College Football Fix: Brian Jones, CBS Sports College Football Analyst

We miss college football. Bennett takes the snap and the shotgun, throws for the corner.

Brock Bowers one-on-one. Caught! Touchdown!

He ate him alive! Falls down into the end zone. Six more for Georgia. We can't wait for the 2023 season. Caleb Williams throws the fade in the corner.

Oh my! Touchdown Trojans! And we're counting down the days to kick off. Are we there yet? No. Are we there yet? We said no!

Are we there yet? What's wrong with your ears? Here is your college football fix only on the Zach Gelb show. And we welcome in one of the more entertaining voices that you could see as always on CBS as a CBS Sports College football analyst and a man that loves his long horns, the great Brian Jones. BJ, how you been? Zach, I love my horns and I love my college football fix and that CBS college football music, baby. It don't get any better than that. I'm great. How about yourself? Well, I'm doing fantastic and we have this new affiliate, The Horn, which we're very excited about in Austin, so I said we got to talk some Texas football. We may as well go to Brian Jones because nobody better. Big year for the long horns this upcoming season.

A lot of buzz. I know people always say, is Texas back? Is Texas back? But they got to go win their final year in the Big 12. What are your expectations for the long horns this year?

To do exactly that. Win the conference championships. Expectations are high. I'm not the only one saying they're high. The team is saying they're high. The coaching staff is saying they're high. Everyone understands how you manage those expectations as a player.

You just go out and put the work in and they're putting the work in. Oh, so close in a few games last year. I think the roster has been overhauled to the point where, yes, they can contend for a championship, almost getting to the championship game during the Big 12 a season ago. So kudos to Coach Sarg and his staff and the type of players they brought in. Man, these guys look the part now. I recall asking Coach Flood, their offensive coordinator and O-line coach, two summers ago, Hey, do you have some good clay you can mold?

And he said yes. And it's time for that clay to be molded. You got a young offensive line a year ago that they struggled.

Let's just be honest. They struggled. And the only reason they looked as good as they did is because they had a dynamite, dynamic running back in Bijan Robinson. I don't think the running game falls off too much if those guys up front have grown to the point where they can now consistently open up holes. So that's going to be the big thing I'm looking for is that offensive line. And also, they need a bona fide pass rusher, someone that can get to the quarterback without having to dial in. Dial up blitzes. So that's going to be the key for them. And I love this one transfer.

Well, there are a couple of transfers that are great. A.D. Mitchell, the wide receiver, transferred from two-time national champion, Georgia Bulldogs. He's a phenomenal athlete.

But Jalen Cattelan in that secondary. If he can stay healthy. This guy really made a lot of noise when he was a freshman at Arkansas last two seasons.

He's been banged up. But if he can stay healthy, look out. He's going to, the native Texan is going to make a name for himself in that Longhorn uniform.

If he remains available. We know what the talent is in the quarterback room. Quinn Ewers is going to be the starter. Malik Murphy right now is number two in the depth chart.

And then this kid, Arch Manning, that some people may be talking about just a little bit, is listed at number three. If Quinn Ewers is able to stay healthy, what can Quinn Ewers do this season individually? Well, hopefully he can do what we witnessed early on in that Alabama game a season ago. He was dropping dimes, man. He was phenomenal.

And then he obviously gets hurt. He returns a few games later and he was just not the same Quinn Ewers. So hopefully he can revert to that guy we saw in that Bama ball game. There was a few remnants of that type of performance the rest of the season. But, you know, I think back, reflect back on the TCU ball game and seeing the whole field.

You had a wide open Bijan Robinson late in that ball game in which he didn't identify and obviously missed. So hopefully now he feels better and more comfortable in the system. And I don't think there's a ton of pressure on him.

There shouldn't be. And it's not all about Quinn Ewers. Quinn Ewers, yes, I know the quarterback is a significant position, but collectively he has some guys that he can lean on. And defensively, they've got to hold up their end of the bargain as well and continue to progress and get better. So not asking Quinn Ewers to go out and play like Archie's uncle, Peyton, but definitely be more consistent.

And understand you don't have to make the wild throw all the time. And hopefully once again, he's surveying the entire field and he has a better handle on this offense. I think he does from all the reports I'm hearing.

He's clearly the number one guy. And you mentioned Malik Murphy. He put on a show in the spring ball game. This is a big kid.

He's a true dual threat. And I think ideally you might see some packages for that young man as well. Ryan Jones here with us on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. When you found out that Arch Manning was going to commit to Texas and now be a part of that football program, obviously there was a lot of buzz around the sport with the last name and with how much we've heard about him throughout the years.

And sometimes I think it's awkward when we talk that much about high school kids, but that's just the nature of this beast. What did you first feel when you heard about the Manning commitment? A great recruit. That was a great recruit. And that was great for Texas to bring in the top notch recruit, number one recruit in the land.

And if it was anyone else's last name, I would have said the same thing. Just an excellent job of recruiting that young man and his family and selling them on the University of Texas. And so that was it until we see him on the field and he's gone about his business in the Manning way, waiting and understanding he has to earn a job that's not going to be given to him. And I think he's happy there in Austin and he's willing to bide his time until he can get under center.

But when that was announced that he was going to Texas, that was huge. It's all about recruiting. That's the lifeblood, as you know, of all these programs.

So you can go out and get the number one recruit in the nation. That's a huge, huge win. Expectations are high like we're talking about for this season with your Longhorns. We know they go to the SEC next year.

I feel like even if they don't meet those expectations, SARC will still be back next year because of Manning. Do you feel that way as well? Do you think that seat's warm headed into the season? No, it's not warm.

Not warm at all. But that can change in the middle of the season. We are talking about Texas, right?

That's not lost on me at all. But, you know, he's fine. And he has the program heading in the ideal direction. The recruiting has been been excellent. They've got a roster that has a lot of depth now. And he rebuilt that roster. I remember when he first came in, he said the roster construction was not to his liking.

It was a little top heavy in positions where it didn't need to be and not in positions where it needed to be. And he's corrected that on the offensive line, on the defensive line. So he's getting the type of players you need to win in that conference they're heading to next year.

But they need to win right now. And so I think he's just fine and there's no added pressure, but he understands the expectations. He left a place to come to Texas with a ton of expectations. So he knew what he was getting into when he came to UT. But there's no way, no how that that seat's warm or any. It's not even lukewarm, man.

Not at all. He's doing fine and building the program the correct way. Now they just need to go out and finish the deal by winning a conference championship. Brian Jones here with us. The changes in college athletics. We know Texas, Oklahoma going to the SEC. And then you had USC and UCLA go to the Big Ten. It was like, OK, what is the Big 12 and the Pac-12 going to do? The Big 12 saved their conference. The Pac-12 did not. With all the changes in the last few days, how do you kind of react to it?

This is the new normal. It's just been amazing to watch the demise of the Pac-12. Obviously, there's been a lot of smoke and no fire with all the the comments that over not just, you know, the last year, the last year and a half, two years coming out of that conference. And they have not been able to make good business sense or even present a good business plan to the broadcast partners.

So obviously they wouldn't be in the position that they find themselves, whether they the Pac-4 currently, that's probably going to change as well. So it's the new normal. Everyone's trying to get their back. Get your money. It's a money grab.

And these programs are realizing the athletic departments are not athletic departments they were when I was playing. These are entertainment entities, man. These are billion dollar. This is a billion dollar category. College football, that college football playoff. It's going to expand and even more money is going to be generated just between those 12 teams that will play in that tournament.

So it's a huge business. I love NIL as someone who understands all these traditions that are going away and can appreciate them. Get over it, because that's gone. And I keep hearing everyone talk about the integrity of the game. Well, what is the integrity of the game? Because they said when they brought NIL online, that was going to ruin the integrity of the game. They got rid of amateurism. That was going to ruin the integrity of the game.

All that was bull dookie. This game is about money, especially in today's world. And everyone's trying to grab their bag and it's everyone for themselves. That's how they're rolling and it's a big time business and we can try to make it something else, but that's what it is. There's a reason why the Big Ten now has three television partners. There's a reason why the SEC has two new members coming next year. And now the Big Ten has four new members entering their fold. And the Big Twelve is going and poaching teams.

Man, it's about who can help me present my profile or raise my profile and my brand. And so that's what you're seeing, all this maneuvering. And it may continue with the machinations between the ACC and a couple teams out west. We'll see. But not surprised whatsoever. And if there's more moving, that will not be a surprise either. In a few years, how do you think we're talking about Deion Sanders at Colorado, Brian Jones?

I'm trying to be nice here. That team may feel like they're the ones lying in a hospital bed after the season, but I just don't see how they're going to be anywhere near competitive that they need to be. So he can coach. What he did at Jackson State, upgrading that program in every area, each and every touch point of that program, he took to new heights. And I believe he will be able to do that at Colorado. You know, all this huffing and puffing about how he overhauled his roster.

It was just ridiculous. And I know coaches will come out and certain coaches like Patton Arduzi and others taking shots at him. What the hell was he supposed to do?

You got a 1-11 team. Obviously, those kids weren't living up to expectations and capable of playing in the Pac-12 back then. So he has to come in and make changes. And you've seen that in this new world of the transfer portal, which essentially is free agency in college football. So he tapped into the free agency and he brought in a whole host of new players. And it's going to take them a minute to jail, but I'd be surprised if they had monumental success this season.

It's going to be a minute, at least a year or two, maybe three before he can turn that thing around. Brian Jones, do you think Notre Dame should join a conference now? Why would you? Why buy the couch?

The milk is free, man. They're fine. They still have the cachet as Notre Dame. They're playing winning football under Marcus Freeman. They have a television deal with NBC. Just do your thing. Go out and win. They're going to be prominent if they're a bona fide, legitimate contender.

And they usually are a name. They're going to be just fine as an independent. I don't see why they would feel the need to change their status as an independent. They don't need to join with anyone. They can stand alone.

And then there are other programs that could probably stand alone. You know, a lot of these blue buds who traditionally have been in conferences could stand alone, but definitely Notre Dame would be at the top of that list. Right now, as we sit here, Brian Jones, on August 8th, if you had to give me your four best teams in college football, who are your four? You've got to go with Georgia.

They just erase and replace. Bama's going to be in there. LSU's going to be in there. I think they're going to get better. And they can keep Jake Daniels healthy.

Look out for them. They're going to be in the mix. A&M, if that quarterback play is solidified, I think they'll be in the mix. I may have given you more. Was that three I've given you?

That's tough, you know, just stopping at four. You've got to like Michigan, right, get it into this year? Michigan, I was going to say Michigan, Ohio State. But yeah, love what Michigan's bringing back, especially defensively, and with the running backs as well.

Edwards and Coram. There's going to be some great football this year. Let's go to the Big Ten. The Illini are on the come up.

What were they, seven and one, then they had a little slide. You've got Iowa, who's going to be much better with the former Michigan quarterback, Cade McNamara. To a man, all the guys and coaches I interviewed, and speaking of coaches, Coach Ferris, their head coach at Big Ten Media Days, they all were just praising the leadership that McNamara has brought into that locker room. And we know how woeful they were a year ago offensively. It's going to be some great football there in the Big Ten. And Luke Fickel, man, he's going to do an excellent job at Wisconsin. And they won't have to wait long for them to see some exciting football with him changing the offense to more of a spread approach. So it's hard. It's difficult to just name the four best because, you know, Florida State, they're back in the mix.

They're legit. We'll see who comes out of the Pac-12, too. What's that? We'll see who comes out of the Pac-12. Oh yeah, I mean Oregon, Washington, with their quarterbacks coming back, SC of course. Yeah, you can't just stop at four.

Alright, last thing I'll ask you. I know you mentioned both Alabama and LSU. People are starting to get down in the crimson tide. You had the idiotic comments about the legacy with Nick Saban by Paul Feinbaum a few weeks ago. I actually, though, and I always give Alabama the benefit of the doubt, I like LSU a little bit more than Alabama heading into this year.

How about yourself? Yeah, they won it last year. And, you know, the aforementioned Jay Daniels, he stays healthy. And look what they did against Georgia. They scored 30 points and they still lost by 30, but they scored 30 points and I think Texas A&M bounces back.

Really? You believe in the Aggies? Yes, I believe in the Aggies. If they fix the quarterback position, yes. The way they've recruited, heck yeah. And Ole Miss, just find some defense.

We know they can dial up plays with Lane Kiffin, find some defense. That SEC West is going to be difficult. Tough road to hoe, you know, in the East. I think it's just Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina this season.

So, yeah, that West, yeah, that one's going to be hard to pay. I'll tell you, though, the two coaches I just can't trust. And I know they have a ton of talent.

I hear what you're saying with A&M. And then Penn State, they got a lot of talent, too. Big years for Jimbo Fisher and James Franklin. They got to win these games this year. Franklin loves the defense.

I asked him point blank, what do you like about these guys? What did they give up, 40 yards on the ground in Michigan last year? They're bigger on that side of the ball. And when you get smashed like that, man, and you have a chance to return and redeem yourselves, you better take full advantage of it. You know, the key to them is going to be Drew Allard, the new quarterback. It looks the part, the small sample we've witnessed thus far. We know they've got a stacked running back table.

So if they can play better defense, not give up 40 bills anywhere close to that, and Allard comes as advertised, yeah, they'll be in the mix, but they've got to find a way to get over Ohio State, who they've defeated before, Michigan, whom they've defeated before. But those are the two workouts. All right, seriously, this is the last question for Brian Jones. I know I just last questioned you like three times in a row, but you get how this radio stuff works. My producer, Hot Take Hickey, went with the creepy mustache. I have to get a facial hair check on you.

Are you going with the beautiful beard on CBS in a few weeks once again? Hey, man, my now wife loves this. I like it. And we were just dating a year ago at this time. Congrats.

And she liked that. So I kept it and I dig it. Don't miss shaving one iota. So, yes, I'm still rolling with the salt and pepper Fred Sanford beard. Well, sources tell me that your old producer, Mikey B, is advocating for you to cut it. Oh, really? Oh, Michael, Mikey B should tell me that I don't have to ring Mikey B and then and have him stand up and tell me himself. Why would I listen to Mikey B when I listen to my fine ass wife? I'm just telling you the rumors that I'm hearing around here, even though Mikey B doesn't work here anymore. But he went out of his way to say P.J. may want to cut that beard.

And I said, oh, no. Anyway, Brian, with it really, really appreciate you doing this. We're looking forward to seeing you on TV once again for CBS. Thanks so much. You got it, my man. Take care. Hook them.