The Rundown Take
It's Here: U Talk's Hype Show for Miami vs Texas A&M in the Playoff Opener
Two days before Miami's first-ever College Football Playoff game, Devin, Larry Frank Jr. and Melvin "G5" Bratton convened the hype show for the trip to College Station — and spent most of it marveling at how much trash Texas A&M had talked, and how quiet Miami stayed.
Key Takeaways
- The trash-talk theory: A&M started jawing a week and a half early — an offensive lineman calling Rueben Bain overrated, a backup calling the D-line no threat, Mike Elko calling Malachi Toney "little man." Larry Frank's read: you don't talk that much unless the film scared you.
- Bratton's verdict on the Aggies: "hit dogs holler" — they're shaking, and handing an angry Miami team bulletin-board material is a no-no. He's calling a lopsided win.
- Larry Frank's game plan: pressure and zone against Marcel Reed, who had seven interceptions in his last six games — rattle him and the turnovers come. And Shannon Dawson: no stubborn A-gap runs, keep the tempo, play-action, wildcat and jet sweeps flowing.
- Both hosts want Oklahoma to eliminate Alabama, arguing the committee used Miami and Notre Dame as a month-long deflection to sneak the Tide into position.
- Bratton went full storyteller: Jimmy Johnson's "there is no school this week" film-room rule, his own recruiting trip to College Station ("bro, it ain't nothing to do out here — we going to prison"), and why he'd still go over the top for one more snap.
The Goat Holds Court
Bratton — fresh off a call advising a recruit's family — dropped gems all night: why draft "gurus" moving Bain's stock over arm length is a money grab ("none of them are in the building"), his prediction that Alabama's coach bolts for Michigan, and the legendary brown-belt theory of Notre Dame culture, complete with the Monty Trainer's story where eight Domers showed up to a Miami patio in khakis and brown shoes exactly as he'd bet. On this team versus his 80s squads: his era had brotherhood, this one has "microwave friendship" — but Mario's plug-and-play culture is making it work.
The People Called It
The lines stayed hot. Jay predicted a star turn for Jojo Trader against A&M's suspect secondary and demanded the run game attack the Aggies' weakness. Joseph from Duval shared the story of his uncle Ronald Hammond, who worked in Miami's financial aid office and called the 1983 title four years early — then predicted 38-17. Rocky liked a comfortable win with the defense taking over. And Chris Kane closed the show in classic fashion: "belt to ass, 45-17," Reed "shaking like booty meat" under pressure — a phrase that broke Bratton completely and nearly ended the show twice.
One Game at a Time
The discipline message underneath the jokes was real: respect A&M, don't look ahead to the Ohio State blood match, and let the defense — a player-led unit, as the Corey Hetherman clip they played explained — set the tone in front of 112,000. Kickoff Saturday at noon on ABC. As Larry Frank signed off: everybody's doubting Miami — let's make believers out of them.