Team Previews: Oklahoma + Texas A&M + Penn State + Alabama + Tennessee

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Pardon me if you catch a case and go household. Listen to the Tesla Fibro podcast from the Black-E-Fake podcast network on the iHeart radio app Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast. (upbeat music) - Oklahoma team preview, man, I'm excited to watch them. I'm about as excited with Oklahoma as any team out there because I have put my full-frored sport behind Jonathan Tear. Otherwise, you take it by the way. Proudly purchased in the spring. They feel about as steady as they've been under Britain Venables. I know some doubters out there, maybe even go as far as to say haters out there, point out a couple of six win seasons baked in there. Yeah, okay. I don't think we're headed back that direction and that's even with them playing a tough schedule this year. So, got a top 15 defense. I think locked in. I feel really good in hoping for an offensive jump. With John Matear, let's just start at quarterback as we often do in team previews. I know there are different philosophies out there. I don't want to rehash the injury thing, but I am a big believer in the pre-injury post-injury splits. I mean, guys, he had four games. First four games last year, 270 plus passing. 11 total touchdowns, three picks. And then when he comes back, six straight games under 225 passing, four touchdowns, four picks. Yes, the competition ramped up. Yes, I understand the questions about the decision-making and the progressions and reads. I get all that. I also think that you could believe in a blend of both, but also believe, yeah, the injury had a lot to do with that. And even if it didn't, we get another year into the system here. And hopefully we get a better ground game. And we get a more complimentary supporting cast around him. So I am very, very bullish on John Matier this year. All right, some things that I think I know about Oklahoma. Defense has stars on every level. Shouldn't come as a surprise. David Stone, Jayden Jackson, Taylor Wein. Those are all draftable talents up front. Defensively, you get Kip Lewis, Owen Heinecke at Limebacker. Those are top-end players. In the secondary, Eli Bowen, Peyton Bowen, both back there. It has all the makings of one of the best defenses in the country. So when I talk about Oklahoma, I don't even talk about defense a lot. Not because they won't be good. It's the opposite. It's because they'll be really good. And I feel like it's a consistent year over year, really good. Kind of like Georgia. Like I just feel like I can take for granted that they're going to play pretty high level defense. Another thing I think I know, over on offense, is they feel a little thin on weapons. Now that could change. College football every year has guys step up. But Isaiah Satania, Troll Harris, has had a really good fall camp. There's some guys there that could live up to the billing. In fact, I don't doubt those guys will live up to the billing. Parker Livingstone, I don't know that the contribution is going to match the headlines that it grabbed when he went to Oklahoma. But he'll be a depth provider there at the very least. But outside of that, I just-- I don't know that I see established options. Again, that's what the games are for. That's what the seasons for. But wouldn't surprise me at all knowing what they haven't tied in to turn Oklahoma games on. And oh, look, there's three tight ends on the field. Another thing that I think I know, not to go all special teams on you, but they got one of the best place kickers in the country. Tate Sandell returns. He hit almost 89% of his field goals last year, eight of nine last season on field goals in that 40 to 49 yard bucket, and 50 plus respectively. So in close games, which they figured have a lot of, that's a huge edge. The things I want to know-- I mean, let's be real. I want to know the same thing you want to know. I want to know if he fixed the run game. Brent Venables wants to know if he fixed the run game. He's probably got a little better sense of it than I do right now. But this is clearly the lead story with Oklahoma. They were 113th in Rush Yards per game last year, and both of their lead backs. They're two lead backs run to 500 yards total. So it was really-- it was tough to watch. And yet, even though they were as flawed as they were, they still made the playoffs and hosted a playoff game. They still went on the road to Neelan in one. They still went on the road to Bama in one. Those are must-win spots. They were in playoff mode for like the last month of the year. And I'm talking about tail backs there, but it just as much falls on the offensive line. And they're probably going to start three underclassmen there. Good ones, potentially. Really good at left tackle, but still underclassmen. So I want to know that-- I want to know who else emerges in the secondary. The Bowen brothers both stud. So I'm not questioning them at all. Cortland Gilroy has ascended other boundary corner. But I'm still looking, you know, nickel, safety, beside Bowen. Just-- it's one of the fun parts of college football every year, like who emerges? When we've penciled in names, and then we got the question marks, who emerges? That's like a semi-question mark for the defense. Not a full-throated question mark, semi-question mark. And another thing that I want to know is their offensive depth to withstand injuries. So outside of tight end and running back, there's not a ton of depth on the offense. I already mentioned them at wide receiver. I don't really know what QB2 would look like here. But then again, if anyone loses QB1 outside of Ole Miss last year, it's kind of a disaster scenario anyway. So wide receiver needs additional options to emerge. Offensive line, got some nice pieces, but if they get stressed at all during the season, that could up in the season. But look, it's kind of a headline with everyone. No one has elite depth anymore. What are the best units on this team? Defense of tackle. I think that goes without saying. Stone may end up being one of the best defense of tackles in the SEC. He kind of is already. He'll just have another opportunity to do that. At linebacker, again, this is so redundant with Oklahoma, but it's welcome redundancy. Inaquian Lewis, good depth there, Cole Sullivan. That's a stout front seven against the run. They were third against the run last year. And they'll be really good again this year. The breakout player is Michael Fassousi. So he was pressed into action last year, had to start at tackle as a true freshman. And you don't often talk about offensive lineman as breakout players, but I think he qualifies. He's a guy with Sunday traits. He's had them since he arrived on campus. When you listen to coaches, even defensive coaches at Oklahoma, when they talk about him, they talk about him like he's a pro. They talk about him like he's a second year or third year pro player, instead of just a true sophomore, which he is. I think also if you wanted to go defensive here, Courtland-Gillery, I know Oklahoma fans know about him. I mean, he was tied for most passes defended last year, although no picks. So if that's something to grow on, if we're looking for that. But I think maybe nationally, you know, he becomes more of a household name this year. Schedule break down. It's always this way for Oklahoma. They hadn't had an easy schedule since joining the league. It's no different this year. We've got them with the second or the seventh strength of schedule in the country, two games against G6 teams. So a lot of these big swing games are away from Norman. So they go to Michigan week two. We're going to be at that game. They go to Georgia a few weeks later. They've got Texas in Dallas. They go to the swamp later in the year. They do get Ole Miss and A&M at home in November. But there's just, there's no stretch here where you say, oh, man, it eases up there. Mississippi State South Carolina at Florida, two of those three are on the road. So they got an early bi-week. They play seven straight SEC games down the stretch. Let's go record scenarios. According to the model here, the best case, even with that schedule, The best case is 11 and 1, because if they get an improved ground game, they will get improve QB play at wide receiver room will just mysteriously fall into place the way it's supposed to by the way if that happens a defense will be what it needs to be special teams good mentioned the kicking already they could be eleven and one now the flip side of that is because they're going to play on the margins they're going to play a lot of tight games I would say look four and eight sounds insanely unrealistic that's only because if you consider them losing all their loosable games technically four and eight is in the cards that's more product of the schedule they play rather than how bad a team they could be but the most likely the record I have them going is nine and three and I think all I think Oklahoma rather is one of those teams that if they go nine and three could very well find themselves in the playoff in fact I've gotten them going to the playoffs at nine and three on big lives we take a single cultural icon people like Jane Fonda George Michael Richard Pryor and we pull apart the story behind the image and we do this by digging through the BBC's fast archive we're talking iconic moments in broadcast history I'm not just a boxer I'm educating I can talk all week on millions of subjects and forgotten interviews that change how we see these giants of our culture well if changing the system from the ground up is revolutionary then I'm revolutionary we're here for the messy the brilliant the human version of our heroes and when I go on stage I like to dress as slutty as possible because it makes me dance better for some reason I'm Emmanuel Jochi I'm Kai Wright and this is Big Lives listen to big lives on the iHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcast College football will hijack your weekend ruin your sleep and break your heart and that's why we make the solid verbal college football show I'm Ty Hildenbrand he's Dan Rubenstein how's it going every week we preview the games that matter sort through the biggest story lines and tell you what to watch before kickoff there's a lot to keep track of who's for real which upset is hiding in plain sight and which storyline is about to take over your group chat and when the games are over join us in the aftermath too we're going to react to what happened talk about the biggest results of course we'll cover the playoff picture and all the little details you might have missed while flipping between like 12 games at once whether you know every coach and coordinator or just want to understand why everybody is yelling we're here to help make sense of the madness listen to the solid verbal college football show on the iHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts At long last the Texas A&M team preview now look the general feeling at least with me is that the arrow is still pointing up for the program I think you can say that and also say maybe they'll just miss out on the playoff this year maybe they'll squeak their way into the playoff this year either way let's say for the sake of argument they were to go nine and three just miss out arrow could still be pointing up I think it's like zero sum for some people either you make the playoffs or you're regressing if you made the playoffs the year before I don't know that's not the prism through which I view the sport so you send 10 players to the draft and yet Fandall didn't even drop them all that far from where they had been last year I feel the same way we'll see how it goes let's talk about Marcel Reed of course that's where it begins with Texas A&M through for over 3100 yards last season ran for another 500 had 31 total touchdowns when he was at his best he was one of the best quarterbacks in the country you guys may not remember this feels like it's 10 years ago he was one of the Heisman front runners at various points last year and I should know I bought some Marcel Reed Heisman stock during the season last year then we had the floor games and those were in the basement I mean there were times there were extended chunks of game where he no showed I think this year if you rectify that that's one thing also better production in the short to intermediate areas that's another thing and if he raises that floor ball security's not an issue there's more consistency again he could be one of the best quarterbacks in the country and that's even in a loaded quarterback year because that's how good he is that's how talented he is some things I think I know about Texas A&M I know I know this wide receivers a strength of this team Mario Craver still there Heisman 1000 yard guy this year he almost was last year I say Horton comes over in the transfer portal who probably is not a 1000 yard guy but he's a big play guy he was at Alabama last year whenever they needed big plays whenever they were down in the red zone big body receiver that's who they went to ashton Bethel Roman is still there this is a room like if you look past them Terry busses there there is depth here I know that Jerome Miles got dismissed he was going to be a guy that we circled and even then it's just it's a deep room it's not just one or two names so they got size they got speed they got everything they need there I also think I know that despite the defensive line departures that unit will still end up I think being a strength for this team three of four starters departed caches how old departed but DJ Hicks is there and they think they hit it big with CJ MEMS who was the North Carolina transfer they brought in Antosaka from Northwestern and he's gotten incredible reviews so they've added some depth there as well I feel really good this is a classic situation kind of like Miami on the old line you lose a lot of guys so preview magazine culture just expects you to fall off check in December I think the production will still be there I also think the defense of back in has some juice but they got to be better at changing the game so if you consider yourself having ball hawk types if you got high level athletes in your secondary they ought to be able to score they ought to be able to take the ball they ought to be able to pick balls off and put you in prime position and so there's a question of whether that defense can make more game changing place because they were they were second in sacks last year but they only had three picks which is kind of an anomaly normally those are very heavily correlated and in this case they weren't for Texas A&M all right the things I want to know how does the offensive line play after losing four starters this is outside of Marcel Reed this has easily been the thing that's been talked about the most around there the room looks different than it did last year I think only their center returns uh M opted to go to the portal for what figures to be three or probably four starters and so I remember being there in the spring and a lot of that staff was pretty comfortable that they were going to end up being able to go seven eight deep in guys that they trusted to be able to win with they were kind of projecting still a little bit because that was early in spring so it's a work in progress it consists of some unproven underclassmen this again if you believe in your evaluation and development and I do with Texas A&M that's where you find it out also I want to know with Ruben Owens former five star tail back and he live up to that was lady on moss e.J. Smith a mori Daniels all gone so you you probably aren't looking at the situation where if Ruben Owens works out that's cool if not that's cool they need him they need to be able to ride him this year and it doesn't matter we've seen time and time again in the past guy comes out of high school highly touted and one year it's a hit miss another year hit miss it a matter man you get one big year out of someone especially if it's a really big year which he's capable of it's worth it best unit on this team I'd say wide receiver I'd say defensive line I don't need to go to in depth there because I already mentioned those above but if I'm going break out player I could go Terry Bussey I'd go Ashton Bethel Roman to deep receiver room it's gonna produce another breakout player in addition to Mario Craver and so Roman he's going to be on the field more like Terry Bussey I can cap I can count on him at least being a special teams guy also being a gadget guy and who knows he may be more than that but I know unless he's hurt Ashton Bethel Roman's on the field more and so I just count on him to be able to make a bigger impact also at the edge position Marco Jones when you listen to caches how we'll talk and he was kind of saying all right I mean I'm good now those weren't his words but he was good here's the next guy hit circle Marco Jones and it's his first full offseason being a solo sport athlete gave up baseball we all eventually have to and Marco Jones football only now always love that always look catching guys the year after they fully dedicated to just football schedule breakdown think they play the number four strength of schedule overall in the country they've got the SEC slate plus they play Arizona state and out of conference play it's a tough road schedule it's backloaded I do love that match up against LSU because they're likely going to be undefeated but they will have already had two pretty good tests in Arizona state in Kentucky but they go at Bama they go to South Carolina Tennessee at Oklahoma Texas just brutality towards the end of the year you got citadel and then can you imagine coming out of citadel and turning your head and seeing Tuscaloosa Columbia and Norman as road trips and then Tennessee and Texas come to you so let's take a look at what the model thinks on best worst most likely record projections. I think at their best this is an 11 and one team. I got a hard time seeing anyone go undefeated even in the best of cases with this schedule but 11 and one would be excellent who knows they could be the number one overall seed they could be headed to Atlanta 11 and one would be excellent I think five and seven if they lose all their loseables I think five and seven's probably if it totally bottomed out how it would go for them but they're most likely record I think is nine and three and I don't think they'll be alone there I think they'll be one of multiple SEC teams that are nine and three and at that point you have to ask yourself was that strength of schedule difficult enough is our strength of record which it would be by then at the end of the year is it strong enough to where we can crash the playoff party as a three loss team I think they'd be right on the bubble there one way or the other on big lives we take a single cultural icon people like Jade Fonda George Michael Richard Pryor and we pull apart the story behind the image and we do this by digging through the BBC's fast archive we're talking iconic moments in broadcast history I'm not just a boxer I'm educating I can talk all we own millions of subjects and forgotten interviews that change how we see these giants of our culture well if changing the system from the ground up is revolutionary then I'm revolutionary we're here for the messy the brilliant the human version of our heroes we want to go on stage I like to dress as slutty as possible because it makes me dance better for some reason I'm Emmanuel Jochi I'm Kai Wright and this is Big Lives listen to Big Lives on the iHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcast Hey it's Bobby Bones join me in former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday on our podcast lots to say with me Bobby Bones and Matt Castle we also bring in friends they're mostly match friends who are current or former NFL players some of the biggest names in music and entertainment and then we have some really great conversations that can pretty much go anywhere the great Pac-Man Jones after the game to hold national task force for police officers was at the stadium like hey buddy yeah you Adam come on and one of my favorite segments we do is called situational awareness where Bobby and I give each other real life situations and figure out what we'd actually do you're in training camp and the rookie quarterback has one good throwing session in front of the media suddenly everybody online says he should start over you week one how do you handle this you just go back out to practice the next day and wait for them to mess up listen the lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts we did it Matt Campbell's the head coach at Penn State now it's time for the season to start so let's talk about it it is a turn the page season no one wants to remember all that from last year all right we've got relatively lower expectations or do we we know the schedule dynamic here there's whispers of playoff contention even in my control room but let's talk about what we have on deck specifically it's a known commodity at quarterback so Rocco Becht is fourth years of starter and he is walking into a situation where he's not having to learn a new system Taylor Mauser comes over with him I think one of the things that I'm excited to see with Penn State is just they're willing this to take more downfield shots or complete more downfield shots last year there were 94th in 20 plus yard pass plays and I know Rocco Becht had a little bit of a down year last season but we went up there and watched him practice he looks fully healthy you can't tell anything was wrong with him so I know they still got to develop some at wide receiver but I think he'll have a pretty good year here the things I think I know speaking of that passing game is that a lot of this offense will probably orbit around the tight end position to me with Penn State it's all about how many tight ends could you possibly get on the field at the same time I think they got weapons there it's a good versatile room they had a guy that would like Ben Brahm or just as an example is a guy that comes in he's big like Birkel is big they just got bodies that look like Penn State tight ends and it's not the first time we've said that about that room but I think in the absence of real good proven commodities at wide receiver they're gonna have to lean on that pretty heavily I think the Penn State run defense should be improved that's the thing I think I know because there were 56 last year but there was a key shift in Danton Lynn coming over I mean that's a huge addition from USC and then speaking of addition they went to work on adding size in the transfer portal they brought in four to five transfer portal defensive tackles Kiana Williams they got all of more above 300 pounds like they they added some serious size there they got heavier at the edge position and that's just a reflection of knowing what they got a deal with in big 10 play I think the pressure from last season's gone I mean I don't think that I know that the only pressure here is all you're playing a manageable schedule can you get 9 or 10 wins out of this but the championship or bust stuff that's that's gone and I think it's a nice little palette cleanse to sort of rid yourself of that mentality it's sort of a start over but the beauty of starting over there is you don't have to start over in the classical sense you get to start over and also think wow there's no reason we can't win in year one some things that I want to know firstly can the offensive line hold up for an entire season because the way I would classify or categorize that offensive line is when they're healthy there were guys hitting miss during fall camp but when they put their starting five out there first few weeks of the season if those guys can stay healthy all year I feel fine about Penn State's offensive line it's the depth behind that starting five if there is injury concern that concerns me a little bit so that's a tight rope walk obviously you can't forecast injuries another thing that I want to know are there any elite wide receiver options on this team or just high level just plus receiver options because they'll have a top five tight end unit but that wide receiver group is sort of its own mystery you have some Iowa state transfers coming over none of them went over 550 receiving yards last year their existing wide receiver room essentially boils down to Kobe Howard and so there's there's a bunch of names but there's not one that you would point to is saying thousand yards and 875 yards Pennsylvania right now I think the best units on the team mentioned tight ends linebacker certainly I didn't mention the DB group I don't think so yet no I didn't mention the DB group yet Zion Tracy returns very good fifth year senior I think this rooms deep it's multi-faceted enough to be good against run and pass so I would say danton Lynn like if you're looking past one position group I feel good about the defensive back group I think the breakout player on this team if there is one would be Kobe Howard I just talked about him a second ago a wide receiver he bulked up some he's someone Rocco Beck said he could see as a thought a thousand yard type receiver he's probably the best athlete of the bunch so 511 a little over 200 pounds now I'd say him and then maybe on defense Max Granville it could easily be a derriest Dixon I think but we already talked about him so people forget last year Max Granville was slated to start right next to DDS actually but he suffered a season ending injury so maybe not deferred just delayed here on him being a breakout player defensively let's talk about the schedule to everyone's favorite conversation right now hey man what you think about Penn State oh did you see that schedule I didn't ask you about their schedule I asked you about the team yes what I said they're scheduled no one's really talking about the team well we just talked about the team so we did our due diligence but the schedule there's nothing in the way of out of conference challenges or if there is we got much bigger problems well Jesse has much bigger problems I don't overlook that Wisconsin game at all because I think that's an improved team but frankly that's a game Penn State should win especially at home they go to Northwestern new stadium but can't tell you much else about Northwestern USC and at Michigan that's clearly the meat of the schedule and then I'm the last person that's going to tell you to overlook a trip to Washington but that USC games a whiteout game gonna be amazing let's take a look at what the old trusty model here thinks about Penn State's record possibilities so the best case here is 12 and 0 is 12 and 0 they there will be no situation here where they will be a double digit underdog all year unless something crazy happens but they'll be favored of as majority of these games so 12 and 0 is the best case I think 7 and 5's the worst case which is an insanely high floor for your worst case but again lose the Wisconsin USC Michigan Washington game you still got to lose another one it's just very very unlikely that the bottom falls out any further than 75 there is an argument to be made that eight and four is the floor but again this should be a disaster scenario so 75's the disaster I think they're most likely record is 10 and 2 and that would be regular season obviously 10 to end. And so, I don't know what that would do in the playoff picture. My guess is that that would leave them just on the outside looking in, but that's us talking in August. So, first off, we don't know how crazy the rest of the country was. Number two, who's to say that their strength of schedule doesn't look a lot more impressive at the end of the year? Like, who's to say Minnesota randomly doesn't go on a run or something like that? So, ten and two, put me down for double-digit wins year one of the Matt Campbell era. People like Jane Fonda, George Michael, Richard Pryor, and we pull apart the story behind the image. And we do this by digging through the BBC's Fast Archive, we're talking iconic moments in broadcast history. I'm not just a boxer, I'm educating, I can talk all we own millions of subjects. And forgotten interviews that change how we see these giants of our culture. Well, if changing the system from the ground up is revolutionary, then I'm revolutionary. And when I go on stage, I like to dress as slutty as possible, because it makes me dance better for some reason. I'm Immanuel Jochi. I'm Kai Wright, and this is Big Lives. Listen to Big Lives on the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcast. Hey, it's Bobby Bones, join me in former NFL quarterback Matt Castle, every Wednesday. On our podcast, lots to say with me, Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. We also bring in friends and mostly match friends who are current or former NFL players. Some of the biggest names in music and entertainment, and then we have some really great conversations that can pretty much go anywhere. The great. And one of my favorite segments we do is called situational awareness where Bobby and I give each other real life situations and figure out what we'd actually do. You're in training camp and the rookie quarterback has one good throwing session in front of the media. Suddenly everybody online says he should start over you week one. How do you handle this? Let's go back out to practice the next day and wait for him to mess up. Listen to lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Alabama team preview. Is this an inflection point for Kaelin de Bohr, kind of feels like it is. I feel like we're far enough removed from the Nick Saban era that I don't feel it around this team anymore like this is Kaelin de Bohr's team. The first time they start outside the preseason AP top 10 since wow that says 2008. Is that relevant? I guess it's as relevant as you make it. I think they've got an opportunity to do some pretty special things this year but there's a lot of unknown with this team thus the beauty of preview season. So Kaelin Russell has just been named starting quarterback there within the past week. He forced them to make that call. Kaelin Russell is at his high end a phenomenal player. Experience can only come when you gain it on the field but I thought if you if you considered the possibilities if you considered putting yourself in Kaelin de Bohr's shoes you got Austin Mac who admittedly is challenging for the starting job might it be safer to start the season with him knowing that you could go to Russell if it gets bad. I think that was in the cards and yet Kaelin Russell made it so obvious of a decision that they had to go with him. He opens up a ton of potential with this offense. A few things I think I know you know scratch of the head I think I know about Alabama is that this is one of the deepest secondaries in the country and certainly the longest secondary in the country. I would probably say in all of football in America there's no longer secondary in the country than Alabama pro or college. Now does that mean high level production? I actually think it probably will but they got multiple corners on this team that are 6'4" or taller, Zebian Browns back, Dijon Lee still there, Bray Hubbard still there and what's fun, Keon Sab is still there, what's funny is you watch them practice? I think two of their most impressive defensive players are gyra Edwards who is a true freshman safety who got injured a little bit, he'll be back soon, Ivan Taylor is another safety on that team. And they're not even penciled in as starters so they got really good depth Carmella O'Neill's a kid. They got from Mercer just another 6'4" freak show so I feel really good about the secondary. I think the wide receiver room should take a step forward and I'd really feel confident saying that had no erudgers not gotten hurt in the spring. But it sounds like he's well ahead of his recovery schedule. In fact I can confirm he is because they told me he was last week. So Ryan Williams is the key here, Ryan Coleman Williams recently married. As he goes so will go this wide receiver room and by all accounts he's had a phenomenal spring and fall camp. So if I've got him and I've got a healthy lots of Brooks maybe Rico Scott takes a step. Derek Meadows is a guy who has all the physical tools in the world, man if he could ever make the ball his when it's in the air he could be in all SEC caliber player. But no erudgers they really important key to this room aside from Ryan Williams. He was really good in the spring forum transfer from mincey state. So I got my eye on him and also I think they found a lot of quality of quantity in the portal. So the small portal class I think all make contributions. Delgati is a guy they got out of a no name school out in California that'll start at center for them. Javan James I believe came there from Mississippi state. He's been running with the runs at right tackle mentioned no erudgers Devon Tompkins is a rock up front for them Caleb Woodson will green dot for them at linebacker. He came there from Virginia Tech. So they went in the portal and were selective but were very effective and the guys they picked up. Now for the things I want to know about Alabama of course it's offensive line. Of course it's that they were subpar last year and now have to replace four. And so it's the age old question. If do you have to replace a lot of production off a subpar group is that additive by default. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I just think it relies a lot on unproven talent. So Jackson Lloyd at left tackle. There is a world where based on what they want to do offensively. He's an upgrade even though they just lost a first round left tackle. It's all very specific to the system but there's a world where you'd say that. There's a world where you'd say man racing Delgady where did he come from. He's playing really good at center. We don't have that big a fall off from who we had there last year at all. I think the right side of the offensive line specifically like I'd look at that and I'd say Javan James alright. I mean they say he looks good Michael Carroll, former five star guy should be good. It's a lot of should be and could be is the point. But it has to turn into is and then of course you start talking about the ground game. I think another thing with Alabama that I want to see is the concept of talent versus youth in today's landscape. They got a lot of really good players. They're also underclassmen it's one of if not the youngest teams in power 4 which would normally just lead you to say alright you'll get them down the road. Now this team could win this year. It's got around into form pretty quick. They've got to hit on that offensive line. They've got to have young tail backs come through for them. But if a lot of those things if those ifs turn into pluses could be a really good team this year. I also want to know outside of Yonsei Pierre how effective are they at rushing the passer. They were 54th in sax per game last year and now Yonsei Pierre is there behind him. I really wonder you know who who pops? Who shines like London semis of their desoulos there are a lot of guys whose names get mentioned. We'll see if anyone really really steps up but if they can pair and improve pass rush with that secondary and a linebacker room that I don't think is nearly as big a concern as some people including me thought it would be in the spring. That could be one of the top defenses in the country. Breakout player. I think it's E. J. Crowell the tail back true freshman five stars immediate game changing impact type talent. Now he's missed some time so far which probably speaks volumes that they think so highly of him and his ability to contribute this year even having said that Tracey on Brown is a much lower rated prospect out of high school. I think he'll be a huge contributor in their running back room. I think both of those true freshman running backs were the best talents in that room the moment they set foot on campus. Crowell is a really really big difference maker though. So the schedule for Alabama as SEC schedules go. This is about as good as it gets for you. You open and your first two conference games are at Kentucky and South Carolina and then at Mississippi State. There's no one sitting here telling you those games are easy. I am telling you that if you stack up this conference those teams are towards the bottom half to bottom third of the league and if you got to play them that's when you want to play him. You want to play him early. Then you settle in and then you start to get your feet under you and then eventually Georgia comes to town You're gonna go to Tennessee A&M at LSU that that stretch there Georgia at Tennessee A&M at LSU It's just boom boom boom boom But if they can take care of that Schedule may loosen up a little bit on the back end too So what do we think what does the model think about the record projections for Alabama? I think if all that youth comes together and Kielin Russell is a breakout star at quarterback and they can run the ball halfway Decently 11 and 1 is the high-end for this team I think the low end the absolute worst it could go would be six and six and Man that would be that'd be probably getting stunned at Kentucky as Georgia Tennessee A&M LSU beating you Maybe you drop the iron bowl just gop on that one. What's the most likely record here? They're over under win total of fandals eight and a half and I've got some action on that because I actually think Alabama is gonna go ten and two I think they're one of three teams in the SEC that are going to have double-digit wins this year And I think that puts them squarely in the mix to go to Atlanta, but I think it puts them in the college football playoff On big lives we take a single cultural icon People like Jane Fonda George Michael Richard prior and we pull apart the story behind the image and we do this By digging through the BBC's vast archive we're talking iconic moments in broadcast history I'm not just a boxer. I'm educating. I can talk all week on millions of subjects and forgotten interviews that change how we see these giants of our culture Well, if changing the system from the ground up is revolutionary And then I'm revolutionary. We're here for the messy the brilliant the human version of our heroes And we want to go on stage. I like to dress as slutty as possible because it makes me dance better for some reason I'm Emmanuel Jochi. I'm Kai Wright and this is Big Lives Listen to Big Lives on the iHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcast A shocking crime and a cover-up at the highest levels of the United States Marine Corps Someone opened the door and was the primary shooter. Is it possible you could do that and then suppress the memory a new podcast series fault-line Haditha tells the story the United States government wants to keep buried How can you not know? There were women and children in there. Can you tell us here that you don't know what happened that day? Based on thousands of pages of previously classified documents and over a hundred hours of Secretly filmed video the truth about one of the most infamous crimes in Marine Corps history can finally be told If you've got five players and one of them is guilty of murder at least and you offer immunity to the other four You better be right about the fifth because if you're not then you've just given immunity to your color Listen to fault-line Haditha on the iHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts Tennessee team preview. Let's be honest. Just you and I talking here in spring I looked at Tennessee and I said I feel like this is a gap year for Josh Hyple and There's still an element of that in me, but I don't know the closer we get to the season I'm a resident of the state of Tennessee Maybe I'm getting pulled in a little bit Here's how I'm sending Tennessee up in my mind. I expect huge things from them in 2027 But I am not punting on 2026 Them having an opportunity especially with how in tune I think they'll be on what their style of plays got to be offensively so the general feeling is maybe it's a gap year maybe it's a bridge year or maybe it's not Maybe they're a quote-unquote year ahead of schedule. So phase on Brandon's been named start in quarterback there I know Tennessee fans are tired of hearing this stat, but for those of you who are not Tennessee fans and You're acclimating yourself with this team. That's the first true freshman to start at Tennessee for a season opener at that position since Oh four He's a unit six four two twenty five strong arm great mobility 35 and one in his career in high school He'll be behind an experienced offensive line. So he's not being thrown to the wolves per se time We'll tell with him Bryce Underwood last year had a lot of hype about himself at Michigan I thought he was thrown into a much more unwinnable position That is not the position phase on Brandon's being thrown into so some things I think I know about this Tennessee team I think they'll be built around offensive line into Sean Bishop That's an opinion I haven't come off of since spring the offensive game plan. I think he's got a center around that Bishop ran for a little over a thousand yards last year 16 touchdowns David Sanders is a guy who has all the upside in the world multiple underclassmen in the running to feel that left guard position Right side maybe a little unsettled, but I feel like they've got guys they can win with I think they've got several guys that they can rotate with and and find the right five and win So I feel good about Tennessee's offensive line. I think they've had some bad luck this Love season as well. You had the Joey Aguilar thing even as everyone else is filing lawsuits to get eligibility out there Joey Aguilar denied eligibility Okay, so then you have Chas Coleman who's going to be a different maker of a transfer coming in from Penn State and then That goes the way it went and I'll just leave it at that so he's not there and then Eddry's for root suffers a season ending injury so there goes one of your starting safeties Ariane Carter. I mean the NCAA's adjusted his suspension three times and he's still got to serve time That should be an afterthought after the first game, but still Ethan Davis by the way one of their big-time tightness hasn't really practiced a whole lot so These are things you have to overcome these are the things that by mid season you hope you're looking back on saying man Remember when we were worried about that glad that didn't matter all that much We'll see also another thing. I think I know about this team. I trust Josh Hyple to develop phase on Brandon is a thing I think I know out of all these years Hyples been there he had hidden hooker Joe Milton Joey Aguilar This is his first attempt at a real homegrown talent now It kind of is another portal guy, but the difference here is phase on Brandon portal to Tennessee from high school So yeah, it's his first year starting there, but at least we're finally going the homegrown route here I trust Josh Hyple and I trust especially the the situation they're putting him in this year They won't ask him to do things they shouldn't ask him to do it's what I'm saying some things I want to know Year one under Jim Knowles to big higher defensive coordinator The book on him has always been at it takes at least a year or two Maybe that's still tracks, but he did bring in some staffers and Three Penn State players who were expected to start could have been more, but you know folks get tired of football sometimes So I want to see like is a year one really a year where it can click for them defensively another thing I want to see defensive line sturdiness and depth So there's a clear top four defensive tackle you got Hobbs you got Gilliam the Penn State transfer Whether be at edge I I've trust the front four They're a little smaller. There's no defensive tackle over 300 pounds Whether we had a good fall camp, but only one sack last year It could be a group that maybe struggles to rush opposing quarterbacks and maybe one that can get moved around with a power ground game Maybe so that's something that remains to be seen for me also at wide receiver People keep saying I question them or I've been saying wide receivers a weakness. No, I'm not saying that at all There's a very clear one to it receiver Mike Matthews Braille and Staley no problem. I believe in them wholeheartedly. I want to know past them Who really steps up here and I don't look at this the same way maybe like a hard court Tennessee fan does because I know That you read practice reports you read message board posts, and you're willing to buy into a ton of upside with players I got no problem with that What I'm saying is if I take off orange and white glasses maybe and I just look at it and I'm more a show me kind of person You got to show me I need a wide receiver three option to emerge as a pack of underclassmen there From which that option can emerge, but I want to see it The best units on this team. I think running back I know some people doubt the depth there past Bishop, but I think Javin Gordon has been impressive Dwayne Morris speeding number three option. I feel okay. Maybe I shouldn't who knows But I feel okay about them at running back a linebacker too. I mean three of four seniors I feel good about that room, but the breakout players the one I want to talk about so David Sanders Started six games at right tackle. He was a freshman all-American He'll kick over to left tackle 66310 Looks like a prototype tackle. I expect a big year from him Tyree weather's be also someone who needs to emerge in the past rush department He's had a good fall camp. He is the number one at an important position Circle that name on defense the schedule breakdown for Tennessee really good week to test at Georgia Tech really good. They should go down there and win that game candidly, but that's a really good week to test. And then they get three of the bottom four teams in the SEC in Arkansas and Kentucky and Vandy. Look at the home games. Imagine being a Tennessee season ticket holder this year. Texas, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, all come up there. Somehow the Texas games a noon kickoff, but whatever. That's going to be a huge scene there. So what does the model think about the record projections for Tennessee this year? Best case for Tennessee. That ground game hums, they get the past rush they need. They stay healthy. Phase on Brandon continues to develop week over week. They avoid the critical mistakes. Ten and two would be sort of on the high end, but not out of the realm of possibility. Now if it crashes and burns, the absolute worst case would be five and seven. It's a tough schedule. There are a lot of loosable games there. The most likely record for Tennessee, I've kind of gone back and forth on this. I got him at eight and four, which is kind of a blend of what you would expect in a bridge year, but also a year where man, they were really, really competitive. They a couple of bounces go the other way. They're right there on the playoff bubble. That's kind of how I feel a little bit for Tennessee this year. So right now, what is it? Late August, give me eight and four. 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On big lives, we take a single cultural icon, people like Jane Fonda, George Michael, Little Richard and we pull apart the story behind the image, discovering forgotten interviews that changed exactly how we see these giants of our culture. I'm Emmanuel Jochi. I'm Kai Wright and this is Big Lives. Listen to Big Lives on the iHeart Radio app Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. On February of 2024, celebrated illustrator and children's book author Patre Mathers and her husband Michael mailed letters to dozens of friends and family members to let them know they had died by suicide. By the time you get this letter both petr and I will be dead. Next stop Wunderland. Why did they do it? Listen to death of an artist on the iHeart Radio app Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Daniel Fischel. And I'm Val Schmerkowski. And we have a new podcast called Stepping on Toes with Danielle and Val. Every week we're breaking down Dancing with the Stars the next pro. Follow Stepping on Toes and start listening on the free iHeart. Radio app today. I'm Tesla Fibro. As an award-winning business owner, political strategist, trainer, and jurist doctor candidate, every episode breaks down the law, politics, media, leadership, and to practical strategies you can use in your everyday life. You have an additional footprint you need to be aware because it can help you catch a case, or help you catch a case in your household. Listen to the Tesla Fibro podcast from the Black-e-Fake podcast network on the iHeart Radio app Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.