The Flagship: ESPN analyst Ian Fitzsimmons previews upcoming season

Horns247 Podcasts: Longhorn Blitz, The Flagship and State of Recruiting

ESPN college football radio/TV analyst Ian Fitzsimmons, who co-hosts Freddie and Fitzsimmons (with Freddie Coleman) weeknights on ESPN Radio, joins The Flagship Podcast for an exclusive interview this week to talk ball!!

Fitzsimmons, who got his start in radio in Alabama in the 1990s and knows the Southeastern Conference inside and out, attended Big 12 football media days and spent some one-on-one time with Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, running back Bijan Robinson and defensive tackle Keondre Coburn.

"My No. 1 preseason man crush is Bijan Robinson," Fitzsimmons told the Flagship Podcast before detailing how Robinson's close relationship with his grandfather, who served on officiating crews in the Pac-10 and Pac-12, led to Robinson idolizing Reggie Bush.

Fitzsimmons talks about why Texas fans should really like Sarkisian's coaching staff and if Fitzsimmons thinks Sark is comfortable being back in the glare of coaching one of the nation's top brands in college football.

Fitzsimmons, like our own Chip Brown at Horns247, says the first two games of the season for the Longhorns - at home against Louisiana and at Arkansas - are going to be difficult challenges for UT that will serve as a big barometer for Texas' entire season.

"A 2-0 start for the Horns would provide real momentum for Sarkisian's team in year one, because those games won't be easy," Fitzsimmons said.

Of course, Fitzsimmons, who used to host a show on JOX Radio in Birmingham, Ala., (when Paul Finebaum was still at JOX) called The Cheap Seats, weighs in on Texas and Oklahoma accepting invitations to the SEC and how it will impact this season and beyond.

Then, Brown and Fitzsimmons get into a fascinating, in-depth conversation about what could be next in terms of realignment for the remaining eight schools in the Big 12 - and across college athletics - that you don't want to miss.

As Brown and Fitzsimmons wrap things up, the conversation turns back to the 2021 season and how Fitzsimmons sees the Big 12 playing out, including his contenders and pretenders.

"The Big 12 is wide open," Fitzsimmons said before offering a surprise team to keep an eye on.

If you consider yourself a Texas or college football fan, you can't miss this interview episode of The Flagship Podcast.

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