00:00For the next 30 minutes to end out this second hour, we are very pleased to welcome on Mark Zinno to this Thursday on the early line on Sports Grid.
00:09Zin, we missed you, Matt, last week, man.
00:12We thought maybe you were at SEC Media Days in Atlanta for the four-day extravaganza.
00:18Were you there, taking in all the conference has to espouse about the college football playoff, its strength of schedule, the depth in the league?
00:27Were you there at the College Football Hall of Fame?
00:30No, I actually was not.
00:32I was in Park City, Utah, golfing and checking out why Retzlaff is no longer at the BYU practice.
00:40We know why Jake's not there.
00:44Go Tulane.
00:45I like Tulane.
00:45I don't know why.
00:46Explain it.
00:48No, Donnie, I'm not going to explain it after I will stay.
00:51Yeah, listen, brother.
00:55We got you by the range today.
00:57All right, Zinno, you weren't at SEC Media Days, but you are still the mouth in the South.
01:03And as we had that conference's Media Days last week, we've got the ACC and the Big Ten going on as we speak.
01:10With their final day of three, we're expecting to hear from Bill Belichick in Charlotte in just a little bit.
01:17Entering his first year at North Carolina, we got to ask you about the SEC Championship odds.
01:23Of course, one of the big storylines last week in the huge media scrums for the one, the only, Arch Manning.
01:31His Texas Longhorns enter the 2025 college football season not only as the favorites to win the SEC, but the National Championship favorites as well.
01:41And Manning himself, the Heisman Trophy favorite, entering this year as well.
01:46But Zinno, only a dime back, the Georgia Bulldogs at plus 280.
01:50Under that five-to-one number, the Alabama Crimson Tides.
01:54Zinno, if you were sitting in the risk room right now, setting the odds for the SEC Championship,
01:59who would you tab as the favorite to win the conference in 2025?
02:02I agree with Texas.
02:05I mean, when you talk about a standpoint of them being probably the best team with the best quarterback, I think that's fair.
02:12But you're also looking at a couple other teams that are flying under the radar, teams like Texas A&M that return 15 starters.
02:19Oklahoma, I think, is very undervalued here in this conference, and I think they're actually going to have a very good year.
02:25The real question is here, Ben and Donnie, is how will the middle of the SEC do?
02:29I think no one's going to be surprised about Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and LSU being at the top of the conference.
02:36And, yes, I think Brian Kelly has something to prove this year.
02:38It probably needs to take a bigger leap ahead than what he's done, given what Garrett Nussmeier has meant to that program.
02:44But it's all those middling teams.
02:46How does Florida handle their schedule?
02:48Again, can Oklahoma exceed expectations?
02:50Will Texas A&M take a bump up?
02:53I mean, there are so many questions about the middle of this conference.
02:55What will Ole Miss look like after last year?
02:57You know, does Vanderbilt go in a way?
02:59Can Missouri mount something?
03:01South Carolina, can they surprise some people?
03:04Lenora Sellers.
03:05I mean, you know, I think that there are a lot of questions in the middle of this conference that we won't have answered.
03:11What I do know is I think those middle of the conference teams are going to end up picking off some of the top four
03:17in very critical spots throughout the year that are really going to upset the apple cart late in November in the SEC.
03:24You take a look at the team like Texas, where they're like, oh, just wait.
03:27They'll get their comeuppance once they go to the SEC from the Big 12.
03:29Fared fairly well last year.
03:31And the favorites to win it once again this year at a plus 280 price.
03:34They got dropped last year by three points to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC championship game.
03:38But as you talk about those mid-league teams, Mark, and it's always fun to say in the middle of the summer,
03:42we haven't seen these guys on the practice field yet.
03:44Heard you mention a couple names.
03:46If I were to give you like a top two or three players that you're going to watch in the SEC this year
03:52that can make a difference between their team being over 500, their team maybe making an SEC championship game,
03:57or maybe even a Heisman run, who are those players for you in the SEC?
04:02Well, again, I think Lenora Sellers really is kind of the first name that pops to my mind
04:05just because he really has a ton of potential.
04:09I think the ceiling is as high as ever for a guy like him.
04:12I mean, I don't know if it would surprise – it wouldn't surprise me.
04:16It may surprise a lot of other people if he's sitting there in December in a Heisman conversation
04:20because he's got that level of talent.
04:22So I think that he's probably one of the first ones.
04:24But, you know, again, DJ Lagway is another one at Florida,
04:27another year that he can build on in the same system with the same coach.
04:32But their schedule is absolute murder.
04:34You know, I mean, the Gators have done no favors by their schedule at all this year.
04:39And how much will he grow and how much can he really, you know,
04:42take steps forward to help elevate this Florida program?
04:45You know, again, and the LSU, the curious case of LSU and Brian Kelly,
04:50who I think is an excellent play caller and a great schemer,
04:53probably better than he is a recruiter per se.
04:56But this is the year really where he has got to elevate LSU.
04:59He's got year number two of Garrett Nussmeyer.
05:01And Nussmeyer in some Heisman conversations might be a little bit premature.
05:05It just feels like that's more a product of the jersey that he wears
05:07and the conference that he plays in than necessarily the talent level
05:10that he actually, you know, brings to the football field.
05:13But a guy like Brian Kelly can certainly elevate what he can do
05:16and make him certainly a viable product.
05:19And then how can we forget about Georgia?
05:21And what is going on there with, oh, God, not Brock Van.
05:26Why does Brock Vandegrift come to my head here?
05:28We're not talking about Brock Vandegrift.
05:30Gunner Stockton, thank you.
05:31Gunner Stockton, yeah.
05:32You haven't noticed all Georgia quarterbacks have those quirky kind of like
05:35frat bro names?
05:37Gunner.
05:38Carson.
05:39Carson.
05:39Rock.
05:40Carson.
05:41Rock.
05:41Like pop collar names.
05:43Jake.
05:43Just names.
05:44Oh, yeah.
05:44Eric Desire.
05:46Name sounds like they get into a park fight when they're not supposed to.
05:49But anyway, we digress.
05:50What will he be for Georgia?
05:52And do you trust Mike Bobo?
05:53Because I don't.
05:55This is the first time we haven't talked about Georgia
05:57in the same way we've always talked about them.
05:59I'm sure Kirby Smart will use that as motivation.
06:01There's a lot of talent, I would say, at the quarterback spot in the SEC,
06:06but not much returning talent.
06:08Now, DJ Lagway started a ton of games for Florida at the end of the year,
06:11and they were a thorn in the entire conference's side.
06:15Derek Nussmeyer is that guy that really is the returning quarterback
06:18in the same program that has the most experience and pedigree.
06:22Nussmeyer, one of six quarterbacks nationally last year to throw
06:25for 4,000 yards or more.
06:28And he is the only guy that returns to college football.
06:30But also tied for the tops in the SEC with 12 interceptions.
06:35I do want to ask you, you know, about Arch Manning.
06:37Part of the hype around Texas is the talent everywhere.
06:40But, of course, a quarterback with a famous last name.
06:44We have seen glimpses of Arch.
06:46But as he told everybody last week in Atlanta at SEC Media Days,
06:49some of this Heisman conversation and number one overall pick in the NFL draft
06:54conversation is not deserved just yet.
06:57He basically said, I've started two games.
06:59Let's slow our role.
07:02But you know that role is only going to pick up if Texas and Arch are in the conversation
07:06October, November, and in to early November.
07:10What are your realistic expectations for Arch Manning this year in Austin?
07:15Play well enough to help his team win 10 or 11 games and get to the college football playoff.
07:22That's what the realistic expectations should be.
07:25I think anything beyond that is, you know, sort of gravy on top.
07:30It's, you know, it's just an added bonus.
07:34I mean, look, it's not going to shock anybody if Arch Manning is sitting there in December
07:39in New York City as one of the Heisman finalists.
07:42That's not going to shock anybody.
07:44But again, this is a Texas team that, you know, has some bumps in the road here.
07:49Obviously, Ohio State in week one, they have to go to Florida.
07:52They have to go to Georgia.
07:53It's not exactly like it's a, you know, a schedule that, you know, lends for a first
07:58year starter to be very successful.
08:00All that said, this is still a good enough team, you know, from top to bottom with the
08:05roster for them to be able to get in the college football playoff.
08:07Of the three games I mentioned, if they win at least one of those, guess what?
08:11They'll finish 10 and two, and they'll be in the college football playoff without fail.
08:15So I think when it all comes down to it, that's really what this is about, team success, as
08:19much as it is individual success.
08:20And if Arch has this team playing well and winning 10 games, I think the Heisman numbers
08:26are going to be there to back that up just based off of the offense that they play and
08:28how they move the football.
08:31A lot of talent on that offensive side of the ball, but notably on the defense as well.
08:36A young star last year in Colin Simmons, who is back up front.
08:41They've got some of the best linebackers in the country, like Anthony Hill Jr.
08:45And in the back end, a veteran safety in Michael Taffey.
08:49There is a lot to like around this Texas team entering 2025.
08:53625.
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