Ralph Russo on Brendan Sorsby's Legal "Hail Mary", Playoff Chaos, and Mike Leach Hall of Fame Ballot

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]Here we go. Ralph Russo, athletic.com with us on 365 Sports. Ralph, how much did you pay attention to the notes that were coming out of Lubbock with the hearing in Brendan Sorsby today?

[00:00:11]>> Um not a ton.

[00:00:15]Um just enough to, you know, sort of keep up on what's going on, knowing that um it's going to probably be decided in the next couple of days. I I say not a ton because frankly, like I I don't know what kind of legal argument this guy has other than I'm a I'm Texas Tech's quarterback and you should be and you're a Lubbock judge, so you should be, you know, rooting for me to be eligible.

[00:00:42]Um I mean, I think, you know, one of the things I noticed was they compared his case to an Indiana volleyball coach who bet it on bet on a bunch of events uh that Indiana sports were involved in and noted that that coach only had uh a 30% of the season suspension, which is interesting, but it also left out the fact that that coach didn't bet on his own games like like Brendan Sorsby did numerous times. So, you know, I I'm definitely interested like I nothing would shock me that this at this point in terms of what comes out of these court cases and and whether he gets this injunction, but it really does feel like a Hail Mary here and again, I can't really see a legal justification for the NCAA having this rule which it applies consistently then being said, "No, no, no, it's illegal for you to apply that rule consistently now."

[00:01:44]>> Ralph, um what happens if somehow this Hail Mary works?

[00:01:51]>> Yeah, I would imagine what you'd end up having is there there at least a few um if not many recent college basketball players who have been deemed permanently ineligible because of their activity involving bets on themselves, bets on their own games, providing information to gamblers to bet on games. Now, in those cases the there's a distinguishing characteristic there. In some of those cases players were involved in the games and trying to manipulate the results. And this is another place where Kessler and and Soursby's lawyers are trying to draw a distinction.

[00:02:35]Uh Brendon never was involved in the game. He was never trying to manipulate the results. Now, again that's true, but there are also other cases in which when you bet on your own school on on games involving your own team, that is a bright red line. So, yes, he didn't do that. He didn't manipulate the results cuz he didn't play in those games. That doesn't that isn't the thing that triggers a a permanent suspension or the loss of a year in this case. I guess in some cases like he he wouldn't necessarily be permanently banned, but he's out of eligibility, right? This is his last year and I'm sure he wants to get on with the NFL, frankly, if he can't come back to school. So, I I I would imagine there are going to be some people if he gets this who are going to look at their situation where they be maybe they lost a year or they were kicked out who might find themselves saying, "Huh, maybe I should go to court now because that guy got a you know, that guy was able to play. Why wasn't I able to play?" So, I can't necessarily give you definitive examples of of those cases, but I know that's been where the the line has been drawn and I would imagine if I was if I was in that position and somebody and Brendan Soursby was allowed to play, well, why can't I play?

[00:03:57]>> Yeah, well, I no doubt about it. Whether it was the guys that were at Iowa State, Iowa, you know, recently or or not. So, the argument that you could take away his football career doesn't hold any water whatsoever cuz he can play the NFL.

[00:04:13]So, if he can't play in college, at least he can play in the NFL. Whether he's good enough or there were thoughts that he was projected to be an NFL quarterback. So, the only thing What do you think is the is the mental health angle, Ralph, really the one they're leaning on to maybe just tug at somebody's heart?

[00:04:29]>> So, that's what I suspect because it does uh fall in line with some some of the things. It It's just It sort of falls under this student-athlete well-being, which is something that we came up with Trinidad Chambliss and he got hit, right? Because it was sort of like, "Well, he was sick." Now, again, very different situation cuz Trinidad did not break any rules, right? He was just out of eligibility through the normal eligibility process, but there is some vagary around redshirts, retroactive redshirting, and I I think the judge could sort of bend some things to say, "Hey, the NCAA's responsibility is to is towards the athletes' well-being and not retroactively giving him this redshirt medical redshirt is is sort of against the NCAA's mission, right?" And I think to a certain degree this case does seem to sort of poke at that. Like, the NCAA's mission is to be work with the toward the benefit of the student athletes, and this athlete has a mental health condition, shouldn't you be working with him because he's doing the best he can to deal with this issue.

[00:05:40]So, yes, I I guess there's hints of that, but Chandler Morris, his you know, his a court denied he he asked for an injunction under similar circumstances. Hey, I was dealing with a mental health condition. He didn't get it. So, again, like I I don't know. I'm not a lawyer. Somebody who's smarter than me could put together a better legal description of why this argument might hold water. But from the court of common sense, which I hope to think I can be a jury a juror of, I don't see how this makes any sense.

[00:06:15]>> Ralph, is there any way we can get Steve Sarkisian to pop off and say something about this? Just to >> [laughter] >> really throw some more gasoline into the the Tech fire.

[00:06:23]>> It would be wild. If he does get If he does get this injunction and can play, there will be some very I don't know if it'll be Sark. Maybe Sark has decided I got to stand down on this. But I can only imagine what is being said behind closed doors if this happens if this happens. Uh and what might come out at, let's say, Big 12 media days or SEC media days and things like that. Uh again, like I you know, again, I find myself thinking he doesn't have much shot here.

[00:06:53]Uh in fact, I think the idea that the you know, the original judge recused himself and this is purely theoretical on my part cuz the judge had a degree from Texas Tech. I think a couple of them. And where my mind went was that judge, a Red Raider at heart, does not want to rule against the Red Raiders.

[00:07:13]>> Oh, yeah. No, totally agree. I think he took himself out of the situation, which was the honorable thing to do.

[00:07:19]>> Without question.

[00:07:19]>> Yeah, but >> And maybe the legally correct thing to do as well, just to be fair.

[00:07:23]>> Absolutely. I think he made the right choice just pulling himself out of the matter and be like, you other people can can handle this here. Um so, SEC media days had a lot of spicy quotes and just kind of a lot of discussion in in general. I mean, I guess most of the focus was just kind of on the Sark Tech thing, but they're still unraveling, you know, Lane Kiffin and and all this. Um what do you think's kind of the uh I guess the story of the SEC heading into this season?

[00:07:49]>> Yeah, the story of the SEC is uh it can't make up its mind about things and it's thinking of some pretty drastic solutions. Okay, let's take the couple of couple of main things. Couple of main things. The SEC breakaway idea.

[00:08:03]>> Yes.

[00:08:03]>> that they're going to make their own rules because if they make their own rules, those rules would hold up in court and they can sort of play by themselves, right? Take their ball and go home. Some people have talked about it. I like it It's not as crazy as it sounds.

[00:08:18]I also think, and I've had people in the SEC, people who are really open-minded to this idea, will say, "Listen, we understand that this is a pretty risky thing. Like, we can say we have a lot of fans and we would still have big TV ratings and we would still get big TV deals, but man, if we become just a regional thing that doesn't interact with any of the rest, then we can't necessarily proclaim ourselves national champions.

[00:08:41]You know, what does that look like? Do people in Seattle We have a pretty good viewership in Seattle. Does that stay?

[00:08:48]Does that keep up if we're no longer playing if we're only playing regionally?

[00:08:53]Uh I There's also a part of this which is like, if we do it, the other conferences will do it and then maybe we'll come together at the end of the year in sort of a Premier League or not Premier League, like a Champions League European soccer kind of way. So, there are a couple of different ways to do it. I don't know if it would ever come to fruition, but I do think they are seriously talking about it. And the other part of it, of course, is like you know, guys, no matter how many teams the SEC gets in the playoff, they still think they want they need more teams in the playoff. And I would we were all got to kind of a kick to a certain degree, but it's very real of them being a little upset about the fact that they didn't get more teams in last year, pointing the finger at the Big 12 teams and saying, "Why are they ranked ahead of our teams?" And with an eye towards, "Hey, if this thing goes to 24, we're we're we like if we don't get the right sort of Uh what's the word I'm looking for? If they don't pay enough attention and and pay enough deference to our strength of schedule in the current format and we go to a bigger format, we're going to get even more mistreated in their eyes, right? I don't want to say the other word I was going to use cuz it might it's a family show.

[00:10:01]>> I cracked up when I heard Danny White go, "It allows us to have more access."

[00:10:05]As if they don't already have a chunk of it.

[00:10:08]>> Well, and the thing about like I know what Sark was saying, but then he had to kind of throw that that Texas and he didn't even say Texas Tech, of course, but it's like, "Dude, they got one team in the playoff." Like, I mean, I understand the argument of you don't think the Big 12's on your level, but let's not act like they're getting some huge benefit of the doubt. They got one team in the playoff the last couple years. BYU's on the outside like banging on the door of like, "Let us in this thing." So, I don't know. I mean, I totally get the more access, but it's weird how the Big 12's kind of now become this target because they might get a second team in a 24-team like I don't know. I just That that's part that really just kind of puts me off in a way as a college football fan. This this I don't know how to describe it. This punching down or this >> Arrogance? Is arrogance the word?

[00:10:55]>> [laughter] >> Arrogance, yes. Thank you. This arrogance that they can't possibly have a team that can compete with us because Mississippi State beat Arizona State last year. It's just it's maddening.

[00:11:03]>> Yeah, I I I think what I've learned about covering the playoff stuff, the the machinations of it behind the scenes is there are things that set off the coaches and the conferences and ADs that we don't process. Like, I really didn't realize until last week that, "Oh, BYU being ahead of Vanderbilt and Texas, that really ticked off people in the SEC." Like, cuz you're right. Like, well, well, what's the difference? None of you made it, right? Like it's all you're all you're all runners-up. You're all just left out. So, why is that a big deal?

[00:11:39]But no, they feel that. It is a big deal. The simple fact that that BYU was ahead of those two teams is a big deal.

[00:11:47]I understand Texas Tech got in and they were going to get in anyway because of the format as Big 12 champion. But the fact that they got a number four seed ticked people off. So, uh again, the the main thing I've learned about covering this stuff is is the there are things that really do stick in people's craws that maybe we don't realize. Like the minutia is a little more important. And maybe it's not minutia, but the minutia is a little more important than we realize when it comes to the playoff rankings.

[00:12:16]>> Ralph, the Pro College Football Foundation released the ballot. We knew Mike Leach was going to be on it.

[00:12:24]You have a vote. I'm fortunate enough to get the ballot, too.

[00:12:28]Man, there's a lot of really good players and we got to vote for up to 12, which is a lot. But your thoughts about Leach, now it's official. We knew that Friday, but now you see his name on the ballot.

[00:12:38]>> Okay, just to be very clear, I am not a part of the selection process. Just to be very clear.

[00:12:43]>> No, no, no, you have a vote for Do you have the vote?

[00:12:47]>> No, no, no. I I Well, I have a a regional vote that sort of crafts the ballot. So, so yes, so in terms of that's that's the case, but it's again, it's that's more of a regional level ballot. Yeah, so listen, you know, it's funny, I'm writing a column right now, it'll publish later, probably tomorrow morning.

[00:13:06]Spoiler alert, yeah, I think Mike Leach should be in, but I also will say like I don't think he is not a slam-dunk candidate just in terms of wins and losses and the simple fact that he's under.600 and if you look at he never won a conference title.

[00:13:22]You know, I think he shared one technically in in the Big 12 era, but never outright won a conference title.

[00:13:28]His record in rivalry games is not particularly good. One and seven in the Apple Cup, two and seven against Texas if you want to take that as Texas Tech's rival. So I think there's there's a case to be made to say like listen, he is not a slam dunk candidate.

[00:13:45]I could see people arguing against him.

[00:13:47]Where I really think it comes down to is sort of this revolutionary, evolutionary aspect of him of being a pioneer with the air raid. It's not just that he And he also listen, his records for the teams that he coached for comparatively to what those schools usually do. What what Texas Tech has historically accomplished until last year. What Washington State has historically accomplished. He has always um outkicked his coverage to use a term, right? Like the the the the programs that he has coached have always done better with him than before and after him. And I think that's the best argument and the fact that he is the architect and mastermind behind the air raid and frankly, this is the best argument that changed football. Not just in my I'll steal this from my pod podcast host co-host Bruce Feldman. He didn't just change college football, it changed all of football.

[00:14:45]>> Yeah.

[00:14:45]>> That offense bled into every aspect of football. It led the the offensive revolution, which is what we've had for the first 20 years of the 2000s. You know, where offenses just went bonkers.

[00:14:59]He was part of that and he was an integral part of that and in my in my view, that's what makes him a Hall of Famer.