Hour 1 - SECond to the Big Ten

Thanks for hanging with us. It’s a Friday, huge college shake‑up, massive NFL slate, Blazing Five coming, and happy new year. Alabama didn’t just lose at the Rose Bowl, they got shoved around by Indiana, and that’s a billboard for the new era. NIL, the portal, and realignment leveled the field. You can’t hoard five‑stars forever. The Big Ten has been taking swings at the SEC and landing them. Indiana hits, tackles, and has the most complete quarterback in the sport right now. This is a better, more open college football.

Miami over Ohio State fits the theme. In the old system, a midseason stumble buried you. Now you can regroup and still earn your way in. The Canes are unbeaten against ranked teams and they didn’t just edge the Buckeyes, they imposed their style. We may end up with Miami and Indiana on the last night, and I won’t complain.

Trinidad Chambless blew me away. A year ago he’s winning a Division Two title, now he’s doing wild, off‑script stuff and it works. Georgia’s defense had no answers, and any time they sent pressure, he ran right past it.

I get small‑frame Dak vibes with him. He moves, creates, and stays dangerous, but that Miami front is a different animal than what Georgia put out there. That semi was chaos in a good way.

Ravens‑Steelers Sunday night is going to be grimy, and everything’s on the table. If Baltimore falls, they’ll be fine long‑term with Lamar getting right and that defense intact. If Pittsburgh loses, it’s more murky; they’ve been stuck in the same loop for years. I think Mike Tomlin could do the Sean Payton reset: step away, recharge, then pick his spot. I’ll lean Ravens in a close, low‑scoring game unless Pittsburgh steals one with a big defensive play.

On Ole Miss, Chambless is an awesome story and easy to root for, but I don’t see that defense matching up with Indiana, Oregon, or Miami. He’s efficient and fearless; the size questions for Sundays are real, but the tape is fun.

Oregon‑Texas Tech was ugly if you like points, perfect if you love defense. Ducks pitched a 23‑zip and forced turnover after turnover.

We’ve asked our guys to win in different ways. It wasn’t clean, but they stayed calm, got stops, and made plays when it mattered. That resilience is what we’ve built.

Oregon’s legit. And let’s be honest, the smaller programs that slipped in got thumped. Depth and grown‑man fronts still decide playoff football. The committee should keep that in mind.

Feels like the long layoff hurt the bye teams. Should they shrink the gap so we don’t get those sleep‑walking starts?

Yes. Move it up a week. Rest only helps older, banged‑up rosters. With college kids, too much time dulls the edge. Momentum matters.

Dante Moore didn’t light it up. Sloppy game, Texas Tech’s front bothered him. What’s your read?

He’s talented but needs time. Stack him next to Ty Simpson and Fernando Mendoza and the gap shows. We expected a mess with that pass rush, and that’s how it played.

Eagles are resting. They’re dinged up, but if they get right, I can see them coming out of the NFC.

Playoff speed is another level. Philly’s physical profile travels, and the matchups are favorable for them against most of the conference.

Giants’ coaching search is heating up. Mike McCarthy tops some lists alongside a few defensive names and Antonio Pierce. Does that move you?

McCarthy won’t win a microphone, but he wins games with a real quarterback. If Cincinnati opened, that’s a different conversation, though I think it’s a tricky job—ownership is tight, and Burrow’s health is a variable. If he gets nicked again, you have to think about insurance at quarterback. The Giants’ roster isn’t empty; it’s just a strange operation.

Seahawks‑Niners tomorrow night, I pulled out the big‑game board. If Trent Williams and George Kittle go, San Francisco owns more of the top‑end stars. Seattle counters with deeper, faster defensive pieces. I expect a tight one either way, and I love the Darnold‑Purdy survival stories.

At the end of the day, it’s football. The Niners are really good, the atmosphere will be electric, and we’ll be ready.

Back to Indiana‑Bama. It’s hard for traditionalists to accept, but brands don’t block and tackle. For two seasons, Indiana’s metrics are elite: red‑zone offense, scoring defense, point margin. They walked into Oregon and pounded them. To beat them, you have to stone the run and make Mendoza uneasy, and Miami might be the one with the tools. This era rewards staff‑building, donors, and administration as much as recruiting hustle. That’s why Indiana is a beacon right now. It’s great for the sport. Blazing Five next.