Which way does it send them?

Honestly, it's tough for both, right? I mean, you look at Oregon.

If you lose this game, I mean, your playoff hopes.

I mean, I mentioned before how they had national championship hopes.

I mean, let alone that, your playoff hopes are on life support if you lose this game, honestly, right? So I think definitely if Oregon loses this game, they're in big trouble.

And if USC loses this game, they still have a couple more huge games the rest of the season.

they got to play too so uh yeah it's a huge one on saturday for both these teams like usd trying to prove hey we could actually be a playoff contender this year they of course got some massive games in their schedule including indiana and uh and ohio state too and they play penn state in a big game later on in the year too but this game against oregon is a massive one for both programs and Oregon, like I said, they need to win this game or else they're on life support for the playoff.

But when you look at this matchup, what should we be looking out for?

I mean, Max, I've even heard things that if it goes really bad on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, could that be Mike Norvell's final game? What do you make of the circus that this Florida State season is turning into?

Yeah, it's not too surprising.

I actually thought they put up a better fight against SMU than I expected.

I know the spread was three points, but I thought SMU would win by more than that.

So that was at least encouraging.

But, you know, it was not encouraging.

It's basically everything else going on with this program right now.

I almost think they're at the point now where they don't want Florida State to pull off an upset because they want this tenure to be over with, which is a terrible spot for a fan base to be in.

What do you make of all of it? Should the playoffs be expanded?

Yeah, it's a tough question to answer, right? There's been a lot of talk about the 16-team playoff, the 20-team playoff.

I even heard 2014 playoff being quoted out there, too, but It's definitely fascinating.

I think they definitely are going to expand it.

I don't know how big they want to get to.

I think 20 is the latest thing that's been kind of floated out there right now.

Personally, I kind of like 12.

Who are some of your other risky dark horses to potentially make a Big 12 championship if chaos ensues in this conference like it usually does?

What do you make of all of it? Should the playoffs be expanded?

Yeah, it's a tough question to answer, right? I mean, there's been a lot of talk about the 16-team playoff, the 20-team playoff.

I even heard 2014 playoff being put out there, too, but...

It's definitely fascinating.

I think they definitely are going to expand it.

I don't know how big they want to get to.

I think 20 is the latest thing that's been kind of floated out there right now.

Who are some of your other risky dark horses to potentially make a Big 12 championship if chaos ensues in this conference like it usually does?

When you look at these guys, Dylan Stewart for South Carolina, Colin Simmons for, for Texas, w- if you had to pick one of those guys to add to your defense, which guy are you rocking with in 2026?

Yeah.

It's a fascinating question, a really good one.

I, I think there's two different answers here.

I think one of them, if you're saying, "Hey, I want a guy right now, this year," I'm taking Colin Simmons.

I think he is the best edge rusher in college football.

I would say the second best defensive player in college football behind Leonard Moore, the corner from, uh, from Notre Dame.

Is there a team nationally that you look at right now that's maybe not getting the buzz that they should be getting?

Check it out.

Yeah, obviously, you know, you can't really win a championship unless your offensive line is performing at a high level, right? And I think Clint Kubiak did a really good job of even though they had some injuries along that unit, they did a good job overall Uh, with their offensive line too.

So I thought it was honestly, in terms of how good they were in the grand scheme of things in the NFL, um, they were a relatively average unit, I would say.

I wouldn't say it was, like, a dominant offensive line last year, but it also wasn't a bad one either, right? So, um, I think they did a good job.

And also...

But what I also will say for them is that they didn't really have the talent to be a top-end unit either.

So they, they did kind of perform at the level they should have, if not better than the level they should have too.

Let's go.

I mean, if he wants, if he wants to get fun with length and tools, it's Demmings or it's Damani Jackson.

If he wants somebody who's, like, probably closer to a system fit, it's T.J. Hall there.

Coming from Iowa, it's basically the same defense.

The Pal of Ice

...

I don't know what the Jordan Tyson bowl is, but the Karloftis, for anybody out there, is double rice, triple steak, and cheese.

Nate Tice I think has him center one.

Dude, he...

And I get, like, there's some play strength concerns there with Jake Slaughter, but, like, this guy's got three years of elite tape at Florida going against, like, first round defensive tackles no less, and dominating those first round defensive tackles, too.

So tested out great at the combine as well.

I mean, I've seen him being mocked in the fourth round.

Hopefully you guys got him off the board already, uh, here at number 134 overall.

But man, I, I think Jake Slaughter is a borderline, like, second, third round talent in my opinion.

No, not a true linebacker, no.

So how do we evaluate Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the conference, uh, uh, you know, in the MAC conference bubble versus what he can be in the NFL?

NFL?Yeah, I think this is certainly a, a very fair question because you're right.

You know, a lot of the times now, if you're really good in the conference...

And I think E- Emmanuel McNeil Warren, I will credit his loyalty to Toledo 'cause I'm sure...

I mean, he, he was a three-year starter at Toledo.

All three of those years, he's one of the best safeties in the country.

So I think plenty of schools probably in the Big 10 were contacting him, uh, trying to get him to go to their school, uh, too.

Th- assume the Vikings would not do this in the first round, but day two, who is the safest day two running back? Who is the biggest boom or bust day two running back?

Yeah

... uh, for them too.

Uh, you know, I'll go differently.

I, I've always mocked a tackle to them, 'cause I, I feel like they really need a right tackle.

I know the, uh, Jonah Williams is gone.

He was very bad last year anyways.

Elijah Wilkinson, uh, they brought in to replace him, but also, like, I don't think Elijah Wilkinson is a starting caliber tackle either.

I think that's a, a good landing spot for him and his like long-term outlook.