3 & Out - National Championship Preview, Transfer Portal, Importance of GM's in College Football

What’s up everybody, it’s Three and Out; recording this earlier in the week since I might be at the hospital doing the dad grind, and I’m fired up to have Josh Pate on to talk transfer portal madness, Signetti’s rise, and the natty; I keep seeing him on TV going toe‑to‑toe with Stephen A. and Cam, and thought, my ball brother’s everywhere—how you doing, man?

You’re the one with the crazy year—am I about to open Netflix and see your face on a teaser with lightning bolts, or do I need to hit the gym so I can keep up?

You were just on First Take; what’s that like inside the belly of the beast—do you go in with a different mindset, or is it just ball?

They pulled me from Get Up next door and said, ‘just rip’ for twenty minutes, and it felt like my YouTube show on live TV with pros steering the ship and giving me room to cook, which is the beauty of today’s lane‑driven media—you can stay in your sport and go.

People always ask me what Colin’s really like; I say authentic and grounded, and I’ve found Stephen A. the same way—TV personas aside, they’re good dudes.

In an on‑demand world you can’t fake it for long, and guys like Colin and Stephen A. are who they are on and off camera, which is the whole key.

Let’s jump to college football: the sport’s gotten super transactional, personnel departments now run like the NFL, and GMs are gaining power—are we headed to GMs hiring and firing coaches while the ADs step back?

ADs would love that because many are elite fundraisers, not football operators, so hiring a GM who builds the army and handles the head coach—with the AD’s blessing—is where this is going.

Mike Tannenbaum told Kevin Clark a coach got an agent’s ‘free agent’ list that even included his own player; how common is that kind of shadow shopping and the ‘fake portal’ vibe?

It’s everywhere, and coaches are asked to build real teams while surviving annual free agency with no clear rules or guardrails, plus unvetted ‘agents’ steering kids, which hurts players and turns the sport into a rental.

With leagues acting in their own interests and schools openly bidding, is a breakaway with unified rules the only realistic fix, and should there be compensation flowing when bigger programs pull from lower levels?

I’d like up‑and‑down compensation when P4 raids G5 or FCS, and I can see a breakaway entity with antitrust cover where members agree to one rulebook like the NFL does, even if realignment winners pretend their hands are clean.

Zooming out, Big Ten alumni bases and new money are massive; is the SEC worried it can’t match donor firepower forever?

Down here it’s a huge concern because relying on rich boosters with no return isn’t sustainable, so the long‑term answer is revenue sharing built into the system while also acknowledging schools like Tech feel boxed out and will fight however they can.

When rosters cost real dollars, the pressure skyrockets; is it fair to say Texas needs more than just a bid next year, especially with portal hauls at quarterback, receiver, and a rebuilt backfield, and what are you hearing on playoff expansion?

A twelve‑team appearance won’t satisfy a roster that expensive because the standard becomes title contention, and while expansion beyond twelve is being floated, it’s still uncertain.

Two quick ones: was Lane secretly pulling for Ole Miss, and did Trinidad get a raw deal on the Division Two year count?

No shot that Ole Miss split ended warm and fuzzy, and on Trinidad I wanted him to play too, but past cases show paperwork and timing can be the real culprit, so I try not to rage at the NCAA without the full file.

On the natty, a lot of the country will ride with Indiana; if they finish this after running through that gauntlet, it’s one of the wildest stories I’ve seen, even in this new era, and Miami’s lines are massive.

It’s an incredible run but not Cinderella given Big Ten money and a transfer quarterback who cost about two and a half million, and Signetti’s team‑first build is the separator—enjoy it now because this may be his best ‘team’ even if future rosters are more talented.

Do the Canes look even scarier in person?

They’re probably the best looking roster in the sport with a huge line that can lean for four quarters, so if they survive the early surge and stay balanced, physics favor them—though Indiana’s been breaking physics all year.

Imagine telling younger you that Miami‑Indiana for the title would be an upset; appreciate you coming on, and we’ll see you on ESPN—now I’ll go hit the gym.

I’ll be on at some point—get that lift in and I’ll make sure you see me.

That bald head shining on TV always makes my day; thanks for rolling through, brother.