MIAMI INDIANA PREVIEW - 2026 COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

What's up Brandon Walker College football show fans, you can find every episode of the Brandon Walker College football show on Apple podcast Spotify or YouTube. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon music. Still a blue coffee is more than just great coffee. It's coffee with a purpose, introducing we brew to rescue, a nationwide campaign using proceeds from our new ready to drink cans to help fund 1000 pet adoptions this year. Every can you crack open helps a real pet find a real home. Simple as that made with 100% Colombian coffee each 11 ounce can deliver smooth drinkable energy with a boost of protein available in espresso cafe mocha and espresso sweet cream. Built for mornings long days and everything in between. Drink cell blue fuel your day and help save a pet's life. You can follow our progress in real time throughout the campaign by watching the adoption tracker on our site. Grab yours now at stowbluecoffee.com Amazon and select retailers nationwide. Trust no one and accuse everyone in who's the bad guy the official bar soul sports social deduction game from the brilliant mind of Nick Teraney in what's quickly becoming the most popular new party game around players are secretly assigned unique roles with the good guys trying to expose the bad guys and the bad guys doing everything they can to stay hidden each game unfolds under alternating day and night phases. With roles like the cool chick the shy guy the gambler L president a the mentalist the planner the funny guy and more. Every round is unpredictable chaotic and ridiculously fun who's the bad guy is great for parties pre games family gatherings or groups who just love deception based games game night will never be the same shop now on walmart dot com. Hello welcome to unnecessary roughness brought to you by twisted T and I assume it's brought to you by twisted T because none of my other shows have presenting sponsors right now because apparently January doesn't exist but I assume this will still do so hi we're brought to you by twisted T and incredible drink that goes perfectly with college football I got it right in my hand there sort of T Bob and it's never far from Casey or big of either twisted T brings you this podcast every single week we are we have arrived kind of. We're within a week of national championship game it isn't national championship week yet I guess because it's on a Monday night but whatever I got two things hi Casey hi T Bob hi bluntman hi big F so I got two little conversations I want to have before we and I'm not stay along I left the yak early today because I had a migraine I miss well I'm sorry about that T Bob I'm fighting through it but what if you work like 36 hours a day you're fine I just I don't use you know I usually give him a night not in the morning I got one in the morning it was weird any who I had two things and they're both transfer portal related here we go today Dante more announced and I assume I'm not getting ball sacked I believe Dante more announced he is in fact coming back to school he will be back at Oregon next year now this comes a couple days after Dylan Riello said hey I'm going to Oregon to be starting quarterback all right we'll see if you still feel that way in the morning but right now Dante more is coming back to Oregon my question is this with all the money with all the money that the transfer portal promises these players and it is good if they get paid is it also upsetting the natural order of things when a quarterback plays a career like he has played and then he's put himself in line to be a top one or two pick because he would probably be a top two pick in this year's draft and instead he's going back to Oregon big half a visit of set the natural order of things of guys going to the NFL when their time has come no I don't think so because I think he's someone who I have to imagine so if I'm in Dante more shoes the reason you come back I think are evident in the sense of maybe you're not quite ready you don't think you still can make a nice trick of change in college there's a lot of this correlation that's been talked about amongst how many starts you've had in college correlating to your immediate success in the NFL the Jets may be part of it now I don't over blow the Jets thing I think the Jets thing might be a maybe just a very small part I don't think the Jets was his determining factor but obviously I have no idea but I don't think it I don't think it sets the answer to the natural order because I think he's someone who probably long term would benefit from another year's starting so you know I don't think it doesn't even the right I will think I think in the right I would more situations a little different is real it was basically a two year start to where more started like five games UCLA but he was the guy who humbled himself and took a year and sat behind Gabriel and then in a great year this year so I see a guy like Rayola where his dad was I think playing the NFL for like a decade was a good player where he's just hey maybe take a year if more than more leaves than you play and if he doesn't then you take a year you learn maybe you're right sure even and become a better quarterback between the years and then you come back and you play the next year and you're great but no I guess the answer I don't think it I don't think it throws off like the the realm of how things are supposed to go or whatever most of the show is is going to be about the end of the anime game so we're not going to spend a lot of time he's the only one that got that question T-bob you get the next question transfer portal related and when you do answer your question please unmute your mic so you don't look like a moron yeah look okay I got Bobby in the room with me he's be hanging out I'll show so I will be muted I'm muted you let that boy hang out you let that boy podcast okay okay podcast okay he has shit to say let him say it all right here's your question T-bob yeah LSU just landed well actually landed three quarterbacks in the transfer portal looks like it looks like they landed the the all the Elon the Elon quarterback and then they landed long street from USC I don't know if that was official but it looks like it's about to be if it isn't and then of course they landed the big prize which is Sam Levitt Sam Levitt of course the number one quarterback in the transfer portal and here's your question Sam Levitt number one toward transfer portal quarterback what the fuck yeah yeah yeah I don't see it like I've seen so many transfer portal quarterbacks like Mendoza won the Heisman Jalen Daniels won the Heisman I watched this guy in Starkville get beat by Mississippi state defense when he passed for 80 yards I is this really the number one transfer portal quarterback I if if he is I'm not entirely sure how how they're arriving there I mean you look around and really just objectively he because I actually I was preparing to say that we never got to this morning show looking all the quarterbacks and their stats everybody who's gone everywhere else but like if you look at Mess to Maker you look at Hoover you look at Byron Brown all three of those guys stats smash would Sam Levitt even put up two years ago and I don't know who's injured this year but especially this year kind of seems like a step back year in some ways Brandon source V stats are not great but they still smash that of Sam Levitt right you'll it doesn't I suppose so it's a weird thing Brandon where I think a lot of that scout report or that number one ranking does come from either hype or what people view as potential and you can't see the potential right you saw it two years ago at Arizona State when they went on that run he had the big game against Texas along with oh my god I'm a blanket stand up and thank you geez well um so yeah I don't I'm I'm with you now I will say this if we're talking I don't know how he gets into number one rating before he goes to LSU but if we're talking about am I excited now that he's at LSU absolutely I mean you're talking about a guy that you can see the natural ability in terms of arm town in terms of being a true dual threat who can use his legs we know he's tough and now you put him in a lane kiffin offense with lane's ability to develop corebacks that makes me very excited but it is a bit odd to your point that the number one ranking comes before that combination is unlocked Casey here's your question are you ready I'm ready is Lane mad at mincey uh he was very mad at mincey yes I have not I am not checked in uh recently uh about that necessarily but yes it was not just for content as I told mincey as I got mincey before we started recording this in the Chicago office lane was actually very mad at him not because of the face time because he didn't tell him he was being recorded the amount of times I repeated that exact sentence while I got mincey was mincey it wasn't the face time you simply have to tell someone they're being recorded maybe he's over it now I don't know Blutman here's your question you ready that was my question it's better than Blutman's hey Blutman you ready yep how you doing playo nah not great tired as ever I'm I'm exhausted uh so so's brand though so I get it so I can I clean up the rail equation yeah yeah he went to Oregon with the understanding that there was a decent to you know that there was a pretty decent chance he was going to be backing up in 2026 it's not like he went there planning to start the people seem to forget reola the broken fibula needs to recover to I'm so tired to recover the owner aola needs to recover rehabilitate and get back to it normal in addition to just needing to refine himself and properly develop the year off is a smart play from him but yeah like he's got broken fibula this is still six month recovery no I uh uh fibula can be well three seven? Well, no, I mean, I don't know. Does he have a ligament damage? Cause like, no, no, no, no, no, I didn't know it was public because if you're talking about just a broken fib, I snapped my fib, I got to play the few screws in there. That was actually the easiest surgical recovery I had because it's just a bone healing. If he doesn't have ligament damage, like your ACL that I had, that took like six months. The, the labrums took four to six months. I feel like the fibula maybe took like six to eight weeks. Um, but, but, but I don't know, but, but your point stamps, like everything you said is still absolutely gorilla. I have a question for you, Liam. What do you know about Drew Maringor? Uh, because I don't know. Are we just taking it for granted that Oregon's going to continue to be this incredible veteran quarterback turnaround factory without Will Stein? Cause I mean, well, Will Stein did with Bo Nick's and Dylan Gabriel was, uh, unreal into Dante Moore. Like, can they keep that going, uh, without Will Stein? I, I guess it remains to be seen. I guess we'll see. Uh, I don't know. I don't know if you knew, I didn't know if you knew anything about Maringor. I know he's a tight end coach. It's been on the staff every year. Lanny's been there. So he obviously trust him. He thinks he's the guy. I'm not crazy educated. Yeah. Well, it's just something to watch out for for anybody. I'm not either. But if you're, if you're thinking about Oregon, you have to remember Will Stein no longer there. I think that's potentially very important. Casey, doing that and then we'll dive into Indiana, Miami. I have a question coming, uh, I have to pause. I almost had some really weird language. I have a question for you, Brandon, after I read this ad game time. Hi, Roughnecks. We'll be right back after this word from our sponsor. Hey, Alabama, still blue coffees. New canned lattes are here and in a store near you crafted with a hundred percent Colombian coffee. Each can is a good source of protein and comes in two smooth flavors espresso cafe mocha and espresso sweet cream. Whether you're braving your morning commute or chasing your pup. Stell blue cans are for those always on the go and for those who care. Stell blue is more than just great coffee. It's about giving back. I named the brand after my rescue dog Stella who inspired our mission to help more dogs find their forever homes. Every purchase supports animal rescue organizations. So when you drink stell blue, you're not just fueling your day. You're saving a dog's life. Try the new cans today. Head to our store locator on stellbluecoffee.com and sign up to redeem a buy one. Get one free offer. And now back to the episode. Okay, Brandon, my question for you and I know that this is almost a tired conversation because everybody in college football and in sports has been having it, but it does feel like until the national championship actually happens. It's a fair conversation to have it is insane that we have to wait until next Monday for this game. And I know that the college football calendar is broken. Dan landing talked about it a couple weeks ago. It almost feels like it's a thing that we always talk about in the last two years with the 12 team playoff. It's even, you know, longer and the delays and all of that. But it can't just be something that we bitch about and then kick it down the curb or get down the block. Whatever and do the same thing next January. This has to be fixed. This is crazy. So in college football season and football season, there's a beautiful rhythm to Saturdays or for college football. Sundays are for the NFL. Saturdays are for college football. Obviously, there's some Thursday night games for both. There's some Monday night games for NFL. But that's your rhythm. Bang, bang, bang, bang. I'm reacting to this one day. I got this the next day, bang, bang. Since Indiana beat Oregon, there will have been two full weeks and 10 NFL playoff games. Ten. Ten, ten times, six, six this weekend, four this coming weekend. There will have been ten times the NFL has a chance to steal a spotlight from college football. The one thing I look back at and say, college football used to be a lot more broken than it is now. And people think, oh, it's broken now. It used to be way more broken. We used to have bowl games where we had the best team from the Midwest going out to California, the best team from South going out in New Orleans, and then we'd guess who the national champion was. And we would wait for sports writers to vote. That was the dumbest thing imaginable. We did that all the way up to the 1990 fucking seven. Okay. No, it used to be way more broken. But the one thing they had right was the college football season ended on January 1st. And if the powers that being in college football took this one idea and built the sport around it. And they said, no matter what, if it's a 12 team playoff, a 16 team playoff, a 2018 playoff, this season is going to end with a national title game on January 1st. I think the sport would get a lot better. I think it would tighten up December and it would get rid of the distractions and you're no longer competing with the NFL playoff. Just the fact that the the semis were on a on a Thursday and a Friday. And then we have to wait for the next Monday. And I know everybody's talking about it, but Dave said it perfectly on web on Monday too, is like the fact we have two full rounds of the NFL playoff before we even know who's going to win the college football national title. That just sucks. And it like for us who live and breathe college football, we're going to be locked in. But for the casual fan and for the people who who aren't as locked in it, it's just it kind of does lose its luster. I just don't I don't want it to be a situation where everybody bitches and mones. And then we forget about it in a month. And then we're having the same conversation. It needs to be fixed. Like you mean, well, I mean, it's not just that it is not just the casual fans. It is functionally coaches have to take new jobs. Right. Players find new homes. Everything that happens, you know, school doesn't stop for football players. We think it does, but it doesn't like these guys need to be able to enroll in new schools or enroll in their other schools. Coaches. How many coaches do we have pulling double duty? Like the other day, Oregon had two coordinators pulling double duty, trying to launch their entire career with their coach job while also balancing the fact that they're playing for a national title. So like it would help everybody would help players. It would help coaches. It would help fans tighten it up. Tight it up. So what's the friction then? I mean, it's it's it's the the TV schedules, the TV partners, the bowl partners. I don't really know. Well, there is one obstacle because in Brandon scenario, if the national championship was on New Year's Eve or it was on New Year's Day, sorry, national champion would be the Rose Bowl every single year. So there's right. The Rose Bowl. For so many years, it was like January 8th, the January 9th. Like I'm even okay with that. Like just move it. And I know Dan Lanning talked about like maybe week zero is week one. And I don't know if he said it, but there's been a thought out there that Army Navy is in stand-alone. Like there are a lot of things you can do to fix it. But I mean, T-Bob, as much as we love the soap opera of what happened with Lane and it was great to watch unfold and social media and all that. The fact that he even had to make that decision with Ole Miss in the playoffs and had to quote a ban in his team to go take the LSU job. That sucks. Like that. That shouldn't happen. No, I mean, again, this is one of those weird problems that I think crop up in life every now and then where everybody feels like it's wrong. Everybody feels like it needs to be changed. There's all the reasons we just laid out why it should change. But I just don't know if it will because who changed it? Like who's in control of college football? It remains one of the ultimate issues with the modern days. And much of everybody wants to talk about the portal in IEL. That's what's wrong with the sport. In my opinion, what's wrong with the sport is there is no guiding voice. There's no overarching person or group that controls the sport, which is kind of insane to say for the second biggest sport in the country. Well, can you imagine if the NFL didn't have a commissioner? It's fair. I think really, I mean, the obvious like the NIL, the Supreme Court ruling, I think really cut them at the knees. Yeah, they can't do anything. Powerless they are. And I think once that, like they already were just a shitty organization, but I mean, that really just, they're a limp dick after that. They're basically their pillars were essentially just crumbled in that moment of like you're everything you're doing stupid. And also this, this really probably doesn't have much to do with the actual the structure of the calendar. But I do think Oregon and Indiana being such a bad game made it even feel that much longer and that much worse. Yeah, it's probably true. Yeah, that's filed. Another thing to do, they're just that break that we have in December, we go two weeks without these, you know, without so many of these teams playing their key playoff games. That's a lot that's 14 days that we could cut down right there. Yeah, landing is right with moving it up in August. I guess a bit bittersweet is so many of those great rivalry games on the Thanksgiving weekend are now going to be bumped up. That's going to hurt. There will be, we will have to have some sacrificial lambs like without a doubt, right? There will be a lot of fallout. But if we're going to do this big playoff thing, I do think it's objectively for the best. Hi, Roughnecks, we'll be right back after this word from our sponsor. Still blue coffees, new can lattes are here, crafted with 100% Colombian coffee. Each can is a good source of protein and comes in two smooth flavors, espresso cafe mocha and espresso sweet cream. And whether you're braving your morning commute or chasing your pup, still blue cans are for those always on the go. And for those who care, still blue is more than just great coffee. I named the brand after my rescue dogs Stella who inspired our mission to help more dogs find their forever homes. So when you drink Stella blue, you're not just fueling your day, you're saving a dog's life. Taste the difference and make a difference. All new Stella blue coffee cans. Now available at stillbluecoffee.com or subscribe on Amazon for 10% off and now back to the episode all right, so I want to do a couple of things. I want to play devil's advocate for the Miami Hurricanes right now that game came out as a seven and a half point spread is now eight and a half. It feels like a lot of people watch those two semifinal games and they watched Miami. It's way to a four point win over Ole Miss and they watch Indiana bludgeon to death the Oregon ducks. They also watch Indiana bludgeon to death the Alabama Crimson tie and they came to the conclusion. Congratulations Indiana. This is one of the best teams we'll ever see. We're talking about them with 2019 LSU. We're talking about them with 2001 Miami. Those are both conversations that better be had after the game. Having them before the game is a bad idea. It's a bad idea for anybody. It would have been a bad idea if Ohio State were here and undefeated. It's a bad idea. Let's let them get through. And if you are putting together a team to take down this undefeated monster, this perfect monster doesn't make mistakes. What do you want? You want to be able to control the offensive and the defensive line. If you can control the line of scrimmage, well, guess who can control the line of scrimmage? Miami's offensive line and Miami's defensive line. Mesodore seems like he's good to go. Everybody seems like they're good to go up front. Miami can wreck you at the line of scrimmage. What else you need? You need a quarterback with the ability to beat a big time team. Miami's starting quarterback is 38 and 5 as a starter. He's 16 and 3 against AP rank teams. As much as we make fun of him sometimes. As bad as he looks occasionally, the guy is not scared to beat a ranked team. I think the Indiana looks amazing. But the recipe for an upset is on the stove and it's starting to smell delicious big. Have I'm not crazy? No, I don't think you are. I think even the last few days, I've started to have that same kind of thought where I'm like, are we just crowning Indiana too early? Are we just writing off Miami a little too fast? Because I've always said in NFL terms, no team driver is good or as bad as you think they are. And with these high level teams, I'm starting to think a little bit about them. We're like, as Indiana as amazing as they look and they deserve all the flowers they do. They had dog fight with us. They had a dog fight with Iowa. They had a dog fight with Penn State. Why can't they have a dog fight with Miami? I don't even see them picking them to lose. But now the narrative is that like you talked about trying to say, are they the best comfortable team of all time? And that's scary before the game. I think Miami can keep it close. I've started to think like if they're defense, they just have to avoid the bad mistakes. Because you think Indiana is not going to make them. And that's the fact that Miami cannot turn the ball over. They can make this a game. Because I think this could be like a 23-20 kind of game. I think it's going to be lower scoring. I think defense will prevail. You've seen it with the close games Indian had they've been low scoring. They've been 13 and with a high of state. They're 24 whatever was 21 with Penn State. It was like 17 to whatever was they won by five or so. It was both under 20 in the Iowa game. Like they've been low scoring games. So I kind of think a 23-21, 23-20. I think Indiana, I do just trust them more ultimately because as well as we're talking about Miami's offensive defense line. Indiana has, they got the goods on both sides, line scrimmage as well. But I do, there's part of me that thinks this game, this game in the middle of the game in the Indiana war. And it was like four and a half, five and a half. And it's one up to eight and a half. So does anybody else, three of you left, want to take the other side that guys. You can talk to yourself into whatever Indiana. Chase his hand is raised. Go. Yeah, I don't think it's going to be a blowout. I don't think it's going to be, you know, as bad as we've seen the last two games in Indiana. It's played, but I just think Indiana is so damn perfect. And I'm not going to say they're one of the best college football teams of all time until after they win. But the way that they've been playing, they just have no flaws. They have nothing that you can point out on the field and say, this is where I'm a little bit concerned about Indiana. And we've seen that almost all year and they played Ohio State closely. But the way that they've continued to build on that and all the narrative is wealthy. I don't think you're going to lose. It's like they just keep crushing that every time. And I feel like for me personally, it would be foolish to sit here and say a team that I'm seeing play perfect football. A quarterback that's playing perfect football and across the board is going to, you know, potentially lose this game. I don't think they're going to, but I do not think it's going to be a blowout like it has been in the last two games. But I do think that they're going to win. And I think that it's foolish to say that the best team of all time before they win. But after they win, I do think that they can be in a conversation with the early 2000s. Miami's 2019 LSU and they don't have to look the same, but they should be in those conversations. Yeah, I'll add some context to what, uh, to what, uh, big F was talking about there. He mentioned the three teams that Indiana got dog fights this year, right? Penn State, Iowa, Ohio State, what was the common denominator in those games? Indiana rushed for less than three and a half yards per carry. Uh, they're the only times where they've been kept to a number that low. And every single time the entire offense kind of halted because of it. Well, Penn State, 56th ranked Rush Stevens to the country. Iowa, 17th Rush defense, Ohio State, seventh best Rush defense. Miami, sixth best in the entire country, only 86 yards of game, 2.8 yards per carry. So in that sense, Miami feels well suited to potentially battling with Indiana on the line, but shutting down that very good inside outside zone Rush attack. Also, uh, how do you stop an elite quarterback that is absolutely dialed? We've seen this every level of football. We've known this since the Brady days, whenever Brady would lose the Super Bowl, like to the Giants, a four man Rush that can get pressure while you drop seven into coverage. Well, you look at Miami, you go look at their PFF grades. What are they? They have a highest graded, uh, pass rush team in the entire country with an overall pass rush grade of 92.5. 54 sex in the year, most in the country. Bain and Mesodore individually are second and fifth in the country. So they, they do seem well suited to attacking Indiana's offense. And on the flip side, you mentioned the word control, Brandon. And after this is all about these are two teams that have made a lot of hay this year controlling the flow of the game. And six in time of possession, respectively. They're most average over 33 minutes of game. Miami, ever since they discovered their identity that we talked about, that smash mouth, efficient road grade or run team. Like that's a great way to not only put yourself in third and manageable, maybe convert some first downs and get this very good Indiana defense. But it's also an excellent way to keep Fernando Mendoza company off of the field. And then when they get on, maybe all the defensive stuff we just talked about makes him sputter a bit. So I'm with you the more I've thought about this game. I think the number is a bit too big. I think this is a close game. And these are three point game. I think maybe it gets to 10 with like a late Indiana touchdown or something. But I don't feel like it's going to be a game that Indiana just controls from beginning to end. The reason why though, I still find myself going Indiana at the end of the day, because they look so even in so many different areas. Like the skills is everything. I do think Fernando Mendoza is just better than Carson Beck. And I like the maturity that Beck's been playing with it. We celebrated him the $4 million drive putting his body on the line. But Fernando Mendoza is all of that and then some. And he's as locked in as we've ever seen a player on this stage. We all know the eight touchdowns of five in completions. So I'm just providing some context. So I agree with both of you all's takes right in that. I think this is going to be closer to people giving credit for, but I do think that Indiana ends up winning in the end. Blumman everybody's all over the place here. Casey after Blumman talks, I'll be I'll be going to bed. You can y'all can do all the new on stuff and get into the staff for you, whatever. But Blumman. Two sides of the fence. Do you have a side that you're going to go hang out with in barbecue? Yeah, I mean my side of the fence is the Indiana Hoosier side of the fence. As I've, you know, thought about it more over the days. She about touched on at the end there. It is the time of possession. It's a massive time of time of possession game. How much can Miami ball control when tealup was talking about the best way to stop a red hot quarterback in his offense. For man past us is correct. It's also time possession. How often you could keep them off the field. This is going to be a massive thing to watch is what down in distance Miami is gang and their third downs. And if Indiana is able to get out the field, that's what I'm looking for. I wear a broken record, but they're mistake free. There is perfect. This perfect could be. I don't want to have this. Are they all time good? Debate going on before or after the game because I don't think they are that. I think that there are really, really, really good team. I think they're going to win the national championship. I do think it will be by double digits. But I don't think we need to have this 2019 house you debate in early Miami debate, et cetera, et cetera. Let's just let this play out. Let's crown champion. Let's move on to fixing the sport for the better in this off season. Brandon. Last thing I'll say. And then I'm going to leave without anybody here being able to rebut this. So I'm going to leave now. Okay, but also make your score prediction before you leave, so we have it for you. social media. Hi Roughnecks, we'll be right back after this word from our sponsor. Hey, Kirk Herb Street here. When Hertz said they needed a football analyst, I assumed they wanted my help. Turns out they wanted Peter, my dog. I didn't even think Peter knew ball. Well, technically he knows that ball. Now, Peter's part of the Hertz Gold Squad. And we'll be making weekly picks throughout the college football season. So whether you're coming to the stadium to cheer on Peter's picks or kicking off your own road trip, book direct at Hertz.com/Peter. You know what, no. No, I'm not ready. It's Wednesday. Give me, give me, give me. Let's all put it on social media Monday on the UR account. Can we do that? Luke, can we do that? Oh, Luke, he says we can do that. Yes, we can do that for a graphic. You're muted. I need a score, but I got to be able to read. Well, he, I asked him because it's a social, it's a paid thing. Listen, if it wasn't paid, I wouldn't ask Lukey, but it is fair enough. Fair enough, fair enough. I didn't know we had ads in January. Okay. Six brother. My last thing that I'm going to say is I'm a little sick of every single time a team is real good and Wednesday National Title. We can pair them to 2019 LSU. 2019 LSU could score a lot of points, but that defense gave up a lot of points, too. Okay. There's been 2001 Miami. There's been some elite elite elite elite teams in this world. Why is it always fall back to LSU? They scored a lot of points and they were pretty. But I don't think they're the best team in basketball history. And I'm tired of people acting like that. And fuck LSU fans. That's what I say. Goodbye, everybody. Feel better, Brandon. You know, I mean, I don't want to have the conversation, but. Well, he's gone. The reason why people talk about LSU that way is just because what the guys went on doing the NFL. Well, I also do think that the way that like the thing with college football, and I put 2019 LSU up there because of how good the offense was. Like that was an elite all-time offense in college football. You're allowed to say that. It's okay to say that. But when you have a perfect team, and I know Liam, you just said you don't want to have the conversation, it's really hard when you have a perfect team regardless of it's because they're offense. They're defense both sides of the ball. If you're perfect in this day and age in college football, and you're able to, especially in a 12 team playoff, you do have to have those conversations. Even if you disagree with it. Well, I think LSU, I think it was. See, I would lean more obviously the how great the offense was, but I think it was where they were dominant throughout the season. Like even obviously there are two playoff games. They won by big margins, Oklahoma and Clemson both were never close. So I think that plays into it too. I think that leave that being the last two ridges of seeing that team in your mind are them just bludgeoning Oklahoma to throw seven touchdown pass in the first half. And then Clemson with Lawrence, who obviously is very good. And they had a lot of NFL talent on that team. And they just bludgeon them as well. Although it should have been a high upstate. We got fucked. And I thought it's neat. Instead of here staying, we would have beat LSU. But we should have we got fucked against Clemson. Last thing on this, it is also, I mean, it's just the fact that burrow stat line was 60 touchdowns to five. Oh, yeah, like that plays on like the human psychology yards. Yeah. Anyway. It's all like Western Kentucky, not at LSU. And bringing also is not here to, to have a rebuttal to this. But when we put out our list throughout the years, he always has a 2019 LSU like second behind Miami. So anyways, before we get anything more in Liam, I have a question for you after this. We have to talk about. Hi, Roughnecks will be right back after this word from our sponsor. Hey Kirkherd Street here. During the college football season, my gold retriever Peter and I are constantly on the road. Yep, Peter Doe's ball. When you travel this much, you want the gold standard. That's why Peter and I partnered with Hurts. They've got a brand new fleet of rental cars, a great app, and the best loyalty perks in the biz. So if you're traveling to cheer on your favorite college team, or kicking off a different road trip, book direct at Hurts.com/Peter. And now back to the episode, clean blood. And I have a question for you when you look at this national championship. And throughout the year, you know, we all argued, you know, Indiana, Ohio, say whatever it may be. But when you look at this Miami team, and we, and we've talked about if Carson Beck doesn't turn the ball over. You and I seem to be the reason I'm asking you this first, because you and I seem to be on the same page. That, you know, we're on Indiana side of the fence. If Miami is going to beat Indiana. And I know T-Bob and everybody else has mentioned the rush defense and all of that. But if you're looking at Carson Beck, and let's picture next Monday, what does Carson Beck need to do? What does his stat line need to look like? Not, you know, specifically, but in your head to beat Indiana. Honestly, dead honest. Yeah. Like a 16 for 21 for 160 in the touchdown, because that means they had so much success on the ground. And they took what the defense gave them underneath. Because that, that to me is so key here that, and it's the same stat we've all, everybody's brought up throughout the year. Big of that when they did lose those games, they had no business losing. It was because he turned the ball over. And I think I've said it a hundred times now, six turnovers in two games. So we know they have to protect the ball. But there's also that Carson Beck factor that we saw in the fiesta bowl. Ten, twelve, however many days ago it was like he does have that next level athleticism that he can bring out. So it's like if they can beat Indiana, he's going to have to do something special at some point, right? I don't think so. I don't think yes. I don't think he has to be like special. I kind of agree more at Liam that like he needs to just control the game and not turn the ball over and make it a low scoring game. And who knows what happens at the very end. Yeah, because I think if they ask him to do too much with me a problem, I think if they're able to establish the run and he's able to just like hit check downs, make a throw on third down here and there when he needs to. And again, just not turn the ball over. If he has no if he has no fumbles, no picks, I think this is a close game. See, I think I'll actually I'll actually go I think I'll go the opposite way here where I don't know that my am he's going to be able to establish the run. It is one of the things that I'm I'm most looking forward to like it's going to look a bit like the Alabama game from a pure visual standpoint where my am he is going to have a distinct size advantage when you're talking about their own line going to get said in the end of the line. Now, Alabama's a line had the two but they weren't any good to begin with my am he's is. However, this Indiana team man, they just play bigger than they are. It's because they play their scheme and technique. You know, at a 90 plus percent rate and they just don't miss tackles. In fact, that's another thing to watch. Like, well, Malachi Tony be able to force the missed tackles. They did it every single week against the team that just does not miss tackles. And so if you can't establish the run and if we're giving credence to Indiana and signety as being these game planning experts, which we believe them to be. And they see Miami team and they know that Carson Beck when this when they got good is when they stopped asking him to be explosive and started asking to take what they're giving them and throw them all underneath and and not really try the defense or rely on the running game. I think Indiana is going to put everything into trying to force Carson back into being explosive. And so I kind of feel if Miami's going to create this upset, they're going to have to come up with some explosive plays against an Indiana team that just doesn't give up much because otherwise, I do feel like Indiana's got a bit of a what's your like bell check philosophy. It's fast. Well, it's everything I can't attribute to that. It's like take away the guys right hand. He likes your right takeaways right here. You think no Miami wants run this match mile style football. They're going to put everything into stopping that. And the key for Miami then is can they take the top off the defense or at least appear to have the threat to because then that could come back and get the run game going again. So I think that Beck is going I don't know about stats, but I think he's going to have to create some big plays that he hasn't been asked to as much yet on this on this playoff run. I think Miami needs one really long touchdown drive a half minimum. Yeah, I think each in each half and I'm talking like just just to make it like a game like keep it like make this competitive close football game. They have a chance to win. They need like at least one like seven eight minute touchdown drive a half. They got to keep the bottom of their hands. They're India is too efficient and I agree with you, but I'm not sure if they're going to be able to establish the run. Man, but I think they're going to but I really think that when the game they're going to need to I don't know if they can I think they have a chance to because they couldn't use the size against them. They could look maybe can maybe yeah, like maybe they do just come out and they just run it well and they don't have to take off the top. I just I just believe that if they may have to go tarps off to get that run game going. That's fair. That's fair. They might they're going to hit it one or two probably keep honest. Well, Liam, there was that's the graphic going around the stack going around that because in T Bob just mentioned the size advantage that Miami has there was like. Yeah, Lucy. Yeah, what's from us? What was the numbers on that again, Lucky? It was something crazy. It was the the O lineman for Miami, though, he's like six, nine is like like three eighties. Yes, 75. I think they're their biggest d lineman's like six, three like three oh three and change like three oh something. Yeah, those those posts just have a way of doing numbers. No meaning or nothing. They make people so mad and it's just numbers, but I mean, what is it, Lucky? You have it. You're pulling it up. I mean, look at that. That's crazy. Like that is objectively crazy six nine three 45 and I think what does it say six feet six foot three or two? That can't be their biggest alignment is not six foot no chance. That's true. defensive line and that's over six feet tall. all. There's no, there's no, there's no, because Camera's tiny, there, this was based on weight. Okay, okay. Oh, so he's still there. He's heavy. If you like, three oh two is small for your heaviest alive and on it. Yeah. That's small. Who, what's the tallest? Do we have it taught like it? And I obviously think I have a guy at six, three, six, like six, three, but in, in two hundreds, that's not good. Yeah. 270. I mean, that's, that's like a good dn. That's a good sized dn. I love that the first response to this is the subtle manipulation of this one is hilarious. He did the judge. He did the judge. I'll do. I mean, yeah. Yeah. And it, it's just the subtle manipulation of the edit. Lucky hats off to you. You know how to do this. Hi, Roughnecks will be right back after this word from our sponsor football seasons here and whether you're grinding your way through the week or gearing up for kickoff, there's one ride that's always game ready. The Chevy Silverado. There's a reason Chevy is called the heartbeat of America and Silverado keeps that heartbeat strong, whether you're towing, hauling or tailgating. Silverado lets you show up strong and tackle any task with best in class standard torque, the most functional bed and the advanced tech that's football guy approved. Check out offers on the 2026 Silverado at Chevy dot com. Okay. So we have, you know, one game to talk about here and then obviously for just from a housekeeping standpoint, we will be live after the college football national championship on Monday. So I'm going to, I know Tbob, you're a big stack guy. Liam F, I'm just going to, as Brandon normally does, just leave the floor open for your last thoughts on this Wednesday. We do have like five days until the game is actually played. But on this Wednesday talking Indiana Miami, Liam, I'll start with you. What are your last thoughts on this before we see ball played in Miami? My last thoughts on this are consistent with my last thoughts on the last show we did. What is the stadium going to look like? It's a Miami home game. But how, how much of this stadium is going to be filmed with Indiana Crimson? I'm so excited to just see that first, that first crowd shot as they pan in over the stadium look around, give us a good look right before kickoff. And that roar that pop on the open and kick is going to be, it's, it's going to hit different. So I mean, we've talked extensively about the game, but the game inside the game, what that stadium is going to look like. If Indiana takes over Miami in their own place, you got to talk about the Indiana fans as maybe one of the greatest fan bases of all time. You got to put 2025 Indiana up with, I don't know, some SMU pony express fans or something. Hey, I mean, Ev, you've won national titles pretty recently. T-Bob, you have as well. But Brandon said this perfectly on the last episode when we talked about this, when you've never been there, I mean, Indiana has quite literally never been here. And they were the worst program. Like everybody goes every single person goes, because I mean, you know, you can just being in the playoff. Like the first time we'd ever been in the playoff this year, like everybody was in college station. And I can't even imagine what it would be like to be in a national title. So I agree with Liam. I think it's going to be very interesting. You see, I know that the tickets were crazy expensive. So I don't know how much that plays into it. But in the microcosm, I tickets for everyone, the microcosm of the audience. I'm also very excited to see the dynamic of Michael Catech, white boy, Rick, and Danny Boycane. Like we saw what happened with Danny Boycane at the festival, but those three also very interesting. Okay. Have what are your thoughts? Oh, go ahead, keep on going. Just on the crowd stuff real quick. We got to remember too. You mentioned everybody wanted to be there. And then Indiana is anywhere from the first to third largest alumni base in the entire country. So they have a shit ton of people who could find their way there. Um, think about what a Indiana home game fills up. They pretty much doubled that when they're down there in the South last week. Yeah. Yeah. They're getting bigger home crowds at neutral sites than their actual stadium because they're shutting everything down. It's like the, you know, the shows and the movies were like the, the town shut down for like the high school football games. Like nothing's open. I have to imagine that's what Bloomington's like when these games are happening, they just shut everything down. And then they moved high school basketball games that's like unheard of. He's like saying he's like, he's like sanctified like rivalries that apparently are just like go on for like a hundred years where they fill out more people and high school gym. They move these games for the last Iowa Indiana game, which apparently is just like uncharted territory. It's not hyperbole to say that it is like one of those movies where they shut this down. So and I'm sitting really far away. So I'm sitting in tight as to see right now. But are the lovely Darren Ravel everyone's favorite. He said that the worst seat, the current to get in for the worst and including fees is $3,600. That right. That's great. Well, look, Ravel says largest living alumni base. I thought it was the largest but Michigan and Penn State always push back on that. I'll have a state. I'll have states up there too. I know. And Texas and A&M are also both up there being just the sheer size of the state. $3,600 to sit in like I'd assume nosebleeds is insane. And I again, you want to be in the stadium for those type of things you don't know when you're ever going to be back. But that a couch sounds far better than nosebleeds for $3,600. That's what Ravel doesn't tell you is the mincey game plan. You got to wait it out. Yeah, it's got to weigh it out to the last second. Maybe I'll find a ticket for 700. Maybe you'll find a seat for free. What's the capacity of hard rock? It's not. I mean, you're on 70. I look at this. It sounds like it's not 65,000. 65. That plays into this as well. Like that's like half of some of these stadiums. I have to I'm out to have to leave in like three minutes or to bring Alice to hockey. So one more on the home stadium thing. The only because I don't think they're going to have a crowd advantage Miami. There might be something to be said for being in your building where everything is completely familiar, right? Football coaches crave routine and having the exact same game day that you have for every single home game and being in the same locker rooms like there is some intangible effect there that could be potentially be small advantage Miami. But ultimately this Indiana team. Remember was wasn't like being rusty supposed to be a disadvantage to them, beating a second team twice was a very good team twice supposed to be a disadvantage. Like I just don't see it last match up. I went at the highlight here. Bane and Mezzler are like we said second and fifth in the country on pass rush grades. Who's the second best offensive tackle in the entire country? Carter Smith. Indiana's left tackle. 93 seven grades. So like if you want to watch a line play while the quarterbacks dropping back before he throws the ball. Instead of just watching the quarterback stand there zero in on the left tackle from Indiana and whichever one of these two he's doing battle with because that is NFL good on NFL good. As I said, I think this game is close. So I think Miami probably covers, but I do think that Indiana ends up at 16 and oh national champions. Okay. I'll go 20. You don't have to do it yet. 21 17 is what how I feel today. I might take a month. So when the graphic that Luke he said we can put out for Brandon and it comes out on Monday could be different. Oh, okay. No, you have to go if I'll give you the last, the last say and then I'll do an ad and we're out of here. Yeah, I mean, Liam brought up the game within the game within the fans and I think that's valid. I kind of like the game within the game within the coaches. Big Signetti's been such a killer and talk about for the last game where a lot of people thought, ooh, like Oregon maybe maybe it's an advantage for them to play them again. And then Signetti, I then just got more data and just the gap just wide and even not much more. Obviously they haven't played Miami. So it's a little different, but I wonder as much as good as Miami looked in the last game, I mean, they should have won the game by way more. In the fact they let all miss even have a chance was crazy with how much they should have dominated all the picks they dropped things like that. So I'm curious can crystal ball kind of I know he's he's definitely got rid of the crystal fraud name like getting to a national title in this kind of run. The teams keep be very impressive. But I wonder the how big that gap is going to be with Signetti and even having a little extra prayer. But I was a true week week week and a half basically how much of an edge that will be or of crystal fraud or crystal ball can you choose not to be crystal fraud and have a good game plan and execute it and make this a game. But they're that's the part if I had any hesitation about betting Miami even with the points, it would be Signetti just having like an insane game plan and just running everything to a T and even if Miami doesn't make the mistakes, they're disabled execute. So I think that's the thing that I'm most not most excited, but I think like a big X factor that hadn't gotten mentioned throughout the show yet. Yeah, there's like little storylines throughout the bigger storyline and it's definitely that. And you talk about two coaches who, you know, get a lot of attention for the way they act on the sideline and the press conferences and interviews like these two guys are that and so I agree with you. That's a very interesting storyline. I will give my last thought. Football is back and with Draft King Sportsbook September comes with a boost. All September long opt in and get a 50% profit boost every game day with the Draft King's game day boost pass. New Draft King Sportsbook customers sign up with a code BSS and get 50% profit boost every game day. that's code BSS and partnership with DraftKings. The crown is yours. Gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. 1-800-MyReset, Connecticut call 888-7897-777. Visit ccpg.org on behalf of Boothill Casino and Kansas. Wagertax pass-through may apply in Illinois, 21+ in most states, void in Canada, one football boost per customer, maximum bet limits and wagering restrictions apply. Tokens are single use and expire at the end of the final select game each day winoffered. Terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. So my last thought on this game, and this is something that-- and I know Liam, you're somebody that wants the purity of college football and the evolution sometimes upsets you and things change. But this Indiana team, and Kurt Signetti, and what he's done in his second season at the historically worst college football program in history is proof that college football has changed so rapidly. And it's something I've said all year. When we talk about Lane and LSU and Ole Miss, and Kurt Signetti not taking the Penn State job, this is why he is absolute proof that anybody in the country, if you can build in the transfer portal, and you can get help in the NIL, and you can build a roster, and get those guys to all be playing. Well, you can win a national title at anywhere at these big schools in the power for. And it may not happen overnight, and certainly like it did at Indiana. But I truly believe that what we're seeing with him-- and this is why he will be talked about for a long time in the history of college football-- is that you don't have to be at a brand name. You don't have to be at a blue blood. You don't have to be at somebody who says, oh, look, you're buying a Miami shirt, at Target, or whatever, because you remember those teams back in the early 2000s. You can build-- when you get the right coach, the right support, and the right transfer portal guys, you can build a national championship caliber team. I believe they will win the national title this year. But even if they don't, the fact they were in the national title two years after being an absolute mockery of college football, that to me is why this is changing. And Kurt Signetti has completely changed the game in coaching. And I don't believe that coaches have to, especially making lateral in conference moves to be able to have their team in these conversations, which is Kurt Signetti is living proof of that. Fernando Mendoza is living proof of that. And I am so excited to see the way that this moves for college football. Liam, I know you don't necessarily agree with me. But it's pretty awesome that we can now see the evolution happening. You don't have to be Ohio State. You don't have to be the University of Texas. You don't have to be all these, go down the line. You can be Indiana and you can win a national title. And that's pretty cool to me. Yeah, I love that part of it. Well, good. I'm talking about that. I'll tell you this. We're coming, too. And we're coming, too, baby. OK, we're all coming. Listen, listen, I know you're a winner. OK, you're a winner. You know how it feels. We're coming. We're coming. Last week, I'm just just me and Luke, you just trying to enjoy these baskets in these last few days of the champs. I do. The champs, no more. And until Monday night at about 11, 12 p.m. 11, 30 p.m. We're the champs. So me and Luke, we're, we're, we're basking it. We're enjoying the last fruits of our labor before. We're just not the champs anymore. Listen, you're like the, you're like, you know, the beauty queen, right? That you're wearing the crown until you physically put it on the winner's head. We're like JR Smith just run around for like a year straight when no shirt on. I mean, we're wearing nothing but tats and liquor. I know we've had this argument. That's our diet for the next, next four or five days. We've had this argument on the college football show. You are the, you know, the reigning national champ until you are no longer. And I know Dave always said that with Michigan and you know, it was poo pooed a little bit. But if I'm just letting you know, if I was in your position, Ev and look, I would be doing the same thing. Like, it's my crown until someone actually physically wins it off of my head. So we will be live after the game on Monday. I know some of us will be streaming it as well. So make sure you tune into that. And that is unnecessary. Roughness. We're going to cook up a quick parlay, though. Casey. Oh, you guys got a parlay. Maybe three, maybe three touchdown scores. I feel like that would I'll throw my, I'll throw my hat in the ring for one of them. Okay. I want to throw Elijah strut in there because when I watch this guy, I see like an end quant bold. And I see like a keen and Alan type of see people say, um, he's the kind of get that back shoulder fade the way he just, it doesn't even matter if he's covered or not. He just mendoza makes a throw, he makes the catch. So I'll throw, I'll throw Elijah strut in there to find pader on Monday night. All right. We got, you know what, plus 450, give me Riley Noah Kowski lead the, love the H back, the tie then for Indiana. Why not? Old number 37. What is a Fernando Mendoza's odds? I guess we probably shouldn't have three Indiana guys, huh? Should we not Fernando is, I want to know what his odds, I, I love Fernando Mendoza so much. But I also just want Fernando Mendoza to be happy. So, okay, Liam, what are the odds on those three? So we're just doing an Indian a touchdown parlace, yeah, 36 to one, 36 to one, hey, we, I don't think we hit one all season. So maybe, I've seen crazier things, unless we should throw Miami guy in there to on behalf of T-Balvin Brandon. Okay. Should I take out Sorat and go, should we just go all big like big dogs? Listen, I don't hate it. You know, all right. I bet Sorat's like not a crazy, like, nothing, like good juicy. Yeah, I just want 15, yeah, yeah, all right, so I'll take, you know, I called it last time in a hidden and sane number. Give me Carson back to find, oh, geez, 170 or one. I love it. Let's go big, baby. It all clears out. They're like just like last time, everything clears out, they're, they're, they're focusing on Tony so much, then the C just parts and veteran Carson back just takes it himself. Okay. So, so Liam, recap it for the people. So this is our touchdown parlay. Thanks to draft Kings for the national championship. It's both quarterbacks for Nana Mendoza and Carson back and Riley Noah Kowski and one of the odds on that. You said under 71, I can see Brandon's face right now, you put, you put 10 bucks on that. You're walking away with 1.7 K, what a Monday night for you. If this hits, you're an honorary national champion. Think about that the entire off season until that crown comes off in 2027, you are a national champion too. If this parlay hits, I love it. Okay, ride with us on the Draft King Sportsbook and we will be back on Monday. Now that was a necessary roughness.