Greg McElroy, ESPN College Football Analyst

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Alright, away we go. It is the Zach Gelb Show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. You can listen to this man each and every morning on Jocks FM. Also, you can catch him on ESPN. He'll be on the call this weekend for the Big 12 Championship Game. That is the former Alabama quarterback and Greg McElroy kind enough to join us once again right here on the Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio.

Greg, what a weekend of football. Appreciate the time. Thanks so much for doing this. Oh, you got it, man. Happy to do it. It's a busy week, but we are chugging right along with fewer games, but more storylines than we usually have this time of year.

I got to start you off with your alma mater. Fourth and goal at the 31. We know Milroy finds Bond for the touchdown. How did you process that one? Because I still can't believe it. I'm not sure I've processed it yet, to be honest with you.

Removing the analytics side, just as like a fan, like in the moment, right? It just didn't feel at any point like we were going to win the game. So I just I was losing my mind. I had my headset on. We're getting ready to go live.

We called Georgia Georgia Tech probably about a half hour after the game went final. And so we're getting ready to rehearse and I'm like push rehearsal. Give me five minutes. I'm going to need to rehearse. You know, I don't need to be rehearsing with stuff going on the you know, in the eye where people can see it.

And I'm dropping F bombs, right? Like I didn't want to be doing that. I was not in a happy place. I was not happy at all, especially just how bad it was. You know, I mean, it was the third and 20 before that.

It could convert and then they had the errant snap and then they have the throw where Milroy crosses the line of scrimmage. It was just it was about as bad as it gets. I mean, the poise could not have been lower and unlikely a scenario possible to see and connect on. I think what was a really accurate throw and a nice play by Bond. It was it was awesome. I mean, as a fan, it was awesome from analyst side.

It was less than stellar execution. And if it's not what you want to rely on and sometimes you just got to make a play, though, and they did. And in a weekend with some pretty chaotic finishes and some pretty wild outcomes, survive in advance is the key. And they did just that. You know, it's amazing because when Bama lost back in week two and we all knew going into this year.

Right. Everyone said this is not as strong of an Alabama team as in previous years. I thought to myself, yeah, they'll they'll suffer another loss along the way. And we never seen a two loss team get into the college football playoff with how quickly they change things against Tennessee from halftime. And they pull it out in the you know, with the great third quarter.

I started to believe in them a little bit more. And then I thought for sure they were cooked up against Auburn with the way that game was playing on out. So watching this team throughout the year, seeing the improvement from Milro, just what jumps out to you with this Alabama team as they're about to play for an SEC championship up against Georgia this weekend?

Well, I think they're really resilient, which is one thing that is really and if you look kind of just across the college football world and all the teams that are vying for the championship at the moment have all showcased an ability to just battle, whether it's Georgia, who I think has been really resilient, had bad starts against South Carolina and Auburn and Bowers injury, too. Bowers has gotten hurt. Lad McConkie has gotten hurt. They've been without Ra Ra Thomas, who's got as a foot sprain. Their right tackle has been out.

The right guards been out. I mean, they've had to deal with a lot of adversity, which is not something that Georgia has really been accustomed to the last couple of years. But here they are sitting at 12 and 0. Washington has found a million different ways to win, whether it be the defensive performance against Arizona State or going forward on fourth and one at their own. Twenty nine with one minute and 15 seconds left this past weekend to give themselves a chance to kick the game winning field goal. I think Florida State has lost their quarterback and has had some bad performances. And game probably at the top of the list, didn't play well at all, went to a hostile environment, got a sack fumble, turned it to the house. And that was basically what won the game. I mean, Oregon has been the team that probably hasn't experienced as much adversity, but they lost because they went over three on fourth down against Washington, who survived in that one.

So I think every team has been really Brazilian. I think Bama would fall suit in that as well. Things could have gone real sideways after the third game of the year against USF, but they kind of came back and they rallied around Jalen Milro, who's gotten a lot more confident. It's pretty obvious with how he's played.

He's just gotten more confident, but no other hands full this weekend. But I think they actually match up pretty well against Georgia. Georgia's got some issues with their edges on defense against the run. And Georgia Tech ran for almost 200. Auburn went for 200 and plus against them. Alabama has a more dynamic quarterback than either of the aforementioned teams.

It's Peyton Thorne at Auburn and Haynes King at Georgia Tech. So if they want to utilize quarterback run and really hit the edges, I mean, Missouri ran it on them, too. I mean, there was a bunch of teams that have been able to run it on Georgia this year, which is not something we're used to.

So I think Bama actually matches up pretty well, probably even better than they would have even the last two years. Wow. Now, let me with that being said, Greg McElroy, out of 100 percent, how likely do you think it is that they hand Georgia their first loss of the season on Saturday? I'd say it's 50-50. Wow.

I'd say it's 50. I think a lot of it depends on Georgia's health. I mean, without Brock Bowers, I mean, they're very they become a lot more human. And while last week they were able to rely heavily on the run game, they ran the ball really well with Kendall Milton. They ran the ball really well with Dajon Edwards. And those guys have been better since the offensive lines gotten healthier. But they're not going to do that against Alabama.

Alabama. That was about as bad as I've seen Bama look defensively against the run, especially in the first half against Auburn. So something tells me that they're going to get near full this upcoming week about stopping the run. And their strength has been in their secondary. I mean, Kool-Aid McKinstry has been up and down. But the other three guys in their secondary with Key, with Caleb Downs, the freshman, Terry and Arnold, the other corner, that's been the really the strength of the team. And they've been probably the most consistent group since the Texas game. So I think Georgia has become a pass happy offense. And I think Brock Bowers makes them very different in the event in which he can't go. Or is it less than 100 percent?

Lad McConkie the same. Then there are some question marks about how effective George will be, I think. But George is elite.

There's super elite. So Bama's got to play really well. But Bama's elite, too. So if Georgia doesn't play well, they could easily lose the game. And Bama could as well if they don't play their game as well. When we get to the Big 12 championship game, you're going to be on the call for Oklahoma State going up against Texas. The Texas fan, they feel even if they win, they may not get in. I think the SEC champion will get in. Whoever the Big 10 champion is, it's going to be Michigan, will get in.

And the Pac-12 champion will get in. Florida State, let's just say they win this weekend. Does that mean Texas is going to be squeezed out, even though there's a scenario where maybe Alabama beats Georgia and we knew that Alabama lost to Texas earlier this year? I think for Texas to get in, they need one upset. That one upset would be Bama over Georgia. That other upset could be Louisville over Florida State. And of course, in a more crazy scenario, they need a big upset between Iowa over Michigan.

But let's be real. I don't think any of us envision that as a realistic possibility. So I think they need one upset to be in.

But let me ask you this. Do you think the committee, if it came down to Alabama and Texas, let's just say, you think the committee would put Texas in over Alabama? Because I don't think they would. I think they will. Yeah. And it's because the committee is going to take and they've proven this time and time again. The committee is going to take the path of least resistance. I cannot remember a single time in which the committee made a controversial decision.

And people are going to say, wait, wait, wait, hang on a second. What about in 2017 when 11-1 Alabama got in over 11-2 Ohio State? Well, is that controversial? Ohio State lost to Purdue and I believe they lost to Oklahoma that year as well. Yeah, it was Oklahoma that year. They had two losses against Alabama's one. Alabama has one. Ohio State has two. They're out. I can't believe they put Ohio State in over Penn State in 2016. It was pretty simple.

It was cut and dry. One team had one loss. The other team had two. The other team beat the team head to head. But we had two losses. Ohio State had one.

Put the team in with one loss. I guess the most controversial year would have been in 2014 when Ohio State was put in with one loss when measured against TCU and Baylor. But that wasn't even really that controversial. I mean, Ohio State, they didn't play either of the two. So they had a better resume, come for a better conference, had a conference championship game that they won 59-0 and they got in. I mean, they have they ever they have never done a controversial thing. What a controversial move would have been was in 2015, when Ohio State lost to Michigan State and Michigan State was about as flawed as the day is long.

They were not good. Anyone that with their own eyes could have looked at Michigan State in 2015, led by Connor Cook and said that team is flawed and they have no business even being near the top four. But Ohio State blew it in that game to Michigan State. Michigan State won the Big Ten. Ohio State sitting there at eleven to one. Everybody and their brother knew Ohio State was better than Michigan State.

But guess what? Michigan State got in and Ohio State was not even sent to the Rose Bowl. Iowa went to the Rose Bowl that year.

They went to play in the Fiesta Bowl where I believe they beat Notre Dame. So the committee has never done anything controversial at all. And they're not going to in this case either. They're going to take the path of least resistance, the path that's the most easy to justify because they don't want to.

They don't want to ruffle the feathers. And to be honest, he's never been the four best teams. I wish they would just come out and just tell us, hey, yeah, you know, it's not the four best teams, the four most deserving.

Yeah, it would be more it'd be more honest, which is which I think we can all live with at this point. Just be honest and tell us the four most deserving teams. And if that's the case, by all means, Alabama should be behind Texas.

If that's the way if that's the way you want to go about it. When this wraps up on Saturday and we wait to get the word on Sunday. What do you think the four most deserving teams are going to be with how everything plays out this weekend? Well, I mean, if chalk flies, that means George is in for sure. Michigan's in for sure. Florida State in a favorite role is in for sure. They're undefeated. The winner of the Pac-12 is also in. So whoever ends up winning that, whether it's Oregon or Washington, it doesn't really matter. Who do you think was the Pac-12, by the way? Eileen, Oregon, they're playing a little better right now. They're a little more balanced. It's hard to pick against Kalen to board a big game, though.

I mean, he's he's the real deal. But Eileen, Oregon, neutral site is close last time, but it was kind of a strange game last time. I mean, a couple of big plays. I think Oregon's playing a little better on the defensive side, even though I do think Washington's progressed on that side. So I think Oregon wins, but I think it'll be close for sure.

It'll be a game that's coming down to the wire. So if chalk flies, you have Pac-12 champ, SEC champ, meaning Georgia, Michigan and Florida State. If Florida State loses, which is the most likely, I think, of all the teams in the championship game scenarios to lose. And that slides Texas up. If Bama beats Georgia, then Bama would be in as well.

So you need a little chaos. Bama needs two upsets, one in which they actually control the other. They need Florida State to lose or they could have Texas lose to Oklahoma State as well and they could find their way in as well. So Bama needs two upsets.

Texas needs one and it should sort itself out rather easily. What have your thoughts been on the aftermath from the game between Michigan and Ohio State? Greg McElroy, where Ohio State fans have turned, some of them at least, on Ryan Day, only has seven losses, but three of those losses have been to Michigan. Three to Michigan and three in the playoff. The other was against Oregon in the regular season a couple of years back. Yeah, they got blown out, yeah. When you can name the losses off the top of your head, you're doing pretty good. As a head coach, I would think. One of those losses was in the national championship game, I might add. The other was to an eventual national champion in Georgia. It's like, I mean, don't get me wrong. I understand that you need to beat your rival.

I get that. But on this whole, you know, he's the next John Cooper. He's one and three. John Cooper was 210 and one against Michigan.

I mean, it's not. He's got to lose a whole heck of a lot more games to become the next John Cooper in my eyes. I think Ryan Day is amazing right now.

Ohio State. And here's what frustrates me about it, Zach, is that he's taken a lot of heat and I get that. And I think that there were two mistakes that he made in the game. Both were on fourth downs where I thought maybe he could have been a little more aggressive. One was at the end of the half where he decided to kick a field goal that was missed. The other was on a fourth and one near midfield that he decided on. Yeah. OK, those are the two. If we're going to nitpick and say, yeah, you know, Ryan Day cost him maybe six to 10 points in the game by doing those two things.

I don't know if that's necessarily true, but those are two things that I'd push back on. But what I would say is if they would have lost the same way they lost the last two years, I'd be a lot more frustrated if I were an Ohio State fan. But Ryan Day has made the necessary adjustments within this program to get them closer. Because if you look at how things went in 21 and 22, Michigan gashed them on the ground. They killed them by running the football. They killed them with big plays. There weren't a whole lot of big plays in this game.

There were a handful, but there weren't many. And Ryan Day, I think this year, their team, especially on offense, is the least talented he's had. Well, they have a few good players for sure.

They don't have a guaranteed first round pick at quarterback. They do it wide receiver with Marvin Harrison. I think the tight end Stover is excellent. Agbuka is excellent. Treveon Henderson is excellent. The offensive line shaky and the quarterback shaky.

I mean, those are two areas where you don't want to be shaky. They tried to go to the portal. They missed. They ended up settling with a, you know, with a transfer.

And they had to plug and play another guy like they tried. They just missed a couple of guys. But he has improved the defense greatly. They've become a little bit more balanced offensively.

All the areas where they struggled, they've improved it. They're just not yet caught up to Michigan. But Michigan's a cut above right now.

And let's reassess next year, too. And Michigan has a ton of turnover potentially. And there's buzz that Harbaugh's going to the NFL. So I think it's way too early to jump off the Ryan Day bandwagon. He's a heck of a coach.

His program just a little behind the team up north right now. And I can understand Ohio State's frustration with that. Just play along here, though, in this hypothetical game, Greg McElroy. Let's just say Day loses again next year to Michigan.

That'd be four straight years. You know what the noise is now. It would only get louder.

Gene Smith on his way out into retirement. You think there's any chance a year from now they lose again that they call Urban Meyer and say, maybe you want to try coaching again back at Ohio State? I mean, I think that they would welcome Urban Meyer back, probably.

Yeah. It's hard to it's hard to address the hypothetical. I have too much respect for Ryan Day to really even entertain it. I think he's really good coach.

And if for whatever reason, he doesn't feel appreciated at Ohio State, I can think of about 100 other programs that would gladly take it. So I know it's easy to be prisoner of the moment. It's easy to fall victim to the low hanging fruit. All of it's fair. I'm not asking people to settle. I'm not asking people to be rational. I'm not. I don't expect you to be your fan. You expect the best. I'm never going to I'm never going to push back on that. But at the same time, I mean, let's keep some perspective.

I mean, this guy's won 90 percent of his games or thereabouts. It's going to be OK. It's going to be fine. Let's see what happens in the next month, month and a half and reassess. Because once we get past the hurt, that's probably going to take 72 hours. Maybe it might take a week. Maybe it's gonna take two weeks. Maybe Michigan wins the national championship and it really hurts for the next six to 10. I don't know. All I know is that Ryan Day was a field goal away from winning the national championship last year.

And if you want to send them packing, by all means. But who are you going to get that's better? Last thing I'll ask you before we let you run. You have the number one overall pick in the draft. You need a quarterback. Are you still Caleb Williams over Drake May where you never that way?

Or do you go with somebody else? Who do you think is the best quarterback that is going to be in play here for the draft? I go Drake May. I need to watch the tape from this past weekend. I haven't had a chance to watch that yet.

I will get to it. But I've watched probably almost every throw he's made this year. I think the processing has sped up. Caleb Williams this year relied too much on improvisation. It just I think you have to live within the structure of the offense to an extent at the next level. Plus, I do think they're there. You know, there are certain personality traits that I want in a quarterback and a quarterback that has given off the impression, you know, he has some entitlement or he's, you know, or his camp is saying that he's demanding a share of ownership and stuff like that.

I don't know. I mean, all I know is I can just read what people have said. And that's a little bit of a turnoff to me. So I think Caleb's an elite player and an elite improviser. But I think living within the structure of the offense is something that I would have liked to have seen a little more of, knowing these in the transition to the next level. I think it's hard to coach when you don't know what he's going to do.

And so much of it is is kind of done on the fly. So I'd lean Drake May a little bit. The other guy that I've really grown to love and I think he's got a chance to be a really good pro is Michael Pennix at Washington.

I think he's got a chance to be really good. He's not going to be the measurables. He's not going to have the height of of what May has or even to a lesser extent, Williams.

I think they're comparable in height. Williams is just bigger, at least feels bigger when you look them. I haven't seen Pennix in person, but I think he throws it to spots and anticipates throws better than any of the aforementioned two. I think he is on another level as far as executing the throws and doing it consistently. Now, he has a really good receiving core.

But if you look at the tight windows he's fitting it into, I mean, it's pretty remarkable. And then I'll tell you another guy, too, don't sleep on Carson back to George, man. This guy is going to go flying up the draft boards here and nobody's going to think about it. Never is going to say he's a product of the system.

Also stuff. Just go look at the throws. Go watch the Tennessee game.

Go look at the windows he's squeezing it into. I mean, he is he's got a chance to be a dude. What about Daniels at LSU, by the way, as a pro like I like Daniels a little bit too much like Caleb in the sense that he's he kind of scrambles a little bit early. I don't think he's as twitchy as Lamar Jackson, you know, like Lamar had some of those qualities and you could see with Lamar, like he had a certain level of twitch and suddenness. Daniels has like RG three straight line speed.

You know what I mean? Like, I need I need a guy that can have a little bit more wiggle. And that's what Lamar had.

And there will be comp. He's got a really accurate, accurate throwing arm to down the field. Really good. I think he's made himself a lot of money this year. I just don't know if I would put him into the category alongside, you know, May and Williams, who would be one to Pennix and Pennix to me and Carson Beck would be three, four in whatever. I think Beck's going to skyrocket here very soon.

And then five would probably be Daniels, but I could see all five coming off the board in the first round. Greg McElroy, have a great call this weekend. Always appreciate chopping up with you in the college football world. Thanks so much. Appreciate it, buddy.

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