College Football Tailgate

Dan Watkins and John McKechnie preview week 11 of the college football season. They react to the latest College Football Playoff committee rankings, cover the week's news, break down the key games with spreads, totals and computer projections, and finish with their betting cards.Key topics:Why the committee dropped Indiana from No. 4 to No. 9 without a game, and why both hosts see it as a deserved correctionBYU as the "trapdoor team," Oregon as the best three-loss team, and the possibility of Iowa reaching the playoffNews: Kamario Taylor returning to Mississippi State, Kyle Whittingham's comments about Oregon's money, Philip Rivers as NC State's next head coachGame Breakdowns:USC at Indiana: the line moved from 7.5 to 10, and USC is 2-0... see the breakdown for the Jaden Maiava sack split and Indiana's defenseTexas at LSU: two top defenses, turnover problems for both teams, and LSU's 0-3 record against the spread against ranked opponentsMissouri at Georgia, Kentucky vs Florida, Wake Forest at SMU, Utah at Arizona, and Texas Tech at Oklahoma StateWeek 11 best bets from both hostsChapters:0:00 Week 11 kickoff and why the final stretch matters1:33 Indiana drops five spots to No. 9 in the committee rankings7:20 BYU as the committee's trapdoor team9:01 Is Oregon the best three-loss team?11:02 Are we ready for Iowa in the playoff?13:27 Kamario Taylor returns to Mississippi State15:20 Whittingham, Lanning and Michigan's spending19:37 Philip Rivers to NC State and the ACC landscape22:44 USC at Indiana: line movement and Hoover's status25:46 How USC handles the Indiana pass rush31:29 USC at Indiana: computer models and predictions32:30 Texas at LSU: defenses, turnovers and quarterbacks37:08 Texas at LSU: Raleek Brown, injuries and picks42:32 Missouri at Georgia: concern level and picks47:46 Kentucky vs Florida50:06 Wake Forest at SMU53:31 Utah at Arizona55:07 Texas Tech at Oklahoma State58:55 Best bets: the full week 11 betting card61:20 Sign-off and a Cincinnati at Iowa State bonus#collegefootball #podcast #collegefootballplayoff

Dan Watkins and John McKechnie recap a loaded week 10 of college football and ask whether the "Saturday to end all Saturdays" lived up to the hype. They go through Notre Dame-Miami, Georgia-Ole Miss, Alabama-LSU, the Big 12 and SEC results, the Big Ten chaos, and what the committee might do Tuesday. They close with their betting record and week 11 early plays.Timestamps:0:00 - Did the week 10 hype deliver?1:27 - Committee validation: Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee2:53 - Notre Dame-Miami: Dan wants a rematch at full health3:52 - The disputed Lofton catch and Miami's last drive5:50 - CJ Carr's 319-yard game and Heisman surge7:44 - Notre Dame's run defense and Miami's outlook9:13 - Leonard Moore's injury and the Malachi Toney absence11:16 - John's Miami title pick and the Toney recovery timeline13:51 - Field storming in South Bend14:34 - Georgia 42, Ole Miss 7: the rushing beatdown15:16 - Taylon Taylor's three touchdowns17:38 - Chambliss, Chris Cole and the Georgia defense19:28 - Georgia's case for No. 1 and Ole Miss's lost shot22:40 - Alabama 31, LSU 1325:15 - Keelan Russell rebounds, Levitt's turnovers27:11 - Bama's run game and LSU's path as a three-loss team29:12 - Utah 28, BYU 20: Holy War32:17 - Dampier's four-TD day and BYU's playoff hopes35:19 - Texas 34, Missouri 20 and Arch Manning40:18 - Is Missouri done? Their remaining schedule42:00 - Tennessee 34, Kentucky 644:11 - Tennessee's run-and-defense identity47:29 - Big Ten chaos: Oregon over Ohio State49:38 - Ohio State fan reaction and Ryan Day53:50 - Oregon's pulse and Big Ten title race56:37 - Ryan Day's seat and UCLA's win at Minnesota58:15 - Diefenbach's record-setting 8 completions59:45 - Michigan, Kyle Whittingham and a possible dual coaching search63:00 - Big Ten rapid fire: Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois65:28 - Texas Tech-West Virginia shootout66:21 - Committee ranking predictions68:04 - Betting recap and week 11 early plays#collegefootball #podcast #cfb

Dan Watkins and John McKechnie preview a Week 10 slate with seven ranked matchups. They cover Notre Dame-Miami without Malachi Tony, Georgia at Ole Miss, Utah-BYU, Kentucky-Tennessee and Texas-Mizzou, plus quick hits and their full betting card.Key topicsNotre Dame-Miami: Tony is out four to six weeks after ankle surgery, per Pete Thamel's report as Dan relays it. The line moved from Notre Dame -5.5 to as high as 8.5 and is now 7.5. John shares Tony's usage numbers, including 31% of Miami's explosive plays.CJ Carr: Dan notes he is 3-3 in career games with 30+ attempts and 0-3 in one-possession games.Georgia at Ole Miss: Georgia is favored by 3.5. They discuss Trinidad Chambliss, third downs and keeping him under 40 pass attempts.Utah-BYU: The first Holy War with both teams in the AP top 10. Utah is favored by 5.5 and both hosts lean Utah.Kentucky-Tennessee: Both lean Tennessee, with Kentucky's plus-13 turnover margin a regression concern.Texas-Mizzou: The hosts split. John takes Mizzou and Dan takes Texas.Quick hits: Oregon-Ohio State, UCLA-Minnesota, South Carolina-Texas A&M and Northwestern's Aidan Chiles.Betting card: Early plays and final picks from both hosts.Chapters:0:00 Welcome and why this Saturday is circled0:35 How the November 7 slate stacked up1:39 Friday appetizers and the Oregon ranking conspiracy3:04 Housekeeping and the Alabama-LSU special with Sean Fox5:18 Notre Dame-Miami: the Malachi Tony injury and the line move8:42 Notre Dame injuries and the CJ Carr stats13:36 How Miami's offense changes without Tony17:05 Notre Dame-Miami picks18:35 Tony's explosive-play numbers and what Miami faces next21:15 Georgia-Ole Miss: Trinidad Chambliss and Kirby Smart's quote23:42 Can Georgia get to Chambliss?26:11 Gunnar Stockton, Georgia's pass catchers and the Ole Miss defense29:47 Georgia-Ole Miss picks31:07 Utah-BYU: the first top-10 Holy War34:36 Utah's run game, Bear Bachmeyer and LJ Martin37:29 Utah-BYU picks38:56 Dirty soda detour39:38 Kentucky-Tennessee: Kentucky's turnover luck and the Vols' edge46:05 Texas-Mizzou: injuries, Austin Simmons and Arch Manning51:12 Oregon-Ohio State and the committee's message to the Buckeyes53:29 UCLA at Minnesota54:56 South Carolina-Texas A&M and Aidan Chiles' status56:26 Week 10 betting card#collegefootball #podcast #cfb

Greatest Saturday Ever? Reacting to the First CFP Rankings! Plus Alabama-LSU Preview with Sean Fox: Turnovers, Quarterbacks and Predictions!Dan and John are joined by Sean Fox, sports director of Sports Talk 977 in northern Louisiana, to preview Alabama-LSU, which John frames as a potential elimination game. Fox covers LSU's first season under Lane Kiffin, the quarterback matchup, and what could decide the game. He and both hosts finish with score predictions.Dan Watkins and John McKechnie react to the committee's first playoff rankings ahead of week 10 of the 2026 season. They focus on Notre Dame's must-win game against Miami, Indiana's generous ranking, and why Tennessee sits so far behind Alabama.#collegefootball #collegefootballplayoff #podcast

Dan Watkins and John McKechnie recap week nine and take the temperature of the top teams before a loaded week ten. They also project what the committee's first rankings will do on Tuesday night. Recorded November 2.In this episode:Mike Norvell fired at Florida State: a buyout near $50 million, 41-39 over seven seasons with two winning years. John blames over-reliance on the portal.Best open job: John says Florida State is only the tallest building in Topeka. Dan argues for Baylor, citing top-50 NIL spending, a wide-open Big 12, and DJ Lagway as a wild card.CFP committee projections: Dan expects Miami, Utah and Georgia on top, with UCLA in the top five. John expects Ohio State at 11 or 12 and Wake Forest outside the top 12. He cites FPI, which has Wake Forest 11th and UCLA 28th.Ohio State: USC out-gained them in a loss, even though Ohio State held the ball about 39:30 to 20:30. They allowed almost 10 yards per pass attempt.Notre Dame: a 35-13 win over Navy after leading only 14-13 at halftime. Dan worries about a sleepy start against Miami and about the defense.Miami: Miami survived North Carolina, which scored 35. John questions the late-game officiating that has favored Miami.Georgia and Ole Miss: Georgia beat Florida 27-8 but has fumbled 15 times this season. Ole Miss beat Auburn 45-15 with 28 unanswered points.Big 12, Big Ten and SEC: Utah, BYU, Texas Tech, Indiana, UCLA, USC, Texas, Missouri, South Carolina, LSU, Alabama and Kentucky.Betting card: the show went 5-8-1 last week and is 64-51-3 on the year.Timestamps:0:00 - Welcome and November stakes for week ten2:30 - Committee rankings history, including last year's initial top 124:43 - Show plan and Miami fan TikTok discourse7:01 - Ohio State fans in a recruit's highlight comments8:58 - Mike Norvell fired and the $50 million buyout13:35 - Is Florida State the best open job? Baylor makes its case17:05 - Initial CFP ranking predictions18:38 - Where Ohio State lands after the USC loss21:05 - Wake Forest, UCLA, Kentucky and the committee's ACC treatment24:25 - Wake Forest's remaining schedule26:38 - Notre Dame's slow start against Navy29:10 - Notre Dame defensive numbers ahead of Miami31:22 - Miami's defense and the North Carolina scare32:48 - John's theory on Miami and late-game penalties36:15 - Georgia beats Florida 27-839:35 - Georgia's receivers and the Ole Miss matchup40:34 - Ole Miss rolls Auburn43:16 - Utah's blowout of Cincinnati44:42 - BYU's struggles and LJ Martin's return47:24 - Texas Tech and Tommy Castellanos49:40 - Ohio State's unraveling51:26 - USC's freshman class and Indiana's trip52:59 - Indiana's overtime escape and Josh Hoover55:18 - UCLA's schedule and the disrespect card57:29 - Texas at Missouri59:59 - South Carolina's surge61:58 - LSU, Alabama, South Carolina and Kentucky ranking guesses64:13 - Betting results and week ten picks#collegefootball #podcast #collegefootballplayoff

College Football Tailgate Week 9 Preview: Heisman Shake-Up, ACC Challenger, LSU and Every Key GameDan Watkins and John McKechnie preview the last Saturday of October, covering the Heisman race after Julian Sayin's injury, who can challenge Miami in the ACC, whether LSU is a real contender, and the week's biggest games. They close with their full betting card.Timestamps:0:00 - Week 9 preview and Halloween costumes3:15 - Show roadmap: Heisman, ACC, LSU, game previews, best bets4:58 - Texas Tech and Oregon fans on TikTok6:04 - Kamario Taylor out for the year: what it means for Mississippi State10:08 - Heisman race after Julian Sayin's injury12:14 - Why Malachi Toney is the pick to buy over Jeremiah Smith16:19 - Heisman long shots: Chambliss, Leavitt, Carr, Stockton20:48 - Who is the biggest ACC threat to Miami: SMU or Wake Forest27:51 - LSU contender or pretender33:37 - Florida vs. Georgia: line, matchups and the stadium name44:00 - Ohio State at USC and Lincoln Riley's seat47:33 - Arizona at Texas Tech50:19 - Utah at Cincinnati52:00 - Miami at North Carolina look-ahead spot54:02 - Auburn at Ole Miss55:38 - South Carolina at Oklahoma, Wisconsin-Iowa, Illinois at Maryland58:46 - Week 9 best bets#collegefootball #podcast #cfb

Dan Watkins and John McKechnie recap a chaotic week eight. BYU, a top-two team, lost to UCF, and only three unbeaten teams remain. They also cover the coaching firings, Texas, South Carolina, Utah and Oregon, then make contender or pretender calls and share the betting card.In this episode:For three straight weeks a top-two team has lost to an unranked opponent (Texas, Georgia, now BYU). The only other time was 2007, when it happened nine straight weeks.Miami, UCLA and Utah are the last unbeaten teams, the fewest at this point since 2003. John compares UCLA to 2024 Indiana.Firings: Mike Locksley at Maryland, Dave Aranda at Baylor and Dave Doeren at NC State. John asks whether those jobs are still upgrades for coaches succeeding at G5 schools now that the playoff expands to 24 teams.Texas beat Ole Miss 34-27. Ra'Lique Brown ran for 157 yards on 23 carries, but Texas had 14 penalties and lost Trevor Goosby for the season and Cam Coleman to a shoulder injury.South Carolina beat Tennessee 27-24. Tennessee had 12 penalties and three touchdowns called back.Utah beat Houston 21-13, with Devon Dampier posting 350 all-purpose yards.Contender or pretender: Texas Tech (pretender, both hosts), Ole Miss (contender, both hosts), Tennessee (John contender, Dan pretender).Oregon lost to Illinois and let its offensive coordinator go. The hosts debate Dan Lanning's security against Steve Sarkisian's.Betting: 6-7-1 on the week, 64-53-1 for the season. John likes Colorado State getting 5.5 at Utah State.

Dan Watkins and John McKechnie preview Week 8 of the college football season, with a focus on the sport’s constant chaos, the playoff picture, and games with upset potential. They revisit preseason predictions, assess Ohio State’s quarterback situation, and share their betting card for the week.Key topics:- The hosts discuss why upsets could be live in Week 8, even without a slate packed with ranked matchups.- John shares a theory that an expanded playoff could help keep teams and players engaged deeper into the season by keeping more teams in contention.- Ohio State’s quarterback outlook takes center stage after Julian Sayin’s injury. The hosts discuss how it could affect the Buckeyes’ playoff chances and postseason ceiling.- In their contender-or-pretender segment, they assess Florida, USC, and Kentucky—with different views on Kentucky’s playoff potential.Texas hosts Ole Miss in a matchup that could reveal whether the Longhorns’ offense can find its footing.- Houston visits Utah in a Big 12 showdown featuring two high-powered offenses and a strong Utah defense.- The upset watch includes BYU at UCF, LSU at Auburn, Tennessee at South Carolina, Alabama vs. Texas A&M, USC at Wisconsin, Iowa at Minnesota, and Vanderbilt at Kentucky.Timestamps00:00 — Week 8 preview and the chaos of an extended October04:00 — Could the expanded playoff help prevent in-season opt-outs?10:49 — Revisiting preseason national championship picks15:07 — Conference picks and title race check-in23:18 — Ohio State’s quarterback situation after Julian Sayin’s injury31:31 — Florida: contender or pretender?33:57 — USC: contender or pretender?37:23 — Kentucky: contender or pretender?42:14 — Texas vs. Ole Miss preview48:59 — Houston vs. Utah preview53:42 — Week 8 upset watch64:51 — Week 8 betting card68:40 — October betting trends#collegefootball #podcast #cfb

College Football Tailgate: Week 7 Recap and Reaction Show!Week 7 delivered one of the wildest Saturdays in college football history, with chaos at the top of the rankings and a handful of massive statement wins across the country. Dan Watkins and John McKechnie break down the biggest results, the playoff ripple effects, and what it all means for the stretch run.In this episode, Dan and John react to the historic top 10 upheaval, spotlight Auburn’s upset of Georgia, BYU’s win over Notre Dame, Miami surviving Florida State, and Ohio State edging Indiana in a heavyweight fight. They also hit Tennessee’s defensive masterpiece against Alabama, Texas’s offensive collapse, and a fast-moving update on the race to the playoff.Timestamps00:00 - Historic chaos: five top-seven teams fall on the same Saturday03:47 - Georgia-Auburn: why the Bulldogs’ loss felt avoidable09:42 - Gunner Stockton, Auburn’s defense, and Georgia’s ball-security issues15:20 - BYU upsets Notre Dame in Provo18:29 - Bear Bachmeier’s rare all-around stat line21:34 - CJ Carr’s struggles and the Notre Dame fallout27:41 - Miami survives Florida State in an overtime thriller29:17 - The controversial ending and the late-game sequence36:36 - Ohio State wins a rock fight at Indiana37:22 - Fourth downs and Jeremiah Smith’s impact45:04 - Tennessee’s defense overwhelms Alabama52:22 - Texas collapses again against Florida61:01 - Quick hits: Texas Tech, Wake Forest, and Oklahoma State-Houston64:14 - Early Week 8 betting thoughts#collegefootball #podcast #cfb

Week 7 College Football Preview: Four Top-15 Showdowns, Playoff Pressure, and a Full Weekend of Chaos!The midpoint of the college football season arrives with a monster slate: four top-15 matchups, Playoff implications everywhere, and a Saturday that could reshape the entire race. Dan Watkins and John McKechnie break down the games that matter most, from Ohio State’s road test at Indiana to Notre Dame’s huge proving ground in Provo, plus Alabama-Tennessee, Missouri-Ole Miss, and the rest of a loaded board.They start with the Buckeyes and Hoosiers, where Julian Sayin faces a real pass-rush test, Indiana’s defense tries to keep home-field magic alive, and Kurt Signetti’s “nobody believes in us” energy threatens to become the storyline of the week. Can Ohio State find answers beyond Jeremiah Smith, or does Indiana’s formula of pressure, discipline, and turnover-fueled confidence hold up again?Then it’s Notre Dame-BYU, a game that feels like a referendum on both programs. The Irish bring an elite defense, a deep and versatile offense, and real committee pressure into one of the biggest home games in BYU history. The question is whether Bear Bachmeier can carry the Cougars on the ground, keep the chains moving, and turn a low-total grind into an upset opportunity.You’ll also get a full SEC clash breakdown as Alabama heads to Tennessee for the Third Saturday in October. Kalen DeBoer’s response after the Georgia loss, Keelon Russell’s bounce-back potential, Tennessee’s quarterback uncertainty, and a red-zone matchup that could decide everything all get put under the microscopeChapters:00:00 Week 7 Preview: Four Top-15 Matchups03:23 Ohio State at Indiana: Big Ten Showdown05:53 Julian Sayin vs. Indiana’s Pass Rush09:47 Can Ohio State Find a WR2?12:00 Josh Hoover and Indiana’s Offense17:18 Ohio State–Indiana Picks and Projections21:19 Notre Dame at BYU: A Playoff Test22:42 BYU’s Upset Path: Bear Bachmeier24:54 Notre Dame’s Complete Offense27:27 Notre Dame and Playoff Committee Style Points30:56 Alabama at Tennessee: Third Saturday in October31:52 Tennessee’s Quarterback Questions35:12 Can Tennessee Challenge Alabama’s Secondary?37:39 Alabama–Tennessee Red-Zone Matchup39:30 Florida at Texas: Arch Manning Under Pressure43:19 Missouri at Ole Miss: Is Mizzou for Real?46:09 Wisconsin at UCLA and Nico Iamaleava’s Injury48:53 Coastal Carolina’s Throwback Jerseys50:46 Oklahoma State at Houston: Big 12 Stakes52:45 Kentucky at Oklahoma: Can the Wildcats Keep Rolling?55:41 LSU at Mississippi State: Injury Watch56:51 Week 7 Betting Card60:17 Texas Tech–Arizona State and Big 12 Notes#collegefootball #podcast #cfb