The 24-Team College Football Playoff Is a Travesty | Hour 1
43m 56s
The football season transforms ordinary weekends into emotionally charged experiences, driven by intense rivalries, social media buzz, and deep fan investment. From college showdowns like Florida State vs. Miami to high-stakes WNBA finals and unpredictable matchups, "big games" are defined by stakes, atmosphere, and narrative drama. A major debate centers on the expansion of the college football playoff to 24 teams, which many view as a financially motivated shift by conferences rather than a fan-driven evolution. Critics argue this undermines the regular season’s importance and erodes the sport’s unique value in rivalries and underdog stories. While the expanded playoff offers more games and visibility, it risks creating imbalance, reducing parity, and diminishing the emotional richness of traditional football culture. Ultimately, fans and analysts emphasize that the true magic of college football lies in its rivalries, unpredictability, and the spontaneous, electric moments—like the "Queervo effect"—that turn ordinary games into legendary events.
There is nothing casual about football season. You can tell yourself, you're just going to watch one game, and six hours later, you're emotionally invested in a fourth quarter between two teams you don't even care about! That's what I love about this time of year. The entire weekend becomes football. Your text and friends, tracking games, second-guessing coaches, convincing yourself you saw something before everybody else did, and then Monday comes around and you get to do the whole thing again. So the weekends you remember, and for me, some of the best ones have usually involved some good people, a great game, and a cold, Miller-like. No matter what triumphs are in store this season, legendary game days start with Miller-like, cold, crisp, refreshing, that clean finish, and it's part of plenty of memorable football weekends. Make, game day, legendary. Go to Miller-like.com/dand find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller-like pretty much anywhere they sell beer. One time is Miller time. Celebrate responsibly, Miller Brewing Company Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 calories, and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. We are listening to the "Down Levertar Show" in partnership with the Draft King Sports Act. Now live in all 50 states. This episode of the "Down Levertar Show" is presented by Draft King Sports. Draft Kings, the crown is yours. All right, guys, you know what time it is. It's Friday, a lot going on, and a fell started yesterday. We got college tomorrow. Let's get to big game or not a big game. Hit it, Roy. Big game and not a big game is presented by the all-new lawnmower go from manscapes. I use mine. It's good, right? Very good. I have a couple different ones. I got one from my face and I got the one from my groin. That's the lawnmower go. Don't mix them up. Never. I never get mixed up. Big game or not a big game? Mike Ryan? What do you got? An in-state rivalry, prime time, under the lights, about a dozen five stars in the building. This rivalry has decided national championships, Jonathan Zazel, Florida State, Miami, big game, or not a big game. That's right. Like Mike said, he got a lot of recruits there, like, "Should I go to Miami? Should I go to FSU?" No one's thinking that. You got Mike Norvel, who might be fire, maybe wants to get fire, I don't know. But at FSU, they may have to declare bankruptcy, all right? It's going to be a rock and atmosphere, ad-hard rock stadium. The canes looking to remain undefeated, at FSU trying to play spoiler. Miami. At FSU. That's not a big game. It's not a big game. If all of us know that one team is going to crush the other team, that's not a big game. Anyone want to spew that? Come on. Chris. Big game and obi game. Saturday. Noon. Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Number 16, Mississippi State, at number 22, LSU. This is interesting. Dangerous game for Lane Kiffin. Can you imagine if by the middle of October, Lane Kiffin has three losses in the SEC? I mean, I mean, Mississippi State, looking to get back on track, the sneaky good team, all right? LSU. You know, Death Valley, great place to play, very tough to win there at night. This is a Noon game. It's Noon. That's not. That's not Death Valley, and that's Noon at Death Valley. Mississippi State, LSU. That's a big game. Big game. Yeah. Jeremy. But Noon. Tonight. In Cleveland. Guardians. Hosting the rays. Game four of the A L C S. Guardians could go up three, one over the rays. Dan Lubbettard. We'll cry. What's the you? The Gartos. That's it. That's the call in Cleveland. Yeah, the Gartos. The Gartos. Yep. Because Guardians, Gartos for short. The Tribe. They take the two one series lead yesterday, looking to win their, they never win anything there. That was in the afternoon. Yeah, that's right. That's right. Gartos. Raised. Tribe. That's a big game. Big game. How about Jessica Smetana? I'm switching mine up. We're going to the WNBA first game of the final Saturday, 330 Eastern, the dream on the road at Golden State. You thought you were going to keep me, you were going to catch me off guard with the WNBA. I did not think that at all. I'm all over it. I know exactly what's going on. Don't have any thought. I would think that. That's what I thought. You can't change my thinking. Atlanta. Dan, we're sitting in your chair. Maybe I would. That would have happened. These are my thoughts. You don't, you don't change my thoughts. Atlanta. Golden State this weekend. Angel Reese. First ever WNBA finals game. Can you imagine if she wins the finals before Caitlyn Clark even sniffs, even sniffs winning a finals? Let me tell you something about Angel Reese, all right, super polarizing obviously. And we can make fun of her offense and all the mislabs and everything. She'll winning player. All right. Angel Reese. Dream. Valkyrie. Game one. That's a big game. Big game. That's right. Dave Damage check. Big game and I big game. First of all, I have to do a quick review. Go on. You understand that the team is named out the guard. The guardos are named after the guardians of traffic. This is a true thing. The bridge is in Cleveland. Have the statue things outside. And this is what they're honoring. One of them is holding literally the statue. One of the guards is holding a dump truck. Is this a segment called things I don't care about? I don't know what defines the city of Cleveland better. All right, let's stay in the state of Ohio, Urban Meyer and his thumb and Ryan Daze painted on beard. And Jeremiah Smith and his husband Trophy that has already been handed to him are all making their way to the site of the national champions raining. I think they're in the top 10, right, Jess? The Indiana Hoosers. That plucky bunch is going to do their best to take down the buck, guys. Big game or not? Maybe the biggest game in Bloomington ever, Ohio State coming in at number four, number five, Indiana. That game's at noon. It's at night. It's at noon, Ohio State, Indiana. That's a big game. Big game. Roy, big game, not big game. All right, we got a matchup of a couple of five and one South Eastern Conference teams. Alabama going on the road to Tennessee and that's tomorrow at 330, big game. We're not big enough about that third Saturday in October. I do. Yeah. The winner smokes the cigars. I do. Josh Hyple needs this game so bad. All right. Alabama, of course, coming off of a big loss last week at home, Kaelin DeBore. He needs this game so bad. This is the old coach to use this game so bad game. Alabama, Tennessee. That's a big game. Big game. We got time for one more Tony, big game and I big game. Tonight, undisclosed location, double day between a friend couple and us. Hey, that's my gimmick. No, I know. This is where the gimmick changes. We don't know the cuisine and the cuisines in my court. They said you pick. Now I don't know what to pick. Big game, not a big game. Hold on a second. What does that mean? They're like, hey, we don't care where we go. Okay. So you're able to pick where you're in my wife is like, I don't know where we want to go. Why don't you pick? Gotcha. And now it's in my court. And who is the couple? Do you know them? Yeah, in front of us. Okay. You're friends with them too. Yes. Sorry, I told you. I don't have any friends. No. The guy is part of our fantasy league. That's it. Very jealous. Wow. Louis is actually looking for a name. Do we have a name? I'm not going to give a name. Okay. All right. So Tony and his wife, Johnny B, another couple going out, double date. You got to make conversation with these people. I got to choose the cuisine though, which is I feel like that's the part that is it a big game if I choose or not. Now are you ordering for everyone as well? Are we going back like 1960 style where you order for all the women? No, no, no. All right. So you're going to a topless bar, but say real quick. So they think you say topless. Yeah. Going out on a double date, to undisclosed location, that's a big game because there's a lot of pressure there. I agree. There's a lot of effort. You got to go on like it. What if they don't like it? I know. That's a big game. That's it. I was a swore if you think I was going to go in that direction. That's a big game, Dave. I'd like for Tony to do the right thing here. Now that it's out there, you can't unring the bell and go ahead and invite me. That's the right. What would have maybe made it a triple threat? The math is better with when you do six people, not a double date, a triple date is better. It is less pressure. Well, yeah, because you can get isolated with one on one or the room. There's no talking to two people. You either talk to three or you talk to one and you can get isolated in the wrong spot. Yeah. Lewis is a very busy guy. He's always got a lot of things going on. He's always like, I got nine kids. My wife's doing this. I got to go do that. My mother in Lawson town, like there's a lot of things happening, so I never know his schedule. It's very hard for me. I invite him right now and find that. Invite him right now and find out. Hope you like. Topless. Unless you get a couple drinks in Lewis. Anyone showed up. Topless. Topless more. Jess is Notre Dame fighting. Irish are playing in one of the biggest games of the weekend and one of the more fascinating ones.
We were talking about the Miami, the great war of the CFP last year and BYU was firmly entrenched. Remember, they were the buffer team, lot riding on this one for both teams. Sneaking big game for Notre Dame because if they lose this game, then that Miami game somehow gets even better. That's the elimination game because I don't know, Notre Dame can probably survive both, especially if they can lose two. They can survive losing twice to top 10 teams and BYU would be firmly entrenched in the top 10 if they win this game as they are right now. So, Jess, I know you think this is a big game. This line, a little surprising. I know it's at BYU. Big crowd expected. Game day, I think boots on the ground. How pumped are you for this game and what do you think is going to happen in it? I'm pretty pumped. I think it's going to be great. I don't think it's a sneaky good game. I think this is a great game. 630 on ABC this week, as what about the line surprises you? Because Notre Dame's a double digit road favorite, you think it should be higher, you think it should be lower. I started opening at 9.5 and I was like, yeah, that's some respect there for BYU. Because BYU's offense, if you watch them, it doesn't look like the same kind of team last year. Obviously, they have their limitations, but they have their identity. Public firmly back in the Notre Dame fighting Irish, I think this is probably their best test, especially going on the road. Here's how I'm going to kick my feet up and have this game on in the box at Miami FSU. Got an eye on both of these teams, because I'm familiar with both fan bases, fought with both of them pretty fervently last year. I love how social media brained you are about these college football wars that you fought. I think BYU's missing their starting running back, which is unfortunate and bear backmire a couple of weeks go against TCU, not really able to do much in the air. That's obviously an area where Notre Dame's defense has been pretty good this year. Leonard Moore will be back. He was out last weekend with a concussion. Both teams have really good linebackers on defense. It probably is going to be a low scoring game. I think the concern for BYU and why the spread is double digits is that it might be difficult for them to get in the end zone up more than a couple times. So if this is a long drawn out low possession rock fighting type game at BYU's home field, I think there's a totally a chance that they upset Notre Dame as a double digit underdog. But if you have any sort of faith in Notre Dame and how the offensive line has been playing, especially over the last few weeks and the run game, which has improved a lot over the last few weeks. And of course, CJ Carr, you know, not making any mistakes. I think that's going to be a huge key thing here. Then you probably give a little bit of an edge to Notre Dame's offense and I think that's kind of what the what the line is telling you out on the road. It's nice to have a partner who can help you make the most of your journey. A partner like the Loves Rewards app with Loves Rewards along for the ride. You can earn points and get great deals like a free coffee or fountain drink just by any for any size and get the fifth one free. How refreshing is that? Download the app today and let the points roll in mile after mile. Loves Rewards. Save and earn it every turn. Turn supply. See website for details. What's up guys? It's me and you know me. I love me some movies. I'm really excited about this new movie coming out called The Mosquito Bowl. It's the incredible true story of four college football stars who walked away from NFL careers after Pearl Harbor to go and list in the Marines. From Friday night lights director Peter Berg and starring Nicholas Gallicine, Bill Scarsgard, Ray Nicholson and Tom Francis comes a story of brotherhood and sacrifice for men who traded the gridiron for the battlefield. The Mosquito Bowl in theaters October 30 down levitar. If I may say for a second Miami they were circulating the snap count the entire game and they were clapping at the line of scrimmage. And the only thing I want to see clapping are them cheeks. Mrs. Met in my face, my shirt. All right. So that's one thing. Jessica is Montana. There are a bunch of cheaters, Dan. And you know who should be cheating? Mrs. Met on Mr. Met and he can watch if he wants. This is the dad levitar show. Let's get to the huge news of the last 24 hours with college football, which it seems that we are really close to the 2014 college football playoff expansion becoming a very real thing. It looks like it's going to start next year. You're going to have the the 19 at large bids with five automatics that being your your power for conference champions. Even though they're apparently are not going to be conference championship games anymore. So that'll be interesting if you ever get into a weird, you know, tie break situation there for the automatic bid and you'll get the highest rank to group of six conference champion in or I guess not even conference champion that would be in the 2014 field as well. Jess, you know, like I was asked this yesterday and my initial thought is I don't like it. I don't like the 2014 college football playoff and the place that I would start is who asked for this. Right. Like we for years we had the BCS which we didn't really like and hey, can we get some kind of can we get an 18 playoff can we get some and then finally years and years and years of of wanting this. We got thrown a bone of a 14 players like all right, this is cool, but like which never made sense because there were five power conferences so the 14 thing just already immediately made no sense but better than the BCS so it's like okay cool start, you know, well like an 18 playoff and it took years and years and years of asking for that and then we got the 12 team college football playoff which despite some people who are against it and thinking that it was going to take away from the regular season. That is not been the case at all and the 12 team college football playoff at least in my opinion has been fantastic and I just I don't I haven't heard people clamoring for even a 16 team college football playoff and they gave us three years of this 12 team college football playoff and now all of a sudden we're going to go to 24. Jess, who asked for this? It's a great question because it doesn't even seem like with the elimination of the conference championship games that there's going to be that much more money made from this thing. So even calling it like a blatant cash grab we'll see what the ultimate number ends up being it could be ginormous, but it just the SEC championship game and even the big 10 championship game make a ton of money off of their TV deal. Eliminating those is already you're starting from place where you've got to make up that amount of money, but to your point yeah I haven't seen fans clamoring for it. I think one thing that I like about the 12 team playoff is I think it came at the right time where there is much more flattening out of top teams and talent across the top level of college football. You can have a Miami who's a ten seed go on and play for a national championship game and be one drive away from winning it you have a team like Ohio State who lost you know to Michigan and then they go on a national championship run and when it despite what happened in their regular season and they were a lower seed. So I think that that came at a good time in college football because of some of the more you know NIL transfer portal like player movement stuff that's created a little bit more parity among the top teams. But we still have a system where there are top team spending enormous sums of money on their rosters and the you know teams 20 through 50 or whatever are spending considerably less so there's a huge gap there. And there the demarcation seems to be around that like 12 or 15 seed line and that's why I think you know a 16 team playoff probably would have made sense to me to because you have your five you know group of 16 your four conference power conference champions and then you have 11 at large I think that would have probably made sense. But going to 24 really is just a way for I think the athletic directors administrators college football coaches all of these people to go to their donors and say hey we need you guys keep honing up because we might be able to host a home playoff game. Even if we're you know eight and four this is you're going to get us into the playoff and this is going to be huge for you know our community it's going to be big for the program et cetera et cetera. And you know we might get blown out in the first round of it because we're going to play against a team that's seated way higher than us but like this is ultimately we we have more teams that have a shot now. Zaz my issue with like some of the conversation around this is people comparing college football to other sports there is really not a comparison for college football to any other sport do not compare to college basketball it is not the same thing. Especially because one of the issues I have with this is the regular season issue and I think it's fair to say a lot of people don't really care about the college basketball regular season they tune in when the champion when the tournament starts or conference you know championship weekend start do not compare it to the NFL there is a salary cap there there is more parity because there are teams that all have to spend a certain amount of money and have a certain level of player that our competitive that college football does not have do not compare it to FCS where the top. Like best you me up every conference gets a queue and plays in it this is not what's happening and that was never on the table for FBS they were never going to say oh the Mac champion will have them join the playoff instead of another big 10 team that was never what anyone was saying about this so. That's kind of one thing that's been bothering me over the last 24 hours and yeah to your point I don't really know who's asking for it other than those few groups of people. Like devil's damage check has to push back on what you guys are fundamentally talking about and yes I think you're you're you're on to something there there is a weird desire based on the people the partners of these leagues to sort of create a homogeneity in the postseason tournaments that nobody asked for and the greatness of college football you might say is this.
from all the other sports, but man, I still go back. I'm an old man. The 20th century approach, it all feels to me like where it's leading to getting us back to the same effect that we had in say 1988, which was the severity of every game is what made college football so great. And now you're trying to drag it into a spot that all the other sports are in. I know it felt unfair, but nevertheless, you lose one game and it could be on September 5th. If you lose one game, losing control of your claim to where the best team in the country was great stuff. And all hash being settled on one day on January 1st was in fact better. Can anybody rightly say, as you say, Oh, it was great. The four team and the two team and all of that. What was better than the resolution of one day? I'll tell you what was better sports. What was better was a bunch of teams being like, well, we're going to claim this one because we went undefeated too. And we're going to put up a banner for it. We don't really care. Jeremy, I know you'll agree with me. It was amazing. To me, I think that never happened. Yes, that happened like once a decade. And it was the same effect that you get now. There are some teams that get left out that say, well, we would have it had we been included. And we this is unfair that we didn't get that to play this team and all of that. It's the same result that you got in 1988 with like, why we went, why are we not number one? It was the same argument. I think this is a super unpopular opinion. So you may disagree with me, but I don't think the best thing college football has going for it is the road to crowning a national champion. I don't think like there's a hundred thirty eight teams. I think that with the playoff and now the expanded playoff and now the ultra mega expanded playoff, like that is what the emphasis has been over the last few years. But I really do think what was special or what is special about college football is the rivalries. Obviously, especially the super close geographic rivalries, where you hate your mom or dad, because they went to the rival school of your other parent, you know, the 12 Saturdays that you get football games. I don't like to me, it just doesn't, I don't want it to affect those 12 Saturdays. And the part of it is, yes, like when you're the team that you hate loses their game and you're like, ah, they're out of the national championship race suckers. Yeah, that's part of the enjoyment of college football too. But I don't think that's like the main thing it has going for it. And I don't know if there's ever been an equitable way to crown a champion in the sport. And I don't think 24 teams is necessarily an equitable way either. We're still going to argue about who is playing for seating, who gets a buy, which teams get left out as the 25 ranked team in the country. Oh, miss me with that. Miss me with the team that can't make the 24 team playoff complaining about not getting in. But there's big dollars on the line. Like this is all to like this stuff matters to these athletic departments. That's why they're doing it because they're going to have more opportunities to make money off of the television revenue and to have games that they can sell tickets to. I mean, like there is going to, that is going to happen no matter what. Um, I just don't, you know, I, to my point, I guess like the equitable nature of the championship. It's like, well, the teams that spend the most money are probably going to keep winning. I don't know if that's something that you could say is fair or unfair for probably in terms of college football. Like it kind of sucks. Like you don't get Cinderella, and even in college basketball, we're getting fewer and fewer of those Cinderella stories now because so much of the roster construction hinges on how much money you can pay players to come play for you. And I don't think that there's anything wrong with paying players. And I don't think there should be a cap on it either. But I think the thing that is, um, you know, like the question that is unanswered in all this is like, how is this going to curb athletic departments spending? Like how is this going to, we're not going to put the toothpaste back in the tube, right? Like the West Coast teams joined the big 10. It's still going to cost them a ton of money to travel during the season. It's still going to cost a ton of money to roster these teams. People are still going to give head coaches 10 year, 100 million dollar contracts. And then say after four years, oh, you suck. We now now need to raise $70 million to fire you. Like I don't think those things are going to change. And that's why I don't really know if this fixes anyone's problems. It just adds more games that, you know, I'm going to watch certainly, but I don't know if we really need it on. Yeah, we're all going to watch and they know that we're all going to complain. This is wildly unpopular, but they know ultimately like you're going to watch James Madison Wake Forest. Don't lie to yourself. We'll take away from watching in the regular season. I do think, well, look, like maybe last year was an outlier. I think 12 was a perfect number for this day and age in college football. But Miami Notre Dame, BYU, like two of those teams were national title contenders. Notre Dame could have very well missed out on a national championship because of the drama that went into the CFP. Now, are we going to have that energy for SMU, Oregon, Florida? Those are the teams we're talking about right now that are hovering around that line. It's a ridiculous thing that we be focusing on that. We're going to have the CFP ranking show and we're going to go be at each other's throats for a three lost SEC team. Right. In early November, I this is such a bummer. Yeah. And I think part of it is that like that's already started to creep into the selection show process. Like last year, Alabama's lost to Florida state essentially meant nothing. They were able to lose two more games, including a blowout loss in the SEC championship game and still get in. And so there's like, you know, obviously so much angst. I know Dave is shaking his head vigorously as a big 10 fan because this is just going to mean that like those borderline cases, the SEC teams, we're going to be arguing about a seven and five SEC team getting in over, you know, nine and three wake forest or something is going to drive people absolutely insane. And I also don't know if I trust the college football playoff community to make meaningful distinctions among like, you know, the medium tier teams and college football because we're going to be arguing about like, well, is this loss to a foreign eight team better or worse than this other teams lost to a five and seven team? And it's like, well, we're really going to be splitting hairs here. And I don't, you know, that that's part of it too. But again, I just really think it comes down to the fact that like, I don't think the national championship race is my favorite part of watching the sport weekend and week out. I watch so many college football games, very few of them have anything to do with who's going to make the playoff. And I think it's important to, you know, still have a reason to tune in and care about those things. And I don't think that adding these teams is going to make, you know, the Wednesday night, QSA games like, oh, well, now we're going to talk about them more because they're still in it. Like, no, I think the networks are still going to just talk about the big 10 and the SEC teams that are really good. We're going to get way more Mississippi and Missouri talk. Like we're still not going to get tons of coverage of like the medium tier teams. But I don't know. I'm, I also hope that I'm wrong. Like, I really hope that I'm right. I hope this is awesome. I hope that it does add more awesome non conference games. That's been an argument for it. Like, oh, well, now, you know, Texas and Ohio State, you know, they were maybe on the fence about playing this home and home series. But now there's way more margin for error. So they're going to schedule more of those games. I'll believe it when I see it because again, the regular season now goes from, okay, we need to make the 12 team playoff to, okay, we need to get a first round by. You're still not going to be incentivized to schedule teams that could beat you. Like, you're still going to want to have the easiest schedule possible. I feel like the bad power for teams are going to be the most popular girls at the prom right now. Everyone's calling Rutgers up. They're like, please, we need another P4 team. Let's get them on our schedule. But again, I hope I'm wrong. Jess, you can check out her podcast, college football happy hour with Lucy Rodin. Before we let you go, Jess, I know we mentioned it earlier with big game or not a big game, but we got the WNBA finals getting going this week. This was, yes, this was a good week for the WNBA with them being able to figure out the situation with where the dream are going to play their home games, their normal arena only seats 3500, where the Valkyries play, we're talking 17, 18,000. And now the dream are actually moving permanently into state farm arena next year. They played a few games in that building this year. But while the WNBA had to move the day of their game and they're going to play it in the afternoon, nonetheless, this was a real good resolution for them. Totally. I mean, going from playing at Golden States home court, which is probably the best home court in the WNBA to then going to your home court, which I do think people like because it is cozy, but yeah, it's 3500 people. It's not really a comparison and also there's so much demand. You can't have a fine screen there. It looks amateur. And the sightlines for the cameras aren't as good. You can see it when you watch it on, you know, on TV. But it's going to be a really good series of both of these teams are awesome defensive teams, but have really fun offensive players too. Heavy Williams has been amazing in the playoffs. And on the flip side, you mentioned Angel Reese. Like, I don't think the dream, make it this far in the playoffs without that humongous trade last offseason. She has been so, so good and making making clutch free throws. Like that is something that I think is super underrated about the semi final series that they played in. And also the other big thing is Alicia Gray missed most of the semi finals with a finger injury. And because both series swept and there is this eight game delay until game one, which is tomorrow, the dream will get her back. So she's another great, you know, she's the best shooter. So I think both of these teams are playing like at the peak of their powers right now. And I think it's going to be a great series. And if it goes to game seven, Zaz, do you know what day game seven's on? It's on Halloween. Okay, spooky. Okay. Second apron. That's what I'm talking about. Her weekly Notre Dame podcast. The echoes is, of course, with Michael Jr. Great job, Jess. Bye. Out on the road, it's nice to have a partner who could help you make the most of your journey. You save 10 cents on every gallon of gas every time you fill up at Loves and up to 25.
sense on every gallon of auto diesel. That's why it's the best fuel discount program on the road. Download the app today, then watch those savings add up mile after mile. Love's rewards, save and earn it every turn, turns apply, not available in all states. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you thought about trying therapy with our longtime partner BetterHelp, insurance options may now be available nationwide, with an average copay for eligible members of just $23 per session. World Mental Health Day may have passed, but your mental health doesn't suddenly stop mattering after October 10th. Stress doesn't check the calendar, burnout doesn't send an invite, and that thing you've been overthinking? Yeah, of course it waits until 1147 at night to suddenly become the most important thing in the world. Mental Health is part of everyday life, so you don't need a specific day or some huge moment to focus on it. Therapy can be a place to work through the everyday stuff, too. Work stress, relationship dynamics, or something that just feels… um, off. If you've been waiting to start therapy, BetterHelp works with more than a 125 health plan networks, and eligible members may have an average copay of just $23 per session with insurance. Don't have insurance or don't live in the United States? You can still get 10% off your first month. Visit BetterHelp.com/DLB to explore your payment options. That's BetterHelpHELP.com/DLB. There you go. All right. I have thought that. I think Jess really was great there. I agree with pretty much everything she just said there, but I thought that what you said was sharp, too. That is the thing that I miss about college football. Which is, you say, "Miss me with the 25th team arguing they belong to the tournament." These… I… the best was… I mean, you know, listen, I love the old ball thing in January 1st and everything else, but living in reality in the 21st century. Okay. Four teams is the perfect number in my book, because when you… if you want to continue the… the… the… the deep relevance of the regular season in college football, those 12 games and all of that, you maintain that if it's just a 14 playoff, because the… the thing that made the conversation great was, all right, we know you're good fifth or sixth seventh team, but can you really claim that you're the best team in the country at this point? We all understood that, and we also understand that the reason that we have to expand is because all the athletic departments are incented to like that. It gives them more relevance to… to be in play, to be in a 12 team or a 2014, but how great was it, Zaz? When you understood that, all right, eighth team in the country, yeah, we… we get that you're good, but you have no claim that you're the best team in the country. That's why it was great when it was just two teams or four teams at most. How say… I… I do worry about the relevance of the regular season. I know that was a worry with moving to 12 teams, and I don't think that… that concern ends up being valid. Now, there are some instances where it… it… as the 12 team has heard the regular season, like for instance, two years ago when you have the last game of the regular season and Michigan wins at Ohio State, you know, that used to be a season-ender. And instead, Ohio State won the national championship, you know, and that's the result of the 12 team college football playoff. So, there are some instances where it impacts, and I just… I just fear that a 2014 will wind up impacting it severely. So… I just don't know how all this comes together. The CFP and ESPN negotiate a deal. Like, is the CFP the governing body of all the entire sport, the NCAA is an out of this? I mean, the CFP is basically owned by ESPN Disney anyways. Like, all this stuff coming together, when it's super unpopular, being driven by these conferences, that want more playoff teams because they ruin the sport by expanding so much. And now, it's funny. The big 10 commissioners like, "No more conference expansion." No, that's funny, that you can say that after you raid the packed well. All of this is the conference's fault. I don't know how we're not all banding together and say abolish conference. Let's band together, band together, abolish conferences. Everyone goes independent. You want the regular season matter? We're all scheduling the best games we possibly can. This… the conferences are the issue here. They're the ones driving all the unpopular things in this sport. Jeremy, put it on the pole, should we all band together? Perfect. But Mike, you also make a wild statement, in my opinion, 15 minutes ago, as Jess was coming on, which is that Notre Dame could lose to BYU. And the Miami is like, "Wow, that won't hurt them. They're both top 10 losses." Again, participating against a good team should not be a virtue. Yeah, I think it would hurt them. They should not, if they were to lose to the only two good teams they play all season, that should rule them out as being one of the only reason to rule them out last year. The only reason it ruled them out last year was because they just all happened to lose to Miami who was in the head-to-head discussion and they lost their buffer team, convenient enough as it was. But they would have been in. They definitely would have been in if they had another top 10 team loss and it just wasn't Miami. And they'll be in again if they lose those two games. I'm talking about pig skin justice, though, man. If you lose, if you participate against two good teams and you lose twice, you don't get some bang out of that. The fact that BAMA somehow hangs around in the same spot after losing to Georgia, great, you play to good team. By the way, you lost to them. So what? How does that make you better for having lost against a good team? You have given us evidence that you're not as good as the good team. You just lost it. Jeremy, put it on the poll as well. Are we talking about pig skin justice, please? Thank you. Last night, I want to get to the game from last night. I think you guys know I like a good low scoring game every now and then. I don't need shootouts every night. Give me some defense. But brewery Dodgers? See you'll get your time to shine. Seahawks Broncos last night was a tough watch. You know, obviously on the big TV in the Zazzle Mansion fan room, I got the pandas because I didn't go to the game because I don't have many friends and I'm a loser. So I had the Panthers on the big TV. And then even when the Panther game ended, I finished my stories from a couple nights ago. All right. I had my stories Monday Night Raw on the big TV. And we had the football on the smaller TV. Bonic Tony. Bonics just getting. I'm listening on the way in to my shows. And Bonics is getting hammered for his performance last night. He was he's been not great since the ankle injury. And I think Ryan Fitzpatrick spoke for all of us when he went out and completely just hung him out to try. Let's hear what Ryan had to say about Bonics's play. And part of it for me is Bonics is not playing competitively. It's almost disrespectful to the quarterback position. How he's playing football. What do you mean? What do you mean? What do you see? What how is he playing? I mean, first of all, the guy doesn't want to throw the ball. That's fine. He's thrown to the flats. He's throwing behind. But he has no trust from his coach. He calls a screenplay on third and eight. Just run up and let the clock keep going. What's he doing? He throws it away. Seattle gets the ball. They have a timeout. And then in overtime, he's got two chances to be competitive. The last one being a designed run for him to run. Make somebody missing. Get a first down for your football team. Now they're in the locker room. Not right now. They're excited. They won. He's not playing competitive football right now. All right, Bonics out of 42 quarterbacks with at least 25 drop-backs. He's 29th in EPA per play, 31st in past EPA, 32nd in impact plays, 34th in completion percentage, 39th in ADOT. He's playing the game like if it was 1927. He has no concept of the forward pass. Everything he threw in the second half was behind the line of scrimmage. I don't want to get lost in what Ryan Fitzpatrick just said. Like you don't hear that. He crushed from a fellow quarterback after a win. I mean, they're flying Broncos windpaners behind the crowd is like, yeah, they just beat the defending champs are 4 and 2 now. And I'm so glad he highlighted like Sean Payton's like, all right, we're just going to put the ball on your hands not to throw run. And I was screaming at my television at Bonics because he did he did he was just caught in no man's land. He didn't want to turn the corner. He didn't want to cut it inside. He was making losing play after losing play. And Sam Darnell needs to count his lucky stars at Bonaix exists because Sam Darnell was a disaster in that game as a super bowl winning quarterback to have those two mistakes late in that game. Yes, we all know Bonaix has been limited. It's been a national discussion and Ryan Fitzpatrick decided to go in for a kill shot. That's cool. More of that. Awesome. Sam Darnell super glad that Ryan Fitzpatrick and Bonaix exist today. Another Bonics that kind of blew my mind here. Doug Clausson said Bonics has the best career record in NFL history in games with a six yards per attempt record or less. He's 13 and three in those games. All other active quarterbacks have a 283 win percentage in starts where they're getting six yards attempt or less. Doug Clausson, by the way, good hooper play with him at ESPN. Good hooper. Big guys like six seven. Good job.
important note. Like Dave, does it, does it really matter when we know Denver's defense is really good. And as long as the quarterback is not turning the ball over, which, you know, I get it, they're punting, but the quarterback's not turning the ball over. And they're four and two. And they just beat the defending champs. I got three minutes from Zazlow. What are, what are we talking about? Did Ryan Fitzpatrick have bonix on his fantasy team? And he was wrong because as Mike, as Mike Ryan just said, wait until he gets a load of Sam Darnel's performance. I mean, what, what, which is preferable to Ryan Fitzpatrick? I guess he was a pick machine in bad spots himself. So maybe he's vibing the Sam Darnel didn't doesn't want to shine. But he wasn't afraid. He didn't play afraid. That's for sure. I mean, terrific, terrific. Guess what? The Broncos are now four and two after beating the defending, um, Super Bowl champ peans who are now three and three because Sam Darnel threw some terrible picks in some terrible spots, which it seems like Ryan Fitzpatrick was advocating the bonix take the same sort of risks. They're four and two. He's playing the way Sean Payton wants him to play. This is an insane conversation in my opinion, as insane. In fact, as on the, as on the broadcast Herb Street bringing it up in the fourth quarter, like, Hey, we talked to the two, uh, the Seahawks. Hey, that mile high thing is for real. Like playing in, uh, in the thin air. Why again, why then are not all the Denver teams undefeated at home? Why don't the Nigg Nuggets beat everybody they ever play, right? Why don't, I think Tony just caught that there. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's close one. I agree. Play on for me. I got you. You heard that. Yeah. But don't worry. We got through it. And it's all right. Let's move forward. But why, but really could have been why don't the apps be why don't the apps win every game they ever play in Denver then if the, if the mile high advantage is so great, why does it come up every same as Ryan Fitzpatrick went to Harvard, same thing. Oh, you know, the, the air's thin up here. It's a real competitive advantage. Then, then, then all the Denver teams are under achieving. Dave, does he want him to play like that? Or does he need, he's just, please God, don't kill us. I'm going to throw everything behind the line of script. That's what I thought until we get somebody who's better that can replace you because this team was a broken ankle away. Bonyx is, of course, from going to the Super Bowl and maybe beating the, the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, right? If you get a different quarterback in there that can actually throw the ball past the line. That is not another quarterback. The quarterback, Bonyx, had he not gotten hurt. It was Jared Stittam's fault, not his fault, but he got to J.M. Then they are that one. Brought to the, don't go to the, don't go to the Super Bowl. If Bonyx, they would have been in the Super Bowl. What is all the hand-ring about Bonyx's performance? Therefore in two, everybody, I know that there was a discourse before the injury, but he does seem worse this year. And what we know about that injury was a recovery was slow. And I do think that he should be afforded some grace like, Hey, that injury was kind of bad. And it might be playing a huge factor, but then use your arm, throw the ball past the line. That's what he does. But okay, when you look at his break chart, everything is to the outside. He does not throw the middle of the field whatsoever. He takes deep shots and it's baked into their game plan, let's draw a flag. Pigs in justice. Tony, you know that moment at a party or a tailgate where everything just sort of clicks. I know it well. It's usually when I show up, everybody goes crazy. Yeah, you usually take all the credit for it, but it's because Tony usually walks in with queer walking like this. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Queervo is a thing that turns hanging out into this is the night. It has that effect on people. It does. You usually take the credit for it, but again, it's the Queervo effect. It's like that moment in a big game where everyone in the crowd just starts standing up, hooting and hollering. Keep it Queervo. Keep it Queervo, baby.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
The season transforms weekend routines into intense football immersion, driven by emotional investment and social engagement.
Key "big game" moments—like college rivalries, playoff matchups, and WNBA finals—are defined by high stakes, fan passion, and narrative tension.
The expanded college football playoff (to 24 teams) is seen as a financially driven expansion by conferences, not a fan-supported evolution, raising concerns about fairness and regular-season relevance.
Many argue that college football's true appeal lies in rivalries and the unpredictability of the regular season, not in a larger playoff structure.
The emotional and strategic impact of games like Miami vs. FSU or Notre Dame vs. BYU highlights the importance of momentum, identity, and rivalry dynamics.
Social media and fan discourse amplify the excitement, often turning close games into cultural events.
Despite the expansion, the regular season remains central to the sport’s identity, with fans valuing unpredictability and Cinderella stories.
The "Queervo effect" symbolizes the spontaneous, crowd-energizing moments that define memorable football experiences.
Summary:
The football season transforms ordinary weekends into emotionally charged experiences, driven by intense rivalries, social media buzz, and deep fan investment. From college showdowns like Florida State vs. Miami to high-stakes WNBA finals and unpredictable matchups, "big games" are defined by stakes, atmosphere, and narrative drama.
A major debate centers on the expansion of the college football playoff to 24 teams, which many view as a financially motivated shift by conferences rather than a fan-driven evolution. Critics argue this undermines the regular season’s importance and erodes the sport’s unique value in rivalries and underdog stories. While the expanded playoff offers more games and visibility, it risks creating imbalance, reducing parity, and diminishing the emotional richness of traditional football culture.
Ultimately, fans and analysts emphasize that the true magic of college football lies in its rivalries, unpredictability, and the spontaneous, electric moments—like the "Queervo effect"—that turn ordinary games into legendary events.
FAQs
A game is considered a 'big game' when it involves high stakes, strong rivalry, intense competition, or significant implications for a team's season or championship hopes, such as a rivalry matchup, a road game against a top-tier team, or a game that could determine playoff eligibility.
Yes, it's considered a big game due to its status as a historic in-state rivalry, with high stakes, passionate fanbases, and the potential for one team to gain a significant advantage in the national championship race.
It's considered a big game because it's a critical matchup in the SEC, played during a crucial time of the season, with both teams having strong records and the potential for a dramatic outcome that could impact their conference standing.
Yes, a double date is considered a 'big game' because it involves social pressure, the need to impress, and the emotional effort of making a good impression, especially when the outcome affects relationships or group dynamics.
It's significant because it's a high-stakes college football matchup with a double-digit spread, featuring a top-10 road favorite, and potentially impacting the national championship race due to its role as an elimination game.
The expansion increases the number of teams in the playoff, adding more games and pressure on teams to perform consistently, which can shift focus from regular-season drama to playoff eligibility and seeding.
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