Simple question. Group of five does championship games at higher seed. Power four does them at neutral sites. Would you rather have the power for switch to the group of five model or vice versa.? Personally, I would love to see a white out at Penn State or Michigan losing to Ohio State in the big house in the final game to break the tie and have Michigan have to go to Ohio State in the championship game. or have the Rowdy fans that are LSU see what they can do for an SEC championship game against Alabama instead of just a regular game in death Valley. Same can be said for Clemson. And whatever the big 12 would have to offer. Another night game in BYU perhaps would be awesome.

At what point do we separate post season stats from regular season stats in regard to NCAA records? Last year, Jeanty’s Heisman campaigners brought up the all time rushing record, however, post season games would’ve been included. Jeanty would’ve taken 13 or 14 games to break the record Sanders set in 11 games. Can we just recognize the regular season for all time leaders? No bowls, no conference championships, and no expanded playoff games.

Would you rather make the playoffs for the next 20 years and or win one hiesmen and one national championship and the other years are losing seasons for 20 years

I always thought it was DK on the cover of the 1949 media guide. Just kidding DK I’m not much younger than you, you and Charlie were the QBs of my FSU loving youth. Go Noles!

Long time first time, you guys have been getting me ready for Saturdays for years! As a Texas A&M Aggie what’s missing? We’ve been a sleeping giant for decades but seem to finish 8-5 every year. On Bud’s Blue Chip Ratio, best-in-class facilities, independent of how it seems to turn out we make good hires (at the time Sumlin Franchione & Jimbo where all gets more or less when they got hired), more money than God and it seems like a hungry but not overly melding administration & fanbase. So what is missing? How do we go from conintually underperforming to competing for conference championship or more? Who else has made that jump (Oregon?)?

Smart, funny, impact with great insight! It’s now my go to every week !

Long time listener to the best college football show in the game. The hosts do a great job of providing serious, thoughtful analysis while also having a great time-not easy to do! My question is for the Nole boys Danny and Bud- One of your favorite teams from your absolute favorite conference is opening the season in Tallahassee. Where are some good spots around campus for pre and postgame adult beverages? Thanks and Roll Tide.

Question for Bud - with 18 teams meeting the blue chip ratio criteria, couldn’t we just say that the top 18 teams meeting any metric are the only teams that could win it all? That’s a lot of teams; for example, the top 18 in pre-season AP, returning production, starting QB QBR, etc. big fan of the pod & BCR, just a thought I had, cheers!

Ugh, narratives your producers force on you. Jeremiah Smith put on 8 lbs since his freshman season. EIGHT! I know it was a “mailbag” but someone who isn’t any of you reads that stuff. Probably Fornelli. Peace, Scioto

Lots of hot seat talk this summer. But who are the coaches that are gonna get a shot at these blue blood jobs if they meet or exceed expectations this year? If dillingham hits win total the SEC/BIG10 will come calling. Maybe Manny Diaz gets another shot at the big leagues? Fran Brown back to the SEC?

A quant, a carnival barker, a jock and a troll.

Shallow analysis. You’re much better off listening to Andy&Ari or just about any of the other big shows.

Hi Cover 3 crew, Thanks for what you do. Been a long listener and rare I ever miss an episode. Over the last few weeks, I find myself becoming more disheartened about what college football is becoming. I see more and more corporatization of the game and less and less of what makes it truly special. It has made me think about what could feasibly be done to help maintain some semblance of what many of us love, and I think I have something that combines a lot of different ideas that have been discussed on the show. While I don’t think there are 32 teams that can actually compete for the championship, I actually think Coach Drink might be on to something that could keep everyone “semi” happy. I would propose a 32 team tournament with 6-8 automatic qualifiers each year. I don’t feel strongly about how many, but with this size of tournament, including a couple of smaller conference champions wouldn’t significantly alter the field. The rest would be at large based on a committee similar to the basketball tournament selection committee. I think this would satisfy almost all of the conferences as each would get what they want. It’s almost certain conferences like the SEC and Big 10 would have 8 or so teams in each year. It would also ensure access to all of the others conferences. In my proposal, everyone would start games with what is now week 0 and maintain 2 byes. Conference championship games would go away , but the lost revenue from this would be made up by distribution of monies to conferences based on how many teams make the field and how far they advance. Every conference would get some level of payout, but conferences that have more teams and those who advance farther would receive higher percentages. Every power 4 conference team would be required to play 9 or 10 power 5 games and conferences could decide how many conference games would be played. With the current size of the leagues, it is almost impossible to mandate all power 4 teams play the same number of power 4 games, but this would give conferences flexibility to do what they like and still allow smaller conference teams who want to build a nice resume the opportunity to find more quality opponents if they so choose. The first 3 rounds would be on campuses at the home of the better seed which would also be a way for the “haves” to keep their built in advantages and revenue streams. The first round would be on what is now conference championship weekend with the semi finals on NYD and the championship around January 10th or so depending on the calendar. Finally, to preserve the sanctity of Army-Navy, the second by of the season for every team would be the weekend before Thanksgiving except for Army and Navy who would play that day. I think this would work well as we know many teams often schedule weekend opponents this week to prepare for traditional rivalries. The only thing this really doesn’t preserve is the traditional bowls, but teams that do not make the playoff could still fill those to give us entertainment and wagering opportunities on week nights during the playoffs. While I have not actually dove deep into the actual financials of conference championship games, I do think this would still allow the more powerful conferences to retain enough power through increased playoff revenue to feel like they are still maintaining control while ensuring access to all. The increased size field somewhat takes the place of the play in games the Big Ten favors and is much easier for the average fan to understand. I know there are too many conflicting interests to arrive at a consensus to make this happen, but I am interested to hear your thoughts. Thank you so much for what you do. Will

Long time YouTube viewer of not just the best CFB podcast but best football podcast out there! I’ve got a hot take on Jeremiah Smith I’ve been working on. Hear me out. Bud has said Smith was NFL ready from a size / speed standpoint as a 17 year old. I agree, he was definitely ready as an 18 year old last season. With that being said, is he getting “too big”?? I saw him recently in team pic with the whole Ohio st. WR room for a pool day and Smith looked like an Edge rusher. I have this thought because it happens a lot in NBA scouting. An impressive freshman gets drafted in NBA lottery but continues to grow as a 19-23 year old and eventually gets too big for their position. Usually too thick, not a height issue. Could this happen to Jeremiah Smith?? Could he be a TE down the line if he continues to get bigger. Appreciate you all!!

The only podcast I’ve listened to for 5+ years. If you’re a cfb sicko, this one’s for you. Mailbag: What’s your guys’ favorite college football memorabilia? Every live episode on YouTube, I find myself half-listening, but also half inspecting what you guys have on display in your backgrounds. I love collecting cfb-related merch and was wondering what some of your most prized possessions are?

Hey guys! I love the show and have been listening to every episode since the 2019 season and I now watch every episode on YouTube. However, since I live in Nevada and am currently going to college in Idaho, it is difficult for me to get in the Tailgate, so I thought I would ask this one here. Everyone has the school they attended or their parents went to to root for. For me, that is BYU because both my parents went there and I am at BYU-Idaho, and Ohio State because my dad went to law school there and I was born in Columbus. I also like Michigan State because my grandparents served a mission and taught at the Institute of Religion for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2014/15-2015/16 and I have liked them before that, too. But I am curious to know what the programs are that you root for every year that aren't your school? Which school is Tom’s ACC school, the other’s B1G school, your SEC schools, your Big XII schools, and maybe a G6 if you want, and why? ACC for me is NC State because I like them and NCAA Football 14 (sorry Chip), SEC is Florida because of NCAA Football 14, and the G6 is Utah State because they have always been it since joining the MWC. - Owen

Follow up from last week. Instead of starting a job on second or third base… Which coaches were asked to step in and pinch hit for a batter already sitting with an 0-2 count? Brent Key having to follow up the train wreck Geoff Collins left behind at Georgia Tech has to be on the list.

There is so much to keep track of during a play. And it’s hard with the TV broadcast when you can’t see the secondary. What are some things you guys pay attention to when watching a game ? I like to watch blitz frequency.

Hello guys, I absolutely love the podcast. I have been a long time listener, and it’s always great content. It has been fun to see the show grow year-over-year and the content continue to increase. Now to my question. Who has the higher ceiling this year between Illinois or Florida? I feel like if everything goes well for these teams with veteran quarterbacks it could be a fun trend to follow as I think both of them might be capable of getting into an at large spot in the playoff. I would be interested in hearing your comments. Also with Illinois playing in Durham, week 2 is there anyway we can get Tom to come to North Carolina with the crew and have a listener event ahead of that game? -Marcus @Marcus_Watson44

Hey, Cover 3! You’re the best college football pod bar none! I need your input to settle an important family matter. I am the youngest of four brothers and we’re all die hard college football fans (Go Blue). Last year we started the tradition of going to a game where we have no team affiliation in the hopes of experiencing great college atmospheres and great college football games. Last year we went to Ole Miss @ LSU where LSU won in OT! This year due to our schedules we can only go to a game on October 4th and we’ve narrowed our choices down to Miami @ FSU and Clemson @ UNC. Considering all factors: airfare, hotel, college town, gameday atmosphere, tailgating, and quality of football. What is the Cover 3 pod’s pick for which game we should go to? Thanks, Mark!

DK, Chip, Tom and Bud are the best. Great listen while driving or working out. Keeps me informed and makes me laugh.

Got a couple questions also I love the show best sports podcast out there! What would you think of a 68 team playoff where the 13-16 seeds have to be group of 5, just to be clear though 1-12 seeds aren’t reversed for power 4. The first 2 rounds would be held at the higher seeds home stadium, the sweet sixteen would be held at second tier bowl games like the Citrus Bowl and the Gator Bowl and the bowls would rotate over the years, the Elite Eight and the Final Four would be held at New Years Six bowls and the Natty would be held at a neutral site stadium just like now. Finally the bowl games not in the playoff would have FCS teams that missed the playoff vs FBs teams that missed the playoff. Also we need a miniseries about the 2007 cfb season! Love the show, have a great day

James Franklin often gets criticized for failing to win big games despite consistently strong rosters. But I’m wondering why Steve Sarkisian doesn’t face similar scrutiny. Outside of the 2023 Alabama win, I struggle to find a game where Sark won despite being at a talent disadvantage, or even on equal footing. I believe after 4 years he’s 1-6 against top 10 (by end of year) teams or something like that. If this trend continues, when does that narrative catch up to him? Texas has top-tier talent acquisition and institutional support, arguably pretty significantly more than Penn State, yet Sark gets far more benefit of the doubt. Not long ago, you ranked him among the top coaches in the country in the coaches poll. I’d love to understand how he earns that distinction when his résumé shows many of the same issues that hurt coaches like Franklin. And again, if this continues, how long do you think before he earns himself the reputation that James Franklin has?

Howdy Cover 3 crew, Every August, as the hype for college football builds, I have a tradition: I rewatch the 1993 film The Program. It’s cheesy, intense, and slightly still captures that gritty, over-the-top energy of college football — even 30 years later. That said, every time I watch it, I wonder: why hasn’t anyone remade The Program to reflect today’s game? Think about it — NIL deals, the transfer portal chaos, social media pressure, conference realignment, even mental health and player activism. There’s SO MUCH modern drama. Here is my 5-Star Question: If you could cast a modern-day remake, who would you want in it? Would the play the intense upperclassman QB, Joe Kent who is now grappling with a huge NIL brand and the pressure to go pro, and of course everyone’s favorite LB, Steve Lattimore? Curious what your dream cast or storylines would look like — and seriously, how has this movie not been updated yet as College football is even more popular today? Keep up the awesome work — love the show! Best, Kyle “Leaf Daddy” Cotner

I get that the transfer portal and lack of “commitment” has done its part to hurt the fans view of recruiting, but how much does recruiting experts changing their prediction 24-48 hours before a recruit commits, basically spoiling the decision have to do with it as well?

Great show! What do guys think of my playoff plan? The Structure The playoff field includes 16 teams selected using two criteria: championship status and performance-based milestones. Automatic Qualifiers (6 teams) 1. The four highest-ranked conference champions from the remaining Power 4 conferences (Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12). 2. The highest-ranked Group of Six (G6)conference champion. 3. One additional at-large team — the highest-ranked team not already qualified. Performance-Based Qualifiers (10 teams) The next ten playoff spots go to the first ten teams to reach 10 wins against Power Five opponents. Wins against Group of Six or FCS opponents do not count toward this total. This rewards teams that schedule and defeat strong competition quickly. Why This Works This format eliminates the need for a committee to subjectively rank teams week after week. Instead, it rewards clear accomplishments: • Win your Power 4 conference and you’re in. • Reach 10 Power 5 wins before most of the country, and you’re in. • Go undefeated in a Group of Five league or dominate your schedule from start to finish? There’s still a path for you. It also incentivizes quality scheduling, fast starts, and beating strong opponents — not just coasting on name recognition or late-season surges. The committee would break any ties for teams qualifying in the same week and also fill up if not enough teams made it. Benefits • Maintains the importance of conference championships • Encourages high-quality scheduling and early-season intensity • Ensures inclusion of top-performing Group of Five teams • Avoids purely subjective rankings as the primary selection tool • Adds strategic value to the full season, not just the final weeks - Keeps competitive rivalry games at end of the season - Rooting interest is now national wide

Hey Cover 3, Long time listener and always happy when you guys answer one of my mailbag questions. Two parter here 1) Would you guys ever bring back the St. Jude auction for a hangout session with you all? I got to hang out with Chip a few years ago and loved talking CFB and also donating to a great cause. 2) You are now the all-ruling commissioner of CFP and control everything. Let’s talk realignment! Knowing that you can brig back old conferences, move teams around, cap a conference at a certain amount of teams; what would you make your 5 premier (Power) conferences? - Trent

Really enjoy your work and think the summer school series is very original and informative. Piggy backing off this, would you guys consider picking the top 25 games and have the local writers from each team do a 20-30 minute game preview during the offseason? Could be a fun off season show to rank your top 25 games for the upcoming season and use average ranking to determine the games included in this hypothetical show series.

When building a CFB resume rating or playoff most deserving rating, how would you rank the following factors? Is there anything else missing from this list you would add? Resume 1. Expected Wins (win prob. or stats) 2. Actual Wins 3. Losses 4. Conference Champ (yes/no) 5. Specific or consensus Power Rating 6. Average Vegas Lines (season long) 7. Margin of Victory 8. Against the Spread Margin (ATS Margin) 9. Strength of schedule Strength of schedule: - Average Opponent Power Rating - Strength of Schedule - Best Win - Best Loss - Worst Loss

This one here is for Tom. first and foremost, couldn’t agree with you more that putting more teams in the playoff isn’t good. it does nothing more than give your blue bloods a second chance to screw up in the regular season. perfect example is both teams that played in the national championship game this past year. Neither would have even made the playoffs in the four team with Notre Dame losing in northern Illinois as a 28.5 favorite and Ohio State losing to their rival Michigan is a 20 point favorite and not even playing for a conference title. anyway, I digress. my question for you is when we look at coaching, what’s more difficult/impressive to do? Is it more difficult to take a team out of the dumps and bring them to relevancy and even contention for national titles and win a national title. or is it more difficult to take a team That’s done well, maintain that success, as well as also maybe even improving them a little bit. My specific scenario here is Harbaugh taking a down bad Michigan back to relevancy and winning a title. And Ryan Day being born on third base and just maintaining Urbans success. I’m sure you can figure out which team I root for after hearing all about Ohio State’s Mickey Mouse national championship last year. thanks for what you guys do, best pod in the land!!!

questionable

Imagine you are the GM of a college football team and there is a salary cap that includes players and staff. How would you structure your payroll between players and coaches?

Hey guys, what matchups would you like to see renewed? I am a Sparty and loved the Notre Dame home and away. Also what matchups moving forward would you like to see. Thank you

Big fan of the show guys and I’m currently deep into Bud’s summer school series. I love that it gives me an edge for CFB fantasy dynasty league. Seeing Bo Melton play corner this week for the Packers got me thinking of the level of athlete NFL players are. My question is whether you think there’s a college team that could beat an NFL team if all the NFL players had to play the opposite side of the balls, excluding QBs. So OL to DL. WR to CB etc. Thanks love the show!

Started listening to you guys last summer and got hooked. I never miss an episode. Can’t wait for some locks soon…heading to Durham to teach for 3 days next week, any suggestions for a must try restaurant? Nothing healthy like seafood/salad.

can Bud plz stop changing his inflection when he’s trying be funny or cute. hes already the lowest sounding cast member , then its like he’s whispering when trying to be funny

Thank you gentlemen! That's all I can say. Sitting in a comfortable spot on the northern Gulf of America, steaming ab the realization that I can't watch the Noles @ the Beavers until the sideshow Savannah Bananas are done with their "crucial" matchup, I wondered: How would y'all pick the 16 super regional series for CFB based on 2024 AND 2025 data? I feel the parody is very high all-around. Peace & safe travels gentlemen.

Cover Three is hands down my go to pod for all things college football. Can’t imagine turning to anyone else during the season or otherwise for my weekly doses of CFB news and info. What are the chances that all three major programs in Florida (FSU, UF, and UM) are hunting for a HC come the end of the season? What does that look like for the programs collectively and individually if everyone is trying to find a new coach? Thanks guys, keep up the awesome work and Go Noles. -Mike

Best college football podcast in the land! Your recent mailbag episode about bringing back ties in college football had me thinking about some all-time great suspenseful walk-off field goals and misses. Seems like TV ratings gold. So my question is, if after a certain number of 2-pt conversion attempts teams were forced to a kicking related tie-break mechanism what would your ideal scheme be? Kick until someone misses at greater and greater distances? Cumulative total made yards at distances of the coaches’ choice? Blocked kick automatically wins? All ideas welcome. Thanks!

Have you ever done a Blue Chips over expected for a school? Looking at certain schools may frequently land a 4 star OL, but not at wide receiver or vice versa. Would be interesting to see who has turned the tide at spots they don’t traditionally recruit well.

Simply the best podcast, sports or otherwise. Thanks for the summer school series keeping us updated on the offseason. In January of 2024 I became a dad (adding a member to the cover 3 family), and it has been the most fulfilling experience of my life. BUT it has really disrupted my college football Saturday routine. This summer, my wife and daughter will be away two days, so I’m taking off work, and planning 48 hours of glorious solitude. I would like to “simulate” a college football Saturday, by watching classic games on YouTube all afternoon and enjoying a few adult beverages. I had two ideas for which games to watch. 1.) the best games in each time slot: Michigan/App State for noon, Cam’s Iron Bowl for 3:30, and Vince Young’s rose bowl for prime time. 2.) watch games from across the best/wildest day of college football, for example the day of the Bush Push. I would love your guys’ input on which method you would do, or what games you would suggest. Bonus coverage, if you guys have a favorite episode of this podcast, I’d love to hear that, as my Saturday routine generally involves listening to the locks pod in the morning, and I’d love to incorporate that into my offseason “simulation” day. Thanks in advance!

Any thoughts on new balance /bc partnership? Do you think new balance will become more of a player in college football?

Can we get a Bud vs the mute button compilation?

This is the only college football pod I listen to. Year round, hard working and does all of college football. Someone asked the other day, if who picked a new favorite team… who would it be? It has to be Notre Dame. Huge following, gets to keep all the money, and gets a “free pass” on issues like of not being in a conference or humiliating lost to MAC school. Side question… would the Big Ten and SEC stop schedule ND in the future? Thanks guys!!!

With the CFB26 video game coming this July, what are y’all’s prediction for the final projection of conference alignment? I want to start my dynasty out with the projected mega conferences in year 1. Thanks for all the great content y’all produce and love the summer school episodes.

I listen to a handful of college football podcasts and cover 3 is my favorite! Mailbag idea; you guys could do a draft for the group of 5 teams that have a chance of making the CFP. As you pick do a brief rundown on why they have a chance. I’d like to get your thoughts on teams that aren’t the “big” schools. I’m rooting for Memphis and Oregon state.

I have been listening for a long time. My question is what does Bryce Underwood College Football Career Look Like. I think in his first year he struggles then in is second year he wins the Heisman Trophy and leaves for the draft.

Been watching y’all from the beginning! Very first mailbag question. Mailbag✉️ Would a 12-team playoff saved any coaches’ careers in the past? If so, who?

It’s a bunch of FSU guys who think you need a passport to go north of the Mason-Dixon Line. They have un-informed opinions on everything outside of FSU and the SEC. You can tell they hate that CBS broadcasts the big ten and the not the SEC.

Gentlemen, I listen to a great many sports podcasts: Eye on College Basketball; Talkin’ Baseball from Tomboy Media; Chris Simms Unbuttoned; Brian Windhorst Hoop Collective. What I have noticed that is different about Cover 3 is that you don’t hold back in calling players and coaches not good. I don’t hear that from the other pods. Gary and Matt don’t single out college basketball players and comment on any lack of abilities Nor do the hosts on the other pods. I hear Draymond Green being singled out for his conduct, but I don’t hear athletes or coaches just being called out as not good, except on Cover 3. So my question is…..is that negative tone just natural to college football, or is it approach your show chooses to go with? Thanks for your time. Tim Anderson, Amherst, MA