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Recorded December 7th, 2025

Playoff crowns fell, rankings scrambled, and the sport felt brand new again. We dive straight into the chaos: Texas Tech’s Big 12 breakthrough, Alabama undercutting Georgia’s aura, and Indiana turning a “nice story” into a serious program statement. NIL money, smarter staffing, and modern recruiting are redistributing power, and the postseason committee is trying to referee it with rules that reward optics as much as results. We unpack the Notre Dame dilemma, why independence costs leverage, and how a 12-team bracket still leaves room for controversy—plus the cleaner fix we’d actually bet on.

Then we flip to Week 14 and get brutally honest about what changed. The Cowboys’ passing game shrank the moment CD left, exposing how quickly a plan can collapse when your No. 1 vanishes. George Pickens’ effort questions resurfaced. Ben Johnson’s Coach of the Year case? It’s real, built on identity and adaptability. Ravens-Steelers delivered the kind of rock fight where one blown call becomes the headline, even though the game turned on missed chances and situational execution. We explain what Pittsburgh did differently, why Baltimore shouldn’t point to a single play, and where that leaves both teams in the AFC grid.

Quarterbacks moved the needle more than the box score shows. Josh Allen’s late burst—legs, windows, timing—flipped Bills-Bengals faster than the win probability model could refresh, while Burrow’s back-to-back turnovers broke Cincinnati’s grip. In the North, Jordan Love found rhythm, and Caleb Williams mixed magic with late-game decisions that will define Chicago’s ceiling. We close with a sharp Eagles-Chargers preview: injuries in the trenches, primetime tendencies, and how a solid defense and clean protection can still tilt a “wide-open” AFC. Parity isn’t a subplot this year—it’s the theme.

If you vibed with the honesty and the heat, tap follow, share this with a friend who loves ball, and drop a review with your spiciest playoff take—we’ll read our favorites on the next show.

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