcel's playing Madden here, people watch, right? Or college football, they watch. But does anybody in their right mind listen to like, bro, ea, Nick, like do, do, like when you hear that, you're like, bro, I'm in. That's it. We're going 12, zero, buddy. EA simulated it, you know, 17% of the time. We won. And Marcel threw for 4,000. Oh, my God, EA nine times. So we were going to be four and eight. Like, does any of that move the needle for you?
[23:51]
B
I will say the one like the, the piece of content like that that I would watch or am interested in, not because I think it has any merit or like, you know, I, I don't think that it's a, it's a good model to base a prediction off of. Right. But like, I know Madden always does their super bowl simulation whenever that matchup's actually finalized. And maybe college football did it last year for, you know, the championship game. I don't know. But that kind of stuff, like when we know the two teams makes it a little bit more interesting because I think it's a little bit more believable. But not for like a full season. Season simulation. And if it took 26 times to get a few outcomes like that, I don't know. But like you said, David, it's just, it's. The kids are into the games, they're into the games. I don't play them anymore. But if it moves the needle for them, then, you know, more power to them.
[24:45]
A
I'm not part of the gaming making game community. Right. I don't know those dudes. If you are a programmer.
[24:53]
B
Yeah, developer.
[24:55]
A
Developer, okay. But I do know this. Coach Elko said it at pko. I'm sorry, I'm going back to quotes from him, but it was true. The people who are doing the evaluations don't know. Okay? They don't know. Like I've gone to lunch with these people. I've done interviews. Like, you are not evaluating every player on the A and M roster. You're just not. You don't know. You haven't been to practice.
[25:19]
B
The only person you know, I believe does that is Matthew Dawson.
[25:23]
A
Dawson, yeah.
[25:24]
B
He might be the only one different.
[25:26]
A
There's one Dawson. Okay, every. Let's say every. Does EA Sport have a bunch of Dawsons? Probably.
[25:34]
D
Right?
[25:34]
A
They probably do actually. Like that's. In fact, he'd probably be dumb in that room. That being said. And he's super smart. So smart here. That's not hard. We're talk show. But I just don't think, like nobody knows how pieces will fit together. You can't. Oh my God. LSU, the greatest recruiting class ever last year. Amazing. Oh, 22A and M. Oh my God, the greatest recruiting class ever. This guy, this voice I'm doing. Getting a lot of run today. Two guests on two consecutive days. It's hard. All right. It's hard. Anyway, when we come back on TexActs Live, somebody who probably has evaluated every player ever to play, Chris Doring, SEC Network, our dear friend. That's coming up next on Texas Live. Home, road or bowl. You can hear Aggie football on the zone. The zone. All right, we're back. Tech SAGS Live presents presented by David Gardner's Gilderollo Insurance Studio. So apparently I'm not the. By the way, Chris Dorian is about to join us. I'm not the only one that thinks certain teams that I talked about winning more games this year. You said you found an article on the same topic.
[26:43]
D
Yeah, CBS Sports did an article about their rebound teams and somehow some way Arkansas has found its way on the list along with South Carolina and Florida.
[26:53]
A
Well, I've been talking about Florida all day and part of it's because I was preparing for this interview with Chris Doring here on Tech SAGS Live. Let's go to the Buppy's Catering and Bartending hotline, our dear friend Chris Doring, SEC Network and of course, Florida. Great. Joining us here on the show. What's up, Chris? Oh, I don't hear him, Nick. Is there something going on? Let's see if we can get him here in a second. I hate when that happens. We need to call him. We will. Let's, let's see what's up. Nick, give me an update of what to expect. All right, we're just going to call him. This is the greatest radio we've ever done. Coughlin, kind of read for a second so I can get Chris's number and have the station call him.
[27:31]
C
Okay.
[27:32]
D
So ESPN did a hundred games that explain college football in 2026. And now this isn't the 100 greatest games of all time. So in 2014, Texas A and M played South Carolina, big beat down by Texas A and M by the way, 52 to 28. So it was talking about the networks. Basically. ESPN aligned SEC network debuted kicking off with that week one conference battle. Sandstorm blaired and then the Aggies romped South Carolina. Another one from Texas A and M that made the list was November 10, 2012 when number 15 Texas A&M took down number 1 Alabama. And what they say about that one is the next huge round of realignment nearly kicked off the Big 12 as discontent with unequal money distribution and Texas presence led Nebraska to leave for the Big Ten, Colorado for the Pac 12 and Texas A&M and Missouri for the SEC. And it also produced immediate magic for the SEC when its first season in the league A and M introduced Johnny Manziel to the world and he led an 11 win charge and a legendary win over Alabama.
[28:40]
A
Good stuff. I didn't hear anything you said. I just needed you to tap dance for a moment. As I prepare to get Chris Doring here on Tech SAGS Live, I do see my good friends at Brian Broadcasting are dialing up his number. Let's hope we get him here on the program here in the next couple seconds. Yep, he's got them on there. Let's go to the Bupies catering and bartending hotline. Chris, I think somebody doesn't want us to do radio, man, because we both kind of got busy last week. When you were available. When I was available. And here we are again, struggling to get each other on the show. What's up, man?
[29:08]
C
Yeah, man. Hey. The biggest disappointment was that I actually put a shirt on for you guys and tried to look presentable. So, I mean, now I would have just kept my shirt off if I'd have known we were doing a phoner.
[29:18]
A
Hey, so I've been talking about Florida today, as I mentioned earlier, because as I was preparing for the interview today, I'm one of those who feels like I don't know how good they're going to be. Okay, I'm not saying they're a playoff team, but I feel like you've got a coach that inspires and you're not going to have boneheaded decisions. Am I wrong for thinking this team is going to be significantly improved from last year to this year?
[29:38]
C
I think you're right. I think Florida has the chance to be the biggest jump from last year's win total to this year's win total. And some of it has to do with what you talked about, the inspiration aspect, the elimination of self inflicted wounds. Some of that I think has to do with the staff around the previous head coach, which, you know, I think there's some due criticism there. You look at what coach Sumrall's been able to build going out and getting Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech, a highly respected young, up and coming coordinator on the offensive side, Brad White, an experienced SEC coordinator for a long time in this league. Assistants that include, you know, former Gators like Phil Troutwine and Bam Hardman, you know, mixing in other guys that have SEC experience. So I, I really like the staff, but let's go back to the man himself. I think John Sumrall is the perfect fit for what Florida needs right now. He brings energy, he brings enthusiasm on the sideline, he brings authenticity. And the biggest thing is he was able to get people to buy in to kind of what his vision is for this program. He's done every single interview, done every single podcast, been at every single event, touching people and getting them excited, providing hope. And the biggest thing is getting the former player, the past players that were on last year's team, to buy in. I mean, you had a potential mass exodus through the transfer portal, but you got Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown to stay at the receiver spot. Maybe the biggest get was keeping Jaden Baugh. A lot of people thought he'd end up at Texas, getting Myles Graham and Jaden woods on the defense back. There's a lot of really good players around, and it's almost an indictment of last year's staff to think about all the quality players you have and only winning four games. I think if they can get the quarterback piece right, this could be a team that could go from four wins to maybe eight wins this season.
[31:25]
A
Talking to Chris Dornan here on Tech SAGS Live. All right, so who's somebody that you came away from at SEC media day saying, you know what? I don't always buy into the hype or the talk, but I feel better about this team after talking to coaches, players, and media.
[31:38]
C
Yeah, I think it was Ole Miss to me. And that started with a little preview down in Oxford. Peter Burns and I have been working on some different projects with Regions bank, and one of them was a sit down with Trinidad Champ that we did in Oxford at his condo right off the square the week before media days. I just felt like outside of LSU and Lane Kiffin, there was no bigger amount of pressure than what was on Ole Miss, Pete Golding, and specifically Trinidad Chambliss. He gets an extra year to come back. You know, can he kind of regain that hot hand that he had at the end of the season as he took them through multiple playoff wins? I think every season in college football is a new one in and of itself and very difficult to try to. To replicate. But after sitting with him and then seeing PG basically own media days on that Wednesday, he was there. I really feel like this is a team that has regained the chemistry and has the right leadership. And, you know, I know their schedule is difficult. I was shocked to see that the analytics only have Ole miss as a 4% chance to get to the SEC championship, but I picked them. I'm taking that 4% chance. I got Georgia and Ole Miss playing in the SEC Championship with the rebs making their first appearance in Atlanta for the championship weekend. Ever.
[32:52]
A
Which coach maybe made the biggest impression on you? Not named John Summerall, because I thought he held court. He was great.
[32:58]
C
Yeah. Not named Sumrall. And I'll throw Pete Golding out, too, because, you know, I've gotten to know him pretty well the last couple years, and I expected him to do really well. He did kind of exceed expectations there. But I thought Kirby. Smart man. Kirby was as laid back and relaxed with us as I've ever seen him out of media days. And maybe that's because it was me and. And Aaron Murray he was doing the interview with and felt comfortable there. But I honestly believe it's a unique position for Georgia and for Kirby specifically. I don't know about how you felt, David, but I didn't think a lot of people really were talking about Georgia and, oddly, Alabama either. It was a lot of other talk about Texas and Oklahoma and A and M and some other teams, but I felt like Georgia was under the radar. And I think he feels really confident about a team that was young, in a lot of positions last year, getting some needed experience, and getting healthy again. I think not enough people are talking about Georgia, and I think it reflected in a relaxed kind of mannerism from Kirby that we hadn't seen before.
[34:01]
A
Chris, I agree with you. I actually did a segment on Georgia and A and M where I felt like. And for A and M, the ultimate sign of respect is they get voted by the SEC media in the top four. Yet it felt like people were not talking about them, which is kind of like where I think Elko wants them to be. Respect but not buzz.
[34:19]
C
Yeah. Yeah. I think there was a time that A and M was talked about every off season leading up to the start of camp with a lot of buzz, and that expectation was maybe a little unfounded. I thought Coach Elko was incredibly relaxed. You know, I had a chance to visit with him when I was in College Station back in April for the Texas and Texas A and M baseball weekend. Really impressed with how he's kind of settled into being the head coach there. Feels very comfortable, and some of the players I talked to kind of mimic that to me. And the way that he's developed a comfort being the CEO. This is a team I think I'm really excited about. Obviously, I was fortunate enough to get out and watch one of the spring practices while I was in town. The lines of scrimmage look like SEC lines of scrimmage. The. The receiver position, I think, is probably as deep and talented and versatile as anyone in the entire conference. So I feel like they've done enough to put the pieces around Marcel Reed to really help him take that next step, including, I think the game planning will be a little bit better this year for the inclusion of his dangerous running ability.
[35:31]
A
Talking to Chris Doring here on Tech Sags Live. So what do you think about Marcel? Where are you, based on what you've seen from him on the field over the last year and a half and also maybe some of the steps he took this spring?
[35:42]
C
Yeah, I like Marcel a lot. I mean, you know, when he's at his best, he's just flowing and not thinking. And I honestly believe that getting his legs going is what helps him be more accurate throwing the football and kind of eliminate the overthinking that takes place sometimes. A great example in my mind of that was the beginning of the third quarter against South Carolina. You know, they're down four touchdowns or whatever it is, and he makes a big scramble, I think on a fourth down that picks up a first down. And then from there on he's just in a rhythm. And I don't think they did a very good job of putting pressure on the defense by, you know, getting him more involved in the quarterback run game against Miami or getting him outside of the pocket. I just, I think he's got a unique skill set that they're going to better game plan for with this year. And I also think that, you know, another year of experience under your belt playing in this conference certainly will help. So I'm a big fan of Marcel Reed and I think again, with the pieces they put at the receiver position and tight end position, I think that the offense is going to have a big year this season.
[36:47]
A
Where are you on Texas? Obviously all the talent in the world. A very difficult schedule this year. Not like the first couple years that I thought that. Well, at least the first year was not as difficult from an SEC standard. Yeah, Texas got all this talent. Do you think they have what it takes to live up to the hype that they've gotten the last few years?
[37:03]
C
Let's talk about the hype, though. The hype to me. And again, where Georgia was not talked about enough, I thought Texas was over talked about this idea that they're, you know, going to be the SEC champion or right back in the SEC championship game again. I just. Until I see them beat Georgia, until I see them match the physicality that the Bulldogs have brought in that matchup the last couple seasons, I'm not ready to pass the torch yet. Now I'm a big fan of arch arches. I thought architecture in that game against Florida did a great job of overcoming some of the issues he was having with being aware of the rush. I thought he stood in there, I thought he delivered some great throws under duress. It looked like he took hits and got himself up and built confidence through that. And then from there on it was the trajectory to kind of what we saw arch become at the end of the year. So I'm high on them. I thought they did a good job with putting pieces around the quarterback there as well. Going out and getting Cam Coleman, you're talking about, you know, one and barely one a between he and Ryan Wingo. Those two number one receivers are going to be tough to defend. Hollywood Smothers, I think was a great addition at the running back spot too. So my biggest question is, can they be more stout, can they be more physical on the offensive line? Because that was an embarrassment last year, the way they played with some inconsistency, particularly in that game against Florida.
[38:22]
A
Chris, before I let you go, the nine games SEC schedule, I don't think any of us really know what that's going to feel like when it comes to wins and losses and what rosters look like at the end of the season. I know other conferences have had nine game schedules, but it's not the gauntlet of the sec and I still believe that to my core. What do you think about it and what do you think we'll learn about it?
[38:42]
C
It's been three decades since I played in this league and at that point in time it was an eight game conference schedule. And I can tell you that I can vividly remember the physical and mental exhaustion that you have by the end of the year. Now you throw in a deeper, more talented league that has 16 teams in it, you put in a nine game conference schedule. I just think there's going to be a lot of cannibalism and maybe even worse, a lot of what we've seen. I think Georgia's been a victim of that the last couple years. They make it through, they get to the SEC championship game, they get into the playoff and then they're beat up, they're fatigued and they get out physical like they did by Notre Dame and the Sugar bowl two years ago. So I just, I worry about what this is going to do to the league as a whole. Is the public, is the fan base, the media, and most importantly the College Football Playoff committee going to adjust to what a win loss record looks like with a nine game conference schedule? Because not all Losses are created equally throughout the country as we know. So I think there's a lot of, a lot of unknown that we're going to have to figure out and see in year one of this expanded conference schedule how everybody adapts to it. And you know, I think if you talk privately to a lot of these coaches, I think they felt like they were duped because the expectation was if they were going to vote for a nine game conference schedule, there was going to be an expansion to 16 teams. Honestly, I think what's best for the SEC is a 24 team playoff. And I know that Commissioner Saint, he's taking a little bit of a stance against that right now. But I honestly believe with the depth of talent in the SEC it benefits our league more so than the Big Ten or anybody else. I think it's just a matter of the finances, particularly the television partnerships before we ultimately see that go to 24 teams.
[40:29]
A
Chris, great stuff, brother man. I appreciate your time. Let's do it again here during the season.
[40:32]
C
Yeah, man, anytime. Love being on with you, bro. Thanks for having me.
[40:35]
A
Thanks, man. The great CD here on Texags Live. We'll hit a break here. We'll come back with a final segment on Texags Live. And yeah, there's more chatter to get into. Not anymore. It's Texas. The money machine is now open. The easiest radio contest on the planet. Enter now enter now at sony1150.com to win $5,000. What are we waiting for? And great weekly prizes too. James Cypress sends In the last two games we scored 20 points. 17 3. I wasn't play calling.
[41:04]
D
Good.
[41:04]
A
Second down was a run up the middle often enough for us to call it from the stand. Alright, now you guys can correct me, did I say the play calling was good? Or I, I think I said and if I didn't tell me what do I hear in the background? You hear that anyway I think I said was I don't think they lost a game because of play calling. Is that what I said? Just maybe I didn't. No, what did I say?
[41:30]
B
I just think you were saying the. The conversation was about Colin Klein and was his mind elsewhere and you said you don't think so?
[41:38]
A
I don't know. I don't know. Maybe it was. I don't think that's why we lost the game I guess is my point or those games. Now obviously something sucked at the end of the year and if we want to blame Colin Klein, we can blame Colin Klein. What I am saying, I think the reason a M lost those games. Wasn't the play calling. Although I probably disagreed with a lot of play calling. Why I think A and M lost those games is that they weren't able to run the ball. Can you look up what the numbers were in both of those games real quick before we go? We got a minute left, so probably not enough time, but see if you can get that real quick. But that's why I think the. The offensive line going against some pretty good defensive lines, and that's an understatement. And the inability to run the ball at a rate that would have gotten that offense going. So, Coughlin, do you have some of those numbers?
[42:26]
D
Yeah. So in the Texas game, this is from our run, our lead running back would have been Ruben Owens for 48 yards. Marcel Reed had 71. In the Miami game, it would have been Marcel Reed with 27, Reuben Owens with 21.
[42:40]
A
So that, to me, is why A M's offense wasn't as good. Now you can say it was the play calling. I don't think that's the reason they lost the game. I also don't think the plays were great towards the end of the stretch. So both things can be true. All right, no more arguing. I'm exhausted. Like this two, two guess thing. Bro, I gotta talk. Nobody told me that about the gig. All right, Sex Zags live. We'll see you Mana. There's nothing like the American Express Platinum card. Find out your welcome offer after you apply, which could be as high as 175,000 points. Learn more and find out your offer at americanexpress.comexplorer-platinum Terms apply.

TexAgs Live - Chris Doering : 07.28.26

TexAgs Live - Chris Doering : 07.28.26

TexAgs Live – Chris Doering Interview & SEC 2026 Football Preview

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Are We Sleeping On the Wrong SEC Teams?

2. Deep Dives on SEC Contenders

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Interview with Chris Doering (SEC Network, Florida Great)

Florida’s Step Forward

Ole Miss & SEC Media Days Takeaways

On Texas A&M’s 2026 Outlook

Texas in the SEC

The 9-Game SEC Schedule: A ‘Gauntlet’

Significant Timestamps

Tone and Language

Quick Quotes Reference

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

TexAgs Live – Chris Doering Interview & SEC 2026 Football Preview

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Are We Sleeping On the Wrong SEC Teams?

2. Deep Dives on SEC Contenders

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Interview with Chris Doering (SEC Network, Florida Great)

Florida’s Step Forward

Ole Miss & SEC Media Days Takeaways

On Texas A&M’s 2026 Outlook

Texas in the SEC

The 9-Game SEC Schedule: A ‘Gauntlet’

Significant Timestamps

Tone and Language

Quick Quotes Reference

Takeaways for Non-Listeners