DON'T BET ON BLACK

[00:00:03] Oh yeah, oh yeah, it's Tuesday night, Sports Reports As Ordered.

[00:00:09] We hear, unlike the missing Bradley Beal, and it goes like this.

[00:00:22] Yes, you are now listening to the sound of Sports Reports As Ordered.

[00:00:29] And tonight, we got college football playoff semifinal picks.

[00:00:34] We got some early NFL playoff thoughts.

[00:00:38] And we got a little bit more than that. We'll get to it.

[00:00:42] But we, I'm too fine.

[00:00:45] These guitars sound like all of it.

[00:00:48] And I got with me that Ethan Gill, born in Texas, raised in VA, representing New Jersey.

[00:00:54] He wants all you candy ass cronies out there to know

[00:00:57] that the state of New Jersey has been providing all the mud

[00:01:02] for all the baseball teams for the last 77 years.

[00:01:07] So any baseball you see thrown in a game, it was dipped in mud from New Jersey.

[00:01:13] And if you look around places like Yankee Stadium, Tampa, all across the major leagues,

[00:01:19] their infields, mud from Jersey.

[00:01:25] Don't bring feelings to a backbite.

[00:01:27] Don't do it.

[00:01:28] Don't do it.

[00:01:28] Let's get this underway.

[00:01:30] Like, review, subscribe, share, bring, do all the free things.

[00:01:35] Do all the good things.

[00:01:39] Mr. Logical.

[00:01:42] We've been talking about this for as long as we've had a show.

[00:01:46] We've been watching early topics.

[00:01:48] We've been watching other people talk about it since before we had a show.

[00:01:54] You know, the NFL came up with the Rooney Rule, you know,

[00:01:58] where you got to at least interview a black candidate.

[00:02:01] So now a lot of times when you see these news clippings, it's like, oh, they're interviewing

[00:02:07] a black coach.

[00:02:08] It must be the Rooney Rule.

[00:02:10] And it's sad because the reason that we even have to say that is because Jared Mayo didn't

[00:02:17] even get to put shampoo in his hair before he got fired after the game against Buffalo that

[00:02:23] he won, by the way.

[00:02:24] I mean, granted, Buffalo didn't play their starters, but still, you know, saying the Raiders out

[00:02:29] here gave it the good old effort and try.

[00:02:32] And Antonio Pierce went out and did a press conference.

[00:02:35] They asked him, is your job on the line?

[00:02:38] And he said, not that I've been told.

[00:02:39] And little did we know, he got fired today.

[00:02:45] And then, of course.

[00:02:46] I don't mean to laugh, it's just the BS, because they made him wear the Raiders jacket.

[00:02:51] Yes, sir.

[00:02:52] What up, residente?

[00:02:53] And then, of course, you know, ran Carthon, the GM of the Tennessee Titans, out after two

[00:03:02] years.

[00:03:03] So what does it take for a black man to keep his job in the NFL these days?

[00:03:10] I don't know, man.

[00:03:11] I, let's not be hyperbolic here.

[00:03:16] Let's be realistic.

[00:03:17] No, I'm being real.

[00:03:18] That was a real question.

[00:03:19] A lot of white coaches are getting fired at a rampant clip, too.

[00:03:22] The black coaches do seem to consistently only get one year.

[00:03:26] It's happening a lot.

[00:03:29] If you go back to Steve Wilkes, you go back to Lovie Smith, this year Gerard Mayo, Antonio

[00:03:37] Pierce technically got a year and a half, but one year as he, as he, uh,

[00:03:43] you know, the head coach short of it being deliberate, like, Hey, this person isn't my

[00:03:57] type of person.

[00:03:59] I don't know if it's a race thing.

[00:04:00] I don't know if it's a class thing.

[00:04:02] I don't know if it's a business connection thing that makes these guys make these decisions.

[00:04:08] And we talked about it in our pre-meeting.

[00:04:11] We'll get a case of point, like a guy like Gerard Mayo.

[00:04:14] Gerard Mayo is 17 years in the New England organization as a player and a coach, coach and a Bill Belichick.

[00:04:20] Um, nepotism has Robert Kraft's son in the mix in the decision-making process of the family business, which is new in the Patriots.

[00:04:33] I, I imagine that in conversations about going forward as a football team, the player coach who's played football probably since he's eight years old.

[00:04:48] And conversations with the nepot baby probably weren't, you know, on the up and up.

[00:04:56] So I imagine that the tone of the conversation is, I know what I'm talking about because I'm the co-owner, I'm the co-president or whatever title daddy gave him.

[00:05:08] Um, I saw Gerard, uh, Robert Kraft at the roast for Tom Brady.

[00:05:12] I don't think his health is on the up and up.

[00:05:15] I mean, obviously at 80 something, you're, you're going to be on the decline, but I think his is an accelerated decline.

[00:05:21] Especially if they took his spas from him.

[00:05:25] But like, he, he looked a little sick in the, in the, in the roast.

[00:05:28] Whenever they recorded that roast, he looked like he was moving a lot slower.

[00:05:31] He looked like he was like post-stroke, post-heart attack kind of like just movement or just, just getting old.

[00:05:38] Um, so the sun's probably taking up a lot of that, taking that mantle.

[00:05:41] And I think Gerard, Gerard Mayer's like, yeah, like, what are you talking about?

[00:05:45] Like, you don't know what you're talking about.

[00:05:47] And he's probably thinking like, well, I'm gonna go get a Patriot guy, a real Patriot guy, a guy that will, you know, shut up and coach.

[00:05:57] If necessary.

[00:05:58] And Mike Rabel, cause I think that's their prime candidate.

[00:06:00] They're going to jump through all these hoops to get out to other people.

[00:06:02] But Rabel means the most to New England of all the candidates that are out there that are available.

[00:06:08] And I think Antonio Pierce is in the same boat.

[00:06:10] People got to forget that.

[00:06:13] Davis got his team cause his dad died.

[00:06:16] Right.

[00:06:16] And we talked about it in the pre-meeting.

[00:06:18] The fact that his haircut looks like that.

[00:06:21] And like, I know it just sounds superficial, but the fact that his haircut looks that poor is evident that he doesn't have people in his circle that really give him direct advice.

[00:06:30] Cause like, no one would tell you to keep getting your haircut like that.

[00:06:33] People tell you like, yo, this, you look a little odd.

[00:06:35] Like if you had a real person in your corner, a real OG, they would tell you like, yo, this is not a good look.

[00:06:40] So when it comes to firing coaches, he hired John Gruden 10 year, a hundred million dollar deal.

[00:06:46] I don't know how many coaches were tenured at 10 years when John Gruden signed that and John Gruden had gotten fired from other coaches and had other state scandals going on.

[00:06:56] And you gave him a hundred million end up having a break bread with him.

[00:07:00] Then you hire, uh, then you had the interim coach come in, Rich Versace.

[00:07:07] You don't hire him.

[00:07:08] You hire Josh McDaniels.

[00:07:10] You're firing him.

[00:07:11] So you're still paying him.

[00:07:12] Damn sure.

[00:07:13] I shouldn't have had a job after that stunt with the Colts.

[00:07:15] He shouldn't have been hired after the stunt with the, with the, with the Broncos, with the cheating.

[00:07:21] And then the subsequent stunt with the Colts when he went back to New England and then he gets a job and then you fire him.

[00:07:28] So you're still paying him.

[00:07:29] So you hire Tony Gruden.

[00:07:30] So it was like, if he had any quality people in his corner, they would tell him like, you got to get out of the way.

[00:07:36] You got to hire a real GM.

[00:07:38] Don't hire some guy off TV.

[00:07:40] Cause he hired Mike Mayock off a TV had to fire him.

[00:07:43] It's like, you need to hand over the football operations to someone who knows football, not just because you're a nepo baby.

[00:07:52] And you think you can call it a shot.

[00:07:54] And with the Patriots, I don't know if they're just counting super bowls and they're like, Hey, Mike Rabel won.

[00:07:58] You've won three of these things.

[00:07:59] And you only won one.

[00:08:01] But when I go back and look at it, you know what bill Belichick's record was the first year with the Patriots.

[00:08:06] I imagine it was probably something like six and 10.

[00:08:13] He was five and 11.

[00:08:15] He was five and 11.

[00:08:16] And not only that, he was coming off of 36 and 44 as the Cleveland Browns head coach.

[00:08:23] So, so when I look at, you know, Mayo, you're a new England guy through and through, you know what I mean?

[00:08:29] And if they're going to treat you like this, there's no hope out there for a lot of these black coaches.

[00:08:35] Like I know that they're saying Brian Flores is going to take every interview that he can get.

[00:08:40] I know Patrick Graham, the defensive coordinator for the Raiders is going to interview for a bunch of jobs.

[00:08:44] I've seen Byron left, which is named mentioned with the Patriots.

[00:08:48] I've seen Pep Hamilton mentioned with the Patriots.

[00:08:51] And I mean, obviously, like you said, we know Vrabel's the guy.

[00:08:55] And that's kind of the thing that, because, because if you go back to Brian Dayball, when he got the Giants job, remember the whole confusion with that?

[00:09:04] And Belichick.

[00:09:05] Like text the wrong Brian?

[00:09:06] Yeah, he texts Brian Flores and was like, congratulations, X, Y, Z.

[00:09:10] And then it was like, oh, I texted the wrong person.

[00:09:13] It was before he had the interview.

[00:09:15] Yeah.

[00:09:16] And so, so, so that shows you right there.

[00:09:19] That shows you right there that the Rooney rule is just cosmetic more than anything else.

[00:09:25] You know what I mean?

[00:09:26] You have to do it.

[00:09:27] Like, you know, and if they didn't have to do it, it'd be even worse than what it is right now.

[00:09:32] So when I look at somebody like Brian Flores and I'm like, hey, look at what he's doing with that defense in Minnesota.

[00:09:39] You know what I'm saying?

[00:09:39] They're not very good when you look at the numbers per se, but teams are aware that they're playing a Brian Flores defense when they play the Vikings.

[00:09:49] It's timely moves, in-game adjustments.

[00:09:52] He does confuse quarterbacks.

[00:09:55] I think, I look at it like this.

[00:10:00] When Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells, Jimmy Johnson, all these guys back in the day were getting their job, the expectation was coach, quarterback, teams, draft picks.

[00:10:17] Everybody kind of grows for a couple of years, and then you see what you have.

[00:10:23] And we talked about this before with Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco.

[00:10:26] When Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco started as rookies in 2008, and Matt Ryan came out first pass through, you didn't see that on the wall?

[00:10:35] No, I didn't.

[00:10:37] I thought you went up there on purpose.

[00:10:39] But yeah, when Matt Ryan threw his first pass, him was a touchdown, and then Joe Flacco inherited that Baltimore defense and then led him to the playoffs, and then he was playoff, Joe.

[00:10:47] It changed the timeline for the quarterback.

[00:10:52] Subsequently, that changed the timeline for the coach because if you get the quarterback right, whatever coach you have in there will look like a good coach.

[00:11:03] Miami looked like a great team when two was healthy and he was running Mike McDaniel's system.

[00:11:09] As soon as you had to put in Skylar Thompson or Snoop Huntley or anybody else, it doesn't look the same.

[00:11:17] So if you're a guy like Antonio Pierce, you're starting off with a guy like Skylar Thompson.

[00:11:23] So you can't even get to the point where you can develop a good-looking offense.

[00:11:28] And then you got Gardner Minshew and Aiden O'Connell.

[00:11:32] They don't even have good running backs.

[00:11:34] They let their running back go.

[00:11:36] They traded away Devontae Adams.

[00:11:39] They knew last year.

[00:11:41] Like I said, we talked about this.

[00:11:43] The receiver documentary came out on Netflix.

[00:11:46] They knew then they should have traded Devontae Adams.

[00:11:49] Whenever they saw that, I don't care how it was edited, how it was cut, if it was taken out of context.

[00:11:55] He said a statement like,

[00:11:57] I'm out here about to lose my life because of the way Jimmy Garoppolo was throwing him the ball.

[00:12:02] So at that point, you knew Aiden O'Connell wasn't going to be better than that.

[00:12:07] You could have traded him before the draft, got a couple more assets, and be like,

[00:12:12] yeah, we're going to go fully young and develop.

[00:12:15] That might have bought him some time.

[00:12:17] But see, and that's the problem though, right?

[00:12:19] Because you got Gardner Minshew, Aiden McConnell.

[00:12:22] You had Jacoby Brissett starting the season because he was a former Patriot too.

[00:12:27] So you finally put Drake May in.

[00:12:29] You know, he was as good as advertised, you know, especially for a guy that didn't even start the season.

[00:12:36] So you look back at it now and you bring in a Mike Vrabel, the Raiders hire whoever they're going to hire.

[00:12:42] You've got more draft picks now.

[00:12:44] You're going to make some trades or whatever.

[00:12:45] Maybe if you're New England, you go out there and get T. Higgins or something.

[00:12:49] And then Mike Vrabel goes 8-9 next year, 9-8 next year.

[00:12:53] And he's the toast of the town.

[00:12:54] And it's like, well, we might have done that under Mayo too if we would have gave him the same type of roster, the same type of upgrades.

[00:13:03] But when I look at Rand Carthon, he is the one that is the most egregious to me.

[00:13:08] Because when I look at him, like you fired your last GM because he traded A.J. Brown.

[00:13:15] You know, or like that was one of the main reasons that he never upgraded the quarterback position.

[00:13:21] You know, you were stuck with Ryan Tannehill.

[00:13:23] Even though you got to an AFC championship game, we knew that Ryan Tannehill wasn't a quarterback or a Super Bowl winning quarterback.

[00:13:31] So Carthon comes in.

[00:13:33] He drafts Will Levis.

[00:13:34] And it doesn't go so well.

[00:13:36] He played okay last year.

[00:13:38] But this year he didn't take that next step.

[00:13:41] He played okay one game against a very poor defense when he threw four touchdowns against Atlanta.

[00:13:48] For the rest of the time, he was below.

[00:13:50] He was subpar.

[00:13:51] And he was not good.

[00:13:53] He was not a good draft pick.

[00:13:54] I think they were enamored.

[00:13:56] I talked about this last time on the show.

[00:13:57] I think they were just enamored with how he looked.

[00:13:59] He looked the part.

[00:14:01] Never played the part.

[00:14:02] He just looked the part.

[00:14:03] But even if you look at this offseason, they killed the draft last year.

[00:14:08] They went out and got J.C. Latham in the first round to help their offensive line, to help out Peter Skowronski, who they got the year before.

[00:14:15] So you're addressing the line.

[00:14:17] You went and got a center in free agency that had only given up two sacks in his career.

[00:14:22] So the offensive line was coming together since you had a young quarterback.

[00:14:25] All-American defensive tackle.

[00:14:26] Yeah, you went and got Tavondre Sweat.

[00:14:29] But you traded for LeJarious Sneed for the secondary.

[00:14:36] You traded for Ernest Jones, even though you traded him later in the season for Jerome Baker to Seattle.

[00:14:42] But you also got a fourth rounder out of that.

[00:14:47] And then you got – so you had that.

[00:14:52] You picked up Tony Pollard, even though that's not a replacement for – what's the word I'm looking for?

[00:14:57] For Derek Henry, even though you can't replace Derek Henry.

[00:15:02] But Tony Pollard was a good get at a good price.

[00:15:06] That was a dark guy.

[00:15:08] You went out and got Calvin Ridley.

[00:15:10] And this is like all one-off season.

[00:15:12] You went out and got Calvin Ridley, you know, coming off of the best year of his career, you know, when he was coming off of the suspension for Jacksonville last.

[00:15:19] So you took him off of his best career year from a division rival, you know what I mean?

[00:15:25] So you did things.

[00:15:27] And it's not a one-year project, you know, because Mike Vrabel was a good coach, regardless of what people might think.

[00:15:33] He was an actual good coach.

[00:15:35] Took him to the AFC Championship game, like I mentioned.

[00:15:38] But we live in this society of what have you done for me lately?

[00:15:43] This isn't college football where I can go NIL $4 million and get some great quarterback and we're fixed or we can go to a bowl game now.

[00:15:54] You know, this is a 53-man roster of the best players in the world.

[00:15:58] You're not going to make that up in one season.

[00:16:01] And granted, I thought that they were going to be a surprise team and make the playoffs because I like the moves that they made.

[00:16:08] You know what I mean?

[00:16:09] And we talked about it.

[00:16:10] Week one and week two, they were literally two plays away from being 2-0.

[00:16:15] You know, and if you take their one-score games, that's an 8-9 team this year.

[00:16:20] Yeah, your admiration for Tennessee is remarkable.

[00:16:23] But their quarterback is terrible.

[00:16:25] Their GM should have gone well.

[00:16:25] That's what I was going to say, especially considering the quarterback.

[00:16:28] The GM in New Jersey is keeping his job.

[00:16:30] But especially considering that the quarterback and Mason Rudolph was your backup.

[00:16:36] And, you know, you were still competitive.

[00:16:38] They were still in games, you know, even though you had the head coach cussing out the quarterback, you know.

[00:16:44] But so back to your point real quick, the Giants, you know.

[00:16:48] I saw Amara do an interview and they were like, you know, what's your patience level?

[00:16:54] And he's like, I'm running out of patience, so they better hurry up.

[00:16:57] And I'm like, you couldn't have fired them.

[00:17:00] What are you talking about?

[00:17:01] You could have fired them right now.

[00:17:03] No, don't give them another year if that's how you feel.

[00:17:06] What up, Mike?

[00:17:06] What up, Mike?

[00:17:06] On Mike's podcast.

[00:17:10] Yeah, it's all about, like I said, something we talk about in the pre-media.

[00:17:18] Like a lot of, you know, sometimes you get these nuggets, you get this information that flows to your phone, to your algorithm, whatever the case may be.

[00:17:23] But I saw a clip probably like an hour and a half ago, Henry Cavill plays Superman.

[00:17:27] And he was reading off some advice that a friend of his got from like an 80-year-old man.

[00:17:35] And he sent it to the text, so he saved it in his phone.

[00:17:38] And he read off one line that I want to use now.

[00:17:41] He said, 80% of you doing your job well is your ability to work with other people.

[00:17:47] So you can be a top performer, but if the narrative is that you don't work well with others, you're going to lose that battle.

[00:18:02] I know, stereotypically, black people in spaces with white coworkers or predominant white environment, like the front office.

[00:18:15] Like the military?

[00:18:16] The military.

[00:18:17] We've been viewed as combative.

[00:18:20] But ultimately, it's like, we tend not to play the bullshit game.

[00:18:28] Like, it's like, yo, we're not, like, I'm not coming in here and kiss your ass.

[00:18:31] Because I don't need you as an individual to approve of me.

[00:18:34] Where I think sometimes when you work in these environments where they are a racial divide and that gap.

[00:18:42] Because it's not 80-20.

[00:18:43] Once you get into leadership, like I said, I'd go to these meetings.

[00:18:47] And I don't know if race really played a factor in people's decision making.

[00:18:51] But if you look around, 14 people at the meeting, 11 of them looked alike.

[00:18:56] Two or three look like me for the most part.

[00:18:59] Maybe it was a Hispanic guy, a couple of black dudes, 10 to 12 white guys.

[00:19:03] Like, in a 15-person meeting for the most part.

[00:19:07] So there is a dynamic there of familiarity.

[00:19:11] And then when you're not familiar, I think there could be either a deliberate divide or a confrontation at that divide.

[00:19:20] Like a racial DMZ.

[00:19:21] It's not like a full-on racial.

[00:19:23] It's like, yo, I'm not with the bullshit.

[00:19:26] And I'm trying to let you know I'm not with the bullshit.

[00:19:28] Like, I remember I had a few times when I was in the military, I had to pull people to the side.

[00:19:31] I'm like, listen, man.

[00:19:32] This is not the issue that you want to have.

[00:19:35] I'm like, I don't need you.

[00:19:37] It's cool.

[00:19:37] I've been doing this job longer than you.

[00:19:39] I don't need you to be your buddy to succeed here.

[00:19:44] So don't try to act like because I'm not your buddy, I'm not on my team.

[00:19:49] I mean, I know what I'm doing.

[00:19:50] I know more about this than you do.

[00:19:53] I'm not here to be your friend.

[00:19:54] And I think sometimes that – because you have to – because sometimes you can't blur the lines.

[00:19:59] Because some people don't understand that.

[00:20:01] It's a dynamic that they don't understand.

[00:20:03] I think Antonio Pierce in his specific situation, he had that 2-5 in him.

[00:20:09] You know what I'm saying?

[00:20:10] Because we're fortunate.

[00:20:11] And, you know, I always tell people I treat jobs like I treat cars when I'm at the dealership.

[00:20:18] You need to sell that car more than I need to buy it.

[00:20:21] You know what I'm saying?

[00:20:22] You need to hire me more than I need to work for you.

[00:20:25] You know, there's 30 companies or more that I can work for that offer what you offer.

[00:20:30] You know what I mean?

[00:20:31] But you need me for a specific reason.

[00:20:34] So I think Antonio Pierce had that attitude because we talked about that where,

[00:20:37] ask Telesco.

[00:20:39] You know what I mean?

[00:20:40] Like, it was like he was – like you said it last week, he's daring the Raiders to fire him.

[00:20:45] And to some degree, you're right.

[00:20:47] You know, like I don't think he wanted to get fired per se, but I think he wanted to push the issue.

[00:20:52] Like, you know, is this my job or not?

[00:20:55] Where's the leeway?

[00:20:57] Where's the boundaries?

[00:20:59] Because like I said, he came out yesterday to do the press conference, and he was like,

[00:21:03] I haven't been told this ain't my job.

[00:21:06] And less than 24 hours later, gone.

[00:21:09] When the players were the ones that advocated for him in the first place.

[00:21:12] So now you're spitting in your player's face.

[00:21:15] So as an organization –

[00:21:16] But they're probably going to move a few of those players.

[00:21:18] It's probably a few outspoken guys that they were like, you know.

[00:21:22] But I think the plight of –

[00:21:27] The company man.

[00:21:29] I don't – I think Mike Tomlin's in the perfect position because that organization doesn't fire coaches.

[00:21:36] They're not historic – they've had three coaches in the last 55 years.

[00:21:42] Mm-hmm.

[00:21:43] So, I mean, it's like that's a different thing.

[00:21:47] The Giants have never had a black coach.

[00:21:50] Well, the Giants never started a black quarterback until the week that they benched Eli.

[00:21:55] And even in Geno.

[00:21:57] And got death threats.

[00:22:00] And I think they still wanted to start the other guy.

[00:22:05] Yeah, so –

[00:22:06] Yeah, it's an odd dynamic.

[00:22:09] And I guess I'm not a person that runs the race.

[00:22:13] I'm like, I don't think –

[00:22:14] I don't think, hey, they hate the fact that he's black.

[00:22:17] I'm not – and he hates the fact that he's white.

[00:22:19] I just know that I've worked in – lived in predominantly white areas.

[00:22:24] I've worked in predominantly white organizations.

[00:22:27] And when I've had a beef with someone, I could tell that there was like this fear.

[00:22:33] Matter of fact, I'll give you an example.

[00:22:34] I was in a leadership thing when I was getting promoted to master.

[00:22:38] And the senior master sergeant, I was going to E7.

[00:22:40] He was at E8.

[00:22:41] And he actually said this, and I didn't really think about it until I told somebody else this.

[00:22:46] He said the most terrified he's ever been in a leadership position is correcting a black woman on her hair.

[00:22:55] And I was like – I kind of chuckled.

[00:22:58] I didn't really think about it.

[00:22:59] Then I said it to somebody else, and they were like, why would that be the case?

[00:23:04] Like if this girl's hair is out of regs, this woman's hair is out of regs, then correct her.

[00:23:09] But like he said it to the point where it was like a common thing in the room that we all understand.

[00:23:16] Because like I said, I get it.

[00:23:18] But I get it because I know how – like I had to deal with white coworkers who would talk to each other.

[00:23:25] Like I literally sent the email once saying, listen, I feel like when I walk in a room, you guys had just stopped talking about me.

[00:23:30] So do me a favor.

[00:23:32] Just holler at me.

[00:23:33] Just call me.

[00:23:34] We can chop it up.

[00:23:35] No problem.

[00:23:36] I don't want these misconceptions going around, and I got to come to this work environment and feel like – I feel like I got to walk on eggshells.

[00:23:46] You know what they did?

[00:23:47] They got in a tighter circle and started talking.

[00:23:50] And then like six months later, they were like, oh, well, you said this thing.

[00:23:53] I'm like, that was a joke.

[00:23:55] Like y'all been holding on that?

[00:23:55] I had to have him cornered in the office.

[00:23:57] I was chewing him on.

[00:23:58] I'm like, y'all been holding on that for six months?

[00:24:00] That was in July.

[00:24:01] It's January.

[00:24:02] I'm just saying this now.

[00:24:03] But like it was like this fear of dealing with how do I deal with this man if he gets angry?

[00:24:09] But Antonio Pierce is – I don't know if he's the perfect coach for the Raiders, but he's the perfect personality for what the Raiders represent.

[00:24:20] And when I look at –

[00:24:21] He's what he's trying to represent.

[00:24:22] Right.

[00:24:23] If you look at it, it's not authentic.

[00:24:25] And when I look at Jared Mayo, I would like to think that since he played for the Patriots, so this ain't a guy that Robert Kraft met through somebody else or somebody that he got a recommendation about.

[00:24:38] You were around this guy for years.

[00:24:40] So, like, if you can't – and I'm not saying that I don't have any inside sources, but if you can't pull him in an office and just have a conversation or, you know, like as a leadership role owner down to head coach or whatever the case may be, then you shouldn't have hired him in the first place.

[00:24:56] And that's what I was saying at the beginning of the year is that Antonio Pierce and Jared Mayo, I felt, shouldn't have been the head coaches of those teams.

[00:25:05] And it wasn't necessarily because I don't think that they don't have the ability to be head coaches.

[00:25:12] It was just look at these teams.

[00:25:14] These are the jobs that we get.

[00:25:16] You know, Mike Vrabel gets the job, and it's the same team, but you get the job, you know, when you got Drake May now.

[00:25:23] You know what I mean?

[00:25:24] And you got a top three or four pick.

[00:25:26] Ray Brul –

[00:25:26] And now you can build upon that.

[00:25:29] He walks into two years because the narrative is going to be Bill Belichick left the cupboard bare.

[00:25:36] Jared Mayo didn't build it.

[00:25:39] And we can't be paying another coach that we fired because more than likely, I figure if I'm Ray Brul, I'm going four to five years on my deal.

[00:25:48] Yeah.

[00:25:49] So, I imagine Mayo's deal was five years.

[00:25:53] So, you're paying Mayo because I don't think anybody else is going to hire him as a head coach.

[00:25:57] Honestly, I don't know what he did as a coach that says to you, oh, I think he could get another shot.

[00:26:05] Well, the one thing that I will say –

[00:26:07] The enemy was going to probably get a lot of – he was going to get a lot of interviews because you can look at what the Kansas City offense looked like under him.

[00:26:14] The one thing that I will say is that both teams, the Raiders and the Patriots, they played hard all the way to the end.

[00:26:21] Like, the Raiders just weren't any damn good at all.

[00:26:24] You know what I mean?

[00:26:25] Like, the Patriots at least had Drake made to where even though they were losing, you were like, look at this.

[00:26:32] He's gaining great experience.

[00:26:34] You know, like, this season is going to pay off next year.

[00:26:37] And maybe year two, he takes that step and the Patriots become a little bit better team.

[00:26:42] With the Raiders, they were just awful.

[00:26:44] So, you think that the Raiders – because the Raiders drafted, what, 11 or 12 last year?

[00:26:52] Somewhere in that range, maybe 13?

[00:26:54] Something like that.

[00:26:55] After the Vikings.

[00:26:56] They were right before Denver because everybody was scared – they were scared that the Raiders were going to take a quarterback, you know, and Denver ended up with Bo Nix.

[00:27:05] Or was – yeah, so all the other quarterbacks went.

[00:27:10] McCarthy, Penix, Drake May, Jane Daniels, Kayla Williams, all the quarterbacks were gone.

[00:27:19] I think if Antonio Pierce was given, like, hey, I think –

[00:27:26] Yeah, Denver was 12.

[00:27:27] They were 13.

[00:27:28] So, the Raiders were 13.

[00:27:31] Yeah.

[00:27:32] So, I think if they would have told him last year, like, hey, we're going to give you – we're going to hire you as a head coach for, you know, going forward next season.

[00:27:43] This year, we're going to try Jared Stenum.

[00:27:47] I think they had him on the roster.

[00:27:49] See what we have.

[00:27:50] See if we have any trade bait.

[00:27:52] And then maybe you lose a couple more games and you're at eight instead of Atlanta.

[00:28:00] Well, the moment –

[00:28:02] And you can get Penix.

[00:28:03] The moment that I reflect on that makes this bullshit for me is – was it Christmas?

[00:28:09] Last year when they played Kansas City.

[00:28:12] They won that game in Arrowhead, you know, with the defensive touchdowns.

[00:28:17] And after that game, like, Antonio Pierce was like, yo, this is what we do.

[00:28:22] This is the Raiders.

[00:28:23] You know what I'm saying?

[00:28:24] Like, he was putting his – even though he was the interim, he was putting his stamp.

[00:28:28] Like, this is what we do.

[00:28:30] This is our identity.

[00:28:31] We're going to come into Arrowhead and we're going to kick the shit out of these guys.

[00:28:35] And that's Raider football.

[00:28:37] And I was like, yo.

[00:28:39] Like, even though he didn't necessarily have head coaching experience, I was like, look at this, man.

[00:28:43] Like, he's a leader.

[00:28:45] You know what I'm saying?

[00:28:46] He's not afraid of the big, bad bully on the block.

[00:28:49] You know what I'm saying?

[00:28:50] And that's a guy that you can build with because you can hire the coordinators and let him grow as a head coach.

[00:28:57] You can do that just like Mayo.

[00:28:59] He hired Alex Van Pelt, you know, who was Cleveland's offensive coordinator with Baker Mayfield.

[00:29:06] So it's one of those things like, oh, Cleveland shouldn't have let Baker Mayfield go.

[00:29:10] You know why?

[00:29:10] Because Alex Van Pelt was helping him out.

[00:29:13] Now, granted, Baker was good on his own, but still.

[00:29:15] You know what I'm saying?

[00:29:16] But then he comes to the Patriots.

[00:29:18] Him and Mayo can't get along for whatever reason.

[00:29:21] Mayo threw him under the bus.

[00:29:22] So I think Mayo might have done himself in just by his mouth.

[00:29:26] If they, if the Raiders would have finished with six wins instead of, I think they probably got.

[00:29:34] They were four and 13.

[00:29:35] No, I'm talking about last season.

[00:29:37] Oh, last year, last year.

[00:29:38] Yeah.

[00:29:39] So if they would have said, hey, we're going to give you the head coaching position.

[00:29:43] Let's try some other guys out, improve our draft stock, but showcase the talent we have on our team.

[00:29:49] I think they're at, because I think Atlanta went seven and 10.

[00:29:54] If the Raiders went eight and nine last year.

[00:29:56] They go seven and 10.

[00:29:59] Maybe it's a coin flip.

[00:30:00] And they're at eight instead of 12.

[00:30:02] So now this year, it's like, all right, we got Cam Ward.

[00:30:06] We got Shador Sanders.

[00:30:07] Carson Beck before he was injured.

[00:30:10] Quinn years before, like this potential $6 million mystery fund is going to drag him somewhere.

[00:30:16] I'm thinking probably Oregon.

[00:30:18] Maybe Notre Dame.

[00:30:19] Maybe Notre Dame.

[00:30:21] You had some good quarterback draft picks.

[00:30:24] And it's like, nope.

[00:30:25] The Raiders are picking six.

[00:30:28] Six.

[00:30:29] Oh, you're talking about this year?

[00:30:30] Yeah.

[00:30:30] And now to get one of those quarterbacks.

[00:30:35] We could have got one of these quarterbacks.

[00:30:37] And because your stubbornness, you know, I guess, a year of winning, however you want to define it, cost us this opportunity.

[00:30:49] So now to move up, who's going to give you a spot?

[00:30:53] Who's going to move you up?

[00:30:54] New England?

[00:30:55] Is New England going to let you get the four?

[00:30:57] I would think if there was a team, it doesn't really get you very much.

[00:31:01] But I mean, it would be Jacksonville, but that doesn't help you.

[00:31:05] Yeah.

[00:31:05] You got to get the two.

[00:31:06] You got to believe that Cleveland is so financially stuck with Deshaun Watson.

[00:31:18] And now they don't want to draft a quarterback and sit him.

[00:31:22] And now he's having problems with his rehab.

[00:31:25] You know, they said that he's like relapsing or like, you know, he's not progressing.

[00:31:29] So now you're in a position where you're like, I might want to take a quarterback because, yeah, I'm paying him whatever amount of money.

[00:31:36] But do I want to go for it?

[00:31:37] Yeah.

[00:31:38] Yeah.

[00:31:38] So, you know, so you might want to draft a quarterback too and, you know, sit him out next year anyway, you know, and take a, maybe you take a lesser cap hit the year after because they already did the restructure on his contract.

[00:31:50] So, you know.

[00:31:50] I imagine that's probably the, that was a nail in Pierce's coffin.

[00:31:55] But Carthon is the one, like I said, Carthon is the one that bothers me because, you know, you had to tear it down to build it back up.

[00:32:03] And as a head coach, I can understand to some degree if you're like, hey, I don't think the philosophy matches our identity or what we're trying to do.

[00:32:12] You can say that.

[00:32:13] But as the GM that went out here and made all these moves, can I at least see the moves fail?

[00:32:19] You know what I mean?

[00:32:20] Like, can I at least, if they're going to fail, can I, yeah, I agree with that resident.

[00:32:24] I agree with that.

[00:32:25] And that's what I was saying about the identity.

[00:32:28] Like, when he made that speech last year after the Kansas City game, he was Raider personified.

[00:32:33] Yeah, but the Nipple babies, the Nipple babies don't personify that.

[00:32:37] Like, I was watching Kyle Carhart a few years back and he was talking about, I think he might have been talking about.

[00:32:42] He was talking about the two titties?

[00:32:43] I mean, two cities?

[00:32:44] He was talking about, you said.

[00:32:48] That peanut butter skin.

[00:32:50] Like, something like 30 or 40% businesses that get built from the ground up by the parent, once they're handed down to, like, the oldest child, they fail.

[00:33:01] Because the parent started from the ground up.

[00:33:05] They built it from the startup to it being worth 10, 12, 15 million dollars.

[00:33:10] And then the person who lived off of the benefits of it, when they take over, it doesn't resonate.

[00:33:18] It doesn't, like, the desire to make it grow from 15 to 45 million isn't there because they profited off of this, you know, their whole life.

[00:33:26] The cars, the vacations, the houses, that's all they know.

[00:33:29] Whereas, you know, these other kids are the same way.

[00:33:34] So, with Tennessee, at least that GM can go into another meeting and say, this is what I did with the Tennessee Titans.

[00:33:47] So, if anybody moves off their GM, I think the Giants probably would have been wise to move off their GM and their coach simply because they're going to get a new quarterback in any way.

[00:34:02] I'd rather marry the three of them together versus two lame ducks.

[00:34:07] But that's kind of the problem, though, with the Giants, right?

[00:34:09] Because when they got Dayball, the whole thinking was, Josh Allen had his best season with him.

[00:34:14] So, it was like, he's not the quarterback guru.

[00:34:17] Yeah, but he didn't, the coach and GM didn't pick Daniel Jones together.

[00:34:22] Mm-hmm.

[00:34:23] So, right now, you're in a position where, if you're going to tear it down, tear it down.

[00:34:28] So, give him that lesson, Greg.

[00:34:32] Why we got to overreact to one game like this?

[00:34:36] I don't know if you trade for Milton.

[00:34:39] I think you need to, I mean, if you don't give the next guy a couple of gears

[00:34:44] and give it a shot.

[00:34:45] Yeah.

[00:34:46] I mean, give it a shot.

[00:34:47] Like, you're going to be behind.

[00:34:48] You're not going to win your division for the next four years.

[00:34:54] Four years.

[00:34:55] Because you got, because, you know, once Mahomes starts slipping a little bit,

[00:34:58] you got Bo Nix and Sean Payton.

[00:35:01] Oh, fuck.

[00:35:02] I forgot about Bo Nix.

[00:35:03] It could be three or four years before you're even competing.

[00:35:07] And you could be in, like, the way the NFC North looked this year,

[00:35:10] where it's like, if the Bears could have turned around a couple of different games,

[00:35:14] they would have been in that mix to where you got three or four double-digit wins,

[00:35:19] and then the Bears.

[00:35:20] It would have been like the AFC North last year.

[00:35:22] Yeah.

[00:35:22] So, like, you're three years away from that minimum.

[00:35:27] And that's predicated on somebody falling off.

[00:35:31] Yeah.

[00:35:32] Either they pay Bo Nix so much, which that won't even happen for two more years.

[00:35:37] So.

[00:35:38] Maybe three.

[00:35:39] Yeah.

[00:35:40] So the Raiders, you are in a position where, like, you're the unique square one.

[00:35:44] You're at the bottom of the AFC Westboro.

[00:35:47] All three teams ahead of you are leaps and bounds ahead of you.

[00:35:51] Their coaching staff is better.

[00:35:53] Their.

[00:35:53] Quarterbacks all young.

[00:35:55] Quarterbacks are all young.

[00:35:56] So this ain't Aaron Rodgers where you're like, hey, in two years,

[00:35:58] he might hit his decline.

[00:36:00] Yeah.

[00:36:01] Like, you have.

[00:36:01] You got three years before one of them even declines.

[00:36:05] And if you give Mahomes, like, some sneaky 6-3 deep threat out of all of a sudden

[00:36:13] that can, like, stretch the field, he might be able to, like, you know,

[00:36:17] advance is creative more.

[00:36:18] So there's no guarantee that you're even going to be competitive.

[00:36:22] So I would say, you know, make that move.

[00:36:25] But you got to be locked in and dedicated to the coach that you get.

[00:36:30] But I don't know if they have that level of dedication because nobody wants to

[00:36:34] believe that.

[00:36:36] They.

[00:36:38] Are a poorly run team when they are running the team.

[00:36:42] Hey, Steve.

[00:36:43] Bill's secondary isn't that good.

[00:36:45] I don't care how many snaps they played.

[00:36:49] So, you know, Sam, but of course we got the playoffs starting this weekend.

[00:36:53] So, you know, we got some great matchups.

[00:36:55] You know, all, you know, anywhere you look, I can find a good game.

[00:36:59] You know, you got Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

[00:37:01] You know, they hate each other.

[00:37:03] You know, the Steelers have had, besides two weeks ago, the Steelers have had success

[00:37:07] against Lamar Jackson.

[00:37:08] You know, you got the young guns, CJ Stroud against Justin Herbert.

[00:37:13] Can Herbert get his playoff win that has alluded him to this point?

[00:37:18] Can CJ Stroud pick up from a bad regular season?

[00:37:22] You know, you got Tampa and Washington.

[00:37:24] Baker Mayfield, big play bake going up against Jaden Daniels, Mr. Hill Murray himself.

[00:37:30] You got the Vikings and the Rams.

[00:37:32] You got the student against the teacher.

[00:37:35] O'Connell against McVay.

[00:37:36] And you got a little Brian Flores in there.

[00:37:38] Is Jalen Hurts going to play?

[00:37:40] I think he will.

[00:37:41] But Jalen Hurts against Jordan Love rematched from week one, just like the Washington Tampa game.

[00:37:46] You know, then you turn around and you got Bo Nix going up to Orchard Park.

[00:37:52] And let me tell you now, nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.

[00:37:57] But, you know, so Mr. Logical, I just wanted to talk to you and, you know what I'm saying,

[00:38:01] like get some early playoff thoughts.

[00:38:03] We're not going to make any picks, but, you know, just like what stands out to you about either these matchups or just in general.

[00:38:11] And no, James, Mahomes will be 30 in September.

[00:38:17] All right.

[00:38:17] So one thing that stands out.

[00:38:21] Who's Q?

[00:38:22] Huh?

[00:38:22] Who's Q?

[00:38:24] Oh, is he back?

[00:38:25] No.

[00:38:25] Like he talking about like Q was right.

[00:38:28] Who's this Q?

[00:38:29] Like John Q?

[00:38:31] Like Quincy Jones, rest in peace.

[00:38:33] It can't be.

[00:38:33] I don't know this Q.

[00:38:35] Q watching Westwood.

[00:38:36] Barbecue?

[00:38:38] Q out there.

[00:38:39] What's that show everybody?

[00:38:40] Yellowstone.

[00:38:43] Yellowstone night at the Sanders house.

[00:38:45] But yeah, but what stands out to you about these playoffs?

[00:38:47] What stands out to me, one thing.

[00:38:51] First thing is the Rams.

[00:38:53] I hope the rest was worth it.

[00:38:57] I just feel like three versus Washington.

[00:39:04] Hey, watch it.

[00:39:05] Instead of like, I don't want the 14 win team.

[00:39:10] In fact, with the resurgent, resurgent, you know, quarterback and the dynamic wide receiver when I can get the 11 win team with the rookie.

[00:39:21] You know what I mean?

[00:39:22] Like the rookie also with the head coach who was, I want to say part of the, he was part of the, he was the head coach of the biggest Super Bowl collapse for sure.

[00:39:32] And then coming off the defensive effort that he led last year in Dallas, maybe it's in his head.

[00:39:39] Maybe some, maybe some of that, you know, matriculates, maybe that conversation is on different shows besides me bringing it up right now.

[00:39:46] Maybe that's the conversation that comes up.

[00:39:48] I just feel like, I hope the rest for Stafford was worth it to just stay pat at four.

[00:39:57] Are you forgetting something, Mr. Logical?

[00:40:01] Are you forgetting something?

[00:40:03] What's that?

[00:40:04] Are you forgetting that before the Vikings went on this winning streak and lost to Detroit this weekend,

[00:40:15] the Rams were their last loss?

[00:40:21] That's cool.

[00:40:22] But the Rams also have five or four more losses than the Vikings.

[00:40:28] And I think it would have just been, I would have personally rather played the rookie.

[00:40:33] I agree.

[00:40:34] Los Angeles versus the guy from California.

[00:40:39] Or with the USC.

[00:40:41] But that guy from California.

[00:40:43] He was bigger than the Rams when he was at USC.

[00:40:46] And that guy from California got no playoff in his life either.

[00:40:51] True.

[00:40:51] So he has no failures.

[00:40:53] But he also is on a better team.

[00:40:56] They score points in bunches.

[00:40:58] He has the dynamic duo at the wide receiver position.

[00:41:03] I just think that was a strange move.

[00:41:06] It was a strange move.

[00:41:08] Philly might have gotten Philly.

[00:41:10] I think Philly got, unfortunately, with Christian Washington tearing his ACL.

[00:41:19] And whatever's up with Jordan Love's elbow.

[00:41:23] I think that's the...

[00:41:26] Oh, yeah.

[00:41:27] You would know, wouldn't you, Mike?

[00:41:34] So, I like the NFC.

[00:41:37] I like what...

[00:41:40] I like what Dan Campbell said to Kevin O'Connell at the end of the game when he shook his hands and said,

[00:41:43] see you in two weeks.

[00:41:44] Yeah.

[00:41:46] I thought that was dope.

[00:41:47] Because I think it does two things.

[00:41:51] One, it gets to the Rams.

[00:41:53] They've been playing it all week.

[00:41:56] I imagine since it's been said, it's been a conversation in the building.

[00:42:01] They won't say it publicly.

[00:42:04] But if they get an opportunity to play Detroit at some part in this playoff round,

[00:42:08] I don't know how it's going to stack up.

[00:42:09] Whether it's NFC Championship game, whether it's the next round, if they do beat Minnesota.

[00:42:13] I think that would be a talking point.

[00:42:16] But I like that he said it because it might fire up the Rams to beat Minnesota.

[00:42:21] So he doesn't have to deal with them again.

[00:42:23] And I agree with Steve.

[00:42:24] I think it was kind of crafty.

[00:42:26] It probably wasn't deliberately crafty, but I think it could be a movie.

[00:42:29] He probably didn't think it would get caught.

[00:42:31] You know what I mean?

[00:42:32] But, you know, but like, yeah, I agree with Steve.

[00:42:35] I mean, McConnell's my coach of the year.

[00:42:37] So, you know, for me, at least, you know, I'm on board with that.

[00:42:41] But, you know, it was weird because when Minnesota played Detroit,

[00:42:44] it was almost like I was watching Ohio State-Michigan where it was like,

[00:42:49] you're trying to beat Detroit at being Detroit, you know, like they went for it on three different fourth downs in that game.

[00:42:55] And in the other 16 games this season, they went for it 10 times.

[00:43:00] So it was like, I don't know what point you're trying to prove, but it didn't work anyway.

[00:43:07] It's the New England, it's the Peyton Manning-Kansas City conundrum.

[00:43:12] We used to see it back in the day when Peyton Manning was out here and with the Colts throwing 35, 36, 37, 40 touchdowns a year.

[00:43:23] Teams would get in the red zone and play uncharacteristic.

[00:43:27] You know, you have a smash-mouth team like the New York Jets.

[00:43:30] You know, they get in the red zone.

[00:43:32] All of a sudden, now they want to try to go from like kick the field goal, play defense.

[00:43:35] Hopefully Peyton Manning doesn't beat you up the seams.

[00:43:38] Same thing with New England when they were on their run.

[00:43:40] Same thing teams are currently doing against Kansas City, especially the Chargers over the last few years.

[00:43:45] Here's a question.

[00:43:47] Oh, my bad.

[00:43:47] Go ahead.

[00:43:47] The game was so bad for Minnesota, I think you can just scratch the tape.

[00:43:53] You can just be like, you know what?

[00:43:54] Like you don't even have to look at it because it was so bad.

[00:43:58] You could just come up with a fresh game plan because nothing really worked.

[00:44:03] Here's a question for you.

[00:44:04] None of this worked.

[00:44:05] It's like, boom, all right, we'll scrap that.

[00:44:07] And then if we play them again, we'll stick to our guns.

[00:44:11] Here's a question for you.

[00:44:12] What's the reaction in Baltimore?

[00:44:15] And what do we say next Tuesday if the Ravens lose this game to the Steelers?

[00:44:26] I can't believe Lamar had that many turnovers because I think that's the only way it happens.

[00:44:32] He has to turn the ball over.

[00:44:34] Him personally, because Derek Henry doesn't fumble.

[00:44:36] Like he had a fumble early.

[00:44:38] I think it was like his first round.

[00:44:39] He fumbled and not lost to Pittsburgh.

[00:44:40] It was like the first one like three years.

[00:44:43] So it's not a thing that he does.

[00:44:45] We've seen Lamar not play like the Lamar we love in the playoffs.

[00:44:52] Mike Parker.

[00:44:53] Mike Parker.

[00:44:53] They would have to either turn Lamar over.

[00:44:58] Like he would have to go from only throwing what, four interceptions all year?

[00:45:02] I think maybe five.

[00:45:04] Four or five.

[00:45:05] But it definitely was less than six.

[00:45:08] He would have to throw two this game.

[00:45:12] Maybe one goes to the house and maybe get strip sacked holding onto the ball too long because he doesn't want to run.

[00:45:18] Kind of in that game against Kansas City last year, the AFC championship game where it's like you're not the strip.

[00:45:24] You don't get strip sacked.

[00:45:25] That's not what happens to you.

[00:45:27] You're too quick to get strip sacked and fumble the ball, stuff like that.

[00:45:33] So he would have to do that because if he just plays to their normal standard plans,

[00:45:39] like it's only so much you can game plan for a guy.

[00:45:44] Yeah.

[00:45:45] So, yeah.

[00:45:47] It would have to be how did we – how did Lamar and the Ravens turn the ball over that much?

[00:45:53] Very similar to, like I said, the Zay Flowers fumble in the AFC championship game at the goal line.

[00:46:01] It's like you're talking about a game of inches.

[00:46:03] He was in.

[00:46:04] Granted, he had the bad penalty but still made up for by diving for the goal line.

[00:46:09] But that –

[00:46:11] Yeah, and that was one of the reasons that I brought this up because Zay Flowers might not even play this weekend.

[00:46:16] So that's going to be – it's going to be a Bateman game.

[00:46:19] Mark Andrews, you might have to throw some likely in there.

[00:46:21] There's going to be a lot of likely and one-on-one matchups with someone.

[00:46:25] So either you get likely on the rookie, Peyton – like that.

[00:46:29] That rookie's talented.

[00:46:30] The rookie linebacker from Pittsburgh is talented.

[00:46:33] Maybe you –

[00:46:34] Oh, yeah, my guy, Peyton Wilson.

[00:46:37] Yeah, maybe you find a matchup to where he has to cover likely off the line of scrimmage just to reduce the pass rush.

[00:46:46] Something.

[00:46:46] Maybe chip TJ Watt – I keep calling him TJ – TJ Watt a little more.

[00:46:51] They'll figure out something because I think they have enough because all you got to do is get –

[00:46:55] Well, at least they know the Ravens well.

[00:46:57] You know that they know the Ravens well if nothing else.

[00:46:59] Yeah.

[00:47:01] So good luck to the Packers, by the way, because let's just say for whatever reason they beat the Eagles next week.

[00:47:09] Let's just say they do.

[00:47:11] You got to go to Ford Field, dog.

[00:47:15] Philly and Detroit back-to-back is nasty.

[00:47:19] And I don't want no parts of it.

[00:47:22] That game – the last game at Ford Field is the reason why I was confident in Jordan Love because I watched it on Amazon Prime.

[00:47:30] But I watched it like – I don't know if it's called Madden mode or game mode.

[00:47:33] You know, all 22?

[00:47:34] Yeah.

[00:47:35] So I watched it from that.

[00:47:36] And it was a couple of like free blitzers up the middle.

[00:47:39] And he just, you know, he kept the ball, kept it tight, and he did a little shoulder shimmy, reset his feet, and threw like a deep crossing route to –

[00:47:50] We got to see how healthy he is because, you know, that was his throwing arm that got messed up against Chicago.

[00:47:56] Yeah.

[00:47:57] And it was like – it hit a helmet.

[00:47:58] So imagine no – it's probably just point of contact pain where like how much can you tolerate?

[00:48:05] Yeah.

[00:48:06] And like I said, we got to see if Jalen Hurts can clear a concussion protocol.

[00:48:12] Listen, if the concussion protocol is like how we did it for the military.

[00:48:19] I think it was like an AM test where you sat on a computer and like little images will pop up.

[00:48:26] And it was like click the button when you see an A or click this, you know, like so you can't really fake it.

[00:48:31] Remember the pattern.

[00:48:32] Yeah.

[00:48:32] You can't – like it was like, you know, you can't really fake it.

[00:48:34] They would just measure your cognitive post-pre-deployment and post-deployment.

[00:48:40] Honestly, I would just walk in – if I was the trainer, I would just walk into the room and I would say, what is your name?

[00:48:48] And if he says Jalen Hurts, you're good to go.

[00:48:51] If he walks in that room and he says, I am Batman, then you ain't playing.

[00:48:57] Listen, what's your social security number?

[00:49:00] What state were you born in?

[00:49:02] If you know that, you got it.

[00:49:03] Put it on and the ball up to 20s.

[00:49:05] You know what I'm saying?

[00:49:06] That simple, you know.

[00:49:08] So, you know, I was looking at this and this Washington-Tampa game, not just because I'm a Washington fan.

[00:49:16] You know, I was like, I have no idea how this game goes.

[00:49:19] You know, both of the secondaries are just awful.

[00:49:22] You know, Austin Eckler should be able to make an impact.

[00:49:26] They made that tackle inbounds to keep the clock running against Atlanta, so their secondary is pretty good.

[00:49:32] No, man.

[00:49:33] Like, no.

[00:49:34] That was all Raheem Morris.

[00:49:36] And, you know, so like – but when I look at that game – when I look at this game, it's one of those games where usually you'll say something like,

[00:49:43] don't let the lesser team hang around because the more they hang around, they build confidence.

[00:49:48] But it's more like just make sure that Jaden doesn't end up with the ball with like a minute left.

[00:49:54] Just make sure that doesn't happen.

[00:49:56] But maintain rush lane integrity every third down.

[00:50:01] If you do that, you give yourself a shot.

[00:50:03] I'm not saying he can't throw the ball, but I'd rather – because he's not going to drop the ball in open space while running free

[00:50:11] because you're in man-to-man coverage and everyone ran upfield and he's jogging for a 15-yard gain.

[00:50:17] If you don't do that, I think you'll be fine.

[00:50:19] I think if you don't do that, you got a home game.

[00:50:21] I imagine Florida's going to be warm, so the weather's going to be good.

[00:50:24] It's going to be good football weather.

[00:50:25] If you can maintain good rush integrity, make him beat you from the pocket, don't give him anything easy, you'll be fine.

[00:50:34] Baker's going to make big, big plays because he's just – I think he's one of those guys that lives for these moments.

[00:50:40] You saw what he did to Pittsburgh, you know, skip Baylor's famous line.

[00:50:45] 8-3 down the stretch of last 11 game, winning the Pittsburgh game, put 44 – blah, blah, blah, blah.

[00:50:50] So he does have big play playoff in him.

[00:50:53] He beat Philly last year.

[00:50:55] So I'm going to just go with – I'm going to go with the guy.

[00:50:59] I think they're equally as confident.

[00:51:01] I don't think Jaden Daniels walks into the game feeling like he, as a rookie, shouldn't be there.

[00:51:08] Yes, Jalen Hurts makes Philly better.

[00:51:10] You know, like they did just make the Super Bowl two years ago.

[00:51:13] And, you know –

[00:51:15] He could have been the MVP.

[00:51:16] Yeah, he could have been MVP if it wasn't for a guy named Patrick Mahomes.

[00:51:19] So, like, he does make them better.

[00:51:21] Like, if you got to go into the playoffs with Kenny Pickett, you know what I'm saying?

[00:51:26] Like, don't plan on being in the playoffs very long.

[00:51:28] Or the more missile Tanner McKee.

[00:51:31] Tanner McKee, you know what I mean?

[00:51:32] But – and one last thing before we wrap this up.

[00:51:37] Minnie, get it off my chest here.

[00:51:39] Can we please stop with the, they didn't want the Bengals in the playoffs?

[00:51:46] Kansas City don't give a damn about no Cincinnati Bengal because of something that happened two years ago.

[00:51:53] How about the Bengals don't lose to Jacoby Brissett?

[00:51:56] How about the Bengals don't give up 38 points to a rookie quarterback?

[00:52:00] How about the Bengals make a field goal in overtime?

[00:52:04] How about the Bengals convert on a two-point conversion?

[00:52:06] If the Bengals want to make the playoffs, they got nobody to blame but their sorry-ass selves.

[00:52:12] Any one of those and they would have been in.

[00:52:14] Sorry-ass selves.

[00:52:16] Like, I don't care that they beat Denver.

[00:52:18] Because you know why?

[00:52:19] They already had eight losses when they did that.

[00:52:23] You know what I'm saying?

[00:52:24] So, they were under .500 coming into that game.

[00:52:26] And you sit up here telling me that a team that's giving out 30 points every week damn near,

[00:52:33] Patrick Mahomes is scared of them?

[00:52:35] It was the whole SEC, Ole Miss, South Carolina.

[00:52:41] Nobody wants to see them in the playoffs.

[00:52:42] Like, it's the rhetoric.

[00:52:44] Like I said, I talk about it all the time.

[00:52:46] People would rather wish for someone else, some organization that isn't successful,

[00:52:53] to be successful in lieu of acknowledging a successful organization or a successful person.

[00:52:58] It's like people, it's like Cat Williams said, like, your affection to losers is not like you.

[00:53:04] It's something like that.

[00:53:05] I think people like that.

[00:53:07] I think people just like to root for.

[00:53:10] Like, people say they root for the underdogs.

[00:53:12] If anything.

[00:53:12] These guys aren't fucking underdogs.

[00:53:13] But if anything, I would have liked for, if I had to play that game, I would have rather it had been Miami.

[00:53:20] At least I could look back and be like, hey, your quarterback missed all these games.

[00:53:24] You know what I'm saying?

[00:53:25] Like, and so, so like, you know, like Burrow, I can't blame him.

[00:53:29] Appreciate it, Mike.

[00:53:30] Like, I can't blame him for any of this stuff.

[00:53:33] You know what I mean?

[00:53:33] We were talking about it.

[00:53:35] Like, he probably deserved the MVP vote if they would have made the playoffs.

[00:53:39] He's going to get a handful.

[00:53:40] You know, but like, that defense is just like pure D shit.

[00:53:45] And they led the, they had a guy lead the league in sacks.

[00:53:47] You know what their defense reminds me of?

[00:53:51] Deontay Wilder.

[00:53:54] Anyway.

[00:53:57] I'm just saying.

[00:53:59] But anyway, you know what I'm saying?

[00:54:00] And so we're going to transition from one playoff to another playoff.

[00:54:05] And guess what?

[00:54:06] Sorry, SEC, you couldn't get invited.

[00:54:09] Yes, Texas is here, but they ain't going no further.

[00:54:12] How about that?

[00:54:13] Spoiler alert.

[00:54:14] You know what I mean?

[00:54:15] But for real, for real, for real, for real.

[00:54:18] You know, we got a game on Thursday.

[00:54:22] We got a game on Friday.

[00:54:24] We got brands, brands, brands.

[00:54:28] We got Notre Dame.

[00:54:31] They got a game against Penn State down in Miami at the Orange Bowl.

[00:54:35] You got Texas, even though I just brought them up.

[00:54:38] They got a home game because they're playing in Jerry World against Ohio State.

[00:54:44] Now, of course, there's going to be some snow, allegedly.

[00:54:48] Apparently, it's going to snow here in San Antonio on Thursday, too.

[00:54:52] But apparently, there's going to be like three inches of snow up there in Arlington.

[00:54:57] Not Fort Worth, people.

[00:54:58] It's Arlington.

[00:54:59] But anyway.

[00:55:01] So I'm going to start with Penn State, Notre Dame.

[00:55:04] This is a game that I've been waiting for for a long time because even though I hate both of them and wish the stadium would just open up and swallow them whenever they're on the field, it's one of those things where you're guaranteed almost that it's going to be a good game when they play each other.

[00:55:18] So you know what Notre Dame and Penn State makes me think of?

[00:55:22] And I only thought of this because we talked about it so much the other day.

[00:55:26] It reminds me of J. Cole saying, me looking at Drake is the Spider-Man me.

[00:55:31] You know what I'm saying?

[00:55:32] That's Penn State and Notre Dame right now.

[00:55:35] This is Mortal Kombat mirror match.

[00:55:37] Two teams that aren't going to be able to run the ball against each other.

[00:55:42] You know, it's going to come down to the quarterbacks, but only one of them can throw.

[00:55:46] That's going to be tough.

[00:55:48] Two defenses that are just out of this world.

[00:55:51] One that just got that held Ashton Gentry from getting the record.

[00:55:57] So Notre Dame has been playing a lot of man defense this year.

[00:56:02] I don't think they need to against Penn State because the only thing you really have to worry about is Tyler Warren.

[00:56:07] You know, my Heisman candidate at tight end.

[00:56:10] And he's going to beat you.

[00:56:12] Yeah, and he showed up against Boise.

[00:56:14] So the reason that I bring him up, for example, he's the leading receiver on the team, even though he's the tight end.

[00:56:21] 98 catches.

[00:56:23] 98 catches.

[00:56:24] The first leading wide receiver is Harrison Wallace at 46 catches.

[00:56:29] But if you take the two running backs, Katron Allen and Nick Singleton, combine their catches,

[00:56:36] it's 10 more than that leading wide receiver.

[00:56:39] So from that standpoint, all Notre Dame has to do is keep Penn State in front of them.

[00:56:46] Just don't get beat over the top because Drew Aller can take you out.

[00:56:50] Now, the other thing, Drew Aller doesn't make a lot of mistakes.

[00:56:53] He doesn't have many interceptions this season.

[00:56:55] But when does he have interceptions?

[00:56:57] He has interceptions.

[00:56:58] I mean, it goes without saying.

[00:57:01] He has interceptions when he throws a lot.

[00:57:04] I mean, I get what you're saying.

[00:57:06] Like 40 passes, 40 passes.

[00:57:08] Like, those games that he had, like, a lot of intercepts, multiple interceptions in, you know, he threw more than 35 passes.

[00:57:17] You know, you keep him under 30.

[00:57:17] Because they couldn't run the ball.

[00:57:19] Yeah, he doesn't turn the ball.

[00:57:20] But, yeah, it could be.

[00:57:21] This could be one of those games that, like, the Arizona State-Texas game being 24-24 going into overtime was probably a shocker.

[00:57:34] Like, for the score to be that low.

[00:57:35] Like, you know, I'm pretty sure the over was over 48 points.

[00:57:38] It was 51 and a half, if I remember correctly.

[00:57:41] Yeah, but they had Texas at, like, 11 points or something like that.

[00:57:45] So, I think they probably had to score around, like, 34-20, something like that.

[00:57:50] Somewhere in that range, 34-17, something like that.

[00:57:56] So, this could be one of those kind of games.

[00:57:58] Because if you can't run the ball, I'm going to – I'll go with – Notre Dame has more explosive, like, skill players.

[00:58:15] I think the wide receiver – I think the lack of wide receiver threats for Penn State will eventually do them in.

[00:58:23] Mm-hmm.

[00:58:25] Because if the defensive coordinator can make any adjustment, like, hey, these wide receivers aren't beating us.

[00:58:32] He's only looking for Warren.

[00:58:34] He seems like Warren is the first or second read on most of these dropbacks.

[00:58:39] These wide receivers aren't beating us.

[00:58:41] I say we go man on the outside and then we bracket on the inside and make him either try to make a throw to one of these wide receivers that's in tight man coverage.

[00:58:54] Or you – you know, he checks it down to Warren on the drag route so he's over route.

[00:58:59] Like, he's general, you know, tight end routes.

[00:59:02] And you can just keep everything in front of you.

[00:59:06] Because I think Notre Dame is going to be able to move the ball around, run the ball well, I think.

[00:59:11] Riley Leonard with the RPO action.

[00:59:13] Because all it takes is one defensive end to read it wrong.

[00:59:17] And that's a 20-yard game.

[00:59:20] Third and one, he reads it wrong.

[00:59:23] Riley Leonard pops outside and it's like – now he's jogged on the sideline, steps out of bounds.

[00:59:28] So you get a big game, big moment, semifinal game, and you don't get a hit on the quarterback.

[00:59:34] You know, I think those kind of things can build up.

[00:59:37] And I'm liking Notre Dame's opportunities there.

[00:59:41] Yeah, so Notre Dame is favored by two and a half – or I'm sorry, by two.

[00:59:45] It opened at one and a half.

[00:59:47] And the over-under is 45 and a half.

[00:59:50] I think we're definitely going under.

[00:59:52] But this is one of those games where it's the two stall worth defenses so it'll end up being 34-31.

[00:59:58] Yeah, 38-34.

[01:00:00] Yeah, it never fails.

[01:00:02] But – so Penn State has been very fortunate in this playoff run.

[01:00:07] So we were talking about this off camera where you asked me who had the easiest path.

[01:00:12] I think it's Penn State.

[01:00:13] You know, you got SMU and it was at home and it was, you know, sub 40 degrees.

[01:00:19] And then you got Boise State, you know, who –

[01:00:23] Grab a water real quick.

[01:00:23] I'll be right back.

[01:00:24] You got Boise State who is one of the worst secondaries in the country.

[01:00:28] They finished the regular season number 126.

[01:00:31] And, oh, by the way, they miss a lot of tackles too.

[01:00:35] You know, when I look at Texas, they went up against Clemson.

[01:00:40] And you had Cade Klubnick who's from that area.

[01:00:44] So he had the motivation to beat Texas.

[01:00:48] They had a team that could match Texas' speed.

[01:00:51] And then we saw Cam Scatterboo, of course, last week with Arizona State.

[01:00:55] Notre Dame got Indiana and everybody was like, ooh, you know, they got the easy matchup.

[01:01:00] But then they had to play Georgia.

[01:01:01] And granted, no Carson Beck, but you still got Kirby Smart in that defense on those sidelines.

[01:01:07] So I think Penn State has had the easier path.

[01:01:10] Penn State has also played two teams that beat themselves.

[01:01:13] SMU, red zone turnovers.

[01:01:16] A red zone pick six that went the other way.

[01:01:18] You know, against Boise.

[01:01:20] You know, Boise gave up the two big plays early, fell behind 14-0 and just never got back into the game.

[01:01:26] So Penn State, I don't know how tested they've been in the playoff.

[01:01:31] And if we don't know anything else about Penn State, we know that James Franklin goes into the shell.

[01:01:38] He goes into the shell during these big games, right?

[01:01:41] We always talk about them, you know, something like 4-17 against top five teams.

[01:01:48] So can that change tonight or on Thursday?

[01:01:53] You want to say yes because you listen to the media and you hear all the time that if the playoff wasn't a four-team playoff,

[01:02:04] Penn State would have been the beneficiary because they only lose to Ohio State and Michigan.

[01:02:10] That's true to some degree.

[01:02:12] But I think Notre Dame wins this game.

[01:02:14] I think that their defense is just going to be too tough to penetrate, even though I think Andrew Kodanicki, the offensive coordinator for Penn State,

[01:02:23] I think he will have some new wrinkles.

[01:02:26] I think that they are the team that has the ability to get more explosives, throw more missiles over the top of your head.

[01:02:36] But I just think Notre Dame's defense is too good.

[01:02:38] I think they're too well coached.

[01:02:40] Al Golden, and oh, by the way, Al Golden's a Penn State guy.

[01:02:44] So, you know, you got that going for you as well.

[01:02:46] So I think I'm going to go with Notre Dame.

[01:02:48] I'm going to take the under, you know, against my better judgment because like I just said, you know,

[01:02:54] when these two teams, when two defensive teams get together, we usually see crazy things happen.

[01:03:00] You know, the all-time series, 10-10, or I'm sorry, 9-9-1 all-time.

[01:03:06] So it's going to be a great game.

[01:03:08] Two-story programs.

[01:03:11] Give me Notre Dame 20-13.

[01:03:16] I like that.

[01:03:17] I think the score you get 20, I'm going to go 27-21 Notre Dame.

[01:03:26] I think there will be some laps in judgment.

[01:03:29] Oh, so you got it over.

[01:03:30] Okay.

[01:03:31] I just figured like, I mean, it's just, it's a lot of games these guys have played.

[01:03:37] Someone's going to make a mistake somewhere where it's like someone's going to pop a big run,

[01:03:41] a linebacker's out of position.

[01:03:43] You know me, I like these coaching things, you know, like Al Golden played tight end at Penn State.

[01:03:49] He's the defensive coordinator going up against them.

[01:03:51] I just, I don't know.

[01:03:52] I like that kind of stuff.

[01:03:53] So, you know what I'm saying?

[01:03:54] I'm going to give them the edge on motivation and just James Franklin in big games because I tried to trust him

[01:04:00] against Ohio State this year.

[01:04:02] And, you know, we know how that went.

[01:04:05] But speaking of Ohio State, like I said, they're coming into Jerry World to get them some cow.

[01:04:10] They're going to play the long home.

[01:04:12] Go to Texas.

[01:04:12] Mo' chicken.

[01:04:13] Go beat the brakes off of Texas.

[01:04:16] So, but there's motivation here as well, right?

[01:04:19] Quinn, you were starting at Ohio State?

[01:04:22] That ain't enough.

[01:04:24] Okay.

[01:04:25] So.

[01:04:25] That ain't enough motivation.

[01:04:27] So, Matthew Golden, you know, had a game against Arizona State last week.

[01:04:32] You know, but otherwise, Texas' receivers, and I don't know if it's a Quinn-Yours thing,

[01:04:37] but for me, they've been a little disappointing.

[01:04:40] Especially.

[01:04:41] I thought his numbers would be better.

[01:04:42] I think he's only somewhere around like 26 tests.

[01:04:44] I know he missed a couple of games, but when you are.

[01:04:48] He just doesn't look good.

[01:04:49] When you're projected number one, like projected top first round quarterback and you're playing in college,

[01:04:54] especially when you're in one of these elite squads.

[01:04:56] I remember I was talking to my son about this a week ago about Jalen Milrow.

[01:05:00] It was like when you are considered an NFL prospect and you're on a top contending team,

[01:05:08] like you're on a Bama, a good Auburn team, a good Florida team.

[01:05:13] When you have like a good, when you're on a good team,

[01:05:16] you're supposed to look way better than the defense you're playing against week in and week out.

[01:05:22] Your defense is supposed to be the weak link.

[01:05:24] You're supposed to be out there like Mac Jones.

[01:05:26] Mac Jones was NFL quarterback when he played behind Alabama's line.

[01:05:30] 40 something touchdowns.

[01:05:32] Granted, he threw 20 of them to Devontae Smith and that one to the Heisman.

[01:05:36] But, you know, so he threw that many touchdowns to one guy.

[01:05:40] I think Quinn Ewers came into the game with like 26 touchdowns on the season.

[01:05:44] So, you know, I think he might be closer to like just a good quarterback than a great one.

[01:05:54] And Will Howard may not be a great quarterback, but he has a great wide receiver.

[01:06:00] So, he can look like a great quarterback a lot like Mac Jones to one of Devontae Smith.

[01:06:06] So, I got Ohio State big.

[01:06:08] I don't know if it's going to be 41-21 big,

[01:06:11] but it wouldn't surprise me if after the first quarter it's clear that one team is clearly better than the other one.

[01:06:21] And it's up to Ohio State to hold on after that.

[01:06:23] So, Ohio State is favored by six.

[01:06:26] The over-under is 53 and a half.

[01:06:30] So, when I look at this game, I mentioned Quinn Ewers.

[01:06:33] You know, he started out at Ohio State, you know, before he found his way down to Austin.

[01:06:38] No reason for him to go to Ohio State.

[01:06:39] You're from Texas.

[01:06:40] Like, why would you even go to Ohio State?

[01:06:42] I don't know.

[01:06:43] But also, Will Howard, on the other hand, has played against Texas three times in his career.

[01:06:50] Because, you know, he's an old fart.

[01:06:52] You know, he was over at Kansas State previously to this.

[01:06:56] You know, and in three games against Texas in his career, he is 0-3.

[01:07:00] He is 0-3.

[01:07:01] But he's 51 of 81, 566 yards, six touchdowns, two picks to include, four touchdowns last year in an overtime loss at Austin.

[01:07:12] But he didn't have Jeremiah Smith.

[01:07:14] Correct.

[01:07:15] He didn't have Carnell Tate.

[01:07:16] He didn't have Emeka Abuka.

[01:07:18] He didn't have Quinshawn Juckins.

[01:07:20] He didn't have Travion Henderson.

[01:07:22] Travion Henderson.

[01:07:25] Like, I'm telling you, like, I didn't think a human can move that fast in shoulder pads.

[01:07:30] He was so fast on the sideline.

[01:07:33] And like I said, I think that college football, like, the players are susceptible to the missed open field tackle.

[01:07:41] Like, because that's all you need.

[01:07:42] And you get a couple good blocks up front.

[01:07:45] You get somebody playing a bad angle and a missed tackle.

[01:07:49] And it's, you know, it's a 65-yard touchdown down the sideline.

[01:07:53] But I think Ohio State has the weapons to do that everywhere, which then, you know, makes a Texas team.

[01:08:03] They'll keep in mind, Cam Scadaboo just had, like, they made 300 yards on him, you know, last week.

[01:08:10] And you knew where he was going to be.

[01:08:13] Ohio State has four guys that they can do, like, you know, like, I'm not saying that they have four guys that are as good as Cam Scadaboo.

[01:08:20] But as far as, like, the wide receiver on the edge, the playmaker on the edge, the playmaker out of the backfield, they got two of those.

[01:08:27] The wide receiver on one side, they got Jeremiah.

[01:08:29] Then they got Abouko on the other side.

[01:08:31] Then they got Cardo Tate in the middle.

[01:08:32] So it's like, oh, not to mention, they got big tight ends running across the middle as well that can make plays.

[01:08:37] You know, you can't match them up on safeties.

[01:08:38] I think that tight end comes out of his break looks like a left tackle when he's running his corner routes.

[01:08:44] And I brought it up last week.

[01:08:45] Like, you know, Sark, Coach Sark, he's another James Franklin when it comes to these big games.

[01:08:53] You know, he almost pissed it down his leg last week against Arizona State.

[01:08:57] You know.

[01:08:58] That dude stays, if that guy stays in the spot where he's supposed to be on that pass, he deflects it.

[01:09:04] At a minimum, he makes the catch more difficult.

[01:09:07] And maybe the guy drops it.

[01:09:08] And then we're talking Arizona State versus Ohio State.

[01:09:12] And it's hard for me because Texas, you know, because I'm the look at the schedule guy, you know, and Texas outside of Georgia played the weaklings of the SEC.

[01:09:23] So the playoffs might have been the first time they've been battle tested.

[01:09:27] And the talk coming into the playoff was how great their defense was.

[01:09:32] And Kay Klubnick was shredding them.

[01:09:34] You know, Levitt had a great game against, well, I ain't going to say great game, but he had a really good game against them.

[01:09:39] That's a red shirt freshman quarterback.

[01:09:42] You know, his first playoff game or any kind of bowl game, postseason, whatever.

[01:09:47] Yeah.

[01:09:47] You know, so I don't know how good Texas' defense really is.

[01:09:51] But what I do know, Mr. Logical, is for all you Travis Hunter fans out there, Texas has the Thorpe Award winner.

[01:10:00] You know.

[01:10:01] You can't cover all three of them.

[01:10:02] Johnny Barron.

[01:10:03] And, you know, they got Michael Taft back there.

[01:10:06] So I am looking forward to the matchup of Texas' secondary against these Ohio State receivers.

[01:10:12] I just think Ohio State's going to win that matchup.

[01:10:15] But, you know, but I'm looking forward to it.

[01:10:17] You know, the one thing that Ohio State can't do, you can't run at Texas.

[01:10:24] Trying to run up the middle just does not work.

[01:10:28] So you got to get some of those toss sweeps.

[01:10:30] You got to get some stretch plays.

[01:10:32] Sideline to sideline.

[01:10:34] You know, make them win that.

[01:10:35] And they have the backfield talent to make.

[01:10:37] And they have the backfield talent to do it.

[01:10:39] So I'm going to give Texas, I'm going to shoot them a little bail here.

[01:10:43] Because I know you're talking about, you know, saying Ohio State's going to pull out the paddle on them.

[01:10:47] You know what I'm saying?

[01:10:49] I just think that, I think the first couple of drives, I don't know if Quinn yours is, you know, some guys are going to, like, I think the first drive of the game, Ohio State's getting points.

[01:11:04] If not a touchdown, I got a big play and probably a touchdown in their first possession.

[01:11:10] And probably even their second one.

[01:11:12] I just think, like, they have so much going on offensively that he's going to get open looks from Will Howard, from the quarterback position.

[01:11:20] Yeah.

[01:11:21] He's going to get great looks.

[01:11:22] I think Chip Kelly's going to be able to call a litany of plays.

[01:11:27] Like, that scripted 15 plays, I think those are all going to be high-quality plays.

[01:11:34] And they're going to get good looks out of it.

[01:11:36] Yeah, I've been waiting for Isaiah Bond all year.

[01:11:39] Like, I've been picking him on my fan duel, waiting for him to break out.

[01:11:43] And it just hasn't happened.

[01:11:45] You know, of course, he was the guy that had the fourth and 31 catch against Auburn last year.

[01:11:49] So I've been waiting for him to make his imprint on these games.

[01:11:52] And he hasn't to date.

[01:11:54] You know, and when I look at Ohio State, outside of the first Oregon game, their secondary has held up as well.

[01:12:03] And Quinn yours just doesn't look confident.

[01:12:05] Like, he looks like one of those quarterbacks that got hit or, like, threw a pick and just never recovered from it.

[01:12:13] That's what I see when I look at him.

[01:12:14] I think he's going to get yanked.

[01:12:15] Well, I was going to ask you.

[01:12:16] I was going to say that.

[01:12:17] We talked about that.

[01:12:18] That's why in the Georgia game.

[01:12:19] Yeah, Tuesday, we're probably going to be in here arguing again because I think we might see a little bit of arch.

[01:12:25] And in that case, I get it because this is win or go home.

[01:12:29] This is win or go home.

[01:12:30] The reason I didn't like it last time because Texas was undefeated.

[01:12:33] You're undefeated.

[01:12:34] I'm a ride or die with Quinn.

[01:12:35] Go down with the ship.

[01:12:36] And I'll call the package for arch because I like his athleticism.

[01:12:41] I didn't mind it, but we don't got to relitigate that.

[01:12:43] Yeah, but I'm saying this week, if it's not working, then going with arch makes complete sense because it's lose and go home.

[01:12:53] It's not the same as, like I said, when earlier season, you're undefeated.

[01:12:57] This would have been your first loss.

[01:12:59] Maybe you could have clawed back in.

[01:13:00] But this one I don't understand.

[01:13:02] But I think that's another piece of it.

[01:13:04] He knows definitively he could be replaced.

[01:13:07] Will Howard's not going to the bench.

[01:13:09] So we both got Ohio State.

[01:13:10] We both got Notre Dame, it sounds like.

[01:13:12] So that's our national title game pick.

[01:13:15] So real quick before we get out of here, you know, I just want to share with y'all.

[01:13:20] There are two things that piss me off in this world like no other.

[01:13:24] Number one is when I come upstairs and then my wife be like, can you get me a water?

[01:13:33] And I'm like, yo, I was just downstairs.

[01:13:36] The second thing is preseason rankings.

[01:13:41] And so I was looking at, you know, going through my stuff, you know, I was looking at on three the other day and they had their two early top 25.

[01:13:51] And I mean, obviously, it's beyond too early.

[01:13:54] So what I wanted to do was I'm going to give the top 10 real quick and then I'm going to just talk about a few teams since I guess that's the thing to do.

[01:14:02] I'll give a few teams that I'm looking forward to watching next year.

[01:14:05] So taking it from the top.

[01:14:08] According to on three, number one for the 2025 season, Texas.

[01:14:15] You know, Arch Manning.

[01:14:17] Number two, Oregon.

[01:14:19] You know who Oregon quarterback going to be next year?

[01:14:21] Quinn Ewers.

[01:14:23] Oh, well, you know, if the season started today, you know who Oregon's quarterback would be?

[01:14:28] Oh, the young boy from UCLA.

[01:14:31] Yes, Dante Moore.

[01:14:33] You know what I'm saying?

[01:14:34] Number three, Ohio State.

[01:14:36] Number four, Penn State, because you know Drew Owler's coming back.

[01:14:39] Number five, Notre Dame.

[01:14:41] Number six, Georgia.

[01:14:43] You ready?

[01:14:45] Number seven, South Carolina.

[01:14:48] Number eight, Clemson.

[01:14:50] Number nine, Florida.

[01:14:52] Number 10.

[01:14:54] You ready?

[01:14:55] Number 10.

[01:14:57] Alabama.

[01:14:58] The Auburn Tigers.

[01:15:00] Get out of here.

[01:15:01] You know what I'm saying?

[01:15:02] Which they got two quarterbacks to choose from.

[01:15:04] Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels, you know.

[01:15:07] So Florida, I get they're going to get the hype, right?

[01:15:10] Because it's DJ Lagway.

[01:15:12] Where's Michigan?

[01:15:13] Where would Michigan be?

[01:15:15] You know what I'm saying?

[01:15:15] Oh, my bad.

[01:15:16] They should be in front of Auburn, at least, right?

[01:15:20] Since they at least beat Alabama.

[01:15:21] I see where you're going with that, Mike.

[01:15:24] But a few teams that I was looking forward to next year.

[01:15:29] And that is one of them, Michigan, because of Bryce Underwood.

[01:15:32] You know, I can't wait to see him.

[01:15:34] You know, but Washington.

[01:15:36] I'm interested in seeing the Washington Huskies because, you know, of course, they picked up our guy, friend of the show, Eric Biennemi, as their offensive coordinator.

[01:15:46] You know, but I also like Jed Fish, you know, the head coach.

[01:15:51] I brought him up last year.

[01:15:52] He's one of my favorite coaches in the country, even though he's a stinking gator.

[01:15:55] And they picked up John Tate Cook from Texas, who got to write the check with his ass that his mouth wrote when he was shitting on Quinn Ewers the other day.

[01:16:05] You know, because he was down at Texas.

[01:16:07] And I guess he feels Quinn Ewers ain't shit.

[01:16:09] But, you know, join the club, buddy.

[01:16:12] BYU, you know, a team that I thought should have had more playoff consideration this year.

[01:16:17] We talked about it when the playoff rankings came out.

[01:16:19] They won at SMU.

[01:16:21] And I felt like they had, you know, what's the word?

[01:16:25] They had a better resume than Texas and all that kind of stuff like that.

[01:16:31] You know what I mean?

[01:16:32] And they're bringing everybody back just about.

[01:16:35] And then my last few teams real quick, you know, Indiana, you know, I want to see them react.

[01:16:41] You know, obviously North Carolina with Belichick.

[01:16:43] Michigan also picked up Justice Haynes and Jordan.

[01:16:45] And they got Jordan Marshall.

[01:16:46] Texas Tech has the number one portal class.

[01:16:49] Colorado, Caden Salter from Liberty.

[01:16:53] And then last but not least, Malakon Nelson, you know, who got beat out by Maddox, Maddox and that Boise going down to Texas El Paso, a.k.a. UTEP.

[01:17:04] And Jaden Rashada going to end up on his fourth NIL team.

[01:17:09] We just don't know or team.

[01:17:10] We just don't know who it is yet.

[01:17:12] But he is Mr. Logical.

[01:17:15] Do not bring feelings to a fact fight.

[01:17:18] You know what I'm saying?

[01:17:20] I am 2-5.

[01:17:21] Better defense than the Bengals and Deontay Wilder.

[01:17:25] So we will be back on Friday with NFL Playoff 6.

[01:17:30] Reaction to Notre Dame and Penn State.

[01:17:32] Like, review, subscribe, share, rate, do all the free things.

[01:17:35] Do all the good things.

[01:17:39] Love you.

[01:17:40] Peace, people.

[01:17:44] Ah.

[01:17:45] Ah.