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I don't care if you didn't play a snap or you played every down. That's all it is, man. Scream the panic. They don't need to be nervous. It's a fight. Go out there and fight. Hello everyone. Welcome back to Rushing the Field presented by Xfinity. He's Joshua Perry. I'm Nicole Hourback. Joshua's coming from you from Columbus, Ohio. I am in what looks like an empty warehouse outside of O'Hare. Uh I'm here at basketball, Big 10 basketball media days. Uh so I apologize for the background. Looks like I'm in the middle of nowhere.
Dressed up in a warehouse is insane behavior out of you. Yes. And like full glam makeup, all of that to uh interview these coaches. Um which is a lot of fun. Can't believe it's already October and we're about to enter basketball overlap season. It's kind of crazy. next week. Actually, JP, we're just doing the math. We'll be the midpoint of the regular season, so we'll have to revisit some of our preseason picks and brackets and all of that, which I think we're doing mostly okay. I don't know what mostly okay means. I haven't really looked back at mine, but I'm sure I've got I had Oklahoma in mine, so that's pretty bad.
Yeah. Or I was going to say, was it them or was it? I had&M in there as well. So, okay. So, maybe not. Pretty bad. Um maybe not so great. But I don't like overlap season because I just like the shine to be on college football and then you've got hoops coming into the mix and hockeyy's started. They got NHL games playing. Um so I'm getting a little bit sad that we don't have the spotlight right now. Well, baseball postseason there is a lot happening. It's actually pretty great for sports fans who watch everything and always want something on. But you're right. I mean college football is our favorite sport. It is something that is always at the
forefront for us. And I wanted to start today's show instead of emptying the notebook like we usually do with a lot of news and notes. We'll we'll get to the relevant uh tidbits and injury updates when we get to some of our game previews for week six. I wanted to talk about like the macro sense of this sport right now because it feels like everyone is just angry and upset and angsty like all different fan bases all the time. Everyone's trying to fire their coach, trying to fire their coordinators, athletic directors. Um, and I kind of wanted to just like dig into this with you because uh you love the lunatic fringe. You love that part of every fan base. You love the people whose
standards are so high, but it does feel like there's a couple of different things converging here to lead to this general state of misery. What where do you start here with what everyone is complaining about right now? So, let me start with this just in terms of complaining. I feel like we live in a society full of grievances and that is a big part of this. Like I think that anywhere you look people are complaining about things. I think if you look at uh you know daily studio shows or if you listen to podcasts whether that's sports whether that's politics whether that's anything people are agrieved in life. And so I think we should just start by acknowledging that grievances maybe drive conversation a
little bit more than the fun times do. Um, but you know, you mentioned like what are the causes of it and you put a few things down here in the uh rundown. I would start with this idea that everybody either wants to flip their roster and be successful right now or they're trying to make a playoff because for some reason it makes them feel good. And it's probably caused a lot more stress and anxiety for fans of the sport than it was the old way when, you know, only four teams made the playoff or there was a BCS and there were only two teams playing for a title and everybody else just kind of went on and enjoyed the sport for what it is.
So, are you saying that it's both the lack of patience just for turning around programs or it's because like I want to start with what you were just talking about on the last bit. Okay. So you're saying when there were only two teams that got to play for a national championship, everybody else played for other things. They played to reach a bowl game, maybe to reach like a Rose Bowl for the first time in a long time. Like there were these other ideas of success, you know, double digit wins. When you got to four, I felt it starting to shift. And this is part of why we went from four to 12 where only like six or seven teams were kind of in that mix every
single year, right? So then for everyone else, there wasn't that thing to play for and you saw people starting to opt out of New York schools and those games not be as Let me say this though that I feel like people were told to stop caring about those things. I feel like people and I'm talking about like players to a certain point too who started saying these games don't matter. It's because they heard talking heads on TV saying that. But like, yes, we got to a point where like everybody was like, if you're not in this thing or you're not one of the teams who's close to being in this thing, then the rest of it doesn't matter. And do you remember that was manufactured a little bit?
Well, do you remember the promos and everything from ESPN? Oh, yeah. It was like, are you in? Yeah. Who's in? So, if you were not, then your season was over, right? Like people were just completely writing off like a Penn State if they lost in week two. It was right. And that was the way it was framed and the way that the sport was being covered. They were writing off nonplayoff new year six bowl games. Yeah. Right. So like we're we're talking about like the most historic best of the best great way to end your season if you're not playing for a title and people were like y'all shouldn't give a damn about that.
Right. So I think that was so that like started us along this path and you and I obviously we disagree, right? You're a contractionist. you wish the playoff was smaller than 12. But part of the reason that I supported it going to 12 and I think this part has absolutely played out here is that you have more teams that get to the playoff. Therefore, in a world where you say it's playoff or bus and the playoff is the only thing that matters and we don't care about the we don't think these other bowl games are valuable or meaningful to make, you do need more spots in the thing that people care about. So that's the 12 spot. So 12 teams get to say like we made the college football playoff. Now that has created this whole other world
where used to be what the half the sport made a bowl game, right? And that was fine, right? Because a lot of people it was a big deal that they made it. For other teams, you know, it was a little disappointing to be at whatever tier they were at. But now you're nowhere near that 50% range because you have 12 out of 138. So I think that part doesn't add up correctly and you have the impact of um the point about you were making earlier about re like rebuilds patients there's none of that anymore either. So that was already moving in a way where you weren't going to really get like a full recruiting class for years to try to turn something around. So, how much of this is Kurt Signetti's fault that
because Indiana went from being the losingest program of all time to a really good year one with Signetti where they made the playoffs and then a national championship in year two, did that contribute to the angst everywhere else too? Now, so let me go back just for one second and then I'll answer your question. But I feel like when we let the tail wag the dog, this is where we get from 12 felt fine even for people who maybe got there begrudgingly to well, we absolutely need to go to 24 because we spent so much time telling you the other stuff doesn't matter and now there are more people who want to feel like they matter. So then we have to expand this thing so more people can matter. And to get to the
other point about what you're saying, well, if we have 2014 playoff, they're not going to fire me if I'm a playoff coach and I'll have a little bit more time to do this and a little bit more time to do that. Yeah, part of this is Kurt Signnetti's fault. Um, and I think that what he did is an unreasonable thing for people to expect to happen, but it's available to you. You are available to tap into financial resources. You are available to flip a roster in a year of guys who maybe you didn't didn't want or guys you inherited or whatever the case. Guys that just didn't work out. They were bust. You misidentified and you don't need them anymore. And get guys in there that can play. Um, so yeah, I mean I think
there's part of that. I will say this on the other side, and I was having a conversation on a radio show I was doing today, but um, Mike Lockley is probably going to be out the door by the end of the year. And if Marilyn says we need to find the next Curt Signetti, they're stupid. That is a dumb thing to say that you are going to do because it feels like a very once in a-lifetime thing to hit on. So yeah, he ruined it for a lot of people. And the problem is that he set an expectation that is so unrealistic that he's going to continue to make it hard on people moving forward. Yes, completely true. And now it's all who's going to be this year's Indiana?
Is it UCLA and Bob Chzn? What they were doing? We thought, well, what about Oklahoma State? They're bringing all these guys from North Texas. They could be this year's Indiana. And then you have programs like Penn State where they bring all these guys from Iowa State and it's not working out and they've lost two games and the sky is falling there and there just like isn't that patience where normally with a coaching transition it's happening for a reason and either the roster does need to change or the culture needs to change or something needs to change that cannot be flipped in one year. Um so I think that's part of it and I'll also add here's another factor for you the size of conferences.
Yeah. So, in the past, you had a Pack 12. You had conferences that were more regional, but were smaller, were more manageable. Now, you have 16 teams in the SEC, 18 teams in the Big 10, 17 in the ACC, 16 in the Big 12. And teams have to finish in the bottom half of the league. Teams have to finish in the bottom quarter, third of the league. Not everybody is going to be in that top grouping. You know, you could finish ninth in the Big 10 this year and that could be a huge step up for a Northwestern or someone, right? But it
doesn't feel that way when you have so many teams that are above you or so many teams that are capable of beating you and you don't have the natural order of things where, you know, it's it's easier. I've always said maybe this is wrong Joshua, but don't you think it would be easier to rise up from the very bottom to the middle and the middle to the top in a smaller league where there's fewer teams that have to leaprog or just like v visual steps? I don't know. It just feels like that is a path that now it's just it's daunting. If you're Arkansas, what are you supposed to do? You just have too many teams that are spending more than you, that have better players than you, better coaches than you. Where do you
even start when you're that far down in a giant super conference? No, I definitely agree with the idea that like getting to the middle felt more attainable in previous years because that, you know, it didn't it didn't take as many spots to jump to get to the middle, right? Like you want to get to the middle now. And it's like if you were starting from the very bottom of the conference, yeah, good luck like jumping up nine spots, like knocking off nine different teams. um nine philosophies and you know nine as you mentioned like uh nine rosters that you probably have to outperform to some regard and nine athletic departments that may be outspending you and you have to get more creative then. Um yeah, it's it's a wild
thing to consider. I feel like we have we've changed as people who consume the sport, but I feel like we haven't hit that full reset yet where part of us has like the old school mentality of like it should be we should be able to do this based off of how things used to be, but then there is that other part where we have completely reset to like, you know, now all we care about is the playoff instead of caring about other things that used to matter in the sport, etc., etc. So, um I think part of this is our problem too of we haven't set ourselves realistic expectations for the new era, but part of this is also structural with what the new era has actually given us.
I think that's an important last point because you're caught between thinking about college football in a more NFL way, but in the NFL you can lose like seven games and still make the playoffs. So the meaning of it's all or nothing if you lose a game is not quite the same as it was for college football for so long. And people want that sense of urgency. They want the importance of the regular season. But the reality is there are different margins for teams, different mulligans that teams get. Maybe they get three. We'll see if the nine and three team gets in as an atlarge. And all of
that affects certain teams differently than it does the teams trying to come up, the teams trying to break through or the teams that see Indiana do what Indiana does and think, well, we should be able to do that. Not everyone's going to be able to do that, but everyone thinks they can or thinks they should. And if you don't do it right away, then everyone should be fired and everyone must go. And you're doing this also in a time where it is more expensive than ever to make those changes and to make those moves. And so I think you also have the angst of wanting to change but not being able to afford to change. And so then you're stuck almost in these marriages that you don't want to be in for longer than you are in.
Or you said the last time we are going to afford to change this thing and it cost you $50 million to get rid of the mistake that you made and then you compound mistakes and now you're like we can't go back and undo this thing because we tried to undo the last thing and we did it wrong. Right. I think that's part of it. And then I'll just throw in like social media algorithms. You're just being fed other people who are also angry about the same that you are angry about. Yes. Grievance being having grievances is definitely good for content. It is. That's why everyone pees off on the AP poll every week. And some people who vote in the poll used their polls as I saw the one of the guy who had Mississippi State up
and jumped them way up after losing and then was like read my article about what I did with my bull. Not great. It was crazy. Um would you like to zoom in on a couple of particularly miserable faces as we often do here on Rushing the Field? We're going from the Big 10. They are uh the most miserable message boards. We're going to start with Penn State. Mentioned this earlier um from Lions 247 fight on state. We fired James Franklin. How's that working out for us so far? Uh a lot of people making that uh comment that
comparison after the second loss. Oh, and can we get Signetti? Let's just offer whatever. I saw him uh mocked up in Oh, sorry. That's fans. Michigan fans will pay whatever to get Sign Eddi. I thought I think all fan bases have the same board about I saw Signetti mocked up in a Michigan pullover on Twitter by a Michigan fan who was like go get him. Yeah, it's hilarious. No, that's not No, no, you can't. No. Um and then of course USC. So you've got people who want to make Lincoln Riley the offensive coordinator, bring in an interim head coach. Uh there were actually a lot of different USC message
board fodder on USC football.com uh asking if it's time if they reached rock bottom. So uh is this a nightmare? Feels like Klay Hilton. And they won by the way. That's what I was going to say. It interests me because they won. They won a game and people were more convinced after the win that they should be done with Lincoln than they were after they lost to Oregon, which is crazy. In the defense of um our pals over at Message Board Geniuses, some of these might have been in game, which is when you get the really good stuff. Well, yeah, they were when they were talking 21 to 10.
The tarmac situation. That's what I did see in reference. But again, USC has lost one game. They have some of their toughest opponents still to play and they're miserable. Those fans are miserable. And I think there's there's some part of this where Joshua it's like I think it's always been normal that people nitpick their teams and they complain about their weaknesses and they you know like Mike Bobo everyone's like run the ball like you know whatever you there's all these things you know I nitpick. Yes. But it does feel like it's been on a different level this year right like I'm not making that up.
No I feel like there's there's a lot of nitpicking. I this is the other thing and I know we're running out of time in this segment for people like Michigan, Ohio State and you know USC what they had been in the past at least and some of these other big programs Georgia, Alabama, your roster is not as talented as it used to be and the margins in the games are going to be closer and you're not used to that yet and I'm speaking myself in a lot of ways. That is a really good point and yes your second teamers used to be better than a lot of other people. That is also different. And again, you have more margin to still make the playoff with losing more games. But again, you're
right. It's not exactly the way we're used to consuming and watching these teams play or what's at stake on Saturdays. Want to talk about that as well as we get into Alabama Georgia, which we do will do right after a quick break. We'll game preview and we'll talk about what's really at stake in that game as well. Welcome back to Rushing the Field presented by Affinity. He's Joshua Perry. I'm Nicole Hourback. We're gonna start with the biggest game of the weekend. Hopefully, it gets played as we're recording this. A lot of weather concerns for Georgia and Alabama. Everyone has become a meteorologist on my social media feeds, which um is never a great sign. Alabama favored by one and a half points at the top six showdown.
Uh and certainly the marquee game of the weekend. These have been two of the best teams in the country all year and we have not seen Georgia tested yet. We have not learned a ton about them because they have not played anyone with comparable talent. And here we are. We got a great game with Keelin Russell and company and Kirby Smart and his defense. This ought to be a really fun one to watch it. It typically is. And there's usually some drama or some big swings or maybe even a huge shock. One team just, you know, being coming out and just knocking the other one in the mouth. Uh we're going to do uh our
preview here, but also we're going to do picks. Nicole is uh eight and 10 on the season. I'm 500 uh for our pick segment here. So, not too bad. I feel like floating around that 500 spot is um not bad at all. But uh when it comes to this one, you mentioned Georgia for their first big test. I fully agree with that. What we've seen from Keelin Russell, what we have seen from the Alabama uh skill position, what we have seen from Alabama's offensive line in particular when they protect the passer has been really good stuff. I would flip the script on that though. And it's not to say that I think, you know, Gunner Stockton is Keelin Russell and Al, you know, Georgia's got phenomenal deep wide receiver room. Like, I'm not sure they
have a true white out one. But Alabama, I keep going back to it like I'm I'm just not too sure about their defense as a whole. Um, I also look at some of the defenses that Alabama has played and you start to ask the question like, are those some of the strongest groups that they're going to see all year? I think this is gonna be one of those games where both teams are a little bit stunned at points and I'm curious to see who that trips up a little bit more earlier on. Nicole, no, I think that's a really interesting point because you're right, like the teams and the games we've talked about with Alabama, um, you feel like Florida State's offense, you know, is better than their defense. Same with
Mississippi State and Kamario Taylor. So maybe you have learned a little bit more about Alabama's defense than you have about their offense because they haven't necessarily been challenged. We have seen an improved run game. I'll be very curious to see if that's something that they're able to do against Georgia in their front. Um but I think one thing that's also interesting in this is Kaylin Dbor has generally been very good in these games against Kirby Smart. Two and one. The one loss was the SEC title game last year. But to your point about kind of stunning him sometimes that's happened in this game and we've seen Kaylin Deborah Ryan Grub like scheme up some really interesting plays in this
game or in the games in general. We've seen that from this coaching staff. So that's another thing that's really interesting. But I think I'm with you too where like if you're going to figure out which team do you trust more in a big moment. I mean Gutter Stockton's not the sexy quarterback in this one. He's not the one we've all been talking about, been blown away watching all the highlights, but he's someone you do generally trust. He rarely makes mistakes. He's also rarely like forcing it too much. When he has, sometimes that's where he does make mistakes, but a lot of their pass game is very manageable.
It's efficient. It puts guys in space and it puts them in good positions. So, I think that's something to watch as well, especially as you think about weather, what that impact could be on the pass game. Um, I think, you know, that's something where you could see again the experience of a quarterback, but also where they like to throw the ball could be a factor. And then again, I just like, don't we think that this is going to be one of those great Georgia defenses? Again, like the front specifically, the defensive line. I mean, yeah, it that's why this is such a great test for a young and inexperienced, but like obviously a high ceiling quarterback in Russell.
No doubt. I mean, it feels like a typical Georgia defense. like I think that their defense is always going to provide enough resistance that you feel confident about them in any matchup. Now, if this becomes a situation, and as you mentioned, weather's a factor, but let's say, you know, things tend to work out and you can run most of your traditional offense. Like, if this becomes a match points type scenario, then certainly it would favor Alabama. And to the point that you made about them, if they can scheme into favorable matchups, then um that would be the one way that you attack a defense that is as talented as Georgia's is you say,
"We know we have an advantage here, and this is what our one-on-one looks like." whether it's, you know, getting a wide receiver on a safety, which is what a lot of these great offenses figure out how to do, all those different things. Now, if it comes down to the wind is whipping and gusting a little bit and Keen Russell cannot use that big arm of his to get it down the football field, it certainly feels like that's a more of the game that Georgia would want to play. Yeah. And or if Georgia's defense takes that away, right? interested to see what happens there because Georgia's been one of the best defenses in the SEC preventing plays of 20 yards. So, it's a great it's like rock on rock.
It's going to be hard. It's going to be tough. Um and the winner of this game will certainly I think be you know the favorite in the SEC even with okay like Texas is the number one team in the country and no one really talks about them as the best team in the country because they've only looked that way for one quarter so far this season. So, I think again, you're going to come out of this being like the winner of this game, favored in the SEC, um, and in prime position to get a great seed in the College Football Playoff. But, I think we obviously both think both these teams are playoff teams. Both these teams look like they should be true national title contenders.
They should. And that's been one of the stories of the season that Alabama has returned to that form this year. And you know what's funny to me though is I also do feel like if Alabama wins this one, like you feel much more confident about them being a title contender, but then I start to do that thing that I like to do where I play devil's advocate and say, "Well, Kirby just struggles in this game. I got to see him do it another time, right?" I do think there is a little bit of a weird thing there, but um to your point like these are two teams that I do believe are championship contenders and this is a game that I think we will have huge takeaways from whether they
are right or wrong. Um and I'm excited to see what that looks like. The one final kind of football thing I'll say on this game is I mentioned that Alabama uh their defense at times, you know, I have questions. They struggle when they play press man. And I think a lot of it is their secondary is so big like they're they're tall, they're long, and they're strong that their hips are a little bit tight and so they just don't turn when they're in that press position very well and they're they're chasing from behind. Does Gunnar Stockton have a deep ball and does he have the deep ball accuracy to be able to capitalize on those plays if they can create those scenarios? That would be a big thing to me that could actually
swing the game more in their favor if they're able to capitalize on those I don't know maybe three or four shot plays that you might get a game. All right, so we'll make our picks. I think as of right now as we're reporting this on Wednesday, Alabama's favored by one and a half points at home according to our pals over at DraftKings. I am taking Georgia to win and obviously to cover. Um I believe that they're one of the very best teams in the country. Um, and for Alabama, I do think they're a national title contender, but you know, I'm still waiting for them just to prove it. If they win here, obviously think about them a little bit
differently. Right now, I'm seeing the pieces. If they all come together, great. I'll be surprised. But until then, I always default to Kirby Smart, Georgia. Um, and I just think that team is better positioned, no matter what the elements are, to win the game. I um I'm going to tell people right now I feel like if you're going to fade any of my picks, this would be the one to fade because I'm going with Georgia. But it's it is absolutely because I trust Kirby too much. It's it's because I you can't tell me anything bad about Kirby. Let me just put it like that. And so um I usually in a big game default to he's going to figure out a way to get it done. And I feel like he's also probably parlayed the people don't think we're as
good as I think we are in the locker room card with this team a little bit in nobody's been talking about them really. They haven't played like an underrated undertalked about Kirby team is a dangerous team. Yes. He had those guys believe in people told him they were going to go five and seven one year. Nobody has ever said that since he's been there. No. And they all said that. So, he like manufactured fake news headlines or something to put around that locker room to do it. Incredible motivator. Um, now I don't think these teams need any motivation. I think everyone knows
what's at stake. These there's been such rich history uh of games between these two programs, all of the things we started out by talking about. But I know that you're also preemptively annoyed that this game doesn't mean more. So, I wanted to give you the floor here because I know this is something that, you know, we talk about with Ohio State, Michigan, but Georgia, Alabama certainly qualifies as well, knowing that the losers season still is in front of them. Like they could still very well win a national title after this. Yeah, it's I feel like we've done this thing in college football where we've taken the stakes from a game like this and we've put it on to a matchup between like, you
know, number 17 versus number 23 instead of number two versus number six. Um, both of these teams are likely to be in. Neither one of these teams would be out if they lost this football game. And it just that to me is like we talked about meaningless games in a whole bunch of other contexts like I'm I am going to co-opt that phrase and bring it back for these this is a meaningless matchup, right? Like there are no stakes on this matchup. Tell try to tell me there ARE THERE AREN'T. WELL, YES. NO, like the loser does not get eliminated from the playoffs. Sure. Okay. Yes. You don't think it matters to win the game?
Not at all. Nope. After I watched Ohio State lose to Michigan as a three touchdown favorite and go on to win the title, none of these games matter anymore. Doesn't matter. We just play them for fun. I mean, again, cuz we want other games to matter more than this. Bragging rights. You get to win THIS GAME. NO, YOU CAN'T BRAG. THEY WON a championship. They won a title. It doesn't matter. Inside championship inside track for a top four seed matters. cuz you don't even want one of the top seeds in the playoff anyway.
Signetti is the only one who knows how to win with one of those. It doesn't matter. Is there anything that can fix this? No. And I'll say this too is we've we've removed the stakes off of a game like this. And we've also at the same time clown PJ Fleck for celebrating wins with his team because then we try to tell people that, oh well, it's not a playoff game and you didn't, you know, this isn't a national championship and this one doesn't matter either. Then what does matter besides the playoff?
Like we have totally talked ourselves into this world that nothing matters except for the playoff. This is why everyone's so angry all the time. This is why. And by the way, I have come around, well, no, not like I didn't like PJ's celebrations, but I've come around completely on like the whole backlash to him celebrating, saying these days are like the best of his life. We absolutely should be celebrating wins and saying that these games matter, that it matters to win a rivalry trophy, that it matters to come back on the road at like 2 AM or whenever they beat Washington. Like, we need to celebrate that. Otherwise, again, you're just you're you're letting the misery and all the things that are going wrong control
you instead of actually enjoying the winds along the way. It is okay to clown Michigan for storming the field after barely beating Western, right? Like that context is different than PJ Fleck whose team hadn't won the Jug rivalry game in that at home since 77 celebrating, right? Like this is we have to we have to fix our brains in this sport right now. Minnesota should celebrate beating Michigan regardless of what Michigan is this year because they're not going to be able to look at the college football playoff the way that Michigan's going to be able to look at it in a year from now. I just I'm telling you that's the way it is. So we have to look at things differently. And I will remind you that the winner of
Georgia should also celebrate and that this No, I'm not saying they should celebrate. They should celebrate, but this game doesn't mean anything. Well, it does in some capacities, but we will pause there. We will debate this later. Um, and when we come back, we will preview more of the week six matchup. Welcome back to Rushing the Field presented by Infinity. Time to run through some other week storylines. Here's the game that I'm not sure anyone in the preseason would have necessarily said this is much mustwatch TV, but you know what? UCLA has done that for us.
We're all in on Bob Chznney and what he is building. The rushing attack is so fun to watch. Like this is a really enjoyable team to watch and they are going to play Oregon. Now the Ducks are favored by 11 and a half points according to DraftKings. We don't know the status of Dante Moore. Dan Lanning said earlier in the week that he participated in practice after two weeks after sustaining that concussion against USC. He's wearing a helmet and shoulder pads, throwing a football, but we did not get more information. I'm also not sure that it necessarily matters because they have Dylan Raiola as QB2. Um he played really well when he stepped into that game against SC and this is a UCLA team that has not played
a defense with the talent of Oregon. Um they have won shootouts, they have blown people out, but they also have done that against teams that are not in the same caliber as Oregon. So Joshua, keys to this one? Yeah. So, I'll start off by saying, um, I don't know if I want to see Dante Moore play this week. Um, I've said it before, I'm not exactly sure I need to see him play again this year after the injury that he sustained. And Dan Lanning was very much like, we're going to do what's best for Dante. Um, so I'm not saying that and like I'm accusing them of trying to bring him back too quickly. I'm just putting that out there. Um, you know, that young man
definitely needs as much time as he can uh that he needs to heal. Um, this game I think is very interesting for a lot of reasons. You mentioned plenty of them. Um, UCLA has been a phenomenal story to watch and I remember when we were out there this summer, Bob Chzn was talking to us about, you know, convincing his team that they were winners, right? They had a lot of guys that were still in that program that were so used to losing. And I guess whatever he was telling them, they really believed because these guys not only have done the winning, but they've played extremely well. And in some of these games, they've battled well into the
fourth quarter before they were able to really pull away. Um, so I like the grit that they show from that. I love the fact that they run the ball as well as they do as a team. And on the flip side of that, Oregon 47th nationally in yards per carry uh defensively and uh 64th nally in yards per game allowed, right? Like they're super talented, but this defense, this is a little bit of a challenge to Dan Lanning. I'm tired of calling this defense talented. I want to actually say that they're good. And I don't know if I can say that right now. So, this will be one for me that if they can shut down this run game that has been the bread and butter for UCLA, I'll give them some credit because I do
think it's a very good run game regardless of who they've gone up against. I agree and I think to me that's the most compelling matchup of the game. Um, and it will really tell us about, you know, just again the ceiling for UCLA because you look at their schedule and there is a lot of opportunity for the Bruins, especially I mean win or lose here, but especially if we see them look really good against Oregon or really competitive in this game. Um, that one is very interesting. I am going to take Oregon to cover the points though because I feel like they are starting to figure some things out and look and play like one of the best teams in the country.
It'll be um I think Oregon's got all the pressure here, right? Like UCLA is you know they've opened people's eyes and they surprise people. Like I don't Oregon you lose a game like this like now your back is really up against the wall um and what you have to do down the stretch. But I do think that UCLA is a team that can push them. Um I'm I'm not as sure as you are that they have figured some of those things out quite yet. Um the by-week certainly helps both of them are coming off of a buy. I think it helps Oregon a ton to have had that before this game, especially with the coordinator transition that we've been talking about this year. Um a lot of that stuff can get big. So are you saying you UCLA to cover?
Okay. I think Oregon is still going to win this football game. All right. Should we go to Lincoln? We should. Um this one's going to be a really fun one. I think probably underrated nationally just in terms of the hype for it. And part of the reason why is because Nebraska isn't ranked right now, but you've got uh number seven Indiana as a seven and a half point favorite going on the road to play Nebraska. And one of the things that I think is a question that will be answered here, who's going to dominate the ground game? Because these are two offenses that like to run the ball, I think, in different ways certainly. And two defenses, frankly, this year that have been very good. Like I know Indiana's maybe not the top end
defense that we saw from a year ago, still very good statistically. Nebraska very good statistically. What bends? What breaks? Like what's going to happen in this one in terms of the ground game? Yeah, I think that's a great point. And I also think Anthony Klandria and his legs is a factor here because he ranks ninth in rushing with all the running backs uh in the big in the conference. And so he's averaging 6.5 yards per carry. That's really good um for when he's been needing to be mobile. And so I think that's a factor here. I think it's a great test for Indiana which hasn't really been tested much. Um certainly not last week against USC. saw Josh
Hoover play his best and most complete game as a Hooer so far. Obviously, Northwestern um there were some challenges, there were some missed big throws from Hoover as well. Um so, I'm with you where I think whoever controls the game at the line of scrimmage is going to be the team that wins. And by the way, that's the team that's what these teams want to be. They want to be able to win games that way. Um they're trying to build to be that. I will give you the numbers because they always come up when Nebraska is in these situations, especially when they get off to a great start. If they were to pull off the upset, it would be their first win over an AP top 25 team since 2016.
Matt Rule's last win over a ranked opponent came at Temple in 2016. Nebraska has lost nine such matchups under his watch. So, history suggests that Indiana is going to win this game. Again, Vegas thinks that they're favored by about a touchdown. How do you see this one actually playing out? Yeah, I mean, I don't I hate feeling like I'm doubting Indiana, but it definitely is different than last year, and maybe they get this thing cooking. We saw it take a little bit of time last year to really get cooking, but um Hoover certainly feels like he's not Fernando Mendoza. The defense certainly feels like they're missing maybe that top gear that they had from a year ago. Um, you know, I watched
Northwestern throw it around on them a little bit and um, they had certainly good showing last week, but you know, Ruckers was able to get behind coverage just a little bit. So, I'm not sure if that can happen in this game. Um, I know Matt Rule feels like the first half of that game last week against Maryland, he was, you know, their guys were maybe looking ahead and he had to wake him up in the locker room. So, I think they're going to be prepared for this one. Um, but once again, like I think Nebraska is an improved team. I don't think they're Indiana. Um, I think at home they can push them to the brink. I'm picking Nebraska to cover. Indiana to win this one.
I'm taking the Hooers to cover. Um, but we will have a new stat, Joshua. We will determine when Nebraska win or lose. They'll be 1 and0 or 0 and one the week that Matt Rule debuts in an HBO series. So, that's a new set to keep track of, man. He was lanterns. Very excit. I know. I like I went to bed early. I had like five different people text me about Matt Rule popping up in that show. Incredible. So good. All right. Man, they got some time on a random day in the middle of the night or whatever it is to take to be in these things. Um, okay. Let's talk about LSU and Kentucky Tigers favored by eight and a half points. Um, and this is an
interesting one because to your earlier point about Nebraska not being ranked, Kentucky fell out of the poll after they needed their overtime heroics to beat South Carolina, not a very good team, but dramatic comeback. Will Stein was very, you know, kind of emotional afterwards. I think they probably learned a lot about themselves in that game and I loved that they went for two and that Will Stein was like, "Nope, we're going to play our best two-point play right now and not send it to a second overtime." All of that, all of that is good. Still really love Kenny Mchy there. I think it was a great pickup and a really good quarterback for Will Stein and company to play around with. But this is going to be a much
better defense that they will be up against. Blake Baker and company. LSU coming off of a buy, right? Did they have a buy last week? Yeah. Uh, no. They played MC, didn't they? Okay. So, sorry. They played similar to a buy. MC, but kind of a buy. Yeah. No, but you're you're right. that is why I was not thinking much of it. Um, and you know, I still I like LSU's run game. Um, I think we've seen some of the good of Sam Levit as a passer. That's been a little bit inconsistent at times. Um, but most of all, I guess I'm intrigued to see if Kentucky can
make this a game because that's what we're learning about them that they are in a place in year one with Will Stein where they can be a lot more competitive than we're used to seeing for Kentucky. But so far, some of that has been against the worst teams in the SEC this year. What are they going to do against a team the caliber of talent on it like LSU? Yeah, it's um I think that's an interesting thing because I kind of look at LSU I want to pull up their schedule here just so I can make sure I'm quoting this right, but like LSU to me I feel like has gotten a lot of credit off of what they did in week one.
And then like outside of that, I'm I don't know if they're as good as people are still trying to tell me that they are. Like Sam Levit to me is a good quarterback. Certainly not a great quarterback. I think he gets hit too much and so he's pulling himself up off the mat quite often in these games. So they beat Clemson, then they play Louisiana Tech. Oh, Miss lost in that one. Then they play Texas A&M. Drug them&m no good. I am eating crow for making that a playoff pick in the beginning of the year. And then they play MC. I don't know like have they played a team that is complete top tobottom good? Have they played a team that can push them on both sides of the ball? I'm not sure. Now I'm not saying
Kentucky can, but feels like they got as good of a shot as anybody that wasn't Old Miss on there. I would also argue that LSU's win over Clemson is part of the reason that all of these SEC teams are ranked and playing chairs because they got so much credit for that one. It was LSU beating Clemson and then Miss got the hype and then Florida got the hype and then of course you had the Mississippi State and Missou and all those others that are connected in this whole little thing now. Yeah, it's really it's Davo's fault. IT'S D. IT'S DAVOS'S FAULT. He started this. Um anyway, um Okay. What's your pick? My pick is going to be Kentucky to cover. I still don't think I feel like everybody's going to make it close, but
they're not going to win these games. So, there you go. Yeah. you don't have like full faith in these teams. I'm also taking Kentucky to cover in this one as well. Um so excited to see how that one plays out. So they get eight and a half points there in that one. It is time for Imagine That presented by Xfinity. Would you like to paint your picture first, JP? Yeah, I'm going to paint a picture that's going to be hard for a lot of people to see, but I am imagining that the by-week is the turning point for the Michigan Wolverines. They have I'm sorry. like a positive. Well, they can't turn it any more negative than it is right now. So, yes, this is a turn for the positive turning around. Okay, just checking.
I'm just I want people to imagine what that would be like. I mean, the and Kyle Whittingham said it the best in the leadup to the game against Minnesota. He said it felt like they were 0 and4. And I think you as somebody who went there, now you cover this, and me as somebody who is a rival and I cover this, like it hasn't felt good at all. None of this has really felt all that positive. Even the win against Oklahoma feels bad. Um, and so you have a time to regroup and you have a time to self- scout and re-evaluate and have very honest conversations with a lot of people within that program. And that's players being honest with coaches. That's coaches being honest with players. and then looking at what you have coming and
saying if we don't band together and if we don't play the football the way that we know how and support one another the way we know how, we're cooked. Now, after this buy, they got Penn State, Indiana, Michigan State in a rivalry. They got Oregon, UCLA, Ohio State. Awful, hard, very difficult schedule. So, I'm not saying this is going to happen, but this is where teams do have an opportunity to address some of the problems that they are currently facing. I'd be curious to see if a team that certainly is talented like Michigan could turn around their luck a little bit. It's a really good question. Know Kyle Whitting has said wait I know Kyle Whittingham has said that everything's
on the table for changes tweaks. You've got people debating scheme versus personnel to both by the way. Oh, I also think it's both for all of the offensive problems. Um so that is uh an interesting imagine that. Um, and uh, I don't know if that is necessarily going to happen, but you love to listen, they only got to fix one side of the ball. That's a beautiful thing. This is a good point. It's a good point. I've got one that I also think might be hard to imagine for so many people, so many of our friends in Tallahassee in particular that have been ready for Mike Norbell to leave, wanted him to leave last year after that season collapsed.
Uh, did you see what that team, what that Florida State team did to Virginia? Do you know who is next? Louisville. Louisville is completely falling apart. The wheels are off. Jeff Braum had one good win and then the season was totally derailed. That's who Florida State's got next. I We should imagine that Mike Norll gets this thing back on track. You look at their remaining schedule at Miami. Okay, that's that's going to be tough. Clemson. Clemson not impressive at all this year. That's that's winnable at BC at hit with backup quarterback with Mason Hel's out for the year. NC State and then Florida which we think Florida is still good even though they obviously got shut down by Missou.
I mean if Florida State finishes eight and four but Mike Norll era continues, does it not? Let me ask you this question because to me it feels like they the Florida State powers would be okay if this happened. I think there are some times where you're like rooting for the coach to be done, but they've they've given him ample time to get this thing turned around. Like I don't know if they really want to fire him. No. And I think you don't want to spend the money to fire him when you are trying to pay to get out of the ACC in a couple of years for an exit fee. So imagine that Mike Norbell wins enough to keep his job. That is more likely than mine, by the way.
I do too. That was Imagine that presented by Xfinity. I'm always a little bit more realistic than Joshua who likes wild imagination. Speaking of wild imaginations, we are going to make our underdog picks when we come back on Rushing the Field. Welcome back to Rushing the Field presented by Affinity. It is time for our underdog picks. Um, our records are not too bad. I'm three and two after week five. Joshua's two and three. So, we're doing all right. And I've got a very interesting one for all of you for a Friday night game, which I think is going to be actually really fun. There's there's a lot of teams in the Big 12 that are going to have a say in the Big 12 race. I know we right now are very high on Utah, BYU's
in the mix, Texas Tech's in the mix. Those are flawed teams, but there's also teams like Oklahoma State and Iowa State that are better than maybe people realize. And Iowa State is that way because of Aiden Flora, who by the way was a former walk-on. And he is just absolutely lighting it up in year one as a running back for Jimmy Rogers. He threw two touchdowns. He was a high school quarterback, two touchdowns in the last game. Um, so he's just been offense awesome. He's averaging 8.1 yards per carry. Unbelievable. And I think if Iowa State is going to keep this close and cover 10 and a half points, he's going to have to be a huge part of that. BYU also dealing with some injuries to key personnel on both sides
of the ball, including star running back LJ Martin. So, I am taking the Cyclones to cover 10 and a half points at BYU on Friday night potentially in a look ahead moment and opportunity for BYU. Looking ahead to Notre Dame next week. All of those factors lead me to believe the Cyclones can at least keep it close, maybe win the game. Yeah, I mean there it was a slog for them a week ago certainly. And Iowa State has been really fun and explosive and Matt Campbell's probably looking at them like, damn, I wish I was still over there. But that's neither here nor there. Uh my underdog for this week, uh we've got Red River, it's Oklahoma, it's Texas, Oklahoma 7 and a half point dog.
Um this to me is I'm curious if Texas really does have that offense that can win a title. And I know Oklahoma is not a good football team right now, but that is still a defense that can cause people some problems. Um, and as long as John isn't constantly giving the ball away, I feel like that's a defense that can keep them in games. It's a rivalry. Things get weird. I like this one. Does John Matier play the whole game? He might not. And I don't know if it'll be the worst thing ever. Um, I thought they should have changed quarterbacks against Georgia, but both these teams in a buy, right?
Yeah. So, maybe they did something during the by-week. Who knows? I mean, it'd be a perfect time to make a change. John has not been good, but his stats apparently are better than Arches, which is crazy. They're not that different, which is a little concerning. It's devoid of context. I'll put it like that because Arch is definitely better, but No, he is. He is in the much better team and offense. Yes.
Um but you're right, weird things happen in rivalry games. Um I think our friend Tom Fernelli was the one who coined this the Red River rock fight because I think it's possible that this is not the most aesthetically pleasing college football game, but of course we will all be watching. and our guy Chris Sims will I'm sure be a ball of nerves regardless even though Texas is favored to win it. So Joshua has taken Oklahoma to cover those seven and a half points. That will do it for Rushing the Field presented by Exfinity. He's Joshua Perry. I'm Nicole Hourback. It's been a blast. We've enjoyed having you and we will uh chat with you guys soon.
