Happy Thanksgiving Week!

It’s a week full of rivalry games, College Football Playoff implications and most importantly Turkey Bowl games in your backyard. Anyone else already claim “all-time QB”?

With that said, we bring you a special Thanksgiving episode of Y-Option, thanks to our founding partner 76, with a unique guest in Big Sky commissioner Tom Wistrcill.

Commissioner Wistrcill is in his 5th year leading the Big Sky and this weekend they kick off their postseason with 5 of his schools in the FCS Playoffs. He shares insight into his leadership philosophy, the impact he thinks the CFP will have on college football, the state of roster management, the trickle up & down effect in college football, the Pac-12 rebuild and what the next move should be in the chaotic world of college football.

It’s a powerful discussion from someone who is in the rooms where meaningful decisions are made. As FBS football changes shape in a matter of weeks, Commissioner Wistrcill offers a lens from someone who has worked in the Big Ten and been an FBS Athletic Director and is now leading the top conference in FCS.

In addition, Jim Thornby and I explore some hot topics with a thoughtful lens. For instance, did Travis Hunter get snubbed for the Thorpe Award? What’s happening in the Big 12? Will Cal take down SMU and how would that impact the ACC’s standing in the CFP? Will UW roll with true freshman Demond Williams at QB against the top team in the land, Oregon? A reminder that the CFP is not an invitational and if you lose 3 games you are not given a pass. Plus, I give some major takeaways from my first season in the B1G and my thoughts on the massive showdown in Columbus with Ohio State hosting Michigan.

We finish off by sharing what we are thankful for (spoiler, it’s YOU!).

Pre-Thanksgiving I’m about to embark on baking a few pies and post-Thanksgiving, I’m off to the Rose Bowl to call one final game this fall alongside our phenomenal Big Ten Network crew. If history suggests, it’s going to be another close one as our crew only calls tight games! Or as our group text thread states, #BangersOnly!

Much love and many thanks to all of you and if you’re playing in your Turkey Bowl, I fully expect to see a version of what Cal and Illinois ran for their 2-point plays last weekend or if you dare, bust out this end around from the Dolphins.

Much love,

Yogi

This episode is executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production

Y-Option: College Football with Yogi Roth is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.y-option.com/subscribe