The vibes are at an all-time high because college football is officially back, but we started on a somber note as the office mourns the passing of Larry 6. The fattest and longest-living Larry in show history finally kicked the bucket right before kickoff, which Big Cat noted was actually a veteran move by the fish to not distract us during the season. With Larry 6 out of the way, the focus shifted entirely to a weekend of fans in the stands and absolute chaos on the gridiron.

Big Cat was feeling the sting of the Badgers falling on their face against Penn State, but he isn’t jumping ship on his quarterback just yet.

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Take Slip·Sep 7, 2021

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Big Cat

I'm not getting off the Graham Mertz train

The Badgers fell on their face. I'm still going to believe in Graham Mertz. I'm not going to get off this train. That sucked, though.

11:49OpinionCFBMedium

Mertz's career at Wisconsin never lived up to the 'wagon' hype, though he found some success later at Florida.

While the marquee matchups were great, the guys lamented the loss of the traditional early-season schedule. Big Cat is officially leading the charge to bring back the blowouts that allow us to gamble without actually using our brains for the first three weeks of September.

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Take Slip·Sep 7, 2021

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Big Cat

College football should go back to starting with 'cupcake' games

My only real takeaway is like the first game change that they've made where you have to play conference opponents sucks. I don't like it. I really liked starting the season against like South Florida or UNLV or Akron or someone and putting up like 60 points and not even having to turn my brain on until like the third or fourth week is September. I don't like this. I want the cupcakes back.

12:03OpinionCFBMediumSubjective

This is a purely subjective aesthetic preference for how the season should flow.

Andy Staples on the SEC and Chip Kelly’s Renaissance

Andy Staples joined the show to help make sense of a weekend where Montana beat Washington and UCLA looked like a legitimate powerhouse. The biggest shocker was UCLA absolutely manhandling LSU, leading Andy to believe that Chip Kelly might finally have the Bruins figured out.

Push

Take Slip·Sep 7, 2021

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Andy Staples

Chip Kelly has UCLA rolling and they can beat anyone in the Pac-12

I think [Chip Kelly] does. I mean, if they can do that to LSU, where the talent gap is pretty big between UCLA and LSU, there's nobody UCLA is going to play in the Pac-12 that has that kind of talent. UCLA can beat anybody in the Pac-12.

47:35PredictionCFBMedium

UCLA went 8-4 in 2021. They were competitive but not the dominant force predicted here, as Utah won the Pac-12.

On the flip side, the seat is getting noticeably warm for Ed Orgeron. After a disappointing 2020 and a flat start to 2021, Andy warned that a national title doesn't buy you as much time as it used to in the SEC, referencing the ghost of Gene Chizik.

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Take Slip·Sep 7, 2021

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Andy Staples

Coach O could face a Gene Chizik-style quick firing if LSU doesn't improve

Let me remind you of a name, Gene Chizik. Gene Chizik won a national title in 2010, went undefeated, was fired in 2012. So it is possible that this happens [to Ed Orgeron]. And what was disturbing about LSU was the defense... They're either going to get this worked out... or we're having the Gene Chizik conversation midseason.

50:46PredictionCFBHot

Ed Orgeron was indeed fired mid-season in 2021, just weeks after this take.

We also got into the weeds on the upcoming Cy-Hawk game. While Iowa State is the trendy pick, Andy thinks the Hawkeyes are the real deal and will take care of business in Ames.

Win

Take Slip·Sep 7, 2021

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Andy Staples

Iowa is going into Ames and beating Iowa State because they're legit

I got a feeling Iowa is going into Ames and beating Iowa State. And that's not a knock on Iowa State. I just think Iowa is going to be really good. Iowa certainly crushed Indiana [in Week 1].

1:15:09PredictionCFBMedium

Iowa defeated Iowa State 27-17 in Ames on September 11, 2021.

Beyond the X's and O's, we spent a significant amount of time discussing the aesthetics of the game. Big Cat couldn't stop raving about Tulane’s look, even if he almost had to mud-wrestle a stranger in Central Park because of them.

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Take Slip·Sep 7, 2021

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Big Cat

Tulane's powder blue and green uniforms are the best in college football

The Tulane uniforms, those are maybe my favorite uniforms in college football. The ones they wear are so good. Those powder blue with the green and the weight, like incredible uniforms.

1:18:32OpinionCFBMildSubjective

Subjective opinion on uniform aesthetics.

Who’s Back and a Controversial Mt Rushmore

Who’s Back of the Week featured a heavy dose of the US Open, F1 drama, and PFT’s recurring hatred for the Whipsnakes. The Waterdogs might be out of the playoffs, but the grudge remains eternal.

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Take Slip·Sep 7, 2021·Who's Back

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PFT Commenter

The Whipsnakes are cheaters and I hope they never play lacrosse again

Fuck the Whipsnakes. Whipsnakes are cheaters. Everybody knows that... I root for two teams: I root for the Waterdogs and whoever's playing against the Whipsnakes. Fuck the Whipsnakes. I hope they all lose and never play lacrosse again.

39:00Hot TakeLifeScorchingSubjectiveSarcastic

This is a subjective emotional outburst, though the Whipsnakes continued to be a successful and legal franchise.

We wrapped things up with a Mount Rushmore of Referee Calls. PFT nearly derailed the entire segment by picking "Touchback" in a moment of pure panic, while Big Cat went with the classic basketball "And One" and the baseball punch-out. Billy Football managed to hold onto his first-round pick of "Giving him the business," which is a Top 5 all-time ref moment regardless of what the haters say.

If you see a guy in a weighted Coors Light hoodie screaming at a TV this weekend, just know he’s living his best life.