Welcome to the 2025 College Football Preview podcast brought to you by the Tailgators Setup crew. Host Brian Lennon is joined by the man behind the controls (and the bar), everyone’s favorite mixologist, Gary McDaniel. And last, but certainly not least, our resident-college-football-expert, and two-time loser of the Tailgators Setup Challenge, John Crimella. Welcome back boys!
Cold Open Question of the Week: Courtesy of Paul Pabst, from “The Dan Patrick Show”, posted the following on X this week:
You played college football...you can have one:
Heisman Trophy
Number retired by your school
Statue in front of the stadium
What to expect from the Tailgators this season:
Our own Weekly Top 12 (released on Sunday/Monday mornings)
John’s Notebook (Takeaways from the previous week, and a look forward to the next week)
The Podcast (each Thursday or Friday morning)
The 25 Greatest of the 2000s (we’ll rank the best games, teams and players from the first quarter of the century)
A special feature for the Florida-Georgia game
Substack Live (Gameday check-ins from the guys)
Special guests (fellow Substackers will join our podcast to lend their expertise and share in their fandom)
Watch Tailgators Setup Podcast on Substack:
What coach/player/team has the most pressure going into the 2025 season?
Steve Sarkisian/Arch Manning?
James Franklin/Penn State?
Ryan Day. Can he beat Michigan?
Florida’s Billy Napier and DJ Lagway?
Michigan’s Stiff Fine?
What do we think about the NCAA’s punishment levied against the Wolverines, and what does it mean for the future of the NCAA?
Predicting Conference Champions:
SEC:
John: Alabama
Gary: Ole Miss
Brian: Georgia
Big Ten:
John: Penn State
Gary: Penn State
Brian: Ohio State
ACC:
John: Clemson
Gary: Clemson
Brian: Clemson
Gary’s Parking Lot Party:
Irish Cyclone:
2 oz Irish Whiskey
0.5 oz Peach Schnapps
1 splash orange juice
4-5 oz ginger ale
Lime slice
In a shaker, add whiskey, schnapps, and juice, shake well and strain into a glass with ice. Top with ginger ale and garnish with lime slice.
The Dublin Wildcat:
1.25 oz Orange Juice
0.5 oz lemon juice
0.25 oz simple syrup
2 dashes orange bitters
5 blackberries
Add berries, syrup and bitters to the shaker, muddle until mashed, add ice, bourbon, lemmon and orange juice, shake and strain into rocks glass with ice. Garnish with blackberries.
More Conference Champion Predictions:
Big 12:
John: Kansas State
Gary: Kansas State
Brian: Houston
Power 5:
John: Boise State
Gary: Boise State
Brian: Tulane
Predictions Bound to Go Wrong:
Heisman Trophy Winner:
John: DJ Lagway
Gary: Cade Klubnick
Brian: Garrett Nussmeier
National Champion:
John: Alabama
Gary: Penn State
Brian: Georgia
Be sure to check out Griffin Olah’s 2025 Season Preview on SID Sports!
We hope you join us for tailgating this season! Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a podcast or read what the guys are reacting to throughout the upcoming season, which promises to be one of the wildest yet. Subscribe below:
