Emory Hunt - CBS Sports HQ

We have to bring on an expert to talk about everything going on in the world of college football. He's the owner of Football Game Plan. He's an analyst. He's a speaker. He's an author.

He covers everything. Football for CBS Sports HQ. It's my main man Emory Hunt. Emory, thank you for taking the time to hop on with us to talk some college football. Not a problem, JR. Man, I appreciate you having me on.

No, not a problem. Let's get right to it. You know, we know what it comes down to when we think about the college football playoff. We can pretty much start to pencil in a few names. We got the Georgias of the world, the Alabamas of the world, but Tennessee has entered into that space, especially after that big upset last week. They're currently ranked what? Where are they ranked right now? What, third?

Third in the country. Do you see them sticking around in the college football playoff at the end of the year, or is Tennessee kind of a quote-unquote early riser? What do you think about their perspective moving on into the rest of the year? Well, they are kind of in the catbird seat right now because they slayed the big dragon in Alabama, and even though they're on the eastern side, now they put themselves in a situation where if they can beat Georgia, they go to the SEC title game where they potentially have that rematch with Alabama.

But it sets up something interesting, man. If you look at Tennessee and they get to the SEC title game, and we know how things tend to run, we all are prisoners of what we just last saw. So if we just saw this great Alabama-Tennessee game and they get to the SEC title game, it doesn't matter who wins or who loses.

Both of those teams are going to get in. And if you're Georgia, Georgia, and you're sitting there with one loss, Tennessee, what's keeping you out of the college football playoff? So we could have a situation where, and the rest of the country's going to hate this, where you have Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama sitting in the college football playoff. It could potentially happen.

Oh, yeah. I mean, you think about SEC football, it's like the whole world revolves around there as it exists already. Emory Hunt is joining us here, CBS Sports Radio, as we talk about some college football. Do you think Tennessee is going to stay in this mix?

I think so. I think because of how they play offense and because their defense is decent up front and we've seen them be able to apply pressure. We saw them do a solid job against LSU when they went down there to Baton Rouge and took care of business against the Tigers. They made things difficult for their offense. Now I know that offense is in Alabama, but we saw glimpses of defensive play that could help them carry on. But the fact that they can outscore you, it's always going to be a problem.

Okay. Moving forward, there's a couple of teams that you mentioned here. We're going to get to LSU because Brian Kelly, obviously in his first year leading the Tigers, you mentioned Alabama. That was the team that got upset. I mean, we saw Tennessee drag the goal posts into the damn river. When it comes to Alabama, we heard at the end of last season, Nick Saban kind of brush off the end of the year and say that it was a rebuilding year. Well, here we are. They're just coming off of a gigantic upset. What do you think about Alabama? Is this another quote unquote rebuilding year?

It's definitely not, man. The only reason why Saban would say that is because he lost at the end of the season. So to me, this is not a rebuilding year.

You would build over the off season, bringing in Jamir Gibbs, the outstanding tailback coming in from Georgia Tech and doing what you did in the transfer portal. They're still great up front on both sides of the line of scrimmage. So you're going to be able to win in the trenches each and every Saturday. It's about whether or not the secondary is able to cover. And Tennessee did exactly what teams that have beaten Bama have been able to do. They are not afraid to throw at those offensive backs. So if Alabama wants to protect themselves, they're going to have to go back to that old school approach. They can't play up tempo. You're going to have to lean in, lean in on those big offensive linemen that they have and that talented tailback and Gibbs and let him lead the way, keep that defense off the field.

Because I feel like right now, as long as there are secondaries out there, there's going to be a potential issue for them against teams that are unafraid to throw. Emery Hunt is here with us at the JR Sportbreeze Show on CBS Sports Radio. Emery covers all things college football for CBS Sports HQ.

Let me ask you this. We know that, again, it's pretty much a pat on the back. You know, Nick Saban is getting a new contract. He'll be around forever.

And now he's making more money than anybody forever. Do you think he's going to live out that entire contract or is it going to come a point in time when he just goes, OK, good, I'm out, I'm going by? I think the rest of the SEC wishes he does. But I feel like as long as you're getting money like you're like Nick Saban is and you're getting the best players, it makes your job easier to really hang around. It's almost like he's the GM of Alabama and he's really allowing his assistant coaches to coach him. Outside of last weekend, JR, remind me the last time you saw Nick Saban blow a gasket on the sideline.

It's been a while because he has been so under control. Why? Because I'm constantly getting the best players in. I'm so far ahead of my competition year in, year out.

I can really start to delegate. I mean, he has a guy that stands next to him on the sideline and him water. You know, that's how calling me is on the sideline. So I see him playing out this contract and continue to get mega millions from Alabama. Good for him. Speaking of mega millions, we know that Brian Kelly of the Tigers, LSU, he got a lot of them millions. What do you think about the start right out of the gate for Brian Kelly with LSU? I like what Brian Kelly is doing, man.

And it pains me as a former region Cajun to speak glowingly about LSU because nothing more I would love to see is for LSU fall flat on their feet. But Brian Kelly has stabilized their program. He's got them playing competitive ball up front along the off and divine.

And that's his specialty. And I like that he brought in the Jaden Daniel, a guy that has tremendous leadership that's unafraid of pressure. And I also like that he went out in a transfer portal and replenish that entire secondary that is now playing in the NFL.

He went out and got starters from other teams. And now they're starting for LSU and they're playing great. So I think they have a great chance to be honest of not only beating Ole Miss tomorrow, but also making some noise against Alabama because they could have beaten Alabama last year with a rinky dink football team that they had put out there in Tuscaloosa. Now there's a better LSU team and they will be coming off of an upset of number seven Ole Miss and now going and playing in Alabama that's going to be reeling. They have a shot to represent the Western Division in the SEC title game. So I see this as a sneaky team coming out the SEC. So I like what Brian Kelly has done so far. It's only going to get better.

Wow. Emory Hunt is here with us. Football game plan.

CBS Sports HQ. We've heard a lot about Brian Kelly and his personality quirks from the minute that he was hired and even throughout that process. So you're saying that everyone is pretty acclimated and they've been able to kind of push out the noise because he was just recently complaining about like replay. It's just like focusing on your team. What do you think about his personality and how he fits in?

You know, it's fascinating, man. He wants things done his way, as most coaches do. And I like that he's going in and focusing on certain things and bucking the trend. We saw him have some issues with Keishon Boutte in the spring and we were all just saying, well, what's going on with Brian Kelly?

Why is he banging on their number one wide receiver? Well, now we kind of see why he's out there, you know, loafing and not being as into it, showing bad body language, all of those things. And we see now the process. We saw him now. We now understand why he's doing the things the way he does. It's working out for him. So, you know, usually people that go into LSU as an outsider, talking about Nick Saban, talking about Les Miles, you're going to ruffle some feathers initially, but you're going to go and win at the end of the day.

Okay. As we start to wrap things up here, we, this, this is a full slate of games on Saturday. Is there a particular game that everybody needs to pay attention to?

Is there a sneaky game that we need to watch for some type of reason? Jackson State taking on Campbell, two blackhead coaches, one as HBCU and Coach Brown, one as a PWI and Mike Minter, who also played the NFL for the Carolina Panthers. Those two programs, here's the thing about Mike Minter and what he's done at Campbell. I did one of their games when they played Georgetown and I noticed, I was like, wait a minute, this looks like an FBS team getting off the bus with the offensive line, defensive line. And now you take on a Jackson State team that is great with talent. They're undefeated. That game is going to be a fascinating watch tomorrow.

Well, Emery, let me ask you this, man. You talk about Deion Sanders and the success that he's had and working at an HBCU. Do you find him to be at Jackson for the long haul or do you see a chance or a sliver where he decides to just up and leave and move into the big show?

I think here, follow me on this one, JR. I feel like his plan is to elevate Jackson State into the big time. So whether or not some teams in the swag, like your FAMU or your Southern or some other team like that, your Tennessee State that's on the outside, unless they want to elevate with them, I can see them getting well enough support to where they jump into a conference USA or they jump into a, you know, a Sunbelt conference or something like that. I think that's the power play because he has everything that he wants at Jackson State.

He has power. He's getting a new stadium as well. Why not elevate the program and be the first HBCU to go to FBF? I think that's a major move right there.

It would be a huge move if that were to take place. Emery, I appreciate you for taking the time to hop on. Where can people follow you on HQ for CVS and your website? Where can people keep up with you, Emery? Just follow me on Twitter at fballgameplan, youtube.com slash football game plan, and also on Instagram all one word football game plan. You'll see this pretty face all over that those outlets.