Taylor McHargue, ESPN joins 365 Sports to discuss his thoughts on all of the conference changes around college football, his thoughts on the QB’s that entered the transfer portal, his thoughts on Clemson headed into this season, his thoughts on the college football video game, and more.
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from are going into the Big 12 Taylor mcar ESPN joins us former rights quarterback on 365 Sports we appreciate Taylor your time has been a while since we spoke with you and thought it would be a nice time to check in and uh what a year it’s going to be there’s not as much although it’s there talk about conferences changing but conferences do have new blood the Big 12 has theirs the ACCC has theirs so does the Big 10 and the SEC how much do you look forward to them actually being in those conferences rather than talking about them that they will be yeah well first off good to be back with you guys um look I think I’ve already caught myself a couple times in the last week or so where I’ve mentioned the team and I’ve gotten the conference wrong and number one it’s just going to take some getting used to um I think the matchups on a you know week in week out basis it’s going to be a ton of fun and I think about the Big 12 I know losing Texas and and OU think some but some of the teams they added I mean this is going to be so fun having these especially I think about these late kicks where you have a an8 o’clock or a nine o’clock Central kick and there’s an Arizona or an Arizona State or Utah uh and just the entertainment factor I think it’s going to be a ton of fun and my stance on it from the beginning not just with the conference reignment but with the playoff expansion I think there’s going to be more meaningful football in the month of November uh and I think just as a fan of the sport it’s going to be a lot of fun yeah Taylor that was kind of the weirdest argument for me for the people who didn’t want it expanded was like well it’s going to it’s going to render a lot of these regular season games meaningless like no it probably just flips the meaningless month from September to November or you know around like where September meant a lot more because that’s when your big- time non-conference games are now it’s November because you’re trying to win the conference and uh if not you’re trying to finish close to the top of the conference and you could wind yourself up in that 13th spot if you have a November no doubt and the the example that I’ve used the last couple weeks is let’s take Ohio State in Michigan from last season both undefeated that game in my opinion is still almost as important it may be a half step down but uh even still in this expanded format that’s still incredibly important because one of those teams is now going to the big 10 championship and on a path to having a bye the other team is going to have to play in week one potentially on the Run and I’m want to say week one of the playoffs so there’s still a lot at stake and that’s for your top teams usually by the time you get to November you’re down to realistically in the old format seven teams eight teams tops that realistically are going to get into the college football playoff by the time you get to the last month of the season this in this expanded format not only with the power of five but the group of five as well you’re going to have a lot of teams still vying four spots in the college football playoffs and just for the sport as a whole I’m for it I’m a huge proponent of it I know there’s people that were against it and honestly wanted to revert back to more of the BCS style where it’s we just picked two teams and that’s it but I I just again as a fan of the sport so excited for these home playoff games in the month of December uh and I think this just going to be really entertaining Taylor we could take a whole hour and just talk about the quarterbacks in the transfer portal and the moves that were made um but I’m sitting here going over the list and I was thinking about just kind of reeling off the top five and and finding which one you thought was the most interesting but then I I kept going and I got to a guy’s name that I want to ask you about specifically what do you think about Blake shapen being at Mississippi State playing in that Jeff leby offense you know the struggles that he’s had um but the successes that he had a couple years ago um what do you think about that fit for him and just lby taking over at Mississippi State installing that uh style of his and and what they could do in a very crowded SEC yeah well I’m glad you said the last piece on crowded because I think Blake is is wildly talented but look Vegas thinks that this is the second worst team in the SEC they got Vandy and then Mississippi State and I I just with the expansion and adding the teams that they did with Oklahoma and Texas it’s not getting any easier for Mississippi State so I think it’s the fit with Jeff Levy I like I think it’s a better opportunity for Blake schaen but man I the piece is around him I think Mississippi state is in a rebuild mode right now and I I think it’s going to be a challenging year I I think they’re going to be struggling just to make a bowl yeah I’m just I’m I’m fascinated by that the the coaching situation and then shaping in particular uh seeing if he can bounce back but all right let me just reel off some names here cam W to Miami Dylan Gabriel to Oregon will Howard to Ohio State Riley Leonard to Notre Dame DJ OU angal to Florida State and the list goes on and on and on which of those are maybe one or two that I didn’t mention of the quarterback moves which ones are the most fascinating to you entering this season well cam Ward is always most interesting to me because I three years ago was doing their playoff games at UIW and I remember thinking I mean why is this guy playing and no offense to the Incarnate Word fans out there but my God this is one of the best arms in the entire country and so his path getting to Miami his path in the portal and and the numbers were being thrown around that he was getting in nil dollars I think he is a fascinating story and I know it stinks for UIW but in this mod era where you can move around I mean he’s one of the best examples of advancing your stature and your career from a a small onea or FCS School excuse me all the way to one of the biggest programs in the country um also interested in Riley Leonard I’m curious to see uh for Notre Dame in this again expanded playoff format he’s a guy that I think takes them to a level where it’s a tough schedule like it always is for Notre Dame but I could see them again making the college football playoff in this in the new format and he’s a guy that with his legs as well I mean this is not a pure passer this is a really Dynamic athletic quarterback and that’s another one that I’ll be interested in watching what do you think about Kate Club Nick full year two as the starter uh full year two under Garrett Riley uh much has been made especially by me about um deos Sweeney and his refusal to use all the tools at his disposal of building a team but this is still a pretty darn good athletic quarterback and uh he still recruit so um Clemson’s not going like all the way to the back of the pack no matter what happens no they’re not and in fact I mean they’ve got even odds with Florida State for the college football playoffs uh out of the ACC this year I think it’s a two- Team league and I think Clemson’s probably one of them Clemson’s conference schedule just in terms of the ACC it’s already not the most challenging uh conference and I think they got a favorable draw now they do have Georgia in week one but again new format if you lose in uh week one it’s not over you can go the rest of the season and even have two losses and Clemson likely they win the ACC with two losses I think they’re in uh you want to see Kate kutnick take that next step forward I mean he was thrust into a situation with DJ young and then last year thought he did some nice things I thought at times the biggest moments I thought maybe the ball got away from him a little bit but curious to see does he take that next step forward really not only as a leader uh but is he a guy that can take over games because I think he’s got the capability to um but is that the case we’ll see I do think if you made me guess today I think that’s probably a playoff here Taylor we may have asked you this before but it’s been a while since we had you on did you do any games with dquan Finn at Toledo no I did not but my God I’m I so excited to watch this guy because anybody that did not watch dquan fan and I know your listeners will know his story well by this point but I remember talking about him in the portal when when that was announced he’s one of the best players at the quarterback position probably in the whole country not just at the group of five level and an incredible athlete and what he does with the ball in his hands I think is really GNA be uh exciting for Baylor and Baylor fans and I did not have one of his games but just watched him from afar and have been a fan for a while Taylor the obligatory uh how excited are you for the football video game question uh you know I actually uh told I forget who it was earlier this week I had not owned a video game console since I was in college but I had to uh brief my wife about a month ago uh I was like look I’m I’m trying to figure out I’m gonna buy a game console number one I don’t know which one I’m gonna get because I don’t even know what you get these days and number two I don’t know where in this house you’re going to let me have it but I’m letting you know now that I’m I’m buying a game console so I’m pumped for it I mean the last time this game came out I was on it so it’s been a long time okay so so way yeah go ahead was that I mean I know now everything’s I mean it’s it’s college sports everything’s always been about money anyways but uh you know it very much is now on the Forefront but did it cross your mind back then of like I should be getting compensated for this or were you like holy cow this is just awesome that I’m in a video game just sort of where was your head at that point and now being older looking back on it like would you have viewed it any differently if you could well at Rice I think we probably had a little uh I had a little different perspective than maybe it wasn’t like we were playing at Texas where it was like you know I probably should be making a little extra money here um but I did even the video game back then I did think man maybe we should get some sort of payment on this thing but um no my memory from that video game was uh every year that it came out that I was on it at Rice’s quarterback it was like clockwork the game would come out and for like a week it was like middle school and high school boys would tweet at me and be likei started Dynasty mode and you suck on this video game so I gotta restart my season all the time and I’d be like guys number one why are you doing Dynasty mode with rice if you’re not doing a creative player get me out of there and restart this thing oh that’s great you could also back in the day just make you better I mean if you wanted to like or that yeah I mean just you know oh good guess what who runs who runs the the option really good now it’s Taylor mcar who knew uh but ju those stats to 99 across the board I what are we doing uh so I’m in a similar situation I’ve Al had to negotiate with my wife uh on this and it’s I mean we’re not we’re not to a final resolution but keep me updated how it goes for you so I can you know we can Workshop ideas yeah I will absolutely I’ll uh I’ll let you know what my setup ends up being uh we’ve got a little closet under the stairs that I think it’s possible that’s where I end up just Harry Potter yeah that’s right it’s very likely that’s where I end up so what was we have to ask so what was her initial reaction when you brought that up um I I think she thought I was kidding but uh I you know I had to sell it as uh number one I want to play the game but number two it’s good prep I’ll just whatever game I have that week I’ll te that up and you know I that didn’t help argument that much but um we’ll see yeah yeah when when you look at U the the Southeastern Conference and and who they have at quarterback with obviously Beck and ERS as and milroe and there’s others of course that are highlighted names um is there somebody in that conference we brought up shapen and Mississippi State but they got a long way to go is there somebody else in that conference that you’re intrigued by as a quarterback you know what I’m intrigued by is what happens the University of Texas schedule if you haven’t looked at it I you’ve got Michigan on the schedule you’ve got Oklahoma A&M Georgia I mean they down weeks or Florida and Mississippi States I mean this is a CH as challenging a schedule as Texas has maybe ever had it’s been a long time I’m really curious if in the early part of the season if there’s either an injury to Quinn ERS or there’s any turbulence How do they handle Arch Banning because they they were able to skirt around it last year there was no controversy but for a guy that took you to the college football playoff there is enough there behind the scenes and and certainly with the backup that they have in Arch Manning if there’s any turbulence or if he get if if Arch has to come in off an injury to Quinn ERS and plays well that’s just something that you always try to get your quarterback through the season but in a potentially 15 game season if anything goes wrong or anything happens I think that has the making in in Texas first year in the SEC to uh just be something to keep an eye on do you think that our national championship game we got last year of Washington Michigan uh is potential for two teams that may not even get close to making the playoff given how much uh they they both have changed roster wise this year oh absolutely I mean Michigan I forget what the percentage was but I think it was less than 40% of their production as a team is back this year uh new head coach I mean you’re you’re effectively starting from scratch there and uh Washington same thing I me you look at the production and obviously head coach as well and kayin dbor it’s a completely different roster for both of these teams and oh by the way uh for Washington especially new conference I think the pendulum in the Big 10 swings back in the direction of Ohio State I think that may be the best team in the country so yeah absolutely I think that may end up being two teams that not only are they not in the college football playoff but you know they’re hovering somewhere just above 500 both of them Taylor where was the toughest place you ever played I know you saw that that list I brought up the you know the video game had fun with that earlier um I saw you make a comment on your Twitter about about Kyle Field which was number one in that list granted it’s for a video game but it makes for especially interesting F this time of year so what would you uh say about I guess your thoughts on that but the toughest place you ever you walked into yeah I mean Kyle Field was the toughest place we played it was when Johnny was suspended and and it was you know they were just loud the most of the whole game we were beating them for a while in the first half and and that upset them for a little bit but when they came back and and Johnny came into the game just volume nonstop it was unbelievable and the point that I made on Twitter and that I stand by is when you look at the agies and when you look at Kyle Field across the board it doesn’t matter really who they play they bring that intensity every week because it just is ingrained in the culture and that’s what they do they make a ton of noise and they stay for the whole game there are individual examples if you go to Death Valley for LSU for a night game against an SEC team that may be the best atmosphere in the entire country but I in my opinion I don’t think there’s that same intensity if they’re playing at 11: a and maybe it’s a team they know that they’re going to roll same thing for the Penn State white out game unbelievable atmosphere are they bringing the same intensity for a noon kick versus Indiana probably not uh and so I think that’s where I had no argument with A&M at one because week in and week out it’s just an incredible level of intensity yeah I I made the comment when that came out I was like well wait a minute have they been winning enough to have the but you you bring that up but they have been 20 and five I think since Co at home it’s pretty darn good especially in the conference that they play uh so the uh the broadcast that you have and you mentioned using the game maybe to help you study when are you already starting to like Scout who you have or do you even know what games you have yet I I am my my situation is a little different this year I I switched over and just signed a contract with CBS Sports so they’re the only group that they announce their full schedule in the summer months and so I actually know almost all of my schedule with CVS now um and so it’s a lot of Mountain West and some of the midweek stuff with Conference USA and so yeah I’m going back in and was reading and I got my Phil steel magazine like everybody else and reading up on air last night because it’s just a team that I don’t know much about um and so start the Summer Prep now uh I’ll do doing the media days for uh the American Conference get familiar with them over the next couple weeks and then by the time you know we get to week one you really just try to get familiar with that that first game and then get into your process for the rest of the season Taylor um mentioning you Kyle Field in A&M Mike Elco uh takes over program that the roster refreshed the you know that recruiting class might as well from a couple years ago might as well have never existed it’s just a tale they will tell uh and people will try to believe it uh like a unicorn or something down the line do you think though that um by going back to being worker bees maybe more than Superstars at A&M might find a true identity again I think from a uh the ethos so to speak or or you know the the Mantra that is A&M feels much more in line with Mike Elco than it did under Jimbo where it was we’re just gonna go spend a ton of cash that model almost felt like a Miami right we’re just G to go buy the team and we’re going to roll and we’re gonna blow people out it never really felt like it fit with A&M and and you saw some of that with guys that were coming in getting their cash and then they were getting out of town uh I think the makeup of for the team uh I like to fit with Mikel I mean I think look that this year um there’s certainly going to be some challenges but uh is that a team that under Mike Elco expect them to to see some improvement from what the last couple years under Jimbo were yeah I do think so and then I mean the last one is how exciting now with all this stuff with with baseball is that A&M Texas game GNA be uh Friday or I guess it’s now Saturday after Thanksgiving oh it’ll be great it was going to be great anyway but now I mean it’s just unbeliev getting deeper and deeper yeah what are your thoughts about what are your thoughts about uh that we we’ve had an analyst who uh from the Austin American statesman we’ll have Olan Buchanan Tech sags in a second just as a sports fan from afar your thoughts about what’s happened this week man you know for I it’s heartbreaking if if you’re an agie fan my brother’s an Aggie and uh look I it hurts that stings about as much as anything uh at 24 hours losing a national championship and then losing your entire staff and now it looks like most of that roster just about as brutal as it gets I think it is a reminder for you know modern College athletics there’s no loyalty really anymore for these players and coaches very little I shouldn’t say none but uh it matters more that loyalty matters so much more to the fans than it does in a lot of instances for players and coaches where they’re going to go with the best opportunity is for them and if that’s to your direct rival that may in fact happen and that may feel like you know you were stabbed in the back but it’s a business to these guys and um again heartbreaking for the Aggies but when you trace back the relationship to CDC and their time at TCU you makes sense on paper it’s just unbelievable how it played out thank you Taylor appreciate it enjoy your summer good luck with that negotiation on the game and where it locates your house and keep us up to date so we can help Paul with his one-sided decision that won’t be his thanks for your time buddy D dor mcar with us Rice University quarterback and now part of CBS Sports Network we appreciate his time now when we come back
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Kyle McCord easiest Power 4 schedule 🤌🏽