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And I got into a conversation, really an argument early this morning about pressure packed situations.

I want to play this clip from Brian Kelly, Notre Dame head coach, when asked over at media days about, listen, the Fighting Irish have struggled in some big games lately.

Do they have actually something to prove? No. I mean, we're knocking at the door every year, playing really good teams and great opponents. And there's elite football teams. You know, I I don't know why this narrative continues to pop up when we're always in the games. No, we haven't won a national championship. That's correct. You know, I'm not changing the record, but we are there every single year and we are grinding it out just like everybody else.

And only one team gets to celebrate at the end of the year. And we're going to keep banging it and we're going to keep getting back here. And that's our job. And that's our challenge each and every year to compete for a national championship. And we'll continue to do that field.

How much are you buying that today that Brian Kelly doesn't in the Notre Dame does not have anything to prove in their semifinal game against Alabama?

Well, they have tons to prove. I'm not buying that a bit, but I also believe they have no pressure. Right. So they have a lot. I don't maybe that sounds oxymoronic, but hear me out. They've got plenty to prove because it's one thing like so there are probably high schoolers, college students who don't remember like Notre Dame in their glory years.

Right. I mean, how long has it been OUSA last night?

What was the last national crocket.

Three, maybe been the case. I mean, that's a younger generation knows Notre Dame more for historic bad blowout losses.

And Rudy than say their parents cried while watching Rudy, not national championships, correct? Correct. So there is a lot of pressure for Notre Dame to reassert itself as an elite program, one of the elites, because right now it's Alabama, it's Clemson, I suppose Ohio State sort of in the conversation and then everybody else. Right. Those are the three power programs, really, Clemson in Alabama in a different weight class from everybody else.

But there's no pressure, right. Because are you required to make a pick on each college football semifinal or. No?

Yeah. I mean, listen, I don't even have to think about Alabama. Notre Dame. Right. I'll get a Mike Golic junior tattoo. If Notre Dame ends up defeating Alabama, this is it definitive or no?

Yeah, no.

Right now. Tell Gojo right now. Hit him up on Twitter. Just I will get a might go. You're not we're not talking like tramp stamp. We're not talking anything big. But I'll get like something like on the left cheek or something like that along those lines of Notre Dame beats Alabama because it frankly is not going to happen right there.

So to me and I had Chris Baleka in here when we asked that question earlier about who had the most pressure. Fallica goes Notre Dame has zero pressure on it. Nobody expects them to win or potentially even keep it close. I mean, just that statement field is why there is a ton of pressure on Brian Kelly at this point. You say they may be playing with house money, but it's not Alabama that has the pressure.

I'm being dead serious. Alabama's only pressure is obtaining perfection at this point.

That's that's why Nick Saban has had so much success, is that I've seen it firsthand. You don't they don't even think about the other opponent. They think about playing a perfect football game.

And I do think there is a ton of pressure on Notre Dame because at some point, if you if you've been in to six of these big time, quote unquote, game games. Right.

New Year's Day bowls, BCS championship game against Alabama, R.P. Lynnae Cuckoo or whatever, the Manti Te'o fake girlfriend year and college college football playoff games. At what point in does a college football playoff committee, which has inherent human bias, look at this and go with this is just another fraudulent lawyer like this is another year where we put no. Or Damon, because of the brand of Notre Dame as opposed to them actually being a contender, which they clearly were not when Clemson was 100 percent of the championship.

Well, but here's the thing is, like, if you're the committee, like at what point is five flameouts different from six? Like, it will point like how many? Like what's the next one that actually determines that Notre Dame falls off the college football playoff rater absent a perfect regular season? Because, you know, their strength of schedule is always going to be reasonable given the slate of games they play and every year but 2020 when they're part of the season.

So I actually don't think there's that much pressure on Brian Kelly for what he said. The I think the pressure is really I feel like I'm in college football playoff. It actually is on Ohio State, just in fields like I don't think this is a Notre Dame week. I think it's interesting week. I think, you know, Notre Dame again, if they hang within ten points of Alabama, it'll feel like when they hang within twenty points, it might feel like a respectable effort.

Right? I mean, well, and it's very similar. Notre Dame to me is Texas A&M with different uniforms. They play incredibly same style of football. It is more of a 1995 really good football team, but you can't play that type football in twenty twenty and be dominant. I'm with you Field. I think there is much more pressure on the other semifinal game, which is Clemson and Ohio State. And it's interesting you say you said Ohio State because I would have thought it would be Davo.

Remember, Dabo is running his mouth a little bit talking about, hey, you know, I didn't vote Ohio State as a top ten team because frankly, they didn't deserve it because they didn't play that many games. I'm paraphrasing here, but I thought it was a smart way to back it up. It wasn't him trying to talk trash by any means. It was just saying, listen, it's a lot harder for Cincinnati to play these games, a lot harder for A&M, a lot harder for Alabama and Clemson to play all of these games, much less just a six game schedule.

Things happen.

But when you say Ohio State, they're almost in a situation like 2014, right.

Where I mean, they don't I don't I don't I don't buy the pressure of Ohio State at any point because I feel like they're playing with house money at this point.

Yeah. So I actually don't buy the pressure on Darbo in this sense. Like, if they do lose, which who knows. I actually think the game is going to be very competitive if they lose. Like I don't think it checkers his resume. I don't think it like, you know, changes his perception in the eyes of many. Certainly in Clemson they are going to love Dabo and they would love to have him there forever. And like, it's not like this is the end of the road for for Clemson, even though Trevor Lawrence is almost one thousand percent.

Surely going to be a Jacksonville Jaguars next year. Right. You've got JR waiting in the wings to step up and probably lead another, I would imagine, preseason top five ranked team that we might guess. So I don't know. There's a lot of pressure there. I think there's pressure. You said Ohio State. The pressure might be on specifically Justin Field. You and I are talking about this offline is like for Justin Fields'.

It's not simply the fact that if he wins Ohio State advances to the college football final and would get back to have a chance to play for national championship. But it's also he has a track record now and it's not a ton of games, but in some of the biggest games of his college football playoff college football career, he has not been good enough to the know the playoff game against Clemson, multiple interceptions this year against Indiana. Kind of a slow start to that game this year against Northwestern.

Couple of interceptions again, right. He needs to be better in big games or else it could impact his draft stock and impact college football.

I mean, so think about it, right?

Trevor Lawrence was a no brainer, but for had Justin Fields opted out, right, let's say Big Ten football does not play right, which Kevin Warren and a bunch of the presidents, they kind of asked everybody not to play.

Had Justin Fields not play, I think there would have been enough hype of him to say, hey, you know what? It's probably a no brainer. Justin feels. Is that good? Would you seen with the way the NFL game is changing to a more, you know, Josh Allen, the guy that can they can pass the ball and also move it with his leg, same day with Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes.

Let's let's make him the number two pick of the draft. But why the pressure is on Justin feels is that what what what he had is the latest block, seven, eight, nine in Todrick Shay's latest Mocca.

You get you get exposed by a really good defense led by Brent Venables. All of a sudden you can look back and go, Yeah, Justin feels I'm glad you played, but you cost yourself twenty million dollars.

Yeah, that that is that is the most amount of pressure that's out there. Is there another team, maybe even the Cleveland Browns. How about that and say ESPN. We'll get to your calls in here on the Dan Libertador show with Peter Burns and Field Yates et say ESPN. Eighty eight seven to nine. Thirty seven seventy six.

Who has the most pressure on them this week? Is it a college football team? Is it a player as an NFL squad? You tell us that's a Dan Levitas show with still got on ESPN Radio. Do you own or rent your home? Sure you do, and I bet it can be hard work. You know, it's easy bundling policies with Geico. Geico makes it easy to bundle your homeowners or renter's insurance along with your auto policy. It's a good thing, too, because you already have so much to do around your home.

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Love it. And what do you think he means by that?

Strogatz. That's perfect right there. No, but that is perfect. What you just did is perfect and you didn't even realize that you are doing. That's what's great about you. I love that man. I love it. I love it. My God, you're the best. What do you mean.

I mean, this is about our show with were there still guides on ESPN radio talk show host you guys, ESPN Radio always presented by Progressive Insurance.

Peter Burns, Field Yates in here with you. All guests appear via the Goodyear hotline. Dan Walk in. USA Today is going to join us here in a couple of minutes. We'll talk some college football, playoff news and notes. But you and I were discussing a field a couple of minutes ago about who had the most pressure on them. I agree with you in the college football playoff is just in Field's future than maybe the college football playoff committee for how they got you know, they put Ohio State in a lot of a lot of pressure involved in those two situations.

And I start thinking about the NFL because it's such an intriguing weekend when it comes down to it.

And if I had to tell you or ask you which one of these teams or players have the most pressure about building on this week? Seventeen. Coming up, your answer would be, is the Cleveland Browns.

It is not close, Peter. So the Browns two weeks ago now, we didn't know this at the time, but if the Browns had won either of their last two games, we'd be sitting here saying, like, OK, the Browns have a chance to they would probably already be in the playoffs by now.

But, yeah, the Browns obviously this past week dealt with a lot. They had four wide receivers out because of covid issues. They had multiple linebackers out, multiple starting offensive linemen out. It was a very much barren roster.

They literally had to have like a meet and greet with Baker. Like they were like, hello, my name is practice squad player. Nice to meet you in the parking lot. Yes.

So they've now lost two of their past three games. They lost the Ravens on that dramatic Monday Night Football matchup a few weeks ago.

But losing to the Jets who at the time, one in thirteen, obviously, that that's just it's devastating.

And I all season have been on the the train of if you put a Browns fan or if you were to rewind time to April and told a Browns fan, hey, you have the opportunity to have ten wins going into week seventeen and playing for the playoffs regardless of the outcome, are you telling me that yes or no, you're all right?

No doubt.

But my but my mind has shifted now. And here's the reason why, specifically because, A, they lose to the Jets in week sixteen and B, they're now playing the Pittsburgh Steelers with Mason Rudolph under center. And we'll see potentially other starters as well for Pittsburgh. So my mind has shifted over the past. I would say really three to four days about the amount of pressure that's facing the Cleveland Browns. And by proxy, by the way, that means Baker Mayfield, because if this team does not finish the job on Sunday and win, not only is a lot of the blame going to be cast on Baker Mayfield because he's the quarterback, but this team has a decision to make this off season.

This is the first year for the NFL that teams have to make a decision on the fifth year option for a first round pick in which the fifth your option is fully guaranteed, previously was guaranteed only for injury. So even if a guy if you were sort of on the fence on a guy, you know, let's pick up the option just in case. But if he if he struggles in the fourth year of his career, then we'll we'll just cut him before the fifth year.

There's a lot of money. The Browns have to decide at some point this offseason, are we going to commit to twenty five plus million dollars for Baker Mayfield in twenty twenty one, or are we going to walk into twenty two? That would be for twenty twenty two. Excuse me. Are we going to walk into twenty, twenty one with Baker going into the final year of his contract and risk the possibility of him playing so far over his head that rather than paying him twenty five dollars million in twenty, twenty two, he's going to say, you know what, give me thirty seven million dollars a year going forward.

Right.

It's a very fascinating conversation for the Cleveland Browns.

So the question because nobody wants to be in the same Carson one situation. No, I think the Carson Wentz situation in Philly is completely different because of the injuries. I feel like at that point there's just something that's not clicking. Baker, who's been a little bit dinged up a little bit, hasn't had the same issues that they had with Carson. And I think that Baker is the right guy for Cleveland. I think he fits the attitude. I think it's what the Cleveland Browns needed.

But what's interesting to me is when you talk about who had the most pressure, I do believe yes, you're right, Cleveland does have some pressure on them to get by, especially now that it's going to be Mason Rudolph and not Ben Roethlisberger.

But also go back to Brian Floras as well, to the decision that he has. He's sitting there with an opportunity in a year where a lot of people thought, hey, all right, you're going to draft two. You're probably going to go, what, you know, four and twelve. Let's just get some young blood in. Here, get some draft picks and go forward now you have Flora is trying to decide what am I going to do?

He's already made the announcement field that he's going to start to once again, Fitzpatrick was obviously after the game basically politicking, saying, I want to be the starter. I want to have a playoff run underneath this team. This is intriguing, four floors down down in Miami and how he handles a lot of pressure with this.

I don't think so, only because, Peter, he's sort of built like he now has like some equity from fans, right. Because he's taken a ten wins.

Like if the Browns were improbable to win ten games at minimum this season, the Dolphins were incredibly improbable. They're year away from being the laughingstock of the NFL through halfway of the twenty nineteen NFL regular season. So I think that Flores has built enough cachet and credibility down there in Miami that no matter what happens on Sunday, like they look back at this year and say, like, that's damn good progress.

I mean, NFL coach of the year. I mean, there's doubt. But I mean, who else at that point do you put?

I mean, Stefanski was great, but then you've also seen a little bit of the luster. Yeah. You know, everybody wants to talk NFL MVP race, but I mean, flaws right there. If they take them to the playoffs, there's no doubt that it ends up being him winning the Coach of the Year award.

I think it's him and Sean McDermott and they're the current co betting favorites. As a matter of fact, Bill's head coach, Sean McDermott, who could lead them to a thirteen and three record and the number two overall seed in the AFC, those two. But I think it's also the deepest and most qualified candidate of a pool of candidates we've ever had.

I mean, it's just absurd, right? Like. Andy Reid could go on one this year, like 15 and one and beyond that, you've got guys, Mike Tomlin, Sean Payton excuse me, all these guys doing a great job this year. It's incredible how deep it is.

Yeah, but here's the deal going into it. And it's interesting that we say that how many it feels like decades we've been. And you're a Boston guy. You know this how we've even looked. And you just named two AFC East teams that might have a potential coach of the year.

I mean, think about how crazy twenty twenty is in the fact that we could talk about the bills and the dolphins and now it's an actual interesting division, whereas honestly, when it was Brady and it was Belichick and Foxborough, that was a division you basically wrote off for a full decade like that division is so much more intriguing and interesting now.

It is. And, you know, the the Patriots struggled this year like they let's be clear, like they had a moment earlier this year where it looked as though the team was going to be competitive. Right. Mean there at one point, I think six and six, like they might have snuck into the playoff picture. But it kind of makes sense that the season has gone.

How it has for the Patriots, the transition from Tom Brady et opt outs, all the players have to part of them free agency. The fact that the division got really good. It's an incredibly different AFC East and I'm not ready to say that, like either the bills or the dolphins. It's tough for the team to beat for the next decade, but it feels like it's got a much better chance of this being a division where they kind of pass the baton around every couple of years who the best is, as opposed to one team running it for twenty years like it was with the Patriots, i.e. the NFC East.

Yes, that is has been the air there. You haven't had Back-To-Back divisional winners since what feels like like twenty seven. So at least it's intriguing every single year and that's what we want. Can you say the same about college football. I'm not quite sure because it seems that we always have three or four of the same usual suspects. Dan Wolken of USA Today is going to join us.

We're talking pressure. How much pressure is on the college football playoff committee to make sure that they got it right with their final four? He'll tell us next. Peter Bernfield Yates is Dan Levitas show on ESPN Radio.

It's oh, my God, the NBA almost is sacrosanct. I mean, people are on the ground ripping open testing kits we all have. There's no way we all don't have it. You knew that the direction of the entire 20, 20 year for the whole world just took a massive turn, 30 for 30 podcast presents, March 11th, 20 20 available now wherever you get your podcasts. Don Lemon Tart, is there anyone, Serge, who refers to you by your full name?

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This is about our show. Were there still guides on ESPN Radio?

The origins of this fine radio program? We're always probably the best part. They really are the best part. They are better than Peter Burns and Field Yates in. For Dan Levitas, it was still God's here on ESPN Radio. Joining us right now on the Goodyear hotline, one of my favorites in the industry, USA Today columnist Dan Wolken joining us here. Goodyear helping you discover the road ahead. Goodyear more driven. Dan helped settle a debate than me and Field were having earlier today when talked about college football playoffs and the level of pressure that either teams or players or even the committee has.

And let's start with this. How much pressure is on Dabo after not only just kind of running his mouth and his coaches poll and not having Ohio State in the top ten, but just really the entire year that you've written about over on USA Today?

Oh, yeah. That was had quite a year. And, you know, this whole flap with Ohio State is kind of been the capper on it where, you know, Dabo speaks his mind like that's not changed at all since he came onto the scene. But he certainly gets a lot more attention now. He's the face of college football right alongside with Nick Saban. And he's definitely had some strange incidents this year.

Look, that was not dumb. He had to have known when he put in that final poll that there was a good chance, if not a likelihood, the Clemson was going to play Ohio State in the playoffs. So, you know, for him to rank them eleven, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that that's what he truly believes. Now, I don't think it's really going to have much of an impact on the game, to be honest with you, for two reasons.

One, Ohio State, like I don't think you should need that kind of motivation to get up for this kind of game. And also, the devil knows, I think, like the rest of us, that Clemson's away way better team and they're in way, better form. And I don't want to say there's no chance Ohio State to win the game, but, boy, they're a big underdog, I think even bigger than the seven or eight points that the odds suggest.

You know, Dan, and part of the reason why I think they are an underdog is because Justin Fields hasn't been at his best in big game, which is why I believe he's on under as much pressure as anybody in the college football playoff. And maybe that ties to his pro fate as well. But it's just like revisiting some of the big games that Justin Field has played. Can you put your finger on something that has changed other than the competition that's led to his substandard performance?

Well, I just think this is a year for Ohio State where they've had to they've had no opportunity to to gain momentum week to week continuity, just to kind of build toward a finish like everybody else has done. They've been playing. We take two weeks off. They played one game since Thanksgiving. So I don't think that Justin Fields has regressed necessarily, or at least I wouldn't I wouldn't attribute it to that. I just sort of look at where Ohio State was from the beginning of the season to now not having the opportunity to play multiple weeks in a row, having players, you know, their personnel has been in and out like it's just kind of been one of those years.

And that's why I don't think they're really in a good position to compete in this game because they've just not had. Any sign yet that they are capable of playing at a level to compete with Clemson? Is that all of a sudden going to click in Friday? I'd be really surprised.

Dan Wolken joining us from USA Today. Peter, Rosenfield Yates. Dan, it feels almost like to that point, Ohio State's playing their first game of the season every single week. Right. Like it feels like it gets they got to find their rhythm. Obviously, they did give him the ball in the Rock to Trey sermon in the third quarter, which they were dominant against Northwestern. But it does feel like they're trying to figure it out, much like powerhouses do in game one.

I want to flip it to the other side. And I said something earlier.

Am I am I in some danger here? Because I said that if all of a sudden, if Notre Dame defeats Alabama, I will get a Mike Golic junior tattoo at some point, probably not visible to the normal public.

I'm in no danger of this actually happening. Right. Well, probably not, but tattoo bats are just generally not a great idea. I mean, allegedly, you know, unless unless you go through that really painful procedure to get them taken out. So I wouldn't necessarily risk that. But I mean, especially my goal, like I mean, God, you're going to have that face on your body the rest of your life.

Well, that's true. I mean, I probably didn't think this through field, the whole situation, like we have anything for you.

Good for the good part of it is, you know, Notre Dame or Alabama's, you know, their lowest offensive output of the season was thirty eight points in the season opener. I think you can go ahead and pencil them in for 40 points in this game. So it's just a matter of whether Notre Dame can hit that. And I I'd be surprised if they can.

Yeah, that makes two of us, probably three of us, to be honest here. Dan, last night we saw Talin Wallace play half of a game for Oklahoma State in a bowl game, no less surprising. Caught me off guard, certainly got many off guard. And whether it was the right decision or not can be litigated by many different people. But in your opinion, could this be the start of something that we see more frequently, a new trend like first it was missing all of the ball game.

Now it's like just showing up for part of it.

I would hope not like I'm willing to give everything a pass this year. Yes, it's just been, you know, covid and the motivation for a lot of these teams in these bowl games. And I don't begrudge anybody who doesn't want to take the risk, but like to play a house that doesn't really follow the logic trail to me. Hey, you know, do whatever you want to do, I guess. And as long as, like, your teammates are cool with it, fine with me.

But I don't think I'd like to see people dressing out and playing a half and then saying that I'm good, like even in ball games that are kind of basically exhibitions. I don't think that I don't think that's a great way to go out.

It's tough. But at the same point I look at and go, if you just saw Derek King go down with an injury, you're thinking, all right. I mean, even if it was predetermined beforehand, do I fault the kid? I'm going to I have a trouble faulting for the kid in 2020 and even have a fault. I'm not going to fault by Gundi for at least. Hey, show something. We'll get you involved in the first half.

You want to shut it down, shut it down. And then it's it's a decision after that. It's not a great look, but it's not. There's a whole lot worse. Look, I want to ask this last question to you in going back to Alabama. Steve Sarkisian, nothing short of fantastic. Just won the Broils Award.

I thought that Auburn should have made an absolute pull out all the stops and hire him away for Alabama for a bevy different reasons. What's his future? I mean, is there a program or a path that gets him back to being a head coach on the powerful level?

Maybe Alabama. I mean, you know, I think Nick is going to retire anytime soon, but, you know, could Sarkeesian be positioning himself to be the next in line? Certainly can't rule it out at this point. He had an opportunity last year to go get that Colorado job and decided not to do it. I certainly was involved to some degree in searches this year. You never know, you know, kind of what each year is going to bring, and certainly he's he's got a coaching experience.

He's now seen the Alabama system and the way they run things. And certainly he'll be more prepared the next time he gets that opportunity. But the one thing about the Alabama offensive coordinator job like you're under a certain amount of pressure because you work for a demanding head coach, but you also are working with the best players and you're making a lot of money and and you are shielded to a certain degree by just the entire infrastructure of that program. So, you know, if you don't want to take on the responsibility or the pressure of of trying to revive a bad program, then you don't have to you know, and I don't know how driven he is to get that next opportunity or how urgent he feels it is to go be a head coach right now.

But he's in a good spot. I think he can be pretty picky.

And now he's got to have Bryce younger than him, probably the next five star recruits. And that is something that they continue to churn out down in Tuscaloosa.

Dan Wolken, great stuff as always, man. And it will be interesting to watch. And then, of course, we've got Florida and Oklahoma kind of later, depending on how many players actually play in that for the Florida Gators.

We'll hold you soon, right? Yeah. All right. See you guys there.

Taesan, Wolken, USA Today column. This I like Dan Field for very different reasons. One, because I disagree with him about 75 percent of the time. And I think we need more of that in our world instead of just getting into these thought bubbles like 75 percent of the time.

If I read a kalinda's and I'm pissed off afterwards, you've done your job as a columnist and that's what I find when I have downloaded and read his work over in USA Today. Quick break.

When we come back, you talked about the bowl games, the importance of including Tyler Wallace. I'm going to build our own bowl here for the inevitable will. We'll even get your thoughts as well. Hit us up on Twitter. Attfield Yates' at Peterman's ESPN. This is Dan Libertador Show with Peter Burns affiliates on ESPN Radio.

Don Lemon tart, I don't know anything, still got I don't remember what I was going to talk about. So in those instances, what I have is a default that just makes fun of. You're welcome.

This is about our show. Were there still guides on ESPN Radio?

I don't even have to think about Alabama, Notre Dame. All right. I'll get a Mike Golic junior tattoo. If Notre Dame ends up defeating Alabama.

This is a definitive or no. Yeah, no. Right now. Tell Gojo right now. Hit him up on Twitter. Just I will get a Mikola Junior. Not we're not talking like a tramp stamp. We're not talking anything big. But I'll get like something like on the left cheek or something like that along those lines of Notre Dame beats Alabama because it frankly is not going to happen, not call Bubba.

Not cool. The fact that you guys pull that apart and field not cool of you. As I left the studios here in the commercial break to refill some water, become hydrated as we're doing five hours of radio performance and field. Yates here for you to call for that clip. I appreciate that, buddy. Thanks. Thanks, teammate.

Yeah, well, interestingly enough, I was also hydrating. So that was all Bubba question for Peter. You got tattoos. Do you have any other zero zero?

I am. I have made it 41 years throughout my life sans tattoo. Wow. That's a really. So this could I mean, this is next level then.

Well, this is how confident I know that Alabama, which is absolutely Wax's Notre Dame and it's really no. Not to the any fault of the Fighting Irish like Brian Kelly was. You know, people have ripped him saying, oh, well, there's not really pressure. And you talked about it earlier here on the show field. There really isn't. However, there's pressure on the brand for Notre Dame football. Right?

I mean, I there is a great element to where it doesn't have to be the, you know, all one way or all the other way. All left. All right. All north. All south.

It's the fact that it is true that they need to have a somewhat of a showing against Alabama.

But frankly, I'm not sure if they can do it.

And then I start thinking about it going, well, if you're going to look at the college football playoff as a whole and I've always wanted just four teams in the college football playoff because I'm like, how many teams can actually win it? Let's let's value the regular season.

But now I'm starting to think of is it going to be any really different between Alabama and Clemson and probably Ohio State going forward? Like those are going to be your triumphant, your trios every single year. And you might get one extra team if they're if that's the case, help expand it to eight or twelve and make the regular season, even ballgames matter a little bit more.

Yeah, I mean, you and I were discussing this before the show began. You asked me what would be my preferred format. My preferred format would be eight teams. Now, I'm very mindful of the fact that eight teams just means that we're going to have outrage amongst those that finished ninth, 10th and 11th. However, the larger the field, the outside like, the less consequential the gripes become.

Right. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. So you truly believe that the because like, if you think there's eight I mean, like right now, have we seen a six, seven or eight team say, man, had we got in, we would have won it. Like, do we feel like a Cincinnati or an A&M would have been able to win it all this year?

No, but I would say part of it is, well, maybe A&M. I mean, they obviously they lost one game to Alabama this year and it was, you know, but they did play, you know, better football down the stretch. I don't think it's necessarily only about the ability to win it. So it was about the conclusion, like just it's the merits of the regular season.

Right. I think people would have felt more satisfied if Cincinnati had the opportunity, even if the opportunity resulted in them getting, you know, pummeled by Alabama in the second round of the playoff for the first round of the playoff by twenty five points.

You have to have, you know, like at least you got your chance. Right. They want want to know this season twelve. And I know this season during, you know, an unusual time, no doubt. Like I think that stuff matters. I think that legitimizes the regular season even more. But and I know that 68 teams is a lot more than eight. But when we have the bubble conversation, like who was most deserving to get into the NCAA tournament in basketball, they did not like.

It's one of those conversations that last basically selection Sunday. And then by Monday, we've turned the page towards the excitement of the tournament itself. So my point is merely that, like, if we had an eight this year imagining and I'm not using the college football playoff committee's ranking to your imagining, if it's eighteen playoff, you're guaranteed to have Texas A&M and you're guaranteed to have, I would think, Cincinnati in Cincy, you know, maybe maybe Florida.

You know, the committee liked them a lot. Obviously, they had three losses this year, Florida, Iowa State. To me, I know I was I was dead because of their late season loss to Oklahoma, maybe Oklahoma, Oklahoma.

I mean, and people were talking coastal Carolina, of course, ended up losing to liberty.

Right. But I just I go back and look at about how much juice of the bowl games, how have any more. And I mean, you just saw it yesterday. I mean, Tyler Wallace, Oklahoma state wide receiver, who was a stud just after halftime, says Deuce's, I'm out.

And we're seeing a lot of Anthony Shwartz. A lot of Auburn players are not going to play. A lot of Florida Gators tonight are not going to play. Kyle Pitts headed to the NFL. Same thing. I was curious, Tony and Jacob Copeland, like at some point you have to take a look at this. A different way field and say, how how are you going to change up what happens in college football? And that's that's tough because it's a tough spot with the bulls right now.

Yeah, no, it is. And so one thing that I think college football is lacking is that, like, we need to have more focus on everything besides the college football playoff. At the same time, I'm sitting here telling you we need to expand the college football playoff because I want more of it. So I'm speaking out of both sides of my mouth. But I do think there is some sort of soul searching college football needs to take care of right now.

They missed their opportunity to do it this year and they should have done it. ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. You could save big when you bundle your auto home, motorcycle, RV and vote visit progressive dotcom.

All right. Coming up, you and I will do a quick, like quick change at the halftime show in three games where we're go take on our Libertador shirt off and actually go dress up in a suit because we got Greaney coming up next with your words and field gates. Follow him on Twitter Attfield Yates' by myself at Peterman's ESPN. This is ESPN Radio.

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