College Football Week 0 Picks + New Starting Quarterbacks + Verballer Mailbag

Verballers, we made it! It’s Week 0. Let’s do it. Let’s go!
Welcome to The Solid Verbal
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I’m a man. I’m 40. I’ve heard so many players say why want to be happy you want to be happy for a day?
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down and tie
Welcome back to The Solid Verbal.
Boys and girls, my name is Ty Hildenbrandt,
that fine gentleman over there, you know him well.
You love him, sometimes you hate him.
His name is Dan Rubenstein, sir!
We made it!
It is Week Zero!
How are ya?
I’m wonderful.
It’s steamy out, which is why you know it’s still week zero
out here in the Chicagoland area.
I just went upstairs to get some water,
and some of the windows are steaming, Ty,
because it’s like 100 degrees out today and humid.
So I don’t know if that’s a symbol of some kind about the season starting up,
but I’ll take it as one if that’s OK with you.
How are you doing?
I am doing well.
I am excited to finally talk about some games.
It’s a very limited slate.
Yeah.
As you know, we’ve got our ticker going across the bottom for those watching
the video of the handful of games that we’re going to discuss here
on today’s preview podcast.
But it’s great to have some actual college football to discuss.
We’ve talked about so much of the other stuff here in the offseason, but actual game stuff feels really good on the soul.
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You can also watch along on YouTube and hit subscribe while you’re out there as well.
And as we mentioned on the last episode, also head on out to Verballers.com for our updated Patreon tiers, which we talked about in the last episode, Dan.
Absolutely. No, there’s a ton there.
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On today’s episode,
we’re going to walk through news.
There have been some quarterback
announcements that we need to address.
We’re also going to talk through
all of the games in week zero,
give you a sense for
how we feel about each.
We have a Q&A that we put together as well.
People sending in questions from across the Verballerhood,
and we will close things out with one of your favorite segments.
Why don’t we get right into college football news?
I’ll do it.
I’ll do it.
Save your voice.
Breaking news!
Thank you, Dan.
I have this tea here with me.
I’m still bending the vocal cords.
But alas, we’ve got quarterback announcements.
You got quarterback announces from all across college football.
Yes. I’ve got a handful of them here in front of me.
Let me know if I miss any that are of real consequence to you.
The big one, I think, was Arizona State with Jaden Rashada,
the true freshman who at one point was committed to Miami,
then to Florida, and then decided that, well, that’s not working.
I’m going to go to Arizona State, Kenny Dillingham,
going with the true freshman, which is exciting in and of itself.
We had the news in Georgia about Carson Beck officially getting the nod.
we had been tipped off. I think many moons ago that he was the guy. It seemed as if it
was his job to lose back in spring, but Carson Beck officially official the starting quarterback
at Georgia Haynes King getting the nod to transfer Haynes King from Texas A&M getting
the nod at Georgia Tech for Brent Key, Illinois going with Luke Altmayer the one-time Ole
Miss. Yep quarterback who is transferred up to champagne. We’ve got DJ U officially
the quarterback at Oregon State. I don’t know if there was much doubt there, but that was
made official. I mean, a different guy led them to double digit wins last year. It’s
not nothing. We also have this is, I think, an earlier announcement, but Tyler Shough,
the official starter at Texas Tech, Casey Thompson, you remember him, Casey Thompson,
getting the nod at Florida Atlantic and just an updated Mizzou news because I know we have
a lot of Mizzou listeners. We had a lot of people watch our Mizzou content out on YouTube.
Eli Drinkwitz, at least for week one, has listed Brady Cook and Sam Horn as the starting
quarterbacks.
Payton Thorne, did you mention at Auburn?
Payton Thorne at Auburn, another big one. Yeah.
Over Robbie Ashford. Yeah, he was named. I’m trying to think if there were if there was
anything else that sparked anything in my mind. What are the out the outstanding battles
that you’re interested in. Like UCLA is a little bit interesting, right? The Dante Moore
factor whether he’s it’s even Garber’s if it’s a Colin Schlee, there’s the battle there
because of Dante Moore status is a five star and like the biggest quarterback recruit of
the modern era for UCLA. Are there any other Alabama standing ones? Alabama’s the huge
one. I think I think Alabama is at time Ohio State probably heard anything. Yeah, we haven’t
heard anything official, I guess, at Michigan State, whether it’s Noah Kim or
Katin Houser.
Right.
That’s Ohio State.
Watching closely. Yeah, Ohio State. I, you know, we just assume it’s going to be
Kyle McCord.
Right.
But I suppose there’s something of an open question there.
Yeah, the Jaden Rashada news is interesting. There was word that Drew
Pyne may have hurt himself a little bit a while ago or a couple weeks ago, but
Jaden Rashada being thrown into the fire as a true freshman and number
suggests that school number three in Arizona State may not be the last school just because
every quarterback seems to be on the move. Otherwise, what else is that that’s out there
that’s floating in the ether that’s interesting quarterback battle wise. I mean, we’ve got
big schools there that are still outstanding in Ohio State and Alabama specifically, but
it doesn’t seem like it’s a huge grammar. It’s was named at Florida. Yeah, Graham Mertz
that was sort of expected and sort of a bummer all at the same time. Look, here’s the deal.
Yeah, unless you really want to go down and plumb the depths of college football and talk about the five-way quarterback battle at Old Dominion
I’m ready. I think we got most of them. Yeah, I think we got most of them here
And that is sort of what dominates the news
I don’t know if we want to go into any great amount of depth with the self-imposed three-game ban now three-game ban
For Jim Harbaugh down from four right at Michigan
That whole ordeal was not agreed to by the NCAA Committee on Infractions
therefore, the self-imposed ban that was proposed was not
accepted, but they’re gonna do it anyway. More to come on this
one probably in the offseason 2024. Any other news that is
top of mind for you as we head into week zero? I don’t think
so. I mean, it’s a lot of stuff coming out of fall camp
injuries. You know, you see, unfortunately, this is when ACL
seem to be at their weakest and so, unfortunately, yeah, it’s
the worst to see those kinds of fall camp injuries. I’m trying
to think if there was anything specifically that stands out
out to me that we’re not going to hit either in a week zero preview or the Q&A portion of the show.
You know, you get some extensions and contracts, but no, I think that’s good.
Shall I play the sound for the first time this season?
Please. Are you ready?
I now am.
Cracking my knuckles. Dan, let’s do it.
Dan, time to help. I need pics of the week.
It is here. Games are here. Absolutely. They are. Absolutely. They are. Games are here. I’m so sick
of talking about conference realignment. I am so sick of talking about transfers and NIL implications
and Jim Harbaugh, you name it. Let’s talk about some actual on field action, Dan. Let’s talk
about the game across the pond at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. 2:30 on NBC. It is the Navy
Midshipmen.
It is the Notre Dame fighting Irish
Notre Dame favored by 21 points.
Dan, that’s a big number.
It is in week zero against the team
that only lost to you by three points
a year ago.
Things have changed considerably.
If you are a Notre Dame fan,
however, this is one of those rivalry
matchups, right?
One of those games that at least over
the last 20 years has at points had a
history of being close, not consistently,
but it always seems like when you
least expect it. Navy, at least under Ken
Niumatalolo Navy, had its moments
against Notre Dame. Obviously, this
offseason was loaded with news. It is
easy to forget the Ken Niumatalolo news
on the Navy side, i.e. he’s not the coach
there anymore. This year, it’s
going to be Bryan Newberry. He was
promoted from within. He was a defensive
coordinator under Ken Niumatalolo. He had
done a really good job, a really good job,
especially building up a rush defense,
which we can talk a little bit more
more about as we go through this preview.
– Well certainly the pass defense
just was just as good, right?
– No, no, no, no.
– Is that how it works?
Or was it the worst in America?
– It was not an ideal pass defense.
The rush defense was considerably better
and we could talk about that
and the wrinkles that it provided last year,
how it might factor in this year.
But how you feeling, man?
How do you feel about this game?
– Well, first of all,
if you’re not subscribed at youtube.com/@solidverbal,
you fully missed Ty’s dog
in the background of his studio right there.
– I started talking about Notre Dame-Navy.
decided to be part of the action. Yeah, now she’s roaming around. You’ll see some fluff
floating around there. I feel I don’t know. You have to go all the way back to what the
halcyon days of 2022 for a close matchup between these two teams when Navy was still sort of
reeling from, you know, a down period. It’s still a down period for Navy football considering
the highs of the Ken Niumatalolo. Oh, but that was what a three-point game. I think Navy
came back. Yeah, it was it was one of those games where I think the final score made it
appear closer than it actually was.
Notre Dame had ample opportunity to put that game on ice.
And what it amounted to from my vantage point was Navy with a legitimately good ground defense
was able to kind of bottle up that side of what Notre Dame wanted to do.
Notre Dame was very, very one-dimensional last season.
It needed a ground game in order to unlock some passing lanes down the field for Drew Pyne.
– Right.
– But Navy realized that, hey, we got to bring the heat.
We don’t necessarily have the athletes to match up in space.
We got to bring the heat on Drew Pyne.
If they’re going to throw the ball and in doing so, they confused him.
He was not able to take advantage of some of what was open downfield.
And if I remember correctly, didn’t they just keep sending corners
because he’s not going to throw to receivers?
That was exactly right.
They kept bringing the heat.
They can’t find a ways to confuse Drew Pyne.
Yeah, and because the ground defense was good Notre Dame couldn’t really run
to the level that they wanted and because you pine wasn’t good enough through
the air to really take advantage.
Alas.
Yeah, that’s why Navy was able to build up some momentum and
make that game closer in the end.
So you have a clearly better team, but two teams playing
overseas.
And if you remember if you go all the way back to 2022, once
again, that was the only Europe was the only continent in which
Northwestern could win a game.
So you had the weirdness of Nebraska being down last year
and Northwestern being more prepared and you know being
better in bigger moments.
Are you worried at all about the strange nature of playing in Dublin for these two teams with a big spread that
points to Notre Dame being the clearly better and more talented team, but the combination of it being
overseas, week one, new quarterback, new coordinator, new coach for Navy, new full-time, you know, that kind of thing,
that it’s sort of a stay away? Or are you confident enough in Notre Dame to feel good about that number?
I feel pretty good about the number and here’s why.
I mean, we talked about what they did to Drew Pyne.
I don’t think they can do that with Sam Hartman.
I just don’t think they can and I get that it’s week zero and the team might not be firing on all cylinders quite yet.
But I don’t think they can take that same tactic with Sam Hartman.
Last season, and I cannot emphasize this enough, and it was true in more games than just the Navy game.
Notre Dame needed to establish the run to open up that passing game.
But with Hartman, I think now is QB1.
And especially in this game, Dan,
I think we see the opposite.
Essentially, I think Navy still wants to bring the pressure
because they know they don’t have those athletes to match up in space.
So, the softer coverage angle for them will not necessarily work.
But the pressure won’t affect Hartman the way it affected Drew Pyne.
Yeah, especially having that rib out of the way, right?
That he’s just as loosey-goosey as ever, Ty.
He’ll be free and clear.
Yeah.
I think we’ll see much more effectiveness in the passing game.
I think a lot of that goes without saying the season, but I expect bigger plays in the passing
game. And I think maybe we’ll see some of the ground game later on as things start to kind of
shake out. Maybe Navy wears down a little bit, but I am hopeful as a Notre Dame fan that we
start seeing some names. We start seeing some names out wide, get a better sense for what this
receiver room looks like. They have options. We just didn’t see a whole lot of production from
from them a year ago.
So I’m excited for it.
It’ll be great to just have Notre Dame out there.
It’ll honestly, it’ll be a really big deal for Notre Dame.
I know it’s just the Navy matchup.
– Right.
– Having kind of the national stage,
like it’s the first game, right?
– It’s the first game.
– Having that stage, I think will be an opportunity
for them to kind of cleanse the palette from a year ago
and start fresh with an exciting new chapter
led by Sam Hartman.
Well, Navy, you give Navy the advantage in terms of being more efficient at traveling across seas.
Yes, the United States Navy.
Correct.
Is there anything about the pace of play that Navy, if they’re playing all right,
that just keeps the ball away from Notre Dame and not that Notre Dame will win because of it,
but maybe that over doesn’t hit.
Maybe that spread doesn’t quite come to fruition.
Any concern there?
Not really.
Okay.
Not really because I think the game is going to take a much different tenor than it did last year.
I don’t think it’s going to be a struggle to establish.
Notre Dame on the ground.
I think it’s going to be right out of the chute Sam Hartman
throwing it and that will change the complexion of the game.
If you’re an option team, if your Navy, you don’t want to fall
down early.
You don’t want to go three and out a couple times early that
sets the whole thing back.
It doesn’t really work with the formula and I think Notre Dame
can do that.
I’ve got him something like 3814.
Okay, matchup.
I’m gonna go against you just because I’m making the case for all these reasons. I’m
gonna take the points. I think Notre Dame wins by 17, but I think the the possessions
will be limited enough if you have that combination. Look, Navy’s past events was atrocious, but
if Navy can get off the field a couple of times, even on offense, if they’re not scoring,
I think they’re gonna chew enough clock that I think it’s gonna be difficult to separate.
So I’m gonna I’m gonna take those points. We disagree. We disagree, but keep that 17
in mind. We’ll talk about it later. I promise you. Okie dokie. Five thirty CBS Sports Network.
You tap the minors minus one squaring off against Jacksonville State. Welcome to FBS
football. The temperature at kickoff in Jacksonville, Alabama.
Oh, 98 degrees. Dan, it’d be a hot one like seven inches from the midday sun. You went
with Santana instead of 98 degrees after very specifically saying kickoff temperatures are
going to be a right at 98 degree. Okay, that’s a choice. I do cherish you from the depths
of my soul. It’s beyond my control. Okay, the coach. Yes, I’m listening coach of Jacksonville
State the Gamecocks. Yeah, those of you wondering at home is Rich Rodriguez. Remember him? Of
course, still around still running the crap out of the ball. He’s got 16 starters back
nine on offense for one the offensive line that should bode well for the system.
I think because it’s rich ride because he’s got a lot back
because the Gamecocks actually are pretty solid at the FCS level.
I think they’re going to be a popular pick to win this game outright.
Obviously, the point spreads feels like it’s a bit of a coin flip as well.
My issue here is that you tap was a fringe bowl team last two years ago.
Oh, last season, too. Yeah, but they made the bowl two years ago. Yep.
Fringe Bowl team last season with some qualifiers.
The underlying numbers weren’t great.
And now a lot of the production is gone on offense from a year ago.
Veteran quarterback and Gavin Hardison.
The lines, I think are going to be way more physical than
Jacksonville State.
I get why the line is low, but I’m rolling with the Hardi Boys.
Does that work?
Yeah, I’ll take it.
That’s fine.
Roll with the Hardi Boys.
I’m taking UTEP to spoil
Rich Rod and the welcome back to the FBS party.
Yeah, you tap like one in five on the road last season,
but still I’m going with you tap here just because they were
okay against the run last year.
I’m going to say it travels.
I think the line plays superior, but yeah open to being wrong.
That’s what you tend to see right when some of these teams
jump up you you often wonder about like what what do they
look like when they play against more physical competition?
And I think that’s I think that’s sort of the name of the
game here.
So I’m on you tap and you’re on you tip as well.
We agree.
We first time this year.
Yep.
7 p.m.
ESPN.
It is UMass and it is New Mexico State and I can assure most people were
probably not going to be talking more UMass the rest of the year.
Two big-name coaches though, right?
Two big-name.
Don Brown and Jerry Kill.
Don Brown and and Jerry Kill.
UMass was the worst team in college football last year in FBS college
football and it wasn’t really close.
Don Brown’s first season back coaching UMass since 2008.
– Yeah. – I wanna say back in like
the old A10 and CAA days,
one and 11, not good, last year.
– No. – An absolutely bonkers stat
that I found, they went three and out
44% of the time on offense last year.
– My take is that’s too many.
Too many three and outs. – It’s impossible.
It’s impossible. – Yeah.
– 44% of the time, can’t do that.
So I’m not overthinking this.
Jerry Kill took New Mexico State to a bowl game
in year one. They’re over under this season has them again as like a fringe
bowl team. Their defense is actually pretty good. I’m going Aggies. They’re minus six and a half
Aggies minus whatever. Yeah, also very good in the red zone. So in terms of if you’re efficient
on offense, if your defense took a nice step forward, I think they finished the year winning
six of seven, something like that five of six or six and seven beat bowling green in the bowl game.
So yeah, shout out Las Cruces.
Shout out Las Cruces.
You ever been there?
I don’t think so.
I’ve been to Albuquerque.
I’ve been to Santa Fe.
Have not been outside of those two towns in New Mexico.
7pm Fox Sports 1.
We’ve got Ohio and the Bobcats traveling west,
squaring off against San Diego State and the Aztecs.
San Diego State favored by two and a half points, Dan.
I think this is the game of the day.
to be honest with you.
– Okay, explain.
– Everyone’s gonna be talking about Notre Dame and Navy.
That’s gonna get a fair amount of the headlines
and USC and Caleb Williams, we’ll see him.
This is the game of the day.
This is the game of the day.
I think primarily because,
and I wrote this down,
Ohio is a force to be rorkined with.
– Don’t do it, not like this, not in week zero, Ty.
Don’t lay out.
Okay, that’s fine.
– Force to be rorkined with.
Okay.
And I say that because…
Are you going to keep repeating it?
I’m going to keep repeating it. I’m going to speak it into existence.
Get it on a shirt.
Kurtis Rourke,
the reigning
MAC player of the year
from last season is back.
He is the latest in the Rourke
quarterback dynasty. His older brother
played for Ohio. Now he is there as well.
He blew out his ACL
last November.
and he’s going to be starting this game for the Bobcats.
One of these days, a doctor on our discord or somebody out there in the verbal hood
needs to explain to me how people are healing from ACLs as quickly now,
because in my good old days of high school and college,
it was always like a 12-month injury.
Now, it feels like they can do it in a couple weeks.
They can just get back to it.
Mm-hmm.
Kurtis works now.
Ty Kurtis ROURKE is is one of those wonderkins and he
is I think the name to watch. He was legit very good last season obviously has the accolades,
had a 25 to 4 passing touchdown to interception ratio. He’s 6’5″, 230, a mountain of a man,
a rocket for an arm. All those receivers are back. His running back is back behind him.
And I think if he’s healthy, there’s no reason to think that this Bobcats team won’t again be
a very, very good team. Lest we forget, they won 10 games a year ago.
Yes. Um, I still I’m gonna go with San Diego State. Really?
No, come on. Why? Yeah, I don’t think San Diego State’s defense
isn’t where it was under Rocky Long. It has taken a step back.
But if you give me defense home game week one, I just don’t
think Ohio is going to be rhythmic enough immediately
quarterback coming off of a torn ACL. There’s too many bullet
points. I, I just don’t know what San Diego State’s identity
as an offense doesn’t matter. And that that scares me. I they’ve got the defense to make
it a slug with every game 13-10. That’s the identity. That’s the identity. That’s the
Iowa the Iowa plan. They’ve got the defense to make it a slugfest. I agree with you there.
Maybe they lost a couple of pieces in the secondary. Like I don’t think this defense
is where it was. I think this is a it’s a team that’s going to be led by its defense
because I think the offense is still a nightmare, but I don’t think they’re like going to be
a top 15 defense in the country like they were a few years ago.
I kind of like Jalen MaYDEN AT quarterback.
I just don’t really like the rest of the offense and I don’t
know where the points are coming from.
So, okay, and I also think Ohio could be pretty decent on
defense this season.
I think this is a good team.
So they’re getting points.
They’re getting points.
Kurtis Rourke is coming back off injury an emotional story.
We’ll see if he’s firing on all cylinders.
We play the Mac Dan RubEnstein.
Ohio plus two and a half for this guy right here.
Okay.
And actually, you know what?
Wow.
Lock of the week!
First one of the year, baby. Let’s do it.
All right.
Let’s do it.
7:30 SEC network. We’ve got Hawaii. We’ve got Vanderbilt.
Okay. Vanderbilt minus 17 and a half points at home.
Yeah.
How do you feel about that?
You don’t hear the turn of phrase,
Vanderbilt minus 17 and a half all that off ever never they completely trucked Hawaii
if I remember in like a high school stadium last year because the white you stadium is
being redone 63-10 was the final score last year. They totally waxed them and that
was in the wake of Todd Graham leaving and the program scrambling Timmy Chang taking
over that was a different quarterback for Vanderbilt if memory serves who’s now at Mississippi
State who had like six or seven touchdowns and I’m in on Vandy. I already told you this
is like a must win game for the doors, right? It is an absolute must win game. By the way,
right for six. One of my predictions, one of my over under bets was Vandy over three
and a half. Yeah, my and my my big take was Vandy’s going to bowl game this year. That’s
my like spicy prediction for Vandy. So I’m going to give those points. I think Vandy
can win this game by three touchdowns. I think on
op look there. Their past defense last year was
atrocious and we know what Hawaii is going to try
and do and airing the ball out. But I think
Vandy has a distinct talent advantage. They return
enough on offense. The receiving core is intact. I
think they’re going to score points and I think
they are going to win this game by three plus
touchdowns. How about that? Yeah, I mean, my
sense is that people are going to look at the
games that are being played. Maybe if you haven’t
been following along on this podcast or if you’re
not as ardent a fan as some of the footballers are, of course.
You might look at this and just sort of pan it like who cares Hawaii?
Vanderbilt, but this is interesting to me because over half of the public bets so far on Hawaii, plus the points.
Bear in mind, bear in mind the game from a year ago, 63 to 10.
I get that the situation was different, but that was not even a close game.
And I think this is a better Vanderbilt team.
It could be a worse Hawaii team.
I don’t know.
What I like about Vandy this year is that I think they’re better
Across the board, but especially along the lines and that’s kind of like a Clark LeA special, you know
That’s something he wants to do. So I think taken in
Totality given the fact that the game is at home in week zero
You know, no teams have finished product and it can be tough to cover a big spread especially early on but I I just really
Like Vandy’s continuity and what they’ve got here
I minus 17 and a half feels like a really good play to me.
This is our hydration station game of the week, by the way,
because it’s going to be a hundred degrees in Nashville on
Friday and then on Saturday in Nashville 96 degrees with
scattered showers.
Ty, what do you understand the humidity that’s going to be involved
in this matchup?
What time is kickoff?
Do you have it in front of you?
Kickoff in this game is 7:30 on SEC network.
So if you have scattered showers throughout the day with temps high 90s and the humidity that’s going to be involved
I’m cramping just thinking about it. I need to find a banana. I need to find some some sports drinks some Gatorade, whatever
Because this one is going to be drenched
Yeah, I got that one too. Okay hydration station continue pull that one on the board 8 p.m. Pac-12 Network
RIP, we’ve got San Jose State. We’ve got USC
We’ve got the Trojans favor by 30 and a half points speaking of big point spread. Good Lord 30
What it what’s left to say about USC at this point, right? Like we know that the offense is gonna be electric. I
Think they could score like oh, yeah, they can score 40 points in the first half for all we know in this game
San Jose State was a bowl team
Last season. I think they’ll be a fringe bowl team again this year at a minimum
We know they’re gonna have competent quarterback play because Chevan Cordeiro is still around
Mm-hmm was actually very good last season
He had over 3200 passing yards 23 touchdowns only six interceptions his backups your boy Jay Butterfield
Remember him my guy who didn’t play in it all for Oregon. Yeah, your guy your guy Jay Butterfield. Yeah
Yeah, how do you feel about this big point spread?
I generally fine because you’re right that USC does have that potential to score 40 in
the first half. The big deal to me is what is USC’s defense look like even last year
who do they open up with rice. I want to say they were given up five six seven yards a
carry on certain drives like it’s a different year. It’s a different defense. I want to
see how that side of the ball comes together for USC San Jose State and USC last year.
doesn’t carry over to this year, but coincidentally enough, both top 10 turnover margin teams
in the nation. So they’re going to be aggressive. They’re going to be trying to force fumbles,
obviously confuse quarterbacks and force picks. They both have extremely experienced quarterbacks.
One of those quarterbacks happens to be a lot better than the other one of those quarterbacks.
Right. Caleb Williams is sensational. How do you run out of adjectives to describe him
In this specific game, week one with in year two for Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley,
you know, a little bit of reshuffling on both sides of the ball, man, 30 points week one.
I I’m inclined to give it just because come on, just because with San Jose State’s offense,
I don’t expect them to be able to be all that successful pounding the ball like Pac 12 teams
will be against this USC front. I just physically I don’t think they’re going to be able to
match up well enough to control the clock. And so I think they’re going to be off the
field quickly. And I think USC just scores so quickly that I’m going to give those points.
Sorry, Ty. Now it’s not a sexy pick here. You’re giving the points now. I thought you
were going to sorry, sorry, sorry. No. Yeah, I’m giving the points. You’re giving the points.
You’re taking USC. Yeah, because I think USC is going to score too quickly. And I think
San Jose State won’t be able to possess the ball often enough that if you’re giving the
ball back quickly. It’s going to be Caleb Williams over the top or Caleb Williams eating
up yards on the ground. And I don’t have a good reason for San Jose a good enough reason
for San Jose State to hang around for a long time. Well, and that’s yeah, I mean, that’s
my point. I thought you were going to go San Jose State there, but I’m I’m glad we agree.
No, the reason I’m not is because I don’t think they can match up in the trenches well
enough to, you know, draw out longer drives and you know, play small ball enough that
USC is only scoring 38 and only wins this game 38-13.
I just don’t think they’re gonna be able to keep the ball.
– Yeah, I think I agree with you.
One of the big overarching questions this year
is USC’s defense and whether it can improve.
It’s not just a USC Pac-12 question.
It’s sort of one of the big questions,
the big overarching things
that we talk about with college football.
And how they do on that side
will really dictate how far they can go.
I think San Jose State to some extent can throw in USC and we’re going to get some sense
for what they’re made of in the secondary.
Also how Bear Alexander looks up front is something that I’m going to be watching.
Yeah, Anthony Lucas.
Yeah, a couple big names.
Yeah, a couple big names.
I agree.
I don’t think San Jose State can score.
I don’t think they can make this smaller ball than USC wants to play.
This feels like 55-17, something like that.
Oh man, I have, we were so close.
I had 55-20.
Yeah.
Keep that in mind. Keep that score in mind as well. I’m going USC minus whatever the only thing to watch here
Could see a backdoor cover
Okay could see a backdoor cover situation, but I’m on I’m on USC minus whatever
What is okay?
Yeah, I’m we agree next game final game a very limited week zero slate. We’ve got a 9 p.m
Slot on CBS Sports Network. It is between Florida International
FIU yeah and Louisiana Tech known here in these parts as a lot tech
Lot tech favored by 11 points Dan. I wrote another one down. I don’t know if you want to hear
Guess who’s Bach, Bach again?
Hank Bachmaier’s back tell a friend, Dan Rubenstein. Yeah, the Sonny Cumbie’s Louisiana Tech is back
He comes down to Louisiana Tech from Boise State
The most interesting thing about Hank Bachmeier outside of his transfer
Maybe the fact that he has younger brothers named Tiger, Bear, and Buck, which you and I discussed
I love I love all of that. Yeah last season, but
It’s it’s an interesting matchup on a couple different fronts
both of these teams bring back a lot from last season FIU and Louisiana Tech 18th and
26th respectively in terms of returning production both bring back more on defense
The problem for both is that their defense is also stank last year
Yes
They were really bad and it kind of it speaks to the whole Bill Connelly
Conundrum that he poses often when he does his previews when he looks at returning production and says well
Is it a good thing that this side of the ball brings back so much given where they were at a year ago?
I don’t trust either defense. I don’t trust either defense
FIU and Louisiana Tech played last year.
FIU won that game in a bit of a shootout.
So I’m taking points if I can get them.
I don’t know who wins.
I don’t necessarily care who wins,
but FIU getting 11 with the state of these defenses
to me feels like the play.
– So plus 11, you’re taking FIU.
I think I agree with you.
By the way, this is last year’s number 124 against 125.
– Bad, right?
– Points per drive defense.
They did play last year.
FIU beat Louisiana Tech.
Yeah, man, I don’t know.
– Take the points.
Just take the points and move on.
– It’s not gonna be that fun a game,
which means it’s going to be a crazy fun game.
It’s gonna be a weird game.
I don’t know.
The other thing I had forgotten about
before looking this game up is FIU was the team
in South Florida to hang with Middle Tennessee last season.
– Oh, right.
– They were the team in South Florida
to hang with Middle Tennessee.
They lost that game by five, but they were right there.
So there’s that.
Let’s get to your questions.
That does it.
For week zero, we had a bunch of questions
come in all across the
ballerhood via Twitter or
X, whatever
we have to say now.
Instagram, Patreon.
Got a lot of zeets. Is that what happened?
Yeah, we got some zeets here. Let’s get to questions.
Congratulations, Skippy.
You’ve got mail.
mail on The Solid Verbal.
Each week we like to pay homage.
Is that what we do? We like to pay homage.
Do you want to get some questions? To those of you who write in solidverbal@gmail.com,
those of you who send in zeets.
Catch us on X baby. Catch us on X at Solid Verbal.
Where do you want to go first? Solid Slate,
our friend Connor best week zero storyline to watch.
Okay, a purely narrative standpoint,
Notre Dame separation USC defense.
Yes.
Is there anything else?
Notre Dame making Kurtis Rourke proclamations in this moment
as well.
I guess I would say the great workening.
I think it goes without saying at this point Jacksonville
State’s first game on the FBS level will be will be intriguing
just to see how they match up.
But now I think it’s it at least what we’re going to be talking
about is can Notre Dame separate from Navy and as USC’s defense, do they look better?
And remember a few weeks ago, we got a question asked in this very segment on this very type of
show. What kind of result it was only on for ballers.com. What kind of result or what could
happen in this season for you to immediately think it’s a failure no matter what the record is and
tie very plainly stated and agreed with me. If Notre Dame loses to Navy, no matter what happens
the rest of the year, it’s kind of a failure. Yeah, I’m quitting the podcast if that happens.
I’m done. You’re gonna have to find somebody else who can fill in and you might have to
do that anyway with the state of my voice at the moment. True fair, but I’m done. I’m
out if if Notre Dame loses week one weeks, you’re starting you’re starting a team for
this season. You’re allowed to pick one team’s position group to start. Who which do you
pick and examples? This is from Dennis. Michigan’s offensive line, Ohio State’s wide receivers,
Georgia’s defensive line. You’re a big D line guy. Yes, I would say whichever defensive
line you feel best about in this great nation, you know, I and I probably still Georgia considering
the ceiling and how they’ve recruited there and the depth of where where they’ve recruited.
There’s a bunch of interesting ones. I like Clemson’s. I think Clemson’s the one that
I think Texas is in a very good place right now. Ohio State has JT TUIMOLOAU and Jack Sawyer
like there’s quality there for Ohio State. There’s a lot of really good ones. I guess
Georgia’s defensive line because there is something there’s so much that you can cover for
with a dominant defensive line. If you have average corners, well, your defensive line
is completely abusing an offensive line and getting to a quarterback. Well, your linebackers
aren’t making plays. Well, they don’t need to because the defensive line is funneling everything
inside and it’s just making their job much easier. And so you disrupt so much of a game plan
Yeah, with a confusing, overwhelming defensive line that I love a great offensive line. You
can push a team around and win a game slowly. That’s great. You protect your quarterback.
That’s great. You have game changing receivers that changes game plans. But to me still,
I’m taking that defensive line. I just am. I think D line is the way to go with this
answer. Honestly, Dennis zeeted this to us. I believe. Yeah, Alabama is a good option
there as well, but a lot of youth coming in.
Keon Keeley gonna get into the rotation.
I don’t know.
I’m still going with probably any of those defensive lines.
I think is the move as a secondary point.
Yeah, we’re going to talk about the other side of the ball.
I don’t think it’s skill positions.
I don’t think it’s quarterback.
I think it’s line.
I think it’s Michigan or Georgia’s offensive line.
If we’re if you if you prefer that side of the ball for your
answer, I would pick one of those two lines, but we were
asked. We were asked, but I’m saying if you were playing the home game here, yeah, you’re
playing the home game. I’d probably go Michigan or Georgia’s offensive line. If you prefer
that side of the ball, hold on, hold up. I think I’m going to take exception. You said
it’s not quarterback. You’d rather have a great offensive line than a great quarterback.
I think you could do more with a good offensive line. I mean, I’d love to have a great quarterback,
but if you don’t have the great quarterback and you do have the line, you can get by with,
you know, a good running game. You can get by with an average quarterback who has time
to throw to a tight end or an open receiver. Otherwise, well, Ian book had a great offensive
line. You want Ian book Notre Dame or this year’s Sam Hartman with an okay offensive
line and pretty good offensive winning his quarterback in Notre Dame history. He did
okay right? I know but now I’m saying is if I gave you the option of watching Ian book
Notre Dame this year, Sam Hartman, Notre Dame, two different offensive lines. I think you’re
probably taking Sam Hartman an average line with a good quarterback or a good quarterback
with an average line. I’m taking the quarterback. Okay, interesting. I it’s okay. We disagree.
We can agree to disagree. Next question. Next question. Matt, how well does Dillon Gabriel
need to play to avoid hearing calls for Jackson Arnold. Spencer Rattler heard Caleb Williams
name coming from the stands in Memorial while he was still undefeated that his play was
unremarkable, especially when he was finally benched at Red River different head coach
different situation because Dillon Gabriel was not, you know, day one Oklahoma, whereas
Jackson Arnold is and will be. But do you think there is pressure on Dillon Gabriel after
some inconsistent play? Obviously, injury issues that are out of his hands last season,
but Oklahoma in a lot of ways was a mess last year, right? Do you think there is added pressure
because of a five star true freshman quarterback on Dillon Gabriel to be essentially the best
or one of the two or three best quarterbacks in the Big 12? I think there’s pressure. I
I don’t know if it’s quite the same as Spencer Rattler though.
I think the expectations were different.
Spencer Rattler came in and I feel like almost instantly was branded as a potential Heisman contender.
Right.
Especially playing for Lincoln Riley.
And if I remember correctly at the time there was a lot of like undercurrent of maybe he’s not the best teammate.
Maybe there’s some strife among the team with respect to Spencer Rattler.
Um, such of an overhaul at Oklahoma since Lincoln Riley left and starting a new with
Brent Venables.
I just feel like that that buys Dillon Gabriel, Gabriel, excuse me, a lot of goodwill.
His numbers were pretty good last year when he did get healthy, right?
When he was out there playing.
I don’t know if it was so much a problem with the offense.
If you’re an Oklahoma fan, um, as it was the defense, I’m so focused on that defense and
and hopefully the defense getting better now in year 200 Brent Venables that it’s hard
for me to find a situation in which the burden of this whole thing collapsing falls on Dillon
Gabriel and not Ted Roof for Brent Venables. I think it’s also a little bit different.
The comparisons a little bit not apples to apples because of it was Spencer Rattler’s
third year at Oklahoma under Lincoln Riley in which things went sideways, right? He red
redshirted they won and then they won the Big 12 and then things go sideways. So the
expectation is through the roof for any Lincoln Riley quarterback given the Heisman trophies
given the number one overall pick Spencer Rattler five-star coming in next big thing
after you know three or four dudes. So with Dillon Gabriel with a new coaching staff with
a new coordinator with Jackson Arnold being a true true true freshman right and obviously
Caleb Williams was as well. I just think there was something
more physically impressive about Caleb Williams as a true
freshman that even if he couldn’t fully capture the
offense, which Jackson Arnold shouldn’t be able to fully
capture the offense as a true freshman that he could make
plays in other ways in remarkable ways. I think it’s
different because of that specific context, but um if he
is average if he’s if he’s only pretty good, but people are
tantalized and yelling for Jackson Arnold, it’ll be used against Oklahoma on the recruiting trail.
Like, why would you transfer to Oklahoma? The crowd’s going to turn against you. That’s just
what’s going to happen. So yeah, I mean, I think the more likely scenario and I hate to say this,
I’m not rooting for this, but yeah, Dillon Gabriel is not a big kid. No, he’s not big. He’s 5’11”.
Yeah, he’s been beat up and he’s gotten beat up in the past. I think the more likely scenario is
not Dillon Gabriel being replaced because of performance. But unfortunately, because there
is a bit of a track record here. I think I think the more likely outcome would be we’d
see Jackson Arnold because of injury. Okay, and the the ability to turn to Jackson Arnold
while luxurious to turn to a five-star backup quarterback. You’re also kind of saying we’re
willing to take some losses this year. If you’re Oklahoma, which I think the ceiling for 2023 is
clearly higher with Dillon Gabriel than Jackson Arnold. The ceiling overall is probably higher
with Jackson Arnold. So no, it’s it’s fascinating to watch. But no, if he’s average
to below average, yes, there’s going to be that drumbeat. But otherwise, I don’t see
it happening, at least in the short term. Next question. Next question. Let’s do it.
Keep going. How will Texas go eight and four this year? Heather wants no tie. I got Texas
Alabama playoff. I know you do. But if you are going to if you’re going to be the architect
of Texas going 8-4 in 2023,
from from where do the losses come and why?
God Heather, why do I need for you have to do this to me?
It’s hard enough putting Texas in the playoff.
Then I got to get questions like this.
It’s at Tuscaloosa.
It’s Oklahoma, Kansas State
and take your pick of
TCU, Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas.
– Well, Kansas is at home.
– Kansas is at home, but I mean,
that’s how it happens, the way you described it.
– I would circle Iowa State as being especially traveling.
– Iowa State– – After Kansas State,
TCU before Texas Tech to finish out the year.
– How it happens is you’ve got the loss
on the road at Tuscaloosa,
you’ve got the loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout,
and then there are two of the other teams
that you mentioned.
Kansas could come in and win a shootout.
Kansas State could come in and win.
Obviously, they’re in a pretty good spot just as a program back to back weeks against TCU and
Iowa State both on the road. I want to say feels pretty tricky to me. Sure, Texas Tech
We didn’t mention Texas Tech, but we’re both pretty high on the Red Raiders
They could come in late in the season and pull an upset
So I don’t think this is an easy schedule by any stretch for Texas. I think Texas is in a good place from a talent perspective
I think they’ve been building
That’s why I feel good about the Longhorns, but the schedule is not a picnic by any stretch. So it’s it’s definitely possible
As for how it happens as for why it would happen
Maybe the offense isn’t as good as you and I are expecting it to be
I don’t know how likely that is, but right like what if the ground game takes a big step back
with Bajon Robinson now playing for the Falcons and
Suddenly Quinn Ewers comes in and can’t shoulder the burden or Quinn Ewers gets hurt again
And Arch Manning or whoever is behind him.
That was a little bit, that was a little bit too close for comfort for me.
When you say Quinn, you were shouldering the burden with his injury last year.
Oh, too close to the bone.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, God still going with the idioms tie.
Be cool, man.
Be cool, but maybe right mate.
So maybe that’s a scenario in which things come off the swivel a little bit
or maybe the defense takes a step back again.
I don’t I don’t think that’s likely actually feel better about the defense
than anything.
But if the offense has to keep pace with higher scoring teams because the defense is not
Living up to its end of the bargain with this schedule eight and four as possible
It’s what scares me what really skeeves me out about my Texas playoff pick. Yeah, first off
I needed a fourth team and Texas felt like the one that made the most sense not because I am committing myself
Whole hog to this notion that Texas is a playoff team. I get it. There’s a stigma there
I don’t feel great about it either, but that was the direction I went to.
That’s where I committed myself when I had to make my playoff prediction.
What really, really frightens me is that I look at the schedule and I say,
“It’s a good team, but the margin’s very thin.”
With this schedule, the margin between 10-2 at 8-4 is really, really thin.
And that’s kind of creeping me out a little bit.
There’s also we perceive we believe Quinn yours to be good to very good. But what if
he’s not counterpoint colon? Is he though? I know right because I know last year look
he’s beat up. He comes back from the injury quickly. It’s admirable. He toughed it out,
but Texas was not good on offense and a lot of second halves against these teams and that
to me is the concern. I’m not worried about the defense at all. I think the defense is
going to be. So when you talk about like, oh, could they lose a shootout to Kansas?
I don’t think the Kansas game is gonna be a shootout. I think Texas should comfortably
win that game because I don’t believe in Kansas’s defense to the point where it actually will
matter. Like I still think they’re like a bowl ish program right now and Texas is built
to be as you point out like a 910 win team right now. And so to me, it’s like on the
road at Iowa State that like they could just lose that game 1716. Yeah, and have the ball
like with inside the 45 times in the second half, like that just has the trappings. So
that’s that’s to me how Texas it’s the offense not getting out of its own way. It’s not a
be John Robinson thing like I he was on the team last year when they were struggling in
those games. So I don’t know. I’m I’m fully in on Texas being a really good team this
year, but how they go eight and four is clear as day. It’s in 4k to me tie. All right, next
Next question. Next.
Will I ever be happy as a Miami Hurricanes fan again?
Nico wants to know.
I’m the wrong person to ask.
I’m on the over.
I’m on the over 7.5. It was one of my
one of my over under bets.
I think Miami is built
really soundly this season.
Again, on paper.
On paper, they should be really solid along the lines.
Which is the Mario Cristobal way.
It’s the way he wants to build his football teams.
This is the way he’s done it since he’s been doing this.
I also understand that there is a huge red flag
that should go up, that does go up, even for me,
whenever you start talking about a team
that has too much talent to fail.
We said the same thing a little bit last year with Miami.
It was newer then and–
– Turns out they weren’t as talented as us.
– Turns out they weren’t as talented.
So again, maybe I’m committing the same sin two years in a row,
two years in a row, but I feel like Miami is too talented
to be a seven win team, to be a five win team.
I think they should be– – That’s just this year.
– But he’s saying ever again. – He’ll be happy.
– Ever again.
How do you define happiness as a Miami fan?
It’s national championships, right?
– It’s probably national championships, yeah.
But I think in the short term,
I would be happy if I were a Miami fan
if we came out of the 2023 season with Tyler Van Dyke
and felt like we got back to the promise
of his freshman year, or the promise of two years ago,
I guess, when it felt like this kid
was gonna be a pro prospect.
He could be top 10 draft pick as a quarterback in the league.
We obviously did not see that last year.
It didn’t come anywhere close to it.
He was hurt.
The offense maybe wasn’t fit for his skillset
or the guys that they had on hand.
But I’d be looking at this if I were a Miami fan.
And I’m not, but this is just a very limited field of view.
I’d be looking at this in terms of the offense
and saying if we can get back to some semblance
of explosivity and not this pickleball stuff
that we saw a lot of last year,
that’d feel much, much better.
– If I gave you an over under of 0.5 Mario Cristobal
playoff wins at Miami in the next, by 2030.
– 2030? – Over.
– 2030. – Over.
– You think Miami will win a playoff game by 2030?
‘Cause I think that’s how I would define happy
as a Miami doesn’t just want to be in the grouping of great teams. They want to be separated
with other top top top top top tier over. You gotta win a playoff game over. Can I put
money on that right now? I’ll take the over. You want to look at the future of Miami quarterback
recruiting right now. I don’t really know. It’s not especially sexy. I want to go in
this in this very specific moment. So I might go under over. I might go under. Okay, I I’m
I’m inclined to go under next question. Will you ever be happy again? That’s a personal
question. I can’t answer that for Nico. There will be a special year. I’m not sure it’s
going to happen under this specific coaching staff. Okay, next question. Who is your Jared?
Who is your Big Ten West Dark Horse? And why is it Nebraska? Why is it? It’s not Nebraska.
Is it Nebraska for you this year? Yeah, no, Illinois. It’s Illinois. It’s got to be Illinois
Alt aboard for Luke Altmire. No, I hate myself. Ty, I had two that were much better than that
one. I didn’t. I just coming up with this on the spot. You were sitting at home with
your whiteboard. I’m right. I’m writing material. I am writing material. Okay. I think it’s probably
Illinois. If you give me a team who can ugly something up as a dark horse, I don’t think
they’re the favorite, but if you give me somebody who can ugly it up, you give me an experienced
coach interesting skill talent, which they obviously have it receiver and running back
to me. I’m going to go with Illinois in the short term. I think certainly Matt Rhule’s the
better coach between he and Bret Bielema because of I actually don’t know about that.
I think he’s probably myself. He’s a better program builder. Yes, he’s got more of a track
record as a program builder than Bret Bilema.
But not a Big Ten West.
I will not be twice but but to be fair,
we have not seen him in one place long enough
true to see what he can do when he actually gets
the program built.
He’s always jumped to a bigger better job.
Yeah, I’m going to take Illinois as the dark horse
this season because I think they are building upon
something whereas Nebraska is starting from square
So I’m going to take Illinois there as a dark horse.
We discussed, you know, the Wisconsin-Iowa matchup.
Minnesota is interesting to me, but I’m not sure I’d love where they’re at on offense.
Illinois is the dark horse. How about that?
Illinois is dark horse. The schedule, I think, is favorable.
They don’t have to play Michigan or Ohio State from the east.
They get Penn State at home in Week 3, Penn State at that point in the season.
Look, I’ve talked about that all offseason.
That’s a game that Penn State loses.
or that that ends up being very, very close in a weird way.
They also get Wisconsin at home.
The only road games on this slate in their Big Ten play are
Purdue, Maryland, Minnesota, and the Iowa game second to last
week of the year.
So that’s workable.
It’s not an easy schedule by any stretch, but I think it’s
very, very workable.
So Illinois is the answer here.
The only answer.
Gary, can you pick out some teams that have had very easily
that have very easily achievable quote failure seasons that could possibly lie ahead. A few
I see are Ohio State 11-1, 11-1 with a loss to Michigan losing the East, Texas losing
the Big 12 in a year they’re the overwhelming favorite after not winning it since 2009.
Ty, had you met Kate in 2009? No. What year did you meet Kate?
2011. Okay. I met Jody 2014. So Texas. It’s been a minute and we’ve been married and I have
children since Texas 2011 2012. Yeah, it’s been okay. Okay. So and my Maryland Terrapins is Gary
speaking seven and five including another losing season in Big Ten play would love to hear if you
know of any more possible failure seasons that are very realistic to see happening.
– Well, I mean, I’ll come back to the two
that I’ve been talking a lot about.
Penn State going 10-2 with losses
only to Ohio State and Michigan would be a failure.
– Yeah, there’s a lot of humps that have not been summited.
– Penn State going 10-2
with those losses would be a failure.
I think Notre Dame 9-3 losing
to Ohio State, USC and Clempton would also be a failure.
– Yeah, you need to win one of those if you’re Notre Dame.
– Gotta win one, gotta win one.
Even if they go 9-3.
Having beaten one of those teams,
but losing to a team like an NC State.
I think that would be less of a failure
than going 0-3 against those
three big guns that are on the schedule
for Notre Dame.
Man, Florida State being 10-1
heading into the Florida game
and losing that
and losing a playoff spot because a C+
Florida team
beat Florida State.
I could see that as a as potential failure. That would be brutal. Yeah, if Alabama loses
if Alabama is not representing the West in the SEC championship game this year, consecutive
seasons, a failure that’s a failure. So good season that is ultimately a failure given
expectations given the inability to get over a very specific hump. Like I mentioned this
like Oregon go 10 and two and lose to Oregon State and Washington, but beat USC and Utah
total failure. Absolute total failure in the last season of the Pac-12 in the last real
season of college football. According to me, that would be a total and complete catastrophe.
What what represents failure for a school like Texas A&M this year? I think Texas A&M
so interesting because we know it’s not a talent issue. It just can’t be. It can’t be a talent
issue with the talent that they’ve amassed over the last couple recruiting cycles. Obviously,
we know about some of their concerns with their offense and perhaps Jimbo Fisher’s stubbornness
with respect to handing some of that control over to Bobby Petrino. But ultimately, it’s a really
tough schedule if you’re A&M and um you go 8-4 and be decidedly better than you
were a year ago and that would not be the kind of thing that I think fans are excited about so what
what represents success for an A&M fan success well if Connor Weigman is one of the best four
quarterbacks in the sec that’s an overwhelming success because if Connor Weigman’s one of the
best four quarterbacks in the sec, so let’s say what alongside jayden daniels, carson beck joe
milton? I don’t know what there’s a bunch that are good, but if he is one of the best for
they should win nine games right against a tough schedule. They should win nine games
and so what represents failure if you’re a and M right now if they lose at home to Mississippi
State if they lose it home to South Carolina if they lose to Arkansas neutral site if they
lose to Auburn if you lose a couple of those that means you’re probably going 7-5
with how the rest of the set schedule shakes out and if you’re not good enough to
beat one of those teams at home, you’re probably a 7-5-ish win team. If they don’t
have a top 50 offense with what they return and great receivers, a much healthier offensive
line and a Connor Weigman a Connor Weigman. How about just Connor Weigman at quarterback
who was looking like he was emerging at the end of last season. I think it’s a failure.
So I don’t know if there’s a specific number, but if you lose at home to any of those teams
who are not as talented, who don’t have a quarterback of the future in the same way.
Total failure. I agree. Let’s move on. Next question. Question that was from Gary from
Verballers.com. How will you celebrate the first Oregon-Penn State Big Ten matchup?
I’ll take Ty to Eugene. I’ve been very clear that I enjoyed the hell out of my time in
State College, but I have no intention of ever attempting to travel to State College
ever again. Okay. So what? All right. So if we’re going to Eugene for the game,
yes. Out there, what are we doing for the game when it’s here? You want to come to my house?
Yeah, I’ll come over to your house and watch it with you. Yeah, we can grill or
buy me a pizza oven or something. I’ll bring my own pan. I’ll make a pan pizza in your oven. Yeah,
we’ll watch it together. We’ll watch it together. That’s what we’ll do. When are we getting the
has the Big Ten announced when they’re actually releasing the 2024 schedule because they were
they have to revise. Yeah, I say announce the matchups, but not the dates. I think I feel bad
for the guy that that had to put together the first schedule reveal because I’m going to do
the whole damn thing over again. Yeah, so I don’t know when they plan to give us more details on
that, but that’ll be fun. You know, that’s actually Oregon-Penn State. First of all,
they have played that was that Rose Bowl in nine the 94 season. So the 95 Rose Bowl.
I remember that was kind of my first real awareness of Oregon football. Like I knew
about the state but didn’t know that they were the Ducks or anything. I was 10 years old,
11 years old or something at that time. And I remember on a road trip to Northern California,
we stopped off at the Nike outlet, which all cool people do, Ty. Stopped off at the Nike outlet.
And you can see in the background, if you’re watching this on youtube.com/@solidverbal,
I’m pointing to a vaguely green blurred out hat in the background. It’s an old Oregon hat
with like carpet fuzz you owe like that’s the material that makes up the UO on top of it. So
it would be a really cool rematch of I mean that’s that season was what propelled Oregon into
convincing Phil Knight that they needed an indoor practice facility and investing a ton
in the program. So that’s it. It’s actually a kind of a huge deal matchup even though I
want to say it was Kerry Collins and Kijana Carter just demolishing Oregon in that Rose Bowl.
Look, I mean, if Penn State and Oregon, that’s a big deal matchup to me. So I would love to watch
it with you. If they make the Big Ten championship and play each other, we can go on a bender in
Indianapolis, man. Las Vegas, Nevada, kind, sir. Isn’t that the rumor that they’re moving? I don’t
think I’ve seen anything official. I know what a terrible idea. I hate that idea. I really do. I
hate it. Anyway. Okay, next question. Two more questions. Jason, Will realignment increase or
decreased viewership in the next year. So or not in the next year next year. So the
2024 season five years, 10 years, I say yes, no, no.
I don’t know what it’s going to do in five and 10 years. I college football changes so
quickly in five weeks. If you’re asking me to give a projection five years from now,
I can’t do that. But I can tell you what I think happens next year. I’m really excited
about next year. And I think a lot of other folks after they have a chance to let all
this digest will be as well. There’s definitely going to be a bit of charm that gets lost with
college football next season because it feels like college football goes corporate in 2024 and beyond.
I get that completely. We have people writing in, you and I talk about it separately. I
feel the same. Okay. But there is a novelty to next season that cannot be undersold. And I think
just in terms of how people pay attention to the season.
Oftentimes what we see and we track this stuff,
obviously, you get to mid-October,
your team’s got two losses at that point,
suddenly you feel like you’re out of it,
you stop paying attention.
Stop downloading the show.
Hope you don’t stop downloading the show, but people do.
And every College Football Podcast
has that exact same pattern in their numbers.
I think next season, the interest will be prolonged.
The interest will be prolonged
’cause there’ll be more teams that are still in it
with a shot at the playoff later in the year.
I think the playoff will make things
very, very interesting.
Remember, the first week of playoff games are on campus.
There’s a novelty factor to that
that we’ve never seen in college football before.
And those games start when we’re accustomed
to seeing like the Bahamas Bowl,
the very, very first week of bowl games,
December 17th-ish.
That’s when we’re going to get those first on-campus playoff games.
So we go right from conference championship week into,
you know, uh, uh, uh, kind of like a dead period, 10 days, whatever,
to get your house in order. And then we jump right into the playoff.
I just think it happens quickly enough,
closely enough to what would typically be the college football end of season
that fans will still be engaged, still be interested in it,
still willing to watch the playoff. And I think it’s gonna be the craziest year yet
of college football. So I’m I’m excited about it, despite the fact that there’s obviously
a lot about it that we don’t want to like. So I think next year the ratings are going
to be very, very good. I don’t like I’m not good at thinking about ratings, figuring out
what they mean, whatever. I think the ratings are beyond huge. I think I think there’s going
to be a lot of interest in the sport next year to see about, you know, Texas and Oklahoma
in the SEC and Colorado and Deion Sanders in the Big 12, presuming he’s still there
next season and the Arizona schools. That’s new. Of course, Oregon and Washington, USC
UCLA and the Big Ten. But there’s a lot of movement around the sport. There’s a lot of
novelty. I think people are going to be quite interested, certainly with the second year
now of more network television at night, you know, in the Big Ten in the SEC, because that
game that it’s a more ABC involvement in the SEC. Certainly now with CBS NBC with the Big
Ten like there is just going to be a bigger platform at College Football is going to be
on a bigger stage in 2024 specifically to bet on almost infinite growth of the sports
as it gets more complicated as we lose rivalries as the novelty of a 12 team playoff and the
novelty of this specific round of realignment. You could have Florida State in a couple year
or in a few years if they figure out the financials,
obviously, it’s not happening in 2024 or other ACC teams
or maybe Notre Dame joining the Big Ten.
There’s nothing novel about Notre Dame playing Ohio State
or Michigan or Michigan State or maybe kind of Penn State,
but like they’ve played these programs recently.
They have a history of playing these programs.
Whereas there’s a little bit more of a novelty factor elsewhere.
I just think college football is going on a path of being
complicated and going away from charm in a way that is going to hurt its growth.
And it’s always been an older sport. It’s always been a sport that has attracted an older audience.
And I just, I don’t know, I think everything is going to become so fractured even more in
entertainment that there’s going to be, whether it’s more streaming services or more digital
entertainment, whatever that I just, I don’t know, I think, you know, you can say that like,
well, they’re they’re rating share there, you know, the people that are actually watching
cable TV or watching sports like college football is still doing well. But I don’t know, the
advertising industry still needs what impressions you still need, you know, growing numbers. So
I don’t know, I think I’m out on college football growing forever. And so the next 510 years are
are going to we’re going to reach a point where why is Indiana in the Big
Ten? Why is Northwestern in the Big Ten? That’s what I’m worried about. That’s
what I’m that’s what I’m worried about. We talked about that with Dan Carlin.
We had a lot of episode. You’re going to turn people off who appreciate the
college football that they grew up with, and it’s going to appear to be foreign
to a lot of people if we go down that road. And I don’t know. It just seems
like the toothpaste is out of the tube. So I’m going to watch. I’m going to podcast.
I’m going to do all sorts of fun things around the sport. I’m going to love what the great
things about the sport, but there is like there’s going to come a day where college
football is going to resemble something completely foreign to what a lot of people grew up with.
And I don’t know if that’s going to turn off everybody. I think it’s going to turn off
a second of people who are going to say, you know what? There’s only 30 however many teams
at that point in the NFL, you got recognizable faces year in and year out, and you’re not
worrying about like sudden transfers and NIL issues and coaches leaving in the same way
that it’s just easier to follow. And maybe people start even more making that transition
to the NFL and NFL only. I could see that happening. I’m going to appreciate college
football for as long as I can. But no, I would bet against infinite growth for the sport.
Last question, Dan.
Last question.
Last question.
Let’s go to Jakobe.
Yes.
When are we going to get to board the Tues Cruise again, Dan?
The Tues Cruise was 2019?
Yeah.
The 2019 season we did a nautically themed weekly Tuesday show.
Yeah.
Called the Tues Cruise where we just went after sort of big picture weekly questions
and we did exercises around college football but we had sound drops and generally tried
to become I’m trying to I’m struggling to make a seamen joke here, Ty I really am if I
can’t come up with one that’s good enough I’m just going to move forward but no we decided
to view it through a a nautically themed periscope. So we are not going to be returning to the
Tues cruise, though. Maybe we could do it as like a one off. We could we could rent
out the the college football boat on Lake Wallenpaupack, right? But no, it’s the Tues
Cruise is a weekly thing. That was a twenty nineteen thing, but we’re doing a bunch of
other fun stuff with the show. Are we not? I’m so excited about this season. We talked
about our Patreon tiers, we talked about what we’re doing with bonus content and how things
are going to work on that side. Maybe we could take a few minutes here, just take a knee
and talk about what the season has in store for you and I and how we’re going to cover
the games. Do you have that sound at the ready? Oh yeah, of course. What are we doing on Saturday
nights, Ty? Got the shoulders going a little bit over here. So here’s the way this is going
work take that music down just a little bit. Every Saturday night after college football ends or as
it’s about to end you and I are going live we’re going live on YouTube. Yes. Live for the world to
see we’re going to record our recap episodes then they will be made available immediately
on our public podcast feed. Of course you can get the ad-free version over on verballers.com
but no longer do you have to wait until Monday
to get the recap of the week that was in college football.
Oh, by the way, there will also be another live stream
as we prepare for the weeks ahead.
You and I are recording this on a Wednesday.
This is the last Wednesday you and I will be recording
an on-demand episode because Wednesday’s around lunchtime.
We’ll make sure that we post the official time.
We’ll keep it consistent week in and week out.
Wednesdays, we’re gonna do our preview episodes live
on YouTube as well.
So two live streams for everybody out there.
Again, we’re gonna drop those to the podcast feed
right away so that you have more time to listen
and react and write in and be part of the Verballerhood, Dan.
– Yes.
– And then also our third episode will not be on Tuesday,
but will be on Mondays
because we’re gonna be recording late at night on Saturdays.
There’s a pretty strong likelihood
we’re gonna miss a few things here and there.
Yeah? – Yes.
– Pretty strong likelihood that that’s the thing
that’s gonna happen. – And we don’t wanna
disrespect what happens in the late night Kalamazoo game or
disrespect the crazy performance that Western Michigan
had against Ball State something like that. And so if
it happens late, if it happens, you know at the same time as
other huge games and we can’t give the game the respect and
dignity and time it deserves, we’ll hit it Monday. We’ll hit
it on Monday. That’s the way it’s gonna work. Monday is
gonna be dedicated to our burning questions. Really
things that we had questions about
after we had a chance to really think it through,
after we got a good night’s sleep
and realized that we forgot to mention a key point
on our Saturday night/Sunday morning recap episode.
The first part of that episode will be available
for public consumption.
Once we start getting into listener questions,
once we start getting into other nuts and bolts
of the week that was, that stuff’s gonna be available
over on verbalrs.com.
So three episodes for everybody this coming season
on Sundays, on Mondays, and on Wednesdays.
We’ll have bonus content that is available
to our Patreon verbalrs at verbalrs.com.
Again, go and check that out.
That’ll be available on Mondays.
– Yes. – And of course, on Thursdays.
That is our plan for this coming season.
We’re so excited about it.
I’ve been thinking about my Mel Tucker sleep bank for Saturday nights. Basically, all year
since we’ve decided that we’re going live late Saturday night with all the full show
available immediately thereafter. And so if you wake up early Sunday morning for a run
or you’re going rowing or you’re cleaning the house, the episode is going to be there
for you Sunday morning, bright and early. But yes, I’ve already thought about, okay,
at what time do I take a coffee nap, a 25 minute, you know, power nap with coffee right
beforehand so that you pop right
when you wake up.
Am I going to take a cold shower at
1018 p.m.
Right.
All of those things.
Am I going to jump rope three
separate times before we hit
record so that I can give myself
I can fake the energy that late
at night because I’m an old
person now in my fifth decade of
life.
Been thinking about that for a
solid eight and a half months.
That’s all.
It’s going to be a logistical
challenge.
A herculean effort for you and I
to cover all of these games. But we’re excited to do it. Excited to do it late on Saturday
night. So we hope that those of you who are out there, night owls, if you’re out on the
West Coast, if you’re in Hawaii, perhaps in Australia, we’ve got all sorts of reballers
across the globe. Hope you can join us. Be part of the conversation out on YouTube.
What? Oh my God. What’s going to happen if we make a bad decision food wise? And we have
to we can’t cut it live. It’s live. It’s live. It’s live. You can cut it after the fact,
but the people watching are going to be in for a treat when Ty discovers the burrito
he ordered wasn’t exactly the healthiest for his body. Join us live on Saturday nights
on Wednesdays, probably at some point in the middle of your work day. And of course on
Mondays for our kind of bigger picture episode. I’m excited.
Can’t wait. Yeah, youtube.com/@solidverbal. Subscribe now. That would be
my biggest recommendation for all things. We’re posting literally every weekday. We’re
posting videos and certainly during the season live on Saturdays and Wednesdays. And so we’ll
be posting throughout the day as well on Saturdays. And so listen, man, we’re here for you. We’re
We’re here for you.
We got one final segment
and then we’ll let the fine people go, Dan.
– Okay. – Do it.
– Ty versus the world.
(speaking in foreign language)
– Ty versus the world.
– Presented by DraftKings Sportsbook.
– Our friends over at DraftKings Sportsbook
have resurrected a popular segment from last season.
They call it Ty versus the world.
It is essentially me against the betting public.
Dan, I’ve got a handful of saucy bets,
spicy bets that I want to just put before you today.
– Please.
– Let’s start with our spicy bets.
– I’m spicy!
– You already heard about Ohio plus two and a half.
I feel very, very good.
– Okay.
– About the rorkening that is about to happen
in Snapdragon Stadium.
So mark me down for Ohio plus 2.5.
Mark me down for Vandy minus 17 and a half points.
I love my Vanderbilt Commodores.
Not just the over three and a half this year,
you can still get that bet,
but also Vandy minus 17 and a half at home
against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors,
giving them a lot of Clark leeway.
Hey, that’s not bad.
And last but certainly not least, UTEP minus one.
I think we both like UTEP minus one, don’t we?
– We do, yes.
feel pretty good about that. And to really put a cherry on top of Ty versus the world,
let’s talk about our special parlay, Dan. By the way, speak for yourself. This is Ty versus
the world. This is not Ty and Dan versus the world. My special parlay this week.
Very contingent on Notre Dame and USC. Ooh, playing up to their potential. We’re calling
it the Jeweled Parlaylay. Of course we are. You came up with that name, not me. The Jeweled Parlaylay.
Not the Jeweled Shillelagh, but the Jeweled Parlaylay. Well, they’re not playing each other.
They’re not playing each other, but in this case, you’re rooting for both of them. Yes. To succeed.
So we’ve got a combination of four things that need to happen in order for you to hit this Parle.
Yeah. Notre Dame needs to win by more than 16 and a half points. Remember you said 17 points earlier?
Technically, that would hit.
You need Notre Dame minus 16 and a half.
You need Notre Dame to score more than
33 and a half points.
Don’t hate it.
You need USC
to cover a first quarter,
first quarter line
of eight and one half points.
Okay.
And you need
USC to really go
whole hog here
and score
more than 49 and a half points.
All four
-Wow. -of those things need to hit.
All four of those things hit, you will not only win the Jeweled Parlele bet,
but you will get it at a price of +472, about 5 to 1.
– Ooh, that’s tantalizing, Ty. I gotta tell ya. – Tasty! It’s tasty! I found it!
– I found it for you, the Verballerhood. – It’s tasty.
And the disclaimer here is the Jeweled Parlaylay is not in any way affiliated
– with Star Lotulele, right? Am I correct? – Not at all.
All right, just making sure making sure lol lo to Lele
Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now use the code solid
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Get your football in this week and it is week zero.
Ooh, baby.
Made it the full way through.
Make sure you’re going out to Verballers.com.
Check out our Patreon tiers.
Make sure you follow along on social media.
We’ll be tweeting.
We’ll be zeeting.
Zeeting?
We’ll be zeeting.
We’ll be zeeding throughout all of the week zero action.
Hope to see you out there as well.
For that guy over there, my good friend, Dan Rubenstein.
For myself, Ty Hildenbrandt.
Football’s here.
Stay solid.
Peace.
(upbeat music)
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