2024 College Football Special - Arizona State Schedule Predictions, Big XII & Realignments

2024 College Football Special Intro (Follow @AZ_VSP) [Music] n [Music] ladies and gentlemen welcome to your Valley Sports plugs 2024 college football special I'm your host Chris Patrick guys we're going to be talking about the Arizona State sundevils Big 12 Football the conference realignments and so much more we're glad to have you here while you're here make sure you like And subscribe on our YouTube page right here on bleet Sports plug also on Facebook you can follow us at asvp on Instagram Tik Tok and X if you do that you be able to keep up with everything that we do here and that's the heat check podcast our once a month in-person Flagship podcast we do weekly weekly live streams recordings covering basketball football pro wrestling and a whole lot more on YouTube you can find by weekly Recaps of the Phoenix Suns the Arizona Diamondbacks and weekly Recaps of the Arizona Cardinals when they're in season it's a lot of fun guys and we love if you would join us but without further Ado we have a couple of special guests this evening joining me are are Ben (@benjianddajets) & Steven Miller (@stevmil13) Join The Show the brothers Miller Ben and Stephen what's going on fellas it's going good how are you hello hello I'm good man glad to have you back Ben the people know you if if they're returning uh guests here we've seen Stephen in the comment section on our live streams keeping in touch so longtime supporter firsttime streamer but glad to have you here Steve we want the spiciest takes that you have so do not hold back we can say the FW we can say the b word but please please do not say anything that is going to get us kicked off of YouTube because that would be so sad but yeah just don't let Chris bring up global politics totally fine uh I I can keep it clean I just all I need is Ben's reactions that's it excellent excellent I expect that uh that you'll be egging him on and uh we'll be having a whole lot of fun hope it gets heated hope it stays friendly but guys let's just go ahead and dive right into it ASU Temperature Check On 2024 Arizona State Football football is what checks notes Here 24 days away from opening day on August 31st how are just real quick broadly how are you how are you feeling about the coming season for the for the Sun Devils you know every year I get myself very very hyped for the start of football season I think under year two with Kenny Dillingham we are definitely gonna outperform what everyone apparently in the media thinks that we're going to do uh picked last to pick last of the new Big 12 or big 16 or whatever they want to call this conference now before they sell the rights and I think that we are definitely going to surprise some people this year but Stephen has a very different opinion My Sweet Summer child no you do this every year I have heard the same shtick for as long as the Miller family has been watching ASU he fools himself just like the rest of the nation into the sleeping giant that is Arizona State um I think there are certainly some things that ASU has done right and I think we'll get into those but this team follows the same trajectory as some of the other more cursed Arizona teams they they they disappoint perpetually they they hit a floor they spend so long on the floor that expectations are non-existent they win a couple of close games and then all of a sudden everyone jumps back onto the bandwagon and we disappoint all over again so I am I'm I'm watching this like like a concerned citizen like watching a a train that's kind of reeling off the tracks and uh I I yeah I also I can't like deliver takes and read the comments at the same time so I'm I'm gonna try but uh but no I'm looking forward to this this is this you guys are getting the Miller family Thanksgiving dinner table experience honestly this could this could break the internet and our Valley Sports plug YouTube channel I'm honestly so stoked I can usually have Ben on here and he'll riff for a solid 15 minutes straight on the Sun Devils and everything ASU you guys bring a wealth of knowledge so for the most part I'm not really going to be here to offer my two cents more often than not GNA be here to maybe moderate between the eternal optimist and possibly the Eternal pessimist here should be should be a lot of fun but without drinking through a fire hose and uh you know getting get to the nitty-gritty too early we're going to go over the schedule top to bottom starting with Wyoming ending with the territorial cup and U OFA so glad that they're able to continue to do the territorial cup despite the realignment obviously everyone knows U OFA bailed first ASU was right behind them and now we're in the Big 12 or as Ben said the big 16 whatever it ends up being and I'd love to talk more about what you guys think the future of the league is going to be but while we're on the topic of the sundevils last season we saw Kenny dillingham's first year as head coach they got three wins had nine losses and gave them self a self-imposed bowl ban because they really thought they were going to make a bowl game so they had to be super cautious and let let the NCAA know that they're taking it super serious but guys this year in 2024 25 they are bow eligible Ben I'll ask you first what do you think their odds are of uh getting there to a bowl game you know it's gonna be it's gonna be a battle we have the 46th R uh strongest schedule in the country among these programs and so we definitely are picking fights and we want to try to win them and get there I mean because that's the end of the game like with the new expanded playoffs there is a bigger chance to make it there but there are a lot of people ahead of us that it may not be this year but I can see it coming in the future okay so maybe not as optimistic as I thought Stephen I'd imagine you agree with that so okay so like let's look at the Vegas I think it's the FanDuel line is what people are throwing around when they're doing season previews four and a half wins is the over under for this season and and we'll go game by game here because I've actually pulled some of the stats for all of these games first off this I was shocked at how difficult this conference uh this uh this schedule is like I think moving over to the Big 12 has introduced so many other teams that um you know like they they'd be top tier former Pack 12 teams um so we've got like the best of the best the good teams that that followed us out of the Pack 12 and then we've got some some new blood but but when it comes to the conference reignment piece like I'm going to take a step back first off I am like a resident Big 12 fan like we we have a little bit of a family divide here because I am a DieHard spiritual Kansas jhawk and I've been following the Big 12 for years so like I'm I'm welcoming all of the other Pack 12 refugees so like I'm I'm here to act as a guide um big 12's different it's it's it's very very different we're talking about the middle of the country um we're talking about you know like true college towns fan bases that don't necessarily have that much else to do like the college game is the game in town they show up they are tough places to play and and I think that's going to really hurt ASU like these away games are true away games you're not going to UCLA or USC where people have to decide between going to the beach or going to the game you're going to Manhattan Kansas that is the only thing to do there um so so yeah those away games they're going to be a little trickier and I don't know if ASU is gonna be able to travel all that well but we'll get into that well that's one of my big concerns with the whole realignment and moving into the Big 12 and for football and basketball I think it'll probably be more palatable than the other sports I mean we are here to talk about that but I I think that will wear on them it's something they're not used to in the Pack 12 you're just staying on the west coast you know couple hours plane ride tops not too bad so I think that that could be a factor I don't know Ben I guess while while we're talking about the travel do you think that's going to be an impact as well you know that's one of the great things that I love about this realignment is that we turn are going to have the biggest Advantage when it comes to travel compared to every single other Big 12 team where we have the team down in Florida we have UCF we have West Virginia Cincinnati all of those that are in the Eastern Time Zone they have to come back to us we're going to get to travel and go the day before two days before each of these away games while they most likely will have to come either the day of or the day before to play ASU so that gives us an advantage on the field when we are playing them and they may be a little bit tired okay so I guess yeah that's a good point it it does go both ways I quickly have to acknowledge the third Miller in the chat Colin more important question here auk to the Steelers Colin is looking like it it's really looking like it I've seen seen the buzz really curious what that trade pick's going to look like I know they were asking for the world they wanted George Pickins and a first round pick but it seems like their options for moving iuk are slimming down yesterday the Patriots jumped out of that race so it sounds like from what I'm understanding it's down to the Steelers and the Browns and I haven't heard too much about the Browns getting them so best believe me and Matt are going to keep tabs on that and let you guys know but keeping it say wrong show like steers talk I love it though I love it hey it's he's he's an ASU Alum Brandon IU graduated from ASU it's topical it's true that you know you're right you're right there is that ASU connection we we can tie it in we can find a way but guys talk talking about uh the reignment and how they're going to do I know uh we Big XII Cannibalism kind of talked about or Stephen you mentioned how some of these guys would have been formidable opponents in the Pack 12 I remember it was a pretty common theme where Pack 12 teams would kind of eat each other alive and that's what kind of ended up knocking a lot of us down in the in the national rankings do you think we're GNA see more of that here in the Big 12 absolutely um and and I think this is also a really tough year to be going into the Big 12 because a lot of these teams are returning teams that were really solid last year so if we look at you know asu's full schedule we've got 12 games Ben I want you to to take a guess how many of the teams that asu's playing this season were in a bowl the end last season oh man it's going to probably be around eight teams isn't it nine how many of those teams won of those nine how many of those teams won their bowl game who who is Counting about winning those bowl games all of their players are either in the transfer portal or have opted out of it it is just a show at that point getting there is the main ticket that you're trying to punch momentum is real and a bull win I know it's ASU is not very familiar with the concept recently but when you go to a bowl and you succeed you carry momentum into the next year so I do think that it is important to look at the last game that these teams played Seven of those nine won their bowl games like we are going to be playing teams that are coming in with with expectations when you go to a bowl and you are successful and you win that game you come back with your sights set on the next best Bowl so you know and let we we've ignored the elephant in the room we've got expanded playoff coming up so we've got you know these this is going to turn into a fight for not the top four but the top 12 um and I think there's going to be a there's multiple teams if you look around the Big 12 that that already are assuming that their ticket is going to be punched I mean we we very well could be seeing t two teams coming out of this conference in the playoff and that's really bringing up the qu the point of parody where the big 12 has the most parody of any of the big three leagues at this point compared to the Big 10 and the SEC which have their perennial Conference champions overall and the AC and the ACC but we're not really counting that as a big three anymore no I mean well you pretty much got big 12 sec obviously and Big 10 probably poor ACC catching Strays I mean listen basball the moment they're able to you know prove that their conference will exist in the next six months is when we can can start taking them seriously but I don't know any lawsuits coming around from uh two of their PR Premier Football schools trying to secede again yeah when when you're when you start suing your conference uh something has gone horribly wrong yeah not not a good look I think they could probably go the way of the Pack 12 and and all these other conferences man it's just crazy I do I do want to get into the realignment a little bit more but back back to ASU specifically when we look at kind of how The Eternal QB Shuffle & Coach Dillingham Impact the roster constructed in the transfer portal I think it was this last season we saw jayen rashada head for Georgia and did you did that catch either of you by surprise that that he kind of jump ship not at all I mean if you were following his recruitment to ASU he wasn't going to come to ASU he was going to go to Florida with millions and millions of dollars promised they never ended up paying him and that has resulted in a huge lawsuit that he has filed against the head coach as well as the collective that has that was promising him that money so him transfering to Georgia chasing that bag and hopping on what should be expected to be another National Championship caliber team that is not surprising at all I was more surprised that Georgia was interested in anyone on this ER and that they had that opportunity to go to a premier program like that um but no it's Chris I think you touch on something that is going to be a huge part of the new world of college sports um nil and the transfer portal have absolutely overnight shifted what it looks like to go into an offseason um in in good and bad ways and and I think long term this new world does benefit ASU um just because of the size of the university and the alumni base um that I think are going to figure out like how to get the the money right for nil um I think there's a lot of interest there I do think that the new athletic director um is going to that's that's probably job number one um job number two is fix the uh decrepit basketball stadium um so maybe a 1A and 1B type situation but but I think getting an nil Collective that is as competitive as what you're seeing in these SEC and these Premier schools um is absolutely going to be mandatory if a he wants to be taken seriously on the national level um and also Jaden only played in what three games last season before being injured and then sidelined for the rest of the season so we didn't even have a chance to for me at least to fall in love and start uh saying he's gonna take us to a national championship so I don't feel like it's enough loss there are a lot of love loss there overall I think the biggest question of this new ASU roster in that turnover is who is going to be our starting quarterback are we going to go back to having our perennial starter uh borget coming come in and once again secure that position or are we gonna have one of the newcomers either Sam love it from Michigan State or uh Sims coming in from Nebraska which this being the first week of fall Camp of tono Zona we need to make sure to see to follow follow that closely and make sure that we have a good starting quarterback by the time of these first games because we start off hot each one of these games in that uh non-conference play is going to be tough Wyoming is an amazing team and is going to probably go to a bowl game again this year Mississippi State that's an SEC team they're facing SEC caliber so maybe we can pick that up but that is not going to be an easy game for us either and then lastly Texas state in San Marcus that is going to be a very tough game they are one of the best ascended teams in the non power three uh Universe right now so that is going to be a tough game too before we even get into Big 12 Play yeah I think the the quarterback question is is a big one because you're right Trent boray he's familiar with the team obviously he's been around a while I think this is what his uh senior year that he's going into Sam levit he I'm guessing he red shirt his freshman year so this will be be technically his freshman year uh you mentioned the transfers that Jeff Sims so so yeah I don't know I I think it's interesting to me that jayen Rado would choose to go to Georgia where he's probably not going to start where he could have probably been a been a competitor for the starting spot at ASU now of course Georgia is the better football program there's no doubt about that um I just worry with him leaving ASU I do just worry because I don't know if you guys remember the last Jaden that left ASU in the transfer portal in as a quarterback things went pretty well for him in the SEC didn't they I I think so I think that worked out for him and I don't I I don't know about you guys I mean just real quick I didn't see that coming for Jane Daniels I didn't hate what he did at ASU but I would have never painted him as a Heisman on any team no and you wonder how much of that was the power of you know having weapons at LSU um and having an o line unlike anything that he had ever had at Arizona State um I mean let's face it the SEC is always going to have the attention of Scouts and you're always going to have those guy you know that that is where players want to play you want to grow you grow up wanting to play in Tuscaloosa on Saturdays so um no it's this is again the new reality of the transfer portal we're gonna we will more likely than not have some form of QB controversy going into Camp from now on because there's always going to be someone new blood who's coming in who was unhappy at you know even it goes both ways a smaller School looking guy make looking to make the jump or a bigger School guy who is maybe you know looking to to come out west because Winters in the midwest can be pretty harsh and Tempe looks pretty good in November in December so um so yeah it's it's good and again that's one of those things that benefits ASU in the long run if if Kenny can figure out how to have a good offensive and defensive identity where he knows what they want to do and do and they do it well and when those guys come in if they keep the right guys and keep them there um I think ASU does have a chance to finally realize that potential but they have done nothing yet to convince me that they are on track to doing that okay okay Ben disagree yeah I dis I disagree I think there it's still it's inches inches and Miles that we're looking at we're looking at teams that Stephen's talking about where they have had success they have had the infrastructure built around these programs to make them perennial success stories or at least contenders overall now I think that we have in leadership the right group of people to help drive that culture and make ASU one of the Premier teams in all of college football I think that's gonna happen sooner than everyone thinks I hope so man I think go going back to what Stephen said a bit ago not only is winning bowl games good for the team and building a culture but it's also good for Recruitment and getting guys that are going to see a successful program I mean a lot of these guys you know there's a ton of players in college football and they know that the majority of them aren't going to make it to the NFL they're not going to compete in a national championship game I mean now they have a better shot with a with a with the it expanding to 12 teams but making it to a bowl game can sometimes be the highlight of these guys college career so if you're able to go into a young man's living room and tell him like Hey we're in a bowl game every year we're gonna get to travel we're going to go get to do something fun and try and put together the best team possible instead of only getting three star recruits you can start getting those four and five star recruits and one of the big things about getting Kenny Dillingham was not letting the Homegrown Talent go to Texas go to Oregon go anywhere else California but Arizona we need to keep the instate Talent here because there's a there's a whole whole lot of it guys I mean we even saw it growing up in in Chandler where it was what Hamilton and Chandler high is constantly breeding pro athletes it's true and and that that has to be priority number one because you cannot lose out on your instate guys especially when you have such a hot bed like we do um so I do you know we're going to get to them um but I also just want to say that like we're g to be in kind of weird times this year because U OFA has its sites set on being at the top of this new conference and so there's gonna this rivalry is going to be pretty heated but we'll talk about that when we get to the territorial cup I think we can Dive Right In Ben you you gave the people a preview um let's just let's kick this off let's let's go let's do it game one let's get the schedule up here go for it all right Kenny's focus on taking uh those that homegrown Talent has led afcu to be the number ranked number 12 recruitment class for the 2025 cycle so far now none of those are a quarterback which as Arizona has become the premier uh breeding ground for top tier quarterbacks and I think the moment we're able to get one of those guys to stay home is going to be when we see things start changing all right well those 2025 recruits ASU Schedule Breakdown - Week 1 vs Wyoming aren't going to be much help yet because we still got this 2024 2025 season to play so I talk about moral victories all the time that's energy let's see how many moral victories are here on this list um Wyoming up up first that is a home okay let's let's look at the team first before we start declaring wins um that is a home game so always good to kick off the season at home um that is a 9 and4 Wyoming team who last was seen uh at the bar stool Sports Bowl down in Tucson playing Toledo um which they won so so Ben you immediately jump out the gun and say Wyoming no problem uh former alma mater of uh of Josh Allen I believe it was sounds right yeah yeah um okay Ben what about this Wyoming why do you like this matchup I like this matchup because I think that with a dominant running back that we've seen with uh with scabo that he is going to run it right down their throats that is going to be an amazing opportunity for him as well as for us to see if l or Sims ends up being the starting quarterback for this game or even getting in what the true power of a division one arm is going to put against this uh Wy team I'm glad you mentioned scaboo because uh I think one of asu's biggest problems aside from a total lack of depth last year was that scabo had to do it all he was doing returns he was in the back field in the slot and I think that um that wears down a player when you ask him to do that much and wear that many hats um you know I think he's he is one of the bright spots on this roster so I think having a more singular job um should hopefully these takes are already delivering earthquakes if you guys haven't seen that um I think having a more singular job for him will help him stay focused on doing a couple of things well instead of trying to do a whole bunch of things okay and because we've had we had so many injuries as the season went on last year which really impacted us losing some of those super close games that we lost to Colorado in that very close game last year that was because of all of our injuries that we had first on the o line but also at the quarterback position where we had scabo actually thr the football for several plays over the course of the season but Ben you know what wasn't a close game for the Sun Devils last year was their matchup with Fresno State where they lost 29 to zero and I don't know if you know this but Wyoming beat Fresno State 24-19 in the same season a little less than a month later obviously I know it's not the same exact team but I think that's what gives me a little bit of pause yeah Wyoming's in the Mountain West and you hope this is a brand new recharged ASU team but I don't know I'm leaning towards this being being close I agree Chris um I think okay I'm gonna throw you a bone B final score 3127 okay okay we ASU is fortunate enough to start off with backto back Week 2 vs Mississippi St home games an absolute gift from the schedule Gods uh right before they go into a a miserable four game stretch um but the I I I truly believe that you know if ASU can go one one in those first two weeks if they can knock off Wyoming or Mississippi State which is not your traditional Mississippi State of years past like this is not Dak Prescott's Mississippi State team this is a team that had a five- seven record was not bull eligible one of the three nonb eligible teams that ASU is playing this season um I I honestly have not done a deep dive on this team but I do know that I think one of those five was a pretty big upset they one of the Texas schools early in the season um keep me honest here Chris but um so I I do think anytime you're playing an SEC School even when you're playing the dregs of the SEC unless you're lining up against Vanderbilt you're going to be playing a team that has been sharpened by Elite competition so um I been I I I do think Ben if they can come out of of that I think beating Mississippi State coming from the SEC in the name recognition I think that means more to the fan base even though I think Wyoming is the better team um I think you can hang your hat on hey we came out and and we had an SEC team come into Tempe and we were able to take care of business that could be the right you know the the right kick that this team needs to start off the season but I I don't know I still think um that those are those are two tough home games and the crowd really needs to show up and be be a factor there yeah it looks like their Hallmark win last year uh that I think you might have been referencing was when be at the time 11 ranked University of Arizona 24 to 31 and that was at home in Mississippi I I do think it's interesting you mentioned the travel a bit ago the the furthest they traveled West was to Texas Tech in College Station so coming to Arizona I think that could that could definitely be a factor now ASU is no number 11 U OFA from last year but at the same time you look at their overall record and where they finished granted in a tough SEC Conference I I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility for them to seal that win so on the next one looking at Texas State which which I think we we this Week 3 @ Texas St game holds a special place in our hearts because we currently have it uh circled on the calendar for a game that we could be attending in person so so Ben tell me a little bit about the beautiful beautiful part of the country where Texas State res resides because this is your backyard I I mean backyard whereas anything in Texas that is considered your backyard could be within four to six hours so Texas state right outside of Austin it's right there in between Austin and San Antonio in the beautiful Hill Country uh Stephen had the pleasure of going there for a little music festival called floatfest and it is it is a real it is the party school of Texas there is the constant comparisons between ASU and Texas State here in Texas overall and so I think that this will be a fun game no matter which way you you can slice it Texas State eight and5 um and and I think they had a couple of Premium you know unexpected wins earli in their season last year they uh they were winners of the first responder Bowl so so again we're playing a team um with a solid record I I truly don't know too much about them outside of that but I do know going into uh you know for your first away game of the season and going into an environment like that in a in a community that is constantly doesn't matter if you're playing JV you know in a tiny town uh you are going to have people show up and take that game seriously so I think this is a hostile environment for ASU I personally I don't I don't think I don't have enough faith that this team can go in and do it but um but yeah I I guess we'll find out Ben when we uh when we hopefully uh go there in person and this Texas trip really is gonna be be rounded out by the premier Week 4 @ Texas Tech game in LC Texas our team is probably going to catch some tortillas to the face uh from the the student section in LC um but we are going to see a very good Texas Tech Team in LC this is gonna be a tough one I don't think that we're going to pull it off uh in there but there is some bad blood between these programs Texas uh Tech and ASU have a long history of meeting in the sunbowl in El Paso beautiful El Paso um you know I'm okay with ASU catching a few tortillas I do not want C them catching the famed Raider rash is it famed it's for Infamous for all the wrong reasons um but no B you're right this is this is again another solid away game in Texas uh they were seven and six last year they won the Independence Bowl um so so yeah you know and seven and six for a Texas Tech team is probably viewed as a you know something that you need to bounce back from so they're definitely going to have I think some some motivation to come out start the season strong I mean Ben we're we're looking at generously a two and two start here I'm I'm leaning more one and three but but even in the rosiest shades of glasses I just I don't know how ASU could have a winning record after these first four games you know I could see a three and one start I could see a four a 4-0 start okay okay the the ball lie we haven't seen the ball move yet right you're not wrong I think with Texas Tech though that's the first uh conference matchup for us and a chance for the the sundevils to come out and make a statement on the road first conference game I I think I'm kind of leaning towards agreeing with Stephen uh after these first four either being two and two one and three I if they're G to win two though I think it's going to be in in those first three games in the non-conference play very true um speaking of conference Week 5 vs Kansas play the game I have circled on my calendar coming up next um at home verse Kansas I have already lost count of the number of people who have reached out to me and not even asked if I'm going but asked what are my plans for this game um I am the most obnoxious Jayhawk fan that and and and it doesn't even matter that it's not my sport that it's football um I really really want to go to this game however I also want to stay married and uh we have planned a trip to Seattle that week so I will not be attending I'm making an announcement here on the VP podcast uh I I will not be there in Tempe um probably a good thing the last time uh I went to a Kansas Arizona State game with Ben um I wore I wore my Kansas gear uh and could not hear the end of it from Ben throughout the entire game you know ASU in Kansas this may be a different sport uh but ASU Kansas is uh two and0 sundevils in matchups Kansas was uh number two the first time they played and we beat them in the Allen field house one of the toughest venues of college basketball and then for the second part of that home and home they came as number one to Tempe and ASU beat them there I actually on my wall over here have he's getting props my my tickets from the win at ASU at uh at Kansas oh did your wife make that for you yes that's so cute Ben you know what I'll make you because she lets me go to games unlike someone else well okay I'll make I'll make you a deal you come out here and you can take me and Colin to the game as an early birthday present and I'll even I'll even let you sleep on my couch I'm a nice guy perfect I can't wait to drive two hours to the game hey it's only like an hour and 20 we'll probably be waiting in line for parking for longer than the drive um so okay so Kansas this is this is not the former you know the Kansas football team of years past like when you're playing uh as Kansas in ESP or in uh EA college football 25 um which I just finished capped off my national championship run with them um one of the things that ree Davis says is this is not your typical Kansas team they're they're not just a basketball school anymore uh this football like I'm G let's do a quick mini preview of Kansas football um this is a team that is kind if ASU looks ahead and everything breaks their way ASU would want to be Kansas in the in four to five years um this is a team that had to pick up the pieces after less miles uh left they they had tried to make the Splashy higher with someone who was kind of a little past his prime um Scandal immediately came out about some of his final years at LSU uh they had to to quickly recover from that the program has been stuck in neutral ever since um they've had a couple of kind of start stop uh coaches that they brought in that just didn't really click um it's it's they've never really been able to recruit outside of this one freak year where they won the uh the Orange Bowl under Mark manino um that a keib to uh I believe was on that team um but but they this is a this is very much you know a a school that that supports their basketball team and then they also happen to just play football uh but no nine and four last year they've got a Heisman hopeful in quarterback at Jaylen Daniels um they've got a an exciting running back Jaden no not not Jaden Jaylen um they've got a pair of edge rushers um who I believe are their the the highest ranking recruits Kansas foot football has ever seen coming in um and then they've got a pair of of stud cornerbacks um so I think you know this is the the deepest roster that this team has had um in recent memory um they're they've got a coach that they love uh Lance Leopold who they're playing really hard under and uh they've got a brand new stadium opening up for this so this upcoming season I'm not sure if it's going to be 100% done but but I know they've been rushing to finish up uh finish up construction so this is a team that like everything is pointing to to a a potential Dark Horse Run to the playoffs coming out of this conference um I I do not I based on past experiences of seeing The Jayhawks come into temp uh I I am prepared for anything but but I do not think ASU should sleep this is the likely the best team they will have played by this point right I would just looking looking at this real quick I I would agree with you like don't sleep on Kansas they were five and four in conference last year in in a tough Big 12 still finished eighth in the conference with a winning record so if that doesn't speak on how strong this conference is that we're coming into I think there should be um you know a little a lot of he healthy skepticism if you will no this is the game that I am having the second most number of nightmares about on this schedule I think it is going to be truly a Mak or break and I think that we just need to play it close and really chop knock up one of those moral victories that I love so so so so much because you know last year if we counted all of our moral victories we would have been bow eligible cfp eligible everything so Ben score prediction what does a Moral Victory look like to you I think a moral Victory this is going to be an offensive just there's gonna be a lot of points scored overall that's the main piece I think it's going to end up being around 45 to 37 Kansas if ASU can keep this within a a touchdown I think that that absolutely qualifies as a moral Victory I have Kansas by four touchdowns in this game um I just I do not I don't see it but um but hey you know that's why they play him um okay coming off of that moral Week 6 vs Utah Victory uh another even the more difficult game at home Utah 8 and5 but uh in some of the the previews that I've I've been seeing um picked I believe to win the conference uh and if we check the the coaches poll poll um and some of the media polls they are they are not only a pick to win the conference but a pick to make the playoff like outright um I think Vegas only has them at like like plus 220 odds right now so there's um there is a lot of hype going into this team um I I personally like I see Utah in the schedule and I just kind of say me like it just doesn't they've they've been they've had sneaky good teams um but there's just never really been anything about this team that has wowed me um so I was that was probably my biggest surprise you know as we were doing the prep for this was seeing how highly the rest of the country thinks of this team um Ben what are you what are your thoughts now I mentioned nightmares before when I was talking about Kansas and it's the main team that I have nightmares about is Utah last year they we played them in Utah and ended up having it be 55 to3 so a moral field goal on that part but I think that that it's true Utah is truly it's not a Darkhorse candidate for making the cfp they are expected to win this conference as a first year team in the Big 12 as one of these former back 12 teams I think that they are going to pretty much run the table through the conference and that also involves running through T now the problems last year they had is that they had their start quarterback cam Rising he was injured most of the season they were running a weird uh with their second and third string quarterbacks both splitting time throughout the entire SE rest of the season but Cam's back he's back and he's ready and he's also a Heisman candidate as well you know what they say if you have two quarterbacks do you really have one that's that's a great question that is a good question I think Utah the what gives us maybe a Fighting Chance is that they are a familiar opponent coming over with with us from the Pack 12 now what that's worth I'm not too sure because obviously I'm looking at uh the Big 12 Conference football power index here on ESPN and they have Utah ranked fifth they do have Kansas ranked number one on the power index so we're we're going to be playing The Heavy Hitters early in the season in the first half of this season so I think after those first three games we talked about the next three are going to be a real test yep yeah this is um this that's six game we're six games into the season we're halfway there um by my math I have Asu at one and five and I think that is that is just about what you know like I think that is more realistic than not um but uh but you know Ben you know like what what's your are you are you looking I'm going to guess like a three three three four and two [Music] I you know I'm gonna be a little bit realistic here and I'm I'm gonna say three and two okay after six so I'm sorry I I think that we're at three and three so we only need one more win to beat out last year's I think that we can find that on this next game again at on the road in Cincinnati two to prove the haters in Vegas wrong um yep and uh yeah one one more to to Eclipse uh last year campaign okay so things get they get a a slight break on the road after that um Week 7 @ Cincinnati going to Cincinnati Cincinnati the had the weakest uh season out of all of their opponents last year three and N team um kind of also falls into the same category as Kansas but without any of the hype um they're they're a basketball school through and through um they have had you know years where they have snuck into the national conversation but uh but yeah you know if I'm if I'm doing the math here I think ASU could be picking up their their second or their third win of the Season here if they if they can go on the road and uh and take care of business now this is the furthest East they're going to have to travel all season and I think honestly it's not too bad knocking that out in the middle of October there where I'm seeing the weather in in Cincinnati around that time of year is uh mid to high 50s maybe low 60s so you're they're not going to be freezing in their ass off I know especially with professional football and and any really football team that comes from the west and go east that's always a concern right because you practice in the heat you play in the Heat and then you have to go play in some freezing cold temperatures and they really don't have to worry about that too much here with Cincinnati and and like you said Stephen it's a basketball school so this could be another one where maybe ASU can sneak one out if not get that moral win right Ben I don't think there's going to be any sneaking out for this game I think ASU is going to go in there final score 42-22 okay okay resounding win um so Week 8 @ Oklahoma St staying on the road here uh are maybe the best one of the best teams that they'll be facing this season Oklahoma State picked with Utah um in a lot of polls to be a contender for the conference Championship you know with and I Ben here's a here's one of my designat hot takes that I I prepped you on um with realignment I am so ready for the weird rivalries like I want to see Utah and Oklahoma State like I want to see this Blood feud between the nice community of Salt Lake City and the heathens out in Still Water um I think we're going to get some really strange rivalries that geographically do not make sense because you now suddenly have two schools like this who have never really had any history going for this pretty prestigious conference title um so uh I I have I have no faith here I think this is a this is a pretty complete team um I do know I think there's some uh I think there's some controversy surrounding the team right now um that there was they there's been some trouble uh with some some driving wall uh under the influence and we already talked about Georgia though that's also very true um but I I do think that this is a team that has had uh you know you never want to see your com your name in the conversation um in the middle of summer around you know with with players getting into trouble like that and they have a very outspoken coach uh who who has I think tried to defend them um and ended up kind of waiting into even hotter water water so that's the only thing that gives me a little bit of pause about this team is that they have they've had some offseason interractions but but no this is this is a complete team these are the types of teams that that are routine in these bigger conferences and Asus just they're I think they should they should use this game as a benchmark to where they need to get to um but but it's this season is not it you know and I think this is one of those games that I think will be tough but it's definitely winnable for the Sun Devils and here's why last year this is actually the second year that we're playing them in a row we did have a home game against them last year in the preseason not preseason the uh non-conference part of the season and ASU actually was holding and was leading at the half about at 18 to 10 or 15 to 10 at the half but also the story of last season was the injuries at every single position of ASU so I think coming in healthy and staying healthy through this point through this second latter half of the Season that we can see ASU actually shine and take some lessons learned last year against Oklahoma State to win on the road well unfortunately Ben I think they plan on playing two halves of this game this year so um I I I I hope that they yeah can uh can show up the same way um but yeah so okay moving moving right along now we're into the home stretch um we've got a home Week 9 vs UCF game against UCF uh a six and seven UCF team from last season so they were bull eligible they lost the gaspera bowl um I if I was going to get ASU to those five wins that I think they need for this season to be considered a success um which tells you everything about this year's team if we're going to sum it up like if you need five wins to to have that be a successful season that tells you how Bleak things are um I think this is a winnable game uh solely because it's at home and this is not the dominant UCF team um that you know that W had had threatened knocked on the door of national championships in years past um so uh these are the types of teams that if ASU was in a better spot I would say this is a routine game where you just have to go out there and and and and beat a what is a mediocre team but I think this is this year ASU loses To Mediocre teams like this and I disagree I'm circling this as win five or six on my schedule overall making us uh is it bull eligible is five six s making this our bull eligible game here all right well um I think it by that point in the season we are we are getting to uh what mid October late October um so we have an away game in Week 10 @ Kansas St Manhattan Kansas playing the dreaded Kansas state wild cats um you know a little history lesson this Kansas State team has always been pretty pretty good um they've they've got a uh pretty illustrious history they've had some coaches there that have uh had a lot of success I believe Bill Snyder coached there for a long time uh this is a team that uh it threat was I don't believe has made the uh the college football playoff yet but has been right there uh in the final few games of the season a few times um this is a team that that is you know just well-built team year in year out um nine and four last year they won the Pop-Tart Bowl um pop you know one of the arguably biggest games of the Season where they ate the Pop-Tart mascot at the end they did this is the team that cannibalized uh the the nation's favorite mascot after their big win so like pull that up pull that up yeah yeah let's see the the remains um but no he was smiling he was made for this that was his moment he you know that's what he wanted all along um and so so yeah the again you know just like with Oklahoma State this is a good team and if ASU wants to be taken seriously in this conference they need to show up and play good teams competitively I I see this as a a great chance for ASU to show us what kind of team this is um but I just don't think you go on the road and and beat a Kate team like this you know I agree on that I think that K State and Manhattan they are truly the be I think probably the best right now team in Kansas overall one of the best in the Big 12 and here is everyone's favorite mascot from last year guys I mean some teams have that dog in them they got that poptart in them true and you're tell Ben you're trying to tell me that that's not momentum you you you consumed the Pop-Tart mascot and like they're having that Sugar Rush right now they had the Sugar Rush After it they're going to get on those drgs now they're going to be slow after having that Pop-Tart this is theater this I mean this is can if if as I mark my words think the same team as dualingo to do this I don't know is uh if ASU is is ever in the Pop-Tarts Bowl I want to be there I gotta see this in person but real question is Stephen would you take a bite hell yes I I but the thing is like okay I'm I'm I'm a little bit of a Pop-Tart snob I'm really only a fan of the brown sugar cinnamon and I don't like the crusts okay okay so while we're derailed here talking about Pop-Tarts are you toasted Pop-Tart or raw poptart toasted all the way okay okay see here's the thing I'm I'm agree with Stephen about the brown sugar being Head and Shoulders above every other flavor of Pop-Tart RP the s'mores Pop-Tarts um but I will say Frozen is the best way to have a Pop Tart stick them in the freezer Frozen I've never tried that but I don't know if I want to like I'll eat a raw Pop-Tart I like The Toasted look at look at how they did my boy they massacred my boy crazy I I like the brown sugar that's top tier my favorite though is probably cherry cherry poptarts and I'll eat the whole thing crust and all well I hope one day we can see ASU uh at the victory toaster um okay so last home game of the season um we've got uh by the storman Mormons coming into temp uh Week 11 vs BYU this is a five- s BYU team um also a relative newcomer to to the conference um so I I believe this uh this is their maybe second second season yeah um so uh kind of a you know a sneaky team sneaky program um they do have you know some I learned this while playing in Kansas's BYU game uh in college football uh EA it was uh they do have a national championship back in the day um so this is a team with a little bit of History uh but but not too much to write home about last season five and seven um you know again pretty pretty meh but I uh I I I am G to give ASU the benefit of the doubt here I have them getting their third win of the season um at home to to close it out um and give the fans something to be excited about for for you know year three of Kenny with that vaulted uh vaulted class um but but Ben I'm curious to hear your thoughts how many touchdowns do you have ASU by in this game 100 I think that ASU is gonna win this game probably 35 to 27 okay okay okay but but here's the here's the reason I think that we're talking about the last game in the regular season before we go into rivalry weekend this is going to be a time when a lot of teams are looking forward in the schedule who's coming up and I think that no one is going to be affected more by that than BYU with the Holy w war coming up the return of the matchup of Utah BYU they that is a game that they do not want to lose so I think when they're looking at the schedule they're gonna see ASU and be like okay let's just focus on Utah very true it's gonna be one heck of a game they're going to be fired up for it um yeah it's that that that blood Feud uh between those two schools now being a conference game um so no you're right uh rivalry week is is all we have Week 12 Territorial Cup @ Arizona left we've got you know uh sundevils going down to Tucson U OFA um you know 10 10 and three last year uh the embarrassment that they put on the sundevils in Tempe Ben we were in close contact UM for as long as both of us were watching that game um which I I think I lasted almost three quarters um but uh and I think ASU you know lasted about a quarter and a half um but just a horrible horrible way to to end the season last year at home get getting beat like that um clearly the The Stomping that ASU put on them a couple years back was it what the 63 to3 um don't do us a disservice like that my brother in Christ we are talking about the 70-7 there we go okay stomping of U W which I think is going to happen again this year 70 to7 you got to have that that little that touch of a final uh touchdown at the end of the game but I think that of people who care about rivalries no one cares about this rivalry more than Kenny dingham he is going to be focused on this game for the entirety of the season and that culture is going to bleed down into the players too this is going to be the one game that they do not want to lose on this entire list and slate of games I think that going into Arizona it's always going to be a massive massive play and I think that it is going to be a sundevil win through and through okay so um one I think you are on psychedelics uh I thought this was a kid-friendly show no hard drugs Ben uh I'm disappointed in you I'm going to be talking to Mom about it um I don't see ASU holding a candle to this team this this U OFA team it's going to be kind of hard to watch because this is a really likable team on paper um you know you've got a a quarterback who's on the Heisman watch list you've got a wide receiver who is a firstr lock in next year's NFL Draft I can't pronounce his name I'm not going to try and butcher it here but um super you know likable fun player you've got that tandem I think is going to put up a ton of points they're going to get National conversation I'm curious Ben this is like a really twisted would you rather would you rather see a u OFA quarterback win the Heisman or your quarterback transfer and go win it at LSU um which one hurts more I think uh ah well since one of those things you know this this is really honestly a tough one because I think the the interview that we saw where Jaden Daniels was asked about his TW the 2019 ASU team that had or 2019 2018 team that had iuk uh that had Rashad white that had that entire o line and Jaden Daniels all of these weapons and them go on to be top performers on their NFL teams and they only won five games I think that seen jayen Daniels transfer is the one that hurts the most overall um yeah they both suck and they both very well could be happening in backtack years um so the the only Silver Lining only uh shred of possibility that I see here is that if you look back over the history of the territorial cup the team that is having the better season usually gets upset like whoever can ruin the other team's season typically steps up that's what makes this such a good game um I do think ASU U OFA will have a fighting chance I think to be at the top of the conference by the time this game rolls around if everything breaks their way ASU has a chance to kind of spoil that um I think there will be a strong desire uh it's unfortunate that they're playing down in that Mum of a stadium in Tucson um probably my least favorite stadium in the country um and not even because of the people that go inside it but it's just it's a awful awful place to play um it's I I I think it's it's a game that ASU should people should be making the drive so it's not as unfriendly as I think some of these Midwest schools but it's going to be a really hard game um and that it is going to be the The Weather Vein for what direction this team is headed are they going to continue to be kind of the the Bottom Rung of this new power conference um or are are they going to give us something to look forward to yeah and mom always says nothing good happens after 10 p.m. and nothing good happens at Tucson very very true did she say that about Tucson oh yeah yeah I love it I love it C that's awesome well so I I was looking here that what is interesting with with this U OFA team is being being ranked so high they're number three in the power football index again one of those teams that people are talking about potentially being at the top of the Big 12 but Kenny dillingham's going into his second season their head coach Brett Brennan is going into his first season at U OFA after they just lost J fish to Washington he was the head coach of San Jose State last year where they had a seven and six record I think in the Mountain West Conference do you guys think that that's going to factor in I mean he did inherit a good program but he's a totally new head coach to these guys now you're totally right um the the Jed fish thing I mean from from what I've heard from people who follow you know Tucson Sports closer it was a real gut punch to them um because they were ready for him to be the guy like they you know and he came in and and he had that uh that that pedigree that brought players in immediately kept good players there I think they picked up a couple um you know transfers that that were getting national attention so it was everything was looking for the up and up um and this then he just like left him at the altar um to go to to greener pastures at the bigger school and and unfortunately like that's the reality that these that both Arizona and Arizona State find themselves in like they are going to be the stepping stone for young coaches who who want to make the leap to the the the top tier of schools um and I I think it should you know it should I I I hope that Kenny by being an ASU guy that that if he finds success that we're not going to be finding ourselves in the same boat you know a few years here down the line if Oregon calls him or if Auburn calls him um and you know so it's it's the reality of kind of when you have a team that doesn't have a lot of historical success um you know so something to closely watch um I still think that you know it's the the coach doesn't play the game the players do so I think the player it's going to be you know U ofa's chance to go out there and play hard for this new coach um and I I I don't think it's going to be as disastrous um as you might think I'm more surprised that Stephen Associates with anyone who spent time in the dirt in the dirty te few and far between I mean we we let Mike on the podcast he did a year at U OFA and uh we don't hold it against him so just the way it goes no but I think you're right the players play and I think the way that Jed fish went out left these guys high and dry I know they felt some type of way about it so I I think that adds an extra layer of them playing with a chip on their shoulder not only wanting to play hard for their new coach but also wanting to show that they were the real reason for the success and not the head coach their previous head coach now you know Brett Brandon might get caught in the crossfire that a little bit but I'm sure he be he'll be okay with that if it pads his resume and he gets a winning team out of it uh but Ben Stephen brings up an interesting point if Kenny Dillingham does find success here at ASU do you Kenny Here To Stay & Sun Devil Optimism think he's likely to stick around for the Long Haul and really build this program or is it a concern of yours that he's going to jump ship you know I mean I think there's all especially now in this age of not only the coaching Carousel but also the player Carousel that we're scene where someone saying that this is their dream job that they want to be here for the long ha Hall that can change really really quick when the zeros start being added on to whatever offer that that they're getting from one of these teams I think the main thing here is that Kenny at every single point has said that he wants this is his dream job it's always been his dream job he was on that Todd Graham staff as a graduate assistant he has followed ASU former coaches and staff all around the country to really hone his skill set and be the top and also youngest head football coach at this level in the entire NCAA so I think that Kenny is going to grow with ASU and I think that he's gonna stay there too it's true and I think the the having the alumni um hiring from within giving him a chance I think before any other team really was ready um I think all that that factors into him being kind of you know potentially here for the Long Haul so I I want him to um you know he was at ASU the same time I was so I I I I want to see you know a fellow fellow sundevil um from that era you know having success I think um you know it's it's it's exactly what you want like it's it's what you dream of if when you follow college sports is for for a guy to to come back and and F bring that team to the promised land so so I really I want it to work um and the comparisons are often between him and Mike Gundy Mike Gundy who played football at Oklahoma State and has now been been what the longest tene coach among the uh major uh division one schools Mike Gundy he's a man can we can we can we fish that clip out a man with a great head of hair rocking that mullet great fantastic head of hair um well while they're they're searching for that clip um I I I do I I I have a a legit question you know so five five wins is the you know is what kind of the national we're we're at seven now after we beat U OFA so we're both eligible at this point bu eligible okay so so you that that's that's the prediction that you going formal with here on the vssp is you're going to say ASU bull eligible in their second year under Kenny I I think I will go and stake my reputation saying that based on the numbers I've crunched and what I've seen from this team I think that we will be all eligible this season we're going to prove a lot of people wrong and ruin a lot of seasons for our new conference Brothers along the way well I think we're gonna have to to get creative and come up with a uh a friendly bet uh inside the family um perhaps you know it could be uh a costume to be worn during Thanksgiving dinner um uh our poor mother would love that so are you are you coming to Thanksgiving this year you know hey look uh I'm not a planner you say for the people that you will be in Arkansas for Thanksgiving we we will see um there there's I I gota I got to check the schedule um there's there's a lot of lot of factors right now but but I think we can we can do something fun with it um so uh so yeah I I you know what uh Ben your your optimism is rubbing off just a hair uh I I feel less dreary about this this this team than I that I did uh coming into this so um so yeah I'm excited like we've got we've got three weeks to go like I'm ready for some from college football I am ready for college football just to be back overall I am disappointed that I will not uh be able to go to that Texas Tech game um a lot of friends out here in Dallas are alumni there from there but it is definitely going to be amazing to number one be able to watch games on ESPN or any other major broadcast compared to being assigned back to the Pack 12 Network or be Pack 12 after dark to awesome even though that Texas State game is like like 4 pm on a Thursday they are gonna be so wasted out there in the tailgating area for that game they just gonna be going all day going at it but no guys I'm I'm with you The Conference Realignments I'm super excited for this college football season I think there that this might be one of the most hype Seasons yet because of all the moving parts and all the different even outside factors you talk you guys have talked about uh NCAA college football 25 the new EA Sports Game been like 11 years in the making people have been waiting for this game to come back and they I think we talked about it a couple weeks ago on one of our live streams they sold 2.5 million pre-sale copies or something like that which they marked up like an additional $30 made like $250 million in in that first week so people are when I I know for me personally I like to play sports video games and I play them with the season and it adds just like fantasy sports do it adds to your level of commitment and knowledge I mean Stephen you've even been talking about things you've heard the announcers stay within the game that help build your knowledge of the team I do have to bring it back real quick before I forget I mean who could forget that 1984 BYU championship game uh it sounds a little dystopian them winning a championship game in 1984 but that's neither here nor there but regardless back to the back to the excitement for this season I think it's going to be huge you got college game day coming back you got the the new conferences that have been realigned and I I just want to touch on that real quick out of like the big three we talked about SEC Big 12 Big 10 which conference do you think is going to be most affected by this realignment so I think it's it's a loaded question because things have changed so much um the biggest change to the P to the Big 12 this year is I think not the addition of of ASU and these other new teams it's the fact that Texas and Oklahoma are now gone in the SEC like this conference is now up for grabs those two schools traditionally had had a strangle hold on the rest of the everyone else in this team in this conference so I think there's very much going to be like uh this mentality of like these other schools have been waiting for these two giants to leave and they were not like this did this uh was not a marriage that ended happily um they they felt burned when these teams left them for the for the Richer Greener pass of the SEC so they're going to come out to with really a chip on their shoulder um I I do think and Ben we we've talked about this a lot I think those two schools are going to get creamed in the SEC I do not think they're ready to play consistently at that level um and it's I think it's going to be kind of funny to watch um but but no I think um I think probably the Big 10 with the G if just you know we talked a little bit about the geography of of how and I think the Big 10 is the most extreme where you now have schools literally Coast to Coast um so everyone is going to have a ton of travel now um I think there there was also just so much change that happened to what had been like historically a very Midwestern conference um so I'm going to go with with USC and UCLA joining the Big 10 um and and you know what that's the one that I'm the most curious yeah I think that that is a huge piece of those La schools really it was Texas and Oklahoma that kicked off this season of realignment with their uh Blockbuster move to the SEC which I will say the SEC has come out and said they will not penalize horns down at uh away games against Texas which the big swall was too scared to do overall um but for u u USC UCLA moving to the Big 10 that's going to be a huge travel even bigger is going to be uh Cal and Stanford joining the ACC and having to go to Florida State to Miami to Boston College the literal opposite end of the country as well too so I think that that's going to be huge but I mean no one can talk about realignment and who's affected the most and not talk about the pack two the uh Oregon State and Washington State who scrambled not happening anymore I I was so ready to do a pack two preview um and I started doing prep I I wanted to dive through their their schedule um I was really hoping they'd just play like six times um and still Crown a champion but no uh it looks like late breaking story uh they are going to get some type of membership figured out with the Mountain West um it's not a full membership and I I'm not sure the financials are going to be kind of wonky I don't think there's going to be full Revenue sharing so some kind they've already aligned all of their non-rev Sports to the Mountain West already so this is kind of just a bow on top of that team but the Mountain West wants that war chest that uh uh Washington State and Oregon State have acquired by being the last ones there on the ship for the Pack 12 and getting all that money that uh we had from the successes in the uh in the March Madness Tournament these past few years too oh that's right that's right think overall as we watch I think that the in the Big 12 everyone is going to be surprised by how good these Pack 12 teams are in general compared to the rest of the conference and that USC and UCLA are gonna have a tough tough time in the Big 10 learning uh to play football in the snow yeah um I do not I would not want to be uh in a conference where you have to play Michigan Ohio State Michigan State um yeah back State Penn State um just it very very very t play places to play and and and also you know let's keep in mind that this is only a taste of the Big 12 experience there are going to be new teams that they're going to have to play again starting next year um or the year after we're going to get the West virginas um and some of these other you know pretty a Bor um there are other programs that have not made it their way onto the schedule yet um so there's there's definitely more to come while we're talking about the conference realignment and we touched on the pack there for a bit so I I got to ask you guys is us all growing up in Arizona obviously ASU in the Pack 12 for as long as we've been alive what do you think the future of that conference is going to be do they just go away or are they going to add more schools and stay alive I think you mean a long live the pack 10 the the most perfect of conferences so true um the conference of Champions uh I think there's something to be said like I'm I'm curious like and this is the advertiser in me I'm wondering if the Mountain West at some point uh buys out that name or somehow acquires the rights to as the conference with the most Pacific teams um you know time zone wise if they're they're able to somehow create like new pack new pack 12 or new pack 10 um kind of like you know the rumors are going around that we're going to see new Seattle SuperSonics um eventually where it'll only tie back to the the team you know historically will be in name only um so or or new coyotes new coyotes yeah also very true um so there's there's a precedent like for doing it you know you look at like the the Baltimore Colts um becoming the you know the Ravens and the Colts like there's a weird thing there with Baltimore um that it's that was a new team um so it's been done before on a professional level and I think as college sports gets closer and closer to become coming like the true minor league of professional sports um we'll see more wonky things like that but uh but yeah I that would be my guess is that the Mountain West um takes up that mantle at some point now when you talk about wonky things and money grabs in general we've seen things floated around about the Big 12 possibly uh selling the naming rights to the Big 12 to a partner to get additional Revenue but we also saw the Mr. Worldwide - FIU Is Now Pitbull Stadium biggest story of the past four 48 Hours come out of International University where pitbull has acquired the naming rights to their football stadium uh and it is now Pitbull Stadium this this was actually Ben's number one condition for being on the stream tonight was if I let him bring this topic up so by all means I cannot believe it took us 75 minutes to get to this late breaking story um I love it I love everything about it Mr worldwide uh D like let's go I immediately will be starting a season uh as the uh what is it Florida International Panthers maybe uh I think that was my question are were they even named pull the pites before are they going to change their mascot to be the pit bulls you have to right I mean you have to um no my my my second the first thought when I saw this was are they going to make this change in EA college football like because I think immediately that team is going to become one of the most popular teams just to play in Pitbull Stadium uh has he done his 3D scan uh to where he will be in the game um and the next is uh man it must like Miami's naming rights must have been astronomical like I know pit Pitbull has done well but like that must have been out of the question if he had to to go a tear down to FIU um but no it's uh I actually the story that I saw that that outlined this like dove into the contract the details of the contract have leaked and they are wild he now is referred to as the official entrepreneur of Florida International like like that's a title that the school can give to people um I like that there's also um a he's been promised I think full he gets like two uh two boxes two entire boxes I mean we're talking like that's like 60 to 7 people um that he has full use of at each game um he's going to have uh he gets like personal access for 10 days annually at the stadium like like what I didn't know you could negotiate that does that mean that he gets to like does he just get to bring his friends and hang out like or does that mean he gets to throw a concert but doesn't have to pay FIU for it like that's a massive venue to be able to get outright for free for for for 10 10 days like what this is this is so wild I did not know any of this was possible um and and props to Pitbull for breaking yet yet another Frontier uh that I didn't know that that was uh was possible yeah and and he is making a new theme song for The sadium too and for the team that is and they got to get that in the game too I mean Mr worldwide I I'm I have so many questions is he going to get an honorary doctorate from FIU are we going to see Dr Pitbull become a thing I mean this is truly I I think ASU is gonna have a tough time with being number one in Innovation again next year with this this news coming out of FIU this is innovation at its core I do think that the streak is in danger um and uh yeah it's if we don't have that what do we truly have as a university aside from just in insane amount of real estate like like a disgusting amount of real estate I'm saying so here's what I'm going to do I actually already have tickets October 4th I'm going to see Pitbull with t pay in Phoenix I'm gonna buy an FIU Panther shirt I'm gonna see if I can get Pitbull to sign it for us and then it'll go right there on the wall behind me or maybe I'll give it to Ben for his birthday can we can we make that The Unofficial team of this season on the Valley Sports plug like if we have to adopt a team like I non Iona team I I would gladly ride for the FIU all right um as I I hope that uh as we follow along this season that we are able to to check in on uh on Pitbull and his his new Alma moer um you know if you guys aren't if you guys the pit Panthers I love it um if you guys are not following him on any and all social media accounts his hashtag Monday motivation is how I start the week um I only I hope that it's mandatory that the players also uh they get fired up by uh by by his uh just uh it is literally always a picture of him just staring into the camera with some kind of hustle culture shark tankes quote um so it it's a must follow guys is he talking about the grind set ex exactly I was wondering Fu actually was and it's it's actually in Miami too yeah Westchester right there in the Miami area yep that's the thing like yeah it's uh the you must not have been ready for that Innovation um so yeah let's go DOL I absolutely love it I'm I'm fully fully prepared to adopt that I mean we we do of course have ASU as our college football team but it's not unheard of for VSP to adopt a team outside of the state we had the Las Vegas vipers in the what was that the the usfl or the AFL I can't even keep track of all these spring League footballs anymore who it wasn't the Arlington Renegade it wasn't or XFL was XFL right yeah I I'm sorry I I as one of the ride or die Arlington Renegades fans who rode for their na their the national championship the first one that they brought to Texas in the 2020s ahead of the Rangers who we don't speak of on this podcast I don't know I want to say bandwagon but I'll let you have it was there a bandwagon for the XFL like I I don't know if it qualifies like maybe like saw the Rock open up the season opener there live in that Stadium it was scary to watch I don't I don't know it was just a wild thing happening in the middle of the former Rangers Globe Life Park where you still see all of the stone uh Rangers like pictures up around it but they just put a football field in the middle of the Outfield it is wild I truly hope you did not buy stock while you were there at the game I mean no but I got a t-shirt talking about Innovation though I'm pretty sure the NFL has adopted some of the xfl's kickoff rules and things like that so something to be said for that um but fellas before we get out of here one last topic I wanted to go over with you College Football Playoff Expansion is the expanded 12 team playoff that we're going to see this year we touched on it briefly uh the format though uh Stephen do you know like high level what that's going to look like because it's not not every team is playing right off the bat right no no so so this is the this is the first year it had been announced like years past um it's going to be weird I know there's uh there's not enough Bull games to to go around basically um so we are going to have this unnamed like first round that you know again if we're selling off naming rights like that's Prime to become like the Capital One first round or whatever um so but yeah so it's um much like what we saw with the NBA's inseason tournament I think the general like the the vibe they're going for from what I've heard is that they they want people to just get excited that this feels like more football um this is a chance for really what they were trying to do is they were trying to time it right so that you know they're as people are going into the holidays um you've got that that momentum of people are headed at home people are camped out in front of the TV um you know they're they're craving like something to get away from their family um and football you know right before Christmas is going to be one of those sports that's offered up to them on a silver platter um so I think they will take over um you know that that Friday and Saturday right before Christmas um with with that first round and then it's going to follow pretty much the same path as the the uh our exist ing kind of four team playoff where we'll have the bull games that they rotate around um and they act as kind of quarterfinal or semifinals um before the that that Monday night game um it's going to be it's going to be a little weird um I think people are probably going to be a little confused by it at first but I think ultimately it'll start to feel pretty normal um as because it closely matches like how Playoffs work and everything else so I think the what what I'm excited for you know if I'm looking for hot takes and I'm looking I just want as much SEC hatred as possible to course through the the the veins of the country um I I'm curious like we're gonna how are we I don't think they've formally named how many at large teams I don't think they're they've they've landed on that number um and and if if anyone oh there we go let's go what up um I I think we're going to see some wonky things like like the SEC is going to insist that they should be able to get four teams into this 12 team playoff um you're gonna have you know like a two loss team uh that that that feels like they've punched their ticket like a two loss Georgia or a two loss Alabama um I I think that's going to be the biggest challenge is people figuring out where now that we've moved it we've tripled the number of teams how how many of those team like that's just more spots to argue over essentially yeah and what you were you were kind of mentioned it there I think like last year three was it three of the top four were SEC schools so it looks like if I'm understanding this graphic correctly the the top four are going to have those first we first round buys if you will and be slated you know into all those premere bowl gam so I I'm with you man the the SEC hatred I'm here for it I'm personally all about it I I think it's interesting though on uh on New Year's Day there you're just we're all just going to be planted in front of the TV man peach bow Rose Bowl and what is that the Sugar Bowl yep yeah I it's and look they're what they're trying to do is they're trying to take over as many days on the calendar as possible so it's it's only this is only the start of it I mean you know it's like how close are we going to get to a March Madness in football like are we going to are they going to try and get to 64 teams um where just everyone gets thrown in gets a chance to somehow play their way into a playoff um you know are is becoming bow the bowl eligible going to be the new playoff eligible um where all you have to do is get over 500 like it's gonna there's so much money to be made and I think they're they're going to go much further when it comes to expansion and playing around with this what this looks like but but I'm excited I think 12 is is probably close to the right number um I think you're going to get everyone you know what they really want to avoid are the Boise States and the ucfs of years past that ran the table and you know the TCU um and and never got their shot um you're now going to you're no longer going to have the asterisk like every undefeated team in theory um should should be able to make their way in there in uh you know the upper tier of of football at D1 right exactly I think that perspective is is is the biggest part of it cuz you're going to have far less complaining from the teams that got snub that had maybe one loss no losses even not even making the playoff at all because they're they're jumping straight from four to 12 here this season right y that's huge and and there there is talk of them potentially moving to 16 in the near future as well right yeah that's probably probably where they'll land um and it's it's a cleaner bracket that way um and so so yeah we'll we'll see there's there's going to be squabbling over you know how many of those are at large how many of those are guaranteed per conference um there's we're going to need to see how the conference conferences play out like if we still see a lopsided SEC um or if there starts to be a little bit more of like a Level Playing Field across the big three or the big four or however many we end up there's just there's so much uncertainty around realignment um that I I think they don't want to like pretend like they know what's going to happen next I think that's smart kind of like just see how the cards get you know played see how all unfolds especially I think this is a real real good trial period for them to see how moving to 12 teams goes if it goes well maybe they expand more if it seems to be the perfect amount maybe they stick with it either way I don't think it's a bad thing and I'm excited really looking forward to the season and the playoffs in particular Stephen we lost your Final Thoughts - Olympics Check In brother Ben had to go you know um he's he was so excited about asu's upcoming season that I think he needed to go run through the wall um but no I know he's got he's got my a sick kiddo at home so uh so that was that was part of the risk by by get jumping on tonight but I'm going to save I had this question uh as our as our closing question for you because I'm rocking my new Team USA Jersey I want to get your thoughts uh Olympics have you been watching what has been your favorite unexpected sport that you've tuned into and gotten into that is my favorite part of this time of year yeah honestly it's like almost like ESPN ate the oo for three weeks where you just get to watch a bunch of stuff that you never would have seen I'll be honest I haven't had too much of an opportunity to actually sit down and watch good amounts of it but I have obviously seen a ton of Clips uh Team USA Basketball I mean I think they're just on a mission with what they're doing really excited to see our guy Devin Booker going out there playing his role playing defense but also if I'm not wrong the last game against Puerto Rico or was it Brazil he had 18 points which was the team High honestly incredible my favorite sport though that I've watched it was I I got oddly into it but Mike was over here when we were recording the heat check podcast a couple weeks ago or a week ago and we were watching uh handball yeah and it was like Egypt and Poland or something like that and uh crazy it a lot of lot of whistles though that's the one thing I didn't like about it the play stops a lot but what about you you got one in mind badminton there you go Mike badm okay um I did not realize in badminton that uh that you get men's vers women's uh there you get mixed bad mitton games um so I saw that and I was kind of like oh that's cool like you don't see that in a lot of other sports um no I so I watch the Olympics like in chaos mode so I especially when we you've got like an eight or a nine hour time change I throw them on like I'm the same like I I'll put you know put them on and I will go to the live Channel um and I will just watch whatever is happening right then in the moment um I feel like that's the best way to do it you get pleasantly surprised when you're like oh cool like I I kind of wanted to check out some swimming today or like oh wow you know Team USA is playing Puerto Rico here in 20 minutes that happened to me um you know last week uh no I got really into P Vault um and if if if you weren't following a uh it was a guy from the US um he was born I believe in Louisiana Mondo the flying swed um and uh yeah uh guy born in Louisiana his dad was a pole vter um his mom's from Sweden he elected to compete under the Swedish flag um and uh he's like the Katie Lei of pole vating he's got like eight of the top 10 Heights ever cleared um which was is wild so you know it was one of those pretty cool things where the the stadium was electric they were all cheering him on he had already clinched the gold he had uh he had both the silver and the bronze medalist hyping him up um you know after after each attempt on his last possible attempt when he had Tu to be done he cleared it like 6.25 meters I believe which is just insanely high up in the air um I don't do Heights so it's like way past how far I'm comfortable even going up on a ladder um really cool really cool to see and like that's what the Olympics is all about for me is like some sport that I probably have seen like once in my life before um but getting into it and cheering on this this guy uh you know to go do something that I could never do yeah I I have seen like pole vating has been oddly intriguing in this Olympics I think there are at least three viral moments so far that was definitely one of them I did actually catch that last night scrolling through one of my social media feeds where he it looked like he cleared on his second to last attempt he cleared it by like a good margin they're like he's gonna go for the world record and he's probably gonna get it and he was absolutely stoked freaking electric I saw another one on the other end of that Spectrum where the guy went up and he didn't even like get to the bar he like fell right back down and of course I think we all saw the guy who uh caught his meat on the bar and um that that was a little sad for him but uh also props to him good good for that guy I think everyone's biggest fear like that's what's keeping the kids from p vating is yeah you just you don't know what's going to happen when you get up there um I I think the other one I've gotten a lot of track field track and field in this this time around was was the high jump um there was a girl from Cyprus that I that I was pulling for so it's you know it's always fun you get the these these countries that that you never really think about in any other uh you know any other sport um and so so yeah that's been a blast but I I truly do think that like handball is one of those sports that like if I if I if you gave me a couple days couple cases of beer a couple pizzas like I could get seven guys together and I think we could have a pretty good competitive handball team dude I'm with it if you need someone I'll I'll try it out I'm sure Mike would too I mean we'll big mic there in the goal or exactly right like you know like it it it looks like a blast um and so it brings me back to like Middle School PE um so yeah I I want to get some handball in yeah I know absolutely we should try and put something together I feel like it's not impossible there there are places where where guys are doing this but I I will say while we're just chatting on the Olympics you got me going here the other big moment was did you see the the 100 meter the men's 100 meter and how close that finish was wild so it's it's like I one of those things where they showed the photo I I watched I saw the the clip of the race um and it had already kind of been spoiled for me because I I knew that no alls would W it um but then when they did the photo finish like he looked he still looked like he was in third to me so like and it's the the one of the weird quirks I guess of track is that it's the Torso is what they're they're counting so even though a guy had a foot um I believe from Jamaica that looked like it had clearly you know uh broken the plane we're not talking football touchdown rules here we're talking about where are his shoulders where is the Torso and that yeah see there you go see I saw that orange cleat and I thought oh and that white cleat and like I was like oh okay he got third he got bronze but like but yeah it's um because you can see his shoulders are forward um that gave him the win so we talk about the presence of mind like I If you you're moving that fast I do not know how you can you can push yourself forward that much and stay upright like truly um an athletic feat uh I think it's wild you know he he uh he caught a lot of heat you know going into the the World Champ I think it's coming out of the World Championships going into the Olympics he was very vocal about uh how basketball players NBA players shouldn't necessarily call themselves world champion because they haven't beat necessarily beat everyone else in the world they've simply won their league in a very us heavy competition um that rubbed a lot of people the wrong way and I saw some clips where you know some Twitter sleuther some ex sthers were were breaking down the opening ceremony um and you know he kind of looked like he didn't have a lot of love from his fellow American athletes like I saw that I think he had kind of like painted himself into a corner um by by by talking smack like that to to to the basketball players because you know they're a proud Bunch so um you know it's always it's always cool to see like that's one of the most exciting signature races in the Olympics um you know it's we haven't had an American uh I think win it in in a little bit um fastest man in the world like you can only imagine all of the the advertising opportunities that are going to come for him we're going to get sick of seeing him um he's going to get his wedy box and everything so so no it's cool it's it's a fun title to have back here um and really cool to see him win it in such a like breathtaking dramatic way right and honestly love him or hate him he he was smart to get his name out there create a viral moment months and months before the Olympics to where when his name gets brought up in the Olympics you already are like oh yeah I know that guy and like even it's crazy like to think that like even people in the United States might have been rooting against him just because of that comment that he made but yeah what a finish man I think it was separated by like three hundreds of a second like any one of four or five guys could have won it just crazy crazy how every single Olympics in my lifetime I feel like we get a new world record in one sport or multiple Sports and and that I think that's just a testament to how much we learn and evolve through through these Sports and uh you know we got the old ones and the new ones you even have skateboarding and and table tennis stuff that you wouldn't necessarily maybe consider a sport I I would say skateboarding is definitely a sport table tennis we do that drunk at the bar but EXA not not like they do though not like they do uh I I haven't I haven't uh caught uh break dancing yet but it's on my list yeah um really want to see that one this is the apparently the only Olympics where we'll ever have break dancing it will not be a part of the the 28 games in La so um so yeah I I I saw the name of the break dancers that did make it and the break dancers that didn't um highly recommend you check that out I think it's some of the only contexts in which you can see uh like them using their actual break nicknames in official competition which I thought was pretty fun um but yeah thank you someone someone found the clip all right what do we got here oh does it have sound though do we need the sound oh yeah you need you need the sound uh oh technical difficulties at the buzzer it's strange I don't know why the sounds you can you you can you hear it Stephen no damn damn well uh this was a blast Until Next Time (Follow @AZ_VSP) thank you so much for having me I have been anxiously awaiting uh this this invite and um I'm always game to jump on hopefully when I'm actually back home in TB my in my setup uh we we can check in on the season and see uh if we'll follow follow along with this bet I'm going to hold Ben to it um I I'll have uh I think I'm gonna try and get my hands on a jhawk jhawk costume um and see if I can get him uh rocking some waving the wheat uh some rock chalk jhawk as we go into to basketball season because you know the best part of this is we do this for you know we get a taste of we get an introduction into to these new rivalries and then the best part of the year college basketball season starts really really get get get to have some fun so I'm that's what I'm most hyped for no absolutely and Stephen really really appreciate you coming on are we gonna try one more time we add in there we go come after me I'm a man I'm 40 I'm not a I'm not a kid write something about me or our coaches write it about a kid that does everything right it's heart's broken and then say that the coaches said he was scared that ain't true and then to say that we made that decision because Donovan Woods because he threatened to transfer that's not true so get your facts straight get youright you have a child and somebody be downgrades him and belittles them and you have to look them in the eye and say you know what it's okay they're supposed to be mature adults but they're really not who's the kid here who's the kid here are you kidding me that's all that's all time man I I have heard that that portion of the clip where he's like I'm a man I'm 40 I iconic I love that but no Stephen definitely want to have you on more it's funny because Ben always told me that you might be like camera shy and didn't want to come on I don't I never believed him never believed that to be true so definitely going to let you know on the future future round tables if we do a mid-season check in college football definitely going to do a college playoff college football playoff preview basketball rest of 2024 2025 we'll definitely have to slate you more but um before we do go is there anything else that you want to get off your chest no man um my uh my last hot take uh I had to do train travel uh this week being on the east coast and if you haven't I highly highly recommend there is a uh a train that leaves from Flagstaff um and runs all the way up to Chicago uh trains are wild you get more room than a plane I think I've been converted like I'm going to be a train guy now um the uh flight attendants like they're not like flight attendants they're train attendants they do not give a [ __ ] they are they will yell at you they will kick you off the train if if you're acting up um they will talk [ __ ] about the stops like as you are going through them and be like hey don't get off there's nothing to see here don't get left off off the train I was dying highly recommend it uh 2025 the year of Amtrak you heard it here first uh get on a train I'm about it man let's bring the trains back I was actually just talking to my wife yesterday that I've never been on like a real train ride like that as we're kind of you know thinking about going to Europe one of these days and of course that's a big method of travel out there so let's bring the trains back in the USA I'm with it but last time Stephen just really excited that you were able to come on it was great conversation of course ladies and gentlemen whether you're watching with us live listening back on the replay or on streaming services we are on Spotify Apple podcast really anywhere that you can find audio podcast you'll find Valley Sports plug make sure you like And subscribe here on our YouTube channel follow us at aor VSP on Instagram X and Tik Tok I'm Chris Patrick for stevenh Miller and Ben Miller we'll see you soon peace [Music] n [Applause] [Music]