A

Back in to Tech SAGS Live, presented by David Gardner's Jewelers in the Rollo Insurance studio. It is our number three of the show in this SEC Media Days. Coverage is brought to you by Paragon Financial Advisors. From Aggieland to clients all across the country. Paragon delivers personalized financial planning and investment management. Learn more at paragon-adv.com Chad Withrow, our dear friend is with us. What's up, brother?

B

How we doing, man?

A

Good to see you, man.

B

Yeah, it's a nice annual meeting here.

A

Yeah.

B

At SEC Media Days. A little different than Atlanta a year ago. We've got the. The view of the canal. It's canal. Yeah. Yeah, the canal across the way.

C

This is.

B

This is nice. Not bad at all.

A

So last year you guys had. Was it the suite of the baseball at the All Star?

B

Right? We had. We were at the Omni. Omni next to the ballpark. Clay had a nice suite overlooking the All Star game. Yeah, that was the setup last year. No big setup this year. Well, fortunately, I was invited to go, but what was going to. But Billy Lucci was there. You didn't. I didn't. Let me tell you. You know why?

A

Because I'm an old man, brother. Like, I get tired. I all the right intentions, and then I'm like, you know what? I'm good. I'm gonna wake up at 4. I'm going to bed.

B

David, we got in yesterday and we went to a 6:30 dinner. And I was like, you know, I'm gonna go back to the room, chill, get a good night's sleep. And I mean, I slept like seven hours and not a full eight last night even. Cause I just couldn't fall asleep. And I'm feeling it. Yeah, you're dragging the more. Yeah, I'm getting there too. Where I really need a good night's sleep. I'm with you.

A

Do you try to get eight?

B

Always, if I can, that would be ideal. I often don, um, anything over seven. I'm typically okay.

A

Yeah.

B

But I mean, anything around seven or below, if it stacks up days like that, which it tends to do at events like this, then, you know, eventually I'm gonna feel it, you know, day two or three, for sure.

A

Yeah, 100%. I'm sure our audience is captivated by this conversation about sleep.

B

And sleep knows what we're talking about right now. We're not breaking any news to them. They need their full night's sleep also. I mean, it's, you know, it can be an issue, but nice hotel set up here Going back to Nashville, my hometown, a year from now.

A

I'm excited about that.

B

I'm good this being a one year detour, but I like that sort of Nashville, Birmingham, Atlanta, selfishly. Yeah, I like that rotation.

A

Well, I do want to talk. I don't know what you can say, but talk to me about your future and what you guys are doing.

B

Yeah. So no longer without kick. Jonathan Hutton and I, you know, we've hosted a show together since the beginning of 2012, initially on radio in Nashville and then digitally. And we are going to continue hosting a show together. It's going to be called the Hutton and Withrow Show. It's going to be available on YouTube, you know, spot Spotify, wherever you get podcasts, you can, you can go and get it. I can say that we are going to be part of a larger network that will be a full day long network of shows. That network has not been announced yet in the next couple weeks. I think it'll make a lot of sense and it'll make sense for everyone about the broader structure of the partnership that we're doing. And I'm, I'm really excited about it. I mean, look, it's getting a chance to host with Hutton. We've got, you know, good chemistry. Having done the show for so long, we can do a really SEC slash, state of Tennessee, Nashville, you know, base show.

A

Yeah.

B

With this. And not, you know, always trying to do the national angle of what Shohei Ohtani doing. What are the Yankees up to? You know, that part of it's going to be nice too, because that's not something that I love. I don't feel like anybody in New York or Boston really wants to hear me talk about their teams.

A

Right.

B

Being a Nashville guy. So it's going to be, you know, kind of a return to what we know more than anything else, which I'm excited about.

A

Definitely returning to your roots.

B

Yeah.

A

Is there a team or a situation that you feel pretty like? I am sure that this team is this and it could be a good thing, it could be a bad thing. If you look through the 16 teams in the SEC who are somebody, you think. Yeah, I think I know them.

B

I think, you know, starting at the top, Georgia and Texas, I feel like Georgia is the one I even know more about than Texas. But I feel pretty good about their talent top to bottom on both those teams. And I'm like, you know, a lot would have to go wrong for them with a ton of injuries for them not to be, you know, playoff caliber type teams. I think we're sleeping on Gunner Stockton a little bit at Georgia. Right. Like, of all the returning guys, that

A

happens at Georgia, doesn't it?

B

Yeah. Marcel Reed, I mean, these are guys I want to see and I'm excited about this year. Arch Manning, obviously another one that everybody's going to be talking about. But I think we're sleeping on Gunner Stockton as a leader and a really good player for that Georgia team. So look, I'm excited to see a lot of these players and coaches come through, but if I just say what I feel really good about, I feel really good about the talent at both Georgia and Texas and that they're going to be at or near the top of the conference.

A

All right. So I kind of look at it as there's a tier one, but then there's two parts of tier one. I'm not ready to go tier one, Tier two with the second part. I recognize the Georgia, Texas, top of the tier based on the talent. I look at the next group as if they hit on these players, then they are in that same group. If they don't, they can certainly drop to that tier three. And I put A and M there. Oklahoma, I'm still trying to figure out because I think they're going to be really good because I've been told they're

B

going to be really good. Yeah, Ole Miss would be there. Yeah, right. I would put LSU there with Sam and Sam Levit's the biggest.

A

Yeah.

B

X factor there if he hits. I think they're going to be really good. You know, I would put in my state, I'd put Tennessee in that sort of middle tier that if Faison Brandon, who I think will be the starter, you know, he was a top five, top ten ranked player in the country, second quarterback. And then the number one quarterback in the country is going to Vanderbilt and is going to start as a true freshman in Jared Curtis. So it's tough in this day and age of college football to pick a team that's going with an 18 year old kid at quarterback and say they're going to be great in year one. But I think if that hits, because we've seen Josh Hyple have success with any quarterback he has. If that hits early for Tennessee, I think a defense could be way improved. They did very well in the transfer portal. I think Jim Knowles is a great hire as a defensive coordinator. I think getting Derek Owings the strength coach the day after Indiana won the national title and paying him as much as he wanted to come and lead that program. Tennessee was a Smart move. So I think Tennessee has a chance to surprise there. But yeah, that middle tier, that middle tier, and that's what Greg Sankey was talking about earlier was it is stronger than anywhere else in America. I mean, the Big Ten's got a lot of bragging rights to the national title and the top of that conference is elite and is as good as the top of the sec. But I think when you get to that middle to bottom tier, that's, that's what separates this conference is there are teams that could, realistically, some of them, if everything hits right, win a national title. I'd put Texas A and M in that group you mentioned. Oklahoma, I'd put in that group. There's, there's a number of teams I could see getting hot Chad back to

A

that first year starter quarterback if they're 18 or if they're 20 years old. I had this philosophy is when you're a young player like that, I think it's going to take time. It took time for arches. Now, not everybody's Bryce Jones that can figure it out day one.

B

Right.

A

But I think it takes time. And when you have other questions along with quarterback, especially in such a deep conference, that's why a team like Tennessee. I question, I question Alabama. I don't know if I should, but I mean, yes, I should based on the way the trajectory feels like from the Saban days. Do you follow me on this?

B

Yeah, I think Tennessee and Alabama are good examples of this. If you are the expectation, if you're going to bring in a Sam Lovett, you know, 23, 24 year old guy, Joey Aguilar for Tennessee a year ago, even though he came in post spring practice, the expectation is they're going to be really good from day one. I think it's a different level of expectation. You can bring in a transfer who started and played somewhere else and they should be good from day one. That's, that's, that's what you're paying them to do. That's the expectation. If you're going to go with a freshman or redshirt freshman quarterback, which Tennessee is going to do with either George McIntyre the red shirt freshman, or Faison Brandon the freshman, or Jared Curtis at Vanderbilt or, you know, a year ago, Bryce Underwood, who's supposedly this generational talent, he struggled.

A

Yeah.

B

At Michigan. Right. I mean, you're going to struggle in year one. So if you're a young guy starting out, I think the expectation is it's going to take some time and it's not going to hit Right away. I think Tennessee has two things working against them, especially early in the year. Jim Knowles defensive system is tough to master. It's going to take some time to get that down. And what they're doing defensively, even though I don't think talent's going to be an issue on defense are going to be way improved from a talent standpoint and you're breaking in a new, you know, freshman, not just new transfer, 24 year old quarterback. That's going to be an issue if it's Keelan Russell at Alabama, same thing. You know, a young guy, tons of talent, tons of potential. But how long does it take to get going? Because there's not a single SEC schedule that is forgiving. You know there's different levels of impossible when you look at the schedules, but the ones that stack up early. Tennessee's got an early SEC date with Texas in Knoxville. Right. Are they going to be full go at quarterback that defense? Probably not. And that's going to be a difficult thing for all those teams that plan to start one of those young guys at qb.

A

Are you one that likes this nine game SEC school schedule?

B

Not really. Honestly like, but I'm. That's more of me just being, you know we talked about our sleep, sleep habits earlier. That's me just being an old man. Yeah, you know I like, I like it the way it was. Like I don't mind having three gimme cupcake weekends for your team where you can go and you know, make it happen. You know you're going to win no matter what in playing one tough non conference game. I don't like the method of hey let's go schedule four wins automatically. I want one tough non conference game and that I think with nine it just lowers the potential for teams to go and schedule the way they need to based on the season and where they are as a program. I mean is it good for television? Absolutely. I think if you are a third party impartial fan of sports then it's great for you. Right. Because you're going to get way more impactful games and big matchups every single week. Me being the old fuddy duddy that I am, I just, I kind of like it the way that it was and I like it when my team had four wins most season to start because the non conference.

A

How much of A and M success this year is predicated on Marceau Reed taking a step or are they more predicated on the areas around him? I know quarterback in the SEC makes all the difference to the world but Is it about it. Is it about Marcel taking a huge step or that O line, that D line and the defense doing what Mike

B

Elko defenses typically do and replacing Concepcion? You know, it's going to be tough that they're. There's some guys you got to replace there. I mean, I think it's all about Marcel Reed. Look, but I would say that about any, you know, Josh Hybel's great example. Tennessee, like, you know what you're going to get with the offense. I think Tennessee is going to score some points this year even with a freshman quarterback. Right. I know that Desean Bishop is probably going to rush for 1,000 yards. Everybody he's put in that system and he did it a year ago. And they're going to run. They're going to rush the ball. They're going to run it a lot. They're probably going to run it well. They got a veteran offensive line. It's all about the other side of ball.

A

The ball. Yeah.

B

You know, it's all about the other side of the ball. I feel that way with Elko. Like if they have it figured out with a veteran quarterback and they're scoring points, they're going to be a playoff caliber team like that. It's. It's really as simple as that. And I could say that about any year this could be rinse and repeat.

A

Yeah.

B

If Marcel Reed is what we think Marcel Reed is, then I really think that A and M, the sky's the limit for this team. Because one thing I'm confident about with that program is who Mike Elko is, his identity and that his defense works. Right. And I think it's going to work this year. I think they're going to continue to recruit at a high level the way they have been. And I know there's been some recent recruiting wins for A and M also. And as long as that's the case in the formula, if they get it right at quarterback, it's all about that other side and taking care of that. And if they've got the right offensive coordinator in place and Marcel Reed is clicking, I think sky's the limit for A and M. Before I let you

A

go, a couple of the teams talking today. Kentucky, A and M gets them early on versus SEC game. And I look at them, I'm like, I just don't know what to expect when you completely switch a team's identity. And by the way, they did pretty good in the transfer portal. They were really good.

B

Kenny Minchi is a guy I covered in high school like Marcel Reed. I had some of his games on television locally in Nashville. Their new quarterback played at Pope John Paul II in Nashville. Really talented kid. Really good kid. I think he's going to be good at quarterback. I know Nebraska, you know, he originally committed there. They really wanted him. So it wasn't just like, oh, Kentucky went and overpaid. For a guy who's never really been a starter in college football, there was a lot of interest in Kenny Minchi to be the quarterback. So that's a big win for Will Stein to start. I just think of Kentucky and I like Will Stein. We've interviewed him on the show. Very impressive. John Sumrall, same way. Ryan Silverfield, a guy I've interviewed about, you know, good guy. I like them. I mean, with a job like Kentucky or Mississippi State or I put Arkansas there. I mean, I like all these guys. Who knows? Like, I could sit here and say, boy, I think Will Stein in Kentucky, I like his idea. I like that he's from the state. I like that he grew up a fan. They're going to be really good. I can say that's on both the face, but I just don't know because those programs, it's so tough. Jeff Lebby at Mississippi State, right. I like Jeff Levy. Is Mississippi State a place where he's going to win ultimately and stay there as long as Dan Mullen did? I don't know. Ryan Silverfield, I think, is the guy with the least amount of buzz here.

A

Right.

B

I mean, does anybody have any expectations for Arkansas? Not just now, but in the future. Are they making waves in recruiting? No. So there's so much to prove. And I think those guys getting in the sec, young guys the way they are, it's just so hard to predict. But I think early returns are good, that this is not going to be the same stale Mark Stoops type Kentucky team. Mark Stoops had a ton of success there for what that program is, but it grew very tired as the years went on. And I think you're going to get a new infusion of energy and a shot in the arm with Kentucky this year. Is that sustainable? It's tough to say for a program that's always going to value basketball way more than football, regardless of where the money is.

A

Last thing for you, Missouri. Another team I'm struggling to figure out because I believe in drink. I think he's a really good coach. Change the quarterback. They seem to get results regardless, but I don't know, I just don't buy them as much this year.

B

Staff that I was reading earlier today. Missouri has won, I think 29 games in the last three years. That is only worse than Texas, Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama in the sec. I think it's tied for fifth. I think Tennessee may be right around there too, but tied for fifth. That shocks me because of what we think of the Missouri program. Right. And that also tells me, like, I kind of get Eli Drinkwood's whole personality of this chip on my shoulder, you know, smart alec type guy that nobody. Nobody likes us. We do more than. But I'm with you. I just. I still don't buy it. They. They've got. I know Ahmad Hardy's got his issues, obviously, but great two running backs in the backfield if both are healthy. I don't know anything about Austin Simmons other than at one point, Lane Kiffin thought he could be the starter at Ole Miss. So that's. That's a good sign. But yeah, I just. It's. There's. There's always something missing with that program where I just can't go all in. Maybe it's the rock formation in the end zone, which we like to have a lot of fun with. Missouri fans are very ticked off at us about that. That we disrespected the rock. I just can't buy into an atmosphere when your end zone is covered by stones.

D

Yeah.

B

That form the logo. Like if it's not people. Right. Like, I'm ranking Missouri very low in terms of atmosphere for a college football Saturday because of a rock formation.

A

Especially in the Southeastern Conference, especially in

B

the sec and especially when a rock fixture is your claim to fame. I can't. Can't buy in A and M and

A

a nine win or above team.

B

Yes. Yes. Let's go right at nine wins.

A

Right at nine wins.

B

I think nine wins and I think nine wins get you into the college football playoffs with that schedule of it. Yeah. By the way, I was on your show last year and I said A and M. Yeah.

C

You.

B

I liked him as a dark horse. College football playoff team. And then. And look what happens. So.

A

And you like him again.

B

Hopefully luck strikes again for you guys and you can make it happen again.

A

My brother, thank you for your time.

B

Great seeing you, man.

A

Yeah. And when everything's official, come back on. All right.

B

Absolutely. Yeah. Will do.

A

Appreciate you.

B

Yep.

A

Dad with Row here on Tex AGS Live.

C

All right.

A

We'll hit a break. We'll come back. I think Billy is going to be joining us right now. There's something special about Guarantee bank and Trust, their community bank and they want to take care of you. They've been around since 1930. They have over a century of experience helping out Texans. Where's Senior Brother? And they are not at a corporate tower far away. No, no, they're right there in your community, guys. In Bryan College Station, their market president is Brandon Sears. He's a proud Aggie. He's awesome. He leads that team. Three locations in the Bryant College Station area. But they're all over Texas, right? You'll see them all over the place. 33 locations across Texas. They've got the reach of a big bank with the heart of a small bank. They are fantastic. And I'm going to tell you right now, guys, you're going to love when you go there. They're a local Texas bank making local decisions. Go see Brandon and the team at Guarantee bank and Trust. Visit gnty.com that is gnty.com here in Bryant Cobblestone Station and all of our Texas communities. Guaranteed bank and a division of Glacier bank member fdic Equal Housing Lender, the Money Machine.

C

The Money Machine. The Money Machine. Back to school. Your next chance to win $5,000 begins July 27th.

A

That's unbelievable.

C

It's only 11:30.

A

Welcome back to the complainers here at SEC Media Days, brought to you by Paragon Financial Advisors. Billy Lucci's with us and Peter Burns of the SEC Network, pb.

D

I'm so sick and tired of everybody. I'm so sick and tired of you guys being sick and tired of everything. What?

E

Right.

D

What's the deal with the Complainers?

E

Thank you.

D

Like, I mean, is this a real thing?

E

I'm gonna name them, okay? Nick, Nuno and. Or Nick and the Complainers.

A

Yeah. Why? Why am I in the mix?

E

Ever since I've got here, all I've heard is complaining.

D

I mean, listen, look, you're in Tampa.

B

You'.

D

I mean, again, a million dollar studio right in front of us.

A

Look at this.

D

And so this is fantastic.

B

You.

D

You look like you came off of vacation. Everybody well rested. I mean, listen, it could be worse things in life.

E

I know.

D

Can you imagine having to cover the ACC? Oh, the Big 12.

E

Yeah, we do. We can't imagine that. Yeah, we did it. There were like three of these things.

C

It was.

E

We didn't even go Barnsley. We didn't even go to Big 12 media days and no one cared. This was also 15, but no one.

D

Yeah.

E

When we first got here in 2012 as a media entity, we were shocked by Radio Row and the Winfrey and it was like never seen Anything like

D

the old school Winfrey, man, that's when you know you're an OG media person. You're like, remember the Winfrey days. You go out like Chick Fil a in the mall, get some Panda Express right there in the middle of things. So it's, it's nice. This has been fantastic. And I mean, the storyline's galore and it feels, I don't know about you guys. I feel more naked going into this season than I have in a long time.

A

I agree with that.

D

Right, right.

E

Way to put it.

D

Just because of the turnover and transfer portal and who's on what roster and oh, that guy's here and there. So actually this is one of the first times in a long time I come in, I go, actually really want to learn and see if the coaches tell us anything. But it's tough whenever you've got 40, 50 new guys in your roster and these guys are trying to figure out what the hell they have.

E

It's funny you say that because today people ask me, I said, man, I'm way less interested in what said

A

by

E

the A and M contingent because I hear that all off season and we do the interviews and I talk to my sources or whatever. Today there are four teams. A&M plays all four of them. Today to me is a, is a learning day. I want to, like you said, listen to these guys. I also want to. When you say it feels naked, I also think of that when it comes to predicting the outcomes. I think There are about eight teams that could go 10 and 2 to 7 and 5 this year easily.

A

Yeah.

E

And then you factor in the nine game schedule.

D

What does that sound like? It sounds like NFL football on Sundays.

B

Right.

D

And so, and, and that's what it is, is the NFL has a salary cap that they stick to it. The SEC is almost spending them at the same amount right now. I joke around about it, but it keeps bigger and bigger. But every single school can do that. And I think that's the reason why we have to recalibrate what we think is success. And I think that's part of the frustration that Greg Sankey has to go, wait a minute. The nine and three here playing a nine game conference schedule and every single school cares about football. Like you go to the Big Ten right now and yes, three straight national championships. That is awesome. There's no doubt. I'm not going to poo poo that because it's great. But how many of those, what, 18 teams that they have, like all in on football?

A

Five.

D

I, I'd say five to seven of them. Okay. In the SEC give me one school because it used to be Vanderbilt. Yeah, they're all in. Okay. State still is all in. That their fan base cares 365 days a year that football is going to be good. I would say 16 of the 16.

E

Yeah.

D

Right now. And even look at Missouri. That was kind of all right. What's going to Missouri? They've been good over the last couple years. So I think that's the part where the NFL ization is has arrived here in the sec. But the fan bases still look at it and even media and even the College Football Playoff looks at it in the old school way that we had for 100 years of hey, we don't have this much parity.

E

Yeah, I worry about that a great deal because I had some A and M buddies of mine literally two nights ago to wedding nine and three on this schedule. We get in, I go. That's not really. It's not really true because depends on who you lose is nine and three and that's do I think and SEC team will get in nine, three.

B

Sure.

E

It might just be one. Well, and you're not gonna put. I don't think.

D

And that's what happened a couple years ago, Right. It was Alabama, it was South Carolina and there was another team that was nine and three and it was just easier to say, you know what? Everybody kind of has the gun pointed at each other. Like let's just not deal with the nine and three team. It was an easy out. The College Football Playoff committee always doesn't make the right decision. They make the easiest decision for them. And so that's what's going to happen. And now, you know, you're going to have a bunch of teams that say, you know what? Instead of going on the road and playing in Notre Dame, which was monstrous.

B

Right?

E

Yeah.

A

Why do that?

D

Go play Tarleton State. Go play, you know, Texas State. Go get your backups in, score a bunch of points and now have to realize what the nine game schedule is. I think more and more people are going to realize. I want to. I'm curious what you guys think. There's a lot of reservations about going to a nine games.

E

All things.

D

There's doubt.

A

Peter, do you think the nil era, which was supposed to help the SEC has maybe potentially hurt the SEC because A you have so much parity, so many teams that can do it while the other conferences can't and then those conferences top fourth of it can go all in or the top six, seven from the Big Ten.

D

Yeah, I think it's. I think overall, if you're in the league office, you want every single one of your schools to be competitive. It's fantastic about that because everybody can be competitive right now. But at the same point, you no longer. Mike Elko can't say, you know what, I'm going to play a second string. I'm going to have a second string kid that I know in two years, it could be a first round draft pick. He needs to learn how to play. I can't do that. I got to put him out there early. Hey, I got to pay him a boatload of money to come to school. Okay. And if he gets there, if he plays really well, I'm going to have to pay him a boatload more. Or if I say, you know what, you're not quite there. Let me don't put you in bad situations. Are you going to complain that you're not playing? Is somebody going to be in your ear going, hey, missing you can, you know, we lost two players. We need you to come in and we, we'll pay you a boatload of money. So now I think the GMs are going to be as important, if not more important than head coaching going forward, which is wild to think of, but that's really what it is in the National Football League.

A

Talking to Peter Burns here on Texas Live, I was just expecting the natural progression.

D

It's so funny because you think he get wait.

B

And you kind of figure out like,

D

hey, does he get pulled over to another interview and whatnot?

B

So I was like, damn it, I say something wrong?

D

I don't know. So one of the questions that was asked to me earlier today was about Marcel Reid.

C

Yeah.

D

Been fantastic. As an LSU fan, I still have the scars of what he's been able to do, but is he the game changer? Like, do you feel confident that he has grown up to in those moments he can take over a game that we didn't see over there when we were hanging out with you guys last time we saw you in the. Against Miami.

E

Yeah, I think he has to be for this team. And I think people focus a lot on those last two games. And my biggest thing was they couldn't run the football in the last three games, counting South Carolina, too. He was able to take over in South Carolina without a running game, not against defenses like Texas and Miami and Simmons and Mezador and Bain. He needs to do that, I think more so this year. But I think you'd say the same thing. About John Mateer, about they could obviously Trinidad, Alabama couldn't run the ball but like, but I'm saying the quarterback has to be that guy. It's, it's, it's Mater, it's Trinidad, it's Levitt, it's Arch, it's Stockton. All of them dudes to me have to make a note or the noticeable jump this year on that nine game schedule you talked about for their teams to get in the playoffs. Even, even the two, even Arch and Trinidad, who to me, Arch, it's more on, hey, what was the trajectory with Chambliss? It was the actual way he finished, you know, even those two guys though I think especially with, you know, the transition in Oxford, they're going to have to step up and be load carrier.

D

And here's how we come full circle as we're ending this, right? What happens, who makes it to the Super Bowl? It's the quarterbacks that take off. The defense have to be good, everybody. But it's the guy that takes that next step and that's who wins it all.

E

There you go, pb.

A

Thank you so much for your time, brother.

D

Thanks boys.

E

We didn't even get to get on during.

D

Oh, we'll do that. That'll be after 11 cocktails.

E

Exactly.

A

Thank you. Peter Burns.

C

All right.

A

Some companies are proud of what started. Paragon Financial Advisors is proud of what they continue to call home. Home. And that is of course Brian Collins Station. Their Aggie owned and operated Paragon was built in Aggieland and today serves clients nationwide with personalized financial planning and investment management. With their team that has reached across the country, their values haven't changed. Integrity, relationships, putting clients first. Whether you're planning for retirement, helping your family build a generational of wealth or preparing your business for the next chapter, Paragon is committed to helping clients make confident financial decisions with a long term perspective. Discover what makes paragon different@paragon-adv.com Paragon Financial Advisors built in Aggieland serving clients nationwide.

C

Spend your summer with the zone.

A

Summer, Summer, Summer.

B

Yeah.

C

It's only 11:50am and 93.7 FM where football has no off season.

A

It is tech Sags live. We are presented by David Gardner's Jewelers in our mobile Rollo Insurance studio. Billy Lucci is with us here. Billy, what's been the big takeaway so far today in an hour? It's been more than a huge takeaway. Some of us have been working since

E

5am Just incredible takeaways so far and

A

I'm going to like I'm sorry that you could talk bear attacks and do things. Some of us are here to do real college football talk. Bill?

E

Yeah. What's your big takeaway so far?

A

My big takeaway is I'm sick of this fake trying to fix college football. It's not going to happen. That's my takeaway. It's fake.

E

My big takeaway is I think Greg Sankey probably agrees with you when it comes to at least this particular college sports act. That was my big takeaway was that. I mean, I think he feels the same way about it as I do. You know, I think. I think there are so many

C

holes,

E

so many flaws in it that I think he's. He's kind of right there with me and a lot of us where it's just like, what are we doing here? Like, how far off is this thing? How much is it missing the mark? And again, I think if you look at where it's originating from, which a lot of it is, is Cody Campbell and Ted Cruz. Like, I think a lot of that is. You see why it's missing the mark and they need to. Needs a lot of fixing. And. Okay, my other big takeaway hasn't happened yet because I, I'm, I'm wanting to see. I listened to Venables for a little bit. Clichables, as I call him.

B

Clichables.

A

You just made that today. That's new, right?

E

Yeah, yeah.

A

As I call them. As.

E

I just, I just listened to 76,000 cliches in one interview. Mike Elko, I know you don't do that. Please don't become that cliche. Ables was. It was tough to listen to, but I love, I don't love. I really like their team this year with that defense. And my big takeaway, though, is everyone's going to ask us about Marcel Reed. I can already tell everyone's going to ask us about Marcel, but I think that's going to be a takeaway for everyone this week. I think the quarterbacks are going to be the talk. Questions about the quarterbacks. Okay. Marcel Matier, Gunner Stockton, like, can he go take a next step and get Georgia back? I mean, I know they're still playoff team, but, like, the way their last two seasons ended, can he get them back? Lenora Sellers. Okay. Sam Levitt in lsu. Trinidad Chambliss. Like, he finished the year better than any of them, but it's like, okay, can he do that without Kiffin and Weiss? Arch Manning, obviously is going to be the talk, but I think if you're asking, you know, like the real questions. It's going to be can they, can he make that jump? Can he make that, that big jump over there? So to me, like quarterbacks are going to be the talk of this thing and they always are. But to me, way more so than ever because I think they're going to dictate and define directly how this, this more so than ever define how this finishes. Because you look at every school we're talking about that's a contender and then you throw in schools like Alabama and Tennessee that they don't. They're complete wild cards with new guys. You look completely panicked and flummoxed and flustered right now by whatever's going on.

A

No, I just communicated with my producer as a great host should, about tomorrow.

E

If you guys didn't know, this is what I'm looking at.

A

They can see they got the freaking camera on, bro.

E

Nick's over here going. I mean it was just. I'm trying to talk through it, guys. It's, it was tough.

A

You know what we all saw from you in the beginning of the 10 o' clock hour, that's what we saw.

E

What was that?

A

An empty chair. You come at me, I come at you.

C

Yeah.

E

Because I'm going around representing us around the region.

A

It helps, it helps the brand, Billy, from the four teams that talking today. Okay.

F

Yeah.

A

Does A and M have to beat three of those four today? And obviously have to do more than that. But to to be a playoff worthy team of the four that are talking today, you need to at least have three of those four.

E

Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee. Yes. And then by the way, if you do that, then you can lose one out of Texas at South Carolina, Alabama, Alabama. And that doesn't even count lsu. Oh yeah. Okay. You need. So if you go three and one against those, these four today, it ensures nothing. You better go three and one against the other four. And I think the other four, it's a lot tougher. I mean look, you get Tennessee at home. I do think Missouri takes a step back mainly because of defensive. They hardy back be interesting. But Kentucky's new to it and OU I think is one of your toughest game. It might be your toughest test of the season because it's on the road, because it's the week before Texas and because, oh, you not going to give up a lot of points.

A

Yep.

E

And they've got a quarterback that I think when he's on is on is really good. So. But it could go either way there depending on how good The A and M defense is so three and one in those four and then you got to go. I could see them going three and one in those four, though, today.

A

Yeah,

E

but if you, if you do, you can three and one at Alabama, at lsu, against Texas and at South Carolina. That's how tough this schedule is. You could you get in at 9 and 3? Sure. But I, I keep saying, I think it's going to be like one team that gets in at nine and three.

A

So winning all four of these, which is, you know, again, end of the season with Oklahoma on the road, is going to be very difficult. Basically, nothing ensures you anything.

E

A weird angle, by the way, but.

A

I'm sorry, Complainer. What was that?

B

Go ahead.

A

I'm just saying, nothing to match.

E

I was complaining.

A

Nothing ensures anything in this conference. Right. Especially with that ninth game, like, because we just did eight of the nine games. We didn't do all nine.

E

No, I mean it. That nine game schedule is going to be. Again, I just don't know. The playoff. Look, playoff committee today. You see what happened to War Day Manual. It's Ward Manual.

A

Greg Sankey's talking.

E

It's Ward Manual, but there's an E on it. So War Day Manual, he was the head of the playoff committee. Then you had the guy, I forget his name already, the guy from Baylor that recused himself from leadership. You had him, who was the old U of H guy. And then. And then you had your check, who's over there, you know, doing six sevens, six, seven. Like that's what the playoff committee is choosing to dictate the future, who gets into the field and how an entire season wraps up. That, to me, is the most startling thing. When you look at who they've appointed to head up these committees in the last couple years, it's disgusting, it's disgraceful. And so you think they're gonna, you think they're gonna do this right? In terms of factoring in the sec, adding that ninth game and really looking at the. No, they're not. I got an answer for you. It ain't happening. So if you think you're gonna get three 9 and 3 sec teams in there, good luck with that. So all of, all of the fans and all of the people you like go 9 and 3 at your own risk. You can talk about how tough your schedule is. Unless you're Texas, who played Ohio State, maybe ou, who's at Michigan, that's about it. In terms of, like, you can still probably feel pretty good about getting in at 9 and 3, but you would

A

consider 9 and 3 in the SEC with most of these schedules a successful season, correct?

E

Successful, yes. Playoff. It's not up to them, but yeah, I mean, like, look at A M and. And give any three losses you want and look at what the wins look like. A M at 9 and 3. I would think. You got to learn a lesson, though, Dave. Davey Boy.

A

Davey Boy Smith.

E

Davey Boy Smith.

A

Yeah. British Bulldog.

B

Come on.

A

Yeah. No longer with us. That I can. You can fact check me, but I'm

E

sure that most wrestlers, you can say that they died speaking. I'm gonna try to go, I think maybe tomorrow, take a little half day and go to Clearwater and go check out the Hulk Hogan shop. Yeah, it's called going back to. What was I talking about just now when I said Davey boy. Oh, you got to learn your lesson. We don't really know how tough the A and M schedule is going to be. We think we do. We thought Florida was going to be. So everyone here thought Florida was going to make a big jump last year. Everyone here thought South Carolina and Sellers were going to be unstoppable. You know, he was going to be the unstoppable force. Everyone here thought Nuff Meer was a top five draft pick last year.

A

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

E

Yeah. And so because of that, the A and M schedule got. A lot of. Everyone thought you freeze might take Jackson Arnold and reform him. Wrong again. All those were on the A M schedule, fortunately. Yeah, I don't care. But with that said, I think what you're, you know, what you're looking at this year is we think the A and M schedule is going to be brutally tough. But any way that you get to 9 and 3 on this schedule with what we think it's going to be, is going to include probably more impressive wins than they did 11 and 1 last year at 9 and 3. Because last year if you really went through and we're being like, I think people need to count LSU and you need to count, obviously Notre Dame was. It was one of the most impressive wins of the season. So to me, like, by other standards, that number should be two. I think if you got to nine and three this year, that number will be three or more at nine and three. You know, let's say you lost to. You lost at lsu, at ou, and to. Who

A

lost lsu, lost to ou, lost to South Carolina.

E

Okay, so then you would have beaten Texas.

A

Yes, I have to get one.

E

You would have beat. You won Texas and you would have won at Bama and I and you would have won at home against Tennessee. I mean. Yeah, and, but that's, that's not exclusive to A M. And that's what I try to tell my friends, our fans. Like, that's everybody. And you're worried about if Marcel's gonna make a jump? Well, we need Marcel to get better. Yeah. Guess what? If they're being honest in Norman or Baton Rouge or, or Athens, you're saying the same thing. And they better be saying the same thing in Austin as well.

A

Billy, I. Maybe it's because we've talked to, to some Tennessee based guys today, but they seem higher on Tennessee than I am. And I don't know where you are on them, but again, when you have young quarterbacks taking over, like, I just. You're going to have to show me something in the middle of the season for me to buy into it. Where are you on Tennessee?

E

I think they're going to be tough. But, but I agree, like, I take, I take where A and M's at. Oh, you got questions. Okay. You got a quarterback that you know is really good now, whether he can take the step to be great tbd, but at the very least, you've got a really good, experienced quarterback. And what would they be saying right now if they'd have brought back their QB from last year?

A

Joey Aguilar?

E

Yeah, they'd be going crazy.

A

Yeah.

E

But now they don't bring him back, but it's okay. No, no, no, no. It doesn't work that way. I do think, though, I think people are underestimating Tennessee, meaning people like us, the way they've recruited and the players that are still in that program.

A

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

E

Along the lines of scrimmage, at the skill positions.

B

They can run the ball.

E

I think they're going to be able to run the ball. I think they're going to play defense. That's a tough game for anybody that has to play them. And by the way, the team that everybody you know down in Austin thinks going to go roll their way, they got to go to Baton Rouge, to Kyle Field and to Knoxville, Tennessee. That's tough. And that doesn't count Ohio State and, and Ole Miss at home and OU in Dallas. Like, they got to play ou, A M, LSU and Tennessee all the way from home. And then they get old. They get Trinidad Chambliss and Julian sand and Jeremiah Smith at home. It. Man, it is everyone, A and M included, like it is. No one has a schedule that you look at. You want, you want to see something crazy, Go look at Ole Miss, look at ou.

A

Yeah.

E

Oh, you. I'm sitting there listening to Venables spew cliches and I'm, I look up and I go, they're at Michigan. And that's probably a tougher Michigan team with Whittingham.

A

Yep.

E

I think OU beats Michigan because I don't think Underwood. I think that defense eats him alive. I don't believe in him yet. You got at Michigan, then you got at Georgia. I think it's at Georgia. You got Michigan, Georgia and Texas in your first five games, go one and two, and you might have to go 70 the rest of the way to make the playoffs. So it's everyone. It's. It's brutal. I think. I think it was a mistake going to nine, but hey, it'll be fun. It'll be wild season.

A

By the way, Fratella brought us some food to the office the other day.

E

Oh, did you try it?

A

I had the first to tell her. Okay, I like I had a bite.

E

That's not a Fratella. Those were pizza rolls.

A

Pizza rolls. Roll rolls from Fratella.

E

One was pepperoni rolls. The other one was. I was. I'm gonna say was my suggestion. A chicken parm roll.

A

Yeah.

E

Dice up some chicken pars. If you're gonna make roll, put some mozzarella in some. In a really good soft roll and with a little stuff on the top of the roll. Make it tastier. Then do it. You're already making chicken parm. Cut that stuff up, put it in the roll with the mozzarella, dip it in some marinara. They were incredible.

C

What.

A

What I appreciate about what they did. People stayed in works longer.

B

Yeah, they were there like usually like the.

A

There's a crew that leaves and they're gone for hours. They stayed.

B

Yeah.

A

Yeah. So it. Thank you, Fratella, for keeping tech sags working correctly. 3901 S Texas Ave in Bryan. Discover why it's more than a meal. It's a tradition. Is Fratella

C

listen to the Zone on the Zone app.

B

Download the app.

A

Yeah.

C

Thanks to Loyalty Plumbing, the pros at Loyalty Plumbing are ready to serve you. Angeline.

E

Oh, that's good stuff.

C

Visit a visit of loyaltyplumbingllc.net Tex AGS

A

Live presented by David Gardner's jewelers Rallo Insurance Studio. This SEC Media Days coverage is brought to you by our friends at Paragon Financial Advisors. Chris Doring stopping by the table. We'll try to catch up with him this week here on the program. But tomorrow on the agenda, what's up CD how you doing man? Good to see you, brother. Tomorrow on the program or as you see media days, we'll have Auburn, we'll have Georgia, we'll have South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Only one a. M. Opponent tomorrow and I am very interested in hearing from South Carolina. That's the game that I think I over talk.

E

You're scared.

A

I'm scared of it.

E

Bleepless of it. Like you're.

A

Yeah, I'm scared.

E

It's a little much but I get the why. I agree like I circle that game but like you're like I hope the players you're running in fear.

A

Yeah. But you know why? I was right about them last year. More right than anybody in the country. Oh yeah? Yeah. Oh yeah. You go back to SEC Mike show here last year. Okay. I said Lenore Sellers were going to have a huge disappointing year.

E

Really?

A

Yeah.

E

I did not expect that from him.

A

Yeah, I did.

E

I worried about their old line.

A

He's really good. He's great.

E

He showed in the first half against A and M. Look, so much is made of, of Marcel and the, the receivers and what A and M did offensively in the second half of that game, which I thought was perfection. I'm not sure the A and M defense didn't play better in that second half. The Aggie defense in the second half of that game allowed nothing.

A

Nothing.

E

No points. But also they, they made Lenora so like South Carolina had the ball after that catch by nick harbor about 30 yards away from attempting a game winning field goal after all that and they just, they sacked him, they tackled him, they sacked him. They. It was incredible. But anyway, I am interested to see if, if Shane Beamer walks up to the podium doing this tomorrow, I may

A

do that with him. Billy, thank you, buddy. Talk to you tomorrow on the show. I'm sure we'll talk about South Carolina. That's going to do it. From, from SEC Media Day. It's brought to you by Paragon Financial Advisors. We will catch up with you guys tomorrow.

F

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