PMT DB
PMT DB
We are officially on the doorstep of football season. To get everyone ready, the reigning Pardon My Take college football expert Tom Fornelli and Brandon Walker joined the show for the annual mega preview. The vibes in the room were electric, mostly because Tom was busy being showered with confetti, a thousand dollars in cash, and a ring to celebrate his status as the show's premier analyst.
SEC Power Struggles and the LSU Rebellion
The conversation started with the SEC, where Big Cat believes we’re about to see a return to form for Kirby Smart. He thinks the Bulldogs have been largely disrespected despite their recent dominance.
Big CatGeorgia will play old-school 'Alabama bully ball' in 2026
My big thought in the SEC is, I, I think people are being, they're not giving Georgia enough respect. I think Georgia's gonna be at old school, like Alabama bully ball type team. And I think Georgia and Texas are clear, clearly the top.
Brandon Walker wasn't quite ready to crown Texas as the automatic second-best team in the conference. He’s hearing whispers about the program vibes in Austin, while Tom Fornelli thinks there is a different tiger ready to pounce in the standings.
Tom FornelliLSU will supplant Texas as the second-best team in the SEC
I look at LSU and the coaching upgrade that they have and how talented that team is. I wonder if they're not the second best team in the league.
Speaking of LSU, the guys discussed the absolute chaos surrounding their attempt to bring back players who attended NFL camps. While the rest of the conference is threatening to kick them out, PFT sees a massive branding opportunity for Brian Kelly and the Bayou Bengals.
PFT CommenterLSU getting kicked out of the SEC would actually be good for their brand
The SEC condemned [bringing back NFL camp players] and then they got together and they're talking about banning it, and then now they're saying that they will in fact kick LSU out if they attempt to do this. Okay. Which, I mean, this is good. I think for LSU'S brand, it's just being like Rebels. Yeah. And a conference that also features Ole Miss. They are the true rebels.
The Big 10 Gauntlet
Moving to the Big 10, Brandon Walker was adamant that the power center of the sport has shifted North. He thinks the depth of the conference is at an all-time high, though Tom Fornelli warned that the schedule is so brutal they might end up cannibalizing their own playoff spots.
Brandon WalkerThe Big 10 is currently the best conference in college football
The Big 10 is, is the best conference in college football right now. And I think they will probably win their fourth national title with the fourth different team this year.
Tom FornelliThe Big 10 will only get three teams into the 2026 College Football Playoff
I'm gonna say it now. Big 10 doesn't get a fourth team in. Oh, okay. I think they're only gonna get those three [Oregon, Indiana, Ohio State]. They're just gonna eat each other alive.
While everyone is focused on Ohio State and Oregon, the expert Tom Fornelli has his eyes on a couple of sleepers. He's particularly high on what Bret Bielema is building at Illinois, suggesting the Illini could be the team that crashes the party in late December.
Tom FornelliIllinois is a sleeper team that could go 10-2 and make the College Football Playoff
Who's the Big 10 team that could crash the party? Illinois. I think that you look at what they did at the quarterback situation... Kaden Feagin comes in from East Carolina. I believe he's a very similar player to Luke Altmeyer. I also believe he is more of a downfield threat with his arm that could open up a part of that Illini offense that we haven't seen yet... I think it's a program that is building. So if things click, they've got a schedule that compared to other Big 10 teams, not as difficult. There is a path for them to get to 10 and 2. And if they get to 10 and 2 and you're a Big 10 team, you're in the playoff conversation.
NFL Scaries and Hot Seat/Cool Throne
Before the college talk, the guys got into their feelings about the upcoming NFL season. PFT is already in a defensive crouch regarding the Commanders, despite a roster overhaul. He’s feeling the seasonal trauma of being a Washington fan before a single snap has been taken.
PFT CommenterI am feeling very bad vibes about the Commanders' 2026 season
I'm feeling really, really bad about the upcoming Commander season. Just bad vibes coming outta camp from the local media, from the, the GM who's already getting up in front of the team and saying that there's a lot of stuff that they've done behind the scenes... I feel like this is where I get my heart ripped outta my chest every year.
In Hot Seat/Cool Throne, Big Cat called out the newest Barstool social hire, the "Drake Maye Lover" account. PFT didn't take the news well, viewing it as a personal attack from Gaz to undermine his Drake Maye "truth-telling" from the previous season.
PFT CommenterBarstool hiring the 'Drake Maye Lover' social account is a declaration of war against me
It does feel slightly targeted... This is war. I listen, I love Gaz, but we're at war. This is a declaration of war. Yeah. Open, open hostilities right now.
Big Cat also touched on the Cubs, who have been an absolute rollercoaster of home runs and pitching collapses. He’s already bracing for a postseason where he won't recognize any of the guys on the mound.
Big CatThe Cubs' playoff rotation will consist entirely of trade deadline acquisitions
The Cubs are in a spot where I think our starting rotation, if we get to the playoffs, is gonna be all guys we just traded for.
Mount Rushmore and Guys on Chicks
The Mount Rushmore of household items you can use as a weapon turned into a tactical breakdown. Zac stunned the room with the "sock over the baseball bat" strategy, while Hank went for the classic kitchen arsenal. The episode wrapped with Guys on Chicks, featuring a debate over who wins in a street fight: a Navy SEAL or a UFC fighter.
Big CatA UFC fighter would beat a Navy SEAL in a no-weapons street fight
I think it's the UFC fighter. I think the Special Forces guy would have better stamina long term, deal with pain long term. But in terms of like technical ability... There's nothing you can do for like a guy who is an incredible wrestler and grappler. I don't care how tough you are, you're just technically kind of fucked.
If the 2026 season is half as chaotic as this preview, we are in for a long winter of elite ball and questionable takes. May your team avoid the forever blender.
