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00:00:01
A Celebration of the 16-0 Indiana Hoosiers.
25 Plays4 months ago
TJ runs a solo show giving high praise to a top 2 team in College Football History, He also dives into the playoff format talks even further. What is best 12, 16, or 24 teams? Should Conference Championships continue to matter in this format? TJ also briefly looks ahead for the PAC-South as College Basketball is fully in gear for conference play and College Baseball is now becoming visible on the horizon.
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Transcript
Episode Introduction & Topics Overview
00:00:00
Travis White
Hey everyone, welcome back to the PacSouth podcast. College football, just end it. um And boy, we have some opinions, some thoughts, and we look forward to kind of diving into that. We'll do that a little bit this episode. As you can see, it's just myself, TJ, this week. Pat will be back next week where we will dive in even further, get back into some college basketball, and we have the college baseball season look ahead. So exciting stuff next
Indiana's Championship Journey
00:00:31
Travis White
week. But I mean, here we are right now, two days removed from Indiana's national championship victory ended up being a great game. But this Hoosiers team, phenomenal, phenomenal all year.
00:00:46
Travis White
Kurt Signetti did an amazing job two years in. i mean, they were three and nine before he came in. And then, He turns the program around. They make the playoffs in his first year.
00:00:58
Travis White
i am forgetting who they lose to in regular season. They lose to Notre Dame, a team that would later go on to the national title that season. um So, I mean, this team, like under him, he turned that program around immediately. And he talked about how...
00:01:16
Travis White
the feeling of the program was like, oh you're going to be the head coach. And, i mean, that really ticked him off and that really set a shoulder or a chip on his shoulder and really got the program, I think, going quicker than it would have been if he didn't get that. I think that if people were excited that he was there, it still would have gotten moving pretty quickly. i don't think they're winning a national championship in year two. I don't think that they're being a playoff team. I mean, the fact that the people on the inside were counting him out already,
00:01:44
Travis White
I think that that finished the chip on the shoulder, the attitude of like, I win and if you're not going to believe me, I'm just going to prove it to you, not just to the people on the outside, but the people on the inside. So kind of crazy that that was where a lot of motivation came from in his press conferences that he has had recently.
00:02:04
Travis White
um But yeah, I mean, this team was just loaded, but also not. This is maybe the most like or the least amount of like blue chips on a team.
00:02:15
Travis White
that has won a national championship in a long time. Most three stars out of any program that had made the playoffs, least amount of five and four stars. And yeah, they go 16 and 0 great coaching, great leadership. The players that needed to make the plays did you had a player step up in the middle of the season. I'm forgetting his name right now in classic fashion, but the receiver who was the only guy who stayed at Indiana under signet. When he came in, he did a lot of special teams last year. He started this season on special teams.
00:02:50
Travis White
second half of the season kind of becomes an integral part of the offense, becoming a target for Mendoza, getting more touches. And obviously talking about Mendoza, Fernando Mendoza, Heisman winner.
00:03:02
Travis White
I feel like it's been a while since we've had the Heisman winner also win the national championship. So that was a great thing to see. I mean, he's got all the charisma in the world. He's a great leader, great level head, very smart.
00:03:16
Travis White
i mean, he was able to put Cal – who's not a bad team, last season, into some games that they may not have really deserved to be in you could say. They should have won that Miami game last year, and you could say Mendoza got – got his like come up. ah You know, he originally is from Miami. He wanted to go there out of high school. They gave him no attention. When he went to the portal from Cal, Miami came calling. He was like, nope, goes to Indiana, beats Miami in the national championship. So just incredible storylines.
00:03:52
Travis White
The fact that this is Indiana's first national championship. We have a new like first time national championship, first time in a long time. NIL has really changed the game. so i mean, just just phenomenal all the way around from so many different points. So I'll say this more than just now and what I've already done, but congratulations to Indiana.
00:04:14
Travis White
First sixteen and no team since Yale, 1894. Only two sixteen to no teams ever. It's pretty remarkable, obviously. So Indiana, the only 16-0 team in modern college football history.
00:04:30
Travis White
So very impressive by the Hoosiers once again. This then creates the who's better, I guess, because everyone's going to compare. 2019 LSU, 2026 Indiana. Both really good teams. I think that those are probably the two best teams in college football. um
Miami's Road to the Playoffs
00:04:51
Travis White
It's tough. I think, me personally, I'm giving the edge to LSU still.
00:04:56
Travis White
But I mean, these these two teams were so dominant. They controlled their games. And even with the game against Miami, it being so close, i mean, Indiana did what they needed to do in kind of unorthodox fashions, like a blocked punt touchdown.
00:05:12
Travis White
But like they were still in control the whole game. The only time they really weren't in control was at the very end, Miami's driving down. but they still pick them off. So, like, they called a timeout. They forced Miami to think a little bit.
00:05:26
Travis White
Beck has a little bit of an underthrown ball, and it's picked off. So, like, the play the defense needed to play and, like, execute on, they did. um And that was the most behind that they were in the game, and they were still up six points. So, pretty remarkable stuff. It would be interesting to see.
00:05:43
Travis White
i'm sure that someone has created a theoretical line for LSU versus Indiana, but – Still phenomenal stuff. Top two team in the history of college football and the only modern sixteen of team. um And we'll go to their dance partner in Miami. Miami definitely deserved their spot. I was very hesitant. The ACC was very down this year.
00:06:06
Travis White
ah Teams that made the playoff in SMU, who Miami lost to, was definitely not the same SMU team this year. um So, I mean, two losses in that. Like, yes, you have a win against Notre Dame. the team that you essentially etched out of the playoff, but we'll get into – the other thing there. But, I mean, Miami gets in as a 10-seat. They go to College Station against a different Texas A&M team under Mike Elko. This is not Texas A&M that we've seen in the past where you can always guarantee a second-half collapse of the season.
00:06:41
Travis White
um They played very well throughout the whole year. They had the weird game against South Carolina where they came back and won. They did lose to Texas, and then, obviously, they lose to Miami in the playoff. But a very good Aggie team, very different Aggies team.
00:06:54
Travis White
And then Miami kept it going. They get a win against Ohio State. They get a win against, or excuse me, Ohio State. They beat Oregon, I think. And Pat's not here to correct me. So very unfortunate for me. But either way, get a great quarterfinal win. They then play Ole Miss in the semifinals where they are able to punch a ticket in Ole Miss team without Lane Kiffin.
00:07:22
Travis White
under Golding who was able to answer the bell. So a lot of lot of these teams, a lot of these stories were teams answering the call, answering the bell. This season also saw the continuation of the bye week woes. The only team to win after having a bye in the playoffs, the national champions. So clearly this Indiana team is different. It leads to a lot of questions that I will talk about in just a couple minutes, but Like what, what is, but does a bi-week really hurt that much? There is a long break and obviously longer if you have a bi.
00:07:59
Travis White
So I'll discuss that in just a few moments, but Miami did what they needed to do. They proved that they deserve that 10 seed and that they belong in the college football playoff.
Playoff Controversies & Inclusions
00:08:09
Travis White
Then there's Alabama, Alabama, the other team, they just sneak in, even though they're a nine seed, um,
00:08:17
Travis White
They lose their conference championship game. They had three losses after losing to Georgia in the SEC title game. Did they deserve to be there? I mean, we've seen in the past where the committee says that if you play in a conference championship game, you should not be penalized for it. And I agree with that in an extent.
00:08:37
Travis White
Traditionally, every college or every conference championship loser, even if they've made the playoff, they've still moved back one or two spots every single time. Alabama lost by those teams that also had a similar situation.
00:08:55
Travis White
They had the worst margin of defeat, and they didn't move spot. They stayed right there. um I think that is a thing of note, but then they go on the road to Oklahoma, a team that has been kind of their kryptonite since they joined the SEC, and they win.
00:09:12
Travis White
um Not only they won, they were kind of in control that game, for majority of the time. John McTeer had a little bit of a chance to do some stuff in the fourth quarter, but not really. Alabama kind of went to Norman and did what they needed to do. um So we can't really say that Alabama fully didn't deserve to be in there either because they go on the road, they get a win, and then obviously we know they run into the monster that is Indiana in the Rose Bowl.
00:09:44
Travis White
But It's interesting. It's interesting to say that these teams may or may not belong to in the college football playoff. Then you have the 11 and 12 seed Tulane and James Madison, which a lot of people have said we need to get the group of five out of the playoff.
00:10:05
Travis White
Well, if we're going to do that, we're going to totally negate ah the meaningness of conference championships. So then, you know, Alabama may not play in the SEC title game, and it's going to be another team getting in.
00:10:19
Travis White
And then they're going to be, all right, well, then I can boost my resume. So Vandy takes Alabama's spot. 13, they win, they move up. You have the ACC, who their conference champion was bad.
00:10:33
Travis White
Virginia would have won, they would have been in. Duke won, they weren't in. They were unranked. They had five losses already. I mean, still great that Duke wins ACC, but, you know, like, we can't just fully get rid of the meaningfulness of these championship games. That's why they said top five conference champions, like basing it off the old Pac-12 powers. So that would give one group of five at least. They changed the the buys, just you get in and The American Conference we talked about all year. If you listen to the podcast on YouTube, that was before our Spotify and Apple podcast time. But we talked about the American Conference all year. It was kind of guaranteed that they were going to get their champion in.
00:11:18
Travis White
Well, quietly, James Madison, former Cursing Netty School. They keep winning. They keep quietly building their way up. Next thing you know. One loss, their only loss was on the road to Louisville, who ended up being okay in the ACC. They had a really dominant stretch in the middle, and they really fell off toward the end, but still not a bad team. And you could argue that James Madison had the toughest game of the first-round games and might have played them the best. I mean, I guess second outside of Alabama and Oklahoma.
00:11:52
Travis White
But, i mean, you take out James Madison's first half, which was atrocious, great game, obviously. Then Oregon had a cushion.
00:12:03
Travis White
Don't know. Still not a bad team. So we have the argument of, okay, we leave it at 12 teams. does do Do we want to get rid of these conference championship games? Do they matter? Should they be used as a play-in? So your top two teams in the conference, theoretically, are already in, or you can opt out and not have to play in it.
00:12:23
Travis White
and you don't have to worry about Alabama losing and then not moving, and then you don't have to worry about, you know, whatever. It's a really interesting argument to make in the college football playoff because of them expanding so largely from being four teams for a while, going to 12.
00:12:38
Travis White
There's so many different moving parts to figure out. they're And they're willing to change it immediately, which is good and bad at the same time. So I am a firm believer that top five conference championship champions, despite whatever conference they're in, they deserve to be in. Tulane, GMU, great seasons.
00:12:58
Travis White
Tulane and James Madison, both have been good programs for a number of years now. They deserved it above all else. So I have to congratulate them on great seasons and just reiterate, like the conference champions, they deserve to be in.
00:13:15
Travis White
um That then kind of leads to the big
Discussion on Playoff Structures
00:13:19
Travis White
discussion. The SEC and the Big Ten cannot figure out what they want to do for the playoffs moving forward.
00:13:26
Travis White
I believe the SEC wants the current 12 team, if I'm not mistaken. There's a 16 team being floating out there. And then the Big Ten model, which is 24 teams, which will be the top four of the SEC and the Big Ten.
00:13:39
Travis White
I think 24 teams is overkill. I think that's way too much. Yes, that's getting into like your March Madness size, like when you compare like the number of FBS teams to number with d one teams and the number that can play in the end-of-year tournament for the national championship.
00:13:55
Travis White
Yes, it does make it similar, but basketball and football are two different sports. I do believe that Cinderella runs are capable. Look at the 10 seed this year, Miami. um I believe last year was 7 versus 9 for the championship. So...
00:14:09
Travis White
The runs exist. like It's not just number one, number two, number three guaranteed to make their way to the finals. The only top four seed that's made it to the finals this year, Indiana.
00:14:22
Travis White
um So I don't know. 24 seems too much for me. 16, you removed the bye week.
00:14:30
Travis White
Yes, teams with the first round bye are but like but i feel like What's the point? If you get rid of that round, what what do you what do you get?
00:14:44
Travis White
i guess a first round home game, but you'd still lose that game. I think that the fix is not for that, is to kind of shrink the schedule, move everything up. Like we just had the national championship on January 19th.
00:15:00
Travis White
No other bowl game has been played for two weeks. The Shrine Bowl is, I think, in a couple of days. just move everything up a little bit. Just move it up a little bit. The semifinal games should be on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day.
00:15:17
Travis White
Put the quarterfinal games on like the December 23rd and 24th, like leading up to Christmas and all that. So then you have like your first week, buys. So then, it I mean, if they win ah if they're in a conference championship game, one of the top four seeds, instead of being off four,
00:15:37
Travis White
weeks, a month, they're they're off a month. You know, they're only off two weeks um or three weeks max. I think that that would improve our issue that we're having here. And like, yes, upsets are great and we don't really want to diminish upsets, but is a competitive disadvantage to wait so long when your reward is rest and it should be rest while other teams are battling out and going at it.
00:16:06
Travis White
um But then it's so long that you then you get out of game form. So then you're having to use the first quarter, second quarter to get used to playing again when the other team who, yes, they had to play it last week and had to get banged up a little bit and run through it and be a little, yeah, little beaten up.
00:16:26
Travis White
But they're they're going, they're they're in their routine again. And yeah, Yeah, I think personally, we need to leave it at 12 teams. Just move everything up a week, if not week and a half, two weeks.
00:16:40
Travis White
Just really finish it up. I mean, it the FCS championship, I believe, was January
00:16:50
Travis White
5th. It was like the first week of January. I mean, really, the national title should not go past ah January 10th, I would say. what Keep everything from, like, the last actual bowl game, keep it within, like, a week, week max.
00:17:08
Travis White
I think that that would be so great for college football, for the cohesiveness of it, for what we see on the field with the teams, the players. I think that that would be the best experience possible. Yeah.
00:17:21
Travis White
But I digress is all pretty much in the Big Ten and SEC's hands at this point. um But that if I was commissioner, that is what I would do.
00:17:31
Travis White
But that is all we have in this kind of weird post-national championship episode. We will be back again ah next week.
Episode Preview & Future Content
00:17:40
Travis White
Pat will be ah alongside me.
00:17:44
Travis White
We'll talk about his opinions on everything I discussed today. if I did not say it already before, we will go over updated PAC South Conference basketball standings, so the men's and women's that we debuted the other week. And then we're gonna look a little bit into baseball together and bring back pre predictions.
00:18:00
Travis White
Yes, no predictions this episode, probably the first time in PAC South history, we've had no predictions, but it's a weird one. And it's really just centered around Indiana, again,
00:18:11
Travis White
One of the best teams to ever be on the field. Best team in school history by far. Possibly Big Ten history. Just history in Bloomington. So enough congratulations. Cannot go around to that team. Signetti, Mendoza, just everyone. Heisman winner as well. I don't even think I mentioned that when was talking about Mendoza earlier.
00:18:32
Travis White
Great season. So... We will talk a little bit more past opinions there and then get back into our typical PAX South episode and routine next week. So thank you all so much for watching on YouTube and listening wherever you may be listening to us at for TJ.
00:18:50
Travis White
Thank you all so much.