CFB Mega Preview with Brandon Walker & Tom Fornelli plus CJ Kirst
Football is officially all the way back. Big Cat and PFT Commenter open the show with the pure energy that only Week 1 can provide. Hank is heading to a football stadium—specifically Oasis—while the rest of us prepare for a weekend on the couch. Big Cat even noticed a major aesthetic shift for the Bears' new signal caller as he heads into his rookie season.
I bet Caleb Williams went back to painting his nails to get back to the basics
Caleb Williams is my one to watch. There was an article that came out in ESPN today about why he stopped painting his nails last season and the fact that he is back to painting his nails now. He needs to get back to basics. It's like the peacock—the basics here are painting your nails.
Before getting into the gridiron, the guys touched on the Ryder Cup rosters. Hank is fully leaning into the leadership aspect of Keegan Bradley’s decision to stay in the captain’s chair rather than playing.
Keegan Bradley not picking himself for the Ryder Cup is better for the team
Keegan wanted to pick himself, but he's taking, it's, it's, it was the right move, I guess to not pick himself for the team. It's better for the team and everyone can kind of rally around... you gotta win one for the captain.
The College Football Mega Preview
Brandon Walker and Tom Fornelli joined the show for their annual head-to-head preview, and the sparks flew immediately. Brandon Walker came in hot with a defense of his favorite pick for the year, Penn State, despite the usual noise about James Franklin's record in big games.
Penn State will win the National Championship
I have picked Penn State to win the national title... I think it's the most complete team. I think the quarterback is fantastic and I think it doesn't matter that the coach has never broken through it never. It only matters if he can do it. I believe he can do it.
Tom Fornelli countered by looking at the talent in Columbus. While Ohio State is breaking in a new quarterback, Tom believes the weapons at wide receiver are so elite that the transition will be seamless for Will Howard.
Will Howard will look much better at Ohio State because of the elite wide receivers around him
I think of how Will Howard looked at Kansas State and then I think of how Will Howard looked at Ohio State. Right. Looked a lot different when you have all those guys to throw to... great receivers can elevate a mediocre quarterback.
As they moved through the conferences, Brandon Walker started identifying the teams that aren't living up to the hype. He’s looking at Eugene, Oregon, as a place where the preseason flowers might be a bit premature.
Oregon will disappoint and could finish 8-4 or 9-3 due to a sneaky tough schedule
I think this is the team that people are just assuming is gonna be top 10 because of their recruiting profile... but they're kind of starting over. There's a lot of new guys here. I think and the schedule is sneaky tough. That last game at Washington. Oregon, you can fuck around and look up and they're like 9-3 or 8-4 and wouldn't be shocked.
However, Brandon isn't all gloom and doom. He’s officially buying stock in Matt Rhule’s third year at Nebraska, predicting a massive jump for the Huskers that lands them in the new 12-team playoff format.
Nebraska will make the 12-team College Football Playoff
I released my, my playoff 12 and I got Nebraska in it. I think Nebraska is this year's Indiana in the fact that they will be better as a football team than they they have been and their schedule is fantastic.
When the conversation shifted to the SEC, the debate turned to Kalen DeBoer taking over for Nick Saban. Brandon Walker is not a believer in the transition, citing the unique pressure of Tuscaloosa as something that might break a coach coming from the Pacific Northwest.
Kalen DeBoer is not built for the SEC and will fail at Alabama
For whatever reason the coach doesn't fit Alabama... it takes a different kind of human to win in the SEC... I don't think Kalen DeBoer fits Alabama. Alabama fan base and the Alabama pressure is different and it fucks people up. And it fucked him up last year. I think it's gonna fuck him up again. He's not built for this shit.
Tom Fornelli, our resident insider, brought some heat regarding the vibes in Auburn. While Hugh Freeze is known for his offensive mind, Tom is hearing that the quarterback situation might be more of a carousel than a settled position.
Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold is in for a rocky season with bad reports coming out of camp
I have not heard anything good coming out of Auburn camp about Jackson Arnold. It's just like—you know, he's got insider people. I've heard a lot of negative buzz coming out... it could be a quarterback carousel there, it could be week to week.
Heisman Longshots and CFP Sleepers
No preview is complete without some gambling talk. Tom Fornelli threw out a spicy name for the Heisman that has Lane Kiffin’s fingerprints all over it.
Ole Miss backup Austin Simmons is a legit Heisman longshot at 40-1
I'll give you a long shot quarterback in the SEC: Austin Simmons at Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin still is good at coaching quarterbacks... if Simmons kind of over performs what you would expect from somebody with his lack of experience... he's a left shot though. I think he's like 40 or 50 to one.
Big Cat is keeping it classic with his Heisman pick. He’s going with a Notre Dame running back who he expects to become a media darling once the Irish start rolling.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love is my Heisman pick at 25-1
Jeremiah Love. That's mine. 25 to 1. The narrative doesn't—you don't have to do a narrative when it's Notre Dame. If he gets enough carries he's electric and it's Notre Dame and sports writers are going to go crazy for Notre Dame.
In terms of conference chaos, Brandon Walker labeled South Carolina as a team to fade, while Tom Fornelli looked at Morgantown for the sleeper of the year, comparing West Virginia to last year’s Indiana squad.
South Carolina is the biggest fraud in the SEC
I don't really believe in Florida and I don't believe in South Carolina to the level of the pe I think South Carolina is the biggest fraud in the SEC.
West Virginia is this year's Indiana and could surprise the Big 12
Everybody's looking for this year's Indiana... Rich Rod left Jacksonville State, went to West Virginia, brought the entire fucking roster with him... I look at West Virginia, like if that's a future you wanna take instead of taking Jalen Daniel... they could be in the playoff hunt.
When it came down to picking the actual champion, Tom Fornelli is riding with Brian Kelly and the Tigers to find their magic when people least expect it.
LSU will win the National Championship
I picked LSU to win the national title. So I I'm with you on that. I picked 'em to win the SEC too. And it's, it's kind of along with what you just said, like they're, the way that they work, it's like when you don't expect them to be anything is when they're gonna jump up and have a great year.
CJ Kirst and a Fyre Fest Shocker
Philadelphia Waterdogs star and 1/1 draft pick CJ Kirst stopped by the studio to talk about the upcoming PLL semifinals. Big Cat and PFT, ever the supportive owners, made sure to let the Atlas know exactly what was coming for them on Monday.
The Philadelphia Waterdogs will kick the shit out of the Atlas in the semifinals
We guarantee victory. We're gonna kick the shit outta the Atlas... Print it, put it on the paper. Fuck the Atlas.
Just as the show was wrapping up, the NFL world exploded. News broke during Fyre Fest that the Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. Big Cat, in a state of pure shock and Bears-fan misery, tried to rationalize the trade as a massive overpay by the rival Packers.
The Packers getting Micah Parsons for only two first-round picks is an absolute fleece by Green Bay
Packers fleeced... yes this is a cope and then I'm gonna mute the whole thing. This is crazy... will there be a player in the next two drafts in the, let's call it 15 to 25 range, where the packers will most likely be picking that will be better than Micah Parsons? The answer is no.
Jerry Jones might be senile, but the Packers just got a whole lot scarier.

