College Football’s $50M Era Puts PRESSURE on Penn State & Matt Campbell

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]Kyle Whittingham thinks the $50 roster era is around the corner. Can Oregon survive that? Can Penn State? It's a crossover of Locked On Ducks and Locked On Nittany Lions to find out that and more.

[00:00:17]You are Locked On College Crossover, part of the Locked On Podcast Network.

[00:00:22]>> [music] >> Your team every day.

[00:00:27]Yes, it is that time once again for a crossover edition of Locked On Ducks.

[00:00:30]I'm Spencer McLaughlin and Locked On Nittany Lions. He is Zach Seyko. Both shows are part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Thanks for making this your first listen every day and for making Locked On the number one sports podcast network out there.

[00:00:44]Special shout out to our every dayers.

[00:00:46]Biggest questions for each of these teams post spring, we're getting an outsider perspective on what those just might be. And how do things look around the Big Ten? That is all coming up on today's show. But Seyko, first, did you hear what Pac-12 legend Kyle Whittingham, now back in the same league as Oregon, he just could not stay away, said recently, for those who missed it, he hinted at He did more than hint. He suggested that following the 2027 recruiting cycle, he thinks that after this year the $40 roster came about, he thinks it's already going to jump up to 50. And he said 12 to 15 programs are probably the only ones that are able to, you know, actually fund their football team to that level. I believe Oregon is one of those teams. Do you think Penn State is one of those?

[00:01:36]Not in the present with what's been discussed, what's being discussed, right? Penn State isn't in that category. Could they be? Sure. I And I would hope so because for for some programs maybe it is a financial issue. When when it comes to Penn State, and maybe this ruffles some feathers, it it is not a financial money issue. It is a marketing partnership business issue.

[00:02:03]Penn State just brought in $88 million from making the semi-final. This this two seasons ago with when James Franklin was the head coach. The numbers haven't come in yet for the 25 season, but the 24 season Ohio State, if I and I hope I have this correct, was the only school that made more money by winning the national championship.

[00:02:23]They made $88 million from the Big Ten TV network deal. So think about that for a moment.

[00:02:32]There there is no money issue. If you are having NIL problems in in the Big Ten for for some, right? Purdue doesn't is exempt from this conversation, but when it comes to Oregon and and Penn State, if you are not making enough money for your for your NIL funds, it it truly is a a partner issue because the money is there. Businesses should be lining up because college football is lucrative if you have a great football team. You can make a ton of money if you have a good football team, a great football team.

[00:03:04]Yeah, I'm I'm with you on that. I think most people would be. One thing I wanted to harp in on a bit you brought up is the NIL component because I think this line gets blurred very easily today.

[00:03:19]When you hear NIL, what what I think most people think of, oh, that's just players making money.

[00:03:27]But there are multiple avenues for a player to actually make money. And what I wonder about sometimes, and I don't think schools are required to and therefore they're not going to be forthcoming with the sort of information, I wonder, you know, take Dante Moore for example. Let's presume, and I think it's a reasonable presumption given that he would have been a top two pick in the NFL draft and decide to come back for another year of college football. Yes, absolutely was.

[00:03:53]Let's presume he's being compensated near or at the top of the market. And the highest offer that I've heard or been told Darian Mensah at Miami over 5 million, Brandon Sorrells-Nelson at Texas Tech oops at 5 million.

[00:04:10]>> Maybe maybe oops.

[00:04:12]>> At at at 5 million dollars. Yeah, may maybe oops. Let's let's leave that aside for the moment, but >> Yeah, leave it leave it leave it to the courts. But when you talk about how much money a player is getting I I just wonder if that's all coming from the NIL collective or if it's mostly coming from revenue sharing or if it's a 50/50 split. I literally don't know because Oregon's NIL arm Division Street is of course very well funded, incredibly successful, very effective, and it's not just about having the money. You have to be operationally well run, and they definitely are, but is the University of Oregon giving Dante Moore two and a half or Division Street's giving him two and a half or is Division Street footing the bill for four and the university is chipping in one? I really don't know. But when when I heard these remarks from Winningham and I started listing off as I did on a recent episode of Locked On College Football, the programs that without question could go ahead and and be in that range, Oregon came to mind, Ohio State came to mind, Miami came to mind, LSU, SMU in the ACC, don't forget about the Mustangs, Texas Tech came to mind as well.

[00:05:19]>> As well. Yeah, it's it's very real.

[00:05:21]Texas and Texas A&M those those as well, but I I think for the Ducks, you know, no matter whether there is a salary cap one day, never a salary cap, the money keeps going up, I don't know what scenario would arise in which they won't be at the top of the market financially.

[00:05:42]Yeah, again, Oregon doesn't have a branding problem, right? Dan Lanning is interesting, intriguing. That's somebody that you want to back. That's somebody that you want to support. It's not even just about Phil Knight. And Penn State can be there, too.

[00:05:57]I know, but they're but they're not.

[00:05:59]They're in the tier below.

[00:06:02]They they they're doing all of these current uh where Matt Campbell will go and they're holding these these fundraising events and stuff and getting creative, but that's So, when it comes to NIL, yeah, we know there's a salary cap right now that the university can only pay a certain amount of money towards football and that's give or take the way that it's allocated in most in in most schools. They just give all 17 million uh of the 20 million to football and then they divvy it up cuz that's what Penn State does. I don't know how Oregon does it, but 17 give or take 17 million goes to football and then some goes to men's basketball and then some goes to wrestling, women's basketball, whatever's kind of left over from that give or take 3 million, right? But, when you bring in $88 million, when you bring in this lump sum of cash, well you can't the university can't pay them. No, but the university can use that to invest with business partners and say, "You will get a return on your investment. If you help us build this football team. If you help out the NIL collective and help us create an elite football team that is competitive year in and year out, you will see a return on your investment."

[00:07:10]And that's that's the work around.

[00:07:13]That Oh, well, the university can't pay the athlete. No, but businesses can. And again, look how much it benefits you by supporting our NIL collective, by you making cuz they'll work out the business deals. If you sponsor this, if you pay for these athletes, if you do XYZ, you will see a return on your investment and then some. You frame it that way. Oregon again, it's not a money issue. It is simply a branding issue.

[00:07:39]Yeah, and know, the the 20 and a half million dollar cap, which is being challenged, by the way, and it may very well not actually exist. Maybe it never existed in the first place. All this stuff is so fluid, up in the air, difficult to enforce, legally dubious at best at times. What I was told initially when the 20-and-a-half million-dollar cap, you know, was was first, you know, put into college football, what I heard is that for Oregon, at least 15, probably more like 17 or 18, somewhere in that range, was going to football. And it's become very clear that the Ducks are all in on football. It's not that they ignore the other sports. They do not prioritize them like certain other schools do from a financial standpoint. And I think that Oregon basketball, honestly, is probably a step below comparatively where it sounds like you think Penn State football is. And that is enough to be good and competitive and play at a high level. You know, what what I've been told is that NIL and rev share wise, Michigan, which is a football-first school, just won the national championship in basketball. Now, they weren't doing that with pennies on the dollar going into the program, but they also were not funded at the top of the Big Ten or at the top of college basketball. And they just built the best team because they evaluated better.

[00:09:00]Indiana You need both. You need both.

[00:09:03]Indiana secretly has a huge alumni base, and that allows them to have money to keep Curt Cignetti in Bloomington for a long time, and they have had a lot of transfer portal success. We know NIL is a part of that, but it's not at the core of of their success. And so, even if you go to, you know, a $50 million roster, yeah, Oregon might might be there. It doesn't automatically mean on the field, means Oregon will have a great chance to compete better than others. It does not automatically mean, though, that Oregon is just ahead of a program like Penn State that they're automatically outspending, cuz for the longest time, unfortunately, we've seen it hasn't meant that, right?

[00:09:39]No, coaching is the differentiator.

[00:09:42]How how you build up the program, there's going to be levels to it, but then when you get to a level playing field, truly, the the game decided on the turf, decided on the grass, that is where coaching pay pays dividends because how was was Dan Lanning and Oregon spending tons and tons of money more so than Penn State this this past season? I mean, technically, I don't know, but when it came down to that game in the whiteout, the difference was coaching, the difference was better execution. You can't You can say, "Okay, well, Dante Moore is better than Drew Allar and this and Decorean Moore was better than any of Penn State's wide receivers," but it it was it was close, okay? It was close for a reason, but coaching, you you need to be able to again, I think it's a branding issue. I don't think it's a money It's not a money issue cuz the money's there. How you allocate it is is up to these programs. Oregon's got to figure it out.

[00:10:40]Penn State's got to figure it out. Yeah, I I don't anticipate, by the way, that the amount of money that goes into rosters of these players, I don't think it's going down. Hasn't gone down in the NFL.

[00:10:51]Does anyone think that we've maxed >> million in a couple of years, 70, 80.

[00:10:55]>> I mean, once upon a time a $30 a year quarterback in the NFL was, "Oh my gosh, that is so much money." $30 for a quarterback is going on the cheap side now. Because the top end of the market is 50 or or pushing towards 60. So, we'll we'll shift away from the the $50 comment and get to what will actually happen on the field. Where are everybody's post-spring expectations?

[00:11:19]That is coming up next.

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[00:12:51]Spring ball has wrapped up across the country. Where do Oregon's expectations sit? Where do Penn State's expectations sit? Let's do a little You're going to love >> love this because I'm going to sit here and say Oregon agree with you and say Oregon's a national title contender.

[00:13:06]>> Well, you know, here's here's how I want wanted to come at at at this segment is kind of the way that we do our, you know, crossovers leading up to games during the season. You ask me what what your out so I'm deep in the weeds, I'm in the forest on position group battles and this player and that player and expectations, but you know Oregon not as much as I do obviously but give me your outside view of where where you think Oregon is or what questions you have about the Ducks going into next year. I mean I don't I don't have a lot of questions.

[00:13:43]Are you going to be able to retain Dylan Raiola as a backup right? I guess that's that's one that's popped in my head. Is he going to end up at Texas Tech or something crazy? Up at that that's what I mean cuz they offensive lines in a good spot. You retain Dante Moore. You have Decoldest Crawford and Evan Stewart's back, right?

[00:14:01]And so the the loss of Kenyon Sadiq really doesn't again it's just kind of next man up mentality. Defensive line reloaded. You keep a guy around Amari Amari Washington. I hope I have his name right. He's somebody that could have been a high NFL draft pick ends up coming back for another season. So it's being able to retain players like that.

[00:14:19]Yeah, you lose T'Vondre yeah, you lose Bassa because he's out of eligibility but then you go and get Koy Moore you have Brandon Finney who's going to step up. So surface level stuff I guess I'm like the expert surface level when it comes to football.

[00:14:35]>> that's way that's beyond surface level man. That's >> expert surface level Round of a round of applause for Saiko everybody down in the comments. The Oregon ball knowledge is right right on point and I mean the way you look at it does underscore something I've highlighted a lot in this off season and will continue to do so. Mhm.

[00:14:56]They're just are are only first world problem sort of issues that Oregon has to try >> This has to be the year to get to the title. I don't know if you win it but you have to get there. It's definitely it's definitely title or bust. I mean I I've looked at it that way.

[00:15:13]>> that conversation over here at State.

[00:15:15]>> And look I didn't have that last year. I I did have that for Penn State personally over on Locked On College Football, infamously, I picked them to go 12 and 0 before the season because I felt like they had that type of roster.

[00:15:29]And Oregon has that same type of roster. I think Oregon's this year is better than Penn State's was last year, but I loved Penn State's last year with good reason. And the NFL draft and you know, transfer portal rankings as well would indicate that we were right to be excited about Penn State and Clemson. The coaching staffs >> Coaching matters. So, how are the coordinators? Your question mark is the coordinators. Yeah. And that that is one of my top two questions. By the way, coordinators is my number one question going into the year. Mhm. Do you want to take a guess what my legitimate number two question is? That that I am you know, most concerned about, so to speak.

[00:16:09]I I just I I don't know. Running back, maybe? Uh cuz they're still a little young and inexperienced.

[00:16:14]>> No, I think they got I think they got plenty plenty of depth there. It's a little off the beaten path.

[00:16:20]I got nothing. Because Jack, I don't know how good our place kicker is.

[00:16:24]Oh.

[00:16:25]It It is It is first world problems. It It is. Okay, it it is, but Oregon has had two separate seasons in which a good place kicker might have seen them at least make the national championship game. Two years.

[00:16:40]Mhm. In my childhood growing up that came down to a field goal and there were other factors as well, but if Atticus Sappington had been the kicker in those games in 2011 and 2012, there's a good chance Oregon plays for at least one more national championship. Maybe they win one, maybe they don't. But they they certainly would have won at least I I think one of those games in 2011 or 2012. And so, the leg on our kicker looks great. Yeah.

[00:17:09]But he also missed a 51 and 52-yard field goal in the spring game. He hit from I I it was 42 and 35. Kicks look really good. But I don't know how when Oregon goes to Ohio State and he's got a big field goal to swing the momentum and tie the game before the half. I've no idea if Gabe Shur has got the stones to drill something like that. Yep.

[00:17:33]>> And Atticus Sappington did. Won them the Iowa game, won them the Washington game, was a huge part of the Orange Bowl win against Texas Tech. So that that is legit. And to your point, and what we mentioned earlier, first world problem. No no doubt about it. I I want to shift this back around to to Penn State cuz the the way that I look at it, I know what Rasheed Walker is. I don't think he's elite, but I know that he's good. I I I like Rasheed Walker. And I know a good amount of the roster there.

[00:17:59]What's your confidence level in Penn State's trench play?

[00:18:03]Trench play? Uh so the defensive tackles I stock up for the defensive tackles.

[00:18:09]Uh stock neutral, but it it it really wasn't good to begin with on pass rushers. So I'm going to separate the DTs from the DEs, the defensive ends. Uh pass rushers uh I they are one injury away from uh they honestly shifting their defensive game plan. So D'antlin's going to have his work cut out for him.

[00:18:26]Offensive line, I I guess I'm optimistic. I have a ton of expectations for guys that like a Malachi Goodman who's a former five-star and has received rave reviews from this coaching staff over the course of he's 19 years old and he's going to be the starting left tackle for Penn State most likely.

[00:18:41]>> one featured on the documentary, right?

[00:18:43]>> Yep. Yep.

[00:18:44]>> With the with with Decoryan Moore. He's the one featured on Yep.

[00:18:47]>> Lot lot of great clips. Boy, they use tremendous audio on that show. Highly recommend the program.

[00:18:54]>> the people they used in that in that show were are outstanding. Some of the best best most in the country. I completely agree.

[00:19:01]Uh but yeah, Malachi Goodman from from the documentary uh should start. Anthony Donkoh I think can be a first round NFL draft pick if everything goes well. Uh so the offensive line and the defensive line defensive line uh to be determined little bit of pessimism from the pass rushers. Offensive line I don't see a reason why they can't be good. And why And honestly, why they can't be better than what Penn State was this past season when the offensive line wasn't that great. They were okay, good at times, but never great.

[00:19:31]And I think this group, if they build chemistry, absolutely can be. The talent's there. Can they tap into that extra potential?

[00:19:37]What's your biggest overall question?

[00:19:41]Uh how does Matt Campbell and this coaching staff adjust to Big 10? Uh so, D'Anton Lynn coaching at USC, coaching at UCLA, and having success at a place like UCLA.

[00:19:52]Uh I I The defensive coaching staff has three former play callers on it. How How many other programs can say that? Uh so, the defensive The defensive minds that are working together and collaborating are That That's one of Penn State's biggest strengths overall on the team going into the season. They took the best players from Iowa State and coupled them with good to great players that stayed at at Penn State, and I think those things can work together. Penn State's got an easy schedule. It is absolutely This is going to sound crazy. I'm not predicting it, but it is absolutely within the realm of possibility that Penn State goes 12 and 0 this season.

[00:20:28]If they do everything right I cuz they're not going to be What are they going to be two touchdown underdogs to Michigan? No.

[00:20:34]They're not going to be two touchdown underdogs to USC. Those are going to be one score games. Penn State hosts USC.

[00:20:39]If Penn State's a field goal and uh Vegas doesn't decide everything. The The lines don't decide everything, but I'm saying that those are going to be one score games on paper.

[00:20:48]Penn State is maybe a lucky play or uh a knee touching a blade of grass away for the for the Oregon white out game reference from winning a couple of those games if the if everything goes in their favor. So, if they have a little bit of luck on paper, they're equally talented to some of these teams. Best case scenario they go 12 and 0 and because Penn State's schedule is rather favorable.

[00:21:13]They could go I think the basement's 8 and 4.

[00:21:16]Um but this team is talented.

[00:21:18]>> basement? Yeah. Man. Michigan, USC >> the schedule is weak. Michigan, USC, Washington I I mean the middle of the road is 9 and 3. They lose those three games and then but I I think I think they can and my expectation is that they should overachieve. There is no reason you can't win one of Michigan and USC and not fall to Washington.

[00:21:43]Husky Stadium is a tough place to play but if you want a blueprint on on how to win there, just turn on the tape Oregon Washington 2025.

[00:21:52]That's a that's a good way to do it. Got to have a good place kicker for that one. You better. That is so true. If if you're going to model that that that exact game plan. Speaking of the rest of the Big Ten, who are the legit contender? Yeah, we know Indiana, Ohio State, but who could be a riser in the Big Ten? That's how we wrap today's show.

[00:22:18]A look around the Big Ten to wrap this crossover of Locked On Ducks and Locked On Nittany Lions. So, Oregon's a Big Ten title contender. Ohio State's a Big Ten title contender. Indiana is a Big Ten title contender. I don't think there is a single person in the country going into this year that is going to push back on any of that. No. I think the next tier of teams that we're waiting to see who emerges to join those squads at the top is Penn State right there in year one.

[00:22:49]Record-wise, they could be, but will they actually be able to ascend to the >> Yeah, [laughter] strength of schedule, efficiency to be determined. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Is USC finally going to make the jump forward that they should but have not yet. They have not made a conference championship game since joining the Big Ten. Is I don't know.

[00:23:13]Michigan Michigan you got to throw out there. Different circumstance than I expected coming into this season or than anybody expected really. But Kyle Whittingham man darn good ball coach and he had a down year last season or a disappointing year his last season at Utah. 10 and 2.

[00:23:34]That was not what Utah had in mind. They had a mind in mind 11 and 1 or 12 and 0 and instead they went 10 and 2. They were a one possession game away from being 11 and 1 and in the Big 12 championship game. So is there a team outside of that that core? I think you could put Washington in that second tier as well. But is there a team that stands out to you as hey, I don't think they're getting a lot of buzz or they're not going to pop in anybody's mind and I think they could go contend for a Big Ten championship.

[00:24:04]I I think the other teams that because generally speaking I think most people are going to overlook Penn State and just say well it's Iowa State 2.0 and generally speaking, right? I I don't subscribe to that and especially coupled with that schedule I think Penn State would be that next team if a lot of things go well that they could find their way. Would they trip? Would they stumble? Technically yes, but we're we're talking about actual results. The next team that people will gravitate to would probably be USC and Michigan. As and USC's got a really tough schedule.

[00:24:36]I'm not too I I guess I got to pull up Michigan's schedule to see what they have going on here in general.

[00:24:41]>> They also have they also have a really a really tough schedule. See and it's just going to be a survival of the fittest at that point. Yeah. You you play a Penn State team but how do you adapt if whether you win or lose? Are you ready to go up against Indiana the following week? Cuz Penn State's going to make that a physical game. And then you're on the road at Oregon. Of course, you have the game at the end of the season.

[00:25:04]Again, when we're talking Big Ten title and stuff, Michigan might have a nine and three season.

[00:25:09]And and and disappoint. And and it's a good it's a good season, but it's disappointing in the scheme of things because that doesn't get you into the Big Ten title or the college football playoff right now, which is why we're discussing expansion again at 2014 thing I have well Boo expansion. Boo.

[00:25:28]So, your your teams are the the tiers that I have them in. Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon in no particular order.

[00:25:35]That's tier one. USC, Michigan, I would throw Penn State in there as they still need to prove it. If you want to order them, I would go USC and Michigan. But then I think of the frame of mind I don't have them I don't have USC as a title as a college football playoff title contender. To get to the national championship game. I have them as a playoff. They can get in and maybe win a game, but do they get to the semi-finals or anything like that? I could see Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon all absolutely getting close to maybe being a play away, but those are semi-final caliber teams and title contending teams. I don't see that for Michigan. I don't see that for USC. I don't see that for Penn State. I see those teams as yeah, they could get to the Big Ten title if things break their way, but to make a deep run into the post season where they're in the semi-finals and they're one play away from a title birth.

[00:26:22]Nothing like that. And I don't see that for Washington. I don't see that for Iowa. Oh gosh, Iowa might have the worst quarterback >> See, I was about I was about to bring up I was about to bring up Iowa. And I I I agree with a lot of what you said. I also have USC ahead of Michigan going into this year. I trust the quarterback more. And while I think Michigan does have some beneficial moves in the transfer portal, I think USC's offense going to connect. And we'll see what Gary Patterson does.

[00:26:49]>> Bryce Underwood factor. That's he he or breaks this team. He he does in a in a way. It's not what defines Kyle Whittingham success on the field, but you do have to protect the ball better than I think Underwood did at times last year, but I I think, you know, Michigan and USC have played the last two seasons. USC is ahead of where of where Michigan is at coming into this year. They beat them by double digits this past year and the year before in Ann Arbor. It was a back and forth game and it came down to one play. And sure, it is not a coincidence that USC wasn't able to buck up and stop Michigan when you knew that power was going to be run on fourth and goal with the game on the line, but again, you go to their place, you lose a tight game, you come back home, you beat them soundly. I think USC is is ahead of Michigan in there. But for those who don't know Michigan's schedule, Iowa at Minnesota, don't ever sleep on P.J.

[00:27:42]Fleck.

[00:27:44]Penn State at home, Indiana at home, at Rutgers. I won't I'll be fine. Michigan State and then at Oregon. Nope. Uh UCLA at home and then at Ohio State. Having to play the collective trio of Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana and having two of them on the road.

[00:28:04]Look, I I trust Kyle Whittingham a lot.

[00:28:07]I just don't know like you if I can get to they're making the Big Ten championship If they go 10 and two in this with this schedule, they're in the playoff with no questions asked. Absolutely. Because they also play Oklahoma in their non-conference slate.

[00:28:24]So, I I I think they I think they would be I just don't know. It's so hard for a first-year head coach. Think about Curt Cignetti, who's the best coach in the country right now and one of the best coaches, frankly, that we have ever seen and he's only been there for two years, but I feel like I'm on really solid ground in saying that. Look at where his team was in year one against the big boy teams and then what happened in year two?

[00:28:50]Like it's so tough to have things at that level in year one no matter how good of a coach you are and Kyle Whittingham is as good as it is, but I I think that hurdle pushes Michigan's timeline to expect to make the Big Ten Championship game back another year and their schedule probably won't be as tough next year. I don't think they play Oregon in 2027. It's the Bryce Underwood effect because if he doesn't develop and if Michigan doesn't think that they have confidence to trust him he's going to be the he's the deal breaker. If he doesn't show growth and improvement in this season, he's in the portal after this year cuz that's not Kyle Whittingham's quarterback. That's not his guy. Yeah, that's true.

[00:29:32]>> He will go get somebody else so under what it >> he is a mega talent that the university has invested a lot into. I know. I know.

[00:29:40]By the way, worth noting according to FBS schedules, Michigan does in fact play Oregon in 2027 in Ann Arbor. They do not play Penn State and they do have to play Indiana again.

[00:29:54]Ouch.

[00:29:56]Ouch. This is this is the age of college football.

[00:30:01]It's no more just a two game schedule.

[00:30:02]No, it is it is most definitely >> it is, but 2027 what goes around comes around because look at Penn State's schedule in 27. I'm worried that they might go 500 there. It does it does definitely you know even out and that's by design, but when you have these mega conferences Zach, this is what you're going to deal with.

[00:30:25]A big reason even though Oregon's roster last year was incredibly talented a big reason I felt like it was not a national championship or bust season was this team is really young. There's a lot of inexperience. Dante Moore starting for the first time. Well, what do you know, that came to head in the Indiana game and it was a complete and utter mess.

[00:30:44]But the reason I still picked them to go 11 and 1 with their schedule was it is really favorable. Like Penn State was the only schedule disadvantage they had.

[00:30:52]Everything else, you know, yeah, you have Washington on the road in a rivalry game and they were going to be improved, but you were going to have 11 games under your belt at that point in time.

[00:31:01]Before you went to Iowa, you had what, nine games, I think it was, under your belt. And and so that that was really that was really beneficial.

[00:31:10]>> You highlighted that point in our crossovers last year going into the what turned out to be a Game Day game is, boy, Oregon's going to be a lot more dangerous in November. You're absolutely right. Yeah. Like they they were playing a much more consistent, connected brand of football at that point in time because they just hadn't played very much and by the end of the season they had. But then you look at Oregon's schedule this year, you go, "Oof, no Indiana. Okay, that's great. No Penn State." Sure, you maybe you would rather play them this year than last year on paper, but you got to play Ohio State on the road and then Michigan at home in back-to-back weeks. You're still going to have Washington in there. You got to go to Illinois. That's never a cakewalk.

[00:31:44]Their crowd is great. Like them's the breaks. Them that them's the breaks. I do think Oregon has a schedule. Here Here, I'll close with this thought on a difference between these two teams going into the year.

[00:31:56]Oregon at 10 and 2, probably in the playoff. Not guaranteed, but probably.

[00:32:00]>> Oh, I No, I think so. They'll be in the playoff.

[00:32:02]>> Penn State at 10 and 2, nowhere near the college football playoff.

[00:32:06]Uh if they lose to Michigan and USC, but they take I they'll be they'll be a bubble team, but I don't think they get in. I don't think it's no way.

[00:32:12]>> I I think there'll be too many good good resumes.

[00:32:16]So be it. And and I don't And I wouldn't think they would deserve to get in. I I'm just saying because of hey, brand power matters. Big 10. They they'll the the committee will say, "Well, it's still the Big 10. You beat Washington."

[00:32:27]Somebody's going to be better than we're giving them credit for on Penn State's schedule as it is. But uh yeah, if they don't win one of USC or Michigan, I consider this season a a disappointment.

[00:32:39]You just said something really interesting. Who could be better than it looks like on paper that proves to be a quality win?

[00:32:46]Yeah, somebody that's an eight and four instead of a five and seven, something like that.

[00:32:51]Who's going to be that?

[00:32:52]>> Minnesota Minnesota comes to mind. Can I interest you in Northwestern with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and Oregon State legend Aiden Chiles?

[00:33:00]>> I've heard good things from Northwestern affiliated people. That that's not going to be >> they had those.

[00:33:09]That they're not going to be a They're they're not going to be a pushover. That that's a that's a >> They weren't a pushover. They were a bowl team last year. They were respectable.

[00:33:17]>> That that's another that's a seven and five. Hey, maybe things go in our favor and Penn State's got to play them early in the Big Ten conference slate, so I would Hey, I was legitimately impressed with Northwestern's defense last year.

[00:33:28]Sure, Oregon put up 34 points, but Oregon's offense had a lot of talent, but their defense was well-coached, physical, tough.

[00:33:35]Offensively, they just couldn't do anything against Or against Oregon's defense, but hey, Chip Kelly won a national championship two years ago. You never know. Zach Seyko, Locked On Nittany Lions. I'm Spencer McLaughlin, Locked On Ducks. We appreciate everyone listening. We'll see you next time and until then, hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day.