SHOCKING shift ahead of Minnesta v North Carolina, Mack Brown start 1-0? l College Football Podcast

so there's been kind of a shocking development in the North Carolina Minnesota game which for those who are not aware is the only Power four matchup happening today that being Thursday of course as in it's the only matchup between a couple of power for teams hence why I am so intrigued by because these are two programs I don't have big expectations for but I don't have the lowest expectations for I could see one of these teams bottoming out I could see one of them Rising closer to the top of the conference than we'd expect I could see both of them staying smack dab in the middle they're kind of mystery teams they're not chaos teams like UCF and Iowa State in Big 12 for instance but they are definitely mystery teams at at some level for a couple of reasons and the shocking development that I alluded to is that the betting line moved by Four Points four not one not two which is how many titles the heatles won not three not four oh wait yeah no four they you just don't see that sort of movement that's a dramatic shift so it was Minnesota minus two and a half according to our friends at FanDuel and now it is Minnesota plus one and a half that gives me pause that gives me pause I'm sticking with the Golden Gophers here because they're at home this should be a really fun competitive football game for anyone who just wants a college football game to throw on that's going to be fun competitive get the juices flowing serve as a secondary teaser for this upcoming Saturday when you have a great line up with Florida Miami Texas A&M Notre Dame and Clemson Georgia on the docket this is a great game for that so last year when these teams met in Chapel Hill it was a North Carolina win 31-13 last year was actually Minnesota's first losing season since 2017 that's part of the reason I have faith in the gopher's ability to get off to a strong start here though ma Brown coached North Carolina teams historically have started strong and if they win this game they'd prove me wrong because I'm picking Minnesota to win and if they win more than seven games they'd prove me wrong again because that's how many I think North Carolina are winning this year I'm very down on the Tar Heels I think they honestly their schedule's pretty favorable so it might be hard to do this because they do have some really good players Maran Hampton is a really really good running back and they're going to lean on him a lot this year I could see them missing a bowl game I could I could it's not the least likely thing in the world but when they took on Minnesota last year the difference came at the quarterback position which I'll get to later in the game 31-13 was the final Drake May went for drum roll please 414 yards I'm going to make the most solid accurate specific cannot miss prediction in this game as far as stats and numbers go there will not be a 400 yard passer in this game both teams under are undergoing changes at the quarterback position from a season to go that is a bad thing for North Carolina and that is a great thing for Minnesota because last year the Golden Gophers let's just say they didn't throw the football very well they still ended up six and seven by the time they won their bowl game because they got in at five- seven that happens every now and then Minnesota did it last year six and seven year can they build on that yeah they have a decent core returners on both sides of the ball headline by the running back Darius Taylor who might not play in this game he might play in this game that's a big factor because you've got a Marian Hampton on the other side North Carolina's going to come out and run the ball now Minnesota kept him in check in the matchup last year held him to under 50 yards rushing but that's because Drake May was going crazy so they didn't need a Marian Hampton to have the sort of day that he's capable of a one to2 200 yard effort and Minnesota's Rush defense overall last season really really struggled so I I think that for Minnesota in this game if they can contain Omarian Hampton that plays to their benefit the same exact equation goes for North Carolina if you get Darius Taylor playing in this game then guess what you got to keep him under control he averaged almost six yards a carry last year in route to an 800 yard rushing season he could burst onto the scene this year and have a 12 1300 yard campaign because you know Minnesota with their running backs yet they like to row the boat and run the football so so interested to see if he plays he went for 138 yards in this matchup last year if he's not there that gives me less confidence in in Minnesota but if he is there they bring in Max brosmer the transfer from New Hampshire at quarterback and there is always a question when you're coming from an FCS program to an FBS particularly a power four league and you are playing the quarterback position there is always a fair question to be asked how are you going to adjust how are you going to adapt plays are going to happen faster guys are bigger schemes might be more complex there's a lot of great coaching at at the FCS level I know that as well as anybody but certainly there is an adjustment and game one not ideal I'd feel a lot better about Minnesota in this game if they themselves had an FCS opponent week one and it was North Carolina week two I'd feel supremely confident in Minnesota instead I'm only slightly confident from a betting line standpoint if you're looking at placing wager on this game I'd stay away I I would stay so so far away from this game I want no part of Minnesota plus one and a half no part of it or North Carolina minus one and a half I don't want it would would not recommend it a four-point swing that's just that's that's stay away that is that is stay away territory so the question in this game is going to come down to that quarterback position because brosmer comes in on one side after an experienced and successful career at the FCS level he's been at New Hampshire for the last few years over 8,000 yards in his time passing there he's been quite good last year in this game Minnesota's starting quarterback went for 133 yards and an interception what if I told you those were not the worst parts of his stat line it wasn't good it wasn't good 11 for 29 passing 11 I challenge you I have seen games such as Georgia Tech Florida State where a team leans on a run game and doesn't have to throw the ball very often give me a game in where in which a quarterback is 11 for 29 under 150 yards an interception no touchdowns and the team won the game that's pretty hard that's pretty hard so a lot of This falls on Max brosmer on the other side you could be going up against Max Johnson I think he's going to be a starter I'm not the biggest Max Johnson fan in the world but is HE capable sure he's he's fine but is he Drake May is he Sam Howell no he's not which is why I am down on North Carolina this year I mean in this matchup a year ago they leaned on Drake May 414 yards passing he had a couple interceptions as well but I think PJ Fleck at home is going to have enough to get it done it's it's going to come down though to who gets more out of their quarterback position whatever that looks like on both sides because you have a couple of dynamic running backs Darius Taylor hopefully he's able to go and it'll be a great matchup of high-end running backs if you have that I expect both ground games to be able to succeed but what do you get out of the quarterback position how do you complement that how do you build off that run game I don't know I don't know that's what I'm most excited to see uh in in this particular matchup but also to see if there are any indicators from either of these teams that that they're they're going to show some life that they're going to have some juice that they're going to be a team worth watching the ACC is a much more getable League than the Big 10 is this year but PJ Fleck could be coaching to keep himself off of the hot seat you string together two losing seasons in a row after showcasing what you are capable of as a head coach which is getting Minnesota into a top 1520 range throughout the season and by the time the season comes to a close you put up a second losing season Hot Seat talk comes around you put up a losing season if you're m brown 72 years old hot seat T will come around the loser of this game coach doesn't go on the hot seat but it could start a trend towards moving in that direction where you have to think about as a as a university okay what does our head coach bring to the table do we see upward momentum and whoever wins this game is going to have a step in that direction whoever loses it has a step in the other direction of course will it Define their Seasons I don't think so I don't think so is that the highest Stakes game in all of college football does that make it uninteresting absolutely not absolutely not I've got Minnesota winning the game at home I think first to 30 wins just like last year 30 to 24 Gophers over North Carolina I will feel especially strong if Darius Taylor plays and if Max brosmer is able to come out connect with his receiving core and prove himself capable of playing at the power four level I think it's one thing when you're a cam Ward for instance who went from Incarnate Word to Washington State he's at Miami now and could be a Heisman Trophy Contender this year his first year at Washington State there was an adjustment period there was there was a big adjustment period because he hadn't played as much football but you look at a guy like Max brosmer he's played a lot of football that feels a little bit more like an FCS transfer who you have seen a lot of who who makes that adjustment quicker but it remains to be seen that that's probably the singularly most important question and I'm putting my prediction hopes here on the shoulders of a guy who has yet to take a snap at the power four level that's true on the flip side though I know what Max Johnson is at quarterback and they might have a little bit more of a battle there but regardless I I've seen Max Johnson play It's not that inspiring iring it's not that impressive he looks like a left-handed Philip Rivers and he's he's okay he's fine brosmer could be better brosmer could be worse I know what the floor and the ceiling is I know exactly what Max Johnson is as a quarterback I don't know what Max brosmer is right now so fascinated to see how this game plays out I've got the Gophers 30 24 but quite frankly folks with that betting line movement Vegas might know something I might this is one I could look back later and say I was so foolish why did I doubt Vegas they moved that line for a reason it was Minnesota minus two and a half now it's North Carolina minus one and a half they've got to have a reason maybe they know Darius Taylor is not playing maybe Max brosmer is her I don't know I have no idea those are both speculative remarks on on my part just to say that Vegas knows something the question is what and are they right because they're you know a little wrong on that Florida state Georgia Tech game but this is going to be a really really fun football matchup and I hope everybody enjoys it and understands what it means for both of these head coaches