8-2-24 McElroy & Cubelic in the Morning Hour 1: Why Ole Miss will (not) make the Playoff; Alabama continues fall camp; Zach Berry talks Ole Miss fall camp
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McElroy and Kublik in the morning starts now. Welcome in. McElroy and Kublik in the morning. Friday, August 2nd, 7 a.m. right here on JOX 94.5. Going to take you around college football camps today. We had live tackle football last night. Get to that just a little bit.

Most SEC teams have practiced Alabama on the practice field again yesterday. Hear from some of the Alabama staff here in just a few moments. Zach Berry going to talk Ole Miss with us at 715. Our team of the day as well, will Ole Miss make the college football playoff? That's the team that we'll focus on as we'll do that with one team leading up to kickoff each and every day. Charlie Potter helps us talk Alabama.

At 820, Rusty Mansell talks Georgia with some pretty big news coming out of Georgia yesterday. We'll update that with him. And we'll have our Super Sofa Game of the Weekend at 945. G-Mac, how are you doing this morning? All good, buddy. What's the word? How are we living?

Great. Talking some college football today. We'll talk Ole Miss for the majority of the show today. Obviously, we heard from Lane Kiffin yesterday. That'll be a team of emphasis when we talk about them making the college football playoff. But Alabama back on the practice field yesterday seemed to be a little bit more emphasis on the defense and some of the things that are going to happen on that side of the football. Depth a little bit a part of the conversation. Obviously, some new faces a part of the conversation. What do you want to try to learn about this Alabama defense heading into this year?

Really, how deep are they along the defensive line and what are things looking like as far as the starting lineup in the secondary? We talked a little bit really throughout the summer. Had they played a game on March 1st, they would have had two true freshmen starting. One at nickel in Red Morgan, also known as the Husky position. And then one at corner. That likely would have been Zabian Mincy. Yeah.

So, or Xavier Brown, excuse me. So I'm just trying to figure out how exactly are they going to do as it relates to the secondary? Because I don't like starting true freshman back there. I don't care how good...

they are or how talented they ultimately become. I saw Dee Milner ultimately go on to become a top ten pick in the NFL draft, and I saw him get torched at times as a true freshman. Not because he wasn't a good player, but because that's what happens when you're a true freshman playing against grown men. So I'm hoping that there's some veterans that step up at that spot, but I really want to know who the first five that are going to go out there are. Is there a transfer of the new transfers? I don't want to say new because there are going to be some freshmen that probably help a little bit as well, but the transfers coming in that you think...

one stands out as more important than the others, one that this group needs more than the others? I've heard good things about the Wake Forest kid. I don't know what you've heard down there. I'm sure you've probably talked to Kane as well. But I've heard pretty good things about –

the Wake Forest kid who they're pretty optimistic about. I mean, I think they like their transfers. I don't know if they all necessarily are going to be the guys that lead off the bus. Like, Keon Saab is going to be a major difference maker. But Deshaun Jones is a name that continues to pop up. Damani Jackson, the transfer from SC, like, he's already solidified a starting job. So that's...

That's done. He's the man on one side of the field for sure. But Deshaun Jones is a name that continues to pop up, and I haven't heard a whole lot about him.

Cam Howard, I haven't heard a whole lot about King Mack, but then again, they just got there a few months ago. So I think it's probably now or never for those guys to kind of step up and to get their way into the rotation. But the two names that I've heard the most about are Deshaun Jones and Keon Saab. All right, this is Kane Wommack, Alabama defensive coordinator on who impressed the most at corner yesterday.

To me, right off the bat, Damani Jackson, Zabian Brown have been really impressive. Again, I think if you look at Jalen Mbakwe, he has probably made the greatest strides over the last six months. And then, you know, I would say all three of those freshmen, Zabian Brown, Jalen Mbakwe, and then Xavier Mincy, I think are taking steps in the right direction. And then, of course, Dede, great to have him, you know, from Wake Forest.

All right, so that's just the cornerback position specifically. And you mentioned there, GMAC transfer from Wake, that Kane Womack also referencing. Should Alabama fans be comfortable with their cornerback depth, with the level of talent that they have at corner that's going to be competing this fall? They should feel real comfortable about the talent. They should feel real uncomfortable about the inexperience. Now, we've also seen guys that have blossomed as a freshman that have –

gone on to have great freshman seasons or rock solid freshman seasons. Kareem Jackson, the guy that got paid, he was not a freshman when he arrived, but he was inserted straight into the lineup as a first year on campus from JUCO and was the best defender on the team, at least in the perimeter, when he first started in 2008. So I think there are plenty of guys that

Could potentially roll out there and play, but I think there's a pretty steep learning curve at corner. More so than most other positions on defense because you are on an island so often and there's a physical maturity that you don't see in high school that you're likely going to see against the receivers that you'll face in the SEC. For instance, I saw Alshon Jeffrey absolutely destroy.

uh, D Milner, you know what I mean? And, and, and Drake Kirkpatrick and Drake Kirk was a sophomore, you know, but that's what that happens. Like those are rare instances, maybe one or two bad games at one or two bad games is all it takes.

to really have an impact on the season and the outcome on the season. So I think it's hard as a true freshman to play at that position. So in a perfect world, Day-Day Jones would be able to come along and spell Zabian Brown in the event in which he didn't have... Zabian Brown would have an off day, but...

Hopefully, maybe he's just one of those freak shows that can show up and still be a great player on day one. We'll see how that Alabama cornerback position looks, how it plays out throughout the course of the fall. At least you do have some options. I think versatility is going to be key in this defense. Kane Wanuk talking about one of those players that could be versatile and help this defense in different ways.

Well, Keon is a very special talent. Obviously, he had some tremendous production at Michigan, won a national championship there. And we were very fortunate to be able to have that production and that experience because experience is finite, right? And so for us,

I think he has done a really good job of leaning into our scheme, what we do. I thought from day one, week one, he did a really great job of going the extra mile to get the verbiage and the terminology down so that he could go execute and play at a high level. And now you see him starting to lead on the back end, you know, him, Malachi Moore. I think those guys are doing a tremendous job of communication on the back end.

If Keon Saab is kind of that leader and strong verbally, along with Malachi Moore, I mean, how much further ahead does that put this secondary and put Kane Womack's system to be installed year one, knowing you have that leadership and that chemistry continuity guys that are willing to communicate on the back end?

Well, that's a – in my opinion, in this defense, I think safety is imperative. Just because of how significant some of the disguises are, and you just got to have a really smart guy. You got to have smart guys that know what they're doing. And it's not easy. They just put a lot on the safety's plate. So I think if Keon – like, we know Malachi can –

can certainly handle the load mentally. He's proven that by playing multiple positions, multiple years, and has bounced around in his career, and is a star in that defense for Coach Saban.

You had to be smart. They put a lot on your plate. So I think Malachi and Keon are the two most important pieces of the defense in order to get everything communicated and aligned the way it needs to be aligned. And then they have another layer of challenge in making those guys and making sure those guys are really buttoned up

on their disguises. So I think it's really huge to know that you have two very, very solid players back there. The only concern is that Malachi has never really played safety, and safety is a different position than Star. I think people just assume, oh, they're in the secondary. How different can they be? Extremely different. So, Cole, I don't know about you. Is there anything that would give you pause or concerns about

about the move from Malachi Moore from his traditional position of star to safety, where he's probably going to have to be way more involved in the run fits and probably have to play a lot more physical? No, because he hasn't been a guy that's really shied away from contact from what I've watched. And talking to guys last year, I think the exact quote that I got from T-Rob on Malachi is he could play every position and we feel pretty comfortable putting him there.

So if that's real, then I have no issues with what he is, what he's going to be able to do, and where you have to play him. And if he's got that versatility and he's going to have to move and he's going to have to line up over different type players, then...

I think that actually could be an advantage for Alabama. I haven't, I've never viewed him as a liability in the run game. Now I'm not saying he's going to take guys heads. I don't think it necessarily are liability. It's just staying healthy. I mean, it's just, uh, he's not a very big guy, you know? I mean, he's physical now. I'm not saying he's going to shy away from contact and start diving at ankles, but he's just not a very big guy. And you run into, uh,

Last year, Cody Schrader at Missouri. You run into a Jaquinden Jackson this year at Arkansas, even though they're not on the schedule. And there's some thumpers in this league. Rocket Sanders, when he's going, I mean, there's some thumpers in this league that are going to be hard to bring down. And he's just not a very big dude. So I'm not scared of contact. I just think he's a guy that absolutely has to stay healthy and healthy.

I just hope he's not put in a position to have to take down guys that are 250 at times. Absolutely. Your HVAC system, one of your largest investments this time of year, constantly being pushed to the extreme. If you can trust a Trane home comfort system to give you reliability and peace of mind day in, day out for years to come, visit Trane.com to find a comfort specialist near you. And remember, it's hard work.

to stop a train. Kane Womack, finally, on the Alabama pass rush, I know something a lot of people have a lot of concerns about. How'd that come along early in practice? And so for us, I think we've got some guys naturally that can do that off the edge. You know, to me, Jamarian Latham, L.T. Overton, I think I've seen a lot out of that Wolf room right now. I think Keanu Coate, Quay Russo, Q. Robinson are doing some great things.

And then you've got some younger guys like Yonze Pierre that are starting to step up. Keon Keeley off the edge of the field and Jordan Renard. I mean, I've really been pleased with some of the rush that we've been able to create. And then naturally, our backers and safeties have a lot of instinctive, what we call blitz awareness. We look for that whenever we're recruiting players. Does a guy, a second level player, have great blitz awareness? And I think you naturally, we have that from a couple of our safeties and backers.

When he says blitz awareness, do you think he's referencing how to handle things when you have a pressure called or how to actually pressure themselves? I don't know. I do know this. Watching his pressure packages –

I went back probably three or four days ago. It was last Thursday, so whatever day that was. I don't know, eight days ago. And just glanced at a couple of his pressure packages back at Indiana a while back and then looked at a couple when he was at South. Dude, I don't know about you, and let's just dive in the weeds for a moment if we can.

His pressure packages as a quarterback really stress me out. And I'll tell you why. Because there's not really a lot of... It's not like he's overloading your pressures. There's a lot of simulated pressure. Simulated pressure means it's not real pressure. They're not really blitzing. They're just replacing defensive linemen with second-level defenders, a la linebackers. So basically, a defensive tackle might drop out and a...

Linebacker replaces him. So they're only rushing four at the quarterback, but they're not the four that had their hand in the date at the beginning of the play. But the way he layers the pressures, and I think for an offensive line that's a really hard thing to protect against, is when you have a guy that's coming in between the left guard and the center, and then they layer a linebacker right behind him, and they're on different levels defensively.

So one guy's first, the next guy's second, but they hit it so quickly that the offensive line can't really pass it off, and it's very difficult. So I don't know about you and how much you've watched his pressure packages in the last month or so,

But, dude, when you look at how often he gets home with only four guys, it's pretty insane. You really think about it. Yeah, and he talked about that yesterday after practice, the ability to get home with four, something he feels like needs to happen. And you heard the list of names that he ran through, potentially being able to bring some of that pressure off the edge. We'll talk about it a little bit more throughout the course of the show today. Ole Miss has hit the practice field, and they're going to be the team that we talk about. Can they make the college football?

playoff today. When we come back, Zach Berry joins us to discuss that question. Also, just want to let you know, homeowners, families preparing for the new school year, Ox Foundation Solutions excited to announce their back-to-school promotion designed to keep your home dry and stable and help make repairs more affordable. Right now, get 10% off any job over $3,500, including their expert warranted services in foundation repair, basement waterproofing,

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A player, right? Like the myth of Bo Jackson. Like, rate, and download the show from the Jock Cup or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, welcome back in. Michael Roy and Kubelik in the morning. Bears 21, Texans 17 last night in NFL preseason action. 718 a.m. Friday, August 2nd, right here on Jocks 94.5. Davis Mills, 10 of 13, 102 yards, touchdown, no picks.

I thought Brett Rippon looked good last night, 11-13, 166, three touchdowns, no interceptions. He's had a nice little career, Rippon has. I thought he threw the ball well. Been up there a minute. Had a good little run. Colin Johnson also for the Bears out of Texas, 6'6", had three catches, 56 yards, two touchdowns. How about Byron Calvert with a sack and two tackles for loss last night? The five-star? That's him. Where did he finish up, UCF?

Maryland? I thought it was Maryland. Yeah, you're right. It's Maryland. Yeah, I don't think he went anywhere else after that. But nonetheless, in the league. Oh, yeah. The Bears are going to have some weapons, too. They obviously addressed that in the draft. But I don't know how much you can take away from it. It's cool to see John Metz. He got a catch last night for the Texans and him be back. My guy Cade Stover, two for 26 last night for Houston as well. How good is Cade Stover's career going to be? So good.

It's going to be so good. He's going to be so underappreciated, but he'll be up there for 12 years. The guy DJ Stroud says, don't cut him. Make sure he's there. And he's going to be a war daddy on special teams, just a complete tone setter. He'll have a captaincy on his chest here in about, I don't know, a year. He's going to have a great career. Yeah.

So I don't know what you can really take away from it as far as exactly what you get from that game last night. Maybe that some of the backup quarterback situations for these two teams might be decent. It was called early because of weather. But tough to really gauge which direction either one of these franchises is going to be able to go this year. But it was good to just actually watch them live tackle football. The Bears are going to be good.

The more I think to it, and look, I'm not picking them to win the NFC North, but I do think when you look at last year, the Lions caught lightning in a bottle. I think the Lions are going to be good, but I would not be that surprised if they come back to earth a little bit. You know Minnesota's going to be down with their quarterback situation. I mean, they're starting Sam Darnold, for crying out loud, as their guy. And people think, well, Cousins, you know, Cousins didn't anything special. All right, Cousins is good, dude. Super productive guy.

Green Bay, I think, has a game changer in Jordan Love. And I think they're just getting started. They're going to be around for a while. I mean, we're going to fast forward here. And the Bears were good last year. I mean, they were solid last year in spite of a quarterback that was very inconsistent throwing the football. Terrific athlete. Incredible with the ball in his hands. I mean, Justin Fields, one of the most dynamic quarterbacks we've seen. But the more I kind of look at the NFC North, we might very well fast forward to the end of the season. That's the best division in football.

I mean, you have four teams that could legitimately win the league if somehow J.J. McCarthy gets thrust in and becomes a pretty good player early. Then you have four teams that could win the division. And teams, I think, that could, if their quarterbacks play well, win games in the postseason.

Absolutely. So preseason football underway. Even though it was cut short last night, it was good to kind of just see some actual football. Gives you some hope that we're here, that we've made it. And not going to get any more this weekend. You have to wait until next Thursday, a week from last night. You'll get Carolina at New England, Detroit at New York in NFL preseason action. That's what's going to be next. Might be next on some people's list to call ABS Systems, Greg, and see what they can do for them.

Well, they're going to make sure that your company is running smoothly. They have a bunch of different ways that they can accelerate things and improve things, whether it's handling and working on your Ricoh, Toshiba, Lexmark printers, you name that, they'll get that taken care of. But they've now added ABS Pure Water, which is a division of ABS Systems. And ABS Pure Water, they have the chewable ice, they have filtered water, hot, cold, ambient water.

It's really terrific. It's the best-in-class product from Waterlogic. They also have all the way up to industrial-size units that deliver hundreds of pounds of ice per day. So call ABS Business Systems today at 205-588-5077, or you can start the conversation at absimage.com. All right, so Ole Miss, the team that we're going to talk about today as far as will they make the college football playoff, we're going to do that with one team each and every day. However, I want to get just a little bit of an update of this team actually being on the field.

and what that looked like and maybe some of the questions that we've got answered a little bit early here in fall practice. Zach Berry covers Ole Miss for the On3 Sports Network at Zach underscore Berry. You can follow him on Twitter. He joins us now on the Buyers Right Hotline.

A lot of questions with some new additions, Zach. Anything stick out to you about the first time Ole Miss hit the practice field with a new body and a new place or someone who might be able to offer a little bit more, a little less than what we were thinking? The first thing that jumped off once Ole Miss got on the field was Juice Wells. It appears that there are little to no questions about the foot. He looks healthy. He looks in good shape. I would think everyone would agree he looks –

tad bit more trimmed down it looks a little bit a little bit better physically um so that's the the one thing that jumps out everybody knows about trey harris jordan watkins caden priest corn and then adding juice wells on the other side opposite trey harris presumably we'll we'll open some things up and then uh walter nolan absolutely looks the part he uh he has been

Obviously a tremendous addition to the defensive line that brings back a lot of experience, a lot of physicality. Kiffin was pretty adamant about getting better in the trenches after the

debacle in Athens, Georgia. He was pretty pointed with his comments after the game and Ole Miss did just that, adding Nolan. The only other, I guess, question mark would be Prince Lou Mamiellen, just in a no-contact jersey at the moment, but he's going through drills. He's doing some light individual work. I think once he is

back fully healthy, ready to go, no contact jersey. He will be a huge part of that defensive line. When you look at the offensive line, obviously some new faces filling in up there, Koleppo in particular from Washington. How do they feel like they've addressed that group? And what does it look like? Is Diego Pounds in the lineup? Is Koleppo in the lineup? Who's the starting five right now?

Yeah, Greg, that was honestly – I've had people ask me what questions I've had about Ole Miss going into this season, and you kind of look position group by position group.

The offensive line is really the only question with the caveat of just how are they going to mesh all these different pieces because they return a lot of experience from last year. They return several starters, and then you add in a guy like Jerquan Scott who played a lot of football at Southern Miss, and then, as you mentioned, Diego Pounds, Koleppo, Buelo, Kowalski.

Well, I went through a day one. He was out there. He was in the mix. Uh, club was dealing with a bit of a, an injury right now. I believe he's in concussion protocol. Um, so he's not dressing. He's not involved in fall camp, but, um, there's not much concern there as far as missing a lot of time. I think pounds is gonna, is gonna be in the mix eventually. I think he's kind of, you know, getting his sea legs, so to speak. Um,

he had a bit of a minor off season procedure. So he's working his way back from that. But I think when I say it's a question mark, I think there's definitely some, some quotes around that or maybe an asterisk because there is a lot of experience and they added those big pieces through the portal. So I think John Garrison and like, if we're going to have to figure out which pieces work best together, um, we've already seen Scott working at center, um, with, uh,

With Caleb Warren moving over to guard, so Warren played a lot of center last year. So I think there's some versatile pieces that's going to allow them to experiment in fall camp and kind of see which puzzle works best. Zach, we're in concussion protocol the first day of practice. Is that accurate?

Yeah, what we heard was it was a minor car accident was what we were told. So yeah, nothing happened first day of fall camp. I was like, did you get hurt stretching? How does that happen? I've never heard of concussion protocol first day of camp. That's the first time. So thank goodness he's all right if it was an accident. Goodness gracious.

Yeah, yeah, he's fine. He was at practice day, too. But, yeah, they're just letting him ease into it. All right, Zach Berry with us, covers Ole Miss for the On3 Sports Network at omspirit.com. Find his work there. The running back rotation, we all probably believe Ulysses Bentley going to be first in line, but do you have any better feel of sort of how the order is going to work out for this offense?

I Bentley is without question, in my opinion, number one, I believe he's probably number one on the depth chart. A lot of experience. I think Kiffin and Kevin Smith are very comfortable letting him be the number one guy. He knows the offense. Well, he's got a lot of reps.

But Kevin Smith, running back's coach, and Kiffin like to rotate. They like to keep people fresh. That's big. They talk about that in recruiting a lot where they're wanting to get more than one running back in each class because they want to have that rotation and to be fresh. I think Rashad Amos was a big pickup through the portal, a guy that at one point was –

committed to Mississippi state that he was going to go to Colorado. Then Ole Miss picks him up, uh, played a lot of football at Miami, Ohio. And then, um, Henry Parrish, I think he kind of lost in the shuffle with, with just the portal and everything going on. Um, but he was very productive for Ole Miss when he was at Ole Miss and he played with Kevin Smith. Kevin Smith leaves, goes to Miami. Henry Parrish follows him. Um,

really good in the ACC. He didn't get talked about a lot. Now he's back at Ole Miss. I think he is going to bring a versatile piece. So I think it's probably a good, I don't really know if there's a two or three. Again, I think they're going to rotate, but I would say Bentley is number one just with the versatility. I think he's underrated in between the tackles. He's pretty physical and he's got home run speed.

Amos is going to be more of an inside guy, and then Parrish can kind of do a little bit of everything and knows the playbook well. Are there going to be some new wrinkles, you think? Lane always has a new wrinkle or two. But it doesn't feel like they need to be, I don't want to say smoke and mirrors, because that feels like it kind of...

It feels like it undercuts their personnel, but they have at times had some smoke and mirrors things and tricks up their sleeve. This year, it just feels like their personnel can go with anybody and like, we're just going to line up and be who we are. Do you kind of sense that maybe there's going to be a little less trickery and a little bit more, you know, steak and potatoes with Lane and the way they call the game this year?

Yeah, it's a good way of putting it. Lane's always going to – you know how he is. He's going to put some stuff on film each week that people have to account for down the road. He's always going to do that. But, yeah, I mean, I think you're right. This is probably the first time in a very long time at Ole Miss where –

the Rebels are going to be better than a lot of people on paper. It's not really the case in recent years. Maybe not better on paper, but they'll win on Saturday. But now it's kind of, you know, Kiffin said it after day one of fall camp. He said, hey, you walk around, we look like Alabama. We look like Georgia now. There was a lot of people inside that building and people around the weight room that kind of echoed that sentiment where they were like, man, these offensive linemen, you know,

It's like a bunch of Laramie Tunstles walking around, which is high praise. Laramie Tunstle is very, very good and is very good now in the NFL. But, yeah, just that body type, the look, the vibe. They've dubbed this season as the last dance. It's a lot of really talented pieces coming back and then adding more to it. Yeah, Greg, I think the meat and potatoes thing is fantastic.

That's pretty on brand. I mean, I think that's kind of what it is where it's just, Hey, this is what we do. We, we think we're better and we're just going to go out there and get wins every Saturday.

All right, Zach, we appreciate the time. I am going to ask you this question because Ole Miss is our team of the day today. We are taking one team every day leading up to kickoff that's going to be a contender to get to the college football playoff and just point blank ask, will they make the college football playoff this year? So I'm going to ask you, is Ole Miss going to be in the playoff in 2024?

I think so. The roster that has been put together paired with the schedule, I think there's a really good shot that Ole Miss is going to be at least 10-2. I think you've got Georgia at home, which is just a free shot. Georgia's going to be a premier program as they are. You've got a road game at LSU that's going to be tough, but I think Ole Miss is the better team on paper right now. So if it –

you know, materializes on the field. I think that's a win. And then, you know, maybe it's not, you still got a home game against Oklahoma that you should win. And then a tricky one down the road with Florida on the road, but who knows what the Gators are going to look like at that point. But yeah, I think like Greg said, it's just, Hey, meat and potatoes, you know, this is, this is who we are. We're going to line up. We're going to beat you. I think 10 and two is very, very attainable. And I think 11 and one is not crazy to say, which is wild.

As someone who's covered Ole Miss, 11-1 not being wild is a crazy thing to say on the radio. Absolutely. Zach, great stuff, man. Appreciate the time. I look forward to catching up with you again soon. Appreciate it, fellas. All right. Zach Berry covers Ole Miss for the On3 Sports Network at Zach underscore Berry. Find his work at omspirit.com. We'll continue that conversation kind of around Ole Miss. That's our team that we'll discuss today of will they make the college football playoff?

It's an interesting question. We'll discuss it next on Mac and Cube in the morning. The capital of the sports talk nation. This is Jocks 94.5 and jocksfm.com. Hurry and... All right, welcome back in. Michael Roy and Cube like in the morning.

We will ask this question to you as well as answer it ourselves on the show. Will Ole Miss make the college football playoff this year? 800-239-9569 if you want to get in. 800-239-WJOX. Why you feel good about it? Why maybe you don't feel good about it? You can also text into the show.

2-0-5-8-3-4-9-4-5-0. 2-0-5-8-3-4-9-4-5-0. Tweet in at Mac and Cube. All right, so when we begin to discuss Ole Miss, you think about this team, and offensively there's not going to be a lot of concerns. We just talked about the offensive line. It sounds like they may cross-train, try some guys in different places there. Running back, you have options. I don't know if the order really matters. You're pretty deep at that spot. And if Juice Wells is what he is, then receiving core is going to be elite.

What concerns should we have about the offense, Greg? What should maybe hold us back a little bit on the offense for this Ole Miss football team upcoming this season? It's the O-line. That's the only position that would concern me whatsoever. Yes, they have gone to the portal and have brought in guys that have played.

that have played in Power 5 spots. But I don't think Diego Pounds is a game-changing left tackle. I think he had a lot of ups and downs last year. Now he's a young player last year, but maybe he takes some significant strides. But that would be a position group that I'd be watching closely. I think it's the one position group that could potentially get him. I don't think Julius Bulow is...

you know, all world. I do think Nate Kolepo is a solid piece. And I don't, I don't know a whole lot about the kid from Southern Miss. So he's athletic. He can move. He's big. Can he move you? I mean, he can move me right now. Yeah, for sure. What about at the end of the season? Can he move you? I don't,

Obviously, the level of competition is going to be something that's a little bit different. But he's a big 320-pound kid that can get out there in space. He's got some physicality. He finishes. I think technically he's a little sloppy, but I think he's got a chance to help him. I think when you're talking about capable bodies, you at least add another one. I think he kind of goes in line with what Zach Barry told us Lane was saying. We look like Georgia and Alabama right now, which is a little surprising to hear that you think you can do that in one offseason. But we will see.

But it's also, it's really not that surprising, though, is it, when you think about just where they've brought in pieces. I mean, I think Lane's obviously done an amazing job of moving in this direction. It feels like they're all in on this season, which makes sense. But I do think that when you go to the portal as frequently as Lane has, I do think there's real concern about the possibility that

of buy-in. I mean, I think they're probably hopeful that they have buy-in. I think they're optimistic that they have good guys on their roster. But when the going gets tough and things start to go sideways and in a game against Wake Forest on the road, you have your C game and all of a sudden you've got a battle in the fourth quarter...

Are the guys going to pull together or are they going to pull apart? And I think when you have a bunch of guys that came from different places and didn't grow up in your system, culture is a real question mark. So the two questions I have for the whole team are culture and offensive line. That's pretty much it. Yeah. You can say you look like Alabama and Georgia and that's one thing, but you still got to play like them in those instances. And thankfully for Ole Miss, they don't have a ton of those kind of games on the schedule right now. But...

operating like those teams do, playing like those teams do, is still much different than looking like those teams do. I think that a lot of the – you kind of said this when we discussed Penn State. A lot of the preseason hype I think is going to benefit Ole Miss. I don't think people are – and we've talked about the schedule, and maybe some people will be smart enough to look at the schedule and say, all right, hold on, you're 10-2. Where's your best win? What should we be celebrating here compared to some other teams? And what other teams do is going to have a lot to do with it also. Yeah.

But I think a lot of this should be in, will be in, what they're going to be capable of, how they look. I think that's all going to benefit Ole Miss if we're talking about them at 10-2 at the end of the season. But that trip to LSU is one that I think is going to be difficult because you go to South Carolina the week before and then –

The trip to Arkansas, not as scary. At Florida, I think it's scarier than people are giving it credit for late because you'll play Georgia, but then you'll have a week off, and then you've got to travel to the Swamp to play in November. So I think they're 10-2, and I think they get in because they have a lot of the benefits of the doubt right now, and a lot of people are kind of putting them on that pedestal. So I think 10-2 with a loss to, say, Oklahoma-Georgia, LSU-Georgia,

It's going to almost kind of be expected by a lot of folks who are going to be deciding this. And then I think, too, what do we like? Star power, right? Like we like flash. We like players that can do exciting things. Ole Miss is going to have a lot of those. So the more I think about it, I think there's going to be a lot of these teams that are probably sitting there at 10-2, Greg, that are potential playoff teams. Ole Miss has built up a lot of cachet heading into this year that could give them some advantages when you're talking about comparing them to some of those other groups.

I just think, and I hate that this is a reality, but they're going to get a lot of benefit of the doubt because of how they played against Penn State in the bowl game last year. People remember that. And I think they are benefiting a lot from that performance. I mean, that was a bit of a, you know, that was a monkey on Lane Kiffin's back is wins against teams that have 10 wins.

uh, wins in the setting like that. He hadn't done that, uh, with any regularity. And now it's trending in the direction where they can do that. Like they have two wins against teams at one nine plus. And I think he had one in the 10 years prior as a head coach in college football and one against LSU. They had one against Penn state last year. So I think there's reason for optimism. Um, and I do think there'll be properly probably propped up, but I also think too, man, like,

On paper, it's a little bit like Texas last year. And I'm not saying that they're going to be as good in the trenches as Texas was. I get that. But there's a little bit of a reluctance to allow a newcomer, if you will, into the conversation among the most talented teams in the sport. But you really think about it. How many teams can you list right now that have better personnel across the board than Ole Miss? Two? Maybe. Maybe.

I think Georgia does, and I think Ohio State does. Other than that, there's not many teams that have as many pros as Ole Miss. Do I think Ole Miss has potentially more draftable talent this upcoming year than Alabama? Yeah, which is crazy. Now, I don't know if they have the culture that Alabama does.

But either way, I think it's going to be fascinating to see how things work out because last year everyone's like, oh, Texas has one of the best rosters in the sport, and there was a real reluctance for people to get on board with that. Oh, we say that every year. It's every year you say that. And here to rinse and repeat, they'll be eight and four again. Just telling you, man, Ole Miss's roster can go with anybody. Now it's about playing with that consistency.

All right, so we'll give you our final answers on the other side. Will Ole Miss make the college football playoff? You can still be a part of the show, 800-239-9569. Text in 205-834-9450. If you're looking for a golf cart for this weekend or just any time down the road, G-Mac, who should our listeners call?

Well, you can rent one at Iconic Carts and just see how you use it. Whether you're in the beach, the lake, the mountains, the neighborhood, wherever you are, a golf cart will enhance your experience. I mean, they are so much fun. We were driving around in one last night. One of my buddies has a golf cart. Man, we took it out. It was beautiful. Sunset, had a great time. Go check out the Evolution and the Nago carts, too. These are two brands I wasn't familiar with.

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So go and check them out at Iconic Carts in one of those two spots, or you can go online at iconiccarts.com. All right, our final answer on Ole Miss, and maybe a top three next right here on McIlroy and Kubelik in the morning. Catch up with all things McIlroy and Kubelik in the morning by subscribing to the podcast. Mythically, he's grown. He's almost like a little bit bigger than...

A player, right? Like the myth of Bo Jackson. Like, rate, and download the show from the Jock Cup or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, welcome in. McElroy and Kubelik in the morning. Ole Miss, our team of the day. Will they make the college football playoff? 800-239-9569. You want to discuss that? Get in on the Buyer's Right Hotline. You can do it. Also, you can text into the show. 205-834-9450. Eric G. tweets in.

He's the one that said Oklahoma-Tennessee was the biggest regular season game in school history, right? That is true. He's quoting our poll question asking if Ole Miss will be in the playoff. He said Ole Miss will play for the SEC Championship. Which I'm assuming either way, win or lose, that would mean you're in. I still think conference championship game loser is going to be a really interesting watch this year.

Is that an automatic in? Is it an automatic out? How far do you drop? If that's a two or a three seed, where do they end up seated if they were to drop that game? Because it has been you've almost been severely punished for losing that game as if it wasn't bad enough to not win your conference championship, but severely punished in a way that you're no longer going to be including a lot of the big games like have fun at the Liberty Bowl or whatever. Music City Bowl.

But it might be very different this year. We'll see. If you're looking for a different house, though, Damian, we know who you should call. Absolutely. My buddy Ben Hitting from the Beham Realty Group. If you're thinking about selling your home and when you want to sell your home, all you want is the excellence that comes with it, give my buddy Ben Hitting a call, 205-568-2705, or go to behamrealtyco.com. If you're struggling to get your house sold because the markets are changing every single day, you need an expert that focuses on adapting it half the time to make sure we come out on top.

That's my buddy Ben Henning at the Bham Realty Group. You can visit their website at bhamrealtyco.com or give them a call at 205-568-2705. All right, we'll all miss make the college football playoff. I'm going to go yes, Greg, because I just don't know how many of these teams we're going to be putting next to one another at the end of the season, even if it is a 10-2. I do think the record will be easy to pick apart if that's the case, but I also think that if there are four or five other teams we're comparing them to, I don't know if they're going to have –

what we would consider to be extremely strong schedules that went 10-2 on. Plus some of that cachet that they built up here heading into the preseason. I think they're going to be an exciting team, a fun team, a team that people just like to watch. And I don't see them losing more than two this year with the talent that they've put together, the coaching staff that they have, now a little bit of continuity with that staff as well. I will say Ole Miss, yes, will be in the college football playoff this year.

I think it would be remarkably disappointing if they don't make the college football playoff. It really would. For it to expand, for them to have the momentum coming into the season the way they have it in the court of public opinion. Lane Kiffin feels like he's kind of gone all in this year with some of the additions they've made. I think anything short of the playoff, I hate to call it a failure because that just feels harsh.

But it kind of feels that way. With their personnel, there's no reason why they shouldn't be in that conversation. So really optimistic about them. Hope that they can get there. And believe that they probably will. All right, so I've got them in. Greg's got them in. John, Ole Miss in the college football playoff for you, yes or no? Yes, I do think that they're in. Every fiber in my being, or almost every fiber in my being, wants to have them 11-1. But I also know that

I don't know if I can trust them to do that. I see them having a slip-up game and being 10-2, losing to a team like at South Carolina because they're looking ahead to LSU, losing at Arkansas because it's sandwiched in between Oklahoma and Georgia, losing to a team like that. They absolutely know they shouldn't, too, probably because they were looking ahead. So I do think that they're 10-2. But I do think that they make the playoff because I do think in the wins that they do have,

Even if they do end up in a group of 10 and two, like a whole bunch of others, I think they're going to look strong enough to be heading shoulders above any other potential 10 and two contenders. So I got them in. All right. Um,

Damian, first we'll go to you, and then I have a question for the group kind of on what John was saying there about the schedule. Ole Miss in the playoff for you, yes or no? Yeah, I think they are. When you look at their roster, again, I know it's on paper, they have one of the more talented rosters in college football. And kind of to John's point, as long as you don't find one of those just questionable losses, like we can accept that you're losing to Georgia because you're just not

there yet, but you can't afford to lose to a Kentucky or a South Carolina or an Arkansas or even a Florida that late in the season as well. But I do think right now what Lane has, it would be a cry in shame if they're not. So I think that they're in. I want to follow up with what John was just saying there about this schedule. Is there, because he brings up some intriguing dates, I guess, with going to LSU and

But being at South Carolina the week before, after you play Kentucky, which is your first SEC game, probably your first real test. And then also Arkansas before Georgia, Arkansas being on the road. You know everything that's going to go into that Georgia game, what it's going to mean. We've seen Greg, I guess, Lane over-prepare or out-think himself in big games like that. Taking a week off. I know people love to have weeks off late, but...

You play Georgia where you are, what happens? Then you get a week off and then you go play Florida on the road. I kind of don't like all that time before that game. Now, to get rested, yes, physically. But depending on where you are record-wise, team-wise, it feels like it could be a little bit more dangerous coming off the Georgia game and then going to Florida than vice versa.

Which one is most tricky to you that Ole Miss possibly could drop that they shouldn't drop this year based on the schedule and how it plays out? It's a great question. I think the Florida game is the toughest game. You know LSU is a beast. They'll be up for that one for sure. You know Georgia coming to you is just a huge opportunity, but I don't know how much it matters. You lose to Georgia. Is anyone's opinion on you going to change?

Not tremendously, no, especially if you're competitive. And I don't think you lose to LSU, anyone's opinion is going to change. You lose to Florida in November, and Florida is sitting there at 6-4 or 5-5, and you lose to Florida, that's going to be a real impactor as far as your court of public opinion. So I think that's probably your most important game. It's just an absolute got to win. I think it's going to be a tough one.

I think the one that I look at, too, is, and this is a big if, you play Oklahoma, and then you go to Arkansas before that Georgia game. So a lot of things are probably going to be pointing to, oh, game day is coming to town, you know, oh, 230 ABC, whatever it is. And then you go to Arkansas in November, could be a little chilly, could be cold. If Arkansas does have that I formation, two, three tight end formations coming at you right downhill, you ready for that?

We'll find out. Which one for you, Damien? It kind of sticks out as a more than should be scary game on this Ole Miss schedule. It's that Florida matchup on the road, especially that late in the season. Because, again, there's no telling where this Florida team could be. And they're talented enough to make it a ball game. And if you go out there with B-plus and not your A-plus effort, I mean –

Florida can sneak up and get you, especially at home. All right, so that's Ole Miss. Will they make the college football playoff this season? Keep some of your tweets coming in. We see those. Get to them on the other side. Also, you can still be a part of the show, 800-239-9569 if you'd like to get in. We'll get to our top three next right here on McIlroy and Kubelik in the morning. This is McIlroy and Kubelik in the morning.

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