Aaron Murray, Former Georgia Bulldog Quarterback

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Download the Odyssey app today. Aaron, how you been? What's going on?

Happy, uh, was it Wednesday night? Happy post first playoff poll. Yeah, when we look at the first college football playoff poll ranking, everyone has problems whenever these things are originally released. My biggest problem, the thing I can't still understand, how is Ohio State 2 and then Michigan's 5 and the committee thinks there is that big of a separation between the two teams? Yeah, well, first off, this is Michigan's fault. You know, Michigan should not have scheduled a pretty pissed, poor start to the season without a conference game. I mean, that's all it is.

It's the committee saying, listen, we need more from you. We need to see you played more competitive games before we put you into the top four. But I'm with you. Like, if you watch the tape right now, I'm less concerned about the Ohio State, Michigan separation. I'm more concerned about, you know, what I've seen from Clemson compared to Michigan.

And if you just know football and watch football and understand, like, what team's better than which team, and if you put them on a neutral site, what would happen? Michigan, I think, would whoop up on Clemson. So I'm a little bit more upset about that than say the whole, once again, the difference between where Ohio State is now at two and where Michigan is at five. Michigan's a better football team than Clemson. It's just right now when you look at where teams are ranked, I think based on the fact that they put Tennessee at one, kind of indicates to everyone that, hey, we do seriously take into consideration who you have played, what your wins look like. And it's funny because I say that. But then you look at TCU and TCU's at seven and they've had a heck of a schedule, start the season off, yet they're behind Alabama. So it's weird. It's like they pick and choose when they want to say, congratulations, you played a great schedule, we're going to reward you.

And when they don't decide to do that either. So I don't know, you know, it's a tough job. You know, we can complain and do all the talking we want, which is fun. It's exciting.

It makes my job on radio every day a lot easier. But it's a little bit head scratching some of the decisions they made last night when putting this thing together. Well, you're spot on with Clemson. And I was hoping that Clemson was going to lose when they were in a close game against Syracuse a few weeks ago, just so we could kind of get them out of the conversation. But now it seems inevitable that Clemson is going to run the table. And it just feels as if we're going to have another crappy semifinal game because Clemson is just not that good. No, it's frustrating.

I'm with you. I mean, they should have lost the game to Syracuse. They're up what 14 points. And then the personal foul on the quarterback as he's running out of bounds, turning the corner. And they call roughing the passer or late hit or whatever the penalty was, which was complete nonsense. And then Syracuse doesn't get that call for their quarterback the next possession.

It was just Clemson being Clemson fans and not fans, but essentially referees helping the way. But listen, they got to face Notre Dame this weekend, fingers crossed. Notre Dame can find a way to win the game or South Carolina has looked good at times this season.

That's an opportunity maybe at the end of the year. And it looks like they'll face North Carolina in the ACC championship game. Maybe Drake May has an incredible moment as he's had the season and they find a way. So will they be favored? Should they win every game going out in the regular season and ACC championship?

Yes. But there is still an opportunity for them to maybe slip. And I do think if they slip, I think they're out. And I do think TCU, if they slip at all, you will not see a big 12 team in the college football playoff at the end of this year. But it doesn't take away from what TCU has done. And I said this earlier in one of my shows, if you take away the TCU logo, and you put it with a Texas Longhorn or an Oklahoma shooter, they would be a top three team in the nation.

It's just, they're not a blue blood, plain and simple. Like you look at their schedule, what they've done, winning four consecutive games in a row against ranked opponents, that there's no reason they should not be ranked inside the top three. It's just the fact that their TCU, they're not getting any love because of it.

Isn't that so frustrating? Because aren't we supposed to be evaluating who the best teams are in college football? And we know the eye test is always used. Well, if you want to use eye test, you look at Alabama this year, and it's stripped away. I talked about stripping away the TCU logo and just looking at what they've done this season. And once again, like I said, if it was Texas or Oklahoma, there is no doubt in my mind, that would be a number three or possibly number two team in the nation right now. And then you can Alabama, you know, terrible game versus Texas, very undisciplined. You know, yours is knocked out the game. I think that game would have been very different.

I think Texas would have won, but would have been very different if yours was healthy to how they look versus A&M almost losing that game against a very, very bad Texas A&M football team at home. And then obviously losing to Tennessee, like what makes Alabama deserving to be ahead of TCU in the rankings right now because they're Alabama. That's it is because we think they have a bunch of first round draft picks. And it's Nick Saban in Alabama. And that is the only reason right now why they are ahead.

So it's unfortunate, you know, it's just it is what it is. And to me, it signals that that for TCU, you have to go undefeated. Because if you're 12 and one and you slip up just one time, but you win the big 12, the committee made a statement last night that that will not cut it for the horned, horned frogs, excuse me, to be a playoff defending football team. And Aaron Murray, I don't know if this is going to happen two weeks from now, but I really hope TCU blows out Texas because that is a mutual opponent. And you mentioned Texas almost beat Alabama without Quinn Ewers.

That would be awesome if TCU beats Texas big to then just see if they will still keep TCU behind Alabama. Yeah, they got a tough test ahead of them. And they got a lot of you could say one thing about the big 12. They don't have an elite team necessarily. I mean, TCU, I guess, is is kind of carrying that flag right now. And, you know, I've been, you know, preaching about how they should be a top five team. And then I just go ahead and say they're not elite. I mean, that's, that's the mindset of the country, though.

And that's the mindset of the committee. But it's really the same thing for the big 12 and the Pac 12 have a lot of really good teams and they beat up on one another, like look at Oklahoma State how quickly they faded now. Well, I listen, I was not a big fan of Oklahoma State, you know, I thought that team had a lot of issues on defense. You know, Spencer Sanders has played better this year, but he's still not, you know, he's got an elite quarterback and they got, you know, they got a little bit lucky versus Kansas State and kind of escaped a couple other one's times, you know, this season as well.

So, you know, to me, they were an eight, four, nine and 13. And we're kind of seeing that right now, especially after the blowout loss last weekend. So yeah, I completely agree with you, like those two conferences, whether that may not be, you know, a Georgia or Ohio State or a Tennessee, but, but it's deep and it's talented and it's exciting.

It's fun. But the issue with, you know, 14 playoff is you're not going to then put a team into the playoff at the end of the day. So I think I still think the Pac 12 has a more legitimate chance to get someone in because their top three teams that are, you know, USC, UCLA and Oregon are bigger brands. You know, if there is a one loss Oregon or a one loss USC or one loss UCLA, they in my mind would go in over a one loss, you know, a TCU. And I think they'd also go over a one loss Clemson.

It's Clemson lost one of these three games, but still ended up winning the ACC championship. Aaron Murray here with us for a few more moments. Alabama LSU this weekend. How do you think that game will play on out? I hope LSU wins.

How fun would that be if they throw that wrench into this whole scenario? I really like LSU. I've been a big fan of their defense.

You know, they got the town on offense. Those two freshmen tackles have played well. Jaden Daniels just keeps getting better and better and better every week. You see the confidence, you know, Kishan Bute's playing, you know, he's more engaged. We knew he's a great talent. There's been some issues with him and Brian Kelly and some tussles on and off the field, but he looks like he wants to be a part of this team all of a sudden, which is, which is huge.

You got Malik neighbors, you got to write Jenkins, you got Taylor at tight end. Like I think it's a good football team on both sides. And they're playing with confidence.

They're playing at home. And like I talked about earlier, Alabama was vulnerable. Like this is not like when I played 10 years ago and for the past decade plus, like when you played Alabama, you know, they walked off the bus and they won the football game because they were already in your head. I just don't think that's the case this year. I think people look at Alabama and say, yeah, they're a good team.

We respect them, but we're not scared of them. Like I can guarantee you LSU is not scared of Alabama. I think if anything, they really, truly believe that the way they're playing, the fact that it's at home at night in tiger stadium, that they can win the football game. I think they can. I really think they can.

So, you know, it's crazy to me. It's a, it's like a 13 and a half point spread right now. You know, I better, you know, have to put some money on the tigers on that one. Cause I think it's going to be a close football game, Tennessee and Georgia, a game that you'll have a lot of interest in to probably say the least Aaron Murray, what decides that mega, mega, mega game this weekend? I think for Georgia, the big deciding factor is can you limit the explosive place that, that, that, if you turn on Tennessee this entire season, I bought an opportunity to cover them in a ballgame earlier this year, they thrives on game changing place. And then you go back to even the game versus Alabama, you know, Alabama, you know, gets an interception, turns into a touchdown, they get a fumble and turn that to a touchdown. And what does Tennessee do? They respond with a 75 yard touchdown to Jalen Hyatt and, and their ability to, to, to, to, to change momentum and a blink of an eye can be completely demoralizing to an opponent. And that's what they do.

So, so, so well. So for Georgia, who I think, you know, has the DDS to match up with Cedric and with Bruce McCoy and Jalen Hyatt and the ability to push small Berkeley down the field, you know, if Tennessee is going to score, make them do it in four, make them do it in five, six minutes. Don't allow the big 75 yard touchdown that can essentially quiet the crowd and just rip your heart out.

So do that, make them earn it, keep the game into the low thirties, high twenties. And I think Georgia has a chance because if you turn into a track meet, I like Georgia's offense. I think it's, it's tremendous. You know, what Monken is doing with, with guys like with Stetson and Brock Bowers and Kenny Bacon, Josh, on the back field, back field, it's, it's great, but you're going against the best offense in the country.

Do not turn it into a track meet. And I think Georgia will have a chance. If you had to take your best educated guess right now, November 2nd, who are the four teams at the end of the year in the college football playoffs?

Four teams. I will go Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson, and Tennessee. And then finally, who's your prediction and who gets the Auburn job? Oh man.

Well, I actually have the Liberty versus Arkansas game this weekend. I'm very excited to ask Hugh Freeze that question on Friday night, see if I can get any answers from him. It has to be Lane or has to be Dion. I think both would be tremendous. I think to me, Dr. Lane first, just his ability to hit the transfer portal, you know, what he's done at Ole Miss, his, his, his ability to create explosive offense.

I think a lot of that's super exciting. I think he could do extremely well. I don't think he's afraid to kind of go toe to toe with Nick Saban. And then I think you could say the same thing with Dion. You know, the excitement that Dion would create, you know, him and Charles Barkley would be a heck of a duo when it comes to recruiting and raising money for the University of Auburn. His personality, his ability to be that CEO, I think both those guys would be would be huge success there as a coach of Auburn.

So we'll see if they can make it happen. Aaron Murray, appreciate the time. I always love our conversations. Thank you. Appreciate it. Have a great week. Football season is here. The new Odyssey app lets you stay connected to your NFL team, your station, your shows, follow your favorite stations and come back again and again. Get real time updates on everything you care about.

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