Time for college things and the NFL draft!

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Grainger, for the ones who get it done. Draft starts tomorrow. Panthers can nap through it, maybe, and join us on Friday.

Hurricanes game three of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Series with the Islanders tomorrow should be rip-roaring at UBS Arena. Let's talk a little bit about college stuff, if you will. We'll see where we can go with Chip Patterson, my friend, cbssports.com, Cover Three Podcast moderator, and the new episode I just saw. It hit, because I'm a subscriber and a listener, it just hit.

It dropped. And some of the things in there are some of the things we will discuss today. So let's, first of all, thank you very much. How are you, sir? I'm good.

You know, I didn't include this in my response over text, but yes, many of the things that you were kicking around, I am absolutely locked in on. I did not give you any response to the golf, because I love unplugging during the Zurich. That goes so hard in the run-up to Augusta. And then we've got Harbor Town right after, which is an elevated event, which, and especially this year with Scottie, kind of adds to it all, that it is just mentally freeing for me to just eject, for me to eject like Brendan Todd did on the back nine on Sunday as he was sitting there at Harbor Town going bogey double, bogey double, bogey double. You know, I, I am, I'm a, I kind of just let it go for about a week and then I'll come back to golf on the other side.

I do commercials for FanDuel and I record them before the show because that's the way it has to be done. So my, I had a golf commercial today. Scottie Scheffler's not playing this week. So bet golf at your own, at your own risk. Anybody can win because right now we're in a world where is Scottie playing? Well, I could bet on somebody to top five.

I can't bet on anybody else to win because if Scottie wants to, apparently Scottie is going to. We'll get to that maybe if we've got time. I want to start with that, that Ross Dellinger piece real quick because we never know what the, I think we knew what the intent was when the alliance formed.

I have to say it that way because it just sounds better. When the ACC, the big 10, interestingly enough, and the big 12 decided to pump the brakes in reaction to the SEC adding Texas and Oklahoma. Everybody was mad. Like, how are you guys doing this?

Right? You don't need Texas and Oklahoma. They didn't. But, you know, when Texas and Oklahoma knock on your door and say, hey, can we join your club? You went, Texas and Oklahoma?

Yeah, of course. Look how much more money it means to us. Not you, Oklahoma.

You're just, you're just in the sidecar. Texas is bringing the money. But when they, when they add, that made the ACC, the big 10 and the, and the big 12 mad. Of course it was a subtraction from the big 12. But when they decided to pump the brakes on the playoff, who knew that it would have such financial and not to mention structural ramifications to today. When you read the piece, did, and you may have thought this anyway.

I hadn't thought about it, but what were your thoughts on it? You know, when I thought about all this was when Florida state got left out of the playoff, because the initial time that Greg Sankey brought the 12 team model base, the exact 12 team model that we were going to have in the 2024 season, when he brought it, it was going to be ready to be in place for last season. Right. But the Alliance formed and the Alliance asked for one year wholesale review, holistic, one year holistic review with chakra stones and breathing meditations of college football. And if everyone had just gone forward with the initial path, two things would have happened. Number one, Florida state would have been in the college football playoff as a top four seed. And number two, we might not have had some of the same venom that's gone in that has been the context of every negotiation that's happened since then.

We would have just, we would already been there. The PAC 12 would still be together. It is one of the wildest turns in college athletics that the refusal to expand the college football playoff at a meeting on the weekend of a national championship week game has had all of this kind of fallout. But college sports is a, it's an emotional thing for fans and it's an emotional thing for the ones who run it.

And there's, those are some of my big takeaways, um, coming out of the, all the revelations. And Greg Sankey, who, I mean, we could, we could debate this all day long, is the de facto commissioner of college football, what he says goes, um, and this is all due respect to Tony Petitti, even in the big 10. Right. I think Greg Sankey is, is basically running the sport.

Right. Just cause he's been there. I mean, he's, he's got tenure over everybody else in the room, you know, all these other commissioner jobs. And he has been the bridge from the old guard to the new guard and the SEC success during that time is as contributed to his position, not just in football, but in all of college sports. Yeah, I mean, you and I've talked about, uh, the big 10 is where they are because of finances. It certainly has nothing to do with, like, I'm not knocking the big 10, but it has nothing to do with the on, on field product. It's all about gigantic land grant universities. Alumni, like money, but the alumni numbers are bananas. The, the SEC schools are bigger by and large, state schools are bigger by and large than all of the ACC state schools, or at least as big, but nothing compares to the size of the schools and the alumni basis of the big 10 schools.

It's almost grotesque how much bigger those schools are than the others. And yeah, that alumni base means all the eyeballs and that's where the money comes from. Uh, but the SEC has done this on the field and they have done this on the field year in and year out. And I mean, what the ACC wishes they were in basketball, the SEC is in football and it's been that way since what, 2005, right?

Um, the, the funny thing is that, uh, the last undefeated team to miss out in a playoff or a, um, uh, a BCS title game was Auburn, the, the, the, one of the great, like, you know, you, you couldn't make that up. So anyway, um, but, so just reading that piece, Adam Goldin studio with my man coach Pete through to capital financial advisory group on your website. And I love the term financial termites because there are always things eating at your money that you can't see. So you don't want financial termites termites in the financial world, our risk fees, unnecessary commissions, all the bad things that we see. And we hear about on TV are happening many times inside your portfolio. You don't see, so you need a financial exterminator. Well, for the next 10 of you call, we'll put together for you, your very own total retirement plan at no cost. Call triple eight eight four three double O 13 or text Adam to 600 700.

Adam Gold is a paid spokesman investment advisory services offered by capital financial advisory group, North Carolina registered investment advisor. Greg Sankey said, yeah, this was the best deal you were going to pay. I'm paraphrasing. This was the best deal you were going to get for everyone. Who's not us, right? Exactly. This was going to be the most fair revenue distribution. This was going to keep the PAC 12 from splintering. This was going to prevent all the paranoia that has followed the PAC 12 from splintering, where everyone thinks that we're headed to two super conferences and Florida State's trying to sue its way out. Yes. All of that potentially could have been avoided had everyone, all of those conference commissioners agreed to the deal that was presented that January 7th, 8th or 9th or whatever. Right.

At the football playoffs. Southern Cal and UCLA might still be there. Maybe not, but maybe. And the others probably all would still be there because there wouldn't be the rats leaving a sinking ship deal.

And who knows? I don't know if it would have changed Florida State and Clemson's mindset at all. Maybe not.

But it certainly did not help the mindset. Can we, first of all, is there anything else out of that article you need to that you think we need to talk about before we celebrate Reggie Bush getting his Heisman back? No, let's let's get right to Reggie. Isn't that great? And it only took how long? It took Bush's Heisman away, what, 15 years ago? The thing that stood out to me and I got the, you know, I got the call for the breaking news. I jumped on CBS Sports HQ right away and I didn't have a lot of time to process it.

And sometimes some of those really raw breaking news appearances end up delivering something where I'm like, that is exactly how I feel. It is so important for college football and fans of the sport for the future to know that Reggie Bush to not have any confusion about what Reggie Bush did or did not do. And if the Heisman Trophy wants to truly be like a Hall of Fame, if the Heisman Trophy is going to be how we remember college football stars, to not have Reggie Bush is a disservice to one of the iconic runs of the 2000s. That you cannot tell the story of college football in the 2000s without talking about Reggie Bush, a player who before social media would go viral. I mean, I don't know if the kids know this, we used to send chain emails around, forward, forward, forward, forward. You won't believe this Reggie Bush highlight.

Yeah. And he was part of that era where, look, you and I've discussed this a lot, college football exploded with cable television. And as long as when you started to see the ability for not just your regional teams, but teams all over the country for their games to be on television, that's Pete Carroll, USC teams starting to find their feet and starting to take off. And so when the entire country could sit around and watch what Reggie Bush was doing to UNLV on a Saturday or what he was doing to Fresno State in August, like these these things, both in addition to how great he was and how good those USC teams were, it is important to the story of the sport that there is no confusion about what where Reggie Bush was and what his impact was, because he he was a moment in time for college football. Those Southern Cal teams were unbelievable teams. I loved Pete Carroll as a college coach. We know why he went to Seattle. He knew the posse was coming. He got ahead, got out ahead of it.

That's fine. Today's today's world of college football. I don't know, maybe Carol stays there and maybe that run goes on for an additional 10 years, because that was about as fun as college football ever gets to watch that USC team play. What do you make, Chip Patterson, of the group of five potentially bringing in private equity and having their own playoff, which honestly, they should.

I think they absolutely should. We're going to three levels of football anyway of Division one football. So why not just get out ahead of it? OK, number one, let's I get private equity away from college football because I am not involved with private equity.

I do not have any intimate relationship with private equity. But my very, very dumb state school public school understanding is that when things are no longer profitable, they get stripped for parts and group of five football programs are not profitable. So I don't get in bed with the guys who strip unprofitable things for parts. But, you know, everyone's got their own ways to go about this. But here's what I do think and forget the Derek Dooley side of this, because there's no worse sales pitch than, hey, Derek Dooley's got a good idea that's going to save a group of five football. But the idea of holding your own playoff, you take the pitch, you take the proposal, you write some ideas down, you put them in a folder and you put them behind the glass and on the glass.

It says break in case of emergency and you stay on the gravy train as long as you can. Two reasons for that. Number one, you are inherently devaluing yourself. If before the SEC and the Big Ten break away, you break away first.

Like you're declaring to the open market. Yeah, we're not we're not big time at all. Number two, and I've been pushing this for a long time. The national championship is not important in college football. And I think the college football playoff is not why most fans like college football. And one thing the group of five conferences have done over the last two to three years.

Obviously, it started with the Mac in November forever. But Conference USA does Tuesday and Wednesday games in October. Now, the Sunbelt has started to do Wednesday night games in both October and November. The American Athletic Conference has taken over that Thursday ESPN slot, which has kind of been avoided by the power conferences as the NFL Thursday package has grown. What's important about college football?

What generates conversation and puts you in the spotlight for these group of five conferences? Is that midweek football and like you can talk about it being for junkies and degenerates? And yes, but it gets you far more exposure than when you're getting married on a Saturday. And if you're thinking that you're going to have your own playoff, that's going to get buried behind the actual playoff that right now in the last couple of years, the group of five, if they want to believe that the best thing they've got going for them is their regular season, which is what I think, then then don't devalue yourself right off the bat, because there is a spot in the FBS world for a group of five football and it might be midweek football. Right. But it's it's at least something that's unique and easier to sell than trying to come up with your own junior playoff.

Rather than engage in a debate about this, because I do think that we're headed for three different levels of football at some point. I've been saying for a long time. I mean, you've heard me say it.

I don't know why the ACC didn't say we're going to plant our flag on Friday night and we're going to play a Friday night game every week during the season. I know. I know what the coaches say. Recruiting. I get it.

You don't want to do that. There was a time where the ACC said they wouldn't play Tuesday night basketball games because that was high school basketball night or Thursday, whatever the night was. It was Tuesday night. We're not going to play on Tuesday nights because high school games. I mean, if the ACC had established a Friday night, they're playing more Friday night games now, obviously. Like that's what they should have done a long time ago, especially when the NFL decided, you know, Thursday night football. The NFL can't stop me.

They're taking over. They're they're playing football games on Christmas Day. They would play three games on Christmas Day. I thought the NBA had Christmas Day when the NFL even takes over New Year's Day when it when it works out for them.

So I've been saying this about the ACC for a long time. Play on. Play on. Play on Friday night. Well, you have a marquee game Friday night.

You need to get Dr. Jim Phillips to send you a check because I am pulling it up right now. I've got weeks one, four, five, six. I've got a bunch of Friday night, but but no more key games. Yeah. I think Virginia Tech, Miami's a marquee game. Well, sure. That's OK. That's OK. To to to two programs that used to be good. Right.

It's good to marquee. Buddy, this is ACC football. I know what you're asking for. All right. U.S. U.S. are a marquee game. Right.

That's a good point. Twenty three is a this a 2016 ACC football. Right. It's a twenty seventeen. Twenty twenty three ACC football.

You get your Virginia Tech at Miami and you like it. All right. Let me ask you a couple of draft things. All right. Because you didn't do a mock draft, did you?

I saw for Nelly did one for Nelly always does. I know actual like player evaluation. I grind tape. I put together grades like he's he must have a lot of time in his hands. I mean, I'll tell you what he doesn't have is a four year old and two year old.

OK. On him. That's just comparing, you know, time available in the day. Like you were talking about the golf, how there's the curve. Right.

Yeah. Play a lot of golf. Then you play a little golf. And then when the kids get older, you can start playing a lot of golf again. But I'm I'm not I'm in the bottom part of that curve.

Oh, I'm my my 15 year old plays 80 times more golf than I play. It's gross to me. All right. So. Other than the studs, the well, let me let me ask you this about the three stud wide receivers. Harrison, a Dunsey and neighbors. Who's the best?

Roman Dunsey. Really? Yeah. I look I'm not there if you wanted to be a bloodlines guy.

Sure. OK. Marvin Harrison Jr. is so gifted. I do not think I do not think that we are talking about tears within that top three.

I do think it's that top three. Then you draw a line, then you start to get into the rest of the wide receivers. I believe that there is the perfect combination of route running body control and just sort of the 50 50 catch. I loved, loved talking to Washington's players covering the Sugar Bowl.

Their win against Texas, the run leading up to it then after. And, you know, you hear things from Michael Pennix where he says they aren't 50 50 balls when I throw to Rome. You know, I've been a quarterback for nine years in college football and 32 years old.

I understand what a 50 50 ball is. And I'm telling you that after two years of throwing to this guy, I can just I can make different throws. And yes, like Marvin Harrison Jr. did have to carry a lot of the weight at times. But man, Washington's run. I mean, do you remember they won nine one score games in a row? Yep. And so many times there were third downs in those one score games where every single person knew that it was going to Rome. And he still found a way to make a catch. That kind of stuff is special.

Yeah. By the way, that that run was why I voted for Michael Pennix for for the Heisman Trophy. He was my he was my vote. Who's the who is who's the next best wide receiver after that group? Give me give me a name or two. Who else? Who else is out there? I can slot.

I don't know. I'm Mitchell. I don't even know if I'm pronouncing his name right. You know, I mean, A.D. Mitchell, a big game Mitchell. He made a playoff catches for both Georgia and Texas.

How much more blue blood do you need? What about Lad McConkie? I would take Lad McConkie maybe ahead of A.D. Mitchell. A.D. Mitchell was a little bit banged up throughout his career, much more like gifted overall. He's taller, a little bit faster.

But he's when I call him big game A.D. Mitchell. And I told it to him his face, you know, because he he recognized me from a Georgia playoff run. Wow. Oh, hey, I remember you. So we were laughing about it. And I was like, yeah, you know, I'm just like you.

I just show up for the big games. Very cool. But he. Yeah. So I would say I think Lad McConkie is is an excellent wide receiver prospect. Who's better between Keon Coleman and Xavier LeGette? The the South Carolina player.

How about this? I think Michigan State Keon Coleman was better than Florida State Keon Coleman. It ran four six at the combine Florida State Keon Coleman had fifty two point eight percent of his receiving yards on the season in three different games. He showed up. He flashed.

You saw everything. But then he was banged up dealing with some injuries and kind of a non factor at times elsewhere. But I will take I will take Keon Coleman over legit because again, you go back to a Michigan State offense that. Do you remember Jane Reed? I think he's with the Packers. Yeah, he was a wide receiver, especially.

They had Jane Reed on one side and Keon Coleman on the other. Why did Michigan State not win more games? Because of Peyton Thorne at quarterback. So we're fading Auburn in twenty twenty three as long as Peyton Thorne, the same quarterback who couldn't light it up with two NFL wide receivers is going to be the starter. So, yeah, we're I'm I'm in on Keon Coleman. He's he's a special athlete.

Who's the best cornerback in the draft. For the ones who work hard to ensure their crew can always go the extra mile and the ones who get in early so everyone can go home on time. There's Granger offering professional grade supplies backed by product experts so you can quickly and easily find what you need. Plus, you can count on access to a committed team ready to go the extra mile for you.

Call click Granger dot com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done. Let's see. Give me a couple of names.

You know, it's really good about any names. The really good thing about the position that I've carved out is that I do I don't know anything about positional value or team needs. You know, like hit me up about a guy.

I can tell you about a guy. I'll tell you what I don't know is what the Jags need. I know what I know what the Panthers need, but they need picks. They don't have it.

They do like they at least they have three on day two. I would I would consider trading back. But who is. I think it might have been Will telling me that no, Darren Gant from Panthers dot com said that nobody has traded out of the second round back in the second round and gotten to day two picks.

Oh, sad. All right. So, Terry, on Arnold from Alabama, I am I just saw so much of right. I'm going to be more I'm going to lean more his way than Quinon Mitchell from Toledo. So I'm admitting my bias there and where I might be a little shortsighted. Toledo has more talent than everybody in the Mac. They play B minus games and still win them. They make me furious. I wish they were better. But I I'm kind of in the I am definitely in the idea that Terry on Arnold is someone who is like not out of place.

If you consider him the best cornerback in this draft. What do you think of Kool-Aid? McKinnistery Kool-Aid's good. Kool-Aid's been good for a really long time because he was opposite Terry on Arnold. Right.

Yeah. Kool-Aid McKinstry and cool and Terry on Arnold as like a one to punch with Caleb Downs in the back. Alabama secondary was incredible.

I I think Arnold probably looks a little bit more special. But again, like there have been there have been a line of players at Alabama that Saban was willing to throw to the wolves. And that line includes Patrick Sertane. That line includes Minka Fitzpatrick. And that line also included Kool-Aid McKinstry. So if you just want to talk about somebody who has had it since day one and clearly had the trust of the goat.

I know, but nothing bad to say there about Kool-Aid. Yeah. The reason I asked about that is because it looks like what the way this draft board is going to fall and we'll close on this is that for the Panthers, there could be one of the top three or four cornerbacks sitting there at thirty three. And I think that whether J.C. Horn ever stays healthy or not, I think they need a top cornerback as almost as much as they need a top wide receiver. So thirty three cornerback, thirty nine wide receiver. I'd be all over that if I were the Panthers.

That's just the way the way I look at it. Who does who who do they have a wide receiver right now? The Panthers. You know me, Adam Thielen and Deontay Johnson basically are the two wide receivers that I would be comfortable going to in your top four in the start of the season. I mean, they could talk about Jonathan Mingo all day long, who looked better at the end of the year than he did at the beginning. But I mean, I didn't see anything from Jonathan Mingo that said, yeah, this guy's going to be one of your top three wide receivers next year to me as a depth guy. As much as anything else, I think they need at least two wide receivers coming out of the draft. So for at least one wide receiver and one tight end.

Yeah. Who's the best tight end? Not named Brock Bowers.

Not named Brock Bowers. That's a big drop off a huge drop off. That's a huge drop off.

I don't know. Yeah, it's it's it's not the the tackle top heavy thing is something I'm definitely looking forward to because there are some there's some offensive. There's a big boys that have been excellent for a long time and I think are going to be drafted very, very highly.

And so I'm always happy to see the big fellas eat. There you go. Chip Patterson, you're the man. I appreciate your time. And I'll talk to you next week.

Sounds good. You'll be well for the ones who work hard to ensure their crew can always go the extra mile and the ones who get in early so everyone can go home on time. There's Granger offering professional grade supplies backed by product experts so you can quickly and easily find what you need.

Plus, you can count on access to a committed team ready to go the extra mile for you. Call click Granger dot com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.