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00:00There are only two head coaches in FBS college football that have won a national championship
00:09currently in both are going to coach a team in the college football playoff Kirby Smart
00:15has to he leads Georgia to an opening round by Dabo Sweeney also has to his team is the
00:22largest underdog in any of our opening round matchups that we will see next weekend.
00:28Seventh CFP appearance, we see guy for Dabo Sweeney, the fourth that Kirby Smart will
00:35make but it's a new era.
00:37It's a new format.
00:38How much does that college football playoff experience matter here in this rendition in
00:422020?
00:43Well, for certain programs, I think it matters.
00:45I think it matters obviously for Georgia and Clemson being in this spot.
00:49But again, when you see the young coordinators that have become head coaches like Kenny Dillingham,
00:54I think he can make some headway in terms of your number one in the college football
00:58playoff.
00:59But again, for a coach like James Franklin making his first appearance that has never
01:03won a big game in terms of his tenure in Happy Valley, the pressure is on the coaching experience
01:10does matter in terms of critical second half adjustments in game adjustments.
01:15And that's where we've seen early on Kirby Smart and that staff, in my opinion, do it
01:19better than anybody right now.
01:21And again, we'll see if it carries through to a national champion.
01:24But I do feel that they have a significant advantage in terms of just a coaching staff
01:29perspective.
01:30Well, I think one of the things that we're going to learn this year, or however long
01:33this format six run is, how valuable is the buy?
01:36We keep talking about the Texas and Penn State paths, but there's a massive advantage sat
01:42on the laps of both Boise State and Arizona State having not just, you know, it's not
01:47as much extra prep because it would be very risky if Dillingham's staff right now is only
01:52studying Texas film, right?
01:54It's the rest for those players that you get to kind of have at your disposal as well,
02:00I think.
02:01So that is one of the interesting things.
02:02And it's the fact that Kirby has that advantage, why I still think would have to have the crown
02:08for best active coach in college football.
02:10Again, I know the rush everybody has to give it to Dan Lanning, but, you know, we can have
02:15a different conversation about that if you'd like, but I just think the fact that Kirby
02:19gets that added a bonus, like to me, look ahead line favoring Notre Dame against Georgia
02:27feels totally nuts.
02:28Like there's no actual way that that's how that game's going to close, right?
02:31And I tried to jump in front of it, the dogs as a dog last week, three times in the last
02:36four seasons, they went outright once again, the teams that win in the opening round that
02:41will then go to their bowl destinations to take on the teams that have earned that first
02:45round by we'll still have over a week of rest and preparation.
02:49But again, we haven't seen this ever.
02:51We have not seen college football playoff games this early on, and then having to play
02:56an additional game against those teams that earned the opening round by you mentioned
03:00Kenny Dillingham and Kurt Cignetti, Rhett Lashley in there as well.
03:05But coach Sig and Dillingham will be in the conversation for multiple coach of the year
03:10honors.
03:11Both have done something that very few FPS programs have done in the last decade plus
03:16since 2012.
03:18That's leading eight game improvement year over year.
03:22Indiana was a three win team last year.
03:24They now have 11 Kenny Dillingham in Arizona State three win team and his first year in
03:29Tempe they have 11 with a big 12 championship as well.
03:34I do want to ask about James Franklin, because it's interesting to put it in perspective
03:38of that opening round game next Saturday in Happy Valley, eight and a half points spread
03:43in favor of the Nittany Lions, who as a favorite under Franklin, as good as they come as an
03:48underdog, not so much kept well this win with a college football playoff game associated
03:55with it.
03:56Kate taking care of business against the Mustangs in State College be considered a monumental
04:01marquee victory for Franklin's resume.
04:03No, not at all.
04:04I mean, well, I guess it I guess depends who you are, because there's probably people out
04:07there who would argue.
04:08Oh, no, he's one.
04:09He was in the Big Ten title game this year, right?
04:12Like, well, we know we know the score with that.
04:15Like, that's kind of my thing.
04:16We talk about what happens if day loses.
04:18Like, are we really sure that Penn State will be comfortable if James Franklin loses this
04:22football game here?
04:23Because then getting to the Big Ten championship game was not by their own.
04:28Like they didn't write to say they didn't earn.
04:30That is not fair.
04:31But you get my point, right?
04:32Like, ultimately, them getting there and then losing again to or like it was not great.
04:37Lose at home now to SMU like at some point it gets a little embarrassing to keep trotting
04:42this out.
04:43It does.
04:44And again, I'm sure he and his agent will be beating their chest that they have a playoff
04:48win.
04:49But you're supposed to dominate SMU if they lose this game.
04:52I wouldn't want him.
04:53I really want.
04:54I'll just also say because I really wonder the conversation if Marcus Freeman is upset
04:58by Indiana.
04:59Interesting.
05:00In-stage showdown as well.
05:02That game will be played in South Bank on Friday.